Abstract:
An end cap attached to an end of skid for rolling a vehicle through the end cap and on to or off of the skid, the end cap having at least one channel extending through the end cap wherein each channel of the end cap is aligned with one channel in the top of the platform of the skid for holding the wheels of the vehicle. The end cap is attached to the top of a platform of a skid. In addition, the end cap can be designed and manufactured in either multiple segments or as a single component. The end cap may optionally have a vertical extension extending down from one side of the end cap and attaching to the bottom of the platform, thereby covering an end of the skid.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of Application No. 60/210,597, filed in the U.S.P.T.O. on Jun. 9, 2000. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to pallets and skids for transporting and storing vehicles, and more particularly, to the end caps of skids used in the transport and storage of two wheeled vehicles, e.g., motorcycles. 
     2. Related Art 
     Skids have been used to store and transport two wheeled vehicles, e.g., motorcycles, for over twenty years. Until recently, these prior art skids were made of wood and comprised a wooden platform having either one longitudinally centered single channel extending the entire length of the skid, or alternatively, two longitudinally centered channels spaced a predefined distance from each other. In operation, the two wheels of a motorcycle are positioned within the central channel(s) of a skid and the motorcycle is tied down, thereby securing the motorcycle to the skid. New skids are basically the same design and structure as the prior art skids, however, new skids are made of metal. 
     Regardless of the material used in constructing a skid, conventional skids have a bar at each end extending across the width of the skid and the channel(s) to prevent the vehicle from rolling off of the skid. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,676 to Creek, et al., a metal skid is disclosed for shipping motorcycles having a cross member secured across each end of the skid wherein the cross members block the wheels of the motorcycle and prevent the motorcycle from rolling off of the end of the skid. 
     The disadvantage of these conventional skids is that to remove a two-wheeled vehicle, e.g., a motorcycle, from the skid, the vehicle has to be lifted, pushed or run over a cross member located at an end of the skid. As a result, an operator may easily strain his/her back or cause other injury in attempting to remove the vehicle from the skid. Alternatively, the operator may remove a cross member at one end of a skid to allow the motorcycle to be pushed or rolled through the central channel and off of the skid. In either method, the operator must take the time and exert extra effort in removing the motorcycle from the skid. 
     Therefore, there is a need for an end cap of a skid wherein a vehicle may easily be rolled on to and off of a skid while eliminating the need for lifting, pushing or raising the vehicle over a cross bar during its installation on or removal from the skid. Furthermore, there is a need for an end cap for a skid wherein a cross bar located at the end of the skid does not have to be removed to roll a vehicle off of the skid. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The end cap of the present invention solves the problems associated with conventional skids by providing an end cap rigidly secured to an end of a skid that has a means for rolling a vehicle through the end cap. Specifically, the end cap has at least one channel extending through the end cap wherein each channel of the end cap is aligned with one channel in the top of the platform of the skid. The principal advantage of the present invention is that a user can easily and quickly roll a vehicle on and off a skid having an end cap of the present invention because the wheel(s) of a vehicle roll through one or more channels in the end cap. 
     The end cap also comprises a means for attaching the end cap to the top of a platform of a skid. The end cap can be designed and manufactured in either multiple segments or as a single component. In addition, the end cap may optionally have a vertical extension extending down from one side of the end cap and attaching to the bottom of the platform such that the vertical extension covers the end of the platform and adds stability to the skid. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES 
     The present invention is described below in sufficient detail such that one of ordinary skill in the relevant art(s) can design and build a visual safety signal electrical cable of the present invention with all of the features described herein. 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective diagram of an end cap of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a planar back view of the end cap on a skid; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective diagram of the end cap on a skid; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective diagram of an alternative end cap; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective diagram of the alternative end cap on a skid; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective diagram of a one piece end cap; and 
     FIG. 7 is a planar back view of the one piece end cap. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An end cap  100  of the present invention, and as used on a conventional skid  200 , is described in FIGS. 1-3. The skid  200  is described in terms of storing and transporting a two wheeled vehicle, e.g., a motorcycle, but this is for convenience purpose only. It would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art to design, manufacture, and use a skid  200  and an end cap  100  of the present invention with a vehicle having a different number of wheels. For example, when storing and transporting a four wheeled vehicle, the skid  200  has two parallel channels and the end cap  100  has two channels aligned herewith. In addition, the skid and end cap  100  of the present invention are preferably made of metal, but can be made of any comparable material, e.g., wood or a composite material. 
     The skid  200  has a platform  212  being generally rectangular in shape including a top  202 , a bottom  214 , a first side  204 , a second side  206 , a first end  208 , a second end  210 , and a longitudinally centered channel  216  in the top  202  and extending the length of the skid  200 . In addition, the skid  200  has an end cap  100  rigidly attached to the second end  210  of the platform  212  having at least one channel  108  extending through the end cap  100  wherein each channel  108  of the end cap  100  is aligned with one channel  216  in the top  202  of the platform  212  of the skid  200 . 
     In the preferred embodiment, the end cap  100  comprises multiple segments, such as a first end cap portion  102   a  and a second end cap portion  102   b,  both of which are rigidly secured to the top  202  of the platform  212  of a skid  200 . Specifically, the first end cap portion  102   a  is attached to the top  202  of the platform  212  such that the outside edge  114   a  of the first end cap portion  102   a  is adjacent to, or flush with, the first side  204  of the platform  212 , and the second end cap portion  102   b  is attached to the top  202  at the platform  212  such that the outside edge  114   b  of the second end cap portion  102   b  is adjacent to, or flush with, the second side  206  of the platform  212 . The first end cap portion  102   a  is positioned a predefined distance from the second end cap portion  102   b,  thereby creating a channel  108  extending between the first end cap portion  102   a  and the second end cap portion  102   b  such that the channel  108  is aligned with the channel  216  in the top  202  of the platform  212  of the skid  200 . 
     Also in the preferred embodiment, the first end cap portion  102   a  and the second end cap portion  102   b  are generally U-shaped and open downwards and have a means for attaching to the top  202  of the platform  212  of the skid  200 . The preferred means for attaching is a first flange  104   a,    104   b  attached to the first side  110   a,b  of the first end cap portion  102   a  and the second end cap portion  102   b,  and a second flange  106   a, b  attached to the second side  112   a,b  of the first end cap portion  102   a  and the second end cap portion  102   b.  Therefore, the first end cap portion  102   a  and the second end cap portion  102   b  are attached to the top  202  of the platform  212  of a skid  200  via the first flange  104   a,    104   b  and the second flange  106   a,    106   b  by any conventional means, e.g., welding, nuts and blots, clips, fasteners, or, if appropriate, an adhesive. 
     In this embodiment, the cross sectional shape of the channel  108  between the first end cap portion  102   a  and the second end cap portion  102   b  is generally rectangular, but this is for convenience purpose only. It would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art to use a first end cap portion  102   a  and a second end cap portion  102   b  having a different shape, thereby resulting in a channel  108  having a different shape. For example, the channel  108  may have two or more angled edges. 
     In an alternative embodiment shown in FIGS. 4-5, the end cap  400  of the present invention includes a means for covering the second end  210  of the platform  212 . FIG. 4 shows an end cap  400  preferably having a first end cap portion  402   a  with a first flange  404   a  and a second flange  406   a,  and a second end cap portion  402   b  with a first flange  404   b  and a second flange  406   b.  The preferred means for covering the second end  210  of the platform  212  are vertical extensions  408   a,b  rigidly attached to a second side  412   a  of the first end cap portion  402   a  and a second side  412   b  of the second end cap portion  402   b.  The vertical extensions  408   a,b  are attached such that when the first end cap portion  402   a  is attached to the second end  210  of the platform  212 , the first vertical extension  408   a  of the first end cap portion  402   a  extends over and covers a first portion of the second end  210  of the platform  212 , and when a second vertical extension  408   b  is attached to the second side  412   b  of the second end cap portion  408   b  and the second end cap portion  402   b  is attached to the second end  210  of the platform  212 , the second vertical extension  408   b  of the second end cap portion  402   b  extends over and covers a second portion of the second end  210  of the platform  212 . 
     The vertical extensions  408   a,b  also have a means for attaching to the bottom  214  of the skid  200  in order to secure the end cap  400  to the skid  200 . The preferred means is are flanges  410   a,b  located at the bottom of the vertical extensions  408   a,b  that are secured to the bottom  214  of the skid  200  by any conventional means, e.g., welding, nuts and bolts, clips, fasteners, and, if appropriate, an adhesive. 
     In a second embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 6-7, the end cap  600  is an elongated bar  602  having a first side  608  with a first flange  612   a,    612   b,  a second side  610  with a second flange  614   a,    614   b,  a first outside edge  604  and a second outside edge  606 , one or more channels  618  extending through the elongated bar  602  from the first side  608  to the second side  610  wherein each channel  618  of the end cap  600  is aligned with one channel  216  in the top  202  of the platform  212 . The end cap  600  also includes a means for attaching the elongated bar  602  to the second end  210  of platform  212  such that the elongated bar  602  extends from the first side  204  of the platform  212  to the second side  206  of the platform  212 . The first outside edge  604  is flush with the first side  204  of the skid  200  and the second outside edge  606  is flush with the second side  206  of the skid  200 . 
     As described above in the other embodiments, the preferred elongated bar  602  is generally U-shaped and opens downwards. In addition, the end cap  600  has a vertical extension  616   a,b  rigidly attached to the second side  610  of the elongated bar  602  wherein the vertical extension  616   a,b  extends over and covers a portion of the second end  210  of the platform  212 . The vertical extension  616   a,b  also has a means for attaching to the bottom  214  of the skid  200 . The channel  618  of the end cap  600  may have any shape, such as a generally rectangular cross section or as having two or more angled edges as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. 
     The end cap  600  also includes a means for attaching to the top  202  of the platform  212  of a skid  200 , which is similar to the means described above. That is, the elongated bar  602  has two or more flanges, such as a first flange  612   a,b  located on the first side  608  of the elongated bar  602  and a second flange  614   a,b  located on the second side  610  of the elongated bar  602 . The first flange  612   a,b  and the second flange  614   a,b  are attached to the top  202  of the platform  212  by any conventional means, e.g., welding, nuts and bolts, clips, fasteners, and, if appropriate, an adhesive. 
     In operation, a user installs a vehicle, e.g., a motorcycle, on a skid  200  having an end cap  100  of the present invention by first aligning a wheel of the vehicle with the channel  108  of the end cap  100  of the skid  200 . Once aligned, the user rolls the vehicle through the channel  108  of the end cap  100  such that the wheel of the vehicle is positioned in the channel  216  of the skid  200 . Lastly, the user secures the vehicle to the skid  200  by conventional means. 
     To remove the vehicle from the skid  200 , the user simply un-secures the vehicle from the skid  200  and rolls the vehicle along the channel  216  of the skid  200  and through the channel  108  of the end cap  100  until the vehicle is completely off of the skid  200 . 
     CONCLUSION 
     While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by the way of example only, and not limitation. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments.