Collapsible trailer/ramp assembly

Claim 2

A collapsible trailer/ramp assembly comprising: (a) a pair of generally rectangular deck plates having a plurality of end and side flanges extending downwardly therefrom and a plurality of structural members including transverse members extending downwardly from the under side thereof and cooperating with said deck plates to form a pair of deck sections of efficient structural integrity, two of said side flanges of said deck plates being pivotally interconnected by hinge member at the lower portions thereof and forming a longitudinal pivot axis forming a longitudinal centerline of said trailer/ramp assembly and permitting said deck sections to form a compartmentalized box-like enclosure when folded about said longitudinal pivot axis, said deck sections when unfolded to substantially coextensive relation, forming a ramp for supporting objects moving thereon, said structural members defining opposed walls disposed in normal relation with said deck plates and forming wheel receptacle means and cooperating in the folded condition of said deck sections to form storage receptacle means for trailer parts, said opposed walls having pin receiving apertures formed therein; (b) a pair of wheel assemblies each having a bifurcated wheel support providing wheel support legs supporting an axle and wheel and having close fitting relation between said opposed walls and thus being removably received in substantially immovable relation by said wheel receptacle means; (c) a plurality of transverse structural bridge members being removably secured in assembly with said transverse members of said deck sections at spaced locations along the length thereof and in transverse relation to said longitudinal centerline and securing said deck sections to prevent folding thereof; (d) drawbar means being removably received by said deck sections in parallel relation with said longitudinal centerline and providing hitch receiving means for connection to the trailer hitch of a tow vehicle; and (e) a plurality of locking pins releasably securing said wheel assemblies, said transverse structural bridge members and said drawbar means to said deck sections.

Claim 3

A collapsible trailer/ramp assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said end and side flanges are integral with said deck plates and form structural flange means enhancing the structural integrity of said deck plates.

Claim 4

A collapsible trailer/ramp assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said hinge member is a single elongated hinge defining an opposed pair of hinge plates, with said deck plates disposed in coplanar relation said hinge plates being disposed in substantially normal relation with said deck plates and providing said side flanges and said deck plates with additional structural integrity.

Claim 5

A collapsible trailer/ramp assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein transverse structural bridge members are removably secured to said structural members in transverse bridging relation with said longitudinal centerline and function to restrain said deck sections in substantially coplanar relation and provide said structural members with additional structural integrity.

Claim 6

A collapsible trailer/ramp assembly as recited in claim 4 wherein said transverse structural bridge members are secured to said transverse structural members of said deck sections by means of manually insertible and removable locking pins being receivable in registering aperture formed therein.

Claim 7

A collapsible trailer/ramp assembly as recited in claim 4 wherein: at least a part of said transverse structural bridge members are fixed to and extend transversely from said drawbar means and also function to support said drawbar means in removable assembly with said deck sections.

Claim 8

A collapsible trailer/ramp assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein: (a) said wheel receptacle means is defined by the underside of said deck plates and by ones of said structural members being disposed in substantially parallel relation with said side flanges; (b) said wheel assemblies each define wheel support means of generally rectangular cross sectional configuration and being receivable in stabilized relation in engagement with said underside of said deck plates and between said ones of said structural members and said side flanges; and (c) manually insertible locking pin means releasably securing said wheel support means within said wheel socket means.

Claim 9

A collapsible trailer/ramp assembly as recited in claim 7 wherein: (a) said ones of said structural members each forming planar stabilizing surfaces; and (b) said wheel support means defines side surface means for stabilizing engagement with said planar stabilizing surfaces.

Claim 10

A collapsible trailer/ramp assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said drawbar means, said wheel assemblies, said transverse structural bridge means and said locking pin means are all receivable in secured relation within said storage receptacle means when said deck sections are folded.

Claim 11

A collapsible trailer/ramp assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein: (a) at least some of said transverse structural bridge members are fixed to said drawbar means and are disposed in transverse relation to said drawbar means; and (b) said plurality of structural members are oriented to define spaces to receive said transverse structural bridge members of said drawbar means in the stored condition of said drawbar means.

Claim 12

A collapsible trailer/ramp assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein: a plurality of post receptacle means are provided on the outer side edges of said deck plates and provide receptacles for side board posts and the like, opposed ones of said post receptacles being disposed in registry in the folded condition of said deck sections and adapted to receive locking pins to maintain said deck sections securely locked in assembly in the folded condition thereof.

Claim 13

A collapsible trailer/ramp assembly, comprising: (a) a pair of generally rectangular deck plates having a plurality of end and side flanges extending downwardly therefrom and a plurality of structural members including transverse members extending downwardly from the under side thereof and cooperating with said deck plates to form a pair of deck sections of efficient structural integrity, two of said side flanges of said deck plates being pivotally interconnected by hinge means at the lower portions thereof and forming a longitudinal pivot axis forming a longitudinal centerline of said trailer/ramp assembly and permitting said deck sections to form a compartmentalized box-like enclosure when folded about said longitudinal pivot axis, said deck sections when unfolded to substantially coextensive relation, forming a ramp for supporting objects moving thereon, said structural members defining opposed walls disposed in normal relation with said deck plates and forming wheel receptacle means and cooperating in the folded condition of said deck sections to form storage receptacle means for trailer parts, said opposed walls having pin receiving apertures formed therein; (b) a pair of wheel assemblies being removably received by said wheel receptacle means, said wheel assemblies each having a bifurcated wheel support providing wheel support legs supporting an axle and wheel, said wheel support legs being interposed in close fitting relation between said opposed walls and having apertures registering with said pin receiving apertures of said opposed walls; (c) plurality of transverse structural bridge members being removably secured in locked assembly with said transverse structural members of said deck sections and extending transversally across said axial centerline and retaining said deck sections in coplanar relation and preventing folding thereof; (d) drawbar means being removably received by said deck sections parallel relation with said central axis and providing hitch receiving means for connection to the trailer hitch of a tow at least some of said transverse structural bridge elements being fixed to said drawbar means and extending transversely therefrom; and (e) locking pin means releasably securing said wheel assemblies, said transverse structural bridge members and said drawbar means to said deck sections.

Claim 14

A collapsible trailer/ramp assembly, comprising: (a) a pair of generally rectangular deck plates having a plurality of end and side flanges extending downwardly therefrom and a plurality of structural members including transverse members extending downwardly from the under side thereof and cooperating with said deck plates to form a pair of deck sections of efficient structural integrity, two of said side flanges of said deck plates being pivotally interconnected by hinge means at the lower portions thereof and forming a longitudinal pivot axis forming a longitudinal centerline of said trailer/ramp assembly and permitting said deck sections to form a compartmentalized box-like enclosure when folded about said longitudinal pivot axis, said deck sections when unfolded to substantially coextensive relation, forming a ramp for supporting objects moving thereon, said structural members defining opposed walls disposed in normal relation with said deck plates and forming wheel receptacle means and cooperating in the folded condition of said deck sections to form storage receptacle means for trailer parts, said opposed walls having pin receiving apertures formed therein; (b) a pair of wheel assemblies being removably received by said wheel receptacle means, said wheel assemblies each having a bifurcated wheel support providing wheel support legs supporting an axle and wheel, said wheel support legs being interposed in close fitting relation between said opposed walls and having apertures registering with said pin receiving apertures of said opposed walls; (c) plurality of transverse structural bridge members being removably secured in locked assembly with said transverse structural members of said deck sections and extending transversally across said axial centerline and retaining said deck sections in coplanar relation and preventing folding thereof; (d) drawbar means being removably received by said deck sections parallel relation with said central axis and providing hitch receiving means for connection to the trailer hitch of a tow at least some of said transverse structural bridge elements being fixed to said drawbar means and extending transversely therefrom; and (e) locking pin means releasably securing said wheel assemblies, said transverse structural bridge members and said drawbar means to said deck sections.

Claim 15

A collapsible trailer/ramp assembly as recited in claim 12, wherein: (a) said axial hinge means is a single elongated hinge defining a pair of opposed hinge plates that are secured to the inner side flanges of said deck sections and, with said deck sections unfolded, said hinge plates being disposed in substantially normal relation with said deck plates and providing additional structural integrity for said deck sections; and (b) two of said transverse structural bridge elements are removably located at respective extremities of said single elongated hinge.

Claim 16

A collapsible trailer/ramp assembly as recited in claim 13 wherein said transverse structural bridge members are said transverse structural members form registering pin receiving apertures and said transverse structural bridge members are secured to said deck sections by means of said locking pins.

Claim 17

A collapsible trailer/ramp assembly as recited in claim 12 wherein: (a) said bifuracted wheel supports of said wheel assemblies each form a transverse upper end cooperating with said wheel support legs to define a generally rectangular cross sectional configuration and being receivable in stabilized relation within said wheel receptacle means; and (b) manually insertible locking pin means extending through said wheel support legs and said opposed walls and releasably securing said wheel support means within said wheel socket means.

Claim 18

A collapsible trailer/ramp assembly as recited in claim 12 wherein: (a) said drawbar means, said wheel assemblies, said transverse structural bridge means and said locking pin means are all receivable within said storage receptacle means; (b) at least some of said transverse structural bridge members are fixed to said drawbar means; and (c) said structural members are configured to define spaces to receive said transverse structural bridge members of said drawbar means in the stored condition of said drawbar means.

Claim 19

A collapsible trailer/ramp assembly as recited in claim 12 wherein: (a) a part of said structural members are disposed in transverse relation with said axial centerline and are positioned in closely spaced parallel relation; (b) said transverse structural bridge members of said drawbar means are removably received in the space between said closely spaced parallel structural members; and (c) said locking pin means extending through said closely spaced parallel structural members and said transverse structural bridge members are retaining the same in releasable assembly.

Claim 20

A collapsible trailer/ramp assembly as recited in claim 12, wherein: a plurality of said transverse structural members form outer side edges of each of said deck sections and are defined by double plate elements fixed in intimate assembly.

Claim 21

A collapsible trailer/ramp assembly as recited in claim 12, wherein: said opposed walls of said wheel receptacle means are formed by double structural plate elements.

Claim 22

A collapsible trailer/ramp assembly as recited in claim 19, wherein: a portion of said opposed walls of each wheel receptacle means is defined by the outer side edge of its respective deck section.