GB2199292A

GB2199292A - Adjustable height vehicle wheel ramp

Info

Publication number: GB2199292A
Application number: GB08709018A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Rodney Melvin Green
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-12-19
Filing date: 1987-04-15
Publication date: 1988-07-06
Also published as: GB8630477D0; GB8709018D0

Abstract

The ramp sections 10, 12, 14, 16 are relatively pivotable in order to provide different effective heights. The sections have wheel receiving recesses (30, Fig.1) in their upper surfaces and side flanges (34, 36, Fig. 5). <IMAGE>

Description

VEHICLE LEVELLING DEVICE The present invention relates to a levelling support for a wheeled vehicle.

Many vehicles, such as caravans, need to be parked on an uneven surface and it is most unsatisfactory for the vehicle itself to be inclined by being so parked.

For example, with a caravan many of the appliances, such as gas appliances, including refrigerators, cookers, etc do not work satisfactorily unless they are level. Furthermore, the waste water from the basin, sink or shower in the caravan cannot readily escape if the vehicle is inclined and it is also extremely uncomfortable to seep in a non-level caravan.

It is now proposed, according to the present invention, to provide a levelling support for a wheeled vehicle, said support comprising a plurality of movable interconnected members, each having a lower surface, an upper surface and an inclined end surface, the members being interconnected so that, in one relative position, at least two of said members can be arranged one above the other, with their inclined surfaces aligned to form a ramp, whereby a vehicle wheel can readily roll up said ramp and lie on the upper surface of the uppermost member to form a raised vehicle support, and, in another relative position, said at least two membe-rs can be positioned so that they are not fully one above the other, thereby to form a lower vehicle support.

With such a construction one can take the single support according to the invention, when one comes to a particular inclined parking surface, one can select the appropriate number of relatively movable members and position these and then run the vehicle wheel up. The members thereabove can be moved to another position so that the wheel does not run up onto them and indeed these other members can act as a stop to prevent the wheel from moving further forward.

While it is contemplated that the members could be interconnected by being relatively slidable with respect to one another, in a preferred construction, they are interconnected by being pivotable about a substantially vertical axis spaced from the inclined end surface. This construction provides very considerable simplicity of manufacture and of operation in giving a very compact product.

Preferably the vertical pivot axis is located adjacent to the end of each member opposite each inclined end surface.

While the relative pivotal movement between the various members can be provided by a pin and socket arrangement in each adjacent member, in a preferred construction it is provided by a pivot pin passing substantially vertically through each of the members.

In order to ensure that when all of the members are being used that the wheel does not roll off the support, a stop member advantageously projects upwardly from the uppermost member at a location remote from the inclined end surface thereof. This stop member may, in fact, be retained by the vertical pin when this is provided.

In order further to make the support safe, the upper surfaces are desirably higher their longitudinal edges than their longitudinal centers, to inhibit the wheel from moving laterally. Similarly the upper surfaces may include, at a location spaced from the inclined end surfaces, recessed portions to inhibit the wheel from rolling back towards said inclined end portion.

In order that the present invention may more readily be understood, the following description is given, merely by way of explanation, with reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures 1 to 4 show a side elevation of one embodiment of support according to the invention in four different modes of operation; and Figure 5 is an end elevation of an alternative form of one of the members of the support.

Referring first to Figure 1 the levelling vehicle support shown comprises four substantially flat movably interconnected members 10, 12, 14, 16, each having a lower surface 18, an upper surface 20 and an inclined end surface 22. The members are shown progressively shorter than one another so that the inclined surface 22 of the members are aligned with one another to form a ramp indicated by the general reference numeral 24.

The four members 10 to 16 illustrated are connected by a pivot pin 26 which extends vertically downwardly therethrough, at a location spaced from the inclined end surfaces 22 and also passes through a stop member 28, which is either formed integrally with the upper member 16 or as a separate element. The upper surfaces 20 may also be formed with recesses 30,shown in phantom in the drawings, although this is not essential.

In Figure 1 the wheel 32 of a vehicle is shown having run up the ramp 24 as it lies on the top surface 20 of the upper member 16. The wheel is shown engaged in the recess 30 and abutting the stop member 28 to prevent it from rolling significantly in either direction.

Figure 1 illustrates the positioning of the levelling member for a fairly significant difference in the level of the supporting parking area. Figure 2 shows the support used for somewhat less difference in which instance the top member 16 is pivoted about the axis of the pin 26.

Figures 3 and 4 respectively show the next two members 14 and 12pivoted to an out of the way position to give lower vehicle supports.

It is contemplated that the members should be higher at their longitudinal edges than at their longitudinal centers and a possible arrangement is shown in Figure 5 in which the longitudinal edges 34 and 36 are formed so as to be thicker than the longitudinal center portion 38. The purpose of this is so that the wheel will be centered on the upper surface of the respective member to inhibit it from moving laterally and falling off the ramp.

Claims

1. A levelling support for a wheeled vehicle, said support comprising a plurality of movable interconnected members, each having a lower surface, an upper surface and an inclined end surface, the members being interconnected so that, in one relative position, at least two of said members can be arranged one above the other, with their inclined surfaces aligned to form a ramp, whereby a vehicle wheel can readily roll up said ramp and lie on the upper surface of the uppermost member to form a raised vehicle support, and, in another relative position, said at least two members can be positioned so that they are not fully one above the other, thereby to form a lower vehicle support.

2. A levelling support according to claim 1, wherein said members are interconnected by being relatively slidable with respect to one another.

3. A levelling support according to claim 1, wherein said members are interconnected by being pivotable with respect to one another about a substantially vertical axis spaced from said inclined end surfaces.

4. A levelling support according to claim 3, wherein said pivot axis is located adjacent to the end of each member opposite each inclined end surface.

5. A levelling support according to claims 3 or 4, wherein said pivot axis is the axis of a substantially vertical pin passing through each of said members.

6. A levelling support according to any preceding claim, wherein a stop member projects upwardly from the uppermost member at a location remote from said inclined end surface thereof.

7. A levelling support according to claim 5 and to claim 6, wherein said stop member is retained by said vertical pin.

8. A levelling support according to any preceding claim, wherein said upper surfaces are higher at their longitudinal edges than at their longitudinal centers, to inhibit the wheel from moving laterally.

9. A levelling support according to any preceding claim, wherein said upper surface include, at a location spaced from associated inclined end surface, with recessed portions to inhibit the wheel from rolling back towards said inclined end portions.

10. A levelling support for a wheeled vehicle, said support being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.