Expandable mobile trailer

• US 4,488,752 A
• Filed: 07/30/1982
• Issued: 12/18/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alphe Broussard
• Original Assignee: Alphe Broussard
• Inventors: Broussard, Alphe
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stormer, Russell D.
• Application Number:
  US06/403,323
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 296/175-176, 296/181, 296/26, 296/27, 296/171, 296/172, 296/187, 296/203, 296/205, 296/157, 296/158
• US Class Current: 296/171
• 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

An expandable mobile house trailer which includes a relatively rigid main body portion having a floor structure and opposite pairs of vertical side and end walls thereabout. Two parallel arch beam supports are located inside of the main body portion. Each of the arch beam supports is positioned adjacent to and affixed to one of the vertical side walls of the main body portion. The ends of the floor are attached to the corresponding ends of the two arch beam supports. A plurality of vertical structural tension members is affixed at spaced intervals to each of the two arch beam supports. The floor is suspended from the lower ends of the vertical structural members. Two of the structural tension members on each of the two arch beam supports are paired, act as main support members and have substantially more structural strength than the other structural tension members. The floor of the main body portion has a wheel well opening on each side between the two paired structural tension members. There are two wheel units which each includes at least one wheel. Each of the wheel unit means is positioned in one of the wheel well openings and is mounted on each end to one of the paired structural tension members. The wheel of each of the two wheel units means is movable in a horizontal line which is parallel to the line of travel of the trailer. There is also a relatively rigid upper body section having a roof structure and vertical side and end walls which correspond, respectively, to and are positioned outside of the side and end walls of the main body portion. The upper body section is telescopically associated with the main body section. There is an arrangement for reacting between the main body section and the upper body section for raising and lowering the upper body section with respect to the main body section in the telescopically associated relationship.

Claims

1. An expandable mobile trailer comprising:

(A) a relatively rigid main body portion having a floor structure and substantially opposite pairs of vertical side and end walls above the floor;

(B) two parallel arch beams located inside of the main body portion, each of the arch beams being positioned adjacent to and affixed to one of the vertical side walls of the main body portion;

(C) a plurality of vertical structural tension members affixed at spaced intervals to the outer portions of each of the two arch beams, the floor structure being suspended in tension from the lower ends of the vertical structural tension members;

(D) at least two vertical support structural members on each side of the main body portion, the lower ends of each set of the vertical support structural members being attached to the central portion of the edges of the floor structure, the central portion of the each arch beam being mounted on the upper end of each set of the vertical support structural members, thereby the vertical support structural members being in compression, and the vertical support structural members having substantially more structural tension, flexural and compression strength than the vertical structural tension members;

(E) the floor of the main body portion having a wheel well opening on each side between the two sets of vertical support structural members;

(F) two wheel means which each includes at least one wheel, each of the wheel means being positioned in one of the wheel well openings and mounted on each end to the floor structure between one set of the vertical support structural members, the wheel of each of the two wheel means being movable in a horizontal line which is parallel to the line travel of the trailer;

(G) a relatively rigid upper body section having a roof structure and substantially vertical side and end walls corresponding, respectively, to and positioned outside of the side and end walls of the main body portion, and being telescopically associated with the main body section; and

(H) means reacting between the main body section and the upper body section for raising and lowering the upper body section with respect to the main body section in the telescopically associated relationship.

2. The trailer as claimed in claim 1 wherein means to detachably affix the trailer to a vehicle is mounted on one end of the trailer.

3. The mobile trailer as claimed in claim 1 wherein, located in the main body portion, there is located a three-compartment sink device comprising in combination an L-shaped stand, a sink having three compartments arranged in an L-shape and mounted in the top surface of the L-shaped stand, a garbage disposal, and at least one water faucet being located above or in the upper region of one of the three compartments, and at least one of the three compartments having a drain hole, the garbage disposal being located in the drain holes being capable of being connected to a waste-water storage tank, and each of the water faucets being capable of being connected to a fresh-water storage tank of other source.

4. The mobile trailer as claimed in claim 3 wherein a butane tank is located in a bottom space of the sink device, said space being enclosed except for an opening on one end for removal or insertion of the butane tank.

5. The mobile trailer as claimed in claim 1 wherein, located in the main body portion, is a desk-vanity-sewing machine combination device comprising in combination a cabinet having an upright piano-like shape, a vertical wall separating the interior of said cabinet into a front chamber and back upper and lower chambers, a desk top, having a hinged front portion, a vanity cover, which is hinged on the top edge of the vertical wall and which is located on top of the front chamber below the desk top, an invertible sewing machine mounted on the bottom of the front chamber or a vertical shelf therein, and front support legs mounted at the edge of the front chamber, said desk top exposing said upper back chamber and said vanity cover when it is lifted up.

6. The mobile trailer as claimed in claim 4 wherein a butane heater is located in the back lower chamber and a vent is located in the front vertical wall of the back lower chamber.

7. The mobile trailer as claimed in claim 1 wherein, located in the main body, is a sofa-bed-dining table combination device comprising in combination two back supports, which are spaced apart from each other and which are capable of being mounted on a wall or the like, two horizontal hollow cylindrical members, which are spaced apart from each other, which are affixed to the bottom of the two vertical back supports and which are capable of being mounted on one end in a wall or the like, an elongated top slot traversing most of the length of each of the horizontal hollow cylindrical members on the end of away from the wall, a cabinet located in a horizontal position between the two horizontal hollow cylindrical members, two wheel units, which are each affixed in a horizontal position on one of the ends of the cabinet, the wheel of each wheel unit rotatably positioned in the elongated top slot of one of the horizontal cylindrical members, a short vertical support mounted on the front edge of the cabinet to support it, a table top hinged on its top edge to the front edge of the cabinet, a horizontal cushion positioned on top of the horizontal cabinet, vertical cushion hinged to the two vertical back supports, so that the vertical cushion is slightly slanted outwards cushion in place and the cabinet is in position against the two vertical back supports, and hinged supports pivotally affixed to the bottom of the cabinet which serve as supports for the table top when it is in an upwardly pivoted position, said hinged supports fitting flush against the cabinet when not in use, the device forming a sofa when the cabinet is in position against the wall, the device forming a bed when the device is partially positioned away from the wall, with the vertical cushion now against the two back supports, the device forming a cabinet when the device is fully positioned away from the wall, with the cabinet and top cushion rotated into a vertical position, and the device forming a dining table when the table top of the vertically-positioned cabinet is swung up into a horizontal position by means of one end of the table top being hinged to the top of the cabinet.

8. The mobile trailer as claimed in claim 7 wherein the two wheel units are completely located within slots in the back of the cabinet aligned with the wheels of the wheel unit and wherein the two horizontal hollow cylindrical members extend through the two vertical slots.

9. The mobile trailer as claimed in claim 1 wherein a split level floor is provided over the floor structure from the rear to the center of the main body portion of the trailer providing a basement on the floor structure of the main body portion and providing living space on the split level floor to increase the useable floor area.

10. The mobile trailer as claimed in claim 1 wherein a basement unit is provided under the floor structure between the two wheel means, thereby forming two wheel wells.

11. The mobile trailer as claimed in claim 10 wherein, in the basement unit, a structural fresh water tank, superimposed over a waste tank, are located.

12. The mobile trailer as claimed in claim 1 wherein means (H) for raising or lowering the upper body section with respect to the main body section is hydraulically-operated means.

13. The mobile trailer as claimed in claim 1 wherein the trailer has a door in the front end thereof, and a front cover hinged on its top over the door or on its side beside the door, thereby preventing entry into the trailer through the door when in its closed position.

14. The mobile trialer as claimed in claim 1 wherein means to detachably affix the trailer to a vehicle is mounted on front end of the trailer, and a leveling device to level the trailer when the towing vehicle is detached is mounted on the trailer mounting means.

15. The mobile trailer as claimed in claim 1 wherein each wheel means includes a weight distribution system to secure the wheel assembly to the main trailer body and to transfer the weight of the main trailer body from the top of the weight distribution system to the inside bottom by means of a weight transfer mechanism, incorporated therein and to adjust the tung weight of the trailer for smooth safe towing without changing the towing vehicles'"'"' conventional suspension, the weight transfer mechanism comprises two master holding bolts, attached to the flatbed, resting and sliding or rolling on bearings inside the bottom of the weight distribution system, the weight transfer mechanism being attached to the floor structure and being stationary while the weight distribution system, with the wheel assembly attached, is displaced in relation to the trailer lightening, the two master holding bolts, located in compartment above the wheel well, securing the top of the weight distribution system to the underbody of the wheel well and the floor structure in a vice-like grip, untightening the master holding bolts causing the two master holding bolts to push down on the flatbed of the weight transfer mechanism inside the body of the weight distribution system and simultaneously push up against an arch assembly located above the wheel well and the floor structure, thereby forcing ajar the underbody of the wheel well and the floor structure from the top of the weight distribution system, such operation transfering the weight of the trailer by lifting the weight from the top of the weight distribution system, thereby eliminating the friction and transferring the weight to the inside bottom of the same unit by way of the flatbed of the weight transfer mechanism, activation of an elongated jack-type screw will cause the trailer to move in relation to the wheel assembly and whether it is touching the top part of the weight distribution system, the only friction being the flatbed of the weight transfer mechanism to which the trailer weight is transferred, the flatbed-type instrument sliding or rolling smoothly on bearings in the permanently-lubricated elongated box of the weight distribution system, the total unscrewing of the two master holding bolts permitting the removal of the weight distribution system intact with the wheel assembly for repairs or the like, road security for the trailer being assured by the underbody of the wheel well pressing against the entire length of the weight distribution system, as compounded by the weight of the trailer 100 and as secured by the two master holding bolts of the weight transfer mechanism.