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US 6,746,200 B1Granted
Auxiliary vehicle transporter
OwnerDaniel Gerald Rinkeinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An auxiliary vehicle transporter for a master vehicle which has a platform that reverse articulates and is removably connected thereto. The auxiliary vehicle transporter includes a main frame, a platform pivotally connected to the main frame for supporting an auxiliary vehicle, a reverse articulation apparatus for reverse folding the platform with respect to the main frame, and a frame connection group for removably connecting the main frame to a hitch and the vehicular frame of a master vehicle without inflicting injury to the vehicular frame.
Claims17
An auxiliary vehicle transporter comprising:
- a main frame comprising a left lift rail and a right lift rail, each of said left and right lift rails having a respective lift eye slidably mounted thereto;
- a lift eye actuation mechanism which selectively provides synchronized movement of the lift eye of each of said left and right lift rails therealong;
- a platform having a transport surface and first and second platform ends, said first platform end being pivotally connected to the lift eye of each of said left and right lift rails;
- and
- left and right pivot arms having first and second arm ends, each said first arm end being pivotally connected to said main frame, each said second arm end being pivotally connected to said platform at a substantially medial location between said first and second platform ends;
- wherein the selective movement of the lift eye of each of said left and right lift rails provides a reverse articulation movement of said platform between a deployed position and a stored position;
- wherein the pivotal connection of said platform to the lift eye of each of said left and right lift rails comprises a pair of platform pivots and wherein said pivotal connection of said first arm ends to said main frame comprises a pair of arm pivots;
- and
- wherein when said platform is at said deployed position, said pair of platform pivots, said pair of arm pivots, and the second arm end pivot connections to said platform are all located in a common plane.
6 more elements
A master vehicle having an auxiliary vehicle transporter, comprising:
- a master vehicle having a hitch and vehicular frame members;
- a main frame comprising a left lift rail and a right lift rail, each of said left and right lift rails having a respective lift eye slidably mounted thereto;
- a lift eye actuation mechanism which selectively provides synchronized movement of the lift eye of each of said left and right lift rails therealong;
- a platform having a transport surface and first and second platform ends, said first platform end being pivotally connected to the lift eye of each of said left and right lift rails;
- left and right pivot arms having first and second arm ends, each said first arm end being pivotally connected to said main frame, each said second arm end being pivotally connected to said platform at a substantially medial location between said first and second platform ends;
- and
- a removable connection which provides removable connection of said main frame to said standard hitch and said vehicular frame members;
- wherein the selective movement of the lift eye of each of said left and right lift rails provides a reverse articulation movement of said platform between a deployed position and a stored position;
- wherein said removable connection comprises:
- an insert for being received by the hitch of the master vehicle;
- and
- a frame connection assembly for removably connecting the main frame to the vehicular frame members of the master vehicle;
- and
- wherein said frame connection assembly comprises:
- a pair of frame attachment brackets for removably connecting to the vehicular members of the master vehicle;
- a pair of adjustable length inserts, each insert being connected to a respective frame attachment bracket;
- and
- a pair of attachment bars connected with said main frame, each insert being connected to a respective attachment bar.
15 more elements
An auxiliary vehicle transporter, comprising:
- a main frame;
- a platform having a transport surface and first and second platform ends, said first platform end being pivotally connected to said main frame;
- and
- a reverse articulation apparatus connected with said main frame and said platform, said reverse articulation apparatus providing reverse articulation movement of said platform between a deployed position and a stored position;
- wherein said reverse articulation apparatus comprises:
- a left lift rail and a right lift rail, each of said left and right lift rails having a respective lift eye slidably mounted thereto:
- and a lift eye actuation mechanism which selectively provides synchronized movement of the lift eve of each of said left and right lift rails therealong;
- and
- left and right pivot arms having first and second arm ends each said first arm end being pivotally connected to said main frame, each said second arm end being pivotally connected to said platform at a substantially medial location between said first and second platform ends;
- wherein the pivotal connection of said platform to the lift eye of each of said left and right lift rails comprises a pair of platform pivots, and wherein said pivotal connection of said first arm ends to said main frame comprises a pair of arm pivots;
- wherein when said platform is at said deployed position said pair of platform pivots, said pair of arm pivots, and the second arm end pivot connections to said platform are all located in a common plane.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.