Adjustable recovery spade

Abstract

A recovery spade that is adjustably coupled to a rescue vehicle to thereby maximize traction during rescue operations. The recovery spade includes an anchor blade and a hollow support member. The anchor blade includes a plurality of holes for selective connection to the support member at differing heights via a pin. The anchor blade further includes an anchor portion with teeth at one end for engaging the ground to effect the traction and coupling holes at the other end for selective connection to the anchor blade at differing angles.

1 - 20 . (canceled)  
   
   
       21 . A recovery vehicle comprising: 
 a winch supporting a cable configured to define a longitudinal rescue line; and    a recovery spade comprising: 
 a guide portion having a longitudinal axis; and  
 an anchor portion supported at the guide portion and rotatable about an axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the guide portion, the anchor portion comprising a friction surface configured to penetrate a surface,  
 wherein the friction surface of the recovery spade is selectively positionable relative to the longitudinal rescue line.  
   
   
   
       22 . The recovery vehicle of  claim 21 , wherein the friction surface is configured to penetrate the surface to generate a tractive force.  
   
   
       23 . The recovery vehicle of  claim 21 , wherein the friction surface is a substantially flat surface.  
   
   
       24 . The recovery vehicle of  claim 21 , wherein the friction surface includes a lower edge having a plurality of teeth.  
   
   
       25 . The recovery vehicle of  claim 21 , wherein the friction surface is selectively positionable at an orientation that is substantially traverse to the longitudinal rescue line.  
   
   
       26 . The recovery vehicle of  claim 21 , wherein the anchor portion is movable in a translational manner relative to the guide portion.  
   
   
       27 . The recovery vehicle of  claim 21 , wherein the recovery spade further comprises a support member coupled to the vehicle for supporting the guide portion.  
   
   
       28 . The recovery vehicle of  claim 27 , wherein the support member is coupled at a rear portion of the vehicle.  
   
   
       29 . The recovery vehicle of  claim 27 , wherein the guide portion is movable in a translational manner relative to the support member.  
   
   
       30 . The recovery vehicle of  claim 21 , wherein the anchor portion is received within a hollow interior of the guide portion.  
   
   
       31 . The recovery vehicle of  claim 21 , wherein the guide portion includes at least one hole and the anchor portion includes a plurality of holes positioned about a periphery of the anchor portion adapted to be positioned in registry with the at least one hole of the guide portion.  
   
   
       32 . The recovery vehicle of  claim 31 , wherein the plurality of holes of the anchor portion are angularly offset from each other around the periphery of the anchor portion.  
   
   
       33 . The recovery vehicle of  claim 31 , wherein the plurality of holes of the anchor portion are provided at more than one height about the periphery of the anchor portion.  
   
   
       34 . The recovery vehicle of  claim 31 , wherein the recovery spade further comprising a locking mechanism configured to engage the at least one hole of the guide portion in combination with at least one of the plurality of holes of the anchor portion to secure the anchor portion relative to the guide portion.  
   
   
       35 . A recovery vehicle comprising: 
 a winch supporting a cable configured to define a longitudinal rescue line; and    a recovery spade comprising: 
 a guide portion having a longitudinal axis; and  
 an anchor portion supported at the guide portion and rotatable about an axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the guide portion, the anchor portion having a friction surface configured to penetrate a ground surface,  
 wherein one of the guide portion and the anchor portion defines a first hole and the other of the guide portion and the anchor portion defines a second hole and a third hole, the second hole and the third hole are configured to be in selective registry with the first hole, the third hole being angularly offset from the second hole, and  
 wherein the friction surface is selectively movable to a desired orientation by rotating the anchor portion relative to the guide portion and aligning one of the second hole and the third hole with the first hole.  
   
   
   
       36 . The recovery vehicle of  claim 35 , wherein the third hole is angularly offset from the second hole between around 30 degrees and around 45 degrees.  
   
   
       37 . The recovery vehicle of  claim 35 , wherein the second hole is provided at a first height and the third hole is provided at a second height, the first height being different than the second height.  
   
   
       38 . The recovery vehicle of  claim 37 , wherein a plurality of holes are provided at the first height and the second height.  
   
   
       39 . The recovery vehicle of  claim 35 , wherein the guide portion defines the first hole and the anchor portion defines the second hole and the third hole.  
   
   
       40 . A recovery vehicle comprising: 
 a chassis;    a winch supported by the chassis and configured to support a cable defining a longitudinal rescue line; and    a recovery spade supported by the chassis, the recovery spade comprising: 
 a support member fixed relative to the chassis;  
 a guide portion supported at the support member and movable in a translational manner relative to the support member, the guide portion having a longitudinal axis; and  
 an anchor portion supported at the guide portion and rotatable about an axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the guide portion,  
 wherein the anchor portion is selectively positionable at a desired orientation relative to a position of the longitudinal rescue line.  
   
   
   
       41 . The recovery vehicle of  claim 40 , wherein the recovery spade further comprises a first locking mechanism for selectively securing the guide portion relative to the support member and a second locking mechanism for selectively securing the anchor portion relative to the guide portion.  
   
   
       42 . The recovery vehicle of  claim 40 , wherein at least one of the first locking mechanism and the second locking mechanism is a pin.  
   
   
       43 . The recovery vehicle of  claim 40 , wherein the anchor portion is movable in a translational manner relative to the guide portion.