Richard R Sheridan

US Patent:

20040061308, Apr 1, 2004

Filed:

Aug 7, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/213689

Inventors:

Paul McCarron - Bangor PA, US
Richard Sheridan - Bangor PA, US

International Classification:

B60D001/00

US Classification:

280/478100

Abstract:

The present invention is an extendable trailer with an extending unit having a controlled release mechanism to be extended to eliminate or reduce the need to back a vehicle to unload. This feature is useful and sometimes even necessary when unloading or loading at a dock or a building, a narrow opening, or on a slope, e.g. a shoreline for loading or offloading a boat. The trailer includes: (a) a trailer support frame having a front end, a back end, two side supports, and at least two wheels; (b) an outer member permanently attached to the front end of the trailer support; (c) an inner member located within the outer member, the inner member being movable from front toward back and vice versa within the outer member, the inner member having a length significantly greater than the predetermined length of the outer member; (d) a stop mechanism connected to at least one of the outer member and the inner member to prevent removal of the inner member from the outer member; and, (e) an advance-retract mechanism connected to the inner member and at least one of the outer member and the trailer support frame, the advance-retract mechanism adapted to securely move the inner member backward and forward relative to the outer member. In some preferred embodiments, the trailer may include a boat cradle, i.e. a trailer that includes support members specifically adapted to support a boat.