US2507234A - Carrier stand for outboard motors - Google Patents

Description

y 1950 F. J. VICKERY CARRIER STAND FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 16, 1947 y 1950 F. J. VICKERY 2,507,234

CARRIER STAND FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS Filed June 16, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY $WXW Patented May 9, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,507,234 CARRIER STAND FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS Frederick J Vickery, Western Springs, 111.

Application Junelfi, 1947, Serial No. 754,982

Claims.

The invention pertains to a structureproviding a. collapsible or foldable stand and carrier for use in transporting a detached outboard motor easily and quickly over short distances.

The invention has for a principal object the provision of an improved carrier stand embodying a lightweight structure comprising a pair of frame sections connected together in such manner that the frames may be collapsed or folded into a compact arrangement for packaging or to be transported by itself and for arrangement in a position in which the frame sections are spread apart to provide a generally triangular structure adapted to support a detached outboard motor, one of the frames being wheeled so that the structure, with the motor mounted thereon, maybe easily moved from place to place. Other important objects of the invention reside in the provision of: a lightweight construction that may be made inexpensively of relatively few parts; a frame structure'in which the means for mounting the motor is so arranged as to assist in spreading apart the frames for the purpose of setting up the structure as a stand; novel means whereby the user of thestructure may simply and easily spread the frames apart and lock the frames in spreadapart position; and the relation of the parts of the frame together in such manner that the entire structure when folded or collapsed may be packaged for shipment in a container of a size not heretofore deemed practical.

The foregoing and other objects will appear as acomplete disclosure of the invention is made in the following detailed description and accompanying sheets of drawings in which:

, Fig. 1 is a' side elevational view showing in fulllines the structure as a carrier stand with the frame sections spread apart, a conventional outboard motor being illustrated in dotted lines and intermediate positions of the frame sections being indicated in dotdash lines;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the structure, on a reduced scale, showing the carrier stand completely folded or collapsed, ashipping container being indicated in broken lines;

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the structure shown in Fig. l, the outboard motor being omitted; and

' Fig. 4 is a perspective exploded view on an em larged scale of the linkage connected between the frames for controlling the folding and unfolding of the frames.

The carrier stand comprises a first frame It formed generally as an elongated rectangular structure having a pair of parallel, preferably tubular, side frame members H cross connected through the mounting board it.

at their lower ends: by means including a transverse axle [2. at each outer end: of which is fournaled a wheel it. The axle includes a pair of rings M, one inside each tubular member H for preventing inward movement of the tubular members on the axle. Each wheel 13 is spaced from its proximate member ll by a short spacer E5. The upper end of the frame section I0 is provided with means on which. may be temporarily mounted a detached outboard motor of any conventional type; In the present case, this means takes the form of a relatively wide board it extending transversely between upper portions of the frame members i l and secured thereto by a plurality of wood screws. ll.

The motor, indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l, is shown as including a. clamp l8 that engagesthe mounting board It when the motor is mounted on the carrier stand. The clamp i8 is, of course, the clamp that is used. for attaching the motor to a small boat.

The lower end' of each tubular member H is bent or displaced rearwardly from the general plane of the. frame section Hi, the lower portions that carry the axle" 32 being thus in the form of ent extensions, designated generally by the numeral is.

The carrier stand further includes a second frame section designated in general by the numeral 2t and formed" preferably as an inverted U having opposite parallel legs 2! and an upper transverse bight 22. Each leg 2! of the frame section it is provided at its lower end with a cap or foot 23, preferably of rubber or the like,

forthe purpose of engaging the ground or a floor.

The frame section 2B is pivoted to the frame section it on a transverse axis passing generally The pivoting means is accomplished in this case by a pair of coaxial lag screws 24 passed respectively through upper portions of the legs 2| of the frame section it and upper portions of the tubular mom-- here If of the frame section it, the lag screws entering the mounting board I 6. A washer or spacer 25' is positioned on each screw 24 between the proximate side frame members of the frame sections it and 29- so that the frames may be easily folded and unfolded between the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The frame section 20 is likewise of tubular construction and the upper portion thereof that includes the bight 22 is bent or displaced rearwardly away from the general plane of the frame section 20 as at 26. The bent extension portion 26 ofthe frame 20 is directed away from,

3 the frame in the same direction as are the bent extensions IS on the frame section III. The purpose of this arrangement is best illustrated in Fig. 2, wherein the carrier stand is shown as folded or collapsed, the frame sections l and 20 being pivoted about the lag screws 24 so that the frame sections are substantially coextensive and lie substantially in the same general plane, with the exception of the frame extension portions l9 and26 and the wheels I3. It will also be noted that the diameter of the wheels [3 is so related to the length of the frame extension 26 as to dispose the outermost portions of the peripheries of the wheels in a plane that includes the bight portion 22 of the frame section 26 and that is generally parallel to the plane of the collapsed or folded structure. The diameter of each wheel i3 is substantially equal to the length of each extension 26, whereby the carrier stand when folded will fit in a shipping container that is relatively narrow, such container being shown in dotted lines at 21 in Fig. 2. The relative dimensions of the wheels I3 and extensions 26 may, of course, be varied as desired. The proportions indicated are preferred for the purpose of enabling packaging of the folded carrier stand in a container substantially smaller than containers heretofore used.

As stated above, it is an important feature of the invention to provide means by which the frame sections In and may be easily unfolded or moved from the folded position shown in Fig. 2 to the opened or supporting position shown in full lines in Fig. 1. For this purpose the frame section [0 has pivoted thereto at 28 one end of a link 29, the other end of which is pivoted at 30 to one end of a similar link 3|. The other end of the link 3| is pivoted at 32 to the proximate frame member 2| of the frame section 28. Similar linkage is provided at the other side of the carrier stand. The links are shown in detail in Fig. 4. The link 29 includes an inturned flange or lip 33 and the link 3| includes a similar though oppositely turned flange or lip.34. The pivotal connection 39 between the links 29 and 3| includes a spacer or Washer for the purpose of imparting freedom of movement to the linkage.

The linkage is so arranged between the frame sections 10 and 20 that the links fold upwardly about the pivot 30 and lie one alongside of the other when the frame sections are folded. The fiange on the link 23 will then lie along the unflanged edge of the link 3! and, similarly, the flange 34 on the link 3| will lie along the unfianged edge of the link 29. The links, thus nested, provide stop means for preventing swinging of the frame section 26 out of parallelism with the frame section If! when the frame sections are folded as in Fig. 2.

In the use of the structure for the purpose of carrying or transporting an outboard motor, the motor is first lifted to position and then clamped by means of the clamp IS on the mounting board 16. The structure may remain in folded position while it and the mounted motor are transported over the ground or floor by means of the wheels l3. When the motor is mounted on the folded structure and the structure is allowed to rest horizontally on the ground, being supported by the wheels 13 and the handle 22, the motor fits readily within the side frame members H of the frame section Ill, the open construction of the frame section being provided for this purpose among others. With the motor thus mounted,

4 the carrier stand may be easily transported, as in the luggage space of an automobile.

When it is desired to transport the motor to the place where it is to be mounted on a boat, the carrier stand and motor are wheeled to that location. Having reached that location, the user merely raises the carrier stand by means of the handle 22, whereupon the feet 23 on the frame section 20 will engage the ground. The greater weight of the motor depends from the mounting board I6 and below the pivot axis through the lag screws 24 and, as the frame section 20 is pivoted forwardly about the engagement between its feet 23 and the ground, the wheeled frame section i0 is caused to swing rearwardly to the position shown in dot-dash lines in Fig. 1, whereupon the linkage 29-3l is partly unfolded. The user may then reach between the separated frame sections Hi and 20 with his foot and press downwardly on the linkage at the point 30 where the links are pivoted together. The toggle action thus obtained will spread the lower portions of the frame sections further apart until the point 30 passes over-center. The proximate edges of the flanges 33 and 34 on the links 29 and 3| will engage and prevent further downward movement of the links, thus holding the links in overcenter position, and there will be no accidental collapsing of the carrier stand. This feature of the invention contributes largely to the ease with which the carrier stand is used. When it is desired to collapse the carrier stand, the user may simply, with his foot, raise the links 29 and SI about their pivots 30 so that the point 30 moves upwardly past over-center position, whereupon the frame section 10 will swing toward the frame section 26, and the entire carrier stand may be tipped rearwardly about the Wheels [3 and wheeled away. The stand may also be transported in its open or folded position.

The structural and functional characteristics of the preferred form of the invention set forth are those that are considered important from the standpoint of simplicity of design, ease of use. and economy of construction. Other advantages and features of the invention, together with various modifications in construction will undoubtedly occur to those skilled in the art. It is not desired that the invention be limited to the precise details of construction and use disclosed.

What is claimed is:

1. A carrier stand for an outboard motor, comprising: a frame structure including first and second relatively collapsible generally flat frame sections each having upper and lower portions. and pivoted together adjacent their upper end portions on a transverse axis for unfolding to a stand position in which the lower end portions are spread apart, and for folding to a collapsed position in which one section lies fiat on the other; means providing an angularly related frame extension at the lower end portion of the first frame directed away from the plane of said section and including portions engageable with the ground; means at the upper end portion of the first frame section including a support for carrying an outboard motor; means at the lower end portion of the second frame section for engaging the ground; means providing an angularly related extension including a handle portion at the upper end portion of the second frame section and directed away from the plane of said section toward the same side as the aforesaid extension on the first frame section; and means for releasably locking the frame sections in their unfolded stand position.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that: the ground-engaging portions on the angularly related extension of the first frame section includes a wheel on a transverse axis of such diameter as respects the angularly related extension at the upper end of the second frame section that the outer end of said extension and the outermost circumferential por- ,z:

tion of the wheel lie substantially in a plane parallel to the frame sections when folded to collapsed position.

3. The invention set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that: the outermost portion of gated from top to bottom and having a pair of longitudinal side members cross-connected at their lower ends by means including a transverse axle and wheels thereon and cross-connected at their upper ends by means including a transverse support for carrying an outboard motor; a second frame in the form of an elongated inverted U the legs of which lie normally generally alongside the side members of the first frame and include lower end portions engageable with the ground and projecting longitudinally beyond the wheels and the bight of the U providing a transverse handle; and means pivoting the frames together intermediate their ends on a transverse axis for unfolding from a position in which the frames are generally coextensive to a position in which the lower ends of the frame are spread apart to provide a generally triangular stand supported on the wheeled axle and the ground-engaging portions of the second frame; the upper portions of the second frame legs above the means pivoting the frames together projecting angularly to those portions of such legs beneath such pivoting means so as to extend substantially horizontally over and above said transverse axle and wheels while the frames are spread apart into the triangular stand to facilitate grasping of said bight and pivoting of the stand about said transverse axle attendant to towing said stand.

5. A carrier stand for an outboard motor, comprising: a first generally rectangular frame elongated from top to bottom and having a pair of longitudinal side members cross-connected at their lower ends by means including a transverse wheeled axle and cross-connected at their upper ends by means including a transverse support for carrying an outboard motor; a second frame in the form of an elongated inverted U the legs of which lie normally coextensive with the side members of the first frame and include lower end portions engageable with the ground and the bight of the U providing a transverse handle; means pivoting the frames together intermediate their ends on a transverse axis for unfolding from a position in which the frames are generally coextensive to a position in which the lower ends of the frame are spread apart to provide a generally triangular stand supported on the wheeled axle and the ground-engaging portions of the second frame; and means for releasably locking the frames in stand position, the lower end portions of the side members of the first frame being directed away from the general plane of said first frame to space the Wheeled axle out- 2 wardly of said plane; and the upper portion of the second frame, including the handle formed by the bight of the inverted U, being directed away from the general plane of said second frame to space said handle outwardly of said frame, so that the handle and wheeled axle, when said frames are in folded position, lie at the same side of said folded frames.

FREDERICK J. VICKERY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,203,194 Haege Oct. 31, 1916 2,249,123 Fleck July 15, 1941 2,397,317 Hulburt Mar. 26, 1946 2,442,620 Simpson June 1, 1948

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