Drive apparatus

A drive apparatus which in first place is intended for moving vehicles comprises a transportable carriage which has two wheels (3) and a drive roller (2) driven my means of a motor. Spring elements (7) normally keep the drive roller (2) and the support wheels out of contact with each other but by load, for instance when the carriage is pushed in under a vehicle wheel (8) a friction contact is established between the drive roller (2) and the support wheels (3) causing the carriage to move upon rotation of the drive roller at the same time causing the vehicle to be moved and the wheels (8) thereof are rotated. The carriage further has a handle (6) which preferably houses cables, hoses or the like for power supply to the motor and which has control means (5) such as switches or the like.

The present invention refers to a drive apparatus which preferably but not 
exclusively is intended to be used for moving vehicles and the like. 
In the manufacturing industry as well as in the repair business it is a 
need to be able to easily and smoothly move vehicles and similar objects 
without using the engine that the vehicle may be equipped with. Also in 
other cases there is a need for an easily operable movable apparatus. 
The object of the present invention is to provide such a device and to 
accomplish this and further objects the invention has the characteristics 
which appear from the claims.

The drive apparatus illustrated in the drawing is in the shape of a 
transportable carriage which carries a drive motor 1, which in this 
instance can be an electric motor or a pneumatically or hydraulically 
powered motor. The drive motor moves a drive means 2 which in the 
preferred embodiment consists of a friction roller and in the illustrated 
example the drive takes place via a chain transmission 4. The carriage 3 
is supported by two wide support wheels 3', 3 the non-rotatable shafts of 
which being bored through and inserted in oblong holes in the support 
plates of the carriage. Since a spring means 7 fixed at the central part 
thereof, has the ends thereof inserted in said bores in the shafts of the 
support wheels the shafts will be resilient. Normally the shafts are 
located somewhat lower than in FIG. 1 and the support wheels 3', 3 will 
consequently be out of contact with the drive roller 2. In this position 
the carriage can easily be transported. By loading the carriage the 
support wheels may however be brought into contact with the drive roller 2 
and when the latter is driven also the support wheels are consequently 
driven. Associated to the carriage is a handle 6 which in first place 
serves to operate the carriage and in second place may serve as protection 
for cables, hoses or similar means for power supply to the drive motor. In 
such cases the handle can preferably be shaped as a tube or the like. 
Control means 5 such as switches, valves and the like may also be secured 
to the handle such that they are easily accessible for the operator. 
The drive apparatus now described is intended to be opeated from the left 
side but in many instances it is desirable to be able to choose the side 
from which the device is operated and for this purpose the embodiment in 
FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 has a handle, which is designed in such a manner that it 
has a first portion 6a, which continues in a portion 6b at right angles 
thereto and the latter portion has such a length that it from either side 
extends to the central portion of the drive apparatus where it via a bent 
portion 6c continues in a portion 9, which via a sleeve 9 is pivotably 
connected to the middle of a centrally disposed transverse element 10. 
Also in this case the handle preferably houses cables, conduits or the 
like, provided to supply the drive apparatus with energy and the handle 
further has control means 5 for such purposes. It is also possible to 
design the connections between the parts 6-10 air and/or fluid proof such 
that the handle will serve as a conduit for such a fluid. Owing to the 
shape of the handle and the possibility of pivoting it the drive apparatus 
can be easily operated from any suitable position. 
The apparatus now described may be used in the following manner: If it is 
desired to use the apparatus to move a vehicle the apparatus is 
transported to one of the front or rear wheels 8 of the vehicle. By 
pushing the apparatus into the substantially wedge-shaped space which is 
constituted between the wheel 8 and the floor or the ground the carriage 3 
will be exerted to a load which moves the drive roller 2 and consequently 
also the rest of the carriage 3 with exception for the support wheels 3', 
3 downwardly at which operation as appears from FIG. 1 the drive roller 2 
at the same time as it comes in friction contact with the vehicle wheel 8 
also comes in friction contact with the support wheels 3', 3". If the 
drive means 2 is then driven in the direction indicated by an arrow in 
FIG. 1 the vehicle wheel 8 and the two support wheels 3', 3" will be 
driven in the directions of the arrows. This of course means that the 
vehicle moves to the left according to FIG. 1. 
The apparatus now described is very simple in its construction and owing to 
the light and handy construction it is also very easy to operate. 
Although the invention has been described in connection with an apparatus 
for moving of vehicles it is obvious that the apparatus is not in any 
sense limited to such a use but may be used for a variety of purposes. It 
is thus possible to brake a vehicle instead of pushing it and it is of 
course not necessary to accomplish a turning or rotating movement in 
addition to a pushing or braking movement.