US2810459A

US2810459A - Wheel chock

Info

Publication number: US2810459A
Application number: US374049A
Authority: US
Inventors: Albert H Nitz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-08-13
Filing date: 1953-08-13
Publication date: 1957-10-22
Anticipated expiration: 1974-10-22

Description

United Sttes My invention relates to improvements in wheel chocks.

The invention provides in a relatively simple stamping or casting of suitable material a wheel chock of great strength and one which will not slide, once the weight of the wheel burden is applied to its ramp-like surface.

It is an object of the invention to so shape a sheet material in the form of angularly disposed panels that a wheel chock of great reliability and strength is provided.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective showing the panel comprising the back brace and the flange portions which are formed from the margins of the back brace and the angle plate.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the angle between a supporting surface and the ramp. The view also shows the manner in which the margin of the back brace is applied to the supporting surface.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the complete chock.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a portion of an automobile wheel and tire applied to my chock and showing how the back brace is forced to dig into a supporting surface. The view also shows when compared with Fig. 2 the manner in which the ramp is pressed toward a supporting surface when burdened.

My wheel chock may be made of any suitable material although in its present form I make it as a metal stamping, the material being somewhat resilient as will be described below. Obviously my chock might be made of one of the more rugged types of plastic.

The three principal portions of my chock comprise a ramp 10, an angle plate 11, and a back brace 12. Each of these comprises a panel-like portion. As to the ramp, it is roughened to provide a good traction surface, and in the panel shown in the drawings, the roughness comprises punched portions of the surface which are depressed at 13 so that in the event of a very heavy burden pressing the panel down toward a supporting surface 14, the protuberances would assist in preventing the skidding or sliding of the chock.

The panel 10 is made as an otherwise perfectly plane surface. On the other hand, the panels 11 and 12 have their marginal areas struck or formed downwardly as at 15-16 to provide stiffening flanges. The excess of material along a fold line at 17 assists in bracing the panels with respect to one another to sustain the heavy burden of a heavy vehicle.

The lower margin 18 of panel 12 is serrated or so shaped as to provide a relatively sharpened margin to dig into any supporting surface 14 (see Fig. 4).

It will be noted that the angularity of the panels 10 and 11 with respect to one another is such that the ramp 10 is normally supported at an acute angle with respect to the supporting surface 14 and at an obtuse angle with respect to panel 11. Panels 11 and 12 are approximately at right angles with respect to one another, and panel 12 is sufl'iciently longer than panel 11 to insure that at atent O all times the penetrating margin 18 sustains a burden before the forward margin of panel 11 is pressed down against the supporting surface 14.

It will be noted, of course, that the material of which the

marginal flanges

15 and 16 are made is folded down from the plane surface of the panels 11 and 12, and therefore the entire chock is formable from a substantially rectangular sheet of material. The angle of the back brace to the angle plate is acute, and the angle of the angle plate to the ramp is obtuse, as shown.

In use the panel 10 is placed just in front of, or just in back of a vehicle wheel 20 which will usually be equipped with a tire 21, and the weight of the vehicle will press down upon the panel 10 when the wheel is rolled into position as shown in Fig. 4. The tire will roll against the upper part of panel 11 and by reason of the sharper angle at which it is disposed, will effectively stop or chock the wheel. as evidenced by the change in angle between panels 10 and 11 will cause some stress on the edge at 18 causing it to dig in. Thus the chock will effectively prevent further movement of the wheel.

I claim:

1. A wheel chock for placement upon a supporting surface in position to stop a rolling wheel on said surface, said chock having three principal panels conprising an integral sheet of relatively stiff but springy material, one panel providing a back brace having a single digger edge to contact a supporting surface, a second panel providing an angle plate relatively shorter than the back brace and at approximately right angles thereto, and a third panel providing a ramp at an obtuse angle to the angle plate and extended at an acute angle to a supporting surface, the ramp panel being wider than the back brace and second panel, and the side margins of the narrow back brace and second panel being integrally shaped to provide a wide flange providing angular stability to the chock.

2. A wheel chock for placement upon a supporting surface in position to stop a rolling wheel on said surface, said chock to be positioned adjacent and in alignment with a rollable wheel whereby the wheel may be rolled upon and against it, said chock comprising a ramp positioned to initially receive the roll of the wheel, an angle plate and a brace plate, the angle and brace plates being connected in inverted V shape and provided with flanges shaped to prevent a change in the angle of the V, said ramp being resiliently secured to the angle plate at such an obtuse angle as to prevent flat contact with a supporting surface until the weight of a wheel is impressed thereon.

3. A wheel chock for placement upon a supporting surface, said chock having a back brace, a wheel ramp and an angle plate connecting the brace and ramp, said angle plate being disposed at approximately right angles to the brace and at an obtuse angle to the ramp, the angle plate and brace plate being rigid and rigidly connected, and the ramp being resiliently connected to the angle plate in position to support the ramp at a slight angle to the supporting surface whereby upon movement of the wheel onto the wheel ramp, the ramp is pressed down upon said surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,304,305 Fulton Dec. 8, 1942 2,481,065 Auten Sept. 6, 1949 2,521,539 Richardson Sept. 5, 1950 2,591,348 George Apr. 1, 1952 2,723,005 Wink .4... Nov. 8, 1955 The resilience of the material I