Multi-level transport structure

• US 3,180,283 A
• Filed: 09/25/1961
• Issued: 04/27/1965
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1961
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Everett H. Sharp
• Original Assignee: Everett H. Sharp
• Inventors: Sharp, Everett H.
• Application Number:
  US04/140,513
• Time in Patent Office: 1,310 Days
• US Class Current: 410/26
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 3/18 for vehicles vehicles adapted to carry other vehicles, in general, B60P3/06

Claims

1. A MULTI-LEVEL TRANSPORT STRUCTURE ADAPTED TO CARRY A PLURALITY OF VEHICLES THEREON ARRANGED IN A FIRST AND A SECOND LEVEL COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, (A) A LONGITUDINALLY ELONGATED AND LATERALLY EXTENDING CARGO CARRIER HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING CENTRAL AXIS, (B) A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED LOWER SUPPORT MEANS CARRIED BY SAID CARRIER AND INCLUDING A PAIR OF LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING AND LATERALLY SPACED FIRST VEHICLE WHEEL ENGAGING TRACK MEANS, (1) SAID PAIR OF TRACK MEANS BEING DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID CENTRAL AXIS AND HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING FIRST TRACK AXIS DISPOSED LATERALLY INTERMEDIATE THE SAME WITH SAID FIRST TRACK AXIS BEING DISPLACED LATERALLY TO ONE SIDE OF THE CENTRAL AXIS OF SAID CARRIER, (2) SAID FIRST TRACK MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO HAVE THE WHEELS OF THE FIRST LEVEL OF VEHICLES DISPOSED THEREON AND TO SUPPORT THE FIRST LEVEL OF VEHICLES IN A POSITION WHICH IS DISPLACED TOWARD ONE SIDE OF SAID CENTRAL AXIS, (C) A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACAED AND LONGITUDINALLY ELONGATED SUPERSTRUCTURE MEANS WITH ONE BEING DISPOSED ON EACH LATERAL SIDE OF SAID CARRIER AND SUPPORTINGLY CARRIED THEREBY AND EXTENDING VERTICALLY ABOVE SAID LOWER SUPPORT MEANS, (D) A SECOND SUPPORT MEANS SPACED VERTICALLY ABOVE SAID LOWER SUPPORT MEANS AND INCLUDING MEANS SECURING THE SAME TO SAID SUPERSTRUCTURE MEANS AND A PAIR OF LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING AND LATERALLY SPACED SECOND VEHICLE WHEEL ENGAGING TRACK MEANS, (1) SAID PAIR OF SECOND TRACK MEANS HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SECOND TRACK AXIS DISPOSED LATERALLY INTERMEDIATE THE SAME WITH SAID SECOND TRACK AXIS BEING DISPLACED LATERALLY TO THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID CENTRAL AXIS OPPOSITE TO SAID ONE SIDE THEREFOF AND WITH ONE OF SAID SECOND TRACK MEANS BEING DISPOSED ON SAID ONE SIDE AND THE OTHER OF SAID SECOND TRACK MEANS BEING DISPOSED ON SAID OTHER SIDE, (2) SAID PAIR OF SECOND TRACK MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO HAVE THE WHEELS OF A SECOND LEVEL OF VEHICLES DISPOSED THEREON AND TO SUPPORT THE SAME IN A POSITION WHICH IS DISPLACED TOWARD SAID OTHER SIDE OF SAID CENTRAL AXIS, (E) SAID ONE OF SAID SECOND TRACK MEANS BEING POSITIONED AT A VERTICAL LEVEL ABOVE SAID LOWER SUPPORT MEANS WHEREBY THE SAME IS DISPOSED AT A LEVEL WHICH WILL BE ABOVE THE TOP OF THE FIRST LEVEL OF VEHICLES DISPOSED ON SAID FIRST SUPPORT MEANS, (F) SAID OTHER OF SAID SECOND TRACK MEANS BEING POSITIONED AT A VERTICAL LEVEL WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE VERTICAL LEVEL OF SAID ONE OF SAID SECOND TRACK MEANS AND IS LATERALLY SPACED THEREFROM SUFFICIENTLY TO SAID OTHER SIDE OF SAID CENTRAL AXIS SO THAT IT IS DISPOSED AT A LEVEL AND A LATERAL POSITION WHEREBY THE SAME WILL BE POSITIONED VERTICALLY BELOW THE TOP OF THE FIRST LEVEL OF VEHICLES AND LATERALLY OUTSIDE OF THE FIRST LEVEL OF VEHICLES, (G) WHEREBY WHEN A SECOND LEVEL OF VEHICLES IS DISPOSED ON SAID SECOND SUPPORT MEANS THE VEHICLES WILL BE DISPLACED TOWARD AND CANTED LATERALLY TOWARD SAID OTHER SIDE OF SAID CENTRAL AXIS AND THE VEHICLE WHEELS ON SAID ONE OF SAID SECOND TRACK MEANS WILL BE DISPOSED VERTICALLY ABOVE THE FIRST LEVEL OF VEHICLES AND THE VEHICLE WHEELS ON SAID OTHER OF SAID SECOND TRACK MEANS WILL BE DISPLACED LATERALLY TO THE OTHER SIDE OF AND VERTICALLY BELOW THE TOP OF THE VEHICLES OF THE FIRST LEVEL OF VEHICLES.