US3684048A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Camper
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1970-08-24
•
Granted: 1972-08-15
•
Expires: 1990-08-24
Abstract
Abstract A load carrying vehicle such as a camper adapted to be detachably connected to a tractor vehicle of the pick-up truck body type, preferably of the four wheel drive type having a cargo compartment body box positioned behind the passenger compartment, and a draw-bar or rear plate carried by the chassis of the truck at the rear of and beneath the body box or cargo compartment. The camper or other load carrying vehicle has a centrally disposed bottom section adapted to be positioned within the body box or cargo compartment of the pick-up truck vehicle, and to be secured to the draw-bar or rear plate positioned at the rear of the truck. The camper has aligned laterally enlarged or wider sections, (1) to overlie the sidewalls of the members defining the bed or cargo compartments of the pick-up truck, and (2) to overlie the passenger compartment of the tractor vehicle, and (3) positioned at the rear of or behind the tractor vehicle. The camper or load carrying vehicle has a pair of independent wheels beneath the wider section positioned at the rear of or behind the tractor vehicle to support a portion of its load of the camper. These independent wheels are preferably at a wider tread width than the wheels of the tractor vehicle to stabilize the camper vehicle and to prevent excessive roll of the assembly consisting of the tractor vehicle and the camper as it rounds curves or transverses rough terrain.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles Prater
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 08:59
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60P; B60P3/00; B60P3/32
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
329 words
In combination, a tractor vehicle of the pick-up truck body type and a load carrying camper, said tractor vehicle comprising; A. a chassis and body having, 1. front and rear pairs of wheels of predetermined tread width, and 2. a forwardly disposed engine compartment, 3. an engine in said compartment, 4. means to exert driving torque from the engine to one of said pairs of wheels, 5. a passenger compartment positioned behind the engine, 6. a cargo compartment body box behind the passenger compartment defined by a. a floor, b. laterally spaced vertically disposed longitudinally extending side walls, and c. a vertically disposed transversely extending wall behind and adjacent to the passenger compartment, said load carrying camper comprising; A. a front bottom section, having laterally spaced vertically disposed side walls, and a floor and a front wall, proportioned to be received within the cargo compartment body box over the floor of said body box and between the vertically disposed longitudinally extending side walls thereof, B. an upper laterally enlarged section above said front bottom section adapted to overlie and extend laterally beyond the sidewalls of said body box, C. a forward extending section of substantially the same width as said upper laterally enlarged section adapted to overlie the passenger compartment, D. a rearwardly extending section of substantially the same width as said upper laterally enlarged section extending rearwardly of both the front bottom section and the upper laterally enlarged section, E. a pair of independent wheels mounted on the load carrying camper beneath said rearwardly extending section, said independent wheels being mounted thereon at a greater tread width than the tread width of the wheels of the tractor vehicle, and F. means to detachably connect the load carrying camper to the tractor vehicle comprising fastening means longitudinally spaced relative to each other and cooperating to clamp the camper to the tractor vehicle whereby angular movement of the camper about a horizontal axis relative to the tractor vehicle is prevented.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
329 words
In combination, a tractor vehicle of the pick-up truck body type and a load carrying camper, said tractor vehicle comprising; A. a chassis and body having, 1. front and rear pairs of wheels of predetermined tread width, and 2. a forwardly disposed engine compartment, 3. an engine in said compartment, 4. means to exert driving torque from the engine to one of said pairs of wheels, 5. a passenger compartment positioned behind the engine, 6. a cargo compartment body box behind the passenger compartment defined by a. a floor, b. laterally spaced vertically disposed longitudinally extending side walls, and c. a vertically disposed transversely extending wall behind and adjacent to the passenger compartment, said load carrying camper comprising; A. a front bottom section, having laterally spaced vertically disposed side walls, and a floor and a front wall, proportioned to be received within the cargo compartment body box over the floor of said body box and between the vertically disposed longitudinally extending side walls thereof, B. an upper laterally enlarged section above said front bottom section adapted to overlie and extend laterally beyond the sidewalls of said body box, C. a forward extending section of substantially the same width as said upper laterally enlarged section adapted to overlie the passenger compartment, D. a rearwardly extending section of substantially the same width as said upper laterally enlarged section extending rearwardly of both the front bottom section and the upper laterally enlarged section, E. a pair of independent wheels mounted on the load carrying camper beneath said rearwardly extending section, said independent wheels being mounted thereon at a greater tread width than the tread width of the wheels of the tractor vehicle, and F. means to detachably connect the load carrying camper to the tractor vehicle comprising fastening means longitudinally spaced relative to each other and cooperating to clamp the camper to the tractor vehicle whereby angular movement of the camper about a horizontal axis relative to the tractor vehicle is prevented.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
5 words
a forwardly disposed engine compartment,
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
5 words
a forwardly disposed engine compartment,
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
55 words
The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the tractor vehicle is of the four-wheel-drive type having selectively operable means to intermittently exert driving torque to the other of said pairs of wheels to permit exerting continuous driving torque to the ground if one of said pairs of wheels should lose driving contact with the ground.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the tractor vehicle has drawbar means at the rear end thereof, and the camper has drawbar means at a longitudinally intermediate portion thereof, and threaded fastening means to secure said drawbar means together.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
5 words
an engine in said compartment,
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
5 words
an engine in said compartment,
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
15 words
means to exert driving torque from the engine to one of said pairs of wheels,
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
means to exert driving torque from the engine to one of said pairs of wheels,
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
51 words
The invention defined in claim 3 wherein said vehicle drawbar means is at the rear of the chassis of the vehicle and at the bottom of the camper substantially at the juncture of said front bottom and rearwardly extending sections, and the said threaded fastening means secure said drawbar means together.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
14 words
The invention defined in claim 4 wherein The fastening means are screw threaded fasteners.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
7 words
a passenger compartment positioned behind the engine,
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
7 words
a passenger compartment positioned behind the engine,
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
41 words
The invention as defined in claim 5 wherein motion transmitting means operable from the rear end of the load carrying camper are provided to actuate said clamping means for detachably securing the camper to the drawbar means of the tractor vehicle.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
254 words
a cargo compartment body box behind the passenger compartment defined by a. a floor, b. laterally spaced vertically disposed longitudinally extending side walls, and c. a vertically disposed transversely extending wall behind and adjacent to the passenger compartment, said load carrying camper comprising; A. a front bottom section, having laterally spaced vertically disposed side walls, and a floor and a front wall, proportioned to be received within the cargo compartment body box over the floor of said body box and between the vertically disposed longitudinally extending side walls thereof, B. an upper laterally enlarged section above said front bottom section adapted to overlie and extend laterally beyond the sidewalls of said body box, C. a forward extending section of substantially the same width as said upper laterally enlarged section adapted to overlie the passenger compartment, D. a rearwardly extending section of substantially the same width as said upper laterally enlarged section extending rearwardly of both the front bottom section and the upper laterally enlarged section, E. a pair of independent wheels mounted on the load carrying camper beneath said rearwardly extending section, said independent wheels being mounted thereon at a greater tread width than the tread width of the wheels of the tractor vehicle, and F. means to detachably connect the load carrying camper to the tractor vehicle comprising fastening means longitudinally spaced relative to each other and cooperating to clamp the camper to the tractor vehicle whereby angular movement of the camper about a horizontal axis relative to the tractor vehicle is prevented.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
254 words
a cargo compartment body box behind the passenger compartment defined by a. a floor, b. laterally spaced vertically disposed longitudinally extending side walls, and c. a vertically disposed transversely extending wall behind and adjacent to the passenger compartment, said load carrying camper comprising; A. a front bottom section, having laterally spaced vertically disposed side walls, and a floor and a front wall, proportioned to be received within the cargo compartment body box over the floor of said body box and between the vertically disposed longitudinally extending side walls thereof, B. an upper laterally enlarged section above said front bottom section adapted to overlie and extend laterally beyond the sidewalls of said body box, C. a forward extending section of substantially the same width as said upper laterally enlarged section adapted to overlie the passenger compartment, D. a rearwardly extending section of substantially the same width as said upper laterally enlarged section extending rearwardly of both the front bottom section and the upper laterally enlarged section, E. a pair of independent wheels mounted on the load carrying camper beneath said rearwardly extending section, said independent wheels being mounted thereon at a greater tread width than the tread width of the wheels of the tractor vehicle, and F. means to detachably connect the load carrying camper to the tractor vehicle comprising fastening means longitudinally spaced relative to each other and cooperating to clamp the camper to the tractor vehicle whereby angular movement of the camper about a horizontal axis relative to the tractor vehicle is prevented.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
27 words
The invention as defined in claim 6 wherein the clamping means are bolts carried by the load carrying camper and threaded fasteners fixed to the drawbar means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
The invention as defined in claim 7 wherein the bolts and threaded fasteners are arranged in two vertically spaced planes.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3248083A
Cited
US3542414A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-08-15 | 1976-02-14 | 1976-08-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-08-15 | 1980-02-14 | 1980-08-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-08-15 | 1984-02-14 | 1984-08-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |