US1578107A - Towline - Google Patents

Description

March 28 1928. 1,578,1o7

M. L. TlPPlT TOWLINE Filed May 10, 1924 Patented Mar. 23, 1925. i

UNITED sTATEs MA'r'rHnw L. Tirrrr, or' oLNEY, ILLINoIs.

TOWLI'NE. w

AppIicaton filed May 10,

T oiaZZ fwhom t may concern:

Be itknown that I, MATTI-inw L.ITIPPIT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Olney, in the county of Richland and State of illinois, have invented new and useful lmprovements in Towlines, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to tow lines.

The object is to provide Va line to be used particularly in towingautomobiles or other vehicles, which is foldable into compact form When not in use, and capable of being easily an'dquickly unfolded and applied at Vone end to the towing car and at the other end tothe stalled or crippled car. I

Another object is to provide at each end of the tow line, fastening means which is permanently secured to said cable 'so as to avoid losing any of the parts and adapted to be passed around the aXles or portions of the fram'esof the cars and so connected as to avoidl accidental detachment when the cable is slack.

A final object is to provide means on the cable for preventing' the same from marring the paint on the car when strain is brought to bear thereon.

A full and complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanylng 'drawing forming a part of this specification, it being' understood that while the drawing shows a practical form of the invention, the latter is not to be confined to strict conformity with the showing' thereof, but maybe changed or modifie'd,so long' as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention, as specifically pointed out in thc-appended claims.

In the drawing, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figuresz- Figure l is a view showing' portions of two automobiles connected by the improved tow line, one car being' in the act of towing the other.

Figure 2 is a side elevation, on a larger scale, of one end of the tow line, with the connecting' or attaching means in locked' or closed position.

Figure 3 is a the same.

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on the line H of Figura 2,

longitudinal section through 1924. serii No. 712,315.

car. Each end of the cable is provided with the same form of fastening means, and a description of one will; sufiice for both, it being understood that either end of the tow line may be secured to either of the cars.

Each 'end ofthe cable is suitably forined into a closed loop 2, having` the ends of the strands spliced into the cable proper in a well known manner, or bound thereto by wrapping Wire, as shown in the drawing,

the said'lo'ops 2 being eng'aged in the eyes 3 of hooks ll, which are preferably formed of wrought iron, Orsome othe'r'equally strong metal, so as to withstand the strain i'mparted thereto during the operation of pulling a car' out of the mud and in towing the. same.

The hook's are provided with somewhat restricted entrance opening's 5, though of a size to freely pass overthe cable 1 and admit the same tothe hooks.

A relatively short piece of rubber tubing' 6 surrounds the cable adjacent to each end thereof where joined to the hooks, said tubing being placed thereon prior to the connection to said hooks. The internal diameter of the tubing is preferably larger than the diameter of the cable, and is freely slidable thereon, so that one end may be moved into contact with the aforesaid loop 2 when the device is in use, and the slidability due to the difference in diameters permits the' tubing to be rotated on the cable in order that a new surface may be presented to the point of Wear, in a manner to be explained. The tubing' may consist of a length of ordinary hose having I -longitndinally of the Cable, from the dotted i e position to the full line position shown in Fignre :2, the hook is forced over the end of the tnbing and loCked thereto against accidental displaCen-ient, the external diameter of said tnbing 'being snch as to frictionally eno'age the interior of the hook fotx this pnrpose.

l? hen the other end of the Cable is similarly formed and connected to the front axle 9 of a Car reqniring to be towed, and the hook pressed bach' to engage with the tnbing', the two ends are attached secnrely in place, and the operation of towing` may be proceeded With Without danger of the Connection becoming loosened When the Cable slacks, and Without dan'iaging the axles by reason of the rnbber tnbing. In rcmoving' the towing line from the cars, it only necessary to swing' the hool-:s away from the ends of the tubing', and to pass the same over the adjacent Cable, in an obvions manner.

From the foregoing it Will be seen that a simple, Cheaply manufactnred and strong' and durable tow line has been provided, which is especially adapted for use in conneetion With antomobiles, and which may be easly and quickly applied tovor detached from the same, that the danger of becoming' accidentally` loosened has been eliminated, and that the device may be readily Coiled abntting relation to the .terminal loops, thoreof, said tubing being' -rotatable on the Cable and insertable endwise into the hook to frictionally engage the same;

A tow line comprising` a length' of Cable having an end formed into a permanent loop, a hook loosely connected to the loop, the hook having an internal diameter greater than the diamveter of the Cable and provided With a restricted entrance opening capable of being' freely passed over the Cable, and a length of resilient tnbing` on the end of the Cable in abnttina' relation to the permanent loop, said tubing' beinrJ rotatable on the Cable and insertable endwise into the hook to frietionally engage the same.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing' as my own, I have hereto aflixed mysignature.

MATTHEW L. TIPPIT but permanently

Images