Abstract:
A wheeled carrier for use in rough terrain for carrying hunting kills, injured persons or supplies, which carrier has two mirror image canted tired wheels each mounted on a separate axle disposed within its fork, which in turn is attached to a frame below a bed. The wheels are preferably bicycle spoked wheels with balloon tires thereon. The frame is formed of tubular members which are bent into a specific configuration and the bed is preferably formed of flexible wire mesh connected to the frame members.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention pertains to an apparatus for carrying hunting kills, injured persons, camping gear and other items in forests and other rough terrain areas. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Hunters and trappers have had a need for a wheeled carrier for bringing their kills back from the forest. So too have fishermen who visit hidden mountain streams. But the wheelbarrows of today are not designed to carry large objects, nor are they. constructed for use on rough terrain, i.e., to go over logs, into ruts in the trail, and over stones. In addition, the carriers available in the marketplace, such as a builder&#39;s wheelbarrow are heavy and not suitable to be carried along with one&#39;s deer rifle, or fishing rod and tackle box. 
     Thus there has been an unfilled need for a lightweight portable carrier suitable for movement in rough terrain, while being readily portable. 
     It is an object therefore of this invention to provide a wheeled carrier that is suitable for use in rough terrain. 
     It is another object to provide a lightweight carrier that is designed to carry a deer, or several small animals such as rabbits, an injured person and/or other gear through the backwoods and on level ground as well. 
     It is yet another object to provide a portable wheeled carrier that can move through underbrush. 
     Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter. 
     The invention accordingly comprises the device possessing the features properties and the relation of components which are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims. 
     For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
     FIG. 1 is a right side elevational view of the apparatus of this invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the carrier of this invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a top front perspective view. 
     FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view. 
     FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view. 
     FIG. 6 is a close-up of a portion of a section of the front area of this apparatus. 
     FIG. 7 is a close-up of a portion of this apparatus. 
     FIG. 8 is a close-up view of the side of this apparatus. 
     FIG. 9 is a bottom close-up view of a portion of this apparatus. 
    
    
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A wheeled carrier having two mirror image canted tired wheels each mounted on a separate axle to a frame on opposite sides thereof, below a bed defined by a frame of tubular members. The wheels are preferably bicycle spoked wheels with balloon tires thereon. The frame is formed of the tubular members in a specific configuration and the bed is formed of flexible mesh. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The reader&#39;s attention is directed to FIG.  1 . In this figure, the invention  10  is seen to be formed of a main body or frame  11  to which is attached left axle  14  and right axle  15 , the former carrying left wheel  12  and the latter carrying right wheel  13 . The frame or body  11  comprises a series of members which in most instances may be rods or tubes, but in those instances where brake cables pass through them, only tubes will work. Of course, rods could be employed there also with the cables running along the outside of the rod, and held in place by cable ties or other recognized means. For ease and convenience, the word rod only will be employed. 
     Thus the members include a left upper rod  20  having four sections  20 A, B, C, and D; as well as the right upper rod  21  also having four sections; namely,  21  A., B, C, and D. 
     Reference is now made to FIG. 2 wherein the four sections of rods  20  and  21  can be seen. Thus section  20 A begins at the rear of the apparatus, and is disposed spaced from and parallel to long rod  21 A. The next section is  20 B and  21 B respectively. These are opposed sections that commence at the distal terminal of  20 A and  21 A and are disposed slightly forwardly and then inwardly until their point of termination at the commencement of sections  20 C and  21 C respectively. Sections  21 C and  20 C are parallel to each other but are spaced closer together than sections  20 A and  21 A. These terminate at their respective distal ends in arcuate sections  20 D and  21 D to form a nose  24 , which constitutes the frontal edge or nose of the apparatus. Returning momentarily to the first end of rods  20  and  21 , in FIG. 7, optional rubber or plastic handgrips  44  are seen to be disposed upon the termini of rods  20  and  21  for more assured griping, especially in wet and/or cold weather. 
     Nose rod  23  extends arcuately downward and rearward as section  23 A from nose  24 , and then rearwardly horizontally at the distal terminus thereof as section  23 B. Nose rod  23  terminates at its rearward extremity at a point along bottom rod  27  at point  46  which is also the commencement point of section  27 C of bottom rod  27 . 
     A cross member  25  connects the distal end of frame member  20 A to the distal end of  21 A as is best seen in FIG. 2. A five sectioned bottom rod  27  connects the midpoint of the cross member  25  to a point  28  about ¼ along the length of section  23 B as measured from its point of connection to section  23 A. See FIG. 8 as well. Rod  27  commences at its proximal end, as section  27 A at the midpoint of the junction of the crossbar  25  and depends downwardly therefrom. At the distal end thereof, section  27 B commences and is configured as an arcuate member that forms an approximately 45 degree turn forwardly. From its distal end, at point  46  noted above, commences section  27 C which extends downwardly and forwardly. Section  27 D extends forwardly and generally horizontally therefrom, and at its forward or distal end commences section  27 E which extends upwardly and arcuately to an attachment point as by welding to nose rod  23  along the horizontal portion of the length thereof. 
     Seen also in FIG. 1, is one of the two mechanical bicycle brake sets,  29  having housing portions  30 , which include levers  31 , cable holders  32  and cables  35 . A cable  35  runs into and through rod  20  at a first bore  33 , and exits at a second bore  33 , for connection to the caliper brake mechanism  34 , having shoes  36 , said mechanism being mounted to the rear wheel form  38 L,  38 R, by a retainer  45 . See also FIG. 7, for bore  33  . In FIG. 1 the right rear wheel fork is seen and designated  38 R. The right front wheel fork is designated  37 R. The left wheel forks are similar as per FIG.  2  and bear designators  37 L and  38 L respectively. 
     The wheel forks  38 L and  37 L of the left wheel  12  are the same as those of the right wheel  13  just described, and are seen in FIG.  8 . And such need no separate discussion. The same is true of the single handbrake of the left wheel  12 , Hub  40 , present in FIG. 1 is best seen closeup in FIG.  8 . The reader is advised that the brake cables could, if desired, also be clipped to the rods  20 ,  21  in a conventional manner a by the use of cable ties, as is often done in the bicycle art, prior to the connection to calipers  36 . 
     As seen in all of the figures, the mesh bed  90  is formed of flexible expanded metal mesh, but plastic mesh may also be employed. Mesh  90  is attached to the rods  20 ,  21  and  23  preferably by gas brazing or welding, though it,  90 , can also be anchored by drilling holes in the several rods and using self-tapping screws with suitable washers. Note that the mesh bed  90  commences at the nose  24 , and extends rearwardly as far back as point  46 , which is the junction of rods  23  and  27  as previously described. See FIGS. 1 and 2. Note also that the mesh shown here does not extend all the way forwardly to the nose  24 ,—see FIG. 6 but such is also contemplated by this invention. In this close-up figure, a tie down or cleat  50  is seen for the attachment of a rope,  51  for pulling the carrier of this invention from mud or snow, should it get bogged down. 
     The discussion now turns to the details of wheels  12  and  13  which as can be seen in FIG. 3 are canted inwardly from top to bottom. See also FIGS. 5 and 9. While 38 degrees is the preferred incantation, the pitch,  78 , can vary from about 20 to about 45 degrees from top to bottom. 
     In FIG. 8, the left wheel&#39;s front fork  37 L and the rear fork  38 L are seen spaced apart at the closed ends thereof but meeting though not joined for disposition upon the left axle  14 . Axle  15 , the left axle and its fork of similar configuration is seen in FIG.  9  and it too is disposed in a hub,  40 . Either the front or the rear fork can be the outer or inner at the mounting on the respective axle. At first one becomes of the impression that the forks are inverted U shape members as are found on bicycles. But in fact such is not the case as can be seen form the inverted view of FIG.  6 . Thus the fork  37 R is made up of two components, the outer inverted L bar  37 R 1  and the I bar  37 R 2 . The I bar, which is the interior bar, is attached directly as by welding to the long rod  21 A, at a point spaced slightly from the junction attachment of the L-bar  37 R 1 , as can be seen in FIG.  6 . In this figure the complementary section  37 L 1  can be seen, though  37 L 2  can not. See also FIG.  8 . 
     In FIG. 8, the left wheel  12  is seen to comprise standard components; namely, a rim  75 L having a tire  76 L thereon. Each tire has a plurality of spokes  77  all laid out in a conventional manner. A nut  42  is seen to be disposed upon the hub  40 , which hub houses the left axle  14  therein, to retain the fork members thereon at their lower or free ends. Fork mounting in such fashion is deemed conventional in the bicycle art. 
     It is seen that I have disclosed a canted wheel carrier for use in rough terrain which can be easily move over logs, dirt, holes, and other items found in the woods or forest. With each axle canted, and the two wheels mounted normal to the axle as would be anticipated, but mounted with respect to each other, pitched, a straight course is easier to maintain, than is a standard wheelbarrow with a single upright wheel when moving through rough terrain. 
     The bed covering over the bed area of the frame may be formed of expanded metal mesh or expanded plastic mesh as may be desired. Each has its benefits and detriments. If a plastic bedding is used, it would be attached to suitable conventional means such as intermittent cable ties. The wheels while being depicted as balloon tires with spoked rims, could be solid rubber as well and the wheels could be mounted to a disk hub rather than to a spoked one. The frame has been depicted as being formed of members. Solid rods of suitable material may be employed as well as tubular members of suitable strength for one or all of the frame members. Thus for the purpose of this invention the word rod as used herein may also be considered to mean the word tube. 
     Since certain changes may be made in the described apparatus without departing from the scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.