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US 5,489,171 AGranted
Vehicle transporter
AssigneeGlobal Transport Systems, Inc.
InventorsWilliam R. Claps, Sergio Ghidini
Life of this patent
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AssigneeGlobal Transport Systems, Inc.
InventorsWilliam R. Claps, Sergio Ghidini
Estimating the term…
A vehicle transporter for supporting cars for shipment in a shipping container includes a lower pallet and an upper pallet, each of which is adapted to receive a car with its wheels supported thereon. A pair of columns is pivotally affixed to each side of the lower pallet. The upper pallet is affixed to the columns at a selected adjustable height above the lower pallet and substantially parallel to the lower pallet. A length-adjustable brace is connected diagonally between the upper and lower pallets to impart stiffness to the transporter. Each pallet has a tie down at each end so that the car body can be lowered on its suspension, thereby allowing cars with higher silhouettes loaded on the transporter to be received within the container. The upper pallets have openings, which permit an upper portion of a car to protrude through the opening to a height above the level of the upper pallet.
A vehicle transporter for supporting two cars stacked one above the other for shipment, comprising a lower pallet and an upper pallet, each of which has a substantially rectangular peripheral frame having a pair of side members and a pair of end members joined at corners and a wheel-supporting plate affixed to the frame at each corner that is adapted to support a car by its wheels, four columns joining the lower pallet to the upper pallet, one proximate to each corner of the pallet frames, a lower mounting means for each column, each lower mounting means pivotally attaching a respective column to a respective side member of the frame of the lower pallet so that it can be selectively raised to an upright position to support the upper pallet and folded down for shipping the transporter without cars, an upper support means coacting between each column and the upper pallet for detachably supporting the upper pallet on the respective column at a selected height above the lower pallet, and a length-adjustable brace on at least one side of the transporter connected diagonally between a side member of the frame of the lower pallet between the columns and a side member of the frame of the upper pallet between the columns, the brace including means for imparting stiffness to the transporter by applying forces diagonally between the pallets.
A vehicle transporter for supporting two cars stacked one above the other for shipment, comprising a lower pallet and an upper pallet, each of which has a substantially rectangular peripheral frame having a pair of side members and a pair of end members joined at corners and a wheel-supporting plate affixed to the frame at each corner that is adapted to support a car by its wheels, four columns joining the lower pallet to the upper pallet, one proximate to each corner of the pallet frames, a lower mounting bracket for each column, each lower mounting bracket being attached to a corresponding side member of the frame of the lower pallet and having means pivotally supporting the respective column so that it can be selectively raised to an upright position to support the upper pallet and folded down for shipping the transporter without cars, an upper support bracket for supporting the upper pallet on each column, each upper support bracket being attached to a corresponding side member of the frame of the upper pallet, means coacting between each column and the corresponding upper bracket for detachably supporting the upper pallet on the respective column at a selected height above the lower pallet, and a length-adjustable brace connected diagonally between a side of the lower pallet between the columns and a side of the upper pallet between the columns, the brace including means for imparting stiffness to the transporter by applying forces diagonally between the pallets.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.