Concrete trowel transport system

1. A transport system for a riding power trowel, the power trowel having a plurality of blades that are supported for rotation relative to a frame of the power trowel, and a cage that overlies and surrounds the blades, the transport system comprising:

first and second wheels having axial centerlines that are spaced from one another;

a connector that supports the first and second wheels on the frame; and

a lift device that is operationally connected to the frame and that can be operated to concurrently raise the first and second wheels relative to the frame so that the blades are supported on the ground and to lower the first and second wheels relative to the frame so that the wheels engage the ground and forcibly lift the blades off the ground.

2. The transport system of claim 1 , wherein the connector comprises a horizontal shaft that supports the first and second wheels, and wherein the operation of the lift device rotates the shaft to translate the first and second wheels.

3. The transport system of claim 2 , wherein each of the first and second wheels is part of a respective wheel assembly including an arm having a first end connected to the shaft and a second end supporting the respective wheel.

4. The transport system of claim 1 , wherein the lift device comprises a jack.

5. The transport system of claim 1 , wherein the wheels are located fore and aft of a center of gravity of the power trowel, respectively, and are located on a longitudinal centerline of the trowel.

6. The transport system of claim 1 , wherein the transport system has a footprint that is smaller than a footprint of the remainder of the power trowel.

7. The transport system of claim 6 , wherein the wheels are located inside the cage.

8. The transport system of claim 1 , wherein the wheels are coaxial.

9. A concrete finishing trowel comprising:

a frame;

at least one rotor assembly extending downwardly from the frame and having a shaft that supports a plurality of blades;

an engine that drives the shaft of the rotor assembly to translate the blades across a concrete material;

first and second wheels having axial centerlines that are spaced from one another;

a connector extending between the first wheel and the second wheel;

a single lift device that is coupled to the connector and the frame such that operation of the single lift device concurrently moves the first wheel and the second wheel relative to the frame from a stowed position in which the wheels are positioned above the ground and the blades are supported on the ground to a transport position in which the wheels engage the ground and forcibly lift the blades off the ground, whereafter the machine is supported solely on the wheels and the wheels are supported on the ground.

10. The concrete finishing trowel of claim 9 , wherein the lift device comprises a jack.

11. The concrete finishing trowel of claim 10 , wherein the jack includes a first portion having a fixed position relative to the frame and a second portion that is movable relative to the first portion.

12. The concrete finishing trowel of claim 10 , further comprising a jack arm linking the jack to the connector such that operation of the jack rotates the connector.

13. The concrete finishing trowel of claim 9 , wherein the connector crosses a lateral axis of the concrete finishing trowel.

14. The concrete finishing trowel of claim 9 , wherein the connector comprises a shaft that supports the wheels and that is rotated by operation of the lift device.

15. The concrete finishing trowel of claim 9 , further comprising a cage that overlies and surrounds the blades, and wherein the first and second wheels are located within the cage.

16. The concrete finishing trowel of claim 9 , the wheels are located fore and aft of a center of gravity of the power trowel, respectively, and are located on a longitudinal centerline of the trowel so as to be coaxial.

17. A method comprising:

providing a power trowel having a frame and at least one rotor assembly including a rotatable shaft and a plurality of blades, and

operating a single lift mechanism to concurrently move at least two spaced wheels from a stowed position in which the wheels are located above the bottoms of the blades and the blades are supported on a surface to an operative position in which the wheels forcibly lift the blades off the ground and fully support the power trowel on the surface.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the operating step comprises operating a jack to rotate a shaft to lower the wheels relative to the frame.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the wheels are located fore and aft of a center of gravity of the power trowel, respectively, and are located on a longitudinal centerline of the trowel so as to be coaxial.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising maintaining the wheels within a footprint of the remainder of the power trowel.

21. A transport system for a riding power trowel, the power trowel having a plurality of blades that are supported for rotation relative to a frame of the power trowel, and a cage that overlies and surrounds the blades, the transport system comprising:

first and second wheels having axial centerlines that are spaced from one another;

a connector that supports the first and second wheels on the frame; and

a lift device that is operationally connected to the frame and that can be operated to concurrently raise and lower the first and second wheels relative to the frame;

wherein the wheels are located fore and aft of a center of gravity of the power trowel, respectively, and are located on a longitudinal centerline of the trowel.