AU2010241199A1 - Tow shield assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

A tow shield assembly comprising a pivot member located adjacent a rear end of a tow vehicle, at least one biasing member connected to the pivot member, the biasing member becoming compressed upon displacement of 5 the pivot member towards a towed vehicle, and a cover extending partially between the pivot member and the towed vehicle. Turning of the tow vehicle causes displacement of the pivot member and upon straightening of the tow vehicle the biasing member forces the pivot member to remain adjacent the rear end of the tow vehicle. -CC N% - ---

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 ORIGINAL COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: "TOW SHIELD ASSEMBLY" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 1 TOW SHIELD ASSEMBLY FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention is concerned with a tow shield assembly to protect a tow vehicle and/or the vehicle being towed from damage from 5 debris being deflected from a road surface. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is often necessary to use one vehicle to tow another for both recreational and work purposes. Often, a tow vehicle will be used to tow a second car or a caravan. During the towing process a common problem 10 encountered is that of stones, gravel and other debris raised by the wheels of the tow vehicle contacting the front end of the towed vehicle at sufficiently high speeds to result in paint work and/or structural damage to that vehicle. Due to deflections from the towing apparatus and towed vehicle damage can also be caused on the rear of the tow vehicle itself. These problems are 15 exacerbated when towing caravans or the like in an off road situation. Deflectors may be employed which cover, at least partially, the gap between the rear of the tow vehicle and the front of the towed vehicle. These are designed to deflect any debris kicked up by the tow vehicle back down towards the road surface and generally comprise some form of material 20 stretched between the two vehicles over the A-frame region of the chassis of the towed vehicle. In use, current deflectors have a number of associated problems relating to inconvenience in connecting and disconnecting from the towing and towed vehicles as well as reduced effectiveness when the vehicle is 2 turning. Some deflectors are of a rigid design and so may actually limit the range of turning motion through which the tow vehicle can undergo and thereby impact upon the control which the driver has over the vehicle. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 5 The present invention provides for a tow shield assembly which is effective for deflecting debris kicked up from a road surface back onto that surface without first contacting the front or rear surfaces of the towed and tow vehicles, respectively. This is achieved by the provision of a pivotable bar which pivots when the tow vehicle is turning due to contact with either the 10 rear of that vehicle or with an assembly attached thereto. The pivoting of the pivotable bar maintains an attached protective cover in the close vicinity of the rear of the tow vehicle while affording the turning vehicle a full range of motion. When the tow vehicle straightens its path the pivotable bar is returned to its original position by means of a biasing member. 15 In one broad form, the invention resides in a tow shield assembly comprising at least one pivot member connected to a biasing member and a cover extending from the pivot member and wherein displacement of the pivot member causes compression of the biasing member. According to one form, although not necessarily the only or broadest 20 form the invention resides in a tow shield assembly comprising: (a) at least one pivot member adapted to be located adjacent a rear end of a tow vehicle; (b) at least one biasing member operatively connected to the pivot member; and 3 (c) a cover extending from the pivot member; wherein, movement of the pivot member results in compression of the biasing member. The biasing member is movable between a neutral position in which 5 the biasing member is compressed to a first degree and a turning position in which the biasing member is compressed to a second degree and wherein the second degree of compression is greater than the first degree of compression. Preferably, when the pivot member is displaced the biasing member 10 moves from the neutral position to the turning position. Suitably, movement of the biasing member from the neutral position to the turning position maintains the pivot member adjacent the rear end of the tow vehicle. Preferably, the tow shield assembly further comprises a tow assembly 15 connected to the tow vehicle, the tow assembly comprising at least one buffer adapted to displace the pivot member when the vehicle is turning. Suitably, the tow assembly is attached to the tow bar of the tow vehicle. Preferably, the tow shield assembly comprises two pivot members 20 attached to a common pivot point and extending in substantially opposite directions there from. If required, each pivot member is attached to a biasing member adapted to maintain the pivot member adjacent the rear end of the tow vehicle.

4 The biasing member may be attached to an A-frame or draw bar of a chassis of the tow vehicle. The pivot member may be attached to an A-frame or draw bar of the chassis of the tow vehicle by a support member. 5 If required, the support member may be attached to the draw bar by an adjustable plate. The tow shield assembly may further comprise at least one fixed member extending substantially parallel to the pivot member and located between the pivot member and the towed vehicle. 10 Preferably, the cover extends between the pivot member and the fixed member. In one embodiment, the invention resides in a tow shield assembly comprising: (a) a tow assembly adapted to be located on a tow bar of a 15 tow vehicle, the tow assembly comprising at least one buffer; (b) at least one pivot member adapted to engage the buffer; (c) at least one biasing member operatively connected to the pivot member to maintain the pivot member in engagement 20 with the buffer, the biasing member movable between a neutral position in which the biasing member is compressed to a first degree and a turning position in which the biasing member is compressed to a second degree and wherein the second degree of compression is 5 greater than the first degree of compression; and (d) a cover extending from the pivot member in a direction opposite to the tow assembly; wherein movement of the pivot member results in compression of the 5 biasing member. In a further aspect, the invention resides in a hitch assembly for a towable vehicle chassis comprising: (a) at least one pivot member located adjacent a coupling assembly of the chassis of the towable vehicle, the pivot 10 member connected to a pivot point; (b) at least one biasing member connected to the pivot member, the biasing member movable between a neutral position in which the biasing member is compressed to a first degree and a turning position in which the biasing 15 member is compressed to a second degree and wherein the second degree of compression is greater than the first degree of compression; and (c) a cover extending at least partially between the pivot member and the towable vehicle; 20 wherein displacement of the pivot member towards the towable vehicle causes movement of the biasing member from the neutral position to the turning position. Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description.

6 Throughout this specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the words "comprise", "comprises" and "comprising" will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers. 5 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES In order that the invention may be readily understood and put into practical effect, preferred embodiments will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying figures wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts and wherein: 10 FIG 1 shows one embodiment of a tow shield assembly located at the rear of a tow vehicle; FIG 2 shows a close up view of the tow shield assembly shown in FIG 1 with the protective cover removed; FIG 3 shows an exploded view of one embodiment of a tow assembly; 15 FIG 4 shows a perspective view of the tow assembly shown in FIG 3 attached to the tow bar of a tow vehicle; FIG 5 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of a hitch assembly; FIG 6 shows the tow shield assembly of FIG 1 when the tow vehicle is 20 turning; FIG 7 shows the tow shield assembly of FIG 6 when the tow vehicle makes a sharper turn; FIG 8 shows a further embodiment of a tow shield assembly located at the rear of a tow vehicle; and 7 FIG 9A shows a perspective view of a further embodiment of a hitch assembly; and FIG 9B shows a side view of the hitch assembly of FIG 9A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 5 The term "towed vehicle" as used herein encompasses any form of commonly towed vehicle including automobiles, boats, trailers and caravans. The terms "turn", "turning" or "turning motion" as used herein in relation to the movement of a tow vehicle encompass any motion which results in the tow vehicle deviating from a straight path. This will typically 10 include the turning of corners or other such motion which angles the rear end of the tow vehicle with respect to the front end of the towed vehicle and causes at least a portion thereof to become closer to the front end of the towed vehicle. Although the discussion and figures presented herein relate to the 15 towing of a caravan by a car, truck, four wheel drive or like automobile it will be appreciated that the present invention may be applicable to any situation wherein a vehicle is used to tow another vehicle or structure supported on a wheel bearing chassis. FIG 1 shows one embodiment of a tow shield assembly 10 located at 20 the rear of a tow vehicle 20 of which only a bumper 21 and a rear step 22 are shown. The tow shield assembly 10 comprises a tow assembly 100 which is attached to the tow bar region of the tow vehicle 20 and a hitch or A frame/drawbar assembly 200 which is attached to the draw bar or A-frame 31 forming part of the chassis of a towed vehicle 30 (not shown in the 8 figures), such as a caravan. The hitch assembly 200 can be seen to comprise two pivot members 205, in the form of angled bars or rods, and two fixed members 265 running approximately parallel to the pivot members 205 when in the neutral position 5 shown in FIG 1. Extending between the pivot members 205 and fixed members 265 is a protective cover 270 which may be manufactured from a wide range of materials of sufficient strength to withstand contact from stones and other road surface debris while displaying a reasonable degree of flexibility. Industrial strength mesh or the like would be particularly suitable 10 and truck mesh, trampoline mesh or even shade cloth may be adequate. The cover 270, as shown in FIG 1, is a trapezoid to accommodate the hitch assembly 200 but it will be appreciated that a range of shapes may also be suitable so long as sufficient coverage is afforded to adequately protect the tow and or towed vehicle, 20 and 30 respectively, from deflected road debris. 15 FIG 2 shows a close up view of the tow shield assembly 10 shown in FIG 1 with the protective cover 270 removed, for the sake of clarity. Only a portion of the pivot members 205 are shown in FIG 2 but it can be seen that they sit closely adjacent or in abutment with buffers 165 of tow assembly 100 which contact prevents their directly contacting the rear end of the tow 20 vehicle 20. At an end of pivot members 205 close to a coupling assembly 32 of the A-frame of the towed vehicle 30 chassis are found connecting members 210 extending away from pivot members 205 to meet at a pivot point 215, which in the embodiment shown is formed by a fastener such as a bolt or the like passing through apertures formed in the connecting members 9 210. The connecting members 210 may be attached to the pivot members 205 by welding or held by fasteners or the connecting members 210 may be formed integrally with the pivot members 205. Thus, if one of the buffers 165 should be caused to move towards its corresponding pivot member 205 by, 5 for example, the tow vehicle 20 undergoing a turning motion, then that pivot member 205 will pivot around pivot point 215, via the attached connecting member 210, to ensure that the cover 270 in that region remains close to the bumper 21 of the tow vehicle 20 without actually restricting its motion. The pivot point 215 also passes through a support plate 220 to which 10 the connecting members 210 are attached via the fastener passing through and forming pivot point 215. The support plate 220 is attached to or is integral with a support member 225 which runs approximately alongside and attaches to a draw bar of A-frame 31 by way of an adjustable plate 230. The support member 225 may be welded or otherwise fastened to a portion of 15 the adjustable plate 230 which is itself held in place on the draw bar 31 by means of a U-clamp or similar fastening means attached by one or more nuts 240. The support member 225 thus acts as a cantilever to provide support for the pivot members 205. The angle at which the adjustable plate 230 sits in relation to the draw bar 31 and hence the position the pivot 20 members 205 are placed at, due to the cantilever effect of the support member 225, can be manipulated as will be better seen in relation to FIG 3. Also attached to each of the pivot members 205, at a point along their length close to the contact point with the buffers 165, is a biasing member 245 which, in the embodiment shown in the figures, takes the form of a gas 10 strut. The skilled addressee will understand that, based upon the present disclosure, a number of variations on the biasing member 245 may be envisaged so long as they have the ability to be compressed and then return to their resting state and may include, without limitation, a compression 5 spring or spring strut. The biasing members 245 extend from the pivot members 205 to a mounting plate 250 providing a fixed attachment point to the A-frame 31. A number of mounting plate apertures 260 may be provided to adjust the placement of the biasing members 245. It can be seen that, should the tow vehicle 20 turn to the left or right 10 the correspondingly placed buffer 165 will be caused to move to press against its adjacent pivot member 205 which will pivot about pivot point 215 and cause the attached biasing member 245 to become compressed to a degree which correlates to the sharpness of the turn of the tow vehicle 20. Once the tow vehicle 20 starts to straighten up then the biasing member 245 15 will be allowed to extend back to its original state thereby pushing the associated pivot member 205 through a range of motion to assume its original neutral position and maintaining it adjacent or in contact with the buffer 165. In the neutral (non-turning) position pivot member 205 and buffer 165 preferably have a small gap of approx 10-20mm there between. This 20 results in the cover 270 being maintained adjacent the bumper 21 of the tow vehicle 20 and so provides good coverage to deflect road debris back down to the road surface throughout the full range of motion of the tow vehicle 20. FIG 3 shows an exploded view of one embodiment of a tow assembly 100 which is attached to the rear end/tow bar region of the tow vehicle 20.

11 The tow vehicle 20 has a standard arrangement of a tow bar 105 having a tow bar aperture 110 into which a ball mount 115 is inserted. The ball mount 115 has a tow ball 120 attached thereto. In the embodiment of the tow assembly 100 shown in the figures, an outer sleeve 125 is provided onto 5 which is formed a sleeve mount 130 which is of a size and shape roughly corresponding to the outer extent of the tow bar 105 which defines the tow bar aperture 110. The ball mount 115 is passed through the aperture formed by the sleeve mount 130 before entering the tow bar aperture 110 to thereby affix the outer sleeve 125 on to the tow bar 105. A sleeve mount fastener 10 135 is provided which can be tightened to firmly attach the sleeve mount 130 and associated outer sleeve 125 to the ball mount 115. An inner sleeve 140, which in one preferred embodiment comprises two separate sleeve components 140a and 140b, can be located inside the outer sleeve 125 and held in place by passing one or more pins 145 through 15 aligned outer sleeve apertures 150 and inner sleeve locating apertures 155. At respective ends of the inner sleeve 140 a buffer mount 160, presenting the buffer rod 165 projecting approximately perpendicularly thereto, is located within the hollow interior of each of sleeve components 140a and 140b. The buffer mount 160 is fixed in place by fasteners 170 which pass 20 through aligned inner sleeve peripheral apertures 175 and buffer mount apertures 180. FIG 4 shows a perspective view of the tow assembly 100 shown in FIG 3 attached to the tow bar 105 of the tow vehicle 20 in a fully assembled form. It can be seen that the combination of the T-shaped outer sleeve 125 12 with associated sleeve mount 130, the inner sleeve 140 and the buffer mounts 160 enable the buffers 165 to be fixed in place and presented a predetermined distance from the bumper 21 and/or rear step 22 of the tow vehicle 20. It will be appreciated that the exact positioning of the buffers 165 5 may be adjustable by the provision of a number of apertures along the buffer mount 160 and the inner sleeve 140. If desired the distance they are located away from the rear end of the tow vehicle may also be adjusted by providing for a lockable pivot point at the connection of the buffer mount 160 and the inner sleeve 140. The provision of the two sleeve components 140a and 10 140b means that when the tow shield assembly 10 is not required the buffers 165 can be removed or replaced and, when required, the buffers 165 can be fitted but do not need to be adjusted each time thereby saving time and improving ease of use. It will also be appreciated that not all of the components described may be essential for the operation of the tow 15 assembly 100, for example, the inner sleeve 140 may not be present and the outer sleeve 125 may be extended to take its place. FIG 5 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the hitch assembly 200 with the right hand cover 270 removed to better show the components. The arrangement of the support plate 220, the support member 20 225 and the adjustable plate 230 can be clearly seen to provide a cantilever support system for the connecting members 210 and associated pivot members 205. The adjustable plate 230 may be provided with a plurality of plate apertures 275 which enable the positioning of the adjustable plate 230 to be altered by the choice of placement of the ends of the U-clamp 235 in 13 certain of the plate apertures 275. This adjustment will result in a change of the angle formed by the cantilever, being the support member 225, and so allows adjustment of the height at which the pivot members 205 are presented. 5 The support plate 220 can be seen to be attached to one end of the support member 225 and is held approximately above the ball socket of the coupling assembly 32 of the chassis of the towed vehicle 30. The left hand cover 270 extends from its associated pivot member 205 rearwardly to be affixed at its other extent to the fixed member 265, each of which are held in 10 place on the draw bar 31 by a U-clamp or other fastening means. FIG 6 shows the tow shield assembly 10 of FIG 1 when the tow vehicle 20 is turning. In figures 6 and 7 the tow vehicle 20 is shown to make a left turn and so most of the following description will be in relation to those components at the left hand side of the A-frame when looking at the rear of 15 the tow vehicle 20, however, it will be understood that these actions would be mirrored by the corresponding components on the right hand side of the A frame 31 if the tow vehicle 20 were making a right turn. As the tow vehicle 20 makes its turn to the left it will result in the left hand side of the bumper 21 moving rearwardly relative to the left hand side 20 pivot member 205 and so the buffer 165 will be forced against that pivot member 205. The pivot member 205 will rotate at its inner extent around the pivot point 215 such that it is no longer in line with the right hand pivot member 205 but rather adopts an inclined position relative thereto. The extent of the displacement of the pivot member 205 depends on the extent or 14 sharpness of the turn performed by the tow vehicle 20. The displacement described of the left hand pivot member 205 results in the piston of the gas strut attached thereto, in the role of biasing member 245, being forced into the body of the gas strut thereby compressing the gas 5 contained within. This helps ensure a smooth range of movement of the pivot member 205 and the attached cover 270 thereby maintaining a good coverage by the cover 270 of the space between the bumper 21 of the tow vehicle 20 and the front end of the towed vehicle 30. The use of the buffer 165 system ensures that the rear end of the tow 10 vehicle 20 can be used to initiate and maintain appropriate displacement of the pivot member 205 to keep it, and hence the protective cover 270, closely adjacent while at the same time ensuring that there is no direct contact between the two which could result in scratching or other damage to the tow vehicle 20. The pivotable nature of the pivot member 205 advantageously 15 ensures that the range of turning motion available to the tow vehicle 20 is not in any way restricted. Further, as is best seen in FIG 1, the pivot members 205 may be angled such that they are more closely aligned with the rear of the tow vehicle 20. FIG 7 shows the tow shield assembly of FIG 6 when the tow vehicle 20 makes a sharper turn. Prior art solutions to the problem of protecting the tow vehicle 20 and/or towed vehicle 30 from raised or deflected road debris have generally compromised the angle through which the tow vehicle 20 can turn due to their rigid and unmoving nature. FIG 7 demonstrates the operation of the present invention during a sharp left hand turn made by the tow vehicle 15 20. Essentially the same steps as described above in relation to FIG 6 are performed. In FIG 7 however the angle of the turn is such that the left hand pivot member 205 is displaced to form an angle nearly approaching ninety 5 degrees with the right hand pivot member 205. This large displacement has forced the piston of the attached biasing member 245 essentially entirely inside of the body of the gas strut. Any sharper turning angle would be difficult due to the proximity of the towed vehicle A-frame 31 but, if possible, then such motion could be compensated for by adjustment of the appropriate 10 biasing member 245 into a mounting plate aperture 260 closer to the towed vehicle 30 to thereby free up a greater range of motion for the biasing member 245. The cover 270 is seen to go slack to an extent due to the closeness of the pivot member 205 and fixed member 265 but ample coverage of the now very restricted space between the bumper 21 and front 15 of the towed vehicle 30 is still provided. Turning of the tow vehicle 20 at an angle as shown in FIG 7 would need to be carried out at very low speed to maintain safety and so, in any event, debris would be reduced in volume and velocity in this scenario and so the protection afforded by the present invention is more than sufficient. 20 Return of the tow vehicle 20 from the turning position shown in FIG 7 to the resting or neutral position shown in FIG 1 involves the components described undergoing the reverse sequence of events already described. Briefly, as the tow vehicle 20 rectifies or straightens out of the turn then the buffer 165 will no longer be displacing the pivot member 205 in the direction 16 of the towed vehicle 30. As this displacing force is removed the expansive force supplied by the currently compressed biasing member 245 becomes dominant and so the pivot member 205 is maintained closely adjacent or in abutment with the buffer 165. In the embodiment shown this is caused by the 5 compressed gas in the gas strut 245 forcing the piston towards the rear of the tow vehicle 20. Once again, the movement of the pivot member 205 is a continuous motion such that at all stages it, and attached cover 270, remains adjacent the bumper 21 of the tow vehicle 20 thus greatly reducing the likelihood that 10 raised or deflected debris will find a pathway to the tow vehicle 20 or the towed vehicle 30. When the tow vehicle 20 has straightened up after completing the turning motion then the biasing member 245 will resume its neutral position, shown in FIG 1, ready for further cycles as described. It will be appreciated from the foregoing description that the present 15 invention provides for a number of advantages in operation. As described, the arrangement of the pivot member 205 which is displaced via the buffer 165, attached to the rear of the tow vehicle 20, while being maintained in the vicinity of the bumper 21 of the tow vehicle 20 by the biasing member 245 provides for improved protection of both the tow vehicle 20 and the towed 20 vehicle 30 throughout the full range of motion of the tow vehicle 20. Further, the provision of the tow assembly 100 comprising the buffers 165 which can connect with a standard vehicle tow bar arrangement allows the tow vehicle 20 to direct movement of the protective hitch assembly 200 without any moving parts of the tow shield assembly 10 actually directly 17 contacting and potentially damaging the tow vehicle 20. The present invention also provides advantages in terms of the convenience of use. Since the tow shield assembly 10 does not restrict the range of motion of the tow vehicle 20 it does not require constant removal 5 and replacement. The tow assembly 100 is permanently (though removably) fitted to the tow vehicle 20 and the hitch assembly 200 is attached to the A frame of the chassis of the towed vehicle 30 and so hitching the towed vehicle 30 to the tow vehicle 20 in the standard manner before towing will simultaneously result in placement of the tow shield assembly 10. Further, 10 since some prior art arrangements are attached directly to the bumper 21 of rear step 22 of the tow vehicle 20 it is inconvenient to access the rear storage area during short stops for refreshments and the like. Typically, the prior art deflector will need to be removed or, if it is possible to step around it, it is likely that the user's clothing will have dust or road grime transferred to it 15 by contact with the deflector. The arrangement of the present invention means that a user can simply displace the appropriate pivot member 205 with their hand and either hold it or place a suitable stopper in position while they access the rear of the tow vehicle 20. Once finished, the pivot member 205 is simply released and it will assume its operational position. 20 FIG 8 shows a further embodiment of a tow shield assembly 400 located at the rear of a tow vehicle 500 of which only a bumper 501 and a rear step 502 are shown. The tow shield assembly 400 is similar in components and operation to that already described and so only the differences will be highlighted here. The tow shield assembly comprises a 18 tow assembly 600 which is attached to the tow bar region of the tow vehicle 500 and a hitch or A-frame/drawbar assembly 700 which is attached to the draw bar or A-frame forming part of the chassis of the towed vehicle (not shown in the figures), such as a caravan. 5 The hitch assembly 700 can be seen to comprise two pivot members 705, in the form of angled bars or rods, from which extends a protective cover 710 as described previously. Biasing members 715 are connected at one end to one of the pivot members 705 to facilitate movement thereof as discussed above. 10 In this embodiment, instead of being connected via connecting members to a central pivot point the two pivot members 705 connect directly to a pivot head mount 720 at respective pivot points 725. The pivot head mount is also provided with two locking pin receiving apertures 730. The pivot head mount 720 enables the pivot members 705 to be displaced by the 15 buffers whenever the tow vehicle 500 turns as described previously but provides a more robust mount. In FIG 8 the tow vehicle 500 is not actually turning but the user, upon stopping, may require access to the rear of the tow vehicle 500 and so the left hand side pivot member 705 has been manually displaced until the associated biasing member 715 is near or fully 20 compressed. A pin can then be inserted through the left hand side locking pin receiving aperture 730 to effectively lock that pivot member 705 in place. This allows easy access to the rear of tow vehicle 500 and lessens the risk of the user's clothing becoming soiled due to contact with the pivot member 705 and associated protective cover which will have picked up dust and grime 19 during the journey. Although not shown in this embodiment the hitch assembly 700 may also comprise at least one support member extending between the pivot mount 720 and A-frame, as described for FIG 2. In a further embodiment, 5 there may be provided a support member attached to both left and right hand side bars of the A-frame. The support members may be attached as previously described using a U-bolt or the like. The U-bolt may be adjustable via a series of apertures, as shown in FIG 5, or it may be provided with a continuous groove and associated fastening mechanism to enable locking of 10 the desired angle of the support member at any point along the groove. FIG 8 shows that the resilient members 715 are connected to a two pronged bracket mount 735. FIG 9A shows this mounting plate 735 in a perspective view, separated from the rest of the components of hitch assembly 700. The connection between the pivot mount 720 and the bracket 15 mount 735 can be seen as can the various apertures 725 and 730 for the introduction of pivot and locking pins, respectively. Further apertures 740 and 745 are formed in the bracket mount 735 to facilitate the attachment of the resilient members 715 to the bracket mount 735 and of the bracket mount 735 to the A-frame. FIG 9B shows the bracket mount 735 and associated 20 pivot mount 720 in a side view so as to allow an appreciation of their angle of location with respect to one another. The use of the bracket mount 735 and pivot mount 720 shown in the embodiment of FIGs 8 to 9B provides for a simpler device to manufacture and means that, although they may be employed for additional strength, 20 support members such as that shown in FIG are not absolutely necessary. The required strength is provided by the direct connection between the two components. Throughout the specification the aim has been to describe the 5 preferred embodiments of the invention without limiting the invention to any one embodiment or specific collection of features. It will therefore be appreciated by those of skill in the art that, in light of the instant disclosure, various modifications and changes can be made in the particular embodiments exemplified without departing from the scope of the present 10 invention. 15 20

Claims (21)

1. A tow shield assembly comprising: (a) at least one pivot member adapted to be located adjacent a rear end of a tow vehicle; 5 (b) at least one biasing member operatively connected to the pivot member; and (c) a cover extending from the pivot member; wherein, movement of the pivot member results in compression of the biasing member. 10

2. The tow shield assembly of claim 1 wherein the biasing member is movable between a neutral position in which the biasing member is compressed to a first degree and a turning position in which the biasing member is compressed to a second degree and wherein the second degree of compression is greater than the first degree of 15 compression.

3. The tow shield assembly of claim 2 wherein when the pivot member is displaced the biasing member moves from the neutral position to the turning position.

4. The tow shield assembly of claim 3 wherein movement of the biasing 20 member from the neutral position to the turning position maintains the pivot member adjacent the rear end of the tow vehicle.

5. The tow shield assembly of claim 3 wherein the pivot member is connected to and displaced about a pivot point.

6. The tow shield assembly of claim 1 further comprising a tow assembly 22 attached to the tow vehicle, the tow assembly comprising at least one buffer adapted to displace the pivot member.

7. The tow shield assembly of claim 6 wherein the tow assembly is attached to a tow bar of the tow vehicle. 5

8. The tow shield assembly of claim 1 comprising two pivot members attached to a common pivot point and extending in substantially opposite directions there from.

9. The tow shield assembly of claim 8 wherein each pivot member is attached to a biasing member adapted to maintain the pivot member 10 adjacent the rear end of the tow vehicle.

10. The tow shield assembly of claim 1 wherein the biasing member is adapted to be located on a draw bar of a chassis of the tow vehicle.

11. The tow shield assembly of claim 1 wherein the pivot member is adapted to be located on a draw bar of a chassis of the tow vehicle by 15 a support member to form a cantilever.

12. The tow shield assembly of claim 11 wherein the support member is attached to the draw bar by an adjustable plate.

13. The tow shield assembly of claim 1 further comprising at least one fixed member extending substantially parallel to the pivot member and 20 located between the pivot member and the towed vehicle.

14. The tow shield assembly of claim 13 wherein the cover extends between the pivot member and the fixed member.

15. A tow shield assembly comprising: (a) a tow assembly adapted to be located on a tow bar of a 23 tow vehicle, the tow assembly comprising at least one buffer; (b) at least one pivot member adapted to engage the buffer; (c) at least one biasing member operatively connected to the 5 pivot member to maintain the pivot member in engagement with the buffer, the biasing member movable between a neutral position in which the biasing member is compressed to a first degree and a turning position in which the biasing member is compressed to a second 10 degree and wherein the second degree of compression is greater than the first degree of compression; and (d) a cover extending from the pivot member in a direction opposite to the tow assembly; wherein, movement of the pivot member results in compression of 15 the biasing member.

16. The tow shield assembly of claim 15 according to any one of claim 9 to claim 14.

17. A hitch assembly for a towable vehicle chassis comprising: (a) at least one pivot member located adjacent a coupling 20 assembly of the chassis of the towable vehicle, the pivot member connected to a pivot point; (b) at least one biasing member connected to the pivot member, the biasing member movable between a neutral position in which the biasing member is compressed to a 24 first degree and a turning position in which the biasing member is compressed to a second degree and wherein the second degree of compression is greater than the first degree of compression; and 5 (c) a cover extending at least partially between the pivot member and the towable vehicle; wherein displacement of the pivot member towards the towable vehicle causes movement of the biasing member from the neutral position to the turning position. 10

18. The hitch assembly of claim 17 comprising two pivot members attached to a common pivot point and extending in substantially opposite directions there from.

19. The hitch assembly of claim 18 wherein each pivot member is attached to a biasing member adapted to maintain the pivot member 15 substantially perpendicular to a line drawn longitudinally through the centre of an A-frame of the chassis of the towable vehicle.

20. The hitch assembly of claim 17 wherein the biasing member is further attached to a draw bar of the chassis of the towable vehicle.

21. The hitch assembly of claim 17 wherein the pivot member is attached 20 to a draw bar of the chassis of the towable vehicle by a support member forming a cantilever.