BACKGROUND ART

Wheel clamps, such as the "Denver Boot" are well known, but such are of many parts requiring substantial fitting time and, more importantly, are such that any attempt to move the vehicle can result in damage thereto, not necessarily immediately apparent, and hazardous to subsequent safe driving.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a restraining means for a wheeled vehicle which is capable of rapid application and which is fully effective without damage to the vehicle even when any attempt to move the vehicle is effected. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, there is provided a means for restraining movement of a wheeled vehicle comprising a free-standing frame member adapted to be positioned adjacent a vehicle wheel, means extendible from the frame member to encompass said wheel and for return to the frame member for engagement therewith, and cover means securable to the frame member to deny access to the engagement of the

extendible means therewith.

The extendible means may comprise chains or alternatively the extendible means may comprise chains in combination with one or more rigid members. In a particularly preferred embodiment the extendible means comprises a first set of chains linked by way of a rigid member to a second set of chains. The rigid member may be generally U-shaped in cross-section. The chains may be engageable with members pivotally connected with the frame member and movable to tension the chains. Alternatively the chain may be engageable with one or more members pivotally connected with the frame member and movable by way of the action of a weighting strip to tension the- chain. The cover means may be securable at a selected one of a possible number of vertical positions suited for the size of wheel to which the restraining means is attached. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be further apparent from the following description, with reference to the several figures of the accompanying drawing, which show, by way of example only, one form of restraining means embodying same.

Of the drawings:-

Fig. 1 shows an inside view of a frame member forming part of the restraining means;

Fig. 2 shows an outside view of the frame member of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows a cross-section through the frame member on the line III - III of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 shows a side view of a cover member forming another part of the restraining means. Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of an alternative frame member to form a part of the restraining means;

Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of the restraining means of Fig. 5 with the cover member in place; and Fig. 7 shows a detail of the frame member of Fig.

BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that the restraining means is essentially comprised by two parts, a frame member generally indicated at 10 (Figures 1 - 3) and a cover member generally indicated at 40 (Figure 4) .

The frame member 10 comprises a longitudinally extending ground-engaging rail 11 which mounts upright pillars 12 and 13 joined towards their tops by a cross-member 14. Reinforcement pieces 12a, 13a, are provided.

From the tops of the pillars 12 and 13 extend lengths of chain 15 and 16 connected by a cross chain

17 a short distance from the pillars 12 and 13. The ends of the chains pass beneath the pieces 12a and 13a respectively.

A bar 18 is rotatably mounted between the pillars 12 and 13 beneath the cross-member 14 and carries a pair of strips 19 and 20 whose lower ends are notched at 21 to receive a link of the chains 15 and 16 respectively. The upper portions of the strips 19 and 20 are bowed outwardly for a reason which will be apparent hereinafter.

The cover member 40 is in the form of a plate 41 having spaced hook-shaped studs 42 on its lower edge engageable with one pair of a series of vertically spaced pairs of holes 43 in the rail 11 and pillars 12 and 13.

A staple 44 extends outwardly from cross-member 14 to pass through one of a series of vertically spaced apertures 45 in the plate 41 when the cover 40 is fitted to the frame member 10. In use, the frame member 10 is positioned alongside a vehicle wheel and the chains 15 and 16 are passed over the wheel and back under it to be engaged with the notches 21 on the lower end of the strips 19 and 20. The cover 40 is fitted to deny access to the chain attachments, and secured by a padlock through the staple 44.

When the cover is fitted the plate 41 bears

against the upper portions of strips 19 and 20 to cause rotation of the bar 18 to tension the chains 15 and 16.

A plate, not shown in the interests of clarity may extend between the pillars 12 and 13 on the outer face of the frame member to deny access to the chains when the cover is secured at one it its upper positions.

Referring now to Fig. 5 there is shown a view similar to that shown in Fig.l of an alternative embodiment of restraining means. The embodiment shown is generally similar to the embodiment of Fig. 1 and like reference numerals will be used to indicate corresponding parts. Once again the frame member 10 comprises a longitudinally extending ground-engaging rail 11 which mounts upright pillars 12 and 13 joined towards their tops by a cross-member 14. However, in this embodiment a first bar 50 is rotatably mounted between the pillars 12 and 13 on the opposite side of cross-members 14 to the rail 11. Towards each end, adjacent the pillars 12 and 13, the bar carries two pairs of link guide pins 51, 52 which extend in opposite radial directions from the bar 11 for a purpose to be described hereafter.

Once again a bar 18 is rotatably mounted betwen the pillars 12 and 13 between the cross-member 14 and the rail 11. The bar 18 carries a single depending

weighting strip 53. On either side of the strip 53 towards the respective end of the bar 18 adjacent the pillars 12 and 13, the bar 18 carries a number of link engaging pins 54 which project radially from and are equiangularly spaced around the circumferential periphery of the bar 18.

A chain retention bar 56 extends between the pillars 12 and 13 between the bar 18 and rail 11 and this bar 56 is secured to the rail 11 by a strengthening strut 57. The chain retention bar 56 extends between the pillars 12 and 13 at a position substantially adjacent the rail 11.

A lower plate 58 is fixedly secured between the pillars 12 and 13 and acts to cover the chain retention bar 56 to prevent access thereto when the cover 40 is at one of its upper positions as will be described hereinafter.

Lengths of chain 59, 61 are fixed at one end to a top surface of the cross-member 14 and extend therefrom around the first bar 50. Ends of the lengths of chain 59,61 remote from the bar 14 are linked to a U-shaped bar 62 (shown more clearly in Fig. 7) which, at its free ends 63, 64 is linked to further lengths of chain 67,68. A cross bar 66 is attached to and extends between the lengths of chain

67,68 maintaining the same in a spaced apart disposition whilst preventing movement of the chains 67,68 beyond a maximum distance determined by the length of the bar

66 .

In use, once again, the frame member 10 is positioned alongside a vehicle wheel and the chains 59, 61 are passed between respective pairs of pins 51, 52 and over the wheel, the pins 51, 52 acting to guide the lengths of chain 59, 61 in a manner which ensures efficient operation.

Once the lengths of chain 59, 61 have been passed over the wheel, the U-shaped bar 62 and cover bar 66 will extend behind the wheel and the lengths of chain 67, 68 can be passed back under the wheel. The lengths of chain 67,68 are then passed under the chain retention bar 56, behind the plate 58 and are passed around the rotatable bar 18. When the chains are passed around the bar 18 respective links thereof are engaged by the pins 54 thereby securing the frame member 10 around the wheel of the vehicle.

The cover 40 is fitted to the free member as above to deny access to the chains 59, 61, 67, 68 and is secured by way of a padlock through the staple 44. With the cover 40 fitted, the chains 59, 61, 67, 68 are maintained in tension around the wheel by way of the depending weighting strip 53 which acts to cause movement of the bar until a lower end of the strip engages the plate 58 thereby tensioning the chains 59, 61, 67, 68. The depending strip 53 also acts to prevent rotation of the bar 18 when the frame member 10 is pulled away from the wheel in an attempt

to free the vehicle. Furthermore, the provision of the U-shaped and cover bars 62 and 60 in between the lengths of chain 59, 61 and 67, 68 acts to prevent the vehicle being freed by simply moving apart the chains behind and then around the side of the wheel.

It will be appreciated that with the arrangements described it is possible to provide a restaining means which can be applied quickly and in a simple and convenient manner. Furthermore, the arrangements reduce and, in most cases, remove the possibility of damage to the vehicle if attempt is made to move the vehicle.

It is of course to be understood that the invention is not intended to be restricted to the detail of the above embodiments which are described by way of example only.