AU636218B2 - Trolley base construction - Google Patents

Description

FORM COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (Original) Class Int. Class Application Number: PK 0004 Lodged: 7th May 1990 Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority: Related Art: Name of Applicant: METRO PRODUCTS CO. PTY. LTD.

Address of Applicant: 55-65 BERESFORD AVENUE GREENACRE N.S.W. 2190 Actual Inventor:

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Address for Service: WATERMARK PATENT TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS, SUITE 6, FLOOR 16, TOWN HALL HOUSE, 456 KENT STREET, SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES, 2000, AUSTRALIA Complete Specification for the invention entitled: *eg* TROLLEY BASE CONSTRUCTION The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us.

This invention relates to a new method of construction for trolleys, and a new trolley produced by this method.

For many years, the bases of shopping trolleys as used in supermarkets and the like have been generally formed from metal tubing. Recently, trolleys have been manufactured having a base, formed principally by wire, generally having a lower portion formed from substantially parallel wires joined at various points by short lengths of wire. However, this left many sharp ends to be smoothed, and generally had a somewhat untidy appearance.

The present invention seeks to overcome these problems by using a wireball-wire construction where the lower, generally parallel wire portions are joined by metal spheres. This provides a cleaner appearance and greater strength in the finished article.

In one aspect the present invention provides a shopping trolley including a trolley base to which a plurality of wheels is adapted to be attached, the trolley base comprising at least two substantially parallel upper and lower wire portions shaped to define a base member, said substantially parallel wire portions being connected by a plurality of spherical members.

An embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying figure 1, which shows a perspective view of one possible embodiment of a base according to this invention.

The trolley base, generally designated 10, in use carries 2 wheels (not shown) through openings 25 in front plate 22, and 2 wheels through openings 24 in the base 10. Side plates 20, 21 carry a wire basket, not shown, of conventional ooo Z design.

i The base 10 is formed in the illustrative example from a number of lengths of bent wire: upper strand 11, lower strand 12, strands 28(2) and 29 which support the side plates 20, 21, curved strands 24(2) which create the mounting 24 for rear wheels, and links 26(2) which provide rigidity at the rear of the base where upper and lower strands 11, 12 are more widely separated. In the ermodiment shown, the upper and lower strands 11 and 12 are in the same vertical plane. They may however be offset if desired.

The remaining links between upper and lower strands 11, 12 are formed by balls 30. In the prior art, balls 30 were replaced by one or more short wire links similar to links 26. The use of balls enables a neater appearance, a stronger construction, and removes sharp edges which protrude in the

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all-wire construction.

The base may be assembled by any suitable technique, but preferably the base is assembled in a jig and projection welded. Arc or other welding is possible but produces a less neat appearance, and is more labour intensive.

It should be appreciate that it is the method of construction and general type of the base which embody the general inventive concept, and that the exect details of construction are not critical. In particular, the number and placement of balls, the shape and dimensions of the trolley base and the number a:id shape of wire portions my be varied as is apparent to one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

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Claims (6)

1. A shopping trolley including a trolley base to which a plurality of wheels is adapted to be attached, the trolley base comprising at least two substantially J parallel upper and lower wire portions shaped to define a base member, said substantially parallel wire portions being connected by a plurality of spherical members.

2. A shopping trolley as claimed in claim 1, wherein said upper and lower wire portions are in the same vertical plane.

3. A shopping trolley as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the spherical members are welded to said wire portions.

4. A shopping trolley as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said trolley base includes support means to support a wire basket thereon.

A shopping trolley as claimed in claim 4, wherein said support means comprise oppositely disposed wire strands supporting a pair of side plates engageable with said wire basket.

6. A shopping trolley including a trolley base, the trolley base being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figure 1. DATED this 6th day of November 1992 METRO PRODUCTS CO. PTY LTD Watermark Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys •.Level 4, Amory Gardens, 2 Cavill Avenue Ashfield NSW 2131