Retractable caster wheel for a trailer
OwnerRodney C. Swanson, James O. Hutchensinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A retractable caster wheel for a trailer in which the caster wheel is mounted on the tongue of a trailer for swivelling movement about an upright caster axis and also for swinging movement between a lowered support position and a raised storage position, and in which the caster axis remains upright during swinging of the caster wheel between its lowered and raised positions. The caster wheel can be positioned and used at positions intermediate its lowered and raised positions to support the trailer tongue at different heights and mechanism is advantageously provided for positively adjusting the caster wheel between its lowered and raised positions.
Claims14
In a wheeled trailer having a tongue adapted for connection to a towing vehicle, a retractable wheel support for the tongue comprising:
- a stationary mounting bracket and means for rigidly attaching the stationary mounting bracket to the trailer tongue, a swivel bracket, means mounting the swivel bracket on the mounting bracket for turning movement relative thereto about a generally upright swivel axis, a wheel support bracket and a wheel rotatably mounted on the wheel support bracket, means mounting the wheel support bracket on the swivel bracket for turning relative thereto about a generally horizontal swing axis between a lowered position in which the wheel axis is generally horizontal and a raised position in which the wheel axis is generally upright, and means acting between the swivel bracket and the wheel support bracket selectively operable to retain the wheel support bracket in said lowered position relative to said swivel bracket.
In a wheeled trailer having a tongue adapted for connection to a towing vehicle, a retractable wheel support for the tongue comprising:
- a stationary mounting bracket and means for rigidly attaching the stationary mounting bracket to the trailer tongue, a swivel bracket, a first means mounting the swivel bracket on the stationary mounting bracket for turning movement relative thereto about a generally upright swivel axis, a wheel support bracket and a wheel rotatably mounted on the wheel support bracket, second means mounting the wheel support bracket on the swivel bracket for turning relative thereto about a generally horizontal swing axis between a lowered position and a raised position, said wheel support bracket in said lowered position supporting the wheel with its axis generally horizontal and transverse to a plane through said swivel axis and said swing axis and horizontally offset from the swivel axis and at a level below said swing axis, said wheel support bracket in said raised position supporting the wheel with its axis generally upright and horizontally offset from the swivel axis, and means acting between the swivel bracket and the wheel support bracket selectively operable to retain said wheel support bracket in said lowered position relative to the swivel bracket.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.