Abstract:
This invention allows users to carry heavy loads across swamps, marshes, and wetlands without getting bogged down due to the skids low ground pressure design. Traditional dump beds and flat beds can be mounted to the skid for hauling a variety of material. The skid can be hooked to existing tractors, crawler tractors and the like via a three point hitch or a quick hitch. Since a vehicle is required to move the skid, the cost is less than many other alternatives while allowing heavier loads to be carried.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     This invention relates to low ground pressure devices. More specifically, this invention relates to low ground pressure devices for carrying heavy loads.  
         [0003]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0004]     A variety of low ground pressure vehicles and devices are used to move material in areas such as marshes or swamps. Typically, such devices or vehicles are expensive, can carry relatively small loads and may not interoperate with traditional equipment. Although these references may not constitute prior art, for general background material, the reader is directed to the following United States Patent and Patent Application Numbers, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material contained therein: U.S. patent and Patent Application Nos.: 2002/0155765, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,984,032, 5,845,595, 5,839,802, 5,727,494, 5,318,141, 4,727,949, 4,645,023, 4,635,740, 4,497,257, 4,355,584, 4,362,340, 4,154,188, 4,072,203.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     It is desirable to provide a low ground pressure skid for hauling heavy loads across swamps, marshes, and the like where traditional vehicles are unable to cross.  
         [0006]     Therefore it is a general object of this invention to provide low ground pressure skid for hauling heavy loads.  
         [0007]     It is a further object of an embodiment of this invention to provide a low ground pressure skid for hauling heavy loads which has an adjustable tongue.  
         [0008]     It is a further object of an embodiment of this invention to provide a low ground pressure skid for hauling heavy loads which has an end dump bed.  
         [0009]     It is a further object of an embodiment of this invention to provide a low ground pressure skid for hauling heavy loads which has a side dump bed.  
         [0010]     It is a further object of an embodiment of this invention to provide a low ground pressure skid for hauling heavy loads which has a flat bed.  
         [0011]     It is a further object of an embodiment of this invention to provide a low ground pressure skid for hauling heavy loads which has one or more hooks for sliding the rear of the skid.  
         [0012]     It is a further object of an embodiment of this invention to provide a low ground pressure skid for hauling heavy loads which has a retractable wheel unit for hauling the skid on a road.  
         [0013]     It is a further object of an embodiment of this invention to provide a low ground pressure skid for hauling heavy loads which has a connector to allow the skid to be connected to a vehicle with a three point hitch, a quick hitch or various other types of hitch or connecting assemblies.  
         [0014]     It is a further object of an embodiment of this invention to provide a low ground pressure skid for hauling heavy loads which has angled or curved outside walls.  
         [0015]     It is a further object of an embodiment of this invention to provide a low ground pressure skid for hauling heavy loads where the frame of the skid is rectangular, square, oval, or circular.  
         [0016]     These and other objects of this invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following drawings, detailed description, and claims. In the present preferred embodiment of this invention, the low ground pressure skid makes use of a novel bed and skid combination to allow the ability for hauling heavy loads across swamps, wetlands and other areas where low ground pressure is required. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]     In order to show the manner that the above recited and other advantages and objects of the invention are obtained, a more particular description of the present preferred embodiments of this invention, which are illustrated in the appended drawings, is described as follows. The reader should understand that the drawings depict only present preferred and best mode embodiments of the invention, and are not to be considered as limiting in scope. A brief description of the drawings is as follows:  
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is a top view of the present preferred rectangular skid with curved outside walls.  
         [0019]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the present preferred rectangular skid with curved outside walls.  
         [0020]      FIG. 3  is a cross sectional front view of the present preferred rectangular skid with curved outside walls.  
         [0021]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the present preferred rectangular skid with angled outside walls.  
         [0022]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the present preferred rectangular skid with angled outside walls.  
         [0023]      FIG. 6  is a cross sectional front view of the present preferred rectangular skid with angled outside walls.  
         [0024]      FIG. 7  is a top view of the present preferred oval skid with a curved outside wall.  
         [0025]      FIG. 8  is a side view of the present preferred oval skid with a curved outside wall.  
         [0026]      FIG. 9  is a cross sectional front view of the present preferred oval skid with a curved outside wall.  
         [0027]      FIG. 10  is a top view of the present preferred circular skid with a curved outside wall with a tongue connected to the base panel.  
         [0028]      FIG. 11  is a side view of the present preferred circular skid with a curved outside wall with a tongue connected to the base panel.  
         [0029]      FIG. 12  is a cross sectional front view of the present preferred circular skid with a curved outside wall with a tongue connected to the base panel.  
         [0030]      FIG. 13  is a diagram of the present preferred rectangular skid with a mounted dump bed with a tongue connected to the base panel.  
         [0031]      FIG. 14  is a cross sectional side view of the present preferred rectangular skid with a mounted flat bed attached to the base panel and the tongue connected to the flat bed.  
         [0032]      FIG. 15  is a diagram of the present preferred adjustable tongue assembly.  
         [0033]      FIG. 16  is a side view of a three point hitch connector which connects into a three point hitch.  
         [0034]      FIG. 17  is a rear view of a three point hitch connector which connects into a three point hitch.  
         [0035]      FIG. 18  is a side view of a quick hitch connector which connects to a vehicle with a quick hitch.  
         [0036]      FIG. 19  is a rear view of a quick hitch connector which connects to a vehicle with a quick hitch.  
         [0037]      FIG. 20  is a side view of a flat bed skid with a retractable wheel unit.  
         [0038]      FIG. 21  is a cross sectional view of the present preferred rectangular skid with a side dump bed. 
     
    
       [0039]     Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0040]      FIG. 1  is a top view of the present preferred rectangular skid with curved outside walls while  FIG. 2  is a side view of the present preferred rectangular skid with curved outside walls and  FIG. 3  is a cross sectional front view of the present preferred rectangular skid with curved outside walls. Curved outside walls  103   a,    103   b,    103   c,  and  103   d  are connected together to form the rectangular frame  103 . The curved walls  103   a,    103   b,    103   c,    103   d  are curved to allow the skid to be easily pulled or pushed across marshy, swampy and uneven ground. If the walls  103   a,    103   b,    103   c,    103   d  were not curved or angled, it would make moving the skid more difficult, but not impossible. When the skid is connected to a vehicle with a three point hitch the vehicle can lift the front end of the skid so the skid can slide over obstacles. The disadvantage to non-angled or curved walls  103   a,    103   b,    103   c,    103   d,  is that the weight of the skid and the skids load would not spread out as much on the base panel  106  when the front of the skid is lifted up using the three point hitch. If the skid is not lifted up, the non-angled or curved walls  103   a,    103   b,    103   c,    103   d  would catch on the ground and other obstacles such as bushes and the like. The four curved walls  103   a,    103   b,    103   c,    103   d  are also connected together by a base panel  106 . The base panel  106  is further reinforced by base supports  100  which are connected to the rectangular frame  103  and the base panel  106  to give added strength to the skid. The base supports  100  are not necessary if the base panel  106  and rectangular frame  103  are strong enough to support the loads being carried by the skid. A pair of bed supports  101  are connected to the base supports  100  and the frame walls  103   a,    103   c.  The bed supports  101  can be connected only to the frame walls  103   a,    103   b,    103   c,  or  103   d  or only to the base panel  106  or the bed supports can be the rectangular frame  103  if the material used is strong enough to support the loads being carried. Only a single bed support  101  is necessary if the bed support  101  is wide enough to support a bed  111 ,  813  properly. A tongue  104  is connected to the rectangular frame  103  and to the adjustable tongue assembly  120  to allow a vehicle to pull the skid. The tongue  104  can be connected to the rectangular frame  103 , or the tongue  104  can be connected to the base panel  106  or the tongue  104  can be connected to the bed supports  101  as long as it allows the skid to be pulled or pushed. The tongue supports  105  are used to reinforce the tongue  104 , but are not necessary if the tongue  104  is strong enough to pull the loads being carried. The sliding hooks  102  are connected to the frame  103  to allow the skid to be pulled by a vehicle when the skid becomes stuck or there is a need pull the back end or side of the skid. The sliding hooks  102  can also be connected to one or either of the bed supports  201 .  
         [0041]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the present preferred rectangular skid with angled outside walls while  FIG. 5  is a side view of the present preferred rectangular skid with angled outside walls and  FIG. 6  is a cross sectional front view of the present preferred rectangular skid with angled outside walls. Angled outside walls  203   a,    203   b,    203   c,  and  203   d  are connected together to form the frame  203 . The curved walls  203   a,    203   b,    203   c,    203   d  are angled to allow the skid to be easily pulled or pushed across marshy, swampy and uneven ground. The four angled walls  203   a,    203   b,    203   c,    203   d  are also connected together by a base panel  206 . The base panel  206  is further reinforced by base supports  200  which are connected to the frame  203  and the base panel  206  to give added strength to the skid. The base supports  200  are not necessary if the base panel  206  and frame  203  are strong enough to support the loads being carried by the skid. A pair of bed supports  201  are connected to the base supports  200  and the frame walls  203   a,    203   c.  The bed supports  201  are connected to the frame walls  203   a,    203   c  and the base supports  200 . The bed supports  201  can be connected only to the frame walls  203   a,    203   b,    203   c,  or  203   d  or only to the base panel  206  or the bed supports can be the frame  203  if the material used is strong enough to support the loads being carried. Only a single bed support  201  is necessary if the bed support  201  is wide enough to support a bed  111 ,  813 ,  900  properly. A tongue  204  is connected to the frame  203  to allow a vehicle to pull the skid. The tongue  204  can be connected to the frame  203 , or the tongue  204  can be connected to the base panel  206  or the tongue  204  can be connected to the bed supports  201  as long as it allows the skid to be pulled or pushed. The tongue supports  205  are used to reinforce the tongue  204 , but are not necessary if the tongue  204  is strong enough to pull the loads being carried. The sliding hooks  202  are connected to the frame  203  to allow the skid to be pulled by a vehicle when the skid becomes stuck or there is a need pull the back end or side of the skid. The sliding hooks  202  can also be connected to one or either of the bed supports  201 .  
         [0042]      FIG. 7  is a top view of the present preferred oval skid with a curved outside wall while  FIG. 8  is a side view of the present preferred oval skid with a curved outside wall and  FIG. 9  is a cross sectional front view of the present preferred oval skid with a curved outside wall. An oval frame  303  with angled or curved sides allows the skid to be easily pulled or pushed across marshy, swampy and uneven ground. The oval frame  303  is connected along the bottom by a base panel  306 . The base panel  306  is further reinforced by base supports  300  which are connected to the oval frame  303  and the base panel  306  to give added strength to the skid. The base supports  300  are not necessary if the base panel  306  and oval frame  303  are strong enough to support the loads being carried by the skid. A pair of bed supports  301  are connected to the base supports  300  and the oval frame  303 . The bed supports  301  are connected to the oval frame  303  and the base supports  300 . The bed supports  301  can be connected only to the oval frame  303  or only to the base panel  306  or the bed supports can be the oval frame  303  if the material used is strong enough to support the loads being carried. Only a single bed support  301  is necessary if the bed support  301  is wide enough to support a bed  111 ,  813  properly. A tongue  304  is connected to the oval frame  303  to allow a vehicle to pull the skid. The tongue  304  can be connected to the oval frame  303 , or the tongue  304  can be connected to the base panel  306  or the tongue  304  can be connected to the bed supports  301  as long as it allows the skid to be pulled or pushed. The tongue supports  305  are used to reinforce the tongue  304 , but are not necessary if the tongue  304  is strong enough to pull the loads being carried. The sliding hooks  302  are connected to the oval frame  303  to allow the skid to be pulled by a vehicle when the skid becomes stuck or there is a need pull the back end or side of the skid. The sliding hooks  302  can also be connected to one or either of the bed supports  301 .  
         [0043]      FIG. 10  is a top view of the present preferred circular skid with a curved outside wall with the tongue connected to the base panel while  FIG. 11  is a side view of the present preferred circular skid with a curved outside wall with the tongue connected to the base panel and  FIG. 12  is a cross sectional front view of the present preferred circular skid with a curved outside wall with the tongue connected to the base panel. A circular frame  403  with angled or curved sides allows the skid to be easily pulled or pushed across marshy, swampy and uneven ground. The circular frame  403  is connected along the bottom by a base panel  406 . The base panel  406  is further reinforced by base supports  400  which are connected to the circular frame  403  and the base panel  406  to give added strength to the skid. The base supports  400  are not necessary if the base panel  406  and circular frame  403  are strong enough to support the loads being carried by the skid. A pair of bed supports  401  are connected to the base supports  400  and the circular frame  403 . The bed supports  401  are connected to the circular frame  403  and the base supports  400 . The bed supports  401  can be connected only to the circular frame  403  or only to the base panel  406  or the bed supports can be the circular frame  403  if the material used is strong enough to support the loads being carried. Only a single bed support  401  is necessary if the bed support  401  is wide enough to support a bed  111 ,  813 ,  900  properly. A tongue  404  is connected to the base panel  406  to allow a vehicle to pull the skid. The tongue  404  can be connected to the circular frame  403 , or the tongue  404  can be connected to the base panel  406  or the tongue  404  can be connected to the bed supports  401  as long as it allows the skid to be pulled or pushed. The tongue supports  405  are used to reinforce the tongue  404 , but are not necessary if the tongue  404  is strong enough to pull the loads being carried. The sliding hooks  402  are connected to the circular frame  403  to allow the skid to be pulled by a vehicle, winch, or the like when the skid becomes stuck or there is a need pull the back end of the skid. The sliding hooks  402  can also be connected to one or either of the bed supports  401 .  
         [0044]      FIG. 13  is a diagram of the present preferred rectangular skid with a mounted end dump bed  111 . An end dump bed  111  is connected to the skid by a connecting pin  114  which connects the end dump bed  111  to the bed supports  101 . The end dump bed  111  is also connected to the frame  103  or the bed supports  101  by a hydraulic ram  110  that is used to raise and lower the end dump bed  111 . The hydraulic ram  110  is connected to the vehicle which pulls the skid. Loads of material are placed in the end dump bed  111  to be transported and later dumped. The end dump bed  111  has a tail gate  112  which is opened when the load of material is dumped. A side dump bed that dumps material from the side rather than the end can also be used. Side dump beds and end dump beds  111  are commonly used on trucks for hauling material.  
         [0045]      FIG. 14  is a cross sectional side view of the present preferred rectangular skid with a mounted flat bed  813  attached to the base panel  806  and the tongue  804  is connected to the flat bed. The frame  803  is connected to the base panel  806 . This allows material to be loaded on to the flat bed  813  and transported using the skid.  
         [0046]      FIG. 15  is a diagram of the present preferred adjustable tongue assembly  120 . The adjustable tongue assembly  120  allows the user to adjust the height of the lunette ring  503  to match the height of the vehicle which is pulling the skid. A tongue  104 ,  204 ,  304 ,  404  which has an adjustable tongue assemble  120  has a set of tongue holes  504  which are used to mount the adjustable tongue  501 . The adjustable tongue  501  has a set of adjustable tongue holes  507  which line up with the tongue holes  504 . The adjustable tongue  501  can be moved up or down and secured using the bolts  505  which go through each adjustable tongue hole  507  and the corresponding tongue hole  504 . The each bolt  505  is secured with a corresponding nut  506 . The adjustable tongue is connected to a tongue bar  502  which in turn is connected to a lunette ring  503 . The lunette ring  503  connects to the vehicle which pulls or pushes the skid.  
         [0047]      FIG. 16  is a side view of a three point hitch connector which connects into a three point hitch while  FIG. 17  is a rear view of a three point hitch connector which connects into a three point hitch. A three point hitch has three connecting arms which allow the three point hitch to connect to various types of equipment. The upper three point hitch connecting arm  600  along with a pair of lower three point hitch connecting arms  611 ,  616  connect to the three point hitch connector by sliding into the upper connection piece  603  and the lower connection pieces  613  and  614 . A bolt or pin is placed through the upper connection hole  602  and the upper three point hitch hole  601  and a second pin is placed through the lower connection hole  609  and the lower three point hitch hole  610 . A third pin or bolt is placed through the lower connection hole  615  and the lower three point hitch hole  617  to secure the three point hitch connector. The upper connection hole  602  goes through both of the pieces of the upper connection piece  603 . The upper connection piece  603  is connected to the pintle hook support  605 . The pintle hook  607  is connected to the pintle hook support  605  by four connecting bolts  606  which go through the pintle hook adjustment holes  612 . This allows the pintle hook  607  to be moved up and down to match the height of the equipment being connected to the pintle hook  607 . The side supports  604 ,  618  connect to pintle hook support  605  and the lower connection pieces  613 ,  614 . The lower connection pieces  613 ,  614  connect to the support bar  608  which connects to pintle hook support  605 .  
         [0048]      FIG. 18  is a side view of a quick hitch connector and  FIG. 19  is a rear view of a quick hitch connector which connects to a vehicle with a quick hitch. A quick hitch has three connecting hooks which allow the quick hitch to connect to various types of equipment. The two lower hooks on the quick hitch hook around the lower quick hitch bar  709  while the upper hook on the quick hitch hooks around the upper quick hitch bar  702 . The quick hitch connector is locked in place by locks on the quick hitch. The upper quick hitch bar  702  is supported by two upper quick hitch bar supports  703  which are connected to the pintle hook support  705 . The pintle hook  707  is connected to the pintle hook support  705  by four connecting bolts  706  which go through the pintle hook adjustment holes  712 . This allows the pintle hook  707  to be moved up and down to match the height of the equipment being connected to the pintle hook  707 . The side supports  704  connect to pintle hook support  705  and the lower quick hitch bar supports  714 . The lower quick hitch bar supports  714  are connected to the lower quick hitch bar  709 . The support bar  708  connects the pintle hook support  705  to the side supports  704 .  
         [0049]      FIG. 20  is a side view of a flat bed  900  skid with a retractable wheel unit  901 . The retractable wheel unit  901  can be raised when the skid is being used to carry loads. The retractable wheel unit  901  can be lowered so the skid can be transported on a road. Retractable wheel units are commonly used on trucks. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,727,494, 4,497,257, and 4,355,584 show vehicles with retractable wheel units used in similar applications.  
         [0050]      FIG. 21  is a cross sectional view of the present preferred rectangular skid with a side dump bed. A side dump bed  2100  is mounted on the bed supports  101 . The side dump bed  2100  has a gate  2101  which opens allowing material to dumped from the side of the skid. The material is pushed out of the side dump bed  2100  with a hydraulic ram  2102 . This skid can be connected to various types of vehicles such as tractors, crawler tractors and the like using various types of connectors, hitches, and the like. In addition, the skid can be build using a variety of materials such as metal or other materials capable of carrying heavy loads.  
         [0051]     The described embodiments of this invention are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not as restrictive. Although specific diagrams are provided, the invention is not limited thereto. The scope of this invention is, therefore, indicated by the claims rather than the foregoing description. All changes, which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims, are to be embraced within their scope.