COLLAPSIBLE VEHICULAR STRUCTURE

• US 3,608,954 A
• Filed: 05/16/1969
• Issued: 09/28/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Orland R. Lynd
• Original Assignee: Orland R. Lynd
• Inventors: Lynd, Orland R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodman, Philip
• Application Number:
  US04/825,221
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 296/23.3,23,26,27
• US Class Current: 296/164
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/34 the living accommodation being expansible, collapsible or capable of rearrangement B60P3/38 takes precedence; tents supported at least partially by vehicles E04H15/06

Abstract

This disclosure describes a collapsible vehicular structure which includes a vehicular cabin having a peripheral sidewall and an upper wall and a cabin extension having a peripheral sidewall and a roof. The cabin extension is mounted on the vehicular cabin with the peripheral sidewalls thereof being telescopically interrelated to thereby provide a collapsible second story for the vehicular cabin.

Claims

1. A two story collapsible vehicular structure comprising:

a vehicular cabin having a peripheral sidewall and an upper wall, said vehicular cabin being adapted for human occupancy and adapted to have at least one wheel mounted thereon for supporting said vehicular cabin for movement along a supporting surface;

a cabin extension having a peripheral sidewall and a roof;

means for telescopically mounting said cabin extension on said vehicular cabin for movement of said cabin extension between an extended position in which said roof lies above said upper wall and is spaced a sufficient distance therefrom to provide a chamber of sufficient size for human occupancy and a collapsed position in which said roof lies closely adjacent said upper wall whereby said cabin extensIon can be moved to said collapsed position for transit and to said extended position when the vehicular structure is stationary to provide an upper story for the vehicular structure;

said cabin extension covering only a portion of said upper wall of said vehicular cabin, a section of the peripheral sidewall of said cabin extension overlying said upper wall in said extended position; and

means for mounting said section of said peripheral sidewall on at least one of said cabin and said cabin extension for movement to a position to permit said cabin extension to be moved to said collapsed position.

2. A structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said last-mentioned means mounts said section of said peripheral sidewall on said cabin extension for hinged movement in a direction to allow the cabin extension to be moved to the collapsed position.

3. A collapsible vehicular structure as defined in claim 1 including a drum, means for mounting said drum for rotation, first and second cables connectable to the drum and to one of the vehicular cabin and the cabin extension, first guide means for confining the first cable as the first cable is being wound on the drum so that a separate layer of the first cable is wound on the drum for each revolution of the drum, and second guide means for confining the second cable as the second cable is being wound on the drum so that a separate layer of the second cable is wound on the drum for each revolution of the drum whereby the rate at which cables are wound on the drum can be predetermined.

4. A structure as defined in claim 3 wherein the first and second cables are of substantially equal thickness and are wound on first and second regions of the drum, respectively, the circumferential dimensions of said drum at said regions being substantially equal whereby the first and second cables are wound on the drum at substantially the same rate.

5. A vehicular structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said vehicular cabin has an opening in the peripheral sidewall thereof, the peripheral sidewall of the cabin extension being at a sufficiently low level in said collapsed position as to cover said opening and having an aperture therein in communication with said opening in said collapsed position whereby air can pass through said opening and said aperture between the exterior of said vehicular structure and the interior of said vehicular cabin when said cabin extension is in said collapsed position, and means responsive to movement of said cabin extension from the collapsed position toward the extended position for closing said aperture.

6. A collapsible vehicular structure as defined in claim 5 including a drum, means for mounting said drum for rotation, first and second cables connectable to the drum and to one of the vehicular cabin and the cabin extension, first guide means for confining the first cable as the first cable is being wound on the drum so that a separate layer of the first cable is wound on the drum for each revolution of the drum, and second guide means for confining the second cable as the second cable is being wound on the drum so that a separate layer of the second cable is wound on the drum for each revolution of the drum whereby the rate at which cables are wound on the drum can be predetermined.

7. A vehicular structure as defined in claim 5 wherein said upper wall has an opening therein of a sufficient size to permit human passage therethrough between said chamber and said vehicular cabin, said peripheral sidewalls are telescopically interrelated and are relatively rigid, said vehicular structure also including seal means between said peripheral sidewalls for forming a seal therebetween when said cabin extension is in either of said positions thereof, a winch mounted in fixed relationship to said vehicular cabin, a cable having one end thereof secured to said cabin extension on the other end thereof secured to said winch, said winch being rotatable to move said cabin extension between said positions thereof.

8. An extendible vehicular structure comprising:

a vehicular cabin having a peripheral sidewall and an upper wall, said vehicular cabin being adapted for human occupancy and being adapted to have at least one wheel mounted thereon, said peripheral sidewall having an opening therein to permit air flow between the interior of said vehicular cabin and the exterior of said vehicular structure;

a cabin extension including peripheral means for forming an extension of said peripheral sidewall of said vehicular cabin;

means for telescopically mounting said cabin extension on said vehicular cabin for movement between an extended position in which said peripheral means projects a substantial distance above said peripheral sidewall and a retracted position in which said peripheral means lies substantially below its location in said extended position whereby said cabin extension can be moved to said retracted position for transit and to said extended position when the vehicular structure is stationary to provide an additional space for the vehicular structure;

the peripheral means of said cabin extension being at a sufficiently low level in said retracted position as to cover said opening;

said peripheral means having an aperture therein in communication with said opening in said retracted position whereby air can pass through said opening and said aperture between the exterior of said vehicular structure and the interior of the vehicular cabin when said cabin is in said retracted position; and

means responsive to movement of said cabin extension from said retracted position toward the extended position for closing said aperture.

9. A vehicular structure as defined in claim 8 wherein said last mentioned means includes a panel mounted on said peripheral means for movement relative thereto and closing the aperture in said extended position and a stop mounted on said vehicular cabin for preventing said panel from moving downwardly to cover said aperture when said cabin extension is moved to said retracted position.