Towable unified floor frame assembly

• US 5,028,072 A
• Filed: 03/05/1990
• Issued: 07/02/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lindsay Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lindsay Industries, Inc.
• Inventors: Lindsay, Frederick H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bertsch, Richard A.
• Application Number:
  US07/489,303
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 52/690, 52/692, 52/693, 52/695, 280/789, 280/799, 280/798, 280/781, 296/181, 296/168, 296/182, 296/204
• US Class Current: 280/789
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/32 comprising living accommodation for people, e.g. caravans, camping, or like vehicles tents or canopies, in general E04H15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/20 trailer type, i.e. a frame specifically constructed for use in a non-powered vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 5/14 with beams or girders laid in two directions

Abstract

A unified floor frame assembly has two elongate outer load-supporting beams formed of wooden elongate beam sections that may be selected to have different vertical cross-sectional dimensions and, optionally with two thicknesses united, are butt-spliced to be cambered in parallel vertical planes to counter forces that may tend to cause sagging of the floor frame assembly during transportation. A wheel carrier assembly is detachably mountable thereto with a plurality of wheels partially recessed within the floor frame assembly and a towing hitch assembly is attachable to a forward end of the floor frame assembly for applying a towing force thereat. Wooden I-beams are used as transverse frame members to provide lightweight strength and floor frame widths of the order of 18 ft. to 20 ft. A moisture, dirt, insect and pest excluding thin covering is provided underneath the floor frame assembly, and sections of heating and ventilating ducting, piping, wiring and the like are includable during manufacture of the floor frame assembly. Individual floor frame assemblies may be supported at their permanent location underneath the periphery or, where two such floor frame assemblies are to be coupled to obtain a larger size floor, central elongate beams may be supported by metal posts. Upon delivery of the floor frame assembly to its intended location, the wheel carrier assembly and the towing hitch assembly are both detached and removed therefrom for reuse.

Claims

1. A readily towable wide unified floor frame assembly, comprising:

two elongate load-supporting outer beams disposed parallel to a longitudinal axis of said floor frame assembly, each of said beams having respective front and rear ends;

front and rear end wood I-beam members respectively connected perpendicular to said axis at said front and rear ends of said outer beams, defining therewith a perimeter of said floor frame assembly, said perimeter having substantially vertical inner and outer perimeter surfaces substantially defined by corresponding inner and outer surfaces of said outer beams and said end members;

a plurality of first wood I-beams normal to said outer beams and connected to said inner perimeter surface, said first wood I-beams being disposed at predetermined locations inwardly of said front and rear ends of said outer beams so as to define therebetween a region for accommodating a plurality of wheels for supporting said frame assembly during towing thereof;

a pair of inner wood beams symmetrically disposed in said wheel accommodating region parallel to said longitudinal axis and connected at their respective ends to a correspondingly located pair of said first wood I-beams, said inner wood beams being provided along a bottom edge thereof with wheel attachment brackets;

a plurality of second wood I-beams normal to said outer beams and respectively connected to said inner perimeter surface inside said wheel-accommodating region, said second wood I-beams each being formed with a plurality of vertical first gaps extending across a lower flange into a web thereof and disposed symmetrically about said axis, each of said gaps being of a width and height sufficient to closely accommodate a corresponding one of said inner wood I-beams therewithin;

a plurality of third wood I-beams interspersed with said second wood I-beams, normal to said outer beams and respectively connected to said inner perimeter surface inside said wheel accommodating region, said third wood I-beams each being formed with a plurality of vertical second gaps extending across a lower flange into a web thereof and disposed symmetrically about said axis, each of said gaps being of a width and height sufficient to accommodate said wheels, whereby upper portions of said wheels are partially contained within said second gaps and said floor frame assembly when said wheels are attached to and support said floor frame assembly;

a floor mounted atop and to said outer beams, said front and rear end members, and said first, second and third wood I-beams; and

hitch means securely attachable to and readily detachable from a front end of the floor frame assembly for applying a towing force thereat.

2. A readily towable unified floor frame assembly according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of means for providing bracing to said wood I-beams and floor support, disposed substantially horizontally between adjacent ones of said first, second and third wood I-beams and said front and rear end members.

3. The readily towable unified floor frame assembly according to claim 1, further comprising:

hitch attaching means for attaching said hitch means to said floor frame assembly, said hitch attaching means comprising a plurality of metal elements affixed to said inner perimeter surface at predetermined locations on said outer load-supporting beams, said metal elements being formed to be securely attachable to said hitch means and readily detachable therefrom when separation of said hitch means from said floor frame assembly is desired.

4. The readily towable unified floor frame assembly according to claim 1, wherein:

at least one of said front and rear end elements and said first, second and third wood I-beams each are formed to each have an aperture defined normal to said longitudinal axis of said floor frame assembly and aligned to readily receive for permanent placement therein of lengths of elongate elements comprising one of ventilation and heating ducts, utility piping and electrical wiring while said floor frame assembly is being manufactured.

5. The readily towable unified floor frame assembly according to claim 1, wherein:

at least ninety-nine percent by weight of the unified floor frame assembly, exclusive of said detachable wheels and axles and said hitch means, is constituted of wood.

6. The readily towable unified floor frame assembly according to claim 1, further comprising:

covering means comprising an expanse of a thin sheet-like moisture resistant material attached to the floor frame assembly on the opposite side from said floor thereof, extending substantially over all of said first, second and third wood I-beams and said perimeter except a space immediately around the wheels while the wheels and corresponding axles are attached to said floor frame assembly to support the same, for thereby excluding dirt, pests, insects and moisture from the volume occupied by the floor frame assembly.

7. The readily towable unified floor frame assembly according to claim 6, further comprising:

thermal insulation material disposed between an under surface of said floor and said covering means within the inner perimeter surface of said floor frame assembly.

8. The readily towable unified floor frame assembly according to claim 1, wherein:

said outer beams each comprise a plurality of coplanar elongate segments butt-spliced at their respective adjacent ends by means for splicing said segments by firm attachment thereto.

9. The readily towable unified floor frame assembly according to claim 8, wherein:

said splicing means comprises weldable metal splicing segments assembled to simultaneously overlap a length of each of said pair of adjacent coplanar beam segments, said splicing segments being welded together to form a separate closely fitting sleeve portion around a respective length of each of the spliced adjacent segments enclosed therein, said sleeve portions and the enclosed beam segments being permanently attached by means for attaching the same.

10. The readily towable unified floor frame assembly according to claim 9, wherein:

the splicing segments are formed such that the welding thereof causes the beam segments spliced thereby to be spliced at a predetermined obtuse angle with respect to each other instead of being collinear in their common plane.