Wheel trolley

The present invention relates to a trolley for supporting a tire of a vehicle so that the latter can be moved without the tire touching the ground. More specifically, the apparatus of the present invention comprises a foldable frame equipped with at least one front wheel and two rear wheels, self adjusting and locking front and rear support members haivng a plurality of parallel rows of rollers, the outermost rollers being bevelled to help center the vehicle tire on the tolley and to minimize the tendency of the vehicle tire to roll out of the trolley. The rear support member serves as a drive-on ramp for the vehicle tire, rotating about its axle under the pressure exerted by the tire being driven thereupon as the tire reaches a certain distance from the beginning of the part. When in a tilted position, the rear support member and the front support member automatically lock into position and support said vehicle tire.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a trolley for supporting a tire of a 
vehicle so that the latter can be moved without the tire touching the 
ground. More specifically, the apparatus of the present invention 
comprises a foldable frame equipped with at least one front wheel and two 
rear wheels and self adjusting and locking front and rear support members, 
each support member attached to its own axle mounted transversely to the 
trolley frame, the rear support member serving as a drive-on ramp for the 
vehicle tire. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Apparatus for supporting the tire of a vehicle so that the latter can be 
moved without touching the ground are well known. Typically, the apparatus 
comprises a plurality of wheels attached to a frame adapted to support the 
vehicle tire and a means for mounting the vehicle tire onto the means for 
support. 
A variety of alternative frames, supports, and mounting members are known. 
In English patent application no. 2,109,313, Murillo discloses a 
three-wheeled trolley for use with vehicles having a flat or damaged tire. 
The vehicle tire is driven onto the trolley via a drive-on part which is 
rotated into position and then is clamped fast, the tire being supported 
at the rear side by the drive on part and resting at the front end against 
another supporting part which is also rotatable, while the bottom of the 
tire rests on the floor of a tray which hangs under the frame. In order to 
insure that the trolley remains in place when driving a tire onto it, the 
drive-on part is equipped on its underside with a protruding part which, 
in the non-rotated condition, lifts up the trolley, so that the rear 
wheels are free from the surface below. 
This known trolley has a number of disadvantages, as for example the need 
for a separate clamp to prevent dislodging of the tire when the trolley is 
driving along bumpy road or otherwise subjected to pressures which tend to 
dislodge it. Further, the trolley has relatively large dimensions, which 
makes it difficult to carry or fit in a vehicle's storage area. 
In. U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,727, Tyler discloses a six-wheeled trolley with a 
drive-on ramp, two braking systems to prevent movement of the trolley 
while mounting or dismounting a disabled vehicle tire, and a means to 
connect the trolley to the vehicle for safety and support while the 
vehicle and trolley are moving. 
Tyler's trolley has a number of disadvantages, including the inherent 
instability of the disabled tire resting on a surface that is relatively 
flat, thereby not allowing the wheel to be sufficiently well-seated to 
withstand the forces that tend to dislodge it while the vehicle is in 
motion, thus necessitating attachment of the trolley to the vehicle. 
Further disadvantages include bulkiness, and closely spaced running wheels 
that increase the chances of the trolley being dislodged by irregularities 
in the surface upon which it is being driven. Moreover, the placement and 
large numbers of its wheels make turning of the vehicle more difficult and 
contribute to the instability of the vehicle tire on the trolley. Further, 
the Tyler trolley cannot be folded up for ease of handling and storage. 
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,358,864, Lockwood discloses a wheel trolley comprising 
three wheels mounted on a frame, a drive-on part, and several fixed 
support members. Lockwood's apparatus suffers from several disadvantages, 
including the lack of a hinged frame, which causes the trolley to take up 
significant space when it is stored, and the requirement that the tire be 
supported in at least five points in order to achieve stability while in 
use. 
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,720,422, Nelson discloses a trolley with an adjustable 
frame, but without a drive-on part. A disabled tire is mounted on the 
trolley by first jacking up the vehicle, then placing the trolley in 
position and lowering the tire onto it. The disadvantages of this 
apparatus are obvious as the driver of the vehicle is forced to spend time 
and considerable energy jacking up the car in order to use the trolley. 
Further, in this device lateral support for the vehicle tire is minimal, 
leaving the trolley vulnerable to accident in the event that it hits a 
large hole or object, or is subjected to forces that tend to dislodge the 
tire, such as sharp turns or fast stops. 
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,583,723, Nowell teaches a trolley similar to that 
described by Nelson in that no drive-on part is provided. Further, as with 
Nelson, the three-sided trolley frame disclosed is inherently weaker than 
a four-sided frame as taught by the present invention. 
In U.S. Patent Nos. 4,350,470 and 4,465,421, Murillo teaches a 
three-wheeled trolley with a drive-on part and support shelf hanging below 
the frame. Murillo does not teach a foldable frame nor does he teach 
self-adjusting and locking support members. 
U.S. Ser. No. 044,810, with the same inventor and commonly assigned with 
the present invention, also discloses a wheel trolley with a foldable 
frame. Although this wheel trolley is said to perform satisfactorily, a 
couple of problems still exist, including the need to manually lock the 
support members into position once the tire has been driven onto the 
trolley or to rely upon the vehicle weight alone to hold the members in 
position, and the possibility, particularly if the disabled tire is a 
powered tire, of the tire running up the front support member at certain 
accelerations. 
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a trolley for 
supporting a disabled vehicular member, wherein the trolley has a foldable 
frame. 
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a foldable wheel 
trolley having self adjusting support members. 
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a foldable wheel 
trolley having self adjustable and locking support members. 
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a foldable wheel 
trolley having a foldable frame equipped with at least one front and two 
rear wheels, self-adjusting and locking front and rear support members 
each attached to an axle mounted transversely to said frame, the rear 
support member serving as a drive-on ramp for the vehicle tire and 
rotating about the axle under the pressure exerted by a tire being driven 
thereupon as the tire reaches a certain distance from the beginning of the 
ramp. 
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a wheel trolley 
comprising a foldable frame equipped with at least one front and two back 
wheels, self adjusting and locking front and rear support members attached 
to separate axles mounted transversely to the frame, the front support 
member having a plurality of parallel rows of rollers to help prevent the 
tire from rolling out of the trolley, the rear support serving as a drive 
on ramp for the vehicle tire, the rear support rotating about its axle 
under pressure exerted by a tire being driven thereupon as the tire 
reaches a certain distance from the beginning of the part. 
Another objective of this invention is to provide a wheel trolley that can 
be easily stored and carried, and which can be quickly and safely attached 
to a disabled tire by the user with a minimal investment of time and 
energy. 
Another objective of this invention is to provide a wheel trolley which is 
easy to use, and which does not require any great degree of strength, 
training, or knowledge to use effectively. 
Another objective of this invention is to provide a wheel trolley suitable 
to replace the conventional spare tires used in most automobiles. 
Briefly, a preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a wheel 
trolley comprising a foldable frame equipped with at least one front and 
two rear wheels, and self adjusting and locking front and rear support 
members attached to axles mounted transversely to the frame, the front 
support member having a plurality of rollers to minimize the tendency of 
the vehicle tire to roll out of the trolley. The outermost rollers are 
bevelled, e.g. conically shaped, to help center the vehicle tire on the 
trolley. The rear support member serves as a drive-on ramp for the vehicle 
tire, the pressure exerted by a tire being driven a certain distance from 
the beginning of the rear support causing it to rotate about its axle. 
When in a tilted position the rear and front support members automatically 
lock into position and support the vehicle tire. 
An important advantage of the present invention is the inclusion of self 
adjusting and self locking support members that allow the user to quickly, 
safely and properly use the wheel trolley. It is another advantage of the 
present invention that the self adjusting and self locking support members 
assure optimum orientation of the supports so that as the vehicle is 
moving the tire is well secured so as to resist the forces that would tend 
to dislodge it. It is another advantage of the present invention for the 
outermost rollers on the front support to be bevelled, with their 
narrowest portion being oriented toward the longitudinal inner surface of 
the frame, so that said outermost rollers can come into contact with the 
tire laterally of the tread and bring about centering of the vehicle tire. 
It is still another advantage of the present invention to provide a 
folding frame so that the wheel trolley may be easily transported and 
stored.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
The trolley shown in the drawings comprises a frame 1 provided with a hinge 
axle 2 which is oriented crosswise to the longitudinal center plane 3 
(FIG. 2) of the frame and which makes it possible to collapse the trolley. 
In the operational position illustrated in FIG. 1, support surfaces 4 of 
the two parts of the frame 1 rest against each other in order to maintain 
the illustrated position under the weight of a wheel resting on the 
trolley. 
The trolley has one front wheel 5 and two rear wheels 6. In the collapsed 
position the front wheel 5 comes to rest between the two rear wheels 6. 
When the trolley is in use, the wheels serve to transport a tire in a 
stable manner. The number of trolley wheels is not an essential element of 
this invention; alternate configurations which carry out the functions 
described herein are also within the scope of this invention. 
The trolley further comprises a rear support member 7 rotatable about a 
shaft (not shown) located slightly in front of the axle 9 of the rear 
wheels 6. The rear support member has a drive-up surface 10 and a surface 
11 located in front of the rotary shaft. When the rear support member 7 is 
turned down, two edges 12 and 14 thereof comes to rest on the roadway 13, 
and a tire can be driven over the surface 10 onto the trolley, whereupon 
the support member 7 begins to rotate into the illustrated position as 
soon as the tire reaches the surface 11. 
When the rear support member 7 is turned down the rear wheels 6 do not 
touch the roadway 13; the rear of the trolley rests on the edges 12 and 
14. 
The trolley further comprises a front support member 15 hingedly supported 
around an axle 16 and extending on both sides of said axle 16. A tire 
driven onto the trolley comes to be located in a depressed portion 17 of 
the frame 1 and then rests against the rearmost surface portion 18 of the 
support member 15 which is thereby turned upward, so that the anterior 
portion 19 thereof likewise moves toward the tire. The tire is then held 
fast between the two support members 7 and 15. 
When the support members 7 and 15 are raised, they adjust to the dimensions 
of the tire. In order to maintain this setting, the support members 7 and 
15 are provided with pawls 20 and 21, respectively, which cooperate with 
teeth 22 and 23, respectively, rigidly attached to the frame 1 and which 
are provided with pressure springs (30 and 31). When the support members 
are turned up, the pawls 20 and 21 are moved along the corresponding teeth 
22 and 23, respectively, with the result that the position last assumed is 
secured. After the vehicle has been elevated in order to change the tire, 
these teeth can be disengaged from the pawls. 
The front support member 15 is further provided with a plurality of rollers 
26, supported in a freely rotatable manner on axles 27 oriented 
perpendicularly to the longitudinal center plane 3 of the trolley. When 
the tire being carried is a drive wheel, it will normally be held by 
friction against the rear support member 7 and possibly against wall 
portions of the depressed portion 17, so that only the other wheel will 
provide the drive. When there is excessive acceleration of the engine, the 
wheel will tend to disengage itself from the rear support member 7 and to 
start to rotate, but this rotation is accommodated by the rollers 26, so 
that any tendency of the wheel to roll out of the trolley is suppressed. 
As can be seen from FIG. 2, a plurality of parallel rows of rollers 26 can 
be installed, of which in particular the outer rollers 26' are conical in 
design, so that they contribute to the centering of the tire because they 
grip the tire portions located laterally of the tread. 
Although the present invention has been described in terms of specific 
embodiments, it is anticipated that alterations and modifications thereof 
will no doubt become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is therefore 
intended that the following claims be interpreted as covering all such 
alterations and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of 
the invention.