Land vehicles – Wheeled – Convertible
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-10
2004-03-16
Vanaman, Frank (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Convertible
C280S047270
Reexamination Certificate
active
06705621
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The water caddy has a frame supported by two wheels that is manually moved to carry an attached container close to the ground and that is held in an upside down position by a stabilizer leg during discharge of water from the container.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Motor homes, travel trailers, and other vehicle mounted living enclosures used by campers are often equipped with a water storage tank. Electric pumps or hand pumps are provided for dispensing water from the tanks. When camping in camp grounds with water supplied to camp sites by hydrants, the water storage tank is not generally used. When camping in camp grounds without hydrants, the water storage tanks are needed.
Camp grounds in North America without hydrants at each camp site generally have one or more portable water supply sources. If the vehicle with a water storage tank can be moved to the water supply point, the storage tank can be filled and the vehicle can be returned to the camp site. However it is generally not desirable to move a vehicle with a water storage tank from a camp site just to fill the storage tank. Normally camping vehicles with sleeping accommodations are jacked up to level the floor and the beds and to eliminate movement of the vehicle permitted by vehicle suspension springs. Once a trailer or other vehicle is jacked up and leveled it is generally not moved again until it is decided to vacate the camp site and move to another location.
Water can be manually carried in containers from the water supply point to a camp site and poured into the water storage tank. This procedure has at least two problems. The water supply point may be hundreds of yards from the camp site. Many individuals who enjoy camping are not physically capable of carrying five gallons of water one hundred yards. Once a container of water is carried to a camp site, the water must be transferred to the water storage tank. The inlet cap for water storage tanks is generally small, raised some distance above the ground and may have a vertical inlet opening. It is hard to pour water from a container into such a storage tank. The portable water container must also be held up fairly high for some period of time while water is transferred from the portable container to the storage tank.
Many systems have been developed for transporting liquids in containers and transferring liquid from the containers following arrival at a dispensing location. Some of these systems require substantial physical strength and stamina. Systems that raise containers to dispense liquids are generally relatively complicated and therefore somewhat expensive.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The water caddy has a frame with a left side rail, a right side rail and a plurality of cross members attached to the left side rail and to the right side rail. The frame has a front side, a rear side, a top end, a bottom end, and a container support surface on the front side. A container support plate is attached to the frame adjacent to the bottom end and extends forward from the container support surface. A left side axle support is attached to the left side rail adjacent to the bottom end of the frame. A right side axle support is attached to the right side rail adjacent to the bottom end of the frame. A transverse horizontal axle is attached to the left side axle support and to the right side axle support. A left side wheel is journaled on the transverse horizontal axle outboard of the left side rail. A right side wheel is journaled on the transverse horizontal axle outboard of the right side rail. A stabilizer leg has a first end pivotally attached to the frame adjacent to the bottom end and a second end with a ground engaging pad. A stabilizer leg clip is attached to the frame. The clip holds the stabilizer leg adjacent to the rear side of the frame with the ground engaging pad adjacent to the top end of the frame for storage. The stabilizer leg clip releases the stabilizer leg for pivotal movement away from the rear side of the frame and for ground engagement by the ground engaging pad when the top end of the frame is resting on the ground and the bottom end of the frame is in an elevated position. At least one lateral retainer limits lateral movement between the container support surface and containers. At least one vertical retainer limits vertical movement between the container support surface and containers.
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Reising Ethington Barnes Kisselle & Learman P.C.
Vanaman Frank
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