Underlift attachment for tow trucks

• US 4,875,269 A
• Filed: 05/10/1988
• Issued: 10/24/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Larry L. Crist
• Original Assignee: Larry L. Crist
• Inventors: Crist, Larry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Werner, Frank E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Katz, Robert S.
• Application Number:
  US07/192,153
• Time in Patent Office: 532 Days
• Field of Search: 414/563, 414/786, 280/402, 29/401.1, 29/428
• US Class Current: 29/401.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/125 by supporting only part of the vehicle, e.g. front- or rear-axle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49716 Converting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An underlift attachment for tow trucks is attached to a tow truck by initially cutting a vertical slot in the tailboard of the tow truck'"'"'s housing. A pocket member is welded in the slot flush with the tailboard, and a pivotable boom arm is mounted to pivot between a storage position journaled within the pocket, and a working position extending generally horizontally rearwardly from the tow truck. The tow truck'"'"'s tow cable is extended from the tow truck'"'"'s boom through the pulley hook and connected to the boom arm to raise and lower it between its storage and working positions. The boom arm of the attachment includes an extensible telescoping arm journaled within a boom arm housing, and is provided with a pivotal cross bar. The extensible arm is connected to a hydraulic cylinder which will extend or retract the telescoping arm and the cross bar. Attachment brackets are slidably mounted on the ends of cross bar and serve to hold the axle of a vehicle, or the like, for towing.

Claims

1. A method for attaching a vehicle-towing underlift to a tow truck, comprising the steps of:

providing a vehicle towing underlift attachment, including;

a generally vertically-oriented channel member having a pair of side walls and a rearward wall, and having upper and lower ends;

a boom arm pivotally mounted at one end to the lower end of said channel member, and mounted to pivot between a storage position, wherein said boom arm is received between the side walls of the channel member and abutting the rearward wall of the channel member such that said boom arm is received within said channel member flush with the edges of the side walls, and a pivotable operable position projecting outwardly from said channel member;

said boom arm including a tubular housing member, an operable extendable arm telescoping therefrom, and means connected between said tubular housing member and said extendable arm for extending and retracting said extendable arm with respect to said tubular housing member;

said extendable arm of said boom arm further including a cross bar member pivotally and removably mounted on said extendable arm, for movement about an axis generally perpendicular to longitudinal axis of said extendable arm;

and bracket means selectively, removably connected to each end of said cross bar for selective connection to a vehicle to be towed;

providing a tow truck, having;

a boom connected to the tow truck housing;

an operable winch mounted on said housing;

a hook member attached to a tow cable journaled over said boom and connected to said winch; and

a generally flat, vertical tailboard;

cutting a vertical slot in the tailboard and housing of said tow truck to a depth equal to the depth of said pocket of said underlift attachment;

affixing said pocket portion in said slot with the side walls flush with the tailboard and the upper end flush with the upper edge of the tailboard;

mounting said electrohydraulic pump to said tow housing; and

electrically connecting said electrohydraulic pump and said switch means to the battery of the tow truck.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of selectively connecting said tow truck hook to said attachment boom arm to operably hold said boom arm in an operable position pivoted outwardly from said tow truck.