Abstract:
A snowmobile dolly usable with a wide variety of snowmobiles of different sizes and/or designs. The dolly approaches the snowmobile from the front and engages its front bumper. A downward force on the tongue of the dolly raises the snowmobile and positions the front wheels of the dolly under the front of the snowmobile. An auxiliary rear axle is then slid under a rear portion of the snowmobile. A swivel connection on the front bumper-engaging member allows the snowmobile supported by the dolly to be easily maneuvered in tight spaces. An additional feature of the dolly is that it may also be reconfigured for use as a jack stand allowing service or repair work to be performed. The dolly is adapted to be towed behind a riding lawnmower, yard tractor, or the like, further enhancing the utility of the dolly.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims priority in accordance with 37 C.F.R. §1.78 to Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/615,034, filed Oct. 1, 2004. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention pertains to dollies and, more particularly, to a multi-function, all-terrain, two-part dolly for transporting a snowmobile, personal watercraft, ATV, law mower and the like. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Owners of snowmobiles and the like often have need to manually move the snowmobile during periods of non-use. Such manual movement may be required to place or reposition the snowmobile in a storage spot, to temporarily move the snowmobile around on the floor of a garage, barn, shed, or similar structure for maintenance, or merely to get the snowmobile temporarily out of the way. Because of the bulk and weight of a snowmobile, it is difficult for one person to reposition the vehicle without power. In addition, the track and skis of the snowmobile are somewhat fragile and may be damaged by indiscriminate moving or dragging these structures across a surface. 
   Many snowmobile owners also opt to perform their own maintenance and repairs on their snowmobile(s). For this reason, it is also advantageous that any device designed to move a snowmobile around, for example in a garage, be adapted as a lift and/or jack stand to allow servicing the snowmobile. The inclusion of such functionality prevents the necessity for multiple pieces of support equipment which may take up valuable storage space when not in use. This functionality is not provided in prior art snowmobile dollies. 
   DISCUSSION OF THE RELATED ART 
   Dollies designed to facilitate movement of snowmobiles are known in the prior art. However, each of the known prior art snowmobile dollies suffers from at least one serious limitation. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,498 for SNOWMOBILE DOLLY SYSTEM, issued May 27, 1997 to Ernie Beaudet et al. teaches one such dolly. The BEAUDET et al. dolly is a three-piece unit, one piece adapted for placement under each of the front skis, a third piece adapted for placement under the track and rear portion of the snowmobile. The BEAUDET et al. dolly is equipped with small-diameter casters which may function properly on smooth, clean surfaces but become totally unusable on rough surfaces such as gravel, uneven ground, or the like. In addition, the freedom of independent movement provided by the BEAUDET et al. casters makes steering and/or otherwise maneuvering a snowmobile mounted on the BEAUDET et al. dolly difficult at best. BEAUDET et al. provide no built-in mechanism for helping position a snowmobile on the dolly. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,061 for DOLLY FOR MOVING A SNOWMOBILE, issued Feb. 10, 1998 to Ken Sloan et al. teaches another dolly for a snowmobile. The SLOAN et al. apparatus is first slid under the front end of the snowmobile. Once in place, a complicated jack mechanism is used elevate the track (i.e., rear) portion of the snowmobile above the ground. Only when the track is raised may auxiliary support wheels optionally be put in place. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,045,123 for SNOWMOBILE TRACK LIFT, issued Apr. 4, 2000 to Mark Charles Christen teaches a snowmobile jack suitable for raising the track of a snowmobile above a floor surface. Once raised, a retaining pin may be used to secure the snowmobile at the desired height. No provision is made for moving the elevated snowmobile. 
   Published United States Patent Application 2003/0062699 for OVERSIZED MASSIVE BREAK APART DOLLY, published Apr. 3, 2003 upon application by Nicholas Gargaro teaches a wheeled framework adapted to be slid under a snowmobile or the like. When in place, the weight of an operator brings the dolly handle downward, thereby pivoting the snowmobile or other load upward. Once rotated, the GARGARO dolly may be used to move its load. However, having only two wheels, as well as having the load cantilevered forward of the two wheels, manipulation of the load is, at best, difficult. 
   In contradistinction, the snowmobile dolly of the invention overcomes all these limitations of the prior art. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a simple, easy to use, snowmobile dolly that is usable with a large variety of snowmobiles of different sizes and/or designs. The dolly which consists of a simple, wheeled framework, approaches the snowmobile from the front and engages its front bumper, typically with a U-shaped connected. A downward pressure exerted on the handle and tongue of the inventive dolly raises the front of the snowmobile and causes the dolly&#39;s front wheels mounted to the dolly&#39;s transverse axle to move under a front portion of the snowmobile. 
   An auxiliary axle having a relatively large diameter wheel disposed at each end is first slid or placed under the snowmobile&#39;s track, thus affording the user elevated use. A 360° swivel forming a part of the front support mechanism of the dolly allows the snowmobile placed thereupon to be easily maneuvered in tight spaces. An additional feature of the inventive dolly is that it may also serve as a secure jack stand holding the snowmobile elevated to allow service or repair work to be performed. The distal end of the dolly handle is adapted to form a hitch component to facilitate pulling the snowmobile behind a riding lawn mower, yard tractor, or the like, further enhancing the utility of the dolly. 
   The construction is simple and the complicated jack mechanisms and other linkages of the prior art are eliminated, thereby yielding a low cost, easy-to-use, reliable snowmobile dolly. 
   It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a snowmobile dolly adaptable for use with a wide range of snowmobile sizes and designs. 
   It is another object of the invention to provide a snowmobile dolly that easily lifts the snowmobile from the rear to allow an auxiliary axle to be inserted under the track thereof. 
   It is another object of the invention to provide a snowmobile dolly having a swivel connect at the point of support of the front of the snowmobile. 
   It is a still further object of the invention to provide a snowmobile dolly which may securely hold a snowmobile elevated to allow service or repair thereof. 
   It is an additional object of the invention to provide a snowmobile dolly which has wheels of sufficient diameter to allow easily moving and maneuvering a snowmobile over rough terrain such as gravel. 
   It is yet another object of the invention to provide a snowmobile dolly which may be easily towed behind a riding lawnmower or yard tractor. 
   It is another object of the invention to provide a snowmobile dolly which may be equipped with a ball hitch to allow towing the snowmobile behind a truck, car, or other vehicle having a traditional ball trailer hitch. 
   It is a further object of the invention to provide a snowmobile dolly which is simple in design and which is inexpensive to manufacture. 
   It is a still further object of the invention to provide a snowmobile dolly having a reconfigurable tongue allowing the dolly to perform multiple functions depending upon the selected handle configuration. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A complete understanding of the present invention may be obtained by reference to the accompanying drawings, when considered in conjunction with the subsequent detailed description, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a side, perspective pictorial view of the snowmobile dolly of the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded pictorial view showing the components of the dolly of  FIG. 1  prior to assembly thereof; 
       FIG. 3   a  is a detailed perspective pictorial view of the U-shaped connector of the dolly of  FIG. 1  prior to connecting to a snowmobile&#39;s front bumper; 
       FIG. 3   b  is a detailed perspective pictorial view of the U-shaped connector of  FIG. 3   a  after surrounding the front bumper of a snowmobile; 
       FIG. 3   c  is a side perspective pictorial view of the dolly of  FIG. 1  having its U-shaped connector in the position of  FIG. 3   b;    
       FIG. 3   d  is a side perspective pictorial view of the dolly of  FIG. 1  showing how the auxiliary axel is positioned under the snowmobile by using the front of the inventive dolly; 
       FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  are top plan schematic views of the dolly of  FIG. 3   d , depicting the extremes in range of motion in a horizontal plane of the dolly&#39;s tongue; 
       FIG. 5   a  is a detailed perspective pictorial view of the distal end of the tongue of the dolly of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 5   b  is a detailed perspective pictorial view of the distal end of the tongue of  FIG. 5   a  connected to a towing vehicle; 
       FIG. 5   c  is a perspective pictorial views of the dolly of  FIG. 3   d  being towed in a straight path by a tractor; 
       FIG. 5   d  is a top plan schematic view of the dolly of  FIG. 3   d  being towed in a turning path by a tractor; and 
       FIG. 6  is a side perspective view of the dolly of  FIG. 1  reconfigured for use as a jack stand support for a snowmobile. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   The dolly of the present invention is designed to be a simple, reconfigurable, versatile tool useful to an equipment owner. For purposes of this description, the term “snowmobile” is meant to include all movable equipment including, but not limited to, snowmobiles, personal watercraft, ATV&#39;s, and the like. It allows easily moving a snowmobile over uneven terrain, either by human power or by attaching the tongue of the dolly to a riding lawnmower, yard tractor, or in alternate embodiments by a vehicle equipped with a conventional ball hitch. 
   Referring first to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there are shown a side, perspective, pictorial view and an exploded view of the components, respectively, of the snowmobile dolly of the invention, generally at reference number  100 . A front support unit  102  is configured in a substantially triangular form, in the preferred embodiment, and supports a transverse front axle  104  disposed proximate a first vertex  106  thereof and extending substantially perpendicular to the plane of front support unit  102 . Front support unit  102  is typically constructed from square tubing sections welded or otherwise suitably fastened at three vertices  106 ,  112 , and  118 . While square steel tubing has been chosen for purposes of disclosure, it will be recognized that other cross-sectional shapes may also be used and that the form of the front support unit  102  need not be triangular. In still other embodiments, solid stock may be used to form front support unit  102  or one or more other components of the snowmobile dolly  100 . In addition, materials other than steel may also be chosen. Consequently, the invention is not considered limited to a particular material, hollow or solid stock configuration, or a particular cross-sectional shape. Rather, the invention is seen to encompass any and all variations thereof. 
   Front wheels  108  are rotatively mounted at each end of front axle  104 . The diameter of front wheels  108  is chosen to be sufficient for easy traverse of uneven or soft terrain by snowmobile dolly  100 . Front wheels  108  may be equipped with rubber tires, either balloon or other types, as is well known in the art. Support braces  105  are provided to strengthen axle  104  and to prevent bending thereof. 
   Front support unit  102  is adapted to slidably and adjustably receive and retain at its second vertex  112 , the proximal end of a front support post  110 . Front support post  110  is typically retained on front support unit  102  by a lock pin  120  interacting with one of a series of holes  113  therein, thereby providing height adjustability, but such adjustability is not required. Front support post  110  has a swivel joint  114  disposed at its distal, swivel joint  114 , in turn, connecting a U-shaped connector  116  to the distal end  117  of front support post  110 . U-shaped connector  116  is adapted to surround a front bumper  131  of a snowmobile  134  ( FIG. 3   b ) as will be described in detail hereinbelow. It will be recognized that other interface devices (e.g., non-U-Shaped devices) may be placed at the distal end of front support post  110  to meet a particular operating circumstance or environment and the invention is not considered limited to the U-shape configuration chosen for purposes of disclosure. Likewise, depending upon the model of snowmobile, the front bumper thereof may not be present or may not be suitable for this procedure. In such cases, a different connector or snowmobile lift location can be used. 
   A third vertex  118  of front support unit  102  is adapted and configured to slidably receive and retain a tongue  122  with pin  121 . An offset  125  is formed in tongue  122  disposed near a proximal end thereof. The function of offset  125  will also be described in detail hereinbelow. A distal end  124  of tongue  122  is provided in a split configuration to facilitate attachment of tongue  122  to a motive device such as riding lawnmower or yard tractor, neither of which is shown. Although, in the preferred embodiment, tongue  122  is detachable and reconfigurable, tongue  122  may also be permanently attached in alternate embodiments. 
   An optional T-shaped handle  126  may be connected to distal end  124  of tongue  122  to facilitate movement of snowmobile dolly  100  by a person. T-shaped handle  126  is also typically provided with an offset  127  ( FIG. 3   d ) to position the distal end  124  of tongue  122  in an ergonomically correct and convenient position for pushing or pulling snowmobile dolly  100  by a human operator. T-shaped handle  126  is typically connected to tongue  122  by a locking pin, not shown. It will be recognized that other handle configurations may be provided for attachment to distal end  124  of tongue  122 . Consequently, the invention is not considered limited to the T-shaped handle  126  chosen for purposes of disclosure. 
   An independent rear axle  128  is provided with a rear wheel  130  rotatively mounted at each end thereof. Independent rear axle  128  with rear wheels  130  is adapted for easy placement under the track, not specifically identified, of a snowmobile  134  ( FIG. 3   b ), when the snowmobile  134  is supported by dolly  100 . Independent rear axle  128  may best be seen in its intended operating position in  FIG. 5   d.    
   Refer now also to  FIGS. 3   a - 3   d . In operation, snowmobile dolly  100  approaches the front bumper  131  of a snowmobile  134  as shown in  FIG. 3   a . Rear axle  128  must be placed under snowmobile  134  before lifting the front thereof ( FIG. 3   d ). Tongue  122  is disposed in a substantially vertical orientation as may be seen in  FIG. 3   c . Front support post  110 , however, is inclined with respect to the floor. U-shaped connector  116  is oriented via swivel joint  114  to align with the bumper  131  of snowmobile  134 . A slight additional forward movement (i.e., left to right as seen in  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b ) allows U-shaped connector  116  to encircle bumper  131  as may be seen in  FIG. 3   b . Once U-shaped connector  116  has engaged bumper  131 , tongue  122  may be pulled down in a direction shown by arrow  132  ( FIG. 3   c ). This is accomplished by application of downward pressure on T-shaped handle  126 . 
   Once U-shaped connector  116  has grasped bumper  131  and downward pressure has been applied to the distal end  124  of tongue  122  through T-shaped handle  126 , front axle  104  and front wheels  108  have moved under the snowmobile  134  as may be seen in  FIG. 3   d . Tongue  122  has moved from its substantially vertical orientation ( FIG. 3   c ) to a position oblique to the floor. Front support post  110 , however, has been reoriented into a substantially vertical orientation as may be seen in  FIG. 3   d . The snowmobile  134  has now also been elevated above the floor by using front support unit  102 , allowing independent rear axle  128  with rear wheels  130  to be slid under the track of the snowmobile  134 . 
   Swivel joint  114  at the distal end of now substantially vertical front support post  110  allows front axle  104  a wide range of motion in a plane substantially parallel to the floor or other surface upon which snowmobile dolly  100  is resting. This range of motion may readily be seen in  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  where the rotation of axle  104  is limited only by interference between the body of snowmobile  134  and tongue  122 . 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b , there are shown detailed views of the distal end  124  of tongue  122  (FIG.  5   a ).  FIG. 5   b  shows a detailed view of distal end  124  of tongue  122  connected to a towing vehicle such as a riding lawnmower or a yard tractor, only a portion being shown in  FIG. 5   b.    
     FIGS. 5   c  and  5   d  show snowmobile  134  upon snowmobile dolly  100  of the invention being towed in a straight direction ( FIG. 5   c ) and turning a corner ( FIG. 5   d ). In  FIG. 5   d , independent rear axle  128  and rear wheels  130  may be clearly seen under the track of snowmobile  134 . 
   It will be recognized that a hitch, not shown, adapted for operative interaction with a standard ball hitch on a towing vehicle may be placed at the distal end  124  of tongue  122  to facilitate attachment of snowmobile dolly  100  to a towing vehicle so configured. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 6 , there is shown the snowmobile dolly  100  of the invention reconfigured to serve as a jack stand. It may be seen that tongue  122  has been inverted (i.e., rotated 180° around its major axis). This has, in effect, turned the offset  125  in tongue  122  upside down relative to its position as may be seen in  FIG. 1 . In this configuration, when tongue  122  is allowed to rest on the floor, snowmobile  134  is maintained in a stable position. 
   Since other modifications and changes varied to fit particular operating requirements and environments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention is not considered limited to the example chosen for purposes of disclosure, and covers all changes and modifications which do not constitute departures from the true spirit and scope of this invention. 
   Having thus described the invention, what is desired to be protected by Letters Patent is presented in the subsequently appended claims.