ADJUSTABLE LATERAL RETRIEVER FOR A RECOVERY TOW TRUCK

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of recovery vehicles, and, more particularly, to an adjustable lateral retriever for a recovery tow truck.

[0002] A side puller tow truck, also known as a side recovery tow truck or a side pull wrecker, is a specialized type of tow truck designed for recovering vehicles that are overturned or stuck in a position where traditional towing methods might not be feasible.

[0003] These trucks are equipped with a boom or winch system mounted on the side of the vehicle, allowing them to approach the stranded vehicle from the side rather than from the rear or front like traditional tow trucks. This side-mounted system enables them to recover vehicles in tight spaces or difficult angles, such as along narrow roadsides or in ditches.

[0004] Side puller tow trucks are commonly used by towing and recovery services, as well as emergency responders, to safely and efficiently recover vehicles involved in accidents or off-road incidents. They provide versatility and enhanced capabilities for handling challenging recovery situations.

[0005] The side puller tow truck positions itself parallel to the stranded vehicle, aligning the side-mounted winch or boom with the vehicle that needs to be recovered. The operator extends the winch cable or boom arm from the side of the tow truck and attaches it securely to the stranded vehicle. Depending on the situation, the attachment point could be a designated recovery point on the vehicle or another secure location. Once the attachment is made, the winch system on the side puller tow truck begins to retract the cable, applying tension to the stranded vehicle. This process gradually pulls the vehicle closer to the tow truck.

[0006] Depending on the situation and the configuration of the tow truck, the stranded vehicle may be lifted slightly off the ground as it is pulled towards the tow truck. In some cases, the vehicle may be dragged along the ground if lifting is not necessary or feasible. Once the stranded vehicle is brought into a suitable position, it can be further secured if necessary, and the tow truck operator can prepare it for transport. This may involve additional attachments or preparations to ensure the vehicle is stable and secure during transportation. After the vehicle is successfully recovered, the side puller tow truck can transport it to a desired location, such as a repair facility or a designated storage area. Depending on the size and weight of the vehicle, additional precautions may be taken during transportation to ensure safety and stability.

[0007] However, there is a need for improvements to handle heavier loads and provide better control over the recovery process and enhance the stability of the tow truck during side pulling operations, especially when dealing with heavy or unstable vehicles.

[0008] An adjustable lateral retriever for a recovery tow truck is disclosed. The adjustable lateral retriever includes a lower cross member having a first end and an opposing second end, where the lower cross member is configured to be coupled to frame rails of the recovery tow truck. The lateral retriever also includes an upper cross member having a first end and an opposing second end, a first sheeve mounted to the first end of the upper cross member, and a second sheeve mounted to the opposing second end of the upper cross member. A first adjustable vertical support is secured to the first end of the lower cross member and extends substantially perpendicular from the lower cross member to the first end of the upper cross member, and a second adjustable vertical support is secured proximate to the second end of the lower cross member and extends substantially perpendicular from the lower cross member to the send end of the upper cross member. The lateral retriever includes a first winch mounted to a lower end of the first vertical support, a second winch mounted to a lower end of the second vertical support, and a first winch cable secured to the first winch and routed through the first sheeve. The first winch cable is configured to attach to a vehicle to be recovered. In addition, a second winch cable is secured to the second winch and routed through the second sheeve, where the second winch cable is also configured to attach to the vehicle to be recovered.

[0009] The first and second adjustable vertical supports are configured to raise and lower relative to the lower cross member to provide increased visibility from out of back glass of the recovery tow truck. The first and second winches are configured to be mounted below a bed of the recovery tow truck when installed so that the first and second adjustable vertical supports can be raised or lowered without interfering with an operation of the first and second winches.

[0010] The lateral retriever may also include a first self-adjusting stabilizer leg and a second self-adjusting stabilizer leg mounted to respective frame rails of the recovery tow truck, where the first and second self-adjusting stabilizers are configured to self-adjust to uneven terrain when deployed.

[0011] Each of the first and second self-adjusting stabilizer legs includes a bracket for securing to a respective frame rail, a support member having a first end pinned to the bracket, an extension slidingly engaged with the support member, a hydraulic cylinder having a first end pinned to the bracket and a second end pinned to the extension, and a hydraulic line secured to the hydraulic cylinder and configured to provide hydraulic pressure to extend and retract the hydraulic cylinder that in turn extends and retracts the extension to stabilize the recovery tow truck during recovery operations. A first support foot may be pinned to a distal end of the first extension, and a second support foot pinned to a distal end of the second extension.

[0012] The lateral retriever may also include a hydraulic pump in fluid communication with the hydraulic cylinder, and a light bar secured to the upper cross member.

[0013] In addition, the lateral retriever may include a first mounting bracket secured to the lower end of the first adjustable vertical support and the lower cross member, and a second mounting bracket secured to the second adjustable vertical support and the lower cross member, where the first and second mounting brackets are configured to be secured to the respective frame rails of the recovery tow truck.

[0014] In another aspect, a method of using an adjustable lateral retriever for a recovery tow truck is disclosed. The method includes extending a first winch cable routed through a first sheeve mounted to a first end of an upper cross member, or extending a second winch cable routed through a second sheeve mounted to an opposing second end of the upper cross member. The method also includes attaching either the first or second winch cable to a vehicle to be recovered, and extending at least one self-adjusting stabilizer. In addition, the method includes activating a first winch mounted below a bed of the tow recovery vehicle and having the first winch cable, or engaging a second winch mounted below the bed of the tow recovery vehicle and having the second winch cable, and pulling the vehicle towards the recovery tow truck by engaging a respective winch.

[0025] The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0026] Referring now to FIG. 1, a lateral retriever for a recovery tow truck is depicted and generally designated 100. The lateral retriever 100 is mounted behind a cab of the recovery tow truck 102. The recovery tow truck 102 includes a bed 104 that is configured to slide back and down to the ground to load a vehicle. A first winch cable 106a and a second winch cable 106b can be deployed from either side of the lateral retriever 100 to recover a vehicle. In addition, a first winch cable 106a, or vice versa, is configured to secure to the vehicle to be recovered and the second winch cable 106b is configured to be anchored to a tree or other object to provide stability when recovering the vehicle.

[0027] The recovery tow truck 102 is shown without the bed 104 in FIG. 2, for clarity. The lateral retriever 100 includes a lower cross member 116 having a first end and an opposing second end. The lower cross member 116 is configured to be coupled to frame rails 108a, 108b of the recovery tow truck 102. The lateral retriever 100 also includes an upper cross member 118 having a first end and an opposing second end. A first sheeve 110a is mounted to the first end of the upper cross member 118, and a second sheeve 110b is mounted to the opposing second end of the upper cross member 118.

[0028] Referring not to FIGS. 3 and 4, a first adjustable vertical support 122a is secured to the first end of the lower cross member 116 and extends substantially perpendicular from the lower cross member 116 to the first end of the upper cross member 118. A second adjustable vertical support 122b is secured proximate to the second end of the lower cross member 116 and extends substantially perpendicular from the lower cross member to the second end of the upper cross member 118. The first and second adjustable vertical supports 115a, 115b are configured to raise and lower the upper cross member 118 relative to the lower cross member 116 to provide increased visibility from out of the back glass of the recovery tow truck 102.

[0029] The first and second adjustable vertical supports 115a, 115b include a respective sleeve 122a, 122b that is secured to the lower cross member 116 and extends substantially perpendicular from the lower cross member to the upper cross member 118. A vertical column 124a, 124b slidingly engages within the respective sleeve 122a, 122b and is configured to extend out from the sleeve to adjust a height of upper cross member 118. The sleeves 122a, 122b and vertical columns 124a, 124b each have apertures that are configured for a respective pin 138a, 138b to slide through to maintain the desired height of the upper cross member 118.

[0030] A first winch 112a is mounted to a lower end of the first vertical support 115a on a first mounting plate 128a, and a second winch 112b is mounted to a lower end of the second vertical support 115b on a second mounting plate 128b. The first winch cable 106a is secured to the first winch 112a and routed through the first sheeve 110a, where the first winch cable 106a is configured to be attached to the vehicle to be recovered. Similarly, a second winch cable 106b is secured to the second winch 112b and routed through the second sheeve 110b and the second winch cable 106b is also configured to attach to the vehicle to be recovered when on the other side of the recovery tow truck 102.

[0031] The first and second winches 112a, 112b are mounted below the bed 104 of the recovery tow truck 102 when installed so that the first and second adjustable vertical supports 115a, 115b can be raised or lowered without interfering with an operation of the first and second winches.

[0032] The lateral retriever 100 also includes a light bar 120 that is mounted to the upper cross member 118 and is used to mount lights that are used during recovery operations. The adjustable lateral retriever 100 includes a first mounting bracket 114a that us secured to the lower end of the first adjustable vertical support 115a and the lower cross member 116, and a second mounting bracket 114b that is secured to the second adjustable vertical support 115b and the lower cross member 116. The first and second mounting brackets 114a, 114b are secured to the respective frame rails 108a, 108b of the recovery tow truck 102 using bolts or welds, for example.

[0033] Referring now to FIG. 5a, the lateral retriever 100 includes a first self-adjusting stabilizer leg 136a and a second self-adjusting stabilizer leg 136b mounted to respective frame rails 108a, 108b of the recovery tow truck 102. The first and second self-adjusting stabilizers 108a, 108b are configured to self-adjust to uneven terrain when deployed as shown in FIGS. 5b and 5c.

[0034] The first and second self-adjusting stabilizer legs 136a, 136b include a respective bracket 146a, 146b for securing to a respective frame rail 108a, 108b. The stabilizer legs 136a, 136b include a support member 144a, 144b that has a first end pinned to the respective bracket 146a, 146b by pins 154, and an extension 142a, 142b that is slidingly engaged with the respective support member 144a, 144b, as depicted in FIGS. 6 and 7. Each of the stabilizer legs 136a, 136b has a hydraulic cylinder 138a, 138b that has a first end pinned to the respective bracket 146a, 146b by pins 152 and second end pinned to the respective second ends 140a, 140b of the extensions 142a, 142b by pins 150.

[0035] A hydraulic line 134a, 134b is secured to the respective hydraulic cylinder 138a, 138b to provide hydraulic pressure in order to extend and retract the hydraulic cylinder that in turn extends and retracts the respective extension 142a, 142b to stabilize the recovery tow truck 102 during recovery operations. A hydraulic pump 132 is in fluid communication with the hydraulic cylinders 138a, 138b to generate the hydraulic pressure needed to extend and retract the hydraulic cylinders 138a, 138b. Each of the extensions 142a, 142b includes an adjustable foot 148a, 148b that rotates to match the terrain and provide solid footing.

[0036] In operation of the lateral retriever 100, the driver of the recovery tow truck 102 aligns the lateral retriever alongside the vehicle that is to be recovered from a ditch or other inaccessible location. If the vehicle to be recovered is on the driver's side of the recovery tow vehicle 102, for example, then the first winch cable 106a is pulled from first winch 112a as it is routed through the first sheeve 110. The end of the first winch cable 106a is secured to the vehicle to be recovered. In addition, the self-adjusting stabilizers 136a, 136b are deployed. The first winch 112a mounted below the bed of the tow recovery vehicle 102 is then activated and pulls the vehicle towards the recovery tow truck 102 and out of the ditch or other inaccessible location until the vehicle is situated so the recovery tow truck can load the vehicle on to the bed 104.

[0037] Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to the mind of one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.