Granted Patent B2

US 12,338,110 · App. 17/984,873 · Granted Jun 24, 2025

Inventor: Juan Martin, Jr. (Tipton, CA)

B66F5/04

Abstract

Claims (51)

1. A truck wheel lifting cart apparatus comprising:

a base member;

a plurality of base wheels being coupled to and extending downwardly from the base member, the plurality of wheels being configured for positioning on a support surface and facilitating movement of the base member across the support surface;

a saddle member being attached to the base member such that the saddle member is movable between a lowered position and a raised position, the saddle member being retained in a constant orientation relative to the base member when the saddle member is moved between the lowered position and the raised position, the saddle member being positioned adjacently above the base member when in the lowered position, the saddle member being moved upwardly from the base member when the saddle member is moved from the lowered position toward the raised position, the saddle member being configured for supporting a truck wheel thereon, aligning a central axis of the truck wheel in a horizontal orientation, and permitting rotation of the truck wheel about the central axis, the saddle member comprising:

a roller spacing member extending laterally relative to the base member;

a pair of rollers each being rotationally coupled to and extending forwardly from the roller spacing member, the pair of rollers being laterally spaced from each other, each of the pair of rollers terminating in a free end, a rotational axis of one of the pair of rollers being oriented parallel to a rotational axis of another of the pair of rollers, the pair of rollers being configured to support the truck wheel thereon and therebetween, the pair of rollers being configured for engaging a radial surface of the truck wheel, aligning the central axis of the truck wheel parallel to the rotational axis of each of the pair of rollers, and permitting rotation of the truck wheel about the central axis; and

a plurality of saddle wheels being coupled to and extending downwardly from the saddle member, a first pair of the plurality of saddle wheels each being positioned adjacent to the free end of one of each of the pair of rollers, a second pair of the plurality of saddle wheels each being coupled to the roller spacing member and being positioned adjacent to one of the pair of rollers;

a linkage being coupled to and extending between the base member and the saddle member, the linkage permitting the saddle member to move upwardly and forwardly of the base member when the saddle member is moved from the lowered position to the raised position such that the saddle member is retained in the constant orientation between the lowered position and the raised position; and

a lifter assembly for moving the saddle member relative to the base member being coupled to and extending between the saddle member and one of the linkage and the base member, the lifter assembly being extendable to move the saddle member toward the raised position and retractable to move the saddle member toward the lowered position.

2. The truck wheel lifting cart apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising the base member having a recess in a front end of the base member.

3. The truck wheel lifting cart apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising the plurality of base wheels including a pair of front wheels being coupled to the front end of the base member, each of the pair of front wheels being positioned opposite each other across the recess, the plurality of base wheels including a pair of rear wheels being positioned adjacent to a rear end of the base member, each of the pair of rear wheels being a caster wheel.

4. The truck wheel lifting cart apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising the linkage being a parallelogram four-bar mechanism, the parallelogram four-bar mechanism comprising a plurality of pivoting arms each being pivotably coupled to the base member and an attachment member of the saddle member such that the saddle member is pivotably movable upwardly and forwardly with respect to the base member while being retained in the constant orientation.

5. A truck wheel lifting cart apparatus comprising:

a base member;

a plurality of base wheels being coupled to and extending downwardly from the base member, the plurality of wheels being configured for positioning on a support surface and facilitating movement of the base member across the support surface;

a saddle member being attached to the base member such that the saddle member is movable between a lowered position and a raised position, the saddle member being retained in a constant orientation relative to the base member when the saddle member is moved between the lowered position and the raised position, the saddle member being positioned adjacently above the base member when in the lowered position, the saddle member being moved upwardly from the base member when the saddle member is moved from the lowered position toward the raised position, the saddle member being configured for supporting a truck wheel thereon, aligning a central axis of the truck wheel in a horizontal orientation, and permitting rotation of the truck wheel about the central axis;

a linkage being coupled to and extending between the base member and the saddle member, the linkage permitting the saddle member to move upwardly and forwardly of the base member when the saddle member is moved from the lowered position to the raised position such that the saddle member is retained in the constant orientation between the lowered position and the raised position; and

a lifter assembly for moving the saddle member relative to the base member being coupled to and extending between the saddle member and one of the linkage and the base member, the lifter assembly being extendable to move the saddle member toward the raised position and retractable to move the saddle member toward the lowered position, the lifter assembly comprising a pneumatic actuator, the pneumatic actuator comprising:

a casing having a chamber positioned therein, the casing being coupled to the saddle member;

a piston being positioned within the chamber and being vertically movable within the chamber;

a rod being coupled to and extending downwardly from the piston, the rod extending outwardly of the chamber, a distal end of the rod relative to the piston being coupled to the one of the plurality of pivoting arms of the linkage;

an air tank containing a quantity of compressed air and being fluidically coupled to the chamber; and

a controller being fluidically coupled to the air tank and the chamber, the controller selectively permitting compressed air to move from the air tank to the chamber to urge the piston downwardly to extend the lifter assembly and upwardly to retract the lifter assembly.

6. A truck wheel lifting cart apparatus comprising:

a base member;

a plurality of base wheels being coupled to and extending downwardly from the base member, the plurality of wheels being configured for positioning on a support surface and facilitating movement of the base member across the support surface;

a saddle member being attached to the base member such that the saddle member is movable between a lowered position and a raised position, the saddle member being retained in a constant orientation relative to the base member when the saddle member is moved between the lowered position and the raised position, the saddle member being positioned adjacently above the base member when in the lowered position, the saddle member being moved upwardly from the base member when the saddle member is moved from the lowered position toward the raised position, the saddle member being configured for supporting a truck wheel thereon, aligning a central axis of the truck wheel in a horizontal orientation, and permitting rotation of the truck wheel about the central axis;

a linkage being coupled to and extending between the base member and the saddle member, the linkage permitting the saddle member to move upwardly and forwardly of the base member when the saddle member is moved from the lowered position to the raised position such that the saddle member is retained in the constant orientation between the lowered position and the raised position;

a lifter assembly for moving the saddle member relative to the base member being coupled to and extending between the saddle member and one of the linkage and the base member, the lifter assembly being extendable to move the saddle member toward the raised position and retractable to move the saddle member toward the lowered position;

a handle being coupled to and extending upwardly from the saddle member; and

a retainer being pivotably coupled to the handle, the retainer comprising a hook portion being configured to be positionable to engage the truck wheel to retain the truck wheel on the saddle member when the truck wheel is positioned on the saddle member.

7. The truck wheel lifting cart apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising:

the handle including an extension portion being coupled to and extending upwardly from the saddle member, the handle including a crossbar portion being coupled to a distal end of the extension portion relative to the saddle member and extending in opposite lateral directions from the extension portion; and

the retainer further comprising an arcuate portion extending around the crossbar portion of the handle and an elongated rod portion being coupled to and extending away from the arcuate portion, the hook portion being coupled to and extending laterally from the elongated rod portion opposite the arcuate portion.

8. The truck wheel lifting cart apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising:

the base member having a recess in a front end of the base member;

the plurality of base wheels including a pair of front wheels being coupled to the front end of the base member, each of the pair of front wheels being positioned opposite each other across the recess, the plurality of base wheels including a pair of rear wheels being positioned adjacent to a rear end of the base member, each of the pair of rear wheels being a caster wheel;

the saddle member comprising:

a roller spacing member extending laterally relative to the base member;

a pair of rollers each being rotationally coupled to and extending forwardly from the roller spacing member, the pair of rollers being laterally spaced from each other, each of the pair of rollers terminating in a free end, a rotational axis of one of the pair of rollers being oriented parallel to a rotational axis of another of the pair of rollers, the pair of rollers being configured to support the truck wheel thereon and therebetween, the pair of rollers being configured for engaging a radial surface of the truck wheel, aligning the central axis of the truck wheel parallel to the rotational axis of each of the pair of rollers, and permitting rotation of the truck wheel about the central axis;

an attachment member for coupling the saddle member to the base member, the attachment member being coupled to and extending rearwardly from the roller spacing member; and

a plurality of saddle wheels being coupled to and extending downwardly from the saddle member, a first pair of the plurality of saddle wheels each being positioned adjacent to the free end of one of each of the pair of rollers, a second pair of the plurality of saddle wheels each being coupled to the roller spacing member and being positioned adjacent to one of the pair of rollers;

the linkage being a parallelogram four-bar mechanism, the parallelogram four-bar mechanism comprising a plurality of pivoting arms each being pivotably coupled to the base member and the attachment member of the saddle member such that the saddle member is pivotably movable upwardly and forwardly with respect to the base member;

the lifter assembly being coupled to and extending between the saddle member and one of the plurality of pivoting arms of the linkage, the lifter assembly being extendable to urge the one of the pivoting arms to pivot away from the saddle member such that the saddle member moves toward the raised position, the lifter assembly being retractable to urge the one of the plurality of pivoting arms toward the saddle member such that the saddle member moves toward the lowered position, the lifter assembly comprising a pneumatic actuator, the pneumatic actuator comprising:

a casing having a chamber positioned therein, the casing being coupled to the saddle member;

a piston being positioned within the chamber and being vertically movable within the chamber;

a rod being coupled to and extending downwardly from the piston, the rod extending outwardly of the chamber, a distal end of the rod relative to the piston being coupled to the one of the plurality of pivoting arms of the linkage;

an air tank containing a quantity of compressed air and being fluidically coupled to the chamber, the air tank being attached to the attachment member of the saddle member; and

a controller being fluidically coupled to the air tank and the chamber, the controller selectively permitting compressed air to move from the air tank to the chamber to urge the piston downwardly to extend the lifter assembly and upwardly to retract the lifter assembly;

the handle including an extension portion being coupled to and extending upwardly from the saddle member, the handle including a crossbar portion being coupled to a distal end of the extension portion relative to the saddle member and extending in opposite lateral directions from the extension portion, the handle being coupled to the attachment member of the saddle member, the controller being coupled to the crossbar portion; and

the retainer further comprising an arcuate portion extending around the crossbar portion of the handle, an elongated rod portion being coupled to and extending away from the arcuate portion, and a hook portion being coupled to and extending laterally from the elongated rod portion opposite the arcuate portion.

Continuity (1)

References Cited (17)