CA2028699A1 - Legere transporteur - Google Patents

Abstract

A B S T R A C T

1/ Until the invention of the "LÉGERE TRANSPORTEUR", transporting powered wheelchairs or sundry items at the rear of a vehicle, required the use ofobviously inferior and conditionally limiting devices as previously referred toherewith in part five of the particulars section of this submission or, atrailer, which trailer devices require individual licensing, parking, and/orlarge storage areas, vehicular lubrication and mobility maintenance, particulardriver education and expertise, and often prove inconvenient to maneuver andstore, and often dangerous on the road.
2/ Additionally, until the invention of the "LÉGERE TRANSPORTEUR", transporting powered wheelchairs without the use of such devices as previously referred toherewith in part five of the particulars section of this submission or atrailer, required professional installation of whatever of various particularlifts of either mechanical and/or hydraulic function, both of which are costlyto produce and similarly priced and thus, beyond the financial reach of most ofthose in need of such wheelchair transporting device.
3/ A tool intended for the vehicular transporting of sundry items and/or wheelchairs, ought not unconditionally incorporate such expense, maintenance,and inconvenience as is commonly associated with conditionally limiting devicesas previously referred to herewith in part five of the particulars section ofthis submission and with trailers and mechanical and/or hydraulic lifts, andought to be void of such common inconvenience as storage problems,maneuverability, additional lubrication and maintenance requirements, custominstallation, and NOT be of danger to others during installation and/or removal,or via MIShandling or UNskilled use on the road.
4/ The "LÉGERE TRANSPORTEUR" invention incorporates none of the negative features associated with such devices as previously referred to herewith in part five ofthe particulars section of this submission, nor any of the detrimental featuresof trailer and/or lifts, while providing numerous additional benefits totallyunavailable when using trailers or mechanical and/or hydraulic lifts or thedevices previously referred to herewith in part 5 of the particulars section ofthis submission.
5/ The "LÉGERE TRANSPORTEUR" invention involves the simplest of skillful design and construction, consisting of only three basic parts, such being the stowageplatform with combined baggage retention railings and quick-clip hold-down belt,the access ramp or step with auxiliary transport wheels, and the combinedundergirding superstructure and its two-inch by two-inch, steel, Reese-Type,lockable insertion hitch,, and INSTALL-ASSIST maneuverability wheels. Though of small size, the "LÉGERE TRANSPORTEUR" has more than adequatestowage/standing/sitting area, and although very light in weight, issufficiently durable and requires such minimal instruction to use, that one needonly observe a picture of its application. Additionally, the "LÉGERETRANSPORTEUR" is sufficiently simple in design as to permit manufacture and distribution costs well within the reach of all prospective users.

Description

2023~
THI5 ~ ISSION ~Y INVENTOR F,J~ LÉGERE, 451 ~ETHUNE OR., GRA~ENHURST ON C~N P~ClGO PG ~ OF 11 P ~ R T I C U I_ A F~ S O F T H E~ A P P L_ I C A T I O N
U P O N W ~ I C H T H I S C L_ A I rI F O R P R I O R I T Y
I S B A S E~ D , A R F~ ~ S F Q I_ L O W S :
WHEREAS there ls no other inventlon comprised of a single, non-traillng, readlly and easlly storable and portable tool for the purpose of provlding instant transport of sundry ltem6 at the rear of any accommodating vehicle ~ith a Reese-Type hltch and, WHEREAS there is no other invention as prevlously described hereln, which has double hlnged access ramps to readlly accommodate qulck, easy and secure transport of any kind of manual or mr,torlzed wheelchair and, WHEREAS there is no other inventlon as previDu~ly descrlbed herein, of such simple design and of sufficient strength and durability as to permit even the slightest of per~on to quickly and easily install and use in total confidence, compact in size and vith off-vehicle install-asslst and auxlliary transport wheels rendering it resultantly easy to store and ever-ready to provide convenient and adequate transport of ~undry ltems, ~hether luggage, varlous home and farm supplieR, wheelchalrs, etc., whether occasionally or regularly, without undue limitation as to vehicle adaptability and, WHEREAS there 1~ no other inventlon a~ descrlbed hereln precedlng, whlch is also equally functional as a portable, statlonary, or moblle open-air or canopied speaker's platform andJor dlsplay booth, or photographer's, vldeographer's, or clnematographer's perch and, WHEREAS the ~LÉGERE TRANSPORTEUR~ 18 obviously and remarkably superlor to previous attempts of thls art, such as:
A~ the UTILITY CARRIER, U.S. Pat. No.3158302 which requlreR partlcular and complex installation to the frame of the accommodating vehicle and, 8/ the LOAD CARRYING APPARATUS, Can. Pat. No. 1069093 which is too complex for economical manufacture and only ~electably attachable to particular vehlcles and requires conslderable mechanlcal ability to accomplish installatlon and, C/ the ~ULTIPURPOSE CARRIER, Can. Pat. No. 1137938 Yhich requires selective attachment to particular vehicles whose bumpers wlll accommodate it, lts further appllcatlon dependent upon user's lmaglnation and not provlded for ln its llmited deslgn and construction and requires various arrangements of assembly to accommodate transport of different ltems and, D/ the DETACHALLE CARGO CARRIER, U.S. Pat. No. 4813584, the lnstallatlon of whlch obstructs the vehlcle marker plate and encourages indlscrimlnate loadlng whlch may bloc~ the vehlcle tall lights, and conslsts of at least two separate parts, each of which must be fltted lndivldually prlor to use, and lts support frame platform must be RE-adapted to accommodate dlfferent loads; further, lt 18 of cumbersome deslgn and constructlon, and without any means to asslst the u~er in lts installation or removal.
Therefore, the petitioner request~ that a patent be granted, to him for the inventlon descrlbed herein precedlng and follo~lng, and named the ~LEGERE TRANSPORTEUR~.

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THI!~ BPtI55IUN F~Y INI/ENTOR F, J~ LÉ~'ERE, 4~.t .PET~IUNE I~R. ) GR~ENflURSr ON CON PaC1Ga F~G ~ DF~

D E~ S C R I P T I V E~ A N A L_ Y S I S

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In the drawings and fotos whlch illustrate the embodiments of the ~LEGERE TRANSPORTEUR~ invention, No. 1~ is the tran~port deck/stowage/area platform - se~ f~th No.
2~ is the proteotive, luggage retention railing - see foto~ 3 ito 1y l ow r~ 7y, wheel ~hait~ t~ ;port n7c~del showr~) is the quick-clip luggage hold-down belt and lockable steel cable - see fo t~s ~7 ;~, 5~ R 7 4~ 1~ the access ramp~s or step/s - see fi~tos 4 ~ 7 5~ is the auxiliary transport wheels - see fotos 1 & 5 6~ is the hitch saiety latch disengage control knob - see f~ito 7 7Y ls the padlock receptacle - see f~to 7 8~ ls the 2-inch by 2-inch, steel, Reese-Type, lockable insertion hitch ~: - see f~tos I & 7 9~ i8 the INSTALL-ASSIST, wheel assembly - see fot~s l~ 8~ ~ 10 >10< is the license plate accommodation receptacle 11/ is the tail/marker lights - see foitos 3~ 4, A
12Y is the lights electrical plug 13/ is the user lift ~ push handleg - see f~tos 1,~,5 ~14< is the luggage protection and/or storage canopy ~15< is the display-booth kit, consisting of auxiliary legs, railing and canopy, canopy supports, detachable/fold-down counter/table and shelf, imitation turf carpet, and auxillary D.C. receptaole to accommodate the use of a portable fan, dlsplay lighting, P.A. system, etc. ~AT THE TIPlE
OF THIS SU~PtISSION7 TECHNICAL ~Rf~lIN~;S OF I TEPtS 10~ 14~ ~ 15 WERE NOT
OPtPLETE
A/ The ~LÉGERE TRANSPORTEUR~ petitioned, claimed, and illustrated herein, consists of three basic parts, the ma~or of whlch is the singular platform/sto~age space/luggage area, and the two secondary parts are those - of the folding access ramp or step with auxiliary transport wheels, and the combined undergirding superstructure and its two-inch by two-inch, steei, Reese-Type, lockable insertion hitch, with attached INSTALL-ASSIST wheels assembly.
B/ The ~LÉGERE TRANSPORTEUR~ luggage/stowage space and/or booth/occupant area is approximately 120cm long and~70cm wide unless otherwise due to particular customer requirements, and is accessible from either and/or both sides, in accordance with individual ~uyer's choice at time of purchase/order, by either non-skid ramp or step. ~ONLY LO~ RAILIN~ ~HEELCHAIR TRANSPORT ~tO~EL ~ ~:
SHOWN; ~RAWIN~S OF STEP PtO~EL NOT OOPtPLETE RT TIPIE OF THIS SURPlISSIONJ
C/ The over-all light-veight, welded-joint, mostly aluminium construction of the ~LÉGERE TRANSPORTEUR~ and its two-inch by two-inch, steel, Reese-Type, lockable insertion hitch, renders it easily handled by any adult, and its sturdy, steel undergirding and heavy gauge aluminium frame, ramp/step, floor, and railing, afford the utmost in safe and secure, long term, dependable service.
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20~86~
THIS -~U~ SSI~N EIY IN~'EI\ITOR F, J~ LECI~ E, 451 ~IETHL/NE OR., GR~IJENHURST ON Cf~N POClGO P15 7 OF 11 rIE~ T ~ O D ~ F U S E~
1/ To uRe the "LEGERE TRANSPORTEUR~, it must first be installed. Prior to installatlon, the respective vehicle ~ rear license, plate must be removed and placed in the recepta~le proYlded for it on the ~LEGERE TRANSPORTEUR~, which respective receptacle brscket henceforth =MOVES=WITH= the license plate if 80 desired, for the ~quick-chang_~ convenience it thus affords. Also, the padlock must be removed 80 that the safety latch assembly can function.
2/ Installation of the "LÉGERE TRANSPORTEUR~ is accomplished by grasping the invention by its underside positioned, user lift and push handles at the opposite end to that of the step/ramp, No.13 in the drawings and foto No.l, lifting its light-weight construction, and via its of~-vehicle auxiliary transport wheels, No.5 in the drawings and foto No.l, pushing it into position behind the accommodating vehicle, setting it down, and then grasping the invention by the railing positioned above the license plate, No.2 in the drawings and foto No.2, and with hands holding lt thus, liftlng the invention to a level position, wherein, the invention will thus be easily balanced on lts INSTALL-ASSIST wheels, which wheels afford ready and eaRy maneuverability during installation of the invention.

3/ Wlth the ~L~GER TRANSPORTEUR~ balanced thus on its INSTALL-ASSIST wheels, No.g ln the drawings, and continuing to grasp lt at the rear, marker-light side by its cargo ralling, the installer then pushes the invention forward toward the rear o~ the respective vehicle until its proximity of distance from the vehicle hitch, readlly accommodates insertion of the invention s protruding hitch part into the receiving receptacle of the vehicle part of the hitch, simply by tipping the rear of the invention down while proceeding slowly forward until the matching hitch pieces begin to engage, No.8 in the drawings and foto No.2, then lifting the rear of the invention to a level position and again pushing it further forward until the hltch pieces are thus completely engaged, as evidenced by a metal-to-metal 1CLICK~ no1se as the spring-loaded retention pin slips into place and the twin, lockable safety latches engage the safety-chain receptacles of the vehicle part of the hitch. The installation is thus complete except for engaging the marker lights plug, No.12 in the drawings, with that of the vehicle s electrical receptacle, and fixin~ the padlock i~to place, see foto No.7, to prevent theft and~or accidental 1088 of cargo or the n LEGERE TRANSPORTEUR~.

4~ After installation, use of the ~LÉGERE TRANSPORTEUR~ invention is then accompli~hed simply by unlatching and folding down either the ramp~s or step~s and utilizing the deck area for the transport of whatever items, whether for the purpose of wheelchair or livestock transport, or as a voting, dispensary, sales, or other kind of booth or mobile and~or stationary photographer 8 perch.

5~ Removal of the ~LEGERE TRANSPORTEUR~ is accomplished simply by removing the padlock, unpluging the marker lights, folding up and latching the ramp~s or step~s into storage position, pulling the hitch unlatching control knob, and then grasping the cargo railing at a position above the license plate, as afore directed in the installation instructions, and pulling back on the "LEGERE TRANSPORTEUR~ until the invention drops down onto its INSTALL-ASSIST wheels, which wheels automatically fall into off-vehicle position on disengaging f,rom the hltch. The license plate bracket assembly must then be removed from the ~LEGERE TRANSPORTEUR~ and refitted to the rear of the respective vehicle, this transfer accomplished quickly and easily by means of the ~QUICK-CHA~GE~ receptacle provided. Then,, by gra~ping the end-positioned, user lift and push handles and lifting the ~LEGERE TRANSPORTEUR~ onto its end-pos1tioned, auxiliary tran3port wheels, it can be readily and easily moved to.whatever storage area, whether the back yard, the garage, or a closet in the apartment or house.

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Claims (6)

1/ A tool which, because of its sturdily supported and perimeter-railed stowage area platform with readily accommodating lockable, load/luggage securing belt and steel cable, marker lights, and lockable hitch mount, is a tool by use of which, extra luggage/stowage space can be added to the rear of any accommodating vehicle fitted with a Reese-Type hitch, without employing a trailer, without the expense of licensing, and without the critical concern common with the use of trailers, such as when in reverse motion or when used irresponsibly on the road.

2/ A tool as defined in claim one herein preceding, a tool which permits unhindered use of the rear of any accommodating vehicle and thereby, affords the user additional curb or street-side, built-in, double-hinged, fold-away step/ramp accessible stowage space for the convenient, safe and secure transport of any three or four wheel manual or powered wheelchair.

3/ A tool as defined in claims one and two herein preceding, a tool which affords the user adequate casual, regular, and/or professional use of the invention as an open-air or canopied concession or other kind of booth, whether to readily accommodate the display and sale of small goods, intangibles, etc., without the inconvenience of setting up and taking down at each scheduled stop, whether installed to a vehicle or free standing on its auxiliary legs.

4/ A tool as defined in claims one, two, and three heroin preceding, which because of its sturdily supported and perimeter railed platform, is a tool which affords home movie enthusiasts, videographers and cinematographers, adequate safe and secure advantage of perspective from the rear of any accommodating vehicle, and the convenience of easy detachment and storage in such limited space as that of a domestic closet.

5/ A tool as defined in claims one through four heroin preceding, a tool with off-vehicle auxiliary transport wheels and install-assist wheels, a tool of adequate design and engineering as to provide sufficiently sturdy and light weight construction as to render it fully installable, functional, and removable at the hands of even the slightest build of adult, including a large percentage of the partially disabled, without tools, additional hardware, bolts, clamps, or the assistance of another person.

6/ A tool as defined in claims one through five heroin preceding, a tool of such design and engineering as to permit its construction and dlstrlbutlon costs to be well within the financial reach of most prospective users, and thus, economically attractive for service clubs to distribute cost-free to the disabled.