WO1991006437A1

WO1991006437A1 - Wheel trolley

Info

Publication number: WO1991006437A1
Application number: PCT/NL1990/000161
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alfred Langerak; Jan Alexander Van Geen
Original assignee: Quickwheel Holdings B.V.
Priority date: 1989-10-27
Filing date: 1990-10-29
Publication date: 1991-05-16
Also published as: AU6714590A

Abstract

A wheel trolley for supporting a vehicle wheel, in particular with a deflated tyre, comprising an undercarriage with running wheels, a first support surface for the tyre of the wheel located at a first end of the undercarriage, and a drive-on ramp hingedly connected to the second end of the undercarriage, which ramp, when the wheel to be supported passes the hinge axis, will turn over and will then act as a second support surface for the wheel. According to the invention means (20, 22, 36) are present to secure the vehicle wheel against disengagement from the trolley, and the drive-on ramp (12) is arranged to be turned back against the undercarriage (1) of the trolley during the absence of a vehicle wheel. In particular the drive-on ramp (12) is comprised of two hingedly interconnected portions (15', 17'). The securing means may comrpise a U-shaped bracket (22) which is hingedly connected to the undercarriage (1) and in the upward position engages the tyre of the supported wheel, or may comprise at least one chain or strap (36) with adjustable length, which is provided, at one end, with a hook (37) for engagement in an opening (38) in the wheel disk (33) of the vehicle.

Description

Wheel trolley

The invention relates to a wheel trolley according to the preamble of claim 1.

Known wheel trolleys of this type are based on the principle of flat contact between the various contacting surfaces with the running surface of the tyre to be supported, possibly including partial enclosing of the sides of the tyre adjacent the undercarriage, while the inclined support surface and the drive-on ramp are provided with a catch mechanism so as to maintain an inclined position adapted to the dimensions of the tyre. The undercarriage may be provided with a hinge to enable the folding of the trolley, in order to reduce the dimensions for storage.

While some known wheel trolleys have proved satisfactory in practice, these have the disadvantage that their manufacture is still too complicated to enable the price to be reduced to a level which would promote their general propagation. Furthermore, their bulk is fairly considerable. Besides, in case of supporting a driven wheel, the flat contact with the tyre is often insufficient for preventing disengagement of the wheel under all circumstances. The invention provides a wheel trolley of the above entioned type which does not have these drawbacks, and, to that purpose, is constructed according to the characterizing portion of claim 1. The dimensions of the wheel trolley may, in the storage position, be reduced to a minimum by folding back the drive-on ramp against the floor of the wheel trolley, while the securing means ensure that the vehicle wheel will not leave the trolley during driving on as a result of the driving and/or reaction forces.

Advantageous embodiments of the drive-on ramp and the securing means are described in claims 2..17.

The invention will be illustrated below with reference to a drawing, showing in: Figs. 1A and IB a schematic side elevation and a planview from below, respectively, of an embodiment of the wheel trolley according to the present invention in the operative position;

Figs. 2 and 3 side elevation views, corresponding to Fig. 1A, of the wheel trolley in the drive-on position and the storage position, respectively;

Fig. 4 a partial side elevation view of a wheel trolley with a modified drive-on ramp, in which the drive-on ramp is shown in the operative position and the folded position, respectively, by dashed lines; and

Fig.^' 5 a plan view of the wheel trolley according to Fig. 4 in the operative position with modified securing means for a vehicle wheel.

The wheel trolley shown in the drawing comprises an undercarriage 1 with a plate-shaped floor 2 and upstanding sidewalls 3, the distance between which is adapted to the width of a tyre to be supported, in particular a deflated tyre which bulges out to some extent. At the first end 4, which in use may be the forward end, supports 5 are provided which serve to support an axle 6 for a first running wheel 7. At the other end 8 a second axle 10 for second running wheels 11 is supported by supports 9. In the embodiment shown, there are two running wheels 11, but if desired there may be only a single running wheel 11 or two first running wheels 7. A drive-on ramp is articulated, through the intermediary of transverse supports 13, around an axis 14, which is displaced towards the first end 4 relative to the running wheel axle 10. The portion 15 thereof which is located on the drive-on side has upstanding flanges 16, while on the other side of the axis 14 a somewhat curved portion 17 adjoins it, the end of which, in the position shown in Fig. 1, abuts the floor 2. In the drive-on position of Fig. 2, this portion 17 is situated at the upper side. The axis 14 is situated in such a way that the ramp 12 will only turn over after the wheel to be supported has passed the axle 10 of the running wheels 11. The ramp 12 has an outer edge 18 which, in the position shown in Fig. 2, rests on the road surface 19. At the first end 4 of the undercarriage 1, the floor 2 is adjoined by a support surface 20 which, preferably, has a curvature corresponding to the curvature of a tyre or wheel rim. In the position of Fig. 2, the drive-on ramp 12 is turned over in such a way that the slanted terminal edge 18 rests on the road surface 19. A vehicle wheel may then be driven onto the trolley until the tyre contacts the support surfcace 20. The transverse supports 13 are further provided with transversely extending spurs 21, which, in the position of

Fig. 2, rest on the road surface 19 and, then, act as a brake for the wheel trolley. Thereby the wheels 11 may be slightly lifted off the road surface.

Near the first end 4 a U-shaped bracket 22 with legs 23 and a connecting piece 24 is provided. More particularly, this connecting piece, as shown, may be made somewhat converging in order to ensure a good grip on the tyre, and to provide, in particular, an adaptation to various tyre sizes. The ends 25 of the legs 23 each engage an eye 26 made in a side wall 3 so as to form hinge connection. This bracket is further provided with downwardly directed supports 27, each of which extends through an adapted aperture 28 at the front end 4, and is provided, at its free end, with a locking hook 29 which may engage the edge of the opening 28 in question to maintain the bracket 22 in the upward position of Fig. 1. Particularly, the ends of the legs 23 may each be provided with a spring 30, these springs pressing the brackets 22 forward and thereby supporting the locking by the ends 29. This, by the way, may also be achieved by making the supports 27 resilient. Of course, other locking means may be used as well.

The length of the supports 27 is preferably such that in the operative position of Fig. 1 the bracket is located at least at the level of the axis of the suported wheel in order to improve the transfer of forces. In Fig. 3, the storage position of the wheel trolley is shown. In this position, the drive-on ramp 12 is folded down, and is, at least approximately, in contact with the floor 2 of the undercarriage 1. Thus, the dimensions of the wheel trolley may be significantly reduced.

The distance between the axles 6 and 10 is chosen so large that the torques which are exerted by a driven wheel are counteracted so as to prevent dragging of the trolley by the wheel. The front side 20 of the floor 2 is preferably curved in such a way that an adaptation to the curvature of the supported tyre is achieved. A further advantage thereof is that irregularities which may be present in the road surface 19, as well stones or suchlike lying thereon, easily slide away underneath the trolley. This curvature and the distacne between the side walls 3 and the flanges 16 may further be adapted to specific wheel and tyre sizes. However, since the tyre to be supported will usually be deflated, it will usually jam itself sufficiently tight, so that, with a limited number of wheel trolley sizes, all common passenger vehicles may be served.

The flanges 16 of the drive-on ramp provide centering of the wheel during driving on. This, as well as securing of the wheel, may be achieved by providing centrally in the drive-on ramp, and possibly also in the support surface 20, a raised portion with a U-shaped cross-section around which the deflated tyre will bulge. In the case of asymmetrical wheel rims or stiff tyres (e.g. steel-belted tyres) this may, however, lead to insufficient centering.

In particular, there may be provided a recess (not shown) in the floor or the drive-on ramp 12 at the or each running wheel 11, through which the upper side of the wheel in question may project in the drive-on position, whereas, if the ramp is turned upwards, the running wheel is screened off by the ramp 12 due to the displaced position of the articulation axis 14 relative to the wheel axle 10. During driving on, the vehicle wheel will then contact the or each running wheel 11 and rotate it backwards, so that the trolley will, then, automatically be pulled underneath the wheel.

The drive-on ramp portions 15 and 17 may be provided with slightly projecting ribs or the like (see Figs. 4 and 5) , improving the grip on the tyre.

Figs. 4 and 5 show a modified embodiment of a drive-on ramp 12, in which the actual drive-on portion 15' and an actuating portion 17', which serves to turn over the ramp, are hingedly connected to each other, and in which the axle 10 of the running wheels 11 provides the tilting axis of the ramp 12 as well as the hinge axis between said portions. The drive-on portion 15' and the actuating portion 17' are again provided with supports 13' and 13" with which these portions are supported on the axle 10.

In 'Fig. 4 continuous lines show the drive-on position and dot-dash lines and dashed lines, respectively, show the operative and folded position, respectively, of the drive-on ramp 12. In the drive-on position, a terminal edge 31 of the actuating portion 17' extends underneath the drive-on portion 15' . This actuating portion 17' is slightly curved upwards and slightly extends upwards relative to the drive-on portion 15' . During driving on, the vehicle wheel presses the actuating portion downwards until it comes to rest against the floor 2 of the trolley 1. The drive-on portion 15* is, then, carried along, coming to rest against the tyre of the wheel. The curvature of the portion 17' provides a good grip on the tyre of the vehicle wheel. The weight of the vehicle ensures that the ramp 12 remains in this operative position.

For storing the trolley, the drive-on portion 15' may be further rotated towards the floor 2, as indicated in Fig. 4. It is possible, by the way, to articulate the drive-on ramp in the way shown in Fig. 1 around another axis than the axle 10 if desired.

As shown in Fig. 4, the side surfaces 16' extend downwards, achieving a good braking contact with the road surface 19, while, as shown, the running wheels 11 are lifted from the road surface 19. In particular, the length of the portion 15' may be chosen so small that, in the operative position, it does not contact any undercarriage portion of the vehicle, while, however, the inclination in the drive-on position is sufficiently small to avoid the trolley being pushed forward during driving on by the vehicle. Figs. 4 and 5 show, at 32, the aforesaid ribs which improve the grip on the tyre. It further follows from Fig. 4 that, in the operative and in the folded position, the wheels 11 rest on the surface 19.

In this manner a drive-on ramp 12 is obtained which, in the operative position, rests well against the tyre of the wheel under all circumstances, irrespective of its dimensions. Fig. 6 shows a simplified representation of a wheel trolley with yet a different way of securing a vehicle wheel 33, in which the drive-on ramp 12 is indicated schematically. In this case, at a point 34 a carbine hook 35 is articulated, which may be hooked into a chain 36, the other end of which is provided with a hook 37 which may be hooked into a hole 38 in the wheel 33.

After the wheel 33 has been driven on, the hook 37 is hooked into a hole 38, after which the chain 36 is tightened and is fixed to the carbine hook 35 by its nearest link. This is done only at the accessible side of the wheel 33. The remainder 36' of the chain 36 is left to dangle unused. Of course, instead of a chain 36, a strap with an adjustable length or hooking holes may be used. It is also possible to use more than one chain 36 or interconnected chain portions with different hooks or fixing points. It is essential only to transfer the occurring traction forces effectively to the trolley 1, and thus prevent disengagement of the wheel from the trolley.

-Claims-

Claims

C L A I M S

1. A wheel trolley for supporting a vehicle wheel, in particular with a deflated tyre, comprising

- an undercarriage with running wheels supported on two axles adjacent its ends, - a first support surface for the tyre of the wheel located at a first end of the undercarriage with a shape which is adapted to the shape of the tyre, and

- a drive-on ramp hingedly connected to the other or second end of the undercarriage, the hinge axis being located between the ends of the ramp in such a way that, in case of driving on by a wheel to be supported, upon its passing this hinge axis, the ramp will turn over and will then act as a second support surface for the wheel, characterized in that means are present to secure the vehicle wheel against disengagement from the trolley, and in that the drive-on ramp is arranged to be turned back against the undercarriage of the trolley during the absence of a vehicle wheel.

2. The wheel trolley according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive-on ramp (12) is comprised of a drive-on portion

(15*) and an acuating portion (17¹) which are hingedly connected to each other, one or more abutments (31) being present which, in the drive-on and operative positions of the ramp, couple these portions together, while allowing both portions (15',17') to be turned back against the floor (2) of the trolley (1) .

3. The wheel trolley according to claim 2, characterized in that the hinge axis between both portions (15', 17') coincides with the hinge axis (10) of the drive-on ramp (12) .

4. The wheel trolley according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the actuating portion (17') has a curvature substantially corresponding with the curvature of the tyre.

5. The wheel trolley according to one of claims 1..4, characterized in that the securing means comprise a U-shaped bracket (22) located adjacent the first end, the free ends (25) of which are hingedly connected to the undercarriage (1) in such a way that its transverse piece (24) in the upward position engages the tyre of the supported wheel in order to prevent disengagement of this wheel, locking means (28,29) being present to secure this bracket at least in the upward position.

6. The wheel trolley according to claim 5, characterized in that the'hinge connection (25,26) to the undercarriage (1) is located between the first end (40) and the point of the central portion of the undercarriage (1) which lies under the axis of the supported wheel.

7. The wheel trolley according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the bracket (24) in the upward position is located at least approximately at the level of the axis of the suported wheel.

8. The wheel trolley according to any one of claims 5..7, characterized in that the transverse piece (24) of the bracket (22) is narrower than the distance between its legs (23) .

9. The wheel trolley according to any one of claims 5..8, characterized in that the legs (23) of the bracket (22) have downwardly directed support arms (27) which are provided with locking means (28,29) for fixing the uppermost position.

10. The wheel trolley according to any one of claims 5..9, characterized in that the hinge connection (25,26) of the bracket arms (23) is shiftable under spring load (30) in such a way that the locking means (28) are thereby kept engaged.

11. The wheel trolley according to any one of claims 1..4, characterized in that the securing means comprise at least one chain or strap (36) with adjustable length, which is provided, at one end, with a hook (37) for engagement in an opening (38) in the wheel disk (33) of the vehicle, and, at the other end, with a coupling means (35) which may be connected to the undercarriage (2) of the trolley at such a point (34) that disengaging forces are effectively transferred.

12. The wheel trolley according to claim 11, characterized in that the coupling means is constructed as a particularly closeable hook (35) which, for adjusting its length, is engageable with an aperture of the chain or strap (36) .

13. The wheel trolley according to any one of claims 1..12, characterized in that the drive-on ramp (12) is provided with transverse ribs (32) , the extending flanks thereof being directed in such a way that a rotating wheel may engage them.

14. The wheel trolley according to any one of claims 1..13, characterized in that the drive-on ramp (12) is provided, above the or each underlying running wheel (11) with a recess, through which, in the drive-on position, the running wheel (11) in question extends upwards, the hinge axis (13) of this ramp being displaced relative to the running wheel axis (10) in such a way that, in the upward position of the ramp (12) , the running wheel (11) in question comes free of the drive-on ramp (12) .

15. The wheel trolley according to any one of claims 1..14, characterized in that at least the drive-on ramp (12) is provided centrally with an upward curvature which may contact the central portion of a tyre to be supported.

16. The wheel trolley according to any one of claims 1 and 5..15, characterized in that the drive-on ramp (12) may be turned back around its hinge axis (13) against the floor (2) of the undercarriage (1) .

17. The wheel trolley according to any one of claims 1..16, characterized in that the distance between the first and second running wheel axles, (6,10) respectively, and the centre of the undercarriage (1) is sufficient to take up a dragging torque of a driven wheel.