DE ACHABLE TOWING BRACKET

The invention relates to a detachable towing bracket for a vehicle, in particular for an automobile, in which the towing hook with a first coupling member can be slid vertically upwards and thus become detached from a second coupling member with fittings to be attached to the vehicle, and in which the first coupling member, when slid vertically downwards, is arrested in place by facilities provided on the second coupling member, whilst the coup-Ling members have been designed as trapezoid plates and can be linked together by means of a dovetail Joint. Such a towing bracket is knσwn frcm the French patent specification No. 7611632 which describes a number of embodiments for the coupling members. They relate in the ain to prismatic vertical and horizontal dovetail joints. In the vertical dovetail joints, a vertical arrestment is effected by means of a lamellar closure of the groove or a groove d-L-nώαishing in cross-section going down.

A disadvantage of the known embodirient is that in the direction of travel clearance occurs in the coupling with dσwnturned grcoves, through the rectangular cross-section, in consequence of which the coupling members ay shift in the said direction, resulting in wear of the coupling. It is an object of the present invention to a e- liorate this Situation. To this end, such a towing bracket has been designed so that the raised edges of the second trapezoid coupling member approximately taper over its entire cross-section, whilst the dovetailed groove-forming edges of the first coupling member taper corre-spondingly in cross-section.

In a further elaboration of the invention, rovision is made for a locking pin which is forced under spring tension into locked Position, which is provided with a tapering end, which runs sub- stantially crosswise of the flat coupling plate and which is fitted on the first coupling member, in such a fashion that with the towing bracket in coupled position the locking pin runs eccentrically re¬ lative to a bore in the second coupling member for receiving the

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locking pin. This arrange ent has the advantage that the locking pin fits snugly at all times within the bore through the second coupling member. Further particulars of the invention will e erge from the following 5 description of a few embodiments given by way of example with -reference to the accαcpanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a lateral view of an embodiment of the detachable towing bracket, with the first and the second coupling member; Figure 2 is a view of the first coupling member in the direction of the line II-II in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a lateral view of the second coupling member ounted on the vehicle; Figure 4 is a view of the second coupling member in the direction of line IV-IV in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view in the direction of line V-V in Figure 2; Figure 6 is a lateral view of an alternative embodiment of the de¬ tachable towing bracket with the first and the second coupling member; Figure 7 is a view in the direction of line VII-VII in Figure 6. The detachable towing bracket according to Figure 1 substantially ccmprises the first coupling member 1 with the coupling bar-or coupling ball 2 and the second coupling member 3 (dashed line) . Figure 2 depicts the first coupling member 1 with the coupling bar or ball 2 in front elevation viewed in the direction of line II-II. Also represented is the bore 4 for the locking pin. Figure 3 presents a lateral view of the second coup-Ling member 3, and Figure 4 a front view of the same coupling member 3 in the direction of line IV-IV, inσluding the bore 5 for receiving the locking pin.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional representation of the dovetailed groove-forming edge 6 of the first coupling member 1. The dove¬ tailed groove-forming edge 6 clasps the corresponding tapering edge 7 of the second coupling element 3. Figure 6 presents a lateral view of an alternative emboόl- cient of the detachable towing bracket with the first coupling irember 8 and the second coupling eiriber 9 (dashed line) . It also depicts in la¬ teral view the locking pin 10 in locked position together with the

barrel 11, the spring 12 and the handling lug 13. The locking pin 10 is secured in position with a bolt pin 14.

Figure 7 presents a front view of the bolt pin 14 in the direction of line VTI-VII in Figure 6, shσwing that pin 14 is safeguarded against loss by means of a chain 15 which is attached to the first coupling member 8.