GB2466285A

GB2466285A - Folding trailer

Info

Publication number: GB2466285A
Application number: GB0823161A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gordon Allin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-12-19
Filing date: 2008-12-19
Publication date: 2010-06-23
Anticipated expiration: 2028-12-19
Also published as: GB2466285B; GB0823161D0

Abstract

A foldable trailer, with an indexable axle assembly 2, allowing the road wheels to reposition to the rear of the chassis 1, has a simultaneously retracting drawbar 3, and side and end panels 4-7 that reposition substantially flat to the bed, resulting in a manoeuvrable unit of similar architecture to a sack barrow. Additionally, the trailer has a transport dolly 24 that allows the folded unit to be wheeled through standard doorways and within confined areas. The trailer can be used to carry motorcycles.

Description

Folding Trailer This invention relates to a trailer capable of being folded down to a smaller size for easier storage.

There is a large choice of utility and camping trailers available across most of the globe.

However, a section of the community are, effectively excluded from ownership due to the space required for the secure storage of them. There are a small number of products available that partially address this issue, sold at a considerable and justifiable premium.

Some of these alternative devices require, ideally, two people to transform and manoeuvre them in the storage state, and they have the disadvantage of high centres of gravity in that state. The small diameter wheels, or castors, typically used for moving the device around in the storage state, can result in the unit being unstable. Furthermore, moving them over anything other than smooth ground can be difficult and potentially hazardous. Where the product does make use of the road wheels for moving the device around in the storage state, there are commonly non-detachable mudguards which may encumber the smooth transition of the device from the horizontal, to the more usually desirable, vertical state.

A commercially available example of one of the above products is the Duuo' box trailer. This device consists of a galvanised steel box which is separable from the chassis by means of a toggle latch. The front end of the box itself has four castors mounted to it.

The box is removed from the underlying trailer bed, and then set down onto the ground, having first been rotated through one hundred and eighty degrees. By the manufacturer's own admission, this part of the process is best executed by two adults, as the box is quite heavy. Now the drop-down tailgate of the box is lowered, and the trailer chassis, which can be utilised on its own as a flat bed trailer, is wheeled into the open-ended box. The tailgate is now closed, leaving the drawbar significantly protruding from a slot in the tailgate. The wheeled chassis is now trapped inside the box. The drawbar is now used to up-end the unit onto its four castors. This again, requires some considerable effort. The overall height in this state is in excess of two metres and twenty centimetres, therefore requiring the unit to be tilted onto two castors in order to take the unit through standard doorways. Furthermore, because the trailer box must be deeper than the wheeled trailer chassis in order to keep it trapped within, the volume of the box is not reduced from its working state. Whilst this device does allow the owner to wheel the unit along alleyways or driveways, because of the small diameter castors, this is only practical on smooth ground. One could not, for instance, roll the unit along a gravel pathway.

There are other examples of inventions in this field, including devices where the trailer bed folds up, but leaving the road wheels continuously in contact with the ground during the process, as in GB2361460. Here the trailer bed is divided into three sections, the split lines being across the width of the bed, with the central area canying the usual two wheels and suspension units. The front and rear sections of the bed fold up by ninety degrees towards the central area, the drawbar being attached to the front bed section.

This does indeed reduce the plan view dimensions. However, due to the presence of an outrigger, required to make the folding process safe to execute, the folded unit still has a substantial footprint. This reduces the viability of storing the unit at for instance, the back of a garage, possibly leaving insufficient room for the average family car.

In GB22605 19, an alternative approach is employed, whereby the bed, again split into three sections, is folded with the split lines running longitudinally. The trailer end panels are removed, and the side sections are folded up ninety degrees. Therafter the suspension units and wheels are indexed towards the trailer centre-line by means of a radius arm arrangement. This invention does, like many similar types, present some difficulties in making the transition to the space-saving vertical state, and though smaller in footprint compared to the roadgoing state, does not achieve substantial volume reduction. Similar arrangements are presented in US4768806, excepting that the trailer has a split line along the longitudinal centreline and one at each of the outside edges of the chassis, thus allowing an advantageous reduction of width in the folded state.

In GB2266074, whilst a sizeable reduction of box volume is achieved by the removal of side panels and folding inwards of the end panels, the problematic lack of ease of manual transition to the vertical state remains. Furthermore, the mudguards are not able to be stored within the volume of the folded unit, needing to be afforded separate storage, a drawback that appears to be a common condition.

In GB2253814, the trailer bed and end panels have a bi-folding mechanism, along with a swinging arm arrangement for the road wheel mountings. This allows the wheels to assume a position to the rear of the bed, and with the trailer width achieving a good reduction in envelope.

The invention that is the subject of this application, attempts to overcome the deficiencies of the foregoing designs described, by providing two possible configurations for storage and manoeuvring. The first allows the folded' trailer to assume similar architecture to a sack barrow, by the laying flat to the chassis bed of the sides and ends of the box, coupled with indexation of the road wheels to the rear end of the chassis, thus making use of the trailer road wheels as the facility to roll the folded trailer. Simultaneously with the indexation of the road wheels, retraction of the drawbar reduces the overall height of the trailer in the folded but vertical state. The second configuration requires the addition to the first of a purpose built transport dolly, which when applied, makes it possible for the whole unit to be readily wheeled through any standard external or internal doorway, and therefore through the inside of, for instance, a terraced house. The transport dolly, having large diameter wheels, facilitates movement over a larger variety of surfaces, and enables the folded trailer, on its transprt dolly, to mount standard kerbs onto pavements, or over modest door thresholds.

The invention is now described with reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred embodiment: Figure 1: The trailer in its erected road-going state (Sheet 1 of 9).

Figure 2: Underside view of trailer illustrating key mechanical features (Sheet 2 of 9).

Figure 3: Road wheels indexed to the storage state (Sheet 3 of 9).

Figure 4 & 5: Removal method for mudguards and side panels (Sheet 4 of 9).

Figure 6 & 7: Use of flattened mudguards to retain the stored side panels (Sheet 5 of 9).

Figure 8 & 9: Folding of end panels to finalise envelope reduction (Sheet 6 of 9).

Figure 1 0:Trailer in the vertical state ready for moving to storage location (Sheet 7 of 9).

Figure 11 & 12: Trailer being fitted with transport dolly (Sheet 8 of 9).

Figure 13: Trailer upright on transport dolly (Sheet 9 of 9).

In figure 1, the trailer is in its erected road-going state. A chassis 1, describing the perimeter in plan of the box and incorporating a floor panel, has attached to it a pivoting axle assembly 2, fixed in the road-going position by one axle retaining fastener 8 above each of two suspension units. Two side panels, box left hand panel 4 and box right hand panel 5, are connected to the box front panel 6 and box rear panel 7. The retracting drawbar 3, projects from under the chassis 1 to provide the means to couple to the towing vehicle.

In figure 2, the principle operating features of the axle indexing mechanism are shown.

To transform the trailer to the storage state, the two axle retaining fasteners 8 are dis-engaged. The threaded actuator rod 12 is rotated, causing the threaded pivot pin 13 to move along the threaded actuator rod 12. The threaded pivot pin 13, is located in a yoke 15, which is connected to the pivoting axle assembly 2, causing the pivoting axle assembly 2, to rotate about the centre of two pivot blocks 11. The pivoting axle assembly 2 can now be indexed to its storage state position (shown in figure 3). The retracting drawbar 3, being connected to the pivoting axle assembly 2 via a transverse drawbar actuating link rod 14, causes the retracting drawbar to slide through the drawbar guide rollers 16. The left-hand flexible mudguard 9, and the right-hand flexible mudguard 10, will be removed in the next stage of conversion to the storage state, as shown in figure 4.

In figure 3, the trailer is shown in its partially transformed state, where the pivoting axle assembly 2 is moved to in storage state position.

In figure 4, the left-hand flexible mudguard 9 and the right-hand flexible mudguard 10, are withdrawn from their hole locations in the box left-hand panel 4 and box right-hand panel 5. The box left hand panel 4 and box right hand panel 5 are lifted upwards to disengage the panel retaining brace 17 from the panel retaining flange 18 as shown in figure 5, there being one such arrangement at both ends of each of the panel retaining braces 17. The box left hand panel 4 and box right hand panel 5 are now laid down flat onto the trailer bed as shown in figure 6.

In figure 6, the left hand flexible mudguard 9 is inverted, and its locating pin 19 partially engaged into the mudguard retaining plate 20, as seen in figure 7. Similarly, the right hand flexible mudguard 10 is inverted, and its locating pin 19 is also partially engaged in the mudguard retaining plate 20.

In figure 8, the box front panel 6, and the box rear panel 7, which are both mounted on pivot hinge pins 21, there being two either side of the chassis 1, are folded down onto the trailer bed, where the locating pin 19 on each of the left hand flexible mudguard 9, and the right hand flexible mudguard 10, are further engaged with corresponding holes in the box rear panel 7, as shown in figure 9. Subsequently, the R clip 22 is engaged in each of the locating pins 19 to secure the box rear panel 7 to the chassis 1.

Figure 10 shows the folded unit in the almost upright position, the fashion in which it is readily moved about on its road wheels to move it to the storage destination. The storage retention bracket 23 can be used to secure the unit either against a wall, onto a purpose made wall bracket, or to the tow ball of the towing vehicle, if it is desired to minimise the occupied space in, for instance, a public car-parking facility.

In figure 11, with the folded unit still horizontal, a transport dolly 24, can be applied to the unit by locating the dolly outriggers 25 to corresponding dolly location channels 26, these being affixed to the chassis 1.

In figure 12, we see the transport dolly 24 fully engaged, and ready to be tilted to the vertical position.

In figure 13, the folded unit is shown in the upright position. In this condition, the transport dolly 24, with its large diameter wheels, is capable of carrying the whole assembly through doorways, including over many conventional thresholds, as well as mounting kerbs and progressing over uneven surfaces. The low centre of gravity afforded by the indexing of the mass of the pivoting axle assembly 2, and the reduction iii height achieved by the retracting drawbar 3, improve the feasibility and safety of transporting the unit in the folded state.

In an alternative embodiment, the threaded actuator rod 12, as seen in figure 2, is replaced with a hydraulic cylinder as the means of effecting the required rotation of the pivoting axle assembly 2.

In another alternative embodiment, the pivoting axle assembly 2, as seen in figure 2, remains, but the side and end panels are not present, and the floor panel is replaced by a series of both longitudinal and transverse members, some of which being of an adjustable nature, making the trailer suitable for carrying one motor cycle. The drawbar, instead of being a single member as in the first embodiment, has for most of its length projecting to the coupling, two parallel members, which eventually conjoin immediately before the coupling. This dual membered drawbar is required to allow vertical clearance for the wheel nearest the towing coupling to be allowed to drop its lower segment through a gap in the transverse members.

In a further alternative embodiment, substantially as the above trailer for carrying a single motorcycle, excepting that the trailer drawbar is a single member as in the preferred embodiment. The single member drawbar is preferable as it more readily allows for a motorcycle to be placed longitudinally one either side of the drawbar.

Claims

Claims I A foldable trailer having an indexable pivoting axle assembly, allowing re-positoning of the road wheels to the rear of the trailer chassis by a mechanically actuated mechanism.
2 A foldable trailer according to claim 1, in which the mechanically actuated mechanism is in the form of a hydraulic cylinder.
3 A foldable trailer according to claim 1, with a retracting drawbar, such retraction effected by being mechanically coupled to the pivoting axle assembly as it is indexed to the rear of the trailer, the drawbar being constrained in all directions other than longitudinally along the trailer, and angularly when viewed from the side elevation.
4 A foldable trailer according to claim 1, with side panels that lift to disengage and lay flat onto the bed, and end panels that pivot down onto the bed, to reduce the box envelope.
A foldable trailer according to claim 1, incorporated into which, features for the location of a supplementary large wheeled transport dolly, thus enabling the folded trailer, in the vertical state, to be readily wheeled through standard doorways and other similarly confined spaces, over door thresholds, kerbstones and otherwise uneven terrain.
6 A foldable trailer where the mudguards are of a flexible material allowing them to be stored in a space-saving flat mode, and by virtue of incorporated location pins, be used to retain removeable and foldable panels of the box, flat onto the bed.
7 A foldable trailer for the carriage of one motorcycle, having an indexable pivoting axle assembly allowing repositioning of the road wheels to the rear of the chassis by a mechanically actuated mechanism.
8 A foldable trailer according to claim 7, in which the mechanically actuated mechanism is in the form of a hydraulic cylinder.
9 A foldable trailer for the carriage of two motorcycles, having an indexable pivoting axle assembly allowing repositioning of the road wheels to the rear of the chassis by a mechanically actuated mechanism.A foldable trailer according to claim 9, in which the mechanically actuated mechanism is in the form of a hydraulic cylinder.