Land vehicles – Wheeled – Extensible
Patent
1987-03-04
1988-07-19
Bertsch, Richard A.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Extensible
280639, 280656, B62D 6306
Patent
active
047580089
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a folding trailer comprising at least a base, two wheels connected to said base by a wheel suspension, and a shaft for coupling to a tractive vehicle, whereby said base comprises a central part at the point of said wheels and a front and rear part each of which can be moved relative to the central part between a position for use in which they lie in one plane with said central part and a folded position in which they lie parallel to each other and transversely to said central part. Such a folding trailer is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,239,258. The front and rear base part can her be folded up together with the edge portions connected thereto so that in this folded position the length dimension of the trailer is considerably reduced. In this folded position the trailer therefore takes up little space and can for example still be placed in a garage against one of its inside walls.
The invention aims to provide a trailer of the type set forth above which takes up so little space in the folded state that it can for example be carried in the trunk of an automobile or put in a cupboard indoors.
This purpose is achieved with a folding trailer according to the invention in that said wheel suspension is given a form such that said wheels can be accommodated within the space defined in the folded state by said central part and the front and rear base parts. The outside dimensions of a trailer according to the invention are as a result only determined by the dimensions of the base parts. In the folded state the trailer has the form of a trunk, so that it can easily be put in the desired place.
A first embodiment of the invention is obtained when the wheels are arranged underneath in vertical direction within the outer periphery of the central part and the front and rear part are connected with said central part so as to fold downwards. This embodiment has the advantage that the wheel suspension can be very simple so that the cost of such a trailer according to the invention can be low.
This embodiment of the trailer according to the invention can, in accordance with a further development, have a construction in the form of a container if vertical edge portions are arranged for pivoting on the outer edges of the front, central and rear parts. In the folded position of the trailer the edge portions pivot against the respective base parts so that the total space taken up becomes only a very little greater.
Another embodiment of the invention is obtained when the front and the rear part are connected for folding with the central part, the central part comprises a window-like frame and that the wheel suspension is given a form such that the wheels can be swung inwards through said frame. This trailer is preferably given a form such that the wheel suspension for each wheel comprises a transverse supporting arm mounted for pivoting close to the middle of the central part, which arm can be bent at an intermediate point. A relatively simple wheel suspension is hereby obtained which fulfils the requirement that the wheels can hereby be folded within the trunk form as well as the requirements that are set for obtaining a good road holding of the trailer. In the position for use the wheels can have a larger track width than the width of the trailer. The wheel suspension can moreover be given a form with a suitable springing.
If according to a further development of the invention vertical edge portions are connected firmly with the outer edges of the front and rear base part and the outside dimensions of the combination of one of the front or rear parts with its edge parts are chosen so as to be smaller than the corresponding inside dimensions of the other combination, the one combination can be accommodated in the other combination in the folded position. The front and rear parts can in this way each form a constructively strong whole.
The invention will be further explained in the following description of embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of
REFERENCES:
patent: 1409787 (1922-03-01), Scarlett
patent: 2437380 (1948-03-01), Cooklin et al.
patent: 2577951 (1951-12-01), Cortsen
patent: 3073615 (1963-01-01), Siewert
patent: 4175768 (1979-11-01), Thackray
patent: 4239258 (1980-12-01), Burris
patent: 4266791 (1981-05-01), Myers
Bertsch Richard A.
Zovko Mark
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