Automatic Equipment Manufacturing Company

Automatic Equipment Mfg. Co.

David Merchant

Steven Goodman

James Huston

Les Roeber

Leslie Roeber

Neil Wagner

Tyler Swartz

A tow bar having a towing connector for releasably connecting a first hitch arrangement of a towing vehicle to a second hitch arrangement of a towed vehicle includes a pair of opposing legs, each leg having a fore section connected to the towing connector and an aft section connected to the second hitch arrangement, a pivot connector pivotally connecting the fore section to the aft section, a locking mechanism for converting the respective leg from an aligned tubular structure for towing purposes to an articulated structure for on-vehicle storage purposes, and a hanger for retaining the tow bar in a stored configuration. An auxiliary locking mechanism operatively prevents the legs from pivoting relative to the towing connector while the towed vehicle is being towed.

Tow bar with a sliding mechanism for converting legs thereof from an aligned tubular structure to an articulated structure

A tensioning device for connecting a trailer to a spring bar of a load-compensating apparatus includes a body unit for securement to a frame member of a trailer; a reel unit having an off-center hub portion with a slot and rotatively secured to the body unit about a pivot axis; a rotation-limiting element which limits rotation of the reel unit to approximately 180&#xb0; about the pivot axis; a linked chain having a proximal end thereof releasably secured to the slot of the off-center hub portion and a distal end thereof connected to the spring bar of the load-compensating apparatus; a latching element including a biased latch pin; and a lug and removable handle for rotating the reel portion to, and the latching element releasably locks the reel portion in, a chain-tensioned configuration.

Side-mountable tensioning device for a load-compensating trailer hitch

A tow bar includes towing and towed hitch members; a head member with a front connector for connecting to the towing hitch member; tow bar legs connected to the head member, each tow bar leg including an outer member and an inner member telescopingly displaceable in the outer member; rear connectors to connect the inner members to the towed hitch member; and locking members each having a first portion adhesively secured to the distal end of the outer member, a second portion fixedly secured to the inner member, and a third portion including a transversely-oriented latch cavity through each inner member, biased opposing latches mounted in the latch cavity wherein the locking member automatically locks the respective inner and outer members relative to each other.

Light-weight tow bar and leg lock therefor

A steering stabilizer includes a device connecting a fixed part of a vehicle to a steering mechanism of the vehicle, a control mechanism, and a centering mechanism. The control mechanism, which normally maintains an equilibrium configuration, includes a first member connected to a cylinder portion of a gas spring and a second member secured to a rod portion of the gas spring. A centering mechanism maintains alignment of the gas spring with the device. When the stabilizer is extended from the equilibrium configuration, the gas spring is activated to responsively and automatically return the stabilizer to the equilibrium configuration; and when the device is compressed from the equilibrium configuration, the gas spring is activated to responsively and automatically return the stabilizer to the equilibrium configuration.

Dynamic steering stabilizer device for vehicles

A locking mechanism for a tow bar having a leg with telescoping inner and outer members, the locking mechanism including a shuttle device secured to a proximal end of the inner member and having a peripheral groove spaced between a tapered forward end and a tapered rearward end thereof. The locking mechanism also including an aft latching device for locking the tow bar leg in a deployed configuration, and a fore latching device for locking the tow bar leg in a storage configuration. Each fore and aft latching device including a pair of latch elements pivotally and biasingly mounted in a pair of opposing slots of a housing, the slots being superimposed over corresponding openings through the outer member for cooperatively, simultaneously and lockingly interacting with the peripheral groove of the shuttle device.

Tow bar having leg lock with opposing latch elements

A tow bar includes a towing hitch member including a pintle hitch and secured to a towing vehicle; a towed hitch member secured to a vehicle to the towed; a head member with a lunette ring; a pair of tow bar legs, each including a proximal end including an outer member with a distal end, and a distal end including an inner member with a proximal end telescopingly displaceable within the distal end of the outer member; a leg connector mechanism pivotally connecting the proximal ends of the tow bar legs to the head member; towed connector elements secured to the distal ends of the tow bar legs and structured to releasably connect the tow bar legs to the towed hitch member; and a locking mechanism structured to automatically and releasably lock each of the tow bar legs in either a stored configuration or a deployed configuration.

Tow bar and releasable lock for tow bar leg

Tapered latch receiver for a tow bar

A tow bar having telescoping tow bar legs connected to a head member which is structured to be releasably securable to a towing hitch member of a towing vehicle; aft leg connector mechanisms structured to releasably connect the tow bar legs to a towed vehicle; and a latching mechanism, including latching portions structured to releasably retain the tow bar legs in a stored configuration, and locking portions structured to releasable lock the tow bar legs in a deployed configuration.

Tow bar and leg latching mechanism therefor

A tow bar having orthogonally-articulated towed-vehicle connectors includes a body element; a first connector element secured to and extending forwardly from the body element, the first connector element being structured to releasably connect the body element to a towing hitch arrangement of a towing vehicle; at least one tow bar leg having a fore end connected to the body element, and an aft end extending rearwardly from the body element; and a second connector element secured to and extending rearwardly from the aft end of the at least one tow bar leg, the second connector element being orthogonally-articulated and structured to releasably connect the aft end of the at least one tow bar leg to a towing hitch arrangement of the towed vehicle.

Tow bar having orthogonally-articulated towed-vehicle connectors

Side-mountable chain-tensioning device for a load-compensating trailer hitch

A tow bar including a pintle hitch, telescoping tow bar legs pivotally connected to a head member, a lunette ring fixedly or pivotally connected to the head member, leg connector mechanisms releasably connecting the tow bar legs to a vehicle to be towed, and a latching mechanism including latching portions structured to releasably retain the tow bar legs in a stored configuration and locking portions with cammed release mechanisms wherein the locking portions are structured to releasable lock the tow bar legs in a deployed configuration.

Tow bar

A tow bar having a towing hitch member with a pintle hitch and secured to a towing vehicle; a towed hitch member secured to a towed vehicle; a head member with a lunette ring releasably connectable to the pintle hitch; first and second tow bar legs with proximal ends pivotally connected to, and extending rearwardly from, the head member; towed connector elements releasably connecting distal ends of the first and second tow bar legs to the towed hitch member; and an equalizer member structured to maintain the first and second tow bar legs at equiangular orientations relative to the head member.

Growing community of inventors

Lincoln, NE, United States of America

David Merchant