GB1595691A - Trolley - Google Patents

Description

(54) TROLLEY (71) We, INTEGRATED HAND LING (SOUTHERN) LIMITED, a British Company of 77, Milford Road, Reading, Berkshire, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention is concerned with improvements in or relating to trolleys for conveying goods and sundry other articles.

In a large warehouse, storage of goods is often on shelving extending along aisles of considerable length and to a height greater than that which can comfortably reached unaided from ground level. To assist removal of goods from the shelving, and also re-stocking of the shelves, it is common to use mobile step ladder units which can be pushed up and down the aisles to any desired location to gain acces s to shelves at high levels. Where a range of goods is to be removed from the shelves, necessitating a collector gathering a number of articles together, trolleys providing containers are moved up and down the aisles and the goods or articles collected are deposited therein according to a manifest carried by the collector.Therefore, when a number of goods has to be gathered from upper shelving levels, a collector has to manipulate both a trolley and a ladder unit which in the confined space of an aisle can be cumbersome and awkward especially when both units are usually mounted on castors. A further disadvantage lies in that where a number of people are working in a warehouse, there is a tendancy for each person to use the most adjacent ladder unit, thereby inconveniencing another person who may have temporarily left the ladder unit while collecting goods from low readily-accessible shelves.

These problems become more prevalent in warehouses or stockrooms of shops where the trolleys and ladder units are usually manipulated by female personnel who are required to collect items, e.g. of clothing, from shelving such as described above, convey the trolley, when their manifest is complete, to a checking point, transfer the goods as they are checked from the trolley to a second trolley which is then taken out onto the shop floor for transfer of the goods to sales counters.

The present invention provides a trolley for conveying articles, the trolley comprising a base and a plurality of ground engaging wheels on which the base is mounted, the wheels comprising a set mounted for rotation about a fixed horizontal axis at one end portion of the trolley and a wheel or wheels at the opposite end portion of the trolley which can swivel each about a respective vertical axis, the said one end portion of the base being shaped in plan view to have projecting and recessed portions to fit a complementarily shaped end portion of a mobile step ladder unit for use with the trolley, the set of wheels mounted for rotation about a fixed axis being mounted on said projecting portion(s) whereby said axis extends across said recessed portion(s) and said axis being sufficiently spaced from the base of the recessed portion(s) so that wheels of a similar diameter mounted on the projecting part(s) of a said step ladder unit will lie on the said axis when the said part(s) are engaged in the recessed portion(s) of the trolley.

The trolley may have side and end walls at least one of which is collapsible to allow access to the interior of the trolley.

The trolley of the present invention is intended for use with a mobile step-ladder unit as described and claimed in our copending application No. 5577/78 (Serial No.

1,595,995). The step-ladder unit claiMed in Claim 1 of our said co-pending application No. 5577/78 (Serial No. 1,595,995) comprises a base, a set of steps mounted on the base, ground engaging wheels comprising at one end portion of the base of the unit a set of wheels mounted for rotation about a fixed horizontal axis and at the opposite end portion of the base of the unit a wheel or wheels which can swivel each about a respective vertical axis, said one end portion of the base being shaped in plan view to have projecting and recessed portions to fit a complementarily shaped end portion of a trolley for use with the unit, the set of wheels mounted for rotation about a fixed axis being mounted on said projecting portion(s) whereby said axis extends across said recessed portion(s) and said axis being sufficiently spaced from the base of the recessed portion(s) that wheels of a similar diameter mounted on the projecting part(s) of a said trolley will lie on the said axis when the said part(s) are engaged in the recessed portion(s) of the step ladder unit.

To this end said one end of the base of the trolley is shaped to abut a complementarily shaped said one end of the base of the stepladder unit.

The present invention further provides a combination of a trolley according to the invention with a mobile-step ladder unit according to any one of the claims of copending application No. 5577/78 (Serial No.

1,595,995).

When the ladder unit and trolley are secured together, the alignment of the fixed sets of wheels allows the combination to be pivoted easily and when the requirement for the ladder unit is complete once the trolley has been loaded, it can be readily detached and the trolley taken to an un loading location on e.g. a shop floor. It will also be appreciated that the invention is also readily applicable for use in libraries or any other facility where access to storage shelving is necessary.

There now follows a detailed description which is to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings; it is to be clearly understood that the embodiment has been selected for description to illustrate the in vention by way of example and not by way of limitation.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of a combination of a step-ladder unit according to application 5577/78 (Serial No. 1,595,995) and a trolley according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the bases of the step-ladder unit and trolley shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an end view of the trolley shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of an upright of the trolley shown in Figure 1; Figure 5 is a detailed plan view of a detail of abbuting end portions of the ladder unit and the trolley shown in Figure 1; and Figure 6 is a detailed view of part of means releasably securing the ladder unit to the trolley.

The mobile step-ladder unit and trolley combination illustrated in the drawings is intended for use in a stockroom or warehouse associated with a department store or shop. The ladder unit is indicated by the general reference 10 and the trolley by the general reference 12.

The ladder unit comprises a base 14 of substantially rectangular shape on which is mounted a set of five steps 16, with nonslip treads, having side hand-rails 18 of tubular metal. The uppermost step provides a platform of greater area than the other four steps.

The base 14 of the ladder unit is mounted on ground-engaging wheels comprising a set of two wheels 20 which are independently mounted for rotation about a fixed transverse horizontal axis, indicated in chaindot line at 22 in Figure 2, at one end of the base and two independently mounted spring loaded wheels 24 which provide castors. The castors 24 are spring-loaded so that under the weight of a user, a foot 26 provided by an extension of each handrail 18 can engage the floor and prevent undesired movement of the unit. The one end of the base of the unit whereat the wheels 20 are mounted is shaped to provide a recess 28 which is of trapezoidal shape when viewed in plan for the purpose hereinafter described.

The trolley 12 comprises a base 30 of substantially rectangular shape having upright comer posts 32 between which side walls 34 and end walls 36 of the trolley extend.

The base 30 is mounted on ground-engaging wheels comprising a set of two wheels 38 which are mounted for rotation about a fixed transverse horizontal axis beneath a trapezoidally-shaped end portion 40 of the base 30. The portion 40 is of a shape and size such that it can abut snugly within the recess 28, and the fixed axis is so positioned that when the mobile ladder unit 10 and the trolley 12 are brought into abutting relationship, the axis is in line with the axis 22.

At the opposite end of the trolley, the base is supported by swivellably mounted wheels 42.

The side walls 34 are made of wire mesh 44 and one of the end walls 36 i.e. that on the extreme right of Figure 1 may also be made of wire mesh. However, the opposite end wall of the trolley, and the right-hand end wall, may be of collapsible construction so that access can be gained to goods deposited in the trolley. One form of collapsible wall is illustrated in Figure 3 wherein the wall 36 is provided by sheet-form plastics material having transverse rigid rods 45 attached thereto, the end portions of the rods being slidably guided in slots 46 formed in the upright corner posts 32 which may be of square or circular sectioned tubular metal.

The slots 46 may have recesses 48 into which the top rod can be dropped if it is only required to reduce the overall height of the wall by a fixed amount. (As an alternative, the top rod 44 may be hooked at each end so that the hooks can simply sit in the open tops of the corner posts, and brackets may be provided on the corner posts to hold the rod at fixed heights. In terms of manufacturing costs, this would be advantageous as it would unnecessary to form the slots in the corner posts).

Reference is now made to Figures 5 and 6 which show, in detail, the inter-relationship of the ends of the trolley and the ladder unit. Figure 5 shows the closeness of the fit between the recess of the base of the ladder unit and the end portion of the trolley. The means for releasably securing the ladder unit and the trolley comprises a spring-loaded latch member 50 mounted on a vertical pivot 52 and having a tongue portion 54.The latch member 50 is mounted in the base of the ladder unit adjacent one side of the recess 28 in a position such that the tongue portion 54 can project under the influence of a tension spring 56 through a slot 58 in the side of the recess and engage an edge of a corresponding slot 60 formed in the side of the end portion 40 of the base 30 of the trolley when the end portion 40 is engaged properly in the recess 28, to prevent the ladder unit 10 and the trolley from separating. To facilitate engagement of the latch member 50 in the slot 60, the latch member is formed with a cam surface 62. In order to release the latch member from the slot 60, a cable 64 leads from the latch member 50 via guides (not shown) to a lever or handle arrangement (not shown) mounted at a convenient location on the hand rails 18 of the ladder unit.

Although only one latch arrangement is shown, two such arrangements are provided one at each side of the recess 28.

The shaping of the ends of the ladder unit 10 and trolley 12 can be reversed with the recess provided in the end of the trolley and, if desired, both ends of the trolley can be shaped so that the ladder unit can be engaged at either end thereof.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A trolley for conveying articles, the trolley comprising a base and a plurality of ground engaging wheels on which the base is mounted, the wheels comprising a set mounted for rotation about a fixed horizontal axis at one end portion of the trolley and a wheel or wheels at the opposite end portion of the trolley which can swivel each about a respective vertical axis, the said one end portion of the base being shaped in plan view to have projecting and recessed portions to fit a complementarily shaped end portion of a mobile step ladder unit for use with the trolley, the set of wheels mounted for rotation about a fixed axis being mounted on said projecting portion(s) whereby said axis extends across said recessed portion(s) and said axis being sufficiently spaced from the base of the recessed portion(s) so that wheels of a similar diameter mounted on the projecting part(s) of a said step ledder unit will lie on the said axis when the said part(s) are engaged in the recessed portion(s) of the trolley.

2. A trolley according to claim 1 having side and end walls at least one of which is collapsible to allow axis to the interior of the trolley.

3. A trolley substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

4. A combination of a mobile step ladder unit according to any one of the claims of U.K. Patent Application No. 5577/78 (Serial No. 1,595,995) and a trolley according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (4)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. attached thereto, the end portions of the rods being slidably guided in slots 46 formed in the upright corner posts 32 which may be of square or circular sectioned tubular metal. The slots 46 may have recesses 48 into which the top rod can be dropped if it is only required to reduce the overall height of the wall by a fixed amount. (As an alternative, the top rod 44 may be hooked at each end so that the hooks can simply sit in the open tops of the corner posts, and brackets may be provided on the corner posts to hold the rod at fixed heights. In terms of manufacturing costs, this would be advantageous as it would unnecessary to form the slots in the corner posts). Reference is now made to Figures 5 and 6 which show, in detail, the inter-relationship of the ends of the trolley and the ladder unit. Figure 5 shows the closeness of the fit between the recess of the base of the ladder unit and the end portion of the trolley. The means for releasably securing the ladder unit and the trolley comprises a spring-loaded latch member 50 mounted on a vertical pivot 52 and having a tongue portion 54.The latch member 50 is mounted in the base of the ladder unit adjacent one side of the recess 28 in a position such that the tongue portion 54 can project under the influence of a tension spring 56 through a slot 58 in the side of the recess and engage an edge of a corresponding slot 60 formed in the side of the end portion 40 of the base 30 of the trolley when the end portion 40 is engaged properly in the recess 28, to prevent the ladder unit 10 and the trolley from separating. To facilitate engagement of the latch member 50 in the slot 60, the latch member is formed with a cam surface 62. In order to release the latch member from the slot 60, a cable 64 leads from the latch member 50 via guides (not shown) to a lever or handle arrangement (not shown) mounted at a convenient location on the hand rails 18 of the ladder unit. Although only one latch arrangement is shown, two such arrangements are provided one at each side of the recess 28. The shaping of the ends of the ladder unit 10 and trolley 12 can be reversed with the recess provided in the end of the trolley and, if desired, both ends of the trolley can be shaped so that the ladder unit can be engaged at either end thereof. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A trolley for conveying articles, the trolley comprising a base and a plurality of ground engaging wheels on which the base is mounted, the wheels comprising a set mounted for rotation about a fixed horizontal axis at one end portion of the trolley and a wheel or wheels at the opposite end portion of the trolley which can swivel each about a respective vertical axis, the said one end portion of the base being shaped in plan view to have projecting and recessed portions to fit a complementarily shaped end portion of a mobile step ladder unit for use with the trolley, the set of wheels mounted for rotation about a fixed axis being mounted on said projecting portion(s) whereby said axis extends across said recessed portion(s) and said axis being sufficiently spaced from the base of the recessed portion(s) so that wheels of a similar diameter mounted on the projecting part(s) of a said step ledder unit will lie on the said axis when the said part(s) are engaged in the recessed portion(s) of the trolley.

2. A trolley according to claim 1 having side and end walls at least one of which is collapsible to allow axis to the interior of the trolley.

3. A trolley substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

4. A combination of a mobile step ladder unit according to any one of the claims of U.K. Patent Application No. 5577/78 (Serial No. 1,595,995) and a trolley according to any one of claims 1 to 3.