Vehicle wheel gripper

• US 5,176,361 A
• Filed: 03/25/1991
• Issued: 01/05/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nick A. Ayala III
• Original Assignee: Nick A. Ayala III
• Inventors: Ayala, Nick A. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Watson, Robert C.
• Application Number:
  US07/674,094
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 254/88, 254/DIG. 1, 254/126, 248/352, 248/174
• US Class Current: 254/88
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 7/243 Ramps

Abstract

A vehicle wheel gripper assembly and method for use in extracting a vehicle from a slippery and unlevel hole or rut in a ground portion having ice or snow or loose sand on loose gravel or the like. The assembly includes a ramp section, a flat section, and an interconnecting hinge means. Each section has friction grips on the top thereof and ground connectors on the bottom thereof. The ground connectors become continuously imbedded and connected to the ground by horizontal friction forces applied by the wheel on the friction grips.

Claims

1. A vehicle tire gripper apparatus for permitting a tire to be extracted from a soft terrain area comprising:

a first inclined section having top and bottom plates;

a second completely flat section having top and bottom walls;

a separable hinge connection interconnecting the first inclined section to the second flat section;

said top plate of said first inclined section having a plurality of friction grips with each of said grips having the configuration of an elongate hole located beneath a cantilevered portion extending towards said second flat section;

said bottom plate of said first inclined section having a plurality of ground connectors with each of said connectors having the configuration of an elongate hole located above a cantilevered portion extending in an opposite direction to the cantilevered portion of said top plate;

the top wall of said second flat section has a plurality of friction grips with each of said grips having an elongate hole located beneath a cantilevered portion extending away from said first inclined section;

the bottom wall of said second flat section has a plurality of ground connectors with each of said connectors having an elongate hole located above a cantilevered portion extending in an opposite direction to the cantilevered portion of said top wall.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

each friction grip cantilevered portion projects forwardly in a direction of travel f a vehicle wheel;

and

each one of said ground connectors cantilevered portion projects rearwardly in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the vehicle wheel.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the top plate of the first inclined section has a plurality of raised portions at a lower end thereof;

and

each said raised portion has an aperture with surrounding punched-out edge portions.