Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to a trailer, and in
particular to a multi-use trailer for attachment to an
automotive vehicle.
In general, conventional boat krailers, horse
trailers and small general cargo trailers are single use
devices. In other words, it is often necessary to own several
trailers for carrying different articles. A need exists for a
multi-purpose trailer which can be used to carry a wide
variety of articles.
The object of the present invention is to meet the
above defined need by providing a relatively simple multi-use
trailer which can be used to carry inter alia, boats, or a
horse or cargo box.
Accordingly, the present invention relates to a
trailer for carrying a variety of articles comprising frame
means; wheel means for supporting said frame means during
movement along the ground; tongue means at one end of said
frame means for connecting the trailer to a towing vehicle;
~ rail means on said frame means for slidably receiving an
article for carrying by the trailer; and first roller means
at one free end of said rail means for assisting loading of an
article onto said rail means.
The invention will be described in greater detail
with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate
a preferred embodiment of the lnvention, and wherein:
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Figure 1 is a schematic, isomekric view of a trailer
in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 2 is a schematic, isometric view of a trailer
of Fig. 1 with a load of hay thereon;
Figure 3 is a schematic, perspective view of a hinge
used between the trailer of Figs. 1 and 2 and a tow bar;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a latch device for
locking the trailer in a towing position;
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of an alternate
10form of latch device;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the
rear end of the trailer of Figs. 1 and 2;
Figures 7 and 8 are schematic side elevational views
;- of a roller and bracket illustrated in Fig. 6;
15Figure 9 is a perspective view of the front end of a
tow bar or tongue used in the device of Figs. 1 and 2;
Figure 10 is a perspective view from one side and
above of a frame used on the trailer for carrying a boat;
Figure 11 is a perspective view of the rear or
20trailing end of the frame of Fig. 10;
Figure 12 is a perspective view of a pair of cradles
used on the frame of Fig. 10;
; ~ ~ Figure 13 is a perspective view of a bracket used to
mount a cradle on the frame of Fig. 10;
25Figure 14 is a perspective view of a bracket and
roller used on the front end of the frame of Fig. 10;
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Figures 15 and 16 are longitudinal sectional views
of the roller and bracket of Fig. 14;
Figure 17 is a perspective view from the front end
of a horse box used on the device of Figs. 1 and 2;
Figure 18 is a perspective view fxom the rear end of
the horse box of Fig. 17 being loaded on the trailer of Figs.
1 and 2;
Figure 19 is a perspective view from the front end
of a cargo box used on the ~railer of Figs. 1 and Z;
~10 Figs. 20 to 22 are perspective views of a roller and
bracket used on the front end of the box of Fig. 19 in a
variety of positions;
Figure 23 is a side elevation view of a hook device
for holding a box on the trailer of Figs. 1 and 2;
~15 Figure 24 is a front end view of the device of
.
Fig. 23;
Figure 25 is a rear end view of the device of
Fig. 23; and
Figure 26 is a plan view of the device of Fig. 23.
~20 ~ Wlth reference to Fig. 1, the trailer of the present
invention which is generally indicated at 1 is defined by an
elongated body 2 mounted on an axle 3 (Fig. 2) carrying wheels
4 on the ends thereof for moving the trailer over the ground.
The body 2 includes a frame defined by front and rear
crossbars 6 and 7, respectively, side panels 9 which include
wheel wells 10 near the rear end of the body. A deck-ll is ;
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defined by longitudinally extending boards is provided
between the side panels 9. The deck is bordered on each side
by parallel longitudinally extending rails 12.
The body 2 of the trailer is pivotally connected to
a tow bar or tongue 14, which can be connected to a towing
vehicle such as a truck 15 (Fig. 2) for towing the trailer 1.
A length of pipe 16 (Fig. 3) is welaed to the top of the
trailing end of the tongue 14. Similarly, short lengths of
pipe 18 are welded to rectangular tubes 19, which extend
outwardly from plates 20 on each side of the center of the
bottom of the trailer body 2. A pin (not shown) is inserted
through the aligned lengths of pipe 16 and 18 to define a
hinge whereby the trailer can be tilted to a loading or
unloading position (Fig. 18).
The trailer body 2 is releasably latched on the
tongue 14 by means of a latch generally indicated at 22 in
Fig. 3 or by another form of latch generally indicated at 23
(Fig. 4). The latch 22 is defined by a post 25 extending
upwardly from the tongue 14, and a generally L-shaped plate 26
~ extending outwardly and downwardly from the front crossbar 6
'~ of the trailer frame. When the trailer body 2 is in the
horizontal, transport position (Fig. 1), the post 25 extends
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upwardly through a slot 28 in the plate 26, and the front,
vertical arm 29 of the plate rests on a sleeve 30 connecting
the front and rear section 31 and 32, respectively of the
tongue 14. The post 25 and the plate 26 are releasably
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latched together by a tapered wedge 34 which is inserted
through a hole 35 in the post 25. A bolt 36 is inserted
through the wedge 34 to maintain the latter in position on the
plate 26. A cable 38 extends through the head of the bolt 36
and around the other end thereof for holding the bolt 36 in
the wedge 34.
Referring to Fig. 5, the alternate embodiment of the
latch 23 includes a generally C-shaped bracket 40, the free
ends of which are welded to the tongue 14 in front of the
front crossbar 6. The long arm of an elongated L-shaped bolt
42 extends through aligned holes in the front and rear arms of
the bracket 40 and in the front and rear of the crossbar 6. A
~ helical spring 44 on the bolt 42 in the bracket 40 bears
-~ against a C-clip 45 to bias the bolt into the aligned holes.
The latch 23 is released by pulling the bolt 42 outwardly
against the bias of the spring 44, freeing the front end of
` the trailer body 2 for rotation to the loading or unloading
position.
The front section 31 of the tongue 14 is
telescopically mounted in the rear portion 32 thereof. A
plurality of aligned holes 47 (Figs. 3 and 9) are provided in
the front section 31 for receiving a bolt 48, which! with a
nut 49, interconnects the tongue sections. A conventional
socket 50 is provided on the front or leading end of the -~-
tongue 2 for connecting the trailer 1 to a towing vehicle. As
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shown in Fig. 2 the basic trailer in this form can be used to
carry various materials such as a load 52 of hay, logs, etc.
A roller 54 (Figs. 6 to 8) is pivotally connected
to the trailing end 55 of each rail 12 for rotation between a
lower, non-use position (Fig. 6 and 7) and a raised, use
position (Fig. 8). The roller 54 is connected to the end 55
of the rail 12 by a pair of arms 56, a bolt 58 and a nut ~not
shown). A bolt 59 extends through the outer free ends of the
~; ~ arms 56 and the roller 54. In the lower position, the roller
54 rests on a bar 61 extending between the free end of the
~` rail 12 and the rear crossbar 7 of the trailer frame. A hole
62 is provided on the upper inner end of each arm 56 for
alignment with holes 64 (one shown) in the sides of the rail
12 near the trailing end 55 thereof. When the roller 54 and
15 ~ the arms 56 are rotated around the longitudinal axis of the
bolt 58 to the raised position tFig. 8), a pin 65 is inserted
into the aligned holes 62 and 64 to releasably secure the
roller 54 in the use position.
When the trailer is to be used to carry a boat 67
20~ Fig. 9), a forwardly inclined post 68 extending upwardly from
a~baseplate 71 is connected to the tongue 14 by U-bolts 72. A
brace 73 extends upwardly form the baseplate 71 to the post
68. A conventional, manually operated winch 75, including a
drum 76 and a handle 77 is mounted on the post 68. A cable 78
25 ~ is wound on the drum 76 retaining the boat 67 on the trailer
1. The cable 78 extends upwardly from the drum 76 around a
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pulley 80 in a bracket 81 to an eye (not shown) on khe bow of
the boat 69. Rollers 82 for supporting the bow are mounted on
,~, arms 83 and 84 (one of each shown) on the post 68.
When using the trailer to carry the boat 67, a frame
generally indicated at 86 (Figs. 10 to 14) is provided for
mounting on the trailer body 2. The frame 86 includPs a pair
of side bars 87 and 88, a front crossbar 89, a rear crossbar
90 and an intermediate crossbar 91. Cradles 93 and 94 are
mounted on the rear and intermediate crossbars 90 and 91,
respectively. Each of the cradles 93 and 94 is connected to
its respective crossbar by a bracket generally indicated at
96.
As best shown in Fig. 13, the bracket 96 is defined
by an L-shaped plate 97 on one side of the crossbar, the foot
98 of the plate extending beneath the crossbar. A plate 100
on the other side of the crossbar is connected at the bottom
to the foot 98 and to the top of the plate 97 by bolts 101. A
pair of posts 103 are sandwiched between the plate 100 and the
,
crossbar 90 or 91. A bolt 104 extends between the post 103
for pivotally supporting a longitudinally extending arm 106 of
a cradle 93 or 94. When the frame 86 is mounted on the
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trailer, the feet 98 support the frame above the deck 11 of
the tr,ailer.
Each of the cradles 93 includes the longitudinally --
extending arm 106, and pair of end bars 107, which are
pivotally connected to the arm 106 for rotation around the
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longitudinal axis thereoP. A roller 108 is mounted on the
outer end of each arm 107 for supporting the hull o a boat.
Each of the cradles 93 includes the arm 106, the end bars 107
and one set of rollers 108. The end of the arm 106 extending
rearwardly of the frame 96 is provided with a crossbar 110
pivotally supporting a pair of roller carrying arms 111. A
roller 112 is provided on the outer end of each arm 112.
As shown in Fig. 14, a roller 114 is mounted on the
front or leading free end of each side bar 87 or 88 of the
frame 86. The roller 114 is designed to ride on the rail 12
of the trailer 1. The roller 114 is mounted on a bolt 115
extending between the sides 117 of a bracket 118 near the
bottom end thereof. A pair of sleeves 120 and 121 (Figs. 15
and 16) extend transversely of the side bar 87 or 88 near the
front free end thereof. A bolt 122 extends through the sleeve
120 for pivotally supporting the bracket 118 on the front end
of the bar 87 or 88. The other sleeve 121 is intended to
receive a pin 124, which extends through the sleeve and
through one of a pair of aligned holes 125 and 126 in each
side 117 of the bracket 118 for temporarily securing the
bracket in a raised position (Fig. 15) or a lower position
(Fig. 16). In the raised position, the roller 114 can ride on
the rail 12. In the lower position, the roller 114 rests
against the front crossbar 6 of the outer frame 2.
When used as a horse carrier, the trailer 1 is
combined with a box generally indicated at 130 ~Figs. 17 and
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18) of the type including side walls 131 with window openings
133 and a door 134 therein, front and rear end walls 135 and
136, respectively, and a top wall or roof 137 (not shown).
Loading of the box 130 onto the trailer is facilitated by
rollers 114 on the outer free ends of arms 138 extending
forwardly from and integral with the bottom of each side o~
the box. The arm 138 extends forwardly beyond the front end
136 of the box 130. The arms are spaced apart the same
distance as the rails 12 on the trailer 1, so that the rollers
114 ride on the rails during loading and unloading of the
cabin 130. The rollers 114 and the brackets 118 are the same
as those used on the front ends of the boat carrying frame 86
(Figs. 14 to 16).
In order to place the box 130 on the trailer, the
trailer body 2 is tilted to the inclined position (Fig. 18),
the front end of the box 130 is elevated using a jack (not
shown) and the trailer is moved backwards under the box so
that the rollers 114 pass over the rollers 54 on the rear end
of the traller 1 into engagement with the rails 12. The cable
78 of the winch 75 is connected to an eye 140 (Fig. 17) on the
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front end of the box 130. When the winch 75 is operated, the
box 130 moves forwardly onto the trailer body 2. During
forward movement, the bottom bars 138 on the sides of the box
130 engage the elevated rollers 54 on the trailer body 2.
When the box 130 is fully loaded on the trailer 1, the rollers
54 on the trailer 1 are lowered, and the rollers 114 are
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raised so that the bottom side bars 138 of the box 76 rest on
the rails 12. With the box ~30 on the trailer~l, the deck 11
forms a floor or bottom wall of the box. The rear wall 135 of
the box is hingedly connected to the box at the bottom end
thereof to define a door and a ramp for loading a horse into
the box.
Referring to Figs. 19 to 22, another box or
container 143 for snowmobiles, all terrain vehicles or other
cargo includes a top wall 144, a front wall 145, a rear wall
(not shown), and side walls 147. The bottom of each side wall
147 is stepped inwardly, so that the width of the open bottom
of the box 148 is the same as the spacing between the rails
12. A loop or eye 148 is provided at the bottom of the front
wall 145 for connecting the winch cable 78 to the box 143 for
pulling the latter onto the trailer 1. Longitudinally
extending, square cross section bars 150 defining the bottom
~- ends of the side walls 114 perform the same function as the
bars 138 on the horse box 130.
A pair of rollers 152 are mounted in brackets 153 on
ends of the bars 150 extending outwardly beyond the front end
145 of the box 143. Each bracket 153 is similar to the
bracket 118 (Figs. 14 to 16), and includes a pair of sides 155
with a bolt 156 extending therebetween for supportinq the
roller 152. A second bolt 158 extends through the sides 155
and a sleeve (not shown) on the top free end of the bar 150
for pivotally connecting the bracket 153 to the bar 150. The
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bracket 153 can be rotated between a lower position (Fig. 20)
in which the bar 150 rests on the rail 12, and an elevated
position (Fig. 22) in which the roller 152 engages the rail 12
and the front end of the box 143 is elevated for unloading
from the trailer. When moving the roller 152 from the lower
position (Fig. 20) to the elevated position (Fig. 21), a
crowbar 159 or other lever is used. The lever 159 is inserted
into the bracket 153 between the roller and the top of the
bracket, and beneath thefront end 145 of the box 143. The
sides 155 of the bracket 153 (like the bracket 118) include a
pair of holes 160 and 161 for receiving a pin 162 which
releasably locks the bracket 153 and consequently the roller
152 in one of the two positions (Figs. 20 and 22).
Referring to Figs. 23 to 26, a latch device for
retaining the horse box 130 or the cargo box 143 on the -
trailer includes a generally Y-shaped body 165. An elongated
hook 166 extends downwardly from the cylindrical bottom end
167 of the body 165. The hook 166 is threadedly connected to
the body 165 for adjusting the length of the latch device. A
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generally Y-shaped lever 169 is pivotally mounted on pins 170
between the arms 172 of the top end of the body 165. The top
arms 174 of the lever 169 pivotally support an S-shaped hook
175. For such purpose, a pin 177 extends through the looped
bottom end of the hook 175 between the arms 174. The lever
169 is stepped, the bottom end 179 thereof defining a handle
for operating the lever. In use, the hook 166 is connected to -~
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an eye or loop (not shown) on the body 2 o~ the trailer. As
shown in the phantom outline in Fig. 23, the lever is rotated
upwardly to raise the hook 175 to engage a loop (not shown) on
the box 130 or 143. When the lever 169 is rotated downwardly
to the lower position, the hook 175 is pulled downwardly to
hold the box on the trailer. A plurality of such latch
devices can be used around the periphery o~ the trailer
body 2.
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