Claims
- 1. A vehicle comprising:a vehicle frame; at least two ground wheels each attached to the frame by a mounting assemly for supporting the frame for movement across the ground; the frame being divided into a front frame portion and a rear frame portion; the ground wheels being attached to the front frame portion for supporting the front frame portion such that the rear frame portion is supported relative to the ground solely from the front frame portion; the rear frame portion including support members mounted on the front frame portion and arranged so as to provide forward and rearward sliding movement of the support members and the rear frame portion relative to the front frame portion between transport position anda rearward loading position; the rear portion including rear load supporting frame members arranged beyond a rearward end of the front frame portion and arranged to support a rearward part of a load on the vehicle; and the rear frame portion including, in addition to the support members a forward load supporting frame member extending from the rear frame portion forwardly therefrom so as to be located, in the transport position, at a forward part of the front frame portion and arranged so as to engage and support a forward part of the load; the rear load supporting frame members and the front load supporting frame members being arranged such that, as the rear frame portion is moved rearwardly, the load is engaged by and carried on the rear load supporting frame members and the front load supporting frame member and moves with the rear frame portion rearwardly relative to the front frame portion to the rearward loading position.
- 2. The vehicle accoriding to claim 1 wherein each ground wheel includes a respective munting assembly comprising a first member connected to the frame for movement therewith and a second member having the ground wheel mounted thereon for rotation about a wheel axis, the second memeber being movably mounted on the first member so as to move the wheel axis from a first raised position in which the frame is lowered to a position at or adjacent the ground to a second transport position lower than the first position in which the frame is raised for transport, and wherein there is provided a fender mounted on the vehicle frame for covering the wheel during transport, the fender including at least a fender portion thereof which is movable relative to the frame to accommodate the movement of the wheel to the raised position.
- 3. The vehicle according to claim 2 wherein the fender portion is mounted for pivotal movement about a generally horizontal axis to move from a lowered transport position when the wheel is in the transport position thereof upwardly with the wheel when contracted by the wheel.
- 4. The vehicle according to claim 3 wherein the fender includes two fender portions divided at a line above the wheel each of which is mounted for pivotal movement about a respective pivot axis from the transport position.
- 5. The vehicle according to claim 4 wherein the fender portions include a locking device for locking the two fender portions together in the transport position.
- 6. The vehicle according to claim 4 wherein the two fender portions are spring biased into the transport position.
- 7. The vehicle according to claim 4 wherein the two fender portions define a front portion pivotally mounted in front of the wheel and a rear portion pivotally mounted behind the wheel.
- 8. The vehicle according to claim 2 wherein the fender portion includes a roller for engaging the wheel.
- 9. The vehicle according to claim 2 wherein the fender includes a fist fender portion mounted on the front portion of the frame for pivotal movement relative thereto and a sencond fender portion mounted on the rear portion of the frame so as to be movable therewith to a position spaced away from the wheel to allow the upward movement of the wheel.
- 10. The vehicle according to calim 9 wherein the first fender portion and the second fender portion meet at a position above the wheel when the rear frame portion is in the transport position.
- 11. The vehicle according to claim 1 wherein there is provided a fender on each side of the frame,the fender including a first fender portion mounted on the rear frame portion for movement therewith and a second fender portion mounted on the front frame portion and wherein the first fender portion and the second fender portion meet at a position above the wheel when the rear portion is in the transport position.
- 12. A vehicle comprising;a vehicle frame; at least two ground wheels attached to the frame by a mounting assembly for supporting the frame fro movement across the ground; the frame being divided into a front frame portion and a rear frame portion; the ground wheels being attached to the front frame portion for supporting the front frame portion such that the rear frame portion is supported relative to the ground solely from the front frame portion; the rear frame portion being mounted on the front frame portion for forward and rearward sliding movement relative thereto between a forward transport position and a rearward loading position; the front frame portion including two parallel elongate front support members extending longitudinally of the frame and spaced across the frame; the rear frame portion including two parallel elongate rear support members extending longitudinally of the frame and sapced across the frame; each of the rear support members being mounted on a respective on of the front support memebers for longitudinal sliding movement relative thereto as said rear frame portion moves in said sliding movement; the rear support members including rear load supporting frame members arranged beyond a rearward end of the front frame portion arranged to engage and support a rearward part of a load on the vehicle; and the rear frame portion including a forward load supporting frame member located between the front support members at a forward part of the front frame portion arranged to engage and support a forward part of the load; the rear load supporting frame members and the front load supporting frame member being arranged such that, as the rear frame portion is moved rearwardly, the load is engaged on and supported by the rear load supporting frame members and the front load supporting frame member and moves with the rear frame portion rearwardly relative to the front frame portion to the rearward loading position.
- 13. The vehicle according to claim 12 wherein the forward load supporting frame member of the rear frame portion comprises a third elongate support member parallel to and between the two rear support members, the third support member having means thereon for rolling on a support provided by the front frame portion.
- 14. The vehicle according to claim 13 wherein the third support member has a pair of transverse members extending transversely toward the two elongate support members of the front frame portion respectively, each of the transverse members having means thereon for rolling on a support attached to a respective one of the two elongate support members of the front frame portion.
- 15. The vehicle according to claim 14 wherein the transverse members form with the third beam in plan view a Y-shape.
- 16. The vehicle according to claim 14 wherein each of the transverse members has a transversely extending roller thereon for engaging into a track carried on a inside surface of a respective one of the two elongate support members of the front frame portion.
- 17. The vehicle according to claim 13 wherein the front frame portion includes a transverse beam for engaging and supporting the third support member.
- 18. The vehicle according to claim 12 wherein the front support members each comprise a front beam and the rear support members each comprise a rear beam slidable along the respective front beam and wherein each rear beam includes a pair of rollers for engaging upper and lower surfaces respectively of the respective front beam and wherein an end of each front beam has rollers thereon for engaging the upper and lower surfaces respectively of the respective rear beam.
- 19. The vehicle according to claim 12 wherein there is provided a fender on each side of the frame, the fender including a first fender portion mounted on the rear frame portion for movement therewith and a second fender portion mounted on the front frame portion and wherein the first fender portin and the second fender portion meet at a position above the wheel when the rear portion is in the transport position.
- 20. The vehicle according to claim 12 wherein each group wheel includes a respective mounting assembly comprising a first member connected to the frame for movement therewith and a second member having the ground wheel mounted thereon for rotation about a wheel axis, the second member being movably mounted on the first member so as to move the wheel axis from a first raised position in which the frame is lowered to a position at or adjacent the ground to a second transport position lower than the first position in which the frame is raised for transport, and wherein there is provided a fender mounted on the vehicle frame for covering the wheel during transport, the fender including at least a fender portion thereof which is movable relative to the frame to accommodate the movement of the wheel to the raised position.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
CA98/00752 |
Aug 1998 |
WO |
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Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/369,378 filed Aug. 6, 1999, now abandoned which is a continuation-in-part application of application Ser. No. 09/096,485 filed Jun. 10, 1998 now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (32)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0199652 |
Oct 1985 |
EP |
2043556 |
Oct 1980 |
GB |
5878836 |
May 1983 |
JP |
Continuations (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/369378 |
Aug 1999 |
US |
Child |
09/975313 |
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US |
Parent |
08/906905 |
Aug 1997 |
US |
Child |
09/096485 |
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US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/096485 |
Jun 1998 |
US |
Child |
09/369378 |
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US |