From the 2003 my car is a Ford Fiesta, on which, after lowering rear seatbacks, also I load the biggest of my home-built dobsonian, which it is a 14 "F5, manufactured following declining from note "Bible" of Kriege/berry "The Dobsonian telescope" after converting from English to metric,
The weight of the lower block of my 360 F5 (roker + mirror box + contrappesi..ecc) It is about 28kg.
Too high weight!..must to convert in Barrow, so I can move it from myself, insecurity, excluding excessive physical effort.
The "wheelbarrowization" principle, (in italian is "carriolatura") was also taken from the cited "Bible", but the TWO HANDLES of the wheelbarrow were functional to the transport , while remaining length such as to be able to remain mounted to telescope inside the trunk Fiesta (or the camper locker w Adria-Win that I use for mountain observations), always ready for unloading operation.
My desire was also that THE LOADING RAMPS had a gradient of only around 20 degrees, for maximum maneuvering comfort, However, while enabling them to find a place inside the folded car trunk (and the camping car ), next to dobson transported.
This decision is due to the intuitive compromise that the most inclined RAMPS are actually shorter ... but require greater physical effort in loading, besides being less stable. And with the little space of a compact car, it was necessary to resort to their foldability, or not having to mount a suitcase on the roof of the car to transport them whole.
The need was met by building two ramps, each with ordinary pine wood shelf boards with section from 15×2 cm, reinforced along one side from an angular steel frame side in "L" section (of those with shelving holes, 55x35x2mm) fixed with 8 bolts m5x30mm equally spaced along the length.
A further complication that is common to all small cars, is that they do not have the floor of the trunk “at same level” with the base of the car tailgate, then:
The preparation to load the dobson in the Fiesta took place by building an internal double bottom high platform 15 cm (see photo (clik to enlarge)), to be inserted / removed in the trunk of the car during transport, precisely for raise the initial fund up to the lower edge of the opening of the tailgate, who is at well 57cms above the ground.
My two ramps, when are open are long, each 176cm, for a slope of 22 degrees, and they are made from a stretch of 136cm length, plus a terminal stretch from 40 cm touching the ground, and it folds onto itself by means of a sturdy metal classic hinge.
Folded they are so long 136cm and stow well in the trunk of my Ford Fiesta (and in my Camping Car Van), next to the telescope.
A different division of the length of the two folding sections (as I realized in the version number 2 of the same folding ramps exactly in half) It does not involve constructive problems, but only a greater inclination inevitable therebetween in the vicinity of the articulation, due to the (even small) mechanical end floats from constructions DIY..
The angular type metallic shelving used, It performs three essential functions:
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- It ensures the mechanical strength and the rigidity of the ramps. And if the weight of the telescope was twice my, I would have opted to double this by installing rails on each side, instead of their use by me realized on only one side of each ramp.
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- Ensures the lower longitudinal support over the entire length of the wooden board on which pass the wheels of the wheelbarrow dobson.
- Such angular protruding upward ensures a lateral containment of the guide wheels, (obviously on the side of the ramp where the angular steel frame is present). And in fact, my assembly has provided for the presence of the corner on the same side for both ramps, so, It is very easy to keep the wheels to account for them to exploit their continuous guide.
Also with this angular metal easily it realizes the grappling hook to the edge of the car trunk (photo 6), A ribbon cutting it out for 5 or 6 cm, and folding such strip of those ~ 20 degrees for horizontal return, and entering finally into one of the holes, a long bolt coated 8mm diameter of a piece of the gas pipe (the rubber tube blue).
The ramp obviously rests on the perimeter of the door rubber gasket.
But the most interesting construction particular to the reliability and functionality of the folding joint, is in its DRIVING FORK installed at one end of “semi-ramp” long, that is guiding and accommodates in her inside the far corner's of the other short half-ramp. Joint that is immobilized safely to download in a mechanical whole, all the deflection force generated by the load.
In other words: (View photos 3 – 4 – 5) At the end of the ramp, where are the bending hinge, They are protruding two cutouts of the same angular long 15cm, bolted in a sandwich, that is, to the right and to the left of the central longitudinal member which is inside and from 136cm 5 cm rearmost. This metal sandwich constitutes a secure it engages the guide fork spar foldable terminal, whose angular will be obliged, ramp deployed, to fit into the midst of this metallic sandwich Guide, match his head with the facing spar , and with that ensuring an immovably alignment of the ramp joint of the two consecutive ramp pieces, even under load.
I realize I need these many words to explain concepts that are intuitive, easy to view (in this case) of the 10 the following pictures .
