Patent ID: 12194962

DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this application. The drawings show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

As substantially shown inFIGS.1,2and7, the present invention10could be a vehicle-mounted transposition device20for engaging and lifting wheelless and trackless, powered, walk-behind construction equipment200by an automotive vehicle300(e.g., such as motorized wheeled truck or tractor, a motorized tracked prime mover or the like. Such powered construction equipment like for movement like walk-behind plate compactors, rammers, jack hammers and alike are generally lacking wheels or tracks for movement and may use vibrational or reciprocal (e.g., jumping) motion to accomplish equipment's design or intended purpose allowing the operator generally holding onto such construction equipment200from behind to guide or otherwise move the construction equipment200. One possible example of the operate from behind powered construction equipment200that is wheelless or trackless could be a ground compactor or tamper202having an upright body204holding a powering motor with reciprocating mechanism (neither are shown) that generally movably attaches to a base plate206at the bottom end of the upright body204. The top end of the upright body204could support operating handles208and machine controls. Upon activation, the tamper202begins its “jumping” motion using the weight of the tamper202to tamper or compact the ground12to which the construction equipment200is applied. The operator (not shown) may grasp the construction equipment200by the operating handles208and maneuvers the tamper202as the device “jumps.”

As substantially shown inFIGS.3A and3Bthe vehicle-mounted transportation device20could comprise a cradle mechanism22movably connected to a lift mechanism60. In one embodiment the lift mechanism60further providing a bar or hitch insert72that removably attaches to the open hitch mount310as applied to an automotive vehicle300such as flatbed truck, pickup truck or the like (substantially shown inFIG.1). In another embodiment—not shown, wherein a cutout in the side of a truck bed of the automotive vehicle allows to the invention10to be placed next to a truck bed frame of the truck bed to allow the lift mechanism60to be directly attached to the truck bed frame.

As substantially shown inFIG.4, the cradle mechanism22could comprise an open-sided cradle24shaped like a dust pan and four-sided hollow square tube or shaft25that at one or rear cradle edge26is perpendicularly connected to front side of the shaft25at a bottom shaft end27of the shaft25. The open-sided cradle24could comprise flat rectangular plate28that has continuously connected raised plate ridges30on three of the cradle's four edges, the fourth or front plate edge32being flat (allowing the construction e to be “walked” onto the open-sided cradle24is located opposite of the rear cradle edge26to which the shaft25is connected in an upright and perpendicular manner to the open-sided cradle24. Two of the opposing plate ridges30could be movable penetrated by a retaining rod34that could removably placed over the front edge of the base plate206(substantially shown inFIGS.1and2) to hold the base plate206(hence the construction equipment200) onto the open-sided cradle24during transportation/cradle operation.

Towards the top shaft end29could be U-shaped holder or shaft holder36(e.g., two spaced part holder plates38held apart in parallel horizontal orientation to one another) that projects over a portion of the open-sided cradle24. Both holder plates38could be removably penetrated by a second retaining rod40that may be held in a parallel orientation to the shaft25. An upper portion of the loaded machinery (e.g., operating handle208) could be removably received between the holder plates pair38and be held there by the second retaining rod40. In this manner, the cradle mechanism22could retain the loaded at the top and bottom of construction equipment200(as substantially shown inFIG.1) to provide a stable and secure equipment retention. On the back side31of the shaft25(e.g., opposite of the front side) where the shaft25connects to the open-side cradle24could a threaded rod holder42. The threaded rod holder42could comprise a horizontally oriented anchoring plate44held between a pair of spaced apart, vertically oriented anchoring arms46held in parallel orientation to each other. The anchoring plate44being projecting outward and perpendicular to the shaft25. The anchoring plate44could be penetrated by a rod aperture48with at least one threaded nut50affixed to the anchoring plate44over the rod aperture48. A threaded rod64from the lift mechanism60could movably engage the threads of the threaded nut50so that as the threaded rod64is rotated by the lift mechanism60the anchoring plate (and hence the shaft25with attached open side cradle24) moves up or down along the threaded rod64as the threaded rod64rotates.

In one version of the cradle mechanism22, the open-sided cradle24could be further coupled to a set of wheels52(as substantial show inFIG.3C) at the edge of the open-sided cradle24hosting the cradle's attachment to the shaft25. In this manner, when the automotive vehicle300is needed to tow something besides the invention10, the invention10can be removed from the vehicle (e.g., the vehicle's hitch mechanism302) (as substantially shown inFIG.1). Rather than having an operator (e.g., construction worker—not shown) lift or drag the invention11to desired storage area, the worker can tilt back upon the shaft25to place the invention10upon its wheels52and push the wheeled invention10to the desired storage area like a dolly.

As substantially shown inFIG.5, the lift mechanism60could comprise an actuator62(e.g., a geared electric motor) that connects to the threaded rod64to substantially rotate the threaded rod64about the rod's longitudinal central axis (not shown). The actuator62(e.g., actuator portion containing the motor and gears) generally being mounted the foot68of the L-shaped hollow tubing66. In one possible embodiment, An open tube end70of the foot68could receive a solid length of bar that may act as the hitch insert72to allow the attachment of the invention10to an automotive hitch mechanism302of the vehicle300. The leg portion74of the L-shaped tubing66may form a double open-end leg channel70that movably accepts the shaft25. In this manner, as the threaded rod64rotates, the threaded rod64moves the shaft25through the double opened ended leg channel70as formed by the leg portion74of the L-shaped tubing66, the mutual four-sided nature of the shaft25and the leg portion74prevents unwanted twisting of the shaft25within the leg portion74. Polymer end collars78at each end of the double open-end leg channel70could assist with moving the shaft25through the leg portion74.

In one possible version as shown inFIGS.8,9,10and11, the bar72could form a pivotal attachment54to the foot portion68to allow the invention10to be pivoted between a vertical transportation/operating positon to a horizontal storage position. A threaded T-shaped rod56could penetrate through the centerline of the foot portion68to pivotally connect the L-shaped tubing66to bar72. In doing so the threaded T-shaped rod56could movably pass through longitudinal slots23running on opposite sides in parallel on the shaft25. In this manner as the shaft25is moving through the L-shaped tubing66when the cradle mechanism22is moved up and down, the threaded T-shape rod56could move along the lengths of the of the longitudinal slots23unimpeded. By slightly unscrewing the threaded T-shape rod56, the L-shaped tubing66can be backed away from the edge flange73on the end of the bar72. The L-shaped tubing66(e.g., and the remainder of the transportation device20) can be pivoted 90 degrees to be placed into a horizontal storage position relative to the hitch302. By tightening the threaded T-shape rod56to the L-shaped portion and bar72, the L-shaped tubing66engages the edge flange73to generally hold the invention10in the horizontal storage position.

This process could be reversed by backing out the threaded T-shape rod56to space out a distance between the bar72and the L-shaped tubing66to disengage the edge flange73from the L-shaped tubing66. The remainder of the transportation device20can be rotated back to the vertical operating position. The threaded the threaded T-shape rod56can be tightened again to bring the L-shaped tubing66into contact with the edge flange73to removably hold the remainder of the transportation device20to the bar in the vertical operating position.

The actuator62could be an electric shaft motor (not shown) movably connected to a set of reduction gears (not shown) connected to the threaded rod64to rotate the threaded rod64about the thread rod's central longitudinal axis to prove the threaded rod's rotatable engagement with the threaded rod holder42. The actuator62could be connected to one of several electrical systems of the supporting automotive vehicle300(e.g., the parking light lighting system) to energize the electric shaft motor through a control of switch80. The electric switch80could control the energization of the electric shaft motor to control the direction of rotation and hence moving the shaft25up or down relative to the L-shaped tubing (as substantially shown inFIGS.1and3.)

One possible embodiment of the invention could further comprise a covering (not shown) that could be applied over the lift mechanism60, the shaft25and leg portion74of the L-shaped tubing to reduce the amount of debris that could get into the moving parts of the invention10.

In another embodiment of the invention10, as substantially shown inFIG.3C, the motor and gears portion of the actuator62(e.g., a mechanical linear actuator) could be attached to the U-shaped holder or shaft holder36so the actuator's threaded rod64may be directed downward to be rotatably retained by the threaded rod holder as mounted below in the foot68of the L-shaped tubing66. This second invention configuration, generally having the ability to lift or pull up the cradle load up to transportation position, may appear to be more efficient in comparison with the first invention configuration as substantially shown inFIGS.1,3A, and3B. In the first invention configuration, actuator's motor and gears portion may be mounted to foot68of the L-shaped tubing66and to generally direct actuator's threaded rod64upward to threaded rod holder42as substantially mounted in U-shaped holder or shaft holder36. In the first invention configuration, the actuator appears to push the cradle/load and in doing so may utilize takes more energy to do so.

As substantially shown inFIG.6, another embodiment of the invention10could be a method or a process100for operating hitch-mounted transposition device20. The process100could start with step102, setting the hitch-mounted transportation device, wherein, if the operator has not previously attached the device, the operator could bring (e.g., wheel) the device to the rear end of the automotive vehicle. The device could be connected to the vehicle's electrical system to allow the operation of the actuator. The energizing of the actuator could allow the L-shaped tube to move along the shaft to bring the bar up to the level of the hitch mechanism of the automotive vehicle to allow the operator to move device closer to the automotive vehicle to insert and secure the bar to the hitch mechanism. The operator could remove then the first and second retaining rods from the hitched device. At the substantial completion of step102, the process could proceed to step104, loading the construction equipment.

In step104, loading the construction equipment, the operator could activate the construction equipment to move the construction equipment proximate to the hitched device. The operator carefully could reverse the orientation construction equipment to back the construction equipment onto the opened ended cradle by passing the construction equipment's foot plate through the open end of the open sided cradle. Once properly positioned upon the open sided cradle, the operator could turn off the construction equipment. The second retaining rod can be placed through the operating handle to removably secure the operating handle between the holder plate pair of the U-shaped holder or shaft holder. The operator can then re-secure the first retaining rod to the open sided cradle to hold the construction equipment's foot plate to the open sided cradle. The actuator can then be appropriately energized to cause the shaft to be moved through the leg portion to lift the loaded open-ended cradle upwards towards the L-shaped tube. As the loaded open-ended cradle has sufficiently cleared the ground12, the actuator can be de-energized. The Automotive vehicle can then be driven to the desired remote site. As this step is substantially completed, the process could proceed to step106, unloading construction equipment.

In step106, unloading the construction equipment, once the automotive vehicle arrives at the desired remote site (e.g., another construction site) and is suitable parked, the actuator can be suitably energized to lower the loaded open-ended cradle down to the ground12. The first and second retaining rods can be removed from the remaining cradle mechanism to release the construction equipment from the device. The operator can activate the construction equipment to drive the construction equipment off the open-ended cradle to a desired area at the remote site. At this point, the process100could proceed back to step104to load or reload construction equipment upon the device. Alternatively, the device could be electrically unconnected and unhitched from the vehicle could be moved (wheeled) to a storage area at the remote site.

CONCLUSION

Although the description above contains many specifications, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents rather than by the examples given.