Abstract:
A wheeled dolly is enabled for rolling movement on a supporting surface. A centrally positioned sidewall extends upwardly from a top surface of the platform. A vertical jacking device is rested in contact with the supporting surface interior of the sidewall. The sidewall is tall enough so that a jack foot is restrained within the sidewall, and therefore not able to move laterally on the platform so as to tip it. A trailer is joined with the jacking device enabling manual movement of the trailer and its load by maneuvering the platform.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10626751, filed Jul. 23, 2003 which is now copending, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     Not applicable.  
       THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT  
       [0003]     Not applicable.  
       INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTTED ON A COMPACT DISC  
       [0004]     Not applicable.  
       REFERENCE TO A “MICROFICHE APPENDIX” 
       [0005]     Not applicable.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     1. Field of the Present Disclosure  
         [0007]     This invention relates generally to wheeled dollies, low rolling hand trucks and the like and more particularly to such a device that is adapted particularly for engaging a trailer jack.  
         [0008]     2. Description of Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98  
         [0009]     English, Jr., et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,524, teaches a lift dolly for lifting and transporting stand-mounted power tools and the like, with little effort. The dolly includes a pair of platforms and a wheel system having at least three castors extending downwardly from the platforms. The dolly is designed such that one step onto a latching or locking mechanism by the operator causes the wheel system to be forced downward relative to the stand thereby slightly lifting the power tool and stand off of the ground and enabling transport of same via the castors. Another step on the locking or latching mechanism disengages the wheel system and permits gravity to return the stand and tool firmly to the ground for use. Calender, U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,560, teaches a dolly for large appliances facilitating manual movement of soft drink vending machines, refrigerators, etc. The dolly has a dropped floor between each end, with the ends raised for installation of casters therebeneath. The lower central floor area is preferably only about 1.5 inches above the lower supporting surface when the dolly is resting thereon, thereby allowing a large machine to be tilted slightly and the dolly maneuvered therebeneath. The low floor also results in a very low ride height for the appliance, enabling the appliance to fit upright through a standard doorway. Carrying the appliance sideways on the dolly, also permits large vending machines to fit through a standard doorway by opening the door of the machine to narrow the effective width of the machine. A roller lever is also provided, for lifting one end of the loaded dolly for maneuvering the lifted end across thresholds and other floor discontinuities. Hamlett, U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,991, teaches an apparatus for transporting, loading and unloading a watercraft, such as a jet ski, or wheeled vehicle from the bed of a pick up truck, where the apparatus is convertible to a mobile dolly for storage of the jet ski or other object. The apparatus comprises a tiltable mechanism formed of a pair of spaced apart rails mounting a pair of pivotal and retractable legs at a first end, a winch mechanism at the opposite end, and a longitudinally movable and pivotal leg support mechanism, movable from the first end to near the opposite end. Wintz, U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,217, teaches a load handling dolly which assists in the transportation of a load P, such as a piano. A pair of cross-pieces are selectively slid beneath the load, either directly or using an intermediate support plate. A pair of side frames are disposed on either side of the load above free ends of the cross-pieces. The cross-pieces are received within extremities or eyelets of tie rods which are supported by the side frames for vertical movement by rotating a nut. As the nuts are turned, the tie rods, cross-pieces, and the load are lifted, transferring the load to two sets of wheels that rotatably mounted in the side frames. Hull, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,668, teaches a convertible chassis for a dual axle semitrailer for converting the semitrailer to a single axle trailer having an attached dolly to pull a second trailer thereon. Combs, Sr., U.S. Pat. No. 6,203,264, teaches A post-and-beam mechanism easily connectable to a standard car dolly carries on its beams a standard boat trailer, loaded with boat and outboard motor, above the front end of a towed vehicle on the dolly, with the rear, heavy end of the trailer and boat located forward most. A motor home may tow, to the destination site, the dolly thus loaded with towed vehicle, boat trailer, boat and motor. The post-and-beam mechanism is pivotably swingable from a low position for loading the loaded boat trailer thereon; to a high position for carrying the loaded boat trailer. The towing is safely done, with advantageous forward weight distribution of the carried trailer, boat and motor, and with short combined overall length of towing vehicle and towed vehicle, for easy driving and parking. When the destination site is reached, the towed vehicle is unloaded from the car dolly, and the mechanism may be lowered from the high position to the low position for unloading the boat trailer. An arrangement of pull pins and cotter keys enable part of the post-and beam mechanism to stay attached to the boat trailer, enables part to be easily disconnected and set aside, and enables the rest to remain attached to the car dolly. This permits convenient and separate independent usage of either the car dolly or the boat trailer with either the towing vehicle or the towed vehicle, or with other vehicles at or near the destination site.  
         [0010]     The prior art teaches a lift dolly for use in conjunction with stand-mounted power tools and the like, a lift dolly for heavy appliances, a combination watercraft transportation system and dolly, a combination watercraft transportation system and dolly, a boat trailer carrier for an over car dolly, and a dolly for moving pianos and other heavy goods, but does not teach a combination dolly and vertical jacking device wherein the jacking device is affixed to a trailer, such as a boat trailer, wherein the dolly provides simple sidewalls for centering the jacking device on a platform of the dolly such that the dolly is not able to be easily upset. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     This disclosure teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.  
         [0012]     A horizontal platform dolly is mounted on plural wheels, and is thereby enabled for rolling movement on a supporting surface. A sidewall extends upwardly from an top surface of the platform. A vertical jacking device is positioned in contact with the top surface and constrained to a central position on the platform. The sidewall is tall enough to prevent lateral motion of the jacking device relative to the platform. The sidewall maintains the jacking device centered on the platform so that the dolly is not easily upset when stopped abruptly. A trailer is joined with the jacking device enabling manual movement of the trailer and its load by rolling the platform on the supporting surface.  
         [0013]     A primary objective of the present apparatus is to provide advantages not taught by the prior art.  
         [0014]     Another objective is to provide such an apparatus capable of supporting the weight of a trailer and a trailer load in rolling motion.  
         [0015]     A further objective is to provide such an apparatus capable of manually rolling a significant load in a lateral direction without the necessity of bolting or otherwise attaching a leg or strut which carries the load&#39;s downward forces to a rolling apparatus.  
         [0016]     A still further objective is to provide such an apparatus capable of rolling without upset by assuring that the downward forces on the rolling apparatus are centered relative to its supporting wheels.  
         [0017]     Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the presently described apparatus and method of its use. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)  
       [0018]     Illustrated in the accompanying drawing(s) is at least one of the best mode embodiments of the present invention In such drawing(s):  
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention with a partial cutaway providing detail. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]     The above described drawing figures illustrate the described apparatus and its method of use in at least one of its preferred, best mode embodiment, which is further defined in detail in the following description. Those having ordinary skill in the art may be able to make alterations and modifications what is described herein without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, it must be understood that what is illustrated is set forth only for the purposes of example and that it should not be taken as a limitation in the scope of the present apparatus and method of use.  
         [0021]     Described now in detail is a combination of a trailer  10  with an integral vertical jacking device  20  and a rolling platform dolly  30 . The trailer  10  provides a hitching device  12  at its forward terminal end  14 . The jacking device  20  is of the type manufactured by Fulton-Wesbar, Inc. as model 35sp28f and has a crank  24  for moving a supporting foot  22  vertically, as is well known in the art. The device  20  is fixedly engaged with the trailer  10  adjacent to the hitching device  12  preferably by welding so that the jacking device  20  is rigidly attached to the trailer  10  in a vertical attitude, as clearly shown in  FIG. 1 . The rolling dolly  30  is preferably made of steel plate of high structural strength and is rolled into place under the jacking device  20  prior to disconnecting the trailer  10  from a towing vehicle (not shown). A jack foot  22  of the jacking device  20  is lowered, using crank  24  until the rolling dolly  30  supports the weight of the trailer  10  and its load  5 . Once this is accomplished, the hitching device  12  is able to be disconnected from the towing vehicle and the towing vehicle may be moved away from the trailer  10 .  
         [0022]     The dolly  30  provides a horizontal platform  32  having a peripheral edge as shown in  FIG. 1 . The platform  32  is mounted on plural wheels  34 , i.e., the wheels  34  are mounted to a bottom surface  38 ′ of the platform  32 , so that it is enabled for rolling on a supporting surface such as a driveway or garage floor  5 . The wheels  34  are preferably attached to the platform  32  by bolts or rivets through holes  35  adjacent to the peripheral edge of the platform as shown. A sidewall  36  is integral with, and extends upwardly from, an up-facing top surface  38  of the platform  32 . In  FIG. 1  the platform  32  and sidewall  36  are cut away to show detail.  FIG. 1  intends to show that the platform  32  is square or rectangular, although other shapes would function equally as well.  
         [0023]     The vertical jacking device  20  has a jack foot  22 , as stated, which is fixedly attached at the bottom terminal end of the jacking device  20 , and this jack foot  22  is positioned and rested in contact with the top surface  38  interior of the sidewall  36 . The sidewall  40  has a height “H” superior to the height of the jack foot  22  so that the jack foot  22  is constrained within the sidewall  36 , centrally on the platform  32  as shown in  FIG. 1  and it is pointed out that jack foot  22  is not able to slide laterally out of contact with surface  38  due to the sidewall  40  which acts as an obstruction to such motion. It is also pointed out that jack foot  22  is not joined with platform  32  in any way but merely rests on top surface  38 .  
         [0024]     Jack foot  22  bears the weight of trailer  10  and load  5  so that there is normally considerable downward force pressing jack foot  22  against top surface  38 . Sidewall  36  is shown partially cut-away in order to show detail of how the jack foot  22  is fitted within sidewall  36  so that it is constrained to a central position on platform  32 . Preferably, sidewall  40  forms a closed figure; in  FIG. 1 , a square, but it should be realized that sidewall  36  may form an open figure, may be other than rectangular or square and, in fact, need not be continuous; as for instance being made up of a series of sidewall portions. Sidewall  36  may for instance be made up of a series of spaced pegs (not shown) extending upwardly from surface  38 . However, in order to assure that jack foot  22  is not able to slide along or off of surface  38  when a lateral horizontal force “F” is applied, sidewall  36  preferably fully surrounds the central area on surface  38  where jack foot  22  is placed and preferably the jack foot  22  is of such size as to fit tightly within sidewall  36  as is the preferred embodiment. In this manner, horizontal force “F” may be applied in any direction without fear of sliding jack foot  22  off dolly  30 , or of sliding jack foot  22  away from a central position on dolly  30  whereby dolly  30  may be overturned or become unstable. It is considered a critical enablement of the present invention to secure the jack foot  22  centrally on the dolly and equally distant from each one of the wheels  34 .  
         [0025]     Preferably, the platform  32  is rectangular or square and the plural wheels  34  include four caster wheels, one of the caster wheels positioned on each one of four comers of the rectangular platform  32 . This arrangement is clearly shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0026]     Preferably, the sidewall  36  is positioned relative to the caster wheels  34  such that a downward force “f” on the vertical jacking device is transferred to the platform  32  centrally relative to upward support forces “f” on the platform exerted by the caster wheels  34 . Clearly, as long as downward force “f” is within the rectangle formed by the upward forces “f” the dolly  30  will remain stable. In fact, the location of sidewall  36  is such that jack foot  22  and therefore downward force “f” is well centered in the rectangle formed by the upward forces “f.” Constraining jack foot  22  centrally on the dolly  30  optimally assures stable operation of the dolly and the jacking device when the dolly  30  is rolled along surface  5 .  
         [0027]     The enablements described in detail above are considered novel over the prior art of record and are considered critical to the operation of at least one aspect of the apparatus and its method of use and to the achievement of the above described objectives. The words used in this specification to describe the instant embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings, but to include by special definition in this specification: structure, material or acts beyond the scope of the commonly defined meanings. Thus if an element can be understood in the context of this specification as including more than one meaning, then its use must be understood as being generic to all possible meanings supported by the specification and by the word or words describing the element.  
         [0028]     The definitions of the words or drawing elements described herein are meant to include not only the combination of elements which are literally set forth, but all equivalent structure, material or acts for performing substantially the same function in substantially the same way to obtain substantially the same result. In this sense it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements described and its various embodiments or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim.  
         [0029]     Changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalents within the scope intended and its various embodiments. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements. This disclosure is thus meant to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptually equivalent, what can be obviously substituted, and also what incorporates the essential ideas.  
         [0030]     The scope of this description is to be interpreted only in conjunction with the appended claims and it is made clear, here, that each named inventor believes that the claimed subject matter is what is intended to be patented.