AU701561B2

AU701561B2 - Tyre servicing trailer

Info

Publication number: AU701561B2
Application number: AU70351/96A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Neil Craig Espinos
Original assignee: MOBILE ENTERPRISES WA Pty Ltd
Current assignee: MOBILE ENTERPRISES (WA) Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1995-10-26
Filing date: 1996-10-21
Publication date: 1999-01-28
Anticipated expiration: 2016-10-21
Also published as: AU7035196A

Description

C~

P/00/011 28/5/91 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION 0 0 0 0 0 0.

*n 0 o, 00 o 0 STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: MOBILE ENTERPRISES (WA) PTY LTD V Actual Inventor(s): Address for service is: Invention Title: Neil Craig Espinos WRAY ASSOCIATES 239 Adelaide Terrace Perth, WA 6000 Attorney code: WR "Tyre Servicing Trailer" Details of Associated Provisional Application No(s): PN6195 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- 1- -_I -2- The present invention relates to a means for servicing tyres and in particular relates to a trailer which can be utilised for the servicing of tyres.

It is conventional practice to service tyres at a particular locations commonly known as tyre service centres which requires the customers to leave the wheels and/or vehicle at the centre for the purposes of tyre replacement or wheel balanc;ig or the like. In many cases this can be extremely inconvenient and it is highly desirable to provide a mobile service in order that the tyre service can be taken to the customer.

The present invention is intended to provide a means whereby a tyre repair service can be rendered mobile and which does not reduce the flexibility of the o :evaoperator

Q

#6 Accordingly the invention resides in a tyre servicing trailer comprising a trailer body supported on a set of support wheels and a drawbar adapted to be mounted to a towing vehicle, said body providing a platform which supports set 15 of facilities including, a wheel balancing device, a tyre removal device and an air o* °S compressor, each of which can be accessed by an operator supported on the platform and outside the body, said body further supporting a cover which is movable between a first position at which it extends over the platform to prevent access to the facilities and to a second position at which it is clear of the 20 platform to provide access to the facilities.

According to a preferred feature the drawbar is provided with a support stu-ace for the operator.

According to a further preferred feature the interior of the cover is provided with shelving or like receptacles.

According to a further preferred feature the front andior rear of the trailer body is provided with a support means which can be selectively positioned to provide C _I -3additional support from the ground for the trailer body forwardly and/or rearwardly of the support wheels. In one form the support means comprises a jockey wheel retractably supported from the draw bar. Alternatively or in addition the support means can comprise extendable leg members provided towards the front and/or rear of the trailer body.

According to a further preferred feature the interior of the trailer body incorporates a tool box.

According to a further preferred feature the tyre removal device is operated pneumatically and is connected to the air compressor.

According to a further preferred feature the cover is hingedly supported from one side of the trailer body. According to an alternative preferred feature the cover iO: is displaceable upwardly from the trailer body in moving from the first position to the second position an downwardly towards the trailer body in moving from the o..

second position to the first position. In this latter form the movement can be S15 effected by supporting the cover from the trailer body by a set of extendible ®ooQ °'.struts.

The invention will be more fully understood in the light of the following description of several specific embodiments. The description is made with reference to the accompanying drawing of which: o 4* Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a trailer according to thefirst embodiment; Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of a trailer according to the first embodiment showing the cover in the second position; and Figure 3 is a front perspective view of a trailer according to the first embodiment showing the cover in the first position.

1 :i i 4L* I a -4- The first embodiment shown in the drawings comprises a tyre servicing trailer which can be used to provide a mobile tyre servicing facility. The trailer comprises a box trailer having a body 11 supported upon a pair of wheels by a substantially conventional suspension system and having a drawbar 12. The floor of the body is suitably reinforced to support an operator on the floor and is provided with a surface which enables the operator to have suitable traction when supported by the floor. The area provided over the drawbar 12 is covered with a suitable material to provide an additional support surface for an operator using the trailer. In addition the drawbar 12 is provided with a retractable jockey wheel 13 which when the trailer is not connected to a towing vehicle can be extended to support the forward end of the trailer. The rear of the trailer is provided with a pair of extendible legs 14 which can be extended downwardly when the trailer is stationary to engage the ground and thus provide stability to the trailer.

S. S The interior of the body accommodates at one side a tool box 14 having a hinged lid. The toolbox 15 is located at the forward end of the one side. The interior of the body also accommodates an air compressor shown generally at 16 which is driven by a conventional internal combustion engine. If desired the internal combustion engine may be associated with an electrical generator. The interior of the body further accommodates a tyre changing machine 18 which is pneumatically operated and is connected by an air line to the compressor 16 in order to utilise the compressed air provided by the compressor 16. The tyre changing machine 18 is located substantially centrally to overlie the axle and to the opposite side of the body to one side which accommodates the tool box The rear end of the one side of the interior of the body also accommodates a stand 19 which supports an electronic wheel balancer 20 which is provided with a spindle 21 to which the wheel to be balanced can be attached. The wheel balancer is located such that the spindle 21 extends substantially parallel to the fore and aft axis of the trailer and is directed forwardly and such that when a wheel is in position on the spindle 2i any debris carried on the wheel will be ~thrown laterally form the one side of the body. The electronic wheel balancer is

I

of the form such that it is able to operate from the 12V power supply which can be provided by the towing vehicle. Alternatively the electrical power for operating the wheel balancer 20 can be derived from a generator associated with the compressor 16.

The one side of the body is further provided with a cover 22 which is hinged from the one side of the body remote from the tyre changing machine 18. The cover is formed such that when in the closed position(as shown at Figure 3) it extends over the entire space provided by the interior of the body and covers the tool box 15, the compressor 16, the tyre changing machine 18 and the wheel balancer 20 to prevent access to each of those facilities. A suitable latching means is provided between the cover 22 and the body to lock the cover into f r position. The cover 22 is hingedly connected to the one side of the body such that it can be hinged from the closed position to an upwardly extending position •,oo (as shown at Figure 2) from the one side of the body where it in effect it forms a 15 side wall of the body. A function of the cover when in the open position is to collect any debris that may be flung from a wheel supported on the spindle 21 of the tyre wheel balancer 20 during the balancing operation.

The interior of the cover is provided with one or more shelves 23 or the like which can be used to accommodate ropes, air lines, fittings and fixtures which

SOSO*

may be required by the operator.

.0S*S I" In addition the sides of the trailer body is provided with basket-like receptacles, 24 which are forward and rearward of the support wheels an which can be used to carry accessories required by the operator.

The trailer according to the embodiment provides a means whereby an operator is able to take the tyre servicing facility to a customer which can be a significant advantage in servicingfleet customers or servicing vehicles at remote locations such as farms and mirle sites. The utilisation of a trailer enables the towing b~ i; I -e I- JLI MVFMM -6vehicle to be able to be operated independently of the trailer and in order that it can be used for the transportation of tyres, wheels and the like.

According to an alternative embodiment the cover may be mounted to the body by extendible struts whereby it can be raised and lowered vertically between the closed and open position. In such a case the cover can provide some protection against the elements when in the open position.

It should be appreciated that the scope of the present invention need not be limited to the particular scope of the embodiments described above.

.O 0 4 0

I

0 t.

Claims

1. A tyre servicing trailer comprising a trailer body supported on a set of support wheels and a drawbar adapted to be mounted to a towing vehicle, said body providing a platform which supports set of facilities including, a wheel balancing device, a tyre removal device and an air compressor, each of which can be accessed by an operator supported on the platform and outside the body, said body further supporting a cover which is movable between a first position at which it extends over the platform to prevent access to the facilities and to a second position at which it is clear of the platform to provide access to the facilities.

2. A tyre servicing trailer as claimed at claim 1 wherein the drawbar is provided with a support surface for the operator.

4. 3. A tyre servicing trailer as claimed at claim 1 or 2 wherein the interior of the cover is provided with shelving or like receptacles. St. 15 4. A tyre servicing trailer as claimed at any one of the preceding claims wherein the front and/or rear of the trailer body is provided with a support means which can be selectively positioned to provide additional support from the ground for the trailer body forwardly and/or rearwardly of the support wheels. 4

5. A tyre servicing trailer as claimed at claim 4 wherein the support means comprises a jockey wheel retractably supported from the draw bar.

6. A tyre servicing trailer as claimed at claim 4 or claim 5 wherein the support means comprises extendable leg members provided towards the front and/or rear of the trailer body.

7. A tyre servicing trailer as claimed at any one of the preceding claims wherein the interior of the trailer body incorporates a tool box. 7- 1 -8-

8. A tyre servicing trailer as claimed at any one of the preceding claims wherein the tyre removal device is operated pneumatically and is connected to the air compressor.

9. A tyre servicing trailer as claimed at any one of the preceding claims wherein the cover is hingedly supported from one side of the trailer body. tyre servicing trailer as claimed at any one of the preceding claims wherein the cover is displaceable upwardly from the trailer body in moving from the first position to the second position an downwardly towards the trailer body in moving from the second position to the first position. 11 .A tyre servicing trailer as claimed at claim 10 wherein the cover is supported from the trailer body by a set of extendible struts.

12.A tyre servicing trailer substantially as herein described with reference to the "accompanying drawings. Datedthis TWENTY-FIRST dayof OCTOBER 1996. "MOBILE ENTERPRISES (WA) PTY LTD Applicant SWray Associates Perth, Western Australia Patent Attorneys for the Applicant ABSTRACT A tyre servicing trailer comprising a trailer body (11) supported on a set of support wheels and a drawbar (12) adapted to be mounted to a towing vehicle, the body (11) providing a platform which supports set of facilities including, a wheel balancing device a tyre removal device (18) and an air compressor each of which can be accessed by an operator supported on the platform and outside the body, said body(11) further supporting a cover (22) which is movable between a first position at which it extends over the platform to prevent access to the facilities and to a second position at which it is clear of the platform to provide access to the facilities. I i'