Towing lift accessory

Abstract

A boom accessory for a flatbed tow truck includes a frame that is lockable onto a power underlift hoist of the truck by retraction of a ram of the hoist against the frame. The frame includes a base for engagement on the ram, an upwardly and rearwardly extending boom member, and optionally, a rearwardly facing trailer hitch socket for permitting trailers to be towed with the boom accessory in place. A sheave assembly is pivotally mountable atop the boom member for engaging a hook cable extending from a winch unit of the truck, the accessory extending the utility of the tow truck by enabling retrieval of disabled vehicles from relatively remote locations, the accessory having a particularly robust attachment to the tow truck without significant modification of the truck. A method for hoisting a load by the flatbed tow truck includes the steps of providing the boom accessory; extending the ram; resting the base on the ram; retracting the ram for clamping the base between the head portion of the ram and the leg member; threading the cable over the sheave; connecting the cable to the load; and activating the winch for moving and hoisting the load, the cable being movably supported by the sheave.