This invention relates to tire chains and particularly to a device for facilitating attachment of a snow chain to a tire of a vehicle.
A “snow chain” is attached to the tire of an automobile to provide traction between the tire and road when the road is covered with ice or snow.
One such snow chain is typically attached to each one tire, respectively when driving during icy conditions. The snow chain is removed when the ice/snow is gone in order to avoid damage to the tire such as can occur when the vehicle with snow chains is driven over bare concrete. It is therefore a matter of great convenience that the driver be enabled to attach and remove the snow chains easily in unfavorable weather conditions.
“Snow chains” are attached to the tire of an automobile by laying a snow chain in front of each tire and then driving the automobile forward so that each wheel is positioned over a respective snow chain.
Then the driver wraps each snow chain around the respective wheel and fastens the ends of each snow chain together thereby securing the snow chain on the wheel.
This is a most tedious operation since each snow chain tends to “fall off the wheel” unless the snow chain is balanced on the respective wheel very carefully. For this reason, attachment of the snow chain to the wheel is most conveniently accomplished when two people perform the attachment operation—one person holding the ends of the snow chain in position while the other person attaches fasteners that hold the ends of the snow chain together.
Obviously, the job of attaching snow chains is exacerbated when the driver attempts to mount the snow chain by himself.
It is an object of this invention to provide a device that facilitates the task of attaching an automobile tire chain to the wheel of a vehicle. It is contemplated that the device and method be particularly useful in aiding a driver who is attempting to attach the snow chains by himself.
This invention is directed toward a rigid bar having a cable extending from one end of the bar and another cable extending from the other end of the bar. One cable has one cable hook attached to a free end of the cable and a sliding hook slideably mounted on the cable. The other cable has another cable hook attached to a free end of the other cable and another sliding hook slideably mounted on the other cable. An elastic band has one end secured to the middle of the bar and an anchor hook on the opposite end of the band.
To attach the tire chain to the respective wheel, the vehicle is driven onto the outstretched chain to where one end of the snow chain extends beyond the tire. Then the opposite end of the snow chain is draped over the tire. Each cable hook, on the cable attached to the bar, is hooked onto the end of the respective side chain. The anchor hook on the elastic band is attached to a link at the opposite end of the side chain. The elastic band pulls and holds the ends of the snow chain together around the wheel enabling the driver to insert fasteners in links of each end of the snow chain.
Turning now to a discussion of the drawings,
There is shown a rigid bar 12 having a length a little longer than the width of an automobile tire.
A pair of cables 14A,B are shown, each cable 14A,B having one end attached to an end of the bar 12 opposite the other cable 14B.A attached to the other end of the bar 12. Another end of the cable 14 A,B is attached securely to a cable hook 16 A,B. A pair of sliding hooks 18A,B is provided. Each sliding hook 18A,B is slideably mounted on one cable 14 A,B respectively.
An elastic cable 20 has one end attached to the bar 12, midway between the ends of the bar 12.
Another hook 22 is attached to the free end of the elastic cable 20.
In step 1, the snow chain 11 is laid out in front of the wheel 13. As shown in
In step 2, (
In step 3, (
In step 4, (
In step 5, (
In step 6, a fastener is inserted into a link at each end of each side chain respectively and the apparatus 10 is unhooked from the snow chain.
There has been described a device that enables a driver to conveniently secure a snow chain onto a wheel of a vehicle.
Variations and modifications may be contemplated after reading the specification and studying the drawings that are within the scope of the invention. I therefore wish to define the scope of my invention by the appended claims.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
1409025 | Rawlins | Mar 1922 | A |
1602419 | Staggers et al. | Oct 1926 | A |
2316718 | Royer | Apr 1943 | A |
5020396 | Dunn | Jun 1991 | A |