AU762466B2 - Improved trolley and method of using same - Google Patents

Description

I' r El 1759DL PDP/JM

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: Actual Inventors: Address for Service: CSR LtMItTED 'Le~i^40 CoLIs 0, LL4J 9 9 9 89 Stuart White and Carl Hollins H.R. HODGKINSON CO.

Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Level 3, 20 Alfred Street MILSONS POINT NSW 2061 Invention Title: IMPROVED TROLLEY AND METHOD OF USING SAME Details of Associated Provisional Applications: PP9854 filed 20 April 1999 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: 1759DL PDP/JM

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to lifting and carrying devices and, more particularly relates to trolleys for use in lifting, transporting and installing panels such as substantial rectangular wall panels.

The applicant has invented a relatively thin, strong, generally rectangular panel for use in constructing walls in buildings. The product is sold in Australia under the trade mark POWERPANEL and is becoming increasingly popular due to the various advantages it has over prior art wall construction methods, such as bricklaying. One difficulty with the applicant's POWERPANEL is that its size and weight makes it relatively difficult for individual manual manoeuvring. A typical POWERPANEL *may weigh 70 kilos, be 3m long, 600mm wide and 70mm thick. In order to manoeuvre the panels from lying on their side on a pallet to standing vertically in 20 order to form a wall, two persons generally have to work together, exerting considerable effort.

Conventional pallet trolleys, and those commonly used for transporting boxes, are generally unsuitable for the task, due to the size of the panels and the fact that users 25 need to manually manoeuvre the panels into their vertical positions on the wall, "having used a trolley to transport the panel to a point near the wall. One of the disadvantages of manual, or conventional trolley, methods of moving and installing such wall panels is that the physical force needed to be exerted by the individuals moving the panels is relatively great. Consequently, the possibility of such individuals suffering personal injury, such as back injury, is of concern to the applicant.

An additional disadvantage of such known methods is that at least two people are needed to transport a single panel, decreasing their productivity and increasing the overall construction costs.

1759DL PDP/JM A further disadvantage of conventional trolleys is that the wall panel, when placed on such trolleys, is fairly unstable, and the risk of the panel falling off and causing damage to the users and/or the panel itself is of concern to the applicant.

OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of prior art methods of transporting and/or installing substantial rectangular slabs or like objects such as wall panels, all of which are referred to as panels hereinafter.

Preferred embodiments of the invention achieves that object by providing a simple, hand operated trolley dedicated to that purpose, with specific features rendering it s •particularly adapted to receive a panel that is standing on one longitudinal edge face disposed close to a floor or the like on which the trolley may travel, to relocate the S: 20 panel so that it lies on one side face at a height convenient for an operator to trim or 20 otherwise work on the panel if need be, to transport the panel to a required location, for example adjacent to a wall frame, and then to off-load the panel in a manner o: leaving it standing on one end face, without the need for heavy lifting by the user of Sthe trolley.

25 It is a further object to provide such a trolley having (apart from its wheels or like motion enabling means) virtually no moving parts or complex mechanisms.

a THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention there is disclosed an elongate trolley, having a largest dimension extending in a longitudinal direction from a front end of the trolley to a rear end of the trolley and shaped to provide first and second stable operating positions, in either of which the trolley may sit stably on a supporting floor, for use in transporting a panel, having two side faces, two edge faces and two end faces, said trolley including panel receiving means able to accept a said panel, standing on one of its edge faces that extends in said longitudinal direction and is adjacent the floor, when the trolley is in its first operating position, and able to support the panel, lying on one of its side faces at about bench top height above the floor, 1759DL PDP/JM when the trolley is in its second operating position, first fulcrum means adapted to contact the floor to define a first fulcrum line extending in said longitudinal direction, about which line the trolley may be rotated from the first operating position into the second operating position, leverage means including a lever arm projecting in a direction transverse to said longitudinal direction whereby the trolley may be rotated as aforesaid by the application of force to said lever arm, and motion enabling means movably supporting at least the front end of the trolley when the trolley is in said second operating position.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a trolley substantially as described above, further including second fulcrum means on the front end of the trolley able to be brought into contact with the floor by a user lifting the rear end of the trolley from said second operating position, to define a second fulcrum line extending transversely of said longitudinal direction about which the trolley S 20 and/or the panel may be further rotated to an offloading position wherein the panel 20 stands upon one of its end faces.

o• o• Preferably, the panel receiving means includes at least one protrusion or edge flange upon which the panel may stand on said one edge face when the trolley is in the first operating position.

Preferably, the panel receiving means further includes securing means such as a strap for more firmly holding the carried panel in place.

Preferably the leverage means are demountable and include a socket, which receives an end of the lever arm when the leverage means are in use and from which the lever arm may be removed when the leverage means are not in use. Preferably, the trolley also includes lever storage means for storing the lever arm out of the way when it is not in use.

Preferably the first fulcrum means includes curved portions that contact the floor, upon which the trolley may readily rotate.

-3- 1759DL PDP/JM According to an additional embodiment of the present invention there is disclosed a trolley substantially as described above wherein the motion enabling means includes at least one wheel or other low friction means to allow the trolley to be readily moved.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is disclosed a trolley substantially as described above whose structure primarily consists of a plurality of metal bars or pipes welded together to form a trolley frame.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a method of lifting and transporting a panel using the trolley substantially as described above by means of the following steps: Step 1: Placing the trolley in its first operating position and loading the panel into or onto the panel receiving means; Step 2: Using the leverage means to rotate the trolley about the first fulcrum means, into its second operating position; S Step 3: Moving the trolley with the panel thereon to the desired position using the enabling means.

oooo .°°:.According to a further aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a method of transporting a panel using a trolley substantially as described above further including the steps of: Step 4: Offloading the panel from the trolley by rotating the trolley about the second fulcrum means; and Step 5: Pulling the trolley away from the offloaded panel.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings in which: -4- 1759DL PDP/JM Figure 1 is a perspective view of a trolley according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the trolley of figure 1; Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the trolley of figure 1; Figure 4 is a plan view of the trolley of figure 1; Figure 5 is a rear elevational view of the trolley of figure 1; Figure 6 is a view of the underside of the trolley of figure 1; Figures 7-12 show rear and side elevational views of the trolley of figure 1 being used to lift, transport and install a wall panel in accordance with the preferred method.

As shown in Figure 1, the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a trolley 1 having a largest dimension extending in a longitudinal direction from a front end of the trolley to a rear end of the trolley and shaped to provide first and second •stable operating positions, in either of which the trolley may sit stably on a supporting 25 floor, in the form of a frame 2 and two wheels 3. The frame 2 includes an upper S.frame section 4 and a lower frame section 5 which is linked to the upper frame section 4 by a front frame section 6, a rear frame section 7, a left side frame section 8 and a right side frame section 9.

As seen in Figure 2, the rear frame section 7 includes two legs 10 which extend from the floor 11 to the upper frame section 4. As seen in Figure 2, when the trolley 1 is standing upright in its second operating position, its upper frame section 4 is generally horizontal so as to provide a sturdy and stable surface upon which to trim the wall panel to the required size. As such, the distance between the lowest point 12 of the wheels 3 and the upper frame section 4 is substantially equal to the length of the legs 1759DL PDP/JM As shown in Figure 2, the front end 13 of the upper frame section 4 is pivotally connected to second fulcrum means in the form of an angle 14, which is able to pivot in relation to the upper frame section 4 when placing a wall panel 15 in the upright position. In addition, the lower lip 16 of the angle 14 is also used to secure the wall panel 15 in position and prevent it from slipping when it is being transported on the trolley 1.

As is also shown in Figure 2 the trolley incorporates demountable leverage means comprising a pipe socket 23 in the left side frame section 8 which is adopted to receive a lever arm in the form of a suitably sized pipe 22 able to be received by the socket for use as a lever, as described below.

As shown in Figure 5, additional protrusions 17 are also provided on the upper frame section 4 to more securely hold the wall panel 15 in place.

g 20 As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the right side frame section 9 includes first fulcrum Se means in the form of curved rotation points 18. As will be described in detail later, these curved rotation points 18 enable a user 19 to lift a wall panel 15 from a horizontal upright position to a horizontal prone position on top of the upper frame section 4 of the trolley 1 without the need to exert considerable force.

a This preferred embodiment of the present invention is preferably used to transport a wall panel 15 from a horizontal upright position to a horizontal prone position and then to a vertical upright position in accordance with the following preferred method: Step 1: As shown in Figure 7, the trolley 1 is set in its first operating position wherein it rests upon its right side 9 and placed next to the wall panel 15 so that the protrusions 17 fit snugly against a side edge face 20 of the wall panel 15 and the lower lip 16 of the angle 14 fits snugly against an end edge face 21 of the wall panel Step 2: The user then takes a pipe 22 such as a steel pipe and inserts an end 24 of the pipe 22 into a pipe socket 23 in the left side frame section 8, so that the pipe then projects laterally (as distinct from longitudinally) from the body -6- 1759DL PDP/JM of the trolley. The user 19 then grips the upper end 25 of the pipe 22 and places his foot 26 on a bar 27 of the lower frame 5. Using the pipe 22 as a lever, in conjunction with the pressure of his foot 26 on the bar 27, the user 19 pulls the pipe 22 towards himself and rotates the trolley 1 about the curved rotation points 18 into its second operating position as shown in figure 9.

Step 3: The user then removes the pipe 22 from the pipe socket 23 and places it in a pipe holder (not shown) on the trolley 1. With the wall panel 15 in this horizontal, prone position on the sturdy trolley 1, the user 19 is able to use the trolley 1 as a work bench and trim the wall panel 15 to the required size.

e* Step 4: As shown in figure 10, the user 19 tilts the trolley 1 forward by initially lifting the wall panel 15. Holding the wall panel 15 and/or the rear frame section 7 the user then wheels the trolley 1 to the desired position proximate the wall under construction.

Step 5: As shown in figure 11, in order to place the wall panel 15 in an upright vertical position, the user 19 then tips the trolley 1 forward so that the front o end 13 of the upper frame section 14 touches the floor 11. The user 19 then 25 continues to tip the trolley 1 forward until the wall panel 15 is in an upright S.vertical position.

Step 6: As shown in figure 12, the user 19 then pulls the trolley 1 away from the wall panel 15, leaving the wall panel 15 in an upright vertical position.

-7-

Claims (12)

1. An elongate trolley, having a largest dimension extending in a longitudinal direction from a front end of the trolley to a rear end of the trolley and shaped to provide first and second operating positions, in either of which the trolley may sit stably on a supporting floor, for use in transporting a panel (as defined herein) having two side faces, two edge faces and two end faces, said trolley including panel receiving means able to accept a said panel, standing on one of its edge faces extending in said longitudinal direction adjacent the floor, when the trolley is in the first operating position, and able to support the panel, lying on one of its side faces at about bench top height above the floor, when the trolley is in the second operating position, first fulcrum means adapted to contact the floor to define a first fulcrum line extending in said longitudinal direction, about which line the trolley may be rotated fe.. from the first operating position into the second operating position, leverage means including a lever arm projecting laterally from the trolley whereby the trolley may be .o rotated as aforesaid by the application of force to said lever arm, and motion enabling means movably supporting at least the front end of the trolley when the trolley is in the second operating position.

2. A trolley according to claim 1, further including second fulcrum means on the front end of the trolley able to be brought into contact with the floor by a user lifting the rear end of the trolley from the second operating position, to define a second fulcrum line extending transversely of said longitudinal direction about which the or/or the panel may be further rotated to an offloading position wherein the panel stands upon one of its end faces.

3. A trolley according to either claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the panel receiving means includes at least one protrusion or edge flange upon which the panel may stand on one of its edge faces when the trolley is in the first operating position.

4. A trolley according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the panel receiving means further includes securing means for more firmly holding the panel in place.

A trolley according to claim 4 wherein said securing means is a strap. -8- 1759DL PDP/JM

6. A trolley according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the leverage means are demountable and include a socket, which receives an end of the lever arm when the leverage means are in use and from which the lever arm may be removed when the leverage means are not in use.

7. A trolley according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first fulcrum means includes at least two curved portions that contact the floor, upon which the trolley may readily rotate.

8. A trolley according to any one of the preceding claims the trolley structure includes a plurality of metal bars or tubes welded together to form a rigid frame.

9. A method of lifting and transporting a panel using a trolley as defined in any one of claims 1 to 8, said method including the following steps: *o placing the trolley in its first operating position and loading the panel into or onto the panel receiving means; o o using the leverage means to rotate the trolley about the first fulcrum means, into its second operating position; and •go• moving the trolley with the panel thereon to the desired position using the motion enabling means.

A method according to claim 9 further including the steps of: offloading the panel from the trolley by rotating the trolley about the second fulcrum means; and pulling the trolley away from the offloaded panel.

11. A trolley substantially as herein described with reference to the description and the associated drawings. -9- 1759DL PDP/JM

12. A method of lifting and transporting panels substantially as herein described with reference to the description and the associated drawings. Dated this 1 9'h day of March 2002 CSR LIMiTED By HODGKINSON OLD McIN4NES Patent Attorneys for the Applicant 9* *0 0* 000000 0