GB2210591A

GB2210591A - Detachable wheel-axle bracket

Info

Publication number: GB2210591A
Application number: GB8723368A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Howard John Harvey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-10-05
Filing date: 1987-10-05
Publication date: 1989-06-14
Anticipated expiration: 2007-10-05
Also published as: GB2210591B; GB8723368D0

Abstract

A wheel-axle bracket which is mountable/demountable from its load. It replaces the complete framework of a load bearing trailer for pulses of moving loads and therefore adds less to the overall weight of a load and further, the axle installation can be arranged for optimum balance and stability specific to its load. In the preferred form, the device is attachable to small boats to obviate the need for a launching trolley. The bracket 10 is provided with a keyhole slot 13 and a support pad 15. The keyhole slot locates on a pin 20 with a head 17 fixed in a suitable position on the boat - see Fig 1. A strap 18 attached to the bracket, loops round a hook 19 provided on the boat, and pulls the bracket upwards to retain the keyhole heated on the pin. <IMAGE>

Description

WHEEL-AXLE BRACKET DIRECT TO LOAD MOUNTABLE/DEMOUNTABLE This invention relates to a direct to load individually mountable/demountable wheel-axle bracket.

In the context of a specific use for the device in this submission launching trollies are, most frequently, the accepted alternative to carrying bodily for transporting and launching yacht tenders. The yacht tender is manhandled on to a launching trolley and transported to wherever it is required to be: typically it is the water's edge where trolley and load are submerged until the load (yacht tender) floats, whence the trolley is withdrawn to dry land and reparked on its spot - not always conveniently near the water's edge. The yacht tender is then rowed or motored to its destination, usually a yacht mooring.

Launching trollies are laborious and cumbersome devices in use requiring a disproportionate level of maintenance to their usage. They are an inordinately heavy weight added to the total load involved in moving yacht tenders and inasmuch as they have to be collected and reparked as part of launching a yacht tender their use is time as well as effort consuming.

Further, because launching trollies, due to their functional geometry, lack balance, they impose sIgnificant loading on the user necessary to counteract out of balance loading in addition to the unavoidable horizontal traction effort. Compared with the price and nature of the subject of this application launching trollies are more expensive and maintenance intensive.

According to the present invention there are provided separate axle brackets for each wheel, a dinghy mounted register to retain and stabilise the axle bracket when carrying the weight of its load, a lead for the bracket onto the register, a retainer for maintaining the axle bracket in position when afloat and a capture device to retain the axle bracket in the event of a retainer failure afloat and also when the axle bracket is first entered onto a combined latch/lead pin assembly.

Figure 1 shows a section through the yacht tender at the mounting point for item 14 Latch/leadpin unit comprising latch head 17 and lead pin surface 20 together with items 16 fixed register and 19 retainer cleat all of which are required to be mounted on the yacht tender.

Figure 2 shows juxtaposition of fixed and floating registers 16 and 15 respectively (mechanical detail not shown) just prior to engagement.

Figure 3 shows axle bracket assembly comprising main member 10 mount 12 to receive floating register 15, wheel axle 11, attachment eye 15, shock cord retainer 18 and keyhole lead slot 13.

In order to attach the axle bracket, the yacht tender is raised with one hand alternately at each side just high enough to clear a wheel. With the free hand the hole of keyhole 13.

figure 3 is pushed over the latch head 17 of figure 1 and released when, under its own weight, the bracket will fall.

behind latch head 17 and be retained in position for the next step in the attachment procedure. The loop in the shock cord retainer 18 figure 3 is now extended with the free hand and looped over retainer cleat 19 figure 1. In contracting, the shock cord pulls the axle bracket upwards causing the lead slot of keyhole 13 figure 3 to engage with the lead pin surface 20 figure 1 and hence leads parts 15 and 16 figure 2 of the register into engagement thus positively locating the axle bracket into position. With both wheels attached thus, the yacht tender can now be moved with comparative ease.

In order to detach the wheels afloat the axele bracket is pushed downwards against the pull of the shock cord 18 figure 3 until the hole of the keyhole 13 is opposite latch head 17 figure 1 whereupon the axle assembly can be moved sideways to clear latchhead 17, the axle bracket and wheel shipped inboard and the shock cord 18 figure 3 release from retainer cleat 19 figure 1. Wheel axle detachment ashore would require the weight of the boat to be taken whilst executing the operation just described.

Claims

CHASMS

An individual direct onto load mountable/demountable bracket comprising bracket, wheel-axle and eel, means for releasably securing the bracket directly onto a load tor trans potation, the load having been adapted to receive and ocate the wheel-axle brackets at appropriate points on the load.
2 A demountable axle bracket as claimed in claim 1 wherein means are provided for pulling into and maintaining engagement between axle bracket and load registers when the weight of the load is removed from the axle bracket.
3 A demountable wheel-axle bracket as claimed in claim 1 wherein means are provided on the load to retain the bracket on the load once enterd onto the lead at the load and additionally retaining the bracket at the load in the event of failure of the bracket retaining feature in claim 2.
4 A demountable wheel-axle bracket as claimed in claim 1 wherein a guide means is provided on the load to engage with its counterpart on the axle bracket.
5 A emountable wheel-axle bracket as claimed n claim whereon a load-bearing slop is present on the wheel-axle bracket to arrest the movement of the axle bracket into engagement ready to arr its rated load.
6 A demountable-axle bracket as described in claims 2, 3 and 4 whereon means are provided between load and axle stop to register the wheel-axle rigidly and suitably located to allow transportation of the load to which the appropriate number of axle brackets and wheels have been attached.
7 A demountable wheel-axle bracket and wheel substantially as described herein with reference to figures 1-5 of the accompanying drawings.