Towbar and come-along for light aircraft

• US 4,883,280 A
• Filed: 06/16/1988
• Issued: 11/28/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fredrick W. Christian
• Original Assignee: Fredrick W. Christian
• Inventors: Christian, Fredrick W.
• Primary Examiner(s): HILL, MITCHELL
• Application Number:
  US07/207,220
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 280/3, 180/904, 254/113, 254/116, 254/94, 244/50, 188/4 R
• US Class Current: 280/3
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/22 for handling aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/224 Towing bars
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 180/904 Traction dollies for aircraft

Abstract

A towbar and come-along, especially for light aircraft, wherein a tongue is releasably attached to the axle of a nose wheel and carries a ratchet engageable with the periphery of the tire which is torqued by manipulation of a radially extended handle, acting as a second class lever which is adjustable and reversible and with anti-roll functions.

Claims

1. A towbar and come-along for ground handling light aircraft and the like having a ground engaging wheel free to rotate on an axle axis, and including;

a tongue extending on a radius from

the axle axis of the wheel,

trunnion means

mounted on said tongue and pivotally attaching the tongue to the wheel axle for manipulation to tow the aircraft,

a slide carried by and rotatable with the tongue,

and ratchet means mounted on an end of the slide and engageable with a periphery of the wheel to rotate the wheel in one direction and rotatable 180°

with the tongue to reverse the ratchet means and rotate the wheel in the other direction,

the tongue and ratchet means cooperatively forming a second class lever having its fulcrum at the axle axis of the wheel and resistance to torque at the periphery of the wheel when manual force is applied to rotate the tongue about said axle axis of the wheel.

2. The towbar and come-along as set forth in claim 1, wherein the wheel has a depressible tire and wherein means pressures the ratchet means into pressured engagement with the tire.

3. The towbar and come-along as set forth in claim 1, wherein the ratchet means comprises an over-riding roller rotatable in one direction only and rotatably carried by the slide on the tongue and engaging the periphery of the wheel to rotate the same in said one and said other direction.

4. The towbar and come-along as set forth in claim 3, wherein adjustment means positions the ratchet means into pressured engagement with the periphery of the wheel.

5. The towbar and come-along as set forth in claim 3, wherein the wheel has a depressible tire, and wherein adjustment means positions the over-riding roller of the ratchet means into depressed pressured engagement with the periphery of the tire.

6. The towbar and come-along as set forth in claim 3, wherein a positioning means comprises a manually releasable over center toggle operable between the tongue and the slide and positions the ratchet means into pressurized engagement with the periphery of the wheel.

7. The towbar and come-along as set forth in claim 3, wherein the wheel has a depressible tire, and wherein a positioning means comprises a manually releasable over center toggle operable between the tongue and the slide and positions the over-riding roller of the ratchet means into depressed pressured engagement with the periphery of the tire.

9. The towbar and come-along as set forth in claim 3, wherein the tongue is reciprocally carried in

the trunnion means and includes a shoulder and a flange spaced for limited movement of said tongue, the flange having diametrically opposite notches selectively engageable with a lug that is carried by the trunnion means to rotatably position the over-riding roller.

10. The towbar and come-along as set forth in claim 1, wherein anti roll means comprises a chock having arms engageable between the wheel axis and a supporting surface, said arms having slot means for engagement with said wheel axle and slidably extending radially from the wheel axle to adjust to the wheel and supporting surface and prevent movement in a direction opposite to torque applied by the ratchet means.

8. The towbar and come-along as set forth in claim to 3, wherein the tongue includes a flange with diametrically opposite notches selectively engageable with a lug that is carried by the trunnion means to rotatably position the over-riding roller.