GB2225985A

GB2225985A - Collapsible or foldable work-trolleys

Info

Publication number: GB2225985A
Application number: GB8923235A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Robert Hunter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-10-14
Filing date: 1989-10-16
Publication date: 1990-06-20
Also published as: GB8923235D0; GB8824117D0

Abstract

The trolley has a rectangular open-frame base 1 with braked castor wheels 2 and two A-frame ends 4 that are erected on the base 1 with interconnecting struts 8 to form a bench-frame that may be fitted with a work-top 30. The ends are spaced from a kicking-rail 13 of the base 1 across a floor-board 26, and are clamped upright within sockets 11 of the base 1 (but alternatively may be hinged to the base 1). The struts 8 clip to the ends 4, and together with the ends 4 are clipped flat across the base frame tin the collapsed condition of the trolley. Stay-arms 21 are pivoted up from the base 1 to couple with the erected ends 4 and enhance rigidity of the erected trolley. Telescopically-extendable arms 32 can be clamped to the ends 4 to provide height-adjustable work-support above a platform 31 on the trolley (Figure 7). An extension frame 35 releasably attaches to the ends 4 to extend outwardly beyond the base 1 and enable a larger work-surface or support of a canopy 36 over the trolley and area alongside (Figure 8). <IMAGE>

Description

Work-Trolleys This invention relates to work-trolleys, and is especially concerned with the provision of a form of collapsible work-trolley.

According to the present invention there is provided a collapsible work-trolley wherein a wheeled frame that forms the base of the trolley carries first components of the trolley that are adapted to be erected on the base to form two end parts of the trolley upstanding from the base, and wherein the trolley also carries at least one second component that is releasably secured to the trolley and is adapted to extend between the upstanding end parts to provide a strut therebetween.

The first components may be releasably secured to the base, and in this respect erection of the end parts may involve releasing the first components to free them from the base, and then engagement of releasable connections with the base to establish those components upstanding with respect to the base. As an alternative, the said first components may be hinged to the frame such that they can be folded upwardly from the frame into the upstanding position. The end parts may be of A-frame structure.

The base of the trolley may be rectangular and have a rail or other part that provides an upstanding marginal lip running along a first of the four sides of the frame. In these circumstances the two end parts may be adapted to be erected on the base spaced by a gap from the said lip with the said strut running substantially parallel to the lip.

A board may be provided to rest on the base to provide a floor for the trolley and for use in storage of tools and other items in the erected trolley. Tools and other items may also be carried on the said strut and/or on other strut components which are releasably securable to the end parts and which extend as struts therebetween in the erected condition of the trolley; such other strut components may be releasably securable to the base in the collapsed condition. A work top or platform may be provided for support on the two end parts in the erected condition of the trolley.

A collapsible work-trolley in accordance with the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the work-trolley in its collapsed condition; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the work-trolley in its erected or assembled condition; Figures 3 to 6 illustrate, in sectional side-elevation, details of the trolley construction and modifications thereof; Figure 7 is a side elevation of the work-trolley illustrating use of supplementary components of the trolley; and Figure 8 is a perspective view of the trolley together with an extension frame and canopy.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the work-trolley has a rectangular open-frame base 1 of tubular steel, that is mounted on four castor wheels 2 each of which has its own foot-operable brake 3. Two end-frame components 4 of the trolley are stowed, in the collapsed condition of the trolley (Figure 1), beneath the base 1 and are held in place within the compass of the base 1 by spring clips 5 that project downwardly from the two longer sides 6 and 7 within the base 1. Five (or more) strut components 8 are also stowed on the base 1 in this condition of the trolley, each strut component 8 extending parallel to the sides 6 and 7 within the base 1 and being clipped at its two ends to the shorter sides 9 and 10 respectively, of the base 1.

The end-frame components 4 and the strut components 8 are of the same tubular steel as the base 1, and are adapted to be erected on the base 1 to provide a worksupport or bench-frame (Figure 2). In this regard, the components 4 are of generally A-frame structure, and when detached from the clips 5 are erected to be upstanding from the base 1 with their feet inserted within sockets 11 that open upwardly from the sides 9 and 10. One or more - four in the illustration of Figure 2 - of the strut components 8 are detached from the base 1 and are clipped between the end-frame components 4 so that each provides a strut therebetween that supports the end-frame components 4 in their upright position.

Clamping screws 12 are tightened onto the feet of the components 4 within the sockets 11 to secure them to the base 1. The sockets 11 are located along the sides 9 and 10 in such a way that the erected end-frame components 4 are spaced by a small gap from the side 6.

A tubular rail 13 forming part of the base 1 runs along the side 6 to provide an upwardly projecting lip or kick-rail along the margin of this gap. The strut components 8 are clipped to the end-frame components 4 to run substantially parallel to the rail 13 and provide rigidity of the work-support or bench-frame.

The strut components 8 clip to the tubular sections of the base 1 (Figure 1) and end-frame components 4 (Figure 2) in the manner illustrated in Figure 3.

Figure 3 shows details of one of the two ends of one of the components 4 as this is clipped to a representative tubular section 14 of the base 1 or end-frame components 4. The clip illustrated is typical of the clips provided at both ends of each of the strut components 8.

Referring to Figure 3, the end of the tubular component 8 is closed by a screwed cap 15 and contains a springloaded plunger 16 that projects through the cap 15 to engage within a hole 17 in the section 14; holes corresponding to the hole 17 are provided at intervals throughout the tubular sections of the base 1 and the end-frame components 4. A metal strap 18 that is welded to the component 8, extends beyond the end of the component 8 to embrace the section 14 resiliently, so that the component 8 is held to the section 14 both by the strap 18 itself, and engagement of the plunger 16 with the hole 17.Release of the component 8 from the section 14 is effected simply by applying a sharp blow to the component 8, or to the section 14, in whichever direction is necessary to break the embrace of the strap 18 with the section 14; the nose of the plunger 16 is rounded or chamfered to an extent to ensure that such a blow causes ready disengagement of the plunger 16 from the hole 17. Engagement of the component 8, on the other hand, merely requires it to be positioned with the strap 18 overlying the position of the section 14 (at an appropriate hole 17) where engagement is required, and application of force to establish the embrace of the section 14 and snapping of the plunger 16 into the hole 17.

The use of a spring-loaded plunger, such as the plunger 16, at each end of each component 8, may be avoided by adopting the modification, illustrated in Figure 4, in which a pin 19 on the strap 18 engages in a hole 20 in the section 14.

Rigidity of the work-support or bench-frame formed by the end-frame components 4 and the strut components 8, is enhanced by two stay-arms 21 which are pivotably mounted on the side 7 of the base 1. The arms 21 are pivoted up from their stowed position, in which they are clipped down to the side 7 (Figure 1), to be coupled by couplings 22 to the end-frame components 4 (Figure 2) and thereby afford them support. As illustrated in Figure 5, each coupling 22 involves a spring-loaded plunger 23 that is carried by the respective stay-arm 21 and engages with a hole 24 in the relevant end-frame component 4; the coupling 23 may, however, involve a clamping bolt 25 rather than the plunger 23, so as to provide screw engagement between the arm and the component 4, as illustrated in Figure 6.

A floor for the trolley in the erected and collapsed conditions, is provided by a board 26. The board 26, which has cut-outs 27 and 28 to fit to the sockets 11 and rail 13 respectively, rests on the base 1 to provide a surface for storage of tools and other items.

The assembled trolley may moreover be used conveniently for transporting sheet or elongate items, by placing such items to rest on the board 26, within the gap between the end-frames 4 and the rail 13. More especially, sheet items, for example, plasterboard sheets, are conveniently transported standing on the board 26 within the gap and retained by the rail 13 while leaning against the erected work-bench support or bench-frame.

The work-support or bench-frame preferably in these latter circumstances includes more than one strut component 8, but as illustrated in Figure 2, the use of more than one such component 8 has other advantages.

More especially, two strut components 8 can be used to support one or more trays, such as the illustrated trays 29, for holding tools and/or components involved in the work undertaken. Also, the strut components 8 may be conveniently used to retain, for example, reels of wire or other supplies required for the work; The retention of reels in this respect, may be achieved simply by threading them onto one of the strut components 8, as illustrated in broken line in Figure 2. Tools (for example, a vice) may be readily clamped to the components 8 in the work-support or bench-frame of the trolley.

A working top 30 (shown in broken line in Figure 2) may be provided for the trolley. This may carry a vice and/or other tool (not shown) and may be adapted, as illustrated, to clip onto the end-frames 4 in place of the two uppermost components 8; alternatively, the working top may be provided simply by a board that is supported on those components 8. In any event, irrespective of how the working top is provided, its provision facilitates work of many forms using the trolley; it has advantage, for example, as a wallpaperpasting surface for decorators.

Figure 7 illustrates the use of a platform 31 in the form of a board that rests on the work-support or bench-frame to serve as a working surface of the trolley, together with two or more telescopicallyextendable arms 32 that clamp to the end-frame components 4 in the erected trolley. Such platform 31 and arms 32 have particular advantage, for example, where the trolley is used for work at height, as for example, where a ceiling is being tiled. In this respect, the worker may stand on the platform 31, and the arms 32, which may include screw sections 33 for achieving accurate adjustment of their height, may be terminated by plates 34.Plates such as the plates 34 may be used both for holding materials and for supporting work in place; for example, when tiling a ceiling, the plate 34 of one arm 32 may be used to support the adhesive involved at a height convenient for the worker standing on the platform 31, whilst the plate 34 of one or more other arms 32 are used for clamping tiles in place on the ceiling.

The trolley may also have a detachable extension frame that may be used simply to extend the top work-area of the bench-frame, or to provide support for a canopy covering the bench-frame together with an area beside.

The use of a detachable extension frame in this latter context, which is of value for protection from the weather where work outdoors (for example, by telephone engineers) is undertaken, is illustrated in Figure 8.

Referring to Figure 8, the extension frame 35 attaches releasably to the end-frame components 4 of the trolley to extend outwardly from the base 1 laterally over the rail 13. A plastics or other canopy 36 is laced to the frame 35 and components 4 down to the side 7 of the base 1, so that protection is afforded not only to the trolley as a whole, and any items carried by it, but also to the area alongside the rail 13 within the frame 35.

The trolley constructed as described above is readily erected or assembled from the collapsed condition illustrated in Figure 1, to the erected condition shoun in Figure 2, and is also readily collapsed from the erected condition back to the condition shown in Figure 1, for ease of storage and/or transport. Moreover, the trolley without the end-frames 4 erected and with, or without, the board 26 in place, can readily be used for transporting heavy goods sch as furniture.

One form of trolley constructed as described above with reference to Figures 1 and 2, has a length (measured along the sides 6 and 7) of some 900 mm, a width (measured along the sides 9 and 10) of some 600 mm and a height (measured from the ground to the top of the end-frame components 4) of some 700 mm.

Claims

Claims:

1. A collapsible work-trolley wherein a wheeled frame that forms the base of the trolley carries first components of the trolley that are adapted to be erected on the base to form two end parts of the trolley upstanding from the base, and wherein the trolley also carries at least one second component that is releasably secured to the trolley and is adapted to extend between the upstanding end parts to provide a strut therebetween.

2. A collapsible work-trolley according to Claim 1 wherein the first components are releasably secured to the base, erection of the end parts involving release of the first components to free them from the base, and then engagement of releasable connections with the base to establish those components upstanding with respect to the base.

3. A collapsible work-trolley according to Claim 1 wherein the first components are hinged to the frame such that they can be folded upwardly from the frame into the upstanding position.

4. A collapsible work-trolley according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the base of the trolley is rectangular.

5. A collapsible work-trolley according to Claim 4 wherein the base of the trolley has a rail or other part that provides an upstanding marginal lip running along a first of the four sides of the frame.

6. A collapsible work-trolley according to Claim 5 wherein the two end parts are adapted to be erected on the base spaced by a gap from the said lip with the said strut running substantially parallel to the lip.

7. A collapsible work-trolley according to any one of the preceding claims including a board which rests on the base to provide a floor for the trolley.

8. A collapsible work-trolley according to any one of the preceding claims including a plurality of strut components each of which is releasably securable to the base in the collapsed condition of the trolley and is releasably securable to the end parts, to extend as struts therebetween, in the erected condition of the trolley.

9. A collapsible work-trolley according to any one of the preceding claims including a work top or platform for support on the two end parts in the erected condition of the trolley.

10. A collapsible work-trolley according to any one of the preceding claims including one or more telescopically-extendable arms each of which clamps to one of the said end parts in the erected condition of the trolley to extend upwardly therefrom.

11. A collapsible work-trolley according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the end parts are of A-frame structure.

12. A collapsible work-trolley according to any one of the preceding claims including a detachable extension frame for attachment to the end parts, said frame extending in the erected condition of the trolley outwardly beyond the base in a lateral direction with respect to the said strut.

13. A collapsible work-trolley according to Claim 12 including a canopy to cover the trolley and extension frame.

14. A collapsible work-trolley according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the wheels of the frame are castor wheels.

15. A collapsible work-trolley according to Claim 14 wherein braking is provided on all the wheels.

16. A collapsible work-trolley substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.

17. A collapsible work-trolley according to Claim 16 supplemented substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.

18. A collapsible work-trolley according to Claim 16 supplemented substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 8 of the accompanying drawings.