Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02575525 2007-01-17
REGISTERED MAIL LABEL NO. o3q ~~1
Date of Deposit: January 18, 2007
BACKGROUND
Those who are familiar with the art of removing and reinstalling vehicle
wheels
are aware of the difficulty in handling wheels that are large in size or of
heavy weight.
Dual truck and heavy equipment wheels are particularly difficult to
manipulate, being
both large and heavy. It is not only difficult, but also potentially
dangerous, for an
individual to manipulate such objects without over-exerting or unduly
struggling.
Industrial accidents have been known to occur wherein workers have sustained
back, muscular and nerve damage as a result of struggling with unwieldy
vehicle wheels.
In more serious instances, persons have also suffered crushed or injured
extremities.
PRIOR ART
In the areas of art dealing with vehicles, a variety of art was identified
wherein
apparatus are designed to enable the mounting and dismounting of tires onto
wheels, or
the removal or re-mounting of wheels onto vehicle axels. The majority of these
designs
deal with the interface between tires and wheels.
Of those art items specifically dealing with the mounting and dismounting of
wheels to axels, prior art is found wherein the apparatus is situated on a
movable base of
some sort. These include various trolleys or dollies designed to move vehicle
wheels
about. One such design is a flat tire trolley being a three-wheeled cradle in
which a tire is
placed for easy movement. A similar design is found wherein a wheel trolley
has a rear
loading flap and front restraining flap, both of which are fitted with
swinging pawl
latches.
Yet other art is found wherein moveable or non-movable platforms or bases are
designed for use in conjunction with fairly complex tools for gripping,
securing,
manipulating or moving axels, wheels, or tires. One such design is a
wheelwright
apparatus for collapsing or shifting tire axially. Such a pedestal type device
allows
wheels to travel circumferentially.
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CA 02575525 2007-01-17
REGISTERED MAIL LABEL NO. d3~
Date of Deposit: January 18, 2007
Art is found wherein a wheel dolly designed for dual wheels is comprised of a
hydraulic jacking mechanism which enables controlled positioning by means of
lifting
members. Swivel casters allow the platform to be movable.
Still other art is found wherein a multi-purpose station for mounting and
removing
conventional and special tires is designed with horizontal cantilevers,
guiding cross-
member, and carriage for supporting devices for mounting and removing tires
from their
wheel rims.
Other art is found wherein a servicing structure for fitting or removing wheel
tires
has a tilting carrier box with rotating wheel carrier and operational tool
arms, all operated
with pneumatic air pressure.
And yet other art is found wherein an articulated portable trolley is designed
to
facilitate changing vehicle wheels. Such design has castor wheels supporting a
frame
with lifting cylinder and vehicle wheel clamps. The trolley, which is inserted
under the
wheel to be changed after it has been raised from the ground, can be adjusted
according
to the size of the wheel and raised to bring two arms with rollers into
contact with the
tire. Unfortunately, none of these designs is intended to enable a wheel to
simply be
conveyed across a movable surface.
Aside from the above-mentioned wheelwright devices, various art is found
relating to means of powered conveyance. Included among these are numerous
'endless
path' conveyors employing movable tubes or pipes upon which objects may be
conveyed.
Some are comprised of various systems to help guide the objects placed upon
them.
None, however, are designed expressly for use in conveying vehicle wheels to
be
removed from or replaced onto a vehicle axel. Consequently, none are furnished
with
side rails or guides intended to keep vehicle wheels from sliding off the
platform surface.
Therefore, what is desired and has not heretofore been provided, and is herein
disclosed, is a conveyor apparatus for wheel removal having rolling pipes on
fixed axels,
across the surface of which vehicle wheels may be easily moved or manipulated,
and
having side rails or bumpers intended to keep the wheel from moving off the
platform
surface.
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CA 02575525 2007-01-17
REGISTERED MAIL LABEL NO.
Date of Deposit: January 18, 2007
SUMMARY
Therefore in recognition of the need for a simple, easily transportable
conveyance
for use in removing and reinstalling vehicle wheels, herein is disclosed a
device
comprised of the following elements: (1) a conveyor platform comprised of (2)
a plurality
of rolling tubes or pipes which are mounted on (3) fixed axels, the axels
being fixed to
the insides of the (4) platform frame; (5) four angled members at the platform
corners,
being secured at one end onto the platform frame; (6) four small cylindrical
members
secured to the opposing ends of the angled members; (7) four flat members,
each having
(8) a small hole at one end through which a small cylindrical member fits; at
the opposing
end of the flat member is secured one end of (9) a cylindrical side member,
the side
members being lengths of pipe fixed at either end to a flat member; the side
members,
being movable by means of the flat member, which is rotatable upon the small
tube,
thereby allowing the side rails to be placed in an up or down position.
The invention will be seen to have several benefits and advantages. One
advantage is that the device is very lightweight and easy to transport.
Another advantage is that the device is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.
And another advantage is that the apparatus lies flat on the ground.
Yet another advantage is that any hard surface, e.g., a piece of plywood, may
be
placed beneath the apparatus to stabilize it on gravel or uneven ground
surface.
Still another advantage is that the interior pipes move freely on axels that
are
fixed to the frame members.
And yet another advantage is that the outer tube members, which serve as
bumper
or side rails, are fixed on an interior bar.
And an eighth advantage is that the side rails may be placed in an upright
position
to help prevent sideways movement of a wheel.
And still another advantage is that when the side rails are placed in a
downward
position, the topmost surface of the apparatus is flat.
Another advantage is that, due to the spacing of the interior tubes, when a
wheel
moves across the platform's surface, it moves only half the distance it would
move on a
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REGISTERED MAIL LABEL NO. /( b~~ 60
Date of Deposit: January 18, 2007
similar device. Consequently, the length of the device is relatively shorter
than similar
devices.
Still another advantage is that when the side rails are in the downward
position,
wheels can be easily rolled onto the platform.
These benefits and advantages will become apparent in the description and
drawings that follow.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig 1 shows a top-down view of the apparatus.
Fig 2 shows a front view of the end of the platform along its short length.
Fig 3 shows a cutaway view of a rolling tube on a fixed axel.
Fig 4 shows a partial front view of the end of the platform with the side rail
in an
upward position.
Fig 5 shows a set of dual vehicle wheels sitting atop the apparatus platform.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Herein is disclosed a conveyor apparatus for the removal or reinstallation of
vehicle wheels that are difficult for an individual to manually maneuver. With
reference
to FIG 1, a top-down view of the apparatus, a conveyor platform 1000 comprised
of a
plurality of rolling tubes or pipes 1010 which are mounted on fixed axels
1020, the axels
being fixed to the insides of the platform frame 1030; four cylindrical
members secured
to the frame's four corners 1040; four flat members 1050 through which
cylindrical
members 1040 fit; secured to the opposite end of the flat members 1050 are two
side
members 1060, being lengths of pipe fixed at either end to the flat members
1050.
With reference to FIG 2, a front view of the end of a conveyor platform 2000
having a plurality of rolling tubes on fixed axels 2010; secured to each of
the two rolling
tubes 2010 positioned at opposing ends of the platform 2000 are angled members
2020;
secured to the angled member 2020, at a position opposite the point where the
angled
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CA 02575525 2007-01-17
REGISTERED MAIL LABEL NO. qc,
Date of Deposit: January 18, 2007
member 2020 is secured to the tube 2010, is a cylindrical member 2030; a flat
member
2040 having a hole at one end through which is fitted a small cylindrical
member 2030;
secured to the opposing end of the flat member 2040 is a cylindrical side
member 2050.
With reference to FIG 3, a conveyor apparatus having a plurality of
cylindrical
tubes 3000 that freely roll on a fixed axel 3010, the axel 3010 being secured
to the
conveyor platform frame.
With reference to FIG 4, secured to each of the rolling tubes 4000 positioned
at
opposing ends of the conveyor platform are angled members 4010; secured to one
end of
the angled member 4010 is a small cylindrical member 4020; a flat member 4030,
having
a hole at one end through which is fitted the small cylindrical member 4020,
secured to
the opposing end of the flat member4030, the end of a cylindrical side member
4040 is
secured. The side member 4040, which serves as a rail or bumper, is shown here
in the
upright position, with the side member 4040 positioned adjacent to the
uppermost surface
of the conveyor platform 4000.
With reference to FIG 5, a set of dual vehicle wheels 5000 sitting atop a
conveyor
platform 5010 can be easily moved by sliding the wheels 5000 across the
surface of a
plurality of cylindrical members 5020 freely rolling on fixed axels 5030, the
axels being
secured to the interior surface of the platform's side members 5040. When in
the upward
position, side rail 'bumpers' 5050 (shown here in the downward position) help
to secure
the wheels 5000 from moving sideways off the top of the conveyor platform
5010.
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