CA1305197C - Mobile cart for discrete shelves, and shelf therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A mobile cart has fixed tray supports for a plurality of discrete and removable trays, the cart has a frame with a base and caster wheels and side frames with corner posts, and a top member structurally connecting the side frames; the trays each have a roll-section formed frame with a perimeter piece, an upper inward turned inverted U-shaped top flange, a lower inward turned floor pad, and a downward facing inverted U-shaped support nest on the bottom of each side of the frame; a tray floor in the frame has a support surface on the floor pads and upturned flanges of less than ninety degrees underneath the top flanges; each side frame has a rear stop peg and front stop peg extending in front respective corner posts, a tray support rail in between the stops, and a hold down peg above and spaced from the rear stop pegs; the tray fits upon the support with the nests upon the rails and the hold down pegs keep the trays in place during transit, the cart and trays are ideally suited for the transport and retailing of flowers, plants and other loose and delicate goods.

Description

~3~S~97 ..
FIEII) OF IH_INVENTION
Ihis învention perk~ins to A mobile eArt ~avin,g d;~creta ~eln4vable shelves and ~tnlcture for holding the sh~ in the cart durin~ translt~ ~nd to ~ shelf for ~hi8 cart.

DESCRIPTION OF li~E PRIOR ART
Carts are being tried and tested for shi~erlt and ret~ilin~ of plant~
and flower A wholesaler i8 ~ typical own~r an~ user of thQ car~. Ihe c~rt needs to h~v~ adju~table height di ~rete shelve6. Ihe ~helves ire taken in and out and ~re plac~d in the cart fr~ne to best accomnod~te the specific n~x of pl~nt~ and flower~. Some plants ~nd flowers are tall, ~ome are ~hor~. A
cart might be set up with six shelves, or wlth ~o shelves.
Ihe properly set ~helve6 ~e loaded with ~n appropriate mix of plRnts ~nd ~lowars, and the loaded ~rt may then be ~hrink W~eApped to hold in moi~ture. Most whole~al~r~ do not shrink wre,p, but some ~; it àepends upon the Z~X, the weather an~ other market d~mand~.
Ihe loaded CRr~ is then eventu~lly pl~ced upon ~ truck ~nd trucked eo ~
retailer's facility where the loaded csrt ic t~ken off ~e t~k a~ then eventually p~lshed to a retalling itu~ where t~e flowers and plants ~re ~old directly off of the cart. Thls type of retailin~ is commonly bein~ tested by l~r~e florist chain~ ~nd in the malls of 8hopping centers.
Ihe probl~n i8 thAt dul~ing tran~it the ~helve~ jump up and down snd in and ~u~ of ~art frAmes, The flowers ~nd dirt with the plants ~re thr~wn around and l;he loaded ~t ends up ~eing a dir~y mes thee needs to be u~lo~ded, cle~ned and reloaded and rearrang,ed be~ore it c3n be used fo~
retalling. The flow~r and plarlt lndu~t~y wants these problem~ ~olvqd~

tl ~P

~ll3~5~ 7 It i~ an object of the pr~ent invention to provide a n~w an~ i~proved mobile cflrt for discrete ~nd r~nova~le shelv~s, with new ~n~ lmproved ~tru~ture ~or ~upp~rting an~ retaln~n~ ~he ~helv~ during tran~i~ of ttle cart.
an ob~ect of the present invention to provide ~ new and improved mo~le cRre with remov~ble discrete shelve~ h~vin~ a ne~ shelf support and an iEnprovsd shelf ~on~tmction for ~etter retentlon o the shelves d~lrin~
tran8i t ~
It i~ an ~bject of the pre~ent invention to provide a new ~r~ improved shelf for a mobile cart.
It is an objec~ o~ the present invention to provide a new snd in~roved mo~lle cart for dlstribution and ret~iling of plar,t~ and flower~ ant other ~r~ll good~.

SUMMARl~ OF T~E INVE~l~ON
~ .. . . . , , ", -A moblle c~rt for dlstri~utiQn an~ retailing of goodR ha~ . rame ~th opFo8ed p~irs of corner po~s, At le~qt one di~crete and remoYa~le t y, ~n inverted U~haped suppo~t nest on ehe ~ottom o~ each olde of the tray, a p~ir of oppo~ed t~y suppor~ for esch shelf wlth each support tlsving a ront ~top peg9 8 rear ~top peg and a fore-~ft elongate support rsil b~tween th~ p~l3s, and a hold down pe~ i8 ~bove ~n~ SpilCed up~ard of the reat stop pef~, a distance which is ~re~ter than t~e height of t~7~ tr~y but les~ th61n the 04mbined tlei~ht of ~he tray and the ne4t.
A n~bile cart fo~ a plurality o~ discrete and removable tray~ ha~ a fr~me with upright corner po6t5, p~irs of ~rQy~ upports at var~ious levela with each support being e~ul~ed to the corner post~ and helvin~ a frorlt ~top peg, ~ rear ~top pe~, and an elongate fore~ft support r~il between the pe~,s an~ inward from respeetive coLner po~ts, and a tray hold do~ whi~
above and 8paC~ from the rear stop peg.

3l3 ~i9L~37 A cart tray h~s ~ rectsn~ula~ 3heet metal fr~me with a p~rimeter plece, an inverted U-shap~d top flange~ ~nd an upwar~ facln~ floor pad to the in8ide of the perimeter piece, a t~y 100r h~ a ~en~ral planar suppor~ sur~ce in~ide of the top flange an~ resting upon the floor pads, upw~r~ extendin~
perimeter flanges fonmed up le8s th~n ninety degrees ~nd Suc~ed under the top flanges, And downward Eacin~ support ne~ts under the $100r p~s on e~ch lateral ~ide of the tray.
~ any other Rdvantages, feature~ and additional ob3e~ts of t~e present Ynventlon will become m~ni~e~t to those versed in the ~rt upon m~king reference to the de~ailed ~e~eription and accomp~nying drawin~s in whi~h ehe preferred embodiment in~rporatin~ t~e princip~es o~ the pres~nt inventi~n $s ~et fvrth ant sh~l by way of illu~trative example.

~gIEF DESCRIPTION OF T~E DRAWqNG5 FI~. 1 is a front elev~tional view o the pr~ferred e~bodiment of the cart and tray of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a downward lookin~ perspect~ve view of the ri~ht side fr~me and a tray of the ~tructure o~ FIG. l;
FIG. 3 is ~ top plan view of the ~r~y in the ~art of FIG. l; and FIG. 4 is ~n elevational sectioned view throu~h lines ~V-IY of FIG. 3, ~305~

Accordin~ to ehe principles of the presen~ invention, ~ mobile car~, which is generally indicated by the numeral lO and whieh is 8~10~n in FIG. 1, ha~ a frame 12, at lea~t one, ~d mo8t often more, di~cr@t@ and removable tr~ys 14 which ~pan across ~he width of the c~rt 10, and sray support~ 16, ~nd tr~y ~old~down pe~s 18.
T~e fr~me 12 ha~ a ~ase 20 with ca~ter wheels 22 and upwa~d ~xtendlng corner p4ckets 23. OppO9ed ide frames 24 e~oh have a discrete upright front corner post 26 ~nd a dl~crete up~ight re~r corner post 28. The tr~y support~
1~ are welded to both of the corner posts 26, ~B as will be descri~ed and each side frame 24 is formed by one front corner post 2~ one ~e~r ~orner post 28, and a plurality of tray ~upport9 16 which are welded to the pO8t9 26~ 28 on~ 3bove another along the entire hei~ht of the po~tY 26, 28. Tha corner po~ts 26, 28 are ~llp fitted into the b~se corner pockets 23. The front ~ornex posts 26 are preferably ~horter thQn the ~e~r corner posts ~8 ~nd an in~erted U~shaped top cross member 30 ha~ ~ pair of opposed end legs 3~ whi~h ~lip-fit to the front ~orne~ po~ts 26, The @n~ legs 32 preferably are ~ntilevered do~n and slip fit into the:inside of the ~ront corner post~ 26.
The top cross member 30 i~ ~t the s~me hei8h~ a~ the re~r corner post~ 2a ~nd holds the side frames 24 at a constant ~i~ed spac~ng from eA~h other. The slip fit~ o~ the corner po~t~ 2~, 28 to the ba~e po~Xet 23, and the ~llp fit oF the top cro8s member 30 to the front co~ner po~t 26 en~bles quick, ~y and a~¢ur~te ~sembly of the ca~t fr~mes 12 wlthout requiring ~ool~. The oppo~ed si~e frames 24 are the mirror lm~ge of each other.
The tray~ 14 are ~11 identical to ~nd interchan~eable wit~ ea~h other.
Each t~y 14 ~A~ ~ roll-section sheet met~l perimeter combin~tion ~rame/r~m 34 wlth the roll-~ection h~vlng ~n vuter and upri~ht ~enerally pl~nar perimeter ple~ 36~ ~n inverted U-~hsped tcp fl~nge 38 which is turn~d inward snd downward from the per~met~r piece 36, and an upwArd ~A~inB floor p~t 40. The ~loor pad 40 extend~ inwa~d ~rom ~ U-~hsped bottom ~l~nge 42 which also ~xtends lnw~r~ from the perimeter pi~e 36 ~nd which i8 the mlrro~ image o~

the top flange 38. The $100r pad 40 is the top o~ ~n invertei U-shap~i ~'lang*

~L3 0 ~L~7 extending inw~rd from the bottom fl~nge 42. Th~ ~loor p~d 40 ext~n~ wellinw~rd from the innermo6t extenqion of the top flan~e 38. The trfly 14 has a sheet metAl tray floor 44 whi~h ha~ ~ central generally planar support ~urfa~e 46. Each side edge of ~he ~upport surf~ce 46 ha~ an upward extending perime~er fl~nge 48 which is fonmed upwflrd lsss than ninety degree~. Th~
height of e~ch peri~eter f}ange 48 i9 le ~ than the ~p~lng between c~e floor p~d 40 ~nd the lower inner edge of the top flang@ 38~ The roll fonmed fra~e rim 34 19 preferably f~bricAted of rolled low ~rbon ~te~l or if for very li~ht duty, it m2y be a metal or plastic extruslon~ RRgardles6, the section of the frame ri~ 34 is o~ con~tant cros~ ~ection and is mitered ~nd clo5ed Up, The frame rim 34 ~ay be p~inted or powder ~o~ted in an appropr~te color.
The tray floor 44 i8 prefer~bly imperforate g~l~anized sheet metal with clipped corner~ 50 ~o gi~e draina8e o~f to a ~i~e o~ lower tray~ and to A side of product on lower tray~ 34. Ihe support suRace 46 of the tr~y ~loor 44 i8 gized maller than the inside of the ~op fl~nges 3~, ~nd the top edges of tho pe~imeter flan~e~ 4~ are sized la~ge~ th~n the inoide of the top flan~e 38 w~i~h en~hles th~ tr~y ~loor 44 to be pushed downwa~d ~hr~ugh the top flRnge 3B ~nd onto the floor p~d 40. Ihe per~e~er ~l~nges 48 the~ resiliently ~n~p outw~rd and tuck under the top fl~nge~ 38 and the tray ~loor is penmanen~ly insealled m the fr~me rim 34. The top edges of the pe~imete~ flan~es 48 ~re pref@rably 8ized lar~er then the in~ide of perineter piece 36 90 that the perlmeter flanges 48 ~re wed~e~ ~gsinet and pr~loaded ~ain~t the pe~imeter pieces 3~. Thi5 preve~t ~attlin8 an~ o~l-cann ng of the tr~y floor 44 ~nd the support aurface 46. A tran~verqely~ central fore-~ft ~loor ~upport 52 i~
welded to sn inner flange 54 extending down ~rom the floor p~d 40. A 8upport nest 56 i9 preferably an $nverted U-sh~ped qlong~e member on ea~h 3ide of ~he tray 14. Ihe neqt 56 iY tucked into the inve~ed U-sha~e o~ the floo~ p~d 40 and p~eferably i~ ~ize~ ~o that it will ~lip either on or within the top fl~nge 38 of an identioal tray 14 en~bling sta~kin~ of the tray~
- S -~3~S~97 The tray supports 16 are mounted in p~irs, one on each side frame 24 ~t ~he s~me level, ~nd at v~rious l~vels, f~r receiving and supporting the tr~y~
14. Opposed tray supports 16 ~re the mirror ima~e of one Rnother. E~h tra~
support 16 has a fron~ stop peg 58 extending inw~rd from the Pront ~orner po~t 26, a re~r stop peg 60 extendin8 inward from ttle rear corner post ~8, and an elongAte tr~y support rail 62 spaced inw~rd of th~ corner post~ 26, ~ and extendin~ ~etween the ~op pegs 58 3 ~iO. Ihe ~upports 1~ are ger,erally 1~- hape~, lie horizontal, an~ hav~ legs formed by stop pe~35 5B, 60 that extendoutw~rd to the corner }?oSt9 26, 2~. The hold-down peg 18 is dlreetly ~bove and sp~ed up~7ard from the re~ stop pe~ 60. The 8pacing betw~en the stop peg 60 an~ the hold-down peg 18 ls gre~ter than the height ~ the tr~y frame rim 34 bu~ less than the co~bined height of the frame rim 34 ~nd the support ne3t 5~. The lengths o~ the supp~rt nest S6 and the ~pport r~il 62 ~re 8i ed so that the ne8t 56 will fit upon the rail 6~ and drop ~own in betw~en the stop pegR 58, 60. The hold-down peg 18 is pref~r~bly ~n inte~ral p~r~ o~ the t~ay support 16 ~nd is conne~ted by an ineermediate ~pacing upright ~4 be~ween the h~ld~down peg 18 ~nd the rear 3top pe~ 60. Vertic~lly ~djacent supports 1~
are p~efer~bly tie~ tog~her, a i3 beQt ~hown ln FI~. 2 where a ~onnecting upright 60 i9 in between and ~onnect~ ~djac~nt level8 of tray upporks 16 ~Q
~hat they ~e one int~rRl ~tructure. T~e tray upports 1~ are w~lded to th~
corner post~ ~6, 28 and the preferred ~ttachmen~ i8 eo tuck the upright~ 64~
66 into t~e side rames 24 and weld the connecting uprigh~ 66 to the ba~k side o~ the front corner post 26 and weld the spa~ing upright 64 to the front ~ide of t~e rear corner post 28, The ~ran5v@rse spa~ing ~etwe~n ePrresponding tr~y ~upport~ 16 on a given level 1~ ~xactly proper ~o re~eive the p~ir of ~upport nest~ 5~ on any of the t~ays 14. T~e tray supports 16 determi~e th~ pacing b~tween and ~t D turally connect the corner pogt8 26~ 28.
: In the use and operation of the cart 10 ~nd tr~y 14, the trsy~ 14 are pla~ed ~t appropria~e levPls in the cart 10 by belng slid in an~ under hold-down pe~s 18 ~nd with the tr~y ne~ts 5~ bein~ ~roppe~ dQwn upon the ~upport r~il9 62. The stop peg.~ 60, 62 keep the tray 14 from sl~ding out to ~3~5~a~7 either the front or rear of thq c~rt fraoe 12. Th~ tray~ 14 are then loaded with plants, flower~ or wh~tPver 8ood6 a~e to ~o to the rataile~. Ihe load@d cArt 10 i~ then trans~erred to and loade~ upon A t~k, trucked t~ a ret~îler~
taken off the t~ck And wheeled to a retailin~ situ5~ Durin~ tn~k lo~
trLI~king~ tmck unloading, ~nd ~uring the wheelin~ ~round of the lo~ cart lOs the hold-dowr pegs 18 k~ep the tr~ys 14 on the tray supports 16 and the goods on eh~ trays 14 are k~pt on the trays 14 an~ are not Jo~tled ~round and messed up.
Althou~h other ad~/anta~es m~y b~ found . nd reali~ nd v~rious fications m~y be sug~e~ted ~y those ve~ed in ~he art, be it under~tood th~t we wish to em~dy withln ~he ~cope of the patent warranted h~reon, ~11 such em~odin)ents ~s reasonably properly co~e within the ~cope of our contribution to the ar~.

Claims (15)

1. A mobile cart for distribution and display of goods comprising:
a. a frame having opposed front and rear upright corner posts, caster wheels, and a base structurally supporting said posts and providing a predetermined transverse spacing between said posts;
b. at least one discrete and removable tray sized to span across said transverse spacing, said tray having an upward extending rim on each lateral side edge thereof;
c. an inverted U-shaped elongate tray support nest extending fore and aft along the underside of each lateral side edge of each said rim;
d. a pair of opposed tray supports for each tray, each support having a front transverse stop peg extending inwardly from a respective front corner post, a rear transverse stop peg extending inwardly from a respective rear corner post, and an elongate fore-aft support rail extending between said stop pegs, each rail being spaced inwardly from a respective pair of posts and having a length that will fit within said U-shaped nest for substantially preventing any fora and aft movement of the tray with respect to the support rail; and e. a tray hold down peg located above each rear stop peg, therebeing a vertical spacing between the hold down peg and the rear stop peg which is greater than a height of the tray rim but less than the combined height of the rim and the nest.

2. The cart of claim 1, in which said front and rear corner posts are discrete from each other with said tray supports being welded to both the front and rear posts of a respective pair of posts and jointly forming a discrete side frame comprised of a rear corner post, a front corner post and a plurality of said tray supports.

3. The cart of claim 1, in which said upper member is an inverted U-shaped member having cantilevered legs slip fitted to each of the front corner posts.

4. The cart of claim 3, in which said corner posts are slip fitted into sockets on each corner of the base.

5. The cart of claim 1, in which each tray support is a generally U-shaped member with the legs of the U-forming the pegs and facing outwardly to the posts.

6. The cart of claim 5, in which the hold down peg is integral with a respective tray support and is connected to the rear stop peg by a rear upright which is spaced outward from the rail.

7. The cart of claim 1, in which adjacent levels of tray supports are integral and are structurally connected by a front upright between the front stop pegs.

8. The cart of claim 7 in which front and rear uprights are welded to the corner posts.

9. The cart of claim 8, in which the front uprights are welded to a back side of a respective front corner post, and in which the rear uprights are welded to a front side of a respective rear corner post.

10. The cart of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 in which the tray supports are vertically spaced one above another along the entire height of said posts.

11. A mobile cart for a plurality of discrete and removable trays, comprising:
a. a frame having an opposed pair of front and rear upright corner posts, caster wheels, and a base and upper member structurally connecting said post pairs to each other and providing a predetermined transverse spacing between said post pairs;
b. pairs of opposed tray supports at various levels for each tray, each support having a front transverse stop peg extending inward from a respective front corner post, a rear transverse stop peg extending inward from a respective rear corner post, and an elongate foreaft support rail extending between said stop pegs, said rail being spaced inwardly from the respective post pair for receiving thereon a discrete and removable tray;
and c. a tray hold down peg above and spaced upward from the rear stop peg, with a vertical spacing between the hold down peg and the rear stop peg being greater than a height of the tray.

12. A cart according to claim 11, in which a. each tray support is a generally U-shaped member with the legs of the U-forming the pegs and facing outward, and in which b. the hold down peg is an integral part of said member and is connected to one of the stop pegs by a spacing upright in between the hold down peg and the said one stop peg.

13. A cart according to claim 12, in which adjacent vertical levels of tray supports on each discrete pair of corner posts are integral and are structurally interconnected by a connecting upright in between a respective pair of like said stop pegs.

14. A cart according to claim 13, in which the uprights are welded to the rear surface of each respective front corner post and to each respective front surface of each respective rear corner post.

15. The cart of any of claims 11, 12, 13, or 14 in which each of the rear stop pegs are welded to a respective rear corner post, the front stop pegs are welded to the front corner posts, the corner posts are slip-fitted into sockets in the base, and in which the top member has upright members slip-fitted to the corner posts.