Folding trailer for stowage and methods of use
AssigneeNorDesign LLC
InventorMark B. Nordstrom
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The inventive disclosures described herein pertain to an improved folding trailer that, in many embodiments, is comprised of an improved swivel jack to more-easily aid in safe trailer-folding operations, a hinged trailer tongue, an integral winch with an extended flexible coupling shaft, and an external or onboard rotational power source to drive the winch. More specifically, this folding-trailer configuration minimizes the physical exertion required of a user to fold or unfold the trailer, as well as significantly reduces the potential for serious user injury during the folding/unfolding process. The improved folding trailer also features foldable cargo-containment sides and multi-positionable tailgate, as well as removable/configurable cargo-carrying racks/rails.
Claims20
An improved folding trailer, said trailer having a bed and at least one pair of load-bearing wheels, comprising:
- a hinged trailer tongue having a distal end and a proximal end, with hinge-portions of said trailer tongue being disposed on said proximal end and coupled to the bottom of said trailer's bed;
- a swivel-wheel trailer jack attached to said distal end of said hinged trailer tongue, wherein:
- said swivel-wheel trailer jack includes telescoping inner and outer jack tubes to facilitate extending the jack,
- said swivel-wheel trailer jack is adapted to be able to be optionally positioned such that its swivel wheel can longitudinally extend beyond said distal end of said trailer tongue, and
- said swivel-wheel jack includes a manually operated wheel brake to minimize unwanted travel of said hinged trailer tongue during trailer-folding operations;
- an integral locking bracket and associated locking fastener, wherein when said trailer tongue is in a fully extended position on the trailer, said locking bracket and said trailer tongue each having a hole with the same axis pierced laterally such that said locking fastener is adapted to be able to be inserted through said coaxial holes in order to lock said trailer tongue in the extended position;
- at least one folding-tongue stop disposed behind said integral locking bracket and on a side of the bottom of said trailer bed;
- an integral winch, with an attached winch cable, mounted to the bottom surface of the trailer's bed, substantially laterally centered between the sides of said trailer bed, and longitudinally in front of said load-bearing trailer wheels, wherein one end of said winch cable is attached to a winch-cable anchor attached to the underside of said trailer tongue,
- wherein said integral winch is coupled to, or adapted to be coupled to, a rotational power source;
- and
- two or more rear caster wheels mounted on the rear of said trailer's bed, wherein:
- when said locking fastener is removed from said locking bracket and said integral winch is actuated by a rotational power source, the trailer will articulate upward at said hinge portions of said trailer tongue, and
- when the trailer is fully winched in to a jackknife configuration, said load-bearing wheels are lifted off the floor or ground and said two or more rear caster wheels and the swivel wheel on said swivel-wheel trailer jack form at least three-points of contact with said floor or ground in order to facilitate the movement/repositioning of the completely folded trailer when in its stowage configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.