Trailer loading and unloading equipment

Claim 2

A trailer particularly suitable for carrying floor-washing machines, snow-mobiles, cycles, and other wheeled-on loads comprising; paired wheels, a floor, and means supporting said floor on said wheels; said floor having front and rear ends and opposite sides; paired spaced channel members mounted below said floor adjacent said opposite sides of said floor and extending from a point adjacent said rear end of said floor toward said floor; said channel members having flanges spaced below said floor and extending side-wise toward each other forming parallel slides below said floor, a platform lying on said flanges below said floor; said platform being removable from below said floor and reinsertable below said floor by sliding said platform on said flanges; said platform having front and rear ends and opposite sides; connecting means at said rear end of said floor; connecting means at said front end of said platform; said connecting means at said floor and said platform being interconnectible to position said front end of said platform at said rear end of said floor; said connecting means being pivotally interconnected to permit said rear end of said platform to swing into contact with the ground surface behind said trailer; said platform when so connected constituting a ramp for wheeling loads from the ground surface onto said floor; said platform being disconnectable and reinsertable below said floor as stated; and means for securing said platform below said floor during travel of said trailer; hinge means on said trailer below said channel members adjacent said rear end of said floor; a tail-gate having an adjacent edge secured on said hinge means; said hinge means pivotally mounting said tail-gate to swing between an up position behind said floor and a down position below said floor; said tail-gate having an outer edge spaced from said hinge means; said hinge means being spaced above a supporting surface; said tail-gate being of a dimension between its said adjacent edge and its said other edge about equal to said normal distance between said hinge means and the supporting surface; said tail-gate in said down position contacting the supporting surface and constituting an auxiliary leg at said rear end of said floor to aid in supporting loads wheeled on and off said floor and said ramp to support said rear end of said floor and said front end of said ramp in loading and unloading.

Claim 3

A trailer particularly suitable for carrying floor-washing machines, snow-mobiles, cycles, and other wheeled-on loads comprising: paired wheels, a floor, and means supporting said floor on said wheels; said floor having front and rear ends and opposite sides; paired spaced channel members mounted below said floor adjacent said opposite sides of said floor and extending from a point adjacent said rear end of said floor toward said floor; said channel members having flanges spaced below said floor and extending side-wise toward each other forming parallel slides below said floor; a platform lying on said flanges below said floor; said platform being removable from below said floor and reinsertable below said floor by sliding said platform on said flanges; said platform having front and rear ends and opposite sides; connecting means at said rear end of said floor; connecting means at said front end of said platform; said connecting means at said floor and said platform being interconnectible to position said front end of said platform at said rear end of said floor; said connecting means being pivotally interconnected to permit said rear end of said platform to swing into contact with the ground surface behind said trailer; said platform when so connected constituting a ramp for wheeling loads from the ground surface onto said floor; said platform being disconnectible and reinsertable below said floor as stated; and means for securing said platform below said floor during travel of said trailer; said connecting means on said platform being downwardly depending flanges at its said front end; a transverse cross rod below said slide channels adjacent said rear end of said floor, means pivotally mounting said rod, at least one lifting and lowering arm on said rod extending radially therefrom and swingable with said rod between a position above said rod and a horizontal position rearwardly of said rod; a radially outer end on said arm, a hand lever extending radially from said rod for pivoting said rod to swing said arm; first stop means on said trailer engageable with one said arm and lever to locate and hold said arm at an angular horizontal position rearwardly of said rod behind and below said slide channels; said platform upon removal from said slide channels moving at its said flanged front end onto said arm; said hand lever providing means to pivot said rod to swing said arm to a position over said rod to raise said platform front end to the level of said floor and to engage said outer end of said arm with said flange to hold said platform; and second stop means engageable with one said arm and lever to locate and hold said arm in a position over said rod supporting said front end of said platform; said hand lever providing means to pivot said rod to swing said lever to its said first described horizontal position to disengage said flanged front end of said platform and lower it for insertion into said slide flanges.

Claim 4

A trailer particularly suitable for carrying floor-washing machines, snow-mobiles, cycles, and other wheeled-on loads comprising: paired wheels, a floor, and means supporting said floor on said wheels; said floor having front and rear ends and opposite sides; paired spaced channel members mounted below said floor adjacent said opposite sides of said floor and extending from a point adjacent said rear end of said floor toward said floor; said channel members having flanges spaced below said floor and extending side-wise toward each other forming parallel slides below said floor; a platform lying on said flanges below said floor; said platform being removable from below said floor and reinsertable below said floor by sliding said platform on said flanges; said platform having front and rear ends and opposite sides; connecting means at said rear end of said floor; connecting means at said front end of said platform; said connecting means at said floor and said platform being interconnectible to position said front end of said platform at said rear end of said floor; said connecting means being pivotally interconnected to permit said rear end of said platform to swing into contact with the ground surface behind said trailer; said platform when so connected constituting a ramp for wheeling loads from the ground surface onto said floor; said platform being disconnectible and reinsertable below said floor as stated; and means for securing said platform below said floor during travel of said trailer; said connecting means on said platform being downwardly depending flanges at its said front end; a transverse cross rod below said slide channels adjacent said rear end of said floor, means pivotally mounting said rod, at least one lifting and lowering arm on said rod extending radially therefrom and swingable with said rod between a position above said rod and a horizontal position rearwardly of said rod; a radially outer end on said arm, a hand lever extending radially from said rod for pivoting said rod to swing said arm; first stop means on said trailer engageable with one said arm and lever to locate and hold said arm at an angular horizontal position rearwardly of said rod behind and below said slide channels; said platform upon removal from said slide channels moving at its said flanged front end onto said arm; said hand lever providing means to pivot said rod to swing said arm to a position over said rod to raise said platform front end to the level of said floor and to engage said outer end of said arm with said flange to hold said platform; and second stop means engageable with one said arm and lever to locate and hold said arm in a position over said rod supporting said front end of said platform; said hand lever providing means to pivot said rod to swing said lever to its said first described horizontal position to disengage said flanged front end of said platform and lower it for insertion into said slide flanges.

Claim 5

A trailer particularly suitable for carrying floor-washing machines, snow-mobiles, cycles, and other wheeled-on loads comprising; paired wheels, a floor, and means supporting said floor on said wheels; said floor having front and rear ends and opposite sides; paired spaced channel members mounted below said floor adjacent said opposite sides of said floor and extending from a point adjacent said rear end of said floor toward said floor; said channel members having flanges spaced below said floor and extending side-wise toward each other forming parallel slides below said floor, a platform lying on said flanges below said floor; said platform being removable from below said floor and re-insertable below said floor by sliding said platform on said flanges; said platform having front and rear ends and opposite sides; connecting means at said rear end of said floor; connecting means at said front end of said platform; saiD connecting means at said floor and said platform being interconnectible to position said front end of said platform at said rear end of said floor; said connecting means being pivotally interconnected to permit said rear end of said platform to swing into contact with the ground surface behind said trailer; said platform when so connected constituting a ramp for wheeling loads from the ground surface onto said floor; said platform being disconnectable and reinsertable below said floor as stated; and means for securing said platform below said floor during travel of said trailer; said connecting means on said platform being a downwardly depending flange at its said front end; a transverse cross rod below said slide channels adjacent said rear end of said floor, means pivotally mounting said rod, at least one lifting and lowering arm on said rod extending radially therefrom and swingable with said rod between a position above said rod and a horizontal position rearwardly of said rod, a radially outer end on said arm, a hand lever extending radially from said rod for pivoting said rod to swing said arm, first stop means on said trailer engageable with one said arm and lever to locate and hold said arm at an angular horizontal position rearwardly of said rod behind and below said slide channels; said platform upon removal from said slide channels moving at its said flanged front end onto said arm; said hand lever providing means to pivot said rod to swing said arm to a position over said rod to raise said platform front end to the level of said floor and to engage said outer end of said arm with said flanges to hold said platform, second stop means engageable with one said arm and lever to locate and hold said arm in a position over said rod supporting said front end of said platform; said hand lever providing means to pivot said rod to swing said lever to its said first described horizontal position to disengage said flanged front end of said platform and lower it for insertion into said slide flanges; hinge means on said trailer below said channel members adjacent said rear end of said floor; a tail-gate having an adjacent edge secured on said hinge means; said hinge means pivotally mounting said tail-gate to swing between an up position behind said floor and a down position below said floor; said tail-gate having an other edge spaced from said hinge means; said hinge means being spaced above a supporting surface; said tail-gate being a dimension between its said adjacent edge and its said other edge about equal to said normal distance between said hinge means and the supporting surface; said tail-gate in said down position contacting the supporting surface and constituting an auxiliary leg at said rear end of said floor to aid in supporting loads wheeled on and off said floor and said ramp to support said rear end of said floor and said front end of said ramp in loading and unloading.

Claim 6

A trailer particularly suitable for carrying floor-washing machines, snow-mobiles, cycles, and other wheeled-on loads comprising; paired wheels, a floor, and means supporting said floor on said wheels; said floor having front and rear ends and opposite sides; paired spaced channel members mounted below said floor adjacent said opposite sides of said floor and extending from a point adjacent said rear end of said floor toward said floor; said channel members having flanges spaced below said floor and extending side-wise toward each other forming parallel slides below said floor, a platform lying on said flanges below said floor; said platform being removable from below said floor and re-insertable below said floor by sliding said platform on said flanges; said platform having front and rear ends and opposite sides; connecting means at said rear end of said floor; connecting means at said front end of said platform; saiD connecting means at said floor and said platform being interconnectible to position said front end of said platform at said rear end of said floor; said connecting means being pivotally interconnected to permit said rear end of said platform to swing into contact with the ground surface behind said trailer; said platform when so connected constituting a ramp for wheeling loads from the ground surface onto said floor; said platform being disconnectable and reinsertable below said floor as stated; and means for securing said platform below said floor during travel of said trailer; said connecting means on said platform being a downwardly depending flange at its said front end; a transverse cross rod below said slide channels adjacent said rear end of said floor, means pivotally mounting said rod, at least one lifting and lowering arm on said rod extending radially therefrom and swingable with said rod between a position above said rod and a horizontal position rearwardly of said rod, a radially outer end on said arm, a hand lever extending radially from said rod for pivoting said rod to swing said arm, first stop means on said trailer engageable with one said arm and lever to locate and hold said arm at an angular horizontal position rearwardly of said rod behind and below said slide channels; said platform upon removal from said slide channels moving at its said flanged front end onto said arm; said hand lever providing means to pivot said rod to swing said arm to a position over said rod to raise said platform front end to the level of said floor and to engage said outer end of said arm with said flanges to hold said platform, second stop means engageable with one said arm and lever to locate and hold said arm in a position over said rod supporting said front end of said platform; said hand lever providing means to pivot said rod to swing said lever to its said first described horizontal position to disengage said flanged front end of said platform and lower it for insertion into said slide flanges; hinge means on said trailer below said channel members adjacent said rear end of said floor; a tail-gate having an adjacent edge secured on said hinge means; said hinge means pivotally mounting said tail-gate to swing between an up position behind said floor and a down position below said floor; said tail-gate having an other edge spaced from said hinge means; said hinge means being spaced above a supporting surface; said tail-gate being a dimension between its said adjacent edge and its said other edge about equal to said normal distance between said hinge means and the supporting surface; said tail-gate in said down position contacting the supporting surface and constituting an auxiliary leg at said rear end of said floor to aid in supporting loads wheeled on and off said floor and said ramp to support said rear end of said floor and said front end of said ramp in loading and unloading.