Foldable transportation device

Claim 2

A foldable transportation device, having an in-use position and a folded position, comprising: a. a longitudinally telescopeable center frame; b. a pair of opposed arms for each end of said center frame, each of said arms of each pair having one end thereof pivotally mounted on said center frame and extending outwardly therefrom and having a wheel rotatably mounted on the other end thereof; c. means engaging each of said arms to permit moving same between a folded storage position and an in-use position for movably supporting said center frame; d. means carried on said center frame and operatively connected to the wheels on at least one pair of said arms for driving same; e. means operatively connected to the wheels on at least one pair of said arms for steering same; f. at least one seat member mounted on said center frame and having foldable portions movable between an in-use position and a folded storage position; and g. floor members positioned adjacent said center frame and extending outwardly from opposite sides of said center frame, said floor members being movable with said center frame during telescoping thereof and movable between a folded and telescoped storage position and an in-use position.

Claim 3

A foldable transportation device as set forth in claim 1 including: a. an end member mounted on each end of said center frame and upstanding therefrom and having opposite upright side edges, said end members each being substantially normal to a longitudinal dimension of said center frame; b. a side panel for each of the opposite upright side edges of each of said end members and hingedly mounted thereon, each side panel being movable between a folded position substantially parallel with the longitudinal dimension of said center frame and an in-use position extending generally outwardly from said respective end members; and c. means engageable with each of said side panels for selectively maintaining same in said folded position and in said in-use position.

Claim 4

A foldable transportation device as set forth in claim 2 including: a. a wall member positioned adjacent an outer edge of each of said floor members; b. means engaging said wall members to permit moving said wall members between a folded position and an in-use position extending generally upwardly from the outer edge of the respective floor member; c. cooperating means on a free edge of each of said side panels and on respective end edges of said wall Members for maintaining same in said in-use position; and d. a door portion in certain of said wall members for access to a space defined by said end members and respective side panels and said wall members.

Claim 5

A foldable transportation device as set forth in claim 2 including: a. a set of frames adjacent each of said end members and movable between a folded position and an in-use position; b. transparent material mounted in at least one of said frames of each of said sets of frames; c. means engaging the frames in each of said sets of frames and said respective end members and the side panels mounted thereon to permit moving said sets of frames between a folded position and an in-use position above said respective end members and the side panels mounted thereon; and d. a collapsible top member removably mounted on and extending between respective upper edges of the frames in each of said sets of frames when in said in-use positions.

Claim 6

A foldable transportation device as set forth in claim 1 including: a. an end member fixedly mounted on each end of said center frame and upstanding therefrom and having opposite upright side edges, said end members each being substantially normal to a longitudinal dimension of said center frame; b. a side panel for each of the opposite upright side edges of each of said end members and hingedly mounted thereon, each side panel being movable between a folded position substantially parallel with the longitudinal dimension of said center frame and an in-use position extending outwardly from said respective end members; c. a wall member positioned adjacent an outer edge of each of said floor members, said wall members each being movable between an in-use position extending generally upwardly from the respective floor member and a folded position, said wall members being movable to a side-by-side position when said floor members are in said storage position; and d. cooperating means on said side panels and on said respective wall members for maintaining same in said respective in-use positions.

Claim 7

A foldable transportation device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said wheel driving means comprises: a. a supply of hydraulic fluid; b. valve means having movable parts operative to control volume and direction of flow of hydraulic fluid; c. means communicating with said hydraulic fluid supply and said valve means for effecting pressure in fluid supplied to said valve means; d. a hydraulic motor for each wheel to be driven and operatively connected to said respective wheel and to said valve means; e. means on said center frame and operatively connected to said valve means for moving operative parts thereof to selectively effect forward and reverse rotation of said driven wheels; and f. means on said center frame and operatively connected to said valve means for moving operative parts thereof to selectively control volume of fluid therethrough to thereby control speed of rotation of said driven wheels.

Claim 8

A foldable transportation device as set forth in claim 6 wherein said direction selection means comprises: a. an elongated shift lever adjacent said center frame and pivotally mounted thereon, said pivotal mounting being intermediate the ends of said shift lever, said shift lever having one end portion adjacent said seat member and an other end portion extending from said pivotal mounting thereof; b. a direction selection member pivotally mounted on said center frame, said pivotal mounting of said direction selection member being intermediate the ends of said direction selection member and spaced from said pivotal mounting of said shift lever; c. means slidably engaging said other end portion of said shift lever and movable along said direction selection member between opposite ends thereof and operatively connected to said speed control means for effecting forward movement of one end portion of said direction selection member when positioned at One of said opposite ends thereof and effecting rearward movement of the one end portion of said direction selection member when positioned at the other of said opposite ends in response to operation of said speed control means; and d. means operatively connecting said one end portion of said direction selection member and said valve means for adjusting the operative parts of said valve means to control speed and direction of rotation of said driven wheels in response to the position of said shift lever and operation of said speed control means.

Claim 9

A foldable transportation device as set forth in claim 1 wherein: a. a pair of seat members are positioned adjacent a forward end of said center frame; b. a pair of seat members are positioned adjacent a rear end of said center frame; c. each of said seat members has a seat portion and a back portion foldable over said respective seat portion; d. one seat member of each pair of seat members is foldable over the other seat member of the respective pair of seat members; and e. one pair of said seat members is mounted on a mechanism operative to raise said one pair of seat members to permit the other pair of seat members to be moved below said one pair of seat members during telescoping of said center frame.

Claim 10

A foldable transportation device as set forth in claim 1 including: a. power driven means operatively connected to portions of said center frame for selectively moving the portions of said center frame between an extended in-use position and a retracted storage position; b. means operatively engageable with said power driven means and operatively connected to each of said arms for selectively moving said arms between said folded position and said in-use position; and c. means engaging each of said arms and the wheel mounted thereon to permit said respective wheel to move between an in-use position generally normal to said arm and a folded position generally parallel with said arm.

Claim 11

A foldable transportation device comprising: a. a center frame having a plurality of longitudinally telescopeable sections movable between an extended in-use position and a retracted storage position; b. a pair of opposed arms for each end of said center frame; each of said arms of each pair having one end thereof pivotally mounted on a respective end section of said center frame and extending outwardly therefrom and having a wheel rotatably mounted on the other end thereof; c. means engaging each of said arms to permit moving same between a folded storage position and an in-use position for movably supporting said center frame; d. power means carried on said center frame and operatively connected to the wheels on at least one pair of said arms for selectively driving same for forward and rearward travel; e. means operatively connected to the wheels on at least one pair of said arms for steering same; f. at least one seat mounted on said center frame and having foldable portions movable between an in-use position and a folded storage position; g. a floor member positioned adjacent opposite sides of each section of said center frame and extending outwardly from said opposite sides of said respective sections of said center frame, said floor members being movable with said respective sections of said center frame during movement thereof between the extended in-use position and the retracted storage position; h. an end member mounted on each end section of said center frame and upstanding therefrom and having upright side edges, said end members each being substantially normal to a longitudinal dimension of said center frame; i. a side panel for each of the opposite upright side edges of each of said end members and hingedly mounted thereon, each side panel being movable between a folded position substantially parallel with the longitudinal dimension of said center frame and an in-use position extending generally outwardly from said respective eNd members; j. a wall member positioned adjacent an outer edge of each of said floor members, said wall members each being movable between an in-use position extending generally upwardly from the respective floor member and a folded position, said wall members being movable to a side-by-side position when the sections of said center frame are positioned in the retracted storage position; k. a door portion in certain of said wall members for access to a space defined by said end members and respective side panels and said wall members; and l. cooperating means on said side panels and on said respective wall members for maintaining same in said respective in-use positions.

Claim 12

A foldable transportation device comprising: a. a center frame having a plurality of longitudinally telescopeable sections movable between an extended in-use position and a retracted storage position; b. a pair of opposed arms for each end of said center frame; each of said arms of each pair having one end thereof pivotally mounted on a respective end section of said center frame and extending outwardly therefrom and having a wheel rotatably mounted on the other end thereof; c. means engaging each of said arms to permit moving same between a folded storage position and an in-use position for movably supporting said center frame; d. power means carried on said center frame and operatively connected to the wheels on at least one pair of said arms for selectively driving same for forward and rearward travel; e. means operatively connected to the wheels on at least one pair of said arms for steering same; f. at least one seat mounted on said center frame and having foldable portions movable between an in-use position and a folded storage position; g. a floor member positioned adjacent opposite sides of each section of said center frame and extending outwardly from said opposite sides of said respective sections of said center frame, said floor members being movable with said respective sections of said center frame during movement thereof between the extended in-use position and the retracted storage position; h. an end member mounted on each end section of said center frame and upstanding therefrom and having upright side edges, said end members each being substantially normal to a longitudinal dimension of said center frame; i. a side panel for each of the opposite upright side edges of each of said end members and hingedly mounted thereon, each side panel being movable between a folded position substantially parallel with the longitudinal dimension of said center frame and an in-use position extending generally outwardly from said respective eNd members; j. a wall member positioned adjacent an outer edge of each of said floor members, said wall members each being movable between an in-use position extending generally upwardly from the respective floor member and a folded position, said wall members being movable to a side-by-side position when the sections of said center frame are positioned in the retracted storage position; k. a door portion in certain of said wall members for access to a space defined by said end members and respective side panels and said wall members; and l. cooperating means on said side panels and on said respective wall members for maintaining same in said respective in-use positions.