Suitcase wheel assembly and retainer
OwnerDick T. Khoinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device for transporting a suitcase is provided including a removeable wheel assembly and two supporting brackets which are permanently attached integral with the suitcase. The wheel assembly includes a handle which is welded to the assembly axle and is used to install the wheel assembly on the brackets by positioning the axle across the brackets, parallel to the bottom surface of the suitcase, then rotating the handle and axle through an angle until the axle and handle are retained by the brackets. The suitcase may then be easily transported over uneven surfaces on the two large wheels provided by the device. An alternate embodiment provides a plastic handle that may be removed for convenient storage.
Claims9
A transport device for a suitcase, comprising:
- (a) a wheel assembly, said wheel assembly comprising a metal round axle, a metal bent member joined to said axle and extending outwardly from said axle, and a pair of wheels supported on the ends of said axle, said metal bent member having a long portion and two short portions parallel with said axle, said long portion defining a handle adapted to be grasped by an operator, said short portions being welded to said axle forming two separated axle-handle joints which have a wide cross-section dimension in the plane of said handle and axle, and a short cross-section dimension perpendicular to the plane of said handle and axle;
- (b) a first support bracket and a second support bracket, each said support bracket being fabricated from rigid plastic material and having a right angle cross-section, having a wide planar portion and a narrow planar portion 90 degrees apart, said wide planar portion defining a base and said narrow planar portion defining a wall, said base on each said support bracket including a first and second hole sized for the purpose of bolting said base to a suitcase;
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- (c) means for releaseably retaining said wheel assembly on said support brackets, said means arranged so that an operator may grasp said handle with said handle vertically upward, place said wheel assembly across said support brackets and rotate said handle a certain angle until said axle-handle joints are captured by said means, rotating said handle further until said handle is also captured by said means, said operator being able to release and remove said wheel assembly by reverse sequence action.
A transport device for a suitcase, comprising:
- (a) an axle assembly comprising a metal round axle and a pair of wheels supported on the ends of said axle;
- (b) a handle member made of rigid plastic and releaseably attached to said axle, said handle member being shaped in an approximate flattened U shape, having two arms and a cross-bar portion, said two arms being somewhat shorter in length than said cross-bar portion, said cross-bar portion defining a grasping means for an operator, each said arm including at an end a projecting portion, said projecting portions being oriented in a direction parallel with said cross-bar portion and with said axle;
- (c) means for releaseably attaching said handle member to said axle and forming two separated axle-handle joints;
- (d) a first support bracket and a second support bracket, each said support bracket being fabricated from rigid plastic material and having a right angle cross-section, having a wide planar portion and a narrow planar portion 90 degrees apart, said wide planar portion defining a base and said narrow planar portion defining a wall, said base on each said support bracket including a first and second hole sized for the purpose of bolting said base to a suitcase;
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- (e) means for releaseably retaining said axle assembly and handle on said support brackets, said means arranged so that an operator may grasp said handle member with said handle member vertically upward, place said axle assembly across said support brackets and rotate said handle a certain angle until said axle-handle joints are captured by said means, rotating said handle further until said handle is also captured by said means, said operator being able to release and remove said axle assembly and handle by reverse sequence action.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.