Foldable creeper

Claim 2

A foldable creeper for supporting a person, said creeper having a top side, a bottom side, left and right sides, and head and foot ends, said creeper hinged along a line which extends transversely along the approximate longitudinal centerline for movement between an open position and a folded storage position, and comprising: (a) a framework comprising longitudinal and transverse frame members, said longitudinal frame members extending lengthwise along said left and right sides of the creeper, wherein said longitudinal frame members are divided into segments having a head end and a foot end, (b) said transverse frame members rigidly connecting left and right longitudinal frame members, said transverse frame members including at least one central segment lower than the ends of said transverse frame members for supporting a support panel; (c) support panels having top sides and bottom sides and connected to said transverse frame members; and (d) casters connected to said frame members for supporting said frame members above the ground when said creeper is in the open position; (e) hinging means connecting the segments of a longitudinal frame member for folding the creeper; wherein the hinge means provides a spacing between the longitudinal frame member segments in the folded position and connects the longitudinal frame member segments by a pivot hinge located on each of the connected longitudinal frame member segments.

Claim 3

A foldable creeper as claimed in claim 1, wherein said hinging means are constructed to permit said creeper to be folded such that said top sides of said support panels face each other when the creeper is in the folded position.

Claim 4

A foldable creeper as in claim 1, wherein said hinging means are constructed to permit said creeper to be folded such that said bottom sides of said support panels face each other when said creeper is in the folded position.

Claim 5

A foldable creeper as in claim 3 wherein the hinging means is constructed so that the casters do not interfere with each other when the bottom sides of said support panels face each other in the folded position.

Claim 6

A foldable creeper as in claim 4, further comprising locking means for locking said creeper in an open position.

Claim 7

A foldable creeper as in claim 1, wherein said left and right head-end longitudinal frame member segments are connected to each other via at least two transverse frame member segments, and wherein said left and right foot-end longitudinal frame member segments are connected to each other via at least two transverse frame member segments.

Claim 8

A foldable creeper as in claim 1, wherein said longitudinal and transverse frame members are hollow.

Claim 9

A foldable creeper as in claim 1, wherein said longitudinal and transverse frame members are metal.

Claim 10

A foldable creeper as in claim 1, further including padding provided on the top side of said support panels.

Claim 11

A foldable creeper as in claim 9, further including a headrest at said head end of said creeper.

Claim 12

A foldable creeper as in claim 1, wherein said central lower segment of each of said transverse frame members is positioned from about 1/2 to four inches below the top of said longitudinal frame members when said creeper is in the open position.

Claim 13

A foldable creeper as in claim 1, wherein said central lower segment of each of said transverse frame members is positioned from two to three inches below said longitudinal frame members when said creeper is in the open position.

Claim 14

A foldable creeper as in claim 2, wherein said left head-end longitudinal frame member segment is flush against said left foot-end longitudinal frame member segment and said right head-end longitudinal frame member segment is flush against said right foot-end longitudinal frame member segment when said creeper is in the folded position.

Claim 15

A foldable creeper as in claim 1, wherein each of said head-end longitudinal frame member segments and foot-end longitudinal frame member segments is provided with at least two casters.

Claim 16

A foldable creeper as in claim 1, wherein the spacing provided by the hinging means is a bar that is connected to the pivot hinges so that each of the connected longitudinal frame member segments can pivot with respect to the bar.

Claim 17

A foldable creeper as in claim 15, wherein two bars are used to connected the longitudinal frame member segments are and wherein said bars are flat metal bars having first and second ends, wherein each of said first and second centerline bar ends is provided with a through hole wherein said longitudinal frame members have a horizontal and are provided with horizontal through holes parallel to the axis of articulation above said horizontal centerline when said creeper is in the open position, and wherein said first and second bars are pivotably connected to said longitudinal frame members through said through holes.

Claim 18

A foldable creeper for supporting a person, said creeper having a top side, a bottom side, left and right sides, and head and foot ends, said creeper hinged along the longitudinal frame members for the movement between an open position and a folded storage position, and comprising: (a) a framework comprising longitudinal and transverse frame members, said longitudinal frame members extending lengthwise along said left and right sides of the creeper, wherein said longitudinal frame members are divided into segments having a head end and a foot end; (b) said transfer members rigidly connecting left and right longitudinal frame members said transverse frame members including at least one central segment lower than the end of said transverse frame members for supporting a support panel, said central lower segment of said transverse member oriented from one-half to four inches below the top of said longitudinal frame members when said creeper is the open position; (c) support panels having a top sides and bottom sides and connected to said transverse frame members; (d) casters connected to said longitudinal frame members for supporting said framework above the ground when said creeper is in the open position; (e) hinging means connecting the segments of a longitudinal frame member for folding the creeper so that the casters do not interfere with each other when the bottom sides of said support panels face each other in the folded position; wherein the hinge means provides a spacing between the longitudinal frame member segments in the folded position and connects the longitudinal frame member segments by a pivot hinge located on each of the connected longitudinal frame member segments.

Claim 19

A foldable creeper for supporting a person, said creeper having a top side, a bottom side, left and right sides, and head and foot ends, said creeper hinged along the longitudinal frame members for the movement between an open position and a folded storage position, and comprising: (a) a framework comprising longitudinal and transverse frame members, said longitudinal frame members extending lengthwise along said left and right sides of the creeper, wherein said longitudinal frame members are divided into segments having a head end and a foot end; (b) said transfer members rigidly connecting left and right longitudinal frame members said transverse frame members including at least one central segment lower than the end of said transverse frame members for supporting a support panel, said central lower segment of said transverse member oriented from one-half to four inches below the top of said longitudinal frame members when said creeper is the open position; (c) support panels having a top sides and bottom sides and connected to said transverse frame members; (d) casters connected to said longitudinal frame members for supporting said framework above the ground when said creeper is in the open position; (e) hinging means connecting the segments of a longitudinal frame member for folding the creeper so that the casters do not interfere with each other when the bottom sides of said support panels face each other in the folded position; wherein the hinge means provides a spacing between the longitudinal frame member segments in the folded position and connects the longitudinal frame member segments by a pivot hinge located on each of the connected longitudinal frame member segments.

Claim 20

A creeper as in claim 17, wherein said transverse frame member is square, circular, oval, "U" shaped, "L" shaped, or a bean.

Claim 21

A creeper as in claim 1, wherein said transverse frame member is square, circular, oval, "U" shaped, "L" shaped, or a beam.

Claim 22

A creeper as in claim 18, wherein said transverse frame member is square, circular, oval, "U" shaped, "L" shaped, or a beam.

Claim 23

A foldable creeper for supporting a person, said creeper having a top side, a bottom side, left and right sides, and head and foot ends, said creeper hinged along longitudinal frame members for the movement between an open position and a folded storage position, and comprising: (a) a framework comprising longitudinal and transverse frame members, said longitudinal frame members extending lengthwise along said left and right sides of the creeper, wherein said longitudinal frame members are divided into segments having a head end and a foot end; (b) said transfer members rigidly connecting left and right longitudinal frame members said transverse frame members including at least one central segment lower than the end of said transverse frame members for supporting a support panel; (c) support panels having a top sides and bottom sides and connected to said transverse frame members; (d) casters connected to said longitudinal frame members for supporting said framework above the ground when said creeper is in the open position; (e) hinge means connecting the segments of the longitudinal frame member for folding the creeper so that the casters do not interfere with each other when the bottom sides of said support panels face each other in the folded position; wherein the hinge means provides a spacing between the longitudinal frame member segments in the folded position and allows a longitudinal frame member segment to move with a horizontal component with respect to the connected longitudinal frame member segment.

Claim 24

A foldable creeper for supporting a person, said creeper having a top side, a bottom side, left and right sides, and head and foot ends, said creeper hinged along longitudinal frame members for the movement between an open position and a folded storage position, and comprising: (a) a framework comprising longitudinal and transverse frame members, said longitudinal frame members extending lengthwise along said left and right sides of the creeper, wherein said longitudinal frame members are divided into segments having a head end and a foot end; (b) said transfer members rigidly connecting left and right longitudinal frame members said transverse frame members including at least one central segment lower than the end of said transverse frame members for supporting a support panel; (c) support panels having a top sides and bottom sides and connected to said transverse frame members; (d) casters connected to said longitudinal frame members for supporting said framework above the ground when said creeper is in the open position; (e) hinge means connecting the segments of the longitudinal frame member for folding the creeper so that the casters do not interfere with each other when the bottom sides of said support panels face each other in the folded position; wherein the hinge means provides a spacing between the longitudinal frame member segments in the folded position and allows a longitudinal frame member segment to move with a horizontal component with respect to the connected longitudinal frame member segment.

Claim 25

A foldable creeper according to claim 21 wherein the hinging means allows a caster on longitudinal frame segment to be located in an offset position relative to a corresponding caster on the opposing longitudinal frame member segment when the creeper is in the folded position.

Claim 26

A foldable creeper according to claim 21 wherein said central lower segment of said transverse member oriented from one-half to four inches below the top of said longitudinal frame member when said creeper is the open position.

Claim 27

A foldable creeper according to claim 23 wherein spacing includes a bar hinged to each longitudinal frame member segments thereby allowing the casters to be placed offset to each other.

Claim 28

A foldable creeper according to claim 24 wherein the bar is in a sloped position when the frame members are flush against each other.

Claim 29

A foldable creeper according to claim 21 wherein the creeper has a minimum thickness in the folded position of twice the frame thickness plus the length of the casters from the frame segments.