The present invention concerns a system as defined in the preamble to claim 1. In certain circumstances one has to be able to stop or slow down a vehicle in motion by the aid of means external to the vehicle. This situation may pre¬ sent itself, for instance, when it is required to stop a vehicle which its driver, e.g. a fugitive traffic violator, is not willing to stop voluntarily. For stop¬ ping a moving vehicle one may employ a system compris¬ ing a stopping member placed across the traffic lane, such as a net or equivalent, and the net is connected to anchoring points on anchoring vehicles that have been provided. There are usually two anchoring vehicles on either side of the net, and for anchoring points to which the stopping member is connected are used the trailer hooks of these cars. When the vehicle to be stopped runs into the net, a pulling force acts on the anchoring cars, which tends to move them from their places. For this reason the parking space of each anchoring car has to be kept activated. In addition, in each anchoring car is needed one person to depress the brake pedal of the driving brake in order to further increase the braking force of the anchoring vehicle. A stopping system of this kind has been described in the earlier Finnish patent application FI 892560 by the same applicant.

A problem arises in the system specifically from the fact that the parking brake alone is not always sufficient to keep the anchoring vehicle stationary in a stopping situation. Since the vehicle one intends to stop may, instead of running into the net, collide with the anchoring vehicles, the persons sitting in the and depressing the driving brake pedal are endangered.

It is a further problem that the job of de-

pressing driving brake pedals engages two persons, and this is objectionable for the reason that these same persons cannot immediately get to the stopped vehicle to receive its driver, e.g. to take into custody a per- son suspected of traffic violation.

The object of the invention is to eliminate the drawbacks just described.

It is particularly an aim of the invention to provide a stopping system for land vehicles which is safe for those employing it, so that these persons can stay at a safe distance from the vehicle to be stopped, in a stopping situation.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a system in which the persons employing the system are relieved of the task of activating the driv¬ ing brakes of the anchoring vehicle.

Furthermore, an object of the invention is to provide a system which is easy to use and which can be put in action rapidly. The means of the invention is characterized by that which is stated in claim 1.

As taught by the invention, the system com¬ prises a holding means which has been disposed to keep the driving brake system of the anchoring vehicle activated, advantageously in locked condition.

In an embodiment of the system, the holding means is disposed to act on the brake pedal of the anchoring vehicle.

In an embodiment of the system, the holding means comprises a bracing member which is disposed to be braced against the anchoring vehicle, and a gripping member disposed in contact with the brake pedal of the brake pedal of the anchoring vehicle.

In an embodiment of the system, the holding means comprises a rod carrying on its first end a grip¬ ping member for holding the brake pedal in its fully depressed position and on its second end, a bracing

member disposed to be braced against the structures of the anchoring vehicle, e.g. against the seat portion or back rest of the driver's seat.

In an embodiment of the system, the rod is adjustable as to its length.

In an embodiment of the system, the rod com¬ prises two tubes, one within the other, which are tele- scopically movable relative to each other; a spring disposed to exert a pushing action between the tubes; and an interlocking member disposed to lock secure the tubes disengageably to be un ovable relative to each other.

In an embodiment of the system, the gripping member is a quick clamp. In an embodiment of the system, the bracing member is a plate pivoted to the rod.

The invention affords the advantage that through its effect the safety of the persons using the stopping system is improved, those persons being ena- bled in a stopping situation to position themselves at a safe distance from the vehicle that is being stopped. it is a further advantage of the invention that it releases the persons employing the stopping system to perform tasks more important than activation of the driving brake.

Furthermore, thanks to the invention, use of the system is convenient, and the system is swiftly placed in action.

It is moreover an advantage of the invention that the holding means of the invention implies no changes in the structures or design of the vehicle: it is an ancillary means which can be used on any vehicle that is employed as anchoring vehicle.

In the following, the invention is described in detail, referring to the drawing hereto attached, wher¬ ein Fig. 1 presents, in schematic perspective, a stopping

system in connection of which the means of the inven¬ tion may be used.

Fig. 2 presents schematically an embodiment of the sys¬ tem of the invention, the holding means being installed in operating position in an anchoring vehicle.

Fig. 3 presents, in longitudinal section, an embodiment of the holding means of the invention.

In Fig. 1 is depicted a stopping system for a land vehicle. The stopping system comprises a stopping member 1 placed across the traffic lane, which may be a net or equivalent. The system further comprises two anchoring vehicles 2 and 3, which afford anchoring points 4 and 5 for the net 1. The anchoring points 4 and 5 may, for instance, consist of the trailer hooks of the vehicles. Between the net 1 and the anchoring points 4 and 5 are furthermore provided bracing members J, which are intended to absorb the kinetic energy of the vehicle that is being stopped. According to the invention, the system includes a holding means 6, dis- posed to keep the driving brake system of the anchoring vehicle 2,3 activated, preferably in locked condition, so that the anchoring vehicles might remain stationary as perfectly as possible when the vehicle to be stopped runs into the net 1 and tends, with its kinetic energy, to pull the anchoring vehicles 2 and 3 along as it pro¬ ceeds inside the net.

In Fig. 2 is seen a holding means 6 which has been disposed to act on the brake pedal 7 of the an¬ choring vehicle 2,3. The holding means 6 further comprises a grip¬ ping member 9 disposed in contact with the brake pedal 7 of the anchoring vehicle. The holding means 6 com¬ prises a rod 11 carrying on its first end the gripping member 9 for keeping the brake pedal 9 pressed down all the way. On the second end of the rod 11 is provided a bracing member 8 which is disposed to brace against the front edge of the seat section of the seat in the an-

choring vehicle 2,3.

In Fig. 3 the holding means 6 is seen, longi¬ tudinally sectioned. The length of the rod 11 is ad¬ justable, the rod 11 comprising two tubes 12,13 one inside the other, which are telescopically movable relative to each other. The rod further comprises a spring 14 disposed to exert a pushing action between the tubes 12 and 13. Moreover, the rod 11 comprises an interlocking member 15, disposed to secure the tubes diεengageably to each other. The locking member 15 may be any type of means known in the art by which two tubes positioned one inside the other can be inter¬ locked in optional positions. Thus, the interlocking means 15 may be a conical screw, or equivalent, redu- cing the caliber of the outer tube 12. The gripping member 8 is a quick clamp 16. The bracing member 8 is a plate 17 which has been pivotally attached to the rod 11. A holding means like this van be stowed away so as to consume a minimum of space in that the tubes 12 and 13 are pushed into each other against the spring 14 and a spring-loaded pin 18 on the inner tube 13 is allowed to enter a hole 19, whereby the tubes will be held in stowing position by the aid of the pin-and-hole inter¬ locking. Thanks to its versatile adjustability, the holding means is fit to be used on all and any vehi¬ cles, and it can be braced with its second end, option¬ ally, against various structures of the vehicle's in¬ terior.

The holding means is swiftly made operative, e.g. by first attaching the quick clamp 14 to the brake pedal, which is thereafter pressed down all the way. Next, the rod 11 and the plate 17 in its continuation are aligned towards a structure of the vehicle, such as the front edge of a seat, and the pin-and-hole inter- locking 18,19 is released, thus causing the spring to hurl the inner tube 12 outward and the plate 17 to become braced against the seat. The tubes 12 and 13 may

then be interlocked using the interlocking means 15. The driving brake will hereby be kept permanently in its fully locked position.

The holding means 5 is not restricted to the example here presented: it may naturally be any kind whatsoever of a means able to keep the driving brake system activated. Therefore, many different designs can be contemplated which are inserted at any point in the car's brake system, even otherwise than acting on the brake pedal.

The invention is not exclusively confined to concern the embodiment examples presented in the forego¬ ing: numerous modifications are feasible while staying within the scope of the inventive idea defined by the claims.