Tire chock

Abstract

A tire chock having an at least partially threaded rod; a first trunnion having an aperture therethrough that receives the rod; first and second locking members, one locking member being rotatably fixed relative to the rod, the other locking member being rotatably fixed relative to the first trunnion. A tire chock may alternatively have an at least partially threaded rod; an upper trunnion rotatably attached to the rod; a lower trunnion threadedly attached to the rod, the lower trunnion translating axially relative to the rod upon rotation of the rod relative to the lower trunnion; a pair of linkage arms, the pair of linkage arms forming an X-shape, each linkage arm being connected to the lower trunnion by a drive arm and being connected to the upper trunnion by a support arm, wherein, as the rod is rotated relative to the lower trunnion, the linkage arms expand or contract.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A tire chock, comprising:
 an at least partially threaded rod;   a first trunnion having an aperture therethrough that receives the rod;   a first support member, having two opposite ends, rotatably connected to the first trunnion and supporting a first contact pad and a second contact pad at respective opposite ends;   a second support member, having two opposite ends, rotatably connected to the first trunnion and supporting a first contact pad and a second contact pad at respective opposite ends;
 wherein the first support member and the second support member are both rotatably connected to the first trunnion about a common center point; 
   a first locking member rotatably fixed relative to the rod; and   a second locking member rotatably fixed relative to the first trunnion.   
     
     
       2. The tire chock of  claim 1 , wherein both the first and second locking members each have at least one aperture therethrough, the apertures being adapted to receive a lock. 
     
     
       3. The tire chock of  claim 1 , further comprising a second trunnion threadedly attached to the threaded rod. 
     
     
       4. A tire chock, comprising:
 an at least partially threaded rod;   an upper trunnion rotatably attached to the rod;   a lower trunnion threadedly attached to the rod, the lower trunnion translating axially relative to the rod upon rotation of the rod relative to the lower trunnion;   a first locking member rotatably fixed relative to the rod;   a second locking member rotatably fixed relative to the upper trunnion; and   a pair of linkage arms, each having two opposite ends, each linkage arm supporting at least one contact pad at each end of each linkage arm, the pair of linkage arms forming an X-shape, each linkage arm being connected to the lower trunnion by a respective drive arm rotatably connected to the lower trunnion and being connected to the upper trunnion by a respective support arm rotatably connected to the upper trunnion, the pair of linkage arms both rotatably connected about a common center point, wherein,
 as the rod is rotated relative to the lower trunnion, the linkage assembly formed by the linkage arms expand or contract. 
   
     
     
       5. A tire chock comprising
 an at least partially threaded rod;   a first trunnion having an aperture therethrough that receives the rod;   a first support member, having two opposite ends and a center point therebetween, the first support member supporting a first contact pad and a second contact pad at respective opposite ends;   a second support member, having two opposite ends and a center point therebetween, the second support member supporting a third contact pad and a fourth contact pad at respective opposite ends;   wherein the first support member center point and the second support member center point are rotatably connected to each other and both the first support member and second support member are each rotatably interconnected to the first trunnion about a common center point on the first trunnion;   a first locking member rotatably fixed relative to a rotation of the rod; and   a second locking member rotatably fixed relative to the first trunnion.    
     
     
       6. The tire chock of claim 5, wherein both the first and second locking members each have at least one aperture therethrough, the apertures being adapted to receive a lock.  
     
     
       7. The tire chock of claim 5, further comprising a second trunnion that is threadedly attached to the threaded rod.  
     
     
       8. The tire chock of claim 5, wherein the first support member and the second support member are rotatably interconnected to the first trunnion about the first trunnion common center point by way of a first upper linkage arm that rotatably interconnects an upper midpoint of the first support member to the first trunnion common center point and by way of a second upper linkage arm that rotatably interconnects an upper midpoint of the second support member to the first trunnion common center point.  
     
     
       9. The tire chock of claim 8, wherein axial movement of the first trunnion along the at least partially threaded rod drives the first upper linkage arm and second upper linkage arm, so as to expand or collapse the first support member's first and second contact pads and to expand or collapse the second support member's third and fourth contact pads.  
     
     
       10. The tire chock of claim 7, further comprising a first lower linkage arm and a second lower linkage arm, the first lower linkage arm rotatably interconnecting a common center point on the second trunnion to a lower midpoint of the second support member, the second lower linkage arm rotatably interconnecting the second trunnion common center point to a lower midpoint of the first support member.  
     
     
       11. The tire chock of claim 10, wherein rotation of the at least partially threaded rod relative to the second trunnion threadedly attached thereto causes the second trunnion to translate axially along the at least partially threaded rod, and wherein translation of the second trunnion drives the first lower linkage arm and second lower linkage arm to expand or collapse the first support member's first and second contact pads and the second support member's third and fourth contact pads, respectively.  
     
     
       12. The tire chock of claim 11, wherein the first trunnion does not translate relative to the at least partially threaded rod.  
     
     
       13. The tire chock of claim 12, wherein the first support member and the second support members are rotatably connected to the first trunnion common center point by way of a first upper linkage arm that rotatably interconnects an upper midpoint of the first support member to the first trunnion common center point and by way of a second upper linkage arm that rotatably interconnects an upper midpoint of the second support member to the first trunnion common center point.  
     
     
       14. The tire chock of claim 8, wherein any of the first support member, the second support member, the first upper linkage arm, and the second upper linkage arm, comprise at least a pair of first support members, second support members, first upper linkage arms, and second upper linkage arms, respectively.  
     
     
       15. The tire chock of claim 13, wherein the first support member, the second support member, the first upper linkage arm, the second upper linkage arm, the first lower linkage arm, and the second lower linkage arm are each disposed on a first side of the tire chock;
 wherein any of the first support member, the second support member, the first upper linkage arm, the second upper linkage arm, the first lower linkage arm, and the second lower linkage arm, comprise at least a second first support member, second support member, first upper linkage arm, second upper linkage arm, first lower linkage arm, and second lower linkage arm, respectively; and   wherein any of the respective at least second first support member, second support member, first upper linkage arm, second upper linkage arm, first lower linkage arm, and second lower linkage arm are disposed on a second side of the tire chock opposite the first side.    
     
     
       16. The tire chock of claim 8, further comprising a second trunnion that is threadedly attached to the threaded rod.  
     
     
       17. The tire chock of claim 16 further comprising a first lower linkage arm and a second lower linkage arm, the first lower linkage arm rotatably interconnecting a common center point on the second trunnion to a lower midpoint of the second support member, the second lower linkage arm rotatably interconnecting the second trunnion common center point to a lower midpoint of the first support member.  
     
     
       18. The tire chock of claim 17, wherein rotation of the at least partially threaded rod relative to the second trunnion threadedly attached thereto causes the second trunnion to translate axially along the at least partially threaded rod, and wherein translation of the second trunnion drives the first lower linkage arm and second lower linkage arm to expand or collapse the first support member's first and second contact pads and the second support member's third and fourth contact pads, respectively.  
     
     
       19. The tire chock of claim 5 further comprising a handle fixed relative to another portion of the tire chock.  
     
     
       20. The tire chock of claim 18 further comprising a handle attached to at least one of the first and second trunnions.  
     
     
       21. A tire chock, comprising:
 an at least partially threaded rod having an upper end and a lower end;   an upper trunnion having an aperture therethrough that receives the rod, the upper trunnion disposed about an upper portion of the at least partially threaded rod;   a lower trunnion disposed about a lower portion of the at least partially threaded rod;   a pair of linkage arms, each having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end and lower end being opposite from each other, wherein
 the linkage arms are rotatable about a common center point and form an x-shape, and 
 each upper end having an upper contact pad pivotally attached thereto and each lower end having a lower contact pad pivotally attached thereto; 
   a respective lower arm connected to each linkage arm between the common center point and the respective lower end, each lower arm rotatably connected to the lower trunnion;   a respective upper arm connected to each linkage arm between the common center point and the respective upper end, each upper arm rotatably connected to the upper trunnion;   a first locking member rotatably fixed relative to the threaded rod; and   a second locking member rotatably fixed relative to the upper trunnion,   wherein as the rod is rotated relative to the lower trunnion and the upper trunnion, at least the lower trunnion translates axially relative to the rod to expand or contract the contact pads relative to the at least partially threaded rod.    
     
     
       22. The tire chock of claim 21, wherein each upper contact pad and each lower contact pad includes a fastener that pivotally attaches the contact pad to the linkage arm.  
     
     
       23. The tire chock assembly of claim 21, wherein the linkage arms are pivotably attached at the common center point.  
     
     
       24. The tire chock of claim 21 further comprising a handle attached to at least one of the upper and lower trunnions.  
     
     
       25. The tire chock assembly of claim 21 further comprising
 a second pair of linkage arms each having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end and lower end being opposite from each other, wherein the linkage arms are rotatable about a common center point and form an x-shape;   each upper end pivotally attached to the upper contact pad and each lower end pivotally attached to the lower contact pad; and   a second respective lower arm connected to each second linkage arm between the common center point and a respective lower end, each second lower arm ratably connected to the lower trunnion, a respective second upper arm connected to each second linkage arm between the common center point and a respective upper end, each second upper arm rotatably connected to the upper trunnion, wherein the second pair of linkage arms are spaced from the pair of linkage arms by the upper and lower trunnion.    
     
     
       26. The tire chock of claim 25, wherein the pair of linkage arms are pivotally attached at the common center point by a fastener and wherein the second pair of linkage arms is attached by a second fastener.