Portable ramp

• US 3,984,891 A
• Filed: 11/12/1974
• Issued: 10/12/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Valley Craft Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Valley Craft Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Weinmann, Carl E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Byers, Jr., Nile C.
• Application Number:
  US05/518,726
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 14/71, 14/72, 52/588, 404/41
• US Class Current: 14/69.5
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 69/30 Non-permanently installed loading ramps, e.g. transportable

Abstract

A portable ramp includes a span to the ends of which are secured feet, such securement being by means of pivotal connections that enable the feet to be pivoted so as to accommodate various differences in heights between two surfaces, from one to the other of which there is to be a movement such as of a wheeled vehicle.

Claims

1. A portable ramp for spanning a space between two surfaces, comprising:

a. a span for extending across said space and having an upper side for supporting traffic engageable therewith, said span having means at each of its opposite ends defining a transverse cylindrical recess with a downwardly directed rectangular slot; and

b. a pair of feet each having lower side means for respectively engaging the two surfaces and each having a sloping upper side engageable with the traffic and extending from said upper side of said span toward said two surfaces, said feet each having a cylindrical portion pivotally trapped in one of the recesses and having an integral connection with each foot respectively at the lowermost part of said cylindrical portions and disposed in said downwardly directed rectangular slots, said integral connections and said downwardly directed rectangular slots being constructed to enable the sloping upper sides of said feet to pivot to both sides of the plane of said upper side of said span.

2. A portable ramp according to claim 1 which further includes:

a. a pair of convex cylindrical surface sections respectively integral with said first named means and disposed radially outwardly therefrom and concentric therewith; and

b. a pair of concave cylindrical surface sections respectively integral with each of said feet and spaced radially outwardly and concentric with said cylindrical portion, there being an essentially constant gap between said concave and said convex surface sections terminating at an edge on the upper side of said foot,

whereby there is a smooth transition between said upper side and said sloping upper sides for any angular position of either of said feet.

3. A portable ramp according to claim 1 in which at least one end of the upper side of said span merges into a further cylindrical surface radially spaced from and concentric with said cylindrical recess, the upper side of said foot extending essentially tangentially to said further cylindrical surface and terminating in an edge proximate thereto,

whereby there is a smooth transition between said upper side and said sloping upper sides for any angular position of either of said feet.

4. A portable ramp according to claim 1 including four abutments respectively closing the ends of said cylindrical recesses and trapping said cylindrical portions therein.

5. A portable ramp according to claim 1 including a pair of upwardly extending elongated flanges disposed at opposite sides of said span.

6. A portable ramp according to claim 1 in which said span comprises:

a. a pair of spaced parallel side rails each having a cross-section which includes a C-shaped portion of uniform size opening toward the other side rail; and

b. a pair of end members each defining a part of the upper side and each projecting laterally into said C-shaped portions, said cylindrical recesses being respectively disposed in said end members.

7. A portable ramp according to claim 6 including a number of filler members each projecting laterally into said C-shaped portions and disposed between said end members, and each defining a part of the upper side of the span.

8. A portable ramp according to claim 6 in which the cross-section of each of said side rails further includes an upward projection defining an elongated flange.