Trailer

A trailer connected to a vehicle to carry an extra load. The trailer has a bracket with flexible arms and a fixative. The flexible arms are adapted to form bearings together with a bicycle rear wheel axle. Because of the flexibility of the flexible arms the bracket can be pivotally connected to the axle of the rear wheel of a two-wheel vehicle without disassembling the vehicle while connecting and disconnecting it. That simplifies and accelerates the process of connecting the trailer to and disconnecting it from the vehicle. A passenger version of the trailer has rigid child chairs with safety belts mounted on the trailer base, and a safety frame, preventing children from getting hurt. The frame is pivotally mounted to the base and can be rotated about 180 degrees until it touches the ground, opening a space for loading and unloading the trailer and having more support points to prevent the trailer from falling over. A freight version of the trailer has a load mounting means adapted to mounting different sizes of standard luggage, like suitcases as well as a special trailer container.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to trailers, and more particularly to the bicycle 
trailers carrying freight or small children. 
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art 
Existing arts of the trailer are attached to the frame of the bicycle and 
have a relatively complicated and expensive attachment means mounted to a 
bicycle frame or they are attached to the axle of the rear bicycle wheel 
and require special tools for connecting the trailer and disconnecting it 
from the bicycle, an operation which takes a relatively large amount of 
time. Or they have a pivotal connection to the axle different than a 
bearing and have extreme wear of connecting parts. 
Further, the prior arts of trailers have a special, rigidly built-in 
container or receptacle for luggage. 
Additionally, the prior arts of the passenger trailer have relatively 
little safety means. Only their frames help protect the passenger from 
injury. The frames of prior arts of the passenger trailer open only from 
one side making it inconvenient for loading and unloading children. 
Furthermore, the prior arts of the one-wheel passenger trailer do not have 
adequate support to prevent tipping while loading and unloading. 
Below, one can find the description of a significantly simplified trailer 
where all of the previously mentioned disadvantages are eliminated. 
SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
The principle object of this invention is to provide people with a low-cost 
trailer adapted to be hooked to a bicycle or motorcycle as well as other 
vehicles. 
Another object of the invention is to make a trailer with an adjustable 
load mounting means which can carry different sizes of containers or 
standard luggage units such as suitcases. 
Still another object of the invention is to provide the trailer with a 
simple hooking means which can be easily and quickly hooked or unhooked 
without any tools. 
A further object of the invention is to provide people with a trailer which 
requires less storage space. 
Another object of the invention is to provide people with a passenger 
version of the trailer by a combination of safety equipment-rigid chairs, 
safety belt and safety frame-significantly increasing the overall safety. 
A still further more object of the invention is to provide people with a 
passenger version of the trailer with a safety frame which can rotate up 
to 180 degrees for opening space for loading and unloading children and 
more support to prevent the trailer from tipping. 
In accordance with the object of the invention, preferable embodiments of 
the freight trailer include: a base, a wheel, a bracket with flexible 
arms, a hooking means, a locking means and an adjustable load mounting 
means. The passenger version of the trailer includes: a base, a wheel, a 
bracket with flexible arms, a hooking means, a locking means, child seats, 
safety belts and a safety frame.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
The preferred embodiment of the trailer with simplified load mount and a 
bracket with flexible arms having the inserts is shown in drawings 1, 2 
and 32. Enlarged details of the trailer are shown in drawings 5, 6, 7, 8, 
9, 10, 11, 33, 34 and 36. 
A trailer (10) has a wheel (11), a frame (13), trailer wheel hooks (15), an 
axle (17), clip bearings (19), a flexible arm bracket (21), guards (27), 
screws (29), wing nuts (31), and load elastic cords (33) and (35) [see 
also FIGS. 3 and 4]. 
The frame (13) has a right beam (37), a left beam (39), mounting plates 
(41) and cross-members (43). 
The trailer wheel hooks (15) are mounted on the frame (13) by bolts (45) 
and nuts (47). The hooks (15) have slots (49) where the wheel (11) is 
mounted by its axle (51). The connection of the hooks (15) to the wheel 
(11) is the same as the standard connection of the frame to the rear wheel 
of a bicycle. 
The guards (27) have mounting guard holes (53) and mounting elastic cord 
holes (55) (see FIGS. 10, 11, 34, and 35). The mounting plates (41) have 
mounting plate slots (57). The screws (29) are disposed in the mounting 
guard holes (53) and the mounting plate slots (57). When the wing nuts 
(31) release the guards (27), they can be moved in different positions and 
then tightened in these positions by the wing nuts (31). The FIGS. 10 and 
34 show the guards (27) in the narrowest position. The FIGS. 11 and 35 
show the guards (27) in the widest position. 
The clip bearings (19) [see FIGS. 5, 6 and 33] are mounted on the 
cross-members (43) by screws (59) and nuts (61). The flexible arm bracket 
(21) has a V-shape on its rear end (63). It mounts to the axle (17) by 
screws (64). The bending radii of the clip beatings (19) are slightly 
larger then the outside diameter of the axle (17). These bends, the 
cross-members (43) and the axle (17) comprise a vertical pivotal 
connection. The axle (17) can freely rotate inside the space formed by the 
inside surfaces of the cross-members (43) and the clip bearings (19). 
Consequently, the frame (13) can rotate relative to the flexible arm 
bracket (21) around the axis of the axle (17). 
The flexible arm bracket (21) has flexible arms (69) and (71), inserts 
(73), insert retaining tings (75) and lock elastic cords (77) [see FIGS. 
7, 8 and 9]. 
The flexible arms (69) and (71) have lock elastic cord holes (79) and (81), 
and attachment holes (83). 
The insert (73) has a flange (85), a cone surface (87) an outside diameter 
(88), and a groove (89). 
The inserts (73) are disposed in the attachment holes (83) of the flexible 
arms (69) and (71). The insert retaining tings (75) are disposed in the 
groove (89). They and the flanges (85) prevent the inserts (73) from 
loosening from the attachment holes (83) when the trailer (10) is 
disconnected from a bicycle. 
The diameter of the attachment hole (83) is slightly larger than the 
outside diameter (88) of the insert (73), and the distance between the 
flange (85) and the groove (89) of the insert (73) is slightly larger than 
the thickness of the flexible arms (69) and (71). So the flexible arms 
(69) and (71) can freely rotate around the inserts (73). 
A pulling bicycle (91) has a rear bicycle wheel (93), a rear bicycle wheel 
axle (95) and a beam (97) [see FIGS. 2, 7 and 32]. The rear bicycle wheel 
axle (95) has nuts (99) on its ends [see FIG. 7]. The nut (99) has an end 
(101). 
The inserts (73) are centered on the ends (101) of the nuts (99) when the 
inserts (73) are pushed towards the ends of the axle (95). Such pushing is 
carried out by the lock elastic cords (77) (see FIGS. 7, 8 and 9). The 
lock elastic cords (77) have hooks (103) which hook to the lock elastic 
cord holes (79) and (81) of the flexible arms (69) and (71), and envelop 
the beam (97) [see FIGS. 2, 7, 8 and 9] of the bicycle (91). Because the 
beams (97) of the bicycle (91) are rigid and are rigidly mounted on the 
axle (95), the flexible arms (69) and (71), and the inserts (73) are 
pushed by the lock elastic cords (77) to the ends (101) of the nuts (99). 
So the flexible arms (69) and (71) [and consequently the trailer (10)] can 
rotate about the axis of the axle (95) of the bicycle (91) [the FIG. 2 
shows only rear part of the bicycle]. At the same time, the flexible arms 
(69) and (71) cannot be released from their attachment to the axle (95) 
until one releases one of the hooks (103) of each of the lock elastic 
cords (77). 
Because of reasons stated above, the trailer (10) can rotate relative to 
the bicycle (91) around the vertical axis [the axle (17) axis] when the 
bicycle (91) with the trailer (10) is turned on a road, and it can rotate 
around the horizontal axis [the axis of the bicycle rear wheel axle (95)] 
when they run on a bumpy road. 
The trailer loaded with a container is shown in FIG. 3. A container (105) 
is located on the frame (13) between the mounting guards (27) and is tied 
to the frame (13) and the mounting guards (27) with load elastic cords 
(33) and (35). The load elastic cords (33) and (35) have hooks (107) on 
both their ends. The load elastic cord (35) is hooked on both ends by its 
hooks (107) to one of holes (55) of the left and right mounting guards 
(27.) The load elastic cord (33) is hooked by its hooks (107) to the 
mounting plate (41) on the one side [see FIGS. 1 and 2] and a cross-member 
(43) on the other side. 
The trailer loaded with suitcases is shown in FIG. 4. Suitcases (109) and 
(111) are centered, shielded and fastened to the frame (13) of the trailer 
(10) in the same way as the container (105). 
The preferred embodiment of the base with an adjustable load mounting means 
which adjusts all mounting lugs by the movement of a strip is shown in 
drawings 12, 13 and 18. Enlarged details of the base are shown in drawings 
14, 15, 16, 17, 19 and 20. 
A base-assembly (200) includes a base-weldment (211), plates (213), a strip 
(215), guard bars (217), lugs (219), plate mounting brackets (221), load 
elastic cords (223), a trailer support (225), and a trailer support 
fixative (227) and a spring (229). 
The base-weldment (211) has a body (231), wheel plates (233), a fixative 
bracket (235), an axle bracket (237), a load support (239) and a body 
cross-member (241). The wheel plates (233) carry the trailer wheel. The 
fixative bracket (235) carries the trailer support fixative (227). The 
axle bracket (237) has holes (238). The base-weldment (211 ) is connected 
to the bracket with flexible arms (500) by an axle (420) [see FIGS. 21, 
22, 25, 28, 29 and description of the connection of the bracket with 
flexible arms (500) to the base-weldment (410) below; the connection of 
the flexible arms bracket (500) to the base-weldment (211) is the same as 
to the base-weldment (410)]. 
The trailer support (225) supports the trailer while stopped. It is mounted 
to the body (231) by shoulder screws (243) and nuts (245) (see also 
drawing 17), and can be rotated from a supporting position (247) to a 
driving position (249). The support (225) includes a short cross-member 
(251), a long cross-member (253), two beams (255) and two support lugs 
(257). 
A spring (229) is mounted by one end to the body cross-member (241) and to 
the short cross-member (251) of the support (225) by the other end. This 
forces the trailer support (225) to move to the supporting position (247) 
or to the driving position (249). 
The trailer support fixative (227) fixes the trailer support (225) in the 
driving position (247) and prevents it from rattling during driving. 
The plates (213) are mounted to the body (231) by the plate mounting 
brackets (221), screws (259), nuts (261), screws (263) and nuts (265) [see 
FIGS. 15, 18 and 19]. 
The body (231) has a slot (267) on the rear end of it and two slots (269) 
on the front end. The strip (215) is mounted to the body (231) by a screw 
(271) and a wing nut (273) through a rear insert (275) on the rear end of 
the body (231), and by screws (277) and nuts (279) through front inserts 
(281) [see FIG. 20] on the front end. The diameter (283) of the front 
inserts (281) is slightly smaller than the width of the slots (269) and 
the length of the diameter (283) is slightly larger than the thickness of 
a wall (285) of the body (231). This constantly allows movement for the 
strip (215) and the front inserts (281) relative to the body (231). The 
diameter (287)of the rear insert (275) [see FIGS. 18 and 19] is slightly 
smaller than the width of the slot (267), but the length of the diameter 
(287) is smaller than the thickness of the wall (285) of the body (231). 
This mount allows movement for the strip (215) and the rear insert (275) 
relative to the body (231) only when one releases the rear insert (275) by 
unscrewing the wing nut (273). 
The guard bar (217) has a hole (291) and a slot (293) [see drawings 16 and 
19]. The strip (215) has a hole (295) and the plates (213) have holes 
(297). The guard bar (217) is mounted to the strip (215) by a screw (299), 
washers (301), a ring (303) and a nut (305), and is mounted to the plate 
(213) by a screw (307), washers (309), a ring (311) and a nut (313). The 
ring (303) is disposed in the hole (295) of the strip (215). The diameter 
of the hole (295) is slightly larger than the outside diameter of the ring 
(303). The thickness of the ring (303) is slightly larger than the 
thickness of the strip (215). Therefore the guard bar (217) can rotate 
around the axis of the hole (295) in the strip (215). The screw (307) is 
disposed in the hole (297) of the plate (213). The ring (311) is disposed 
in the slot (293) of the guard bar (217). The width of the slot (293) is 
slightly larger than the outside diameter of the ring (311). Therefore the 
guard bar (217) can slide and rotate around the ring (311). When one 
releases the wing nut (273) and moves the strip (215), it moves the ends 
of the guard bar (217). Because the center of the rings (311) do not move, 
the guard bars (217) are rotated around the center of the ring (303) and 
slide and rotate around the ring (311) moving the lugs (219) closer or 
further away from the center line of the base-assembly (200). After the 
lugs (219) reach the positions adjusted to a new size of the load, one can 
fasten the wing nut (273) to provide the fixing positions of all the guard 
bar (217) and the lugs (219). 
The plates (213) have holes (315). A load (a container, suitcases etc,) is 
placed on the plates (213). Its position on the plates (213) is determined 
by the load support (239) and the positions of the lugs (219). The load is 
held in place by the load elastic cords (223). The load elastic cords 
(223) have hooks (317) on both ends. One can a put a load on the place 
determined by the load support (239) and the positions of the lugs (219), 
hook one hook (317) of the load elastic cords (223) to one of the holes 
(315) of the plate (213), envelop the load thereby tightening the load 
elastic cords (223) and hooking another hook (317) of those load elastic 
cords (223) to one of the holes (315) on the other side of the 
base-assembly (200). That procedure is about the same as is described 
above for drawings 3 and 4. 
The preferred embodiment of the passenger version of the trailer is shown 
in drawings 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 17. 
A trailer (400) has a base-weldment (410), an flexible arm bracket (500), a 
safety frame (412), a safety frame front fixative (411), a safety frame 
rear fixative (413), a wheel (414), two child seats (416), the trailer 
support (225), the trailer support fixative (227), the shoulder screws 
(243), the nuts (245), the spring (229), female eyes (418), an axle (420), 
and retaining rings (422). 
The base-weldment (410) includes a body (426), the body cross-member (241), 
a channel (428), beams (430), posts (432), an angle (431), an axle bracket 
(433) and a trailer support fixative bracket (434). 
The trailer support (225), the trailer support fixative (227), the spring 
(229), the shoulder screws (243), the nuts (245) and the body cross-member 
(241) are the same and have the same function as in the base with 
adjustable load mounting means, shown in FIGS. 12, 13 and 17. 
The posts (432) have slots (436) where the wheel (414) is mounted. The 
connection of the posts (432) to the wheel (414) is the same as the 
standard connection of the frame to the rear wheel of a bicycle. 
The axle bracket (433) has holes (439) where the axle (420) is disposed 
[see FIG. 25]. A flexible arm bracket (500) is pivotally mounted by its 
bearings (529) to the axle (420) [see also FIGS. 28, 29, 30, 31 and 36 the 
description of the flexible arm bracket with hook (500) below]. 
The axle (420) has grooves (441) on both of its ends. The retaining rings 
(422) are disposed in the grooves (441), and prevent the axle (420) and 
the flexible arm bracket (500) from movement in the direction of the axis 
of the axle (420). 
The flexible arm bracket (500) is also pivotally mounted by its front end 
to the axle (443) of a rear wheel (445) of a pulling vehicle. 
The child seats (416) are mounted to the base-weldment (410) by screws 
(438) and nuts (440). 
The channel (428) has holes (442) [see FIG. 23]. Each female eye (418) has 
a female thread (444) and a hole (446). The female eyes (418) are mounted 
on the channel (428) by screws (448) disposed to the holes (442) of the 
channel (428). 
The safety frame (412) includes a left frame side (447), a right frame side 
(449), a front cross-member (450), a medium cross-member (452) a lower 
rear cross-member (454) and an upper rear cross-member (455). The safety 
frame (412) is pivotally mounted by the lower rear cross-member (454) in 
the holes (446) of the female eyes (418) [see FIG. 23]. 
The safety frame (412) is locked in a closed position by the safety frame 
front fixative (411) catching an outside diameter of the front 
cross-member (450) [see FIGS. 21, 22, 23]. In the open position, the 
safety frame (412) is locked by the safety frame rear fixative (413) 
catching an outside diameter of the upper rear cross-member (455). 
The safety frame front fixative (411) is mounted on the front surface (457) 
of the base-weldment (410). 
The safety frame rear fixative (413) is mounted on the angle (431) of the 
base-weldment (410). 
The safety frame front fixative (411) and the safety frame rear fixative 
(413) as well as the trailer support fixative (227) are flexible. 
The left frame side (447) and the right frame side (449) have lugs (456) 
which lie down on the ground when the safety frame (412) is moved to the 
open position (see FIG. 26). 
To move from the closed position to the open position, one has to release 
the front cross-member (450) from the safety frame front fixative (411) by 
bending the fixative (411) and rotate the safety frame (412) around the 
lower rear cross-member (454) about 180 degrees until the lugs (456) touch 
the ground and the safety frame rear fixative (413) fixes the upper rear 
cross-member (455) in the open position of the safety frame (412). 
To move from the open position to the closed position, one has to release 
the upper rear cross-member (455) from the safety frame rear fixative 
(413) by bending the fixative (413), and rotate the safety frame (412) 
around the lower rear cross-member (454) in the opposite direction until 
it reaches the closed position and the safety frame front fixative (411) 
catches the front cross-member (450). 
A flexible arm bracket with hook is shown in drawings 28, 29, 30, 31 and 
36. 
A flexible arm bracket with hook (500) has a bracket (512), stepped nuts 
(516), grooved rings (518), hooks (520), shoulder screws (522), nuts 
(524), wing nuts (526) and screws (528). The bracket (512) is hooked to a 
bicycle rear wheel axle (443) [see also FIGS. 2, 21, 22, and 32]. 
The bracket (512) has two bearings (529) and flexible arms (530) and (532). 
The bearings (529) have holes (531) which have a sliding fit with the 
trailer axle (420) [see FIGS. 21 and 25]. The flexible arms (530) and 
(532) have mounting holes (534), shoulder screw holes (536) and threaded 
holes (538). 
The axle (443) belongs to the pulling vehicle. In preferable embodiment, it 
is the axle of the rear wheel of a bicycle. The axle has flat stops (540) 
and (542), and threaded ends (544) and (546). 
The grooved ring (518) has an inside diameter (550), a groove (552) and an 
outside diameter (562). 
The stepped nuts (516) have an outside diameter (548). The stepped nuts 
(516) are screwed on the threaded ends (544) and (546) of the axle (443). 
The grooved rings (518) are mounted by its inside diameter (550) on the 
outside diameters (548) of the stepped nuts (516). 
The grooved rings (518) can freely rotate around the stepped nuts (516). 
The hooks (520) have holes (554), slots (556) and openings (558). The hooks 
(520) are mounted on the flexible arms (530) and (532) by the shoulder 
screws (522) and nuts (524). The shoulder screws (522) are disposed in the 
holes (554) of the hooks (520) and in the shoulder screw holes (536) of 
the flexible arms (530) and (532). The hooks (520) can freely rotate 
around the shoulders (560) of the shoulder screws (522). The screws (528) 
are screwed to the threaded holes (538) of the flexible arms (530) and 
(532), and are disposed in the slots (556) of the hooks (520). 
The slot (556) of the hook (520) allows the hook to rotate around the 
shoulder screw (522) from locked position (521) to unlocked position (523) 
[see FIG. 30]. In the locked position (521) the edge of the opening (558) 
of the hook (520) is disposed in the grove (552) of the grooved ring 
(518). In the unlocked position (523) the hooks (520) are released from 
the grooved rings (518) and allow the flexible arms (530) and (532) to 
move in the direction of the axis of the pulling bicycle axle (443). The 
wing nut (526) can fasten the hook (520) in the locked position (521) or 
unlocked position (523). 
The distance (A) between the end (564) of the flexible arm (530) and the 
end (566) of the flexible arm (532) is about equal to the distance (AA) 
between the flat stops (540) and (542) of the axle (443) [see FIGS. 28 and 
29]. Because of the flexibility of the flexible arms (530), and (532) the 
distance (A) can be increased by force. 
To connect the flexible arm bracket with the hook (500) to a pulling 
bicycle, one has to move the hooks (520) to the unlocked position (523), 
increase, by force, the distance (A) between the end (564) of the flexible 
arm (530) and the end (566) of the flexible arm (532), put the holes (534) 
of the flexible arms (530) and (532) on the outside diameter (562) of the 
grooved tings (518) to remove the force, allowing the flexible arms (530) 
and (532) to return to their original position [to dimension (A)]. The end 
(564) of the arm (530) will touch the flat stops (540) of the axle (443) 
and the end (566) of the arm (532) will touch the flat stop (542) of the 
axle (443). Moving the hooks (520) around the shoulder screw (522) from 
the unlocked position (523) to the locked position (521), one can then 
dispose the edges of the openings (558) of the hooks (520) in the grooves 
(552) of the groove rings (518). Then one can fasten the hooks (520) in 
that position by tightening the wing nuts (526). 
Because the flexible arms (530) and (532) are mounted on the grooved rings 
(518), they can freely rotate with the grooved rings (518) around the 
stepped nuts (516) and axle (443). That provides a pivotal connection 
between the flexible arm bracket (500) and the pulling vehicle. At the 
same time the flexible arm (530) is locked between the left hook (520) and 
the flat stop (440) of the axle (443) so that it cannot move in the 
direction of the axis of the axle (443), and the flexible arm (532) is 
locked between the tight hook (520) and the flat stop (442) of the axle 
(443) so that it cannot move in that direction.