Abstract:
A collapsible and portable sled apparatus including a first extending ski and a second spaced apart and parallel extending ski. A plurality of crosswise extending members interconnect the first and second skis, each of the crosswise members including overlapping and interengaging portions. A support structure is disposed between the crosswise extending members and each of the first and second skis, the crosswise members defining a load supporting platform between the skis. The sled apparatus is further separated into front and rear attachable sections and the individual pairs of interengaging portions are further capable of being converted from a first engaged and use position, such as by spatially displacing relative to one another and being folded to a second disengaged and collapsed position in which the skis are spaced more closely together.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates generally to towable or trailerable sled devices and the like. More specifically, the present invention discloses a collapsible and portable sled apparatus, particularly useful for transporting deer carcasses and the like upon snow and ice covered surfaces.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     The prior art is well documented with various examples of towable and/or trailerable sled apparatus. A first example of this is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,294,457, issued to Thiboutot, and which teaches a collapsible support device for a folding sled having a pair of collapsible ski portions.  
         [0005]     The support structure, in an erect position, has two vertical members interconnected at their bottoms by a collapsible, preferably horizontal, member. Each end of the horizontal member is also pivotally connected to the other vertical member by a diagonal support member that extends between each end of the horizontal member and an upper portion of the opposite vertical member. When the structure is erected, the diagonal support members form a substantially “X” shape.  
         [0006]     Stiffening members, which are preferably generally vertical, are spaced from the vertical members and extend between the horizontal member and the diagonal support members. Both the horizontal member and the diagonal support members are formed of a plurality of pivotally interconnected links, at least one of which is modified to maintain the links in a desired angular position when the support structure is erected. A diagonal brace member interconnects each of the runners with the vertical support members not pivotally connected thereto. Collapse of the support structure moves the runners and the vertical members towards each other to reduce the width of the structure.  
         [0007]     U.S. Pat. No. 3,912,290, issued to Rich, teaches a collapsible sled having a plurality of end aligned and elongated sled sections pivotally secured together at their adjacent ends for relative angular displacement about horizontal transverse axes between a first operative position, with the sections in end aligned position, and a second relatively folded position, with the sled sections disposed in vertically stacked relation. A plurality of spaced apart and fixed transverse extending brackets are provided for separating individual ski members associated with the sled sections.  
         [0008]     U.S. Pat. No. 2,472,920, issued to Peenstra, teaches a folding sled having front and rear sections cross-sectionally foldable and collapsible. A back rest support is pivotally associated between the front and rear sections and is adapted to be folded in substantially one operation compactly into flat form for easy carrying and convenient storage in a small space.  
         [0009]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,561,665, issued to McFrisby, teaches a collapsible sled apparatus and method of constructing, particularly for use in carrying game and which includes a pair of box-like sections within which there are pivotally mounted pairs of runners. The runners can be placed completely within the box-like sections for transport, and the latter sections closed upon each other to form a complete box with the runners within the box.  
         [0010]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,695, issued to Kennel, teaches a sled apparatus including a body supporting portion, a runner portion, a runner supporting portion and a steering portion. The body supporting portion includes an elongated frame section with rigid longitudinal edges and front and rear ends. The frame section includes two generally quadrangular members disposed in an end-to-end relationship and pivotally connected to one another. The runner portion includes a runner disposed below and spaced from each longitudinal edge of the frame section, each runner including forward and rear runner sections selectively connectable in an end-to-end relationship when the quadrangular members are disposed in a single plane.  
         [0011]     Yet additional examples of prior art sled devices include U.S. Design Pat. No. 400,475, issued to Parker, and which teaches a scissor-type and foldable frame, having widthwise extending bands or supports, and upon which are supported a pair of lengthwise extending and spaced apart skis. Finally, U.S. Design Pat. No. 287,111, issued to Walker, teaches a deer and elk sleigh including a substantially flattened and rectangular shaped mat, from a forward end of which extends a pair of shoulder supporting straps for dragging the game.  
       SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION  
       [0012]     A collapsible and portable sled apparatus, which is capable of being carried and quickly assembled such as in an outdoor location, for transporting such as a deer carcass or the like. The collapsible and portable sled apparatus includes a first extending ski and a second spaced apart and parallel extending ski.  
         [0013]     A plurality of crosswise extending members interconnect the first and second skis, each of the crosswise members including overlapping and interengaging portions. A support structure is disposed between the crosswise extending members and each of the first and second skis, the crosswise members defining a load supporting platform between the skis.  
         [0014]     The sled apparatus is further separated into front and rear attachable sections, in a preferred embodiment, and the individual pairs of interengaging portions are further capable of being converted from a first engaged and use position, such as by spatially displacing relative to one another and being folded to a second disengaged and collapsed position in which the skis are spaced more closely together. A carrying tote or bag may be employed for storing the disassembled and collapsed front and rear subsections until needed. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]     Reference will now be made to the attached drawings, when read in combination with the following detailed description, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which:  
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the collapsible and portable sled according to the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the individual front and rear sections associated with the sled illustrated in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  is a side view illustration of the sled shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  is a succeeding top view illustration of the sled shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 ;  
         [0020]      FIG. 5A  is first cutaway view taken along line  5 A- 5 A of  FIG. 4  and illustrating a pair of interconnecting crosswise extending members in a first engaged position;  
         [0021]      FIG. 5B  is a succeeding illustration to  FIG. 5A  and showing the crosswise extending members in a disengaged position;  
         [0022]      FIG. 6  is an exploded illustration of the front and rear sled sections illustrated in  FIG. 2 , and shown in axially collapsed condition; and  
         [0023]      FIG. 7  is an environmental illustration of the collapsed sled sections of  FIG. 6  carried within a user-supported backpack for portability. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0024]     Referring now to each of  FIGS. 1-4  and  6 , a collapsible sled apparatus is illustrated at  10  according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As previously described, the sled apparatus renders possible the ability to portably and efficiently transport a game supporting sled device (such as in particular for deer, elk and like sized animals) and such as within a backpack or other suitable carrying tote.  
         [0025]     Referring again to  FIG. 1 , the sled apparatus  10  is illustrated as including a front section  12  and a separate and interengageable rear section  14 . Each of the front  12  and rear  14  sections is constructed of a durable and preferably lightweight material, such including a lightweight steel material or an impact resistant plastic.  
         [0026]     Each of the front  12  and rear  14  sections includes a pair of spaced apart skis, referencing in particular forward ski portions  16  and  18  associated with front section  12  and rearward ski portions  20  and  22 . Opposing edges of the forward and rearward ski portions are preferably tapered, such as best illustrated at  24  and  26  respectively in  FIG. 2 , and facilitate closer mating upon being assembled as shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0027]     A support structure is disposed atop the skis and includes preferably vertical and interconnecting horizontal tubular members. In particular, spaced apart and vertically extending members are illustrated for each of the forward and rearward ski portions, referencing in particular vertical portions  28  and  30  for forward ski portion  16 ,  32  and  34  for other forward ski portion  18 ,  36  and  38  for rearward ski portion  20  and, finally, at  40  and  42  for other rearward portion  22 . Corresponding horizontally extending tubular members are further provided and which are supported atop the vertical members and include members  44  (for vertical supports  28  and  30 ),  46  (for vertical supports  32  and  34 ),  48  (for vertical supports  36  and  38 ) and, finally,  50  (for vertical supports  40  and  42 ).  
         [0028]     Cross members extend between each of the forward  12  and rearward  14  sections and include, in particular, individual pairs of substantially planar shaped and crosswise extending interengaging portions extending from each of the associated forward and rearward ski portions. Specifically, forward section  12  includes spaced apart and crosswise extending portions  52  and  54  associated with horizontal member  44  and interengaging and crosswise extending portions  56  and  58  associated with horizontal member  46 . Rearward section  14  includes spaced apart and crosswise extending portions  62  and  64  associated with horizontal member  48 , whereas crosswise extending and interengaging portions  66  and  68  are associated with horizontal member- 50 .  
         [0029]     Each of the individual extending and interengaging portions is pivotally associated with its respective horizontal extending member, such as by a pin. This is illustrated by pins  70  and  72  associated with interengaging portions  52  and  54  extending from horizontal member  16 , pins  74  and  76  associated with interengaging portions  56  and  58  extending from horizontal member  18 , pins  78  and  80  associated with interengaging portions  62  and  64  extending from horizontal member  48  and, finally, pins  82  and  84  associated with interengaging portions  66  and  68  and associated with horizontal member  60 .  
         [0030]     Referring to  FIG. 4 , in combination with  FIGS. 5A and 5B , cutaway illustration  5 A- 5 A references a selected pair of interengaging portions  62  and  66  associated with the rear section. The collapsing motion of the interengaging portions  62  and  66 , as will now be described, is identical to that associated with each other cross member arrangement associated with the front  12  and rear  14  sections of the sled apparatus  10 , accordingly a repetitive description of the motion associated with each is not necessary for purposes of ease of illustration and explanation.  
         [0031]     Each pair of the substantially plate shaped and elongate extending interengaging portions includes substantially overlapping surfaces, and this is best referenced in the cutaway of  FIG. 5A  by (downward) surface  86  associated with engaging portion  62  and opposing (upward) surface  88  associated with engaging portion  66 . A selected one of the overlapping surfaces  86  and  88  further exhibits an elongate extending projection  90  (see as best shown in phantom  90  in  FIG. 4 ), a corresponding surface associated with the other selected interengaging portion (and such as further by example being referenced by surface  86  of portion  62 ) further exhibits a mating recess  92  for seating the extending projection  90  in the engaged and use position of  FIGS. 1 and 4 . To assist in explanation, it should be understood that the cutaway views of  FIGS. 5A and 5B  do not adequately illustrate the slot shaped and extending recess  90  defined within the overlapped portion of the mating surface  86 , in combination with the mating and likewise shaped projection  90 , this being understood more readily by reference to the phantom illustration in the overhead view of  FIG. 4 .  
         [0032]     Each pair of the interengaging portions is biasingly pressed together through the effect of a spring loaded pin associated with each of a plurality of pivotal connections. In particular, and referencing again  FIGS. 5A and 5B , a pin  94  (also technically described as a bolt, collar or the like) extends through aligning apertures defined in each of the extending and interengaging portions  62  and  66 . In a normally engaged and use position (see again in particular  FIG. 5A ), a coil spring  96  seats about the shaft portion of the pin  94  and against an underside surface of the extending portion  88  in order to bias the portions  62  and  66  together.  
         [0033]     Upon being forcibly dislodged in a direction against one another, and as is further referenced in the succeeding cutaway view of  FIG. 5B , the spring  96  is compressed and the projection and recess engagement between the opposing surfaces  86  and  88  is separated. This step is repeated for each interengaging pair of planar shaped portions associated with the front  12  and rear  14  sled sections, at which point the portions are hingedly pivoted, or folded, in a likewise scissors-type motion against each other, see in particular  FIG. 6 , and such that the ski portions  16  &amp;  18  and  20  &amp;  22  are collapsed into a more closely spaced arrangement relative to each other.  
         [0034]     In this fashion, and referencing further  FIG. 7 , the collapsed sections  12  and  14  are capable of being easily stored within a backpack  98  for carrying by a user  100 , such further typically being a hunter. Upon acquiring a deer or other transportable item (not shown), the collapsed sections  12  and  14  (again  FIG. 6 ) are removed from the backpack  98  and are reconverted to the engaged and use position (see  FIG. 2 ).  
         [0035]     At this point, connector pins  102  and  104  (see in particular associated with opposing facing ends of horizontal tubular sections  48  and  50  for rearward section  14 ) are inserted within opposing open ends  106  and  108  to reconfigure and attach the front  12  and rear  14  sections together. As is also illustrated, it is understood that spring loaded bearings or the like (see at  110  for pin  102 ) can seat within mating side apertures (see further at  112 ) associated with each open end (shown in  FIG. 2  as associated with open end  106  for horizontal member  44 ) to more securely attach the front and rear sections together. It is also envisioned that other and differently shaped connector plugs can also be incorporated within the scope of the present invention.  
         [0036]     Additional features associated with the collapsible sled include a forward extending and upwardly curved end associated with each of the first and second skis (see curved ends  114  and  116  for forward skis  44  and  46 ) securing to a forward-most extending location associated with each of the forward section horizontally extending members  44  and  46 , this being in order to provide further stability to the device. A pull rope, see at  118  in  FIG. 1 , is attached to one or more locations associated with the forward section  12  of the sled and, preferably, includes subsections  120  and  122  which attach to the upwardly curved ski ends  114  and  116 .  
         [0037]     Having described my invention, other and additional preferred embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains and without deviating from the scope of the appended claims. In particular, the collapsible sled can also be provided with more than two collapsible sections, such as in order to accommodate longer transportable items, or can be provided as a single elongated and non-separable section. Additionally, it is further envisioned that the scissors-type hinged arrangement established between the interengaging portions can be substituted, by example and without limitation, by a telescoping arrangement whereby one of the interengaging ends is slidably engaged within an opposing interengaging end and collapsed inwardly.