The invention refers to a tool which enables to tow a motor-driven vehicle, as a street running means, agricultural of other vehicle fitted with a steering wheel, with only one driver on the towing vehicle.

The invention device is particularly useful for vehicle assistance shops, such as mechanical workshops for motor-car repairs, and so „on,_ _. as it allows to recover breakdowned vehicles with only one driver, in this way obviating the necessity of a special recovering vehicle or of a second driver. The invention device can be employed also as an accessory for the same vehicle which, is this way, can be displac ed by means of another available transport means just present by change.

When motor cars, lorries, agricultural cars and self-propelled vehi cles in general are stopped by some trouble, their transport to a repair shop becomes indispensable. At present this can be carried out by charging the damaged vehicle on the recovery means or by tow

ing it through the same means or by using an occasional towing me¬ ans. Since the present towing connections do not allow the trans¬ mission of the steering effect to the towed vehicle, the above in¬ tervention requires the employ of two drivers.

The invented device enables to obviate these inconveniences by me¬ ans of a selfsteering fillet which enables the towed vehicle to run on the same running line of the towing one, thus obviating colli¬ sions and hindrances to traffic. Consequently, this device allows the emergency intervention or, in any case, to shift the broken vehicle by using another occasional vehicle for the towing action. This brings a reduction of the maintenance and management costs of the workshops which will no longer have to be equipped with spe¬ cial aid means, and it will allow interventions even if the conver tional aid means are not available.

The invention device foresees the solidarily operating disposition of a disk with outer central parallel fitting, on distance small columns to fit in replacement of the conventional fixing bolts on the front wheel tyre: this disk, by means of a free turning ball bearing and, therefore, on a parallel plane to the wheel bearing drum, supports a shaped fillet which can be connected to the con¬ ventional catching part of the towing vehicle. For maintaining the correct position of the wheel during the fitting phase of the devi ce, the fixing bolts are singularly replaced with axial distance pieces consisting of initial bolt-parts to restore the assembled condition on a binding point of the tyre to the drum, and of a fur ther screwed part which is fitted at the outlet. On this part, studs in square profile structural steel are inserted, which are interpos_ ed between the beating parts of the outboarding crowns of the ini¬ tial bolt parts and the disk. The said disk is fitted, by insertion into its corresponding bores, on the terminals getting out from the distance pieces and is made solidarily working with the drum by fitt

ing fixing nuts. The fillets consists of a single part, namely by an initial bracket transversely borne by the articulation pin, which holds a tubular part axially integral with two counterposed knees forming an intermediate slanting length: this one allows to suit the position to the binding points and, consequently, the o ve ent of the means on the same running line, and two end length- es are possible in longitudinal position to permit the movement of the towed vehicle with miriimum incumbrance, as well as the ea¬ sy connection to the towing vehicle. The steering effect of the towing vehicle, which allows the displacement of the two means on the same line, is transmitted to the towed one by means of the shaped stiff fillet, since the articulation disk is integral with the relevant drum. By properly fitting the fixing bores on the ar ticulation disk in correspondence with the ones of the wheels ac¬ cording to the different vehicle types, the device can be suited to any vehicle. The means, furthermore, will be obviously fitted on the front wheel tyre according to the running sense on the road as established in each country.

An exexution form is illustrated in a merely indicative way in the drawings of table 1. With reference to this table, fig. 1 is a view in section of the supporting device with small columns- which sustains the shaped fillet resting on the ground with the other end. Fig. 2 is the perspective view of the tool fitted on the vehi¬ cle to tow. Fig. 3 shows the perspective view of the fillet assem¬ bly only. Fig. 4 is the side view of a distance column and of a gir der, as well as the back view of the articulation disk with the be¬ ginning lenght of the fillet and of the blocking nut of the same disk. Fig. 5 shows the preliminary phase of the fillet assembly fitt ing: the distance columns can be noted that assemble the circle to the drum and support the girders.

The version foresees the axle distance pieces with first part 1 and

fixing bolt of the wheel rim and sebsequent crown 3 from which the following part 2 begins. After having fitted the four parts 1 on parts 2, can be fitted the girders 4 which beat on crown 3. The

90 fillet assembly is then mounted by inserting disk 6 with bores 5 in the terminals getting out from the girders 4 of parts 2, block¬ ing then in position with nuts 7. The fillet is permitted on arti¬ culation 8, with bearing, by means of pivot 9 with solidary brack¬ et 10 integral with the shaped fillet consisting of lengths 11, 12

95 and 13, which brings at the upper end the anchoring fork 14, by means of the double passing pivot 15, to the catching body of the towing vehicle. By disassembling the fillet on the length 11, brin£ ing the articulation disk, 12, and 13, bearing the anchoring means, it is possible to set the device in mounting box.

100

The shape of the articulation body, of the distance means of the support, of the fillet and of the anchoring fork body may be fores_ een in different ways.

105