GB2101050A

GB2101050A - Wheelbarrow

Info

Publication number: GB2101050A
Application number: GB08215370A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andre Kleindienst
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1981-05-26
Filing date: 1982-05-26
Publication date: 1983-01-12
Also published as: DE3219776A1; IT8221995V0; IT1151251B; FR2506708A1; IT8221497A0; FR2506708B3; MC1471A1

Abstract

In order to facilitate disassembly and conversion to different load carrying formations, a wheelbarrow has components joined together by fork joints with key locking, i.e. a first component fits into a jaw in a second components, the jaw being closable by a key extending outside the first component. Thus the wheel axle C can be connected to the frame F in this way and cross frame members H to longitudinal frame members. A pair of wheels B are located on an axle by sleeves on either side of and between the wheels. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Wheelbarrow The invention relates to a hand-driven device designed for conveying a variety of loads over short distances. The wheelbarrow and is derivatives which have been improved to varying degrees are always designed for a single type of materials or loads to be conveyed. This includes the conventional wheelbarrow provided with a tank shaped as a truncated pyramid enabling the transport of all solid materials on a building site. A current version of this comprises a metal tank for the transport of pasty materials such as concrete or cement or granular materials such as sand and gravel. In order to enable deliveries over several metres, very compact two-wheeled devices have been designed enabling a single man to load cases, boxes or even sacks.

Railway stations are provided with twowheeled trolleys provided with a support and an open work back rest enabling baggage to be loaded thereon. It can be seen from these simple examples that a firm must possess a considerable fleet of small conveyor devices if it is to successfully deal with its various activities.

An adaptable device has therefore been designed to remedy the drawback of specialisation whilst enabling an almost instantaneous adaptation of the device to varying needs without requiring a qualified and specialised workforce. In accordance with the invention, the device must comprise at least one support wheel mounted on a fixed axle and maintained at its centre by two tubular sleeves. If two wheels are used, they are both separated from the ends of the axle by two short identical sleeves, whilst a longer central sleeve separates the wheels. It is also possible to envisage varying the spacing of the handle elements whatever their curvature. These handles are each provided at their ends with a U-shaped fork joint welded to the end of the tube at the back and drilled on both arms in order to receive a pin designed to immobilise the axle.The handles may be straight or in the shape of an elbow or a counter-elbow according to whether the requirement is for a tank, a plate or even a perforated frame in accordance with the transport envisaged. Feet may possibly be welded to the handles in order to facilitate the gripping of the handles.

In the same way, the U-shaped fork-joints are disposed and welded such that they may house the lugs or crossbars of tanks or other plates themselves provided with bosses or feet at their lower portions. The wheels of the device generally have flexible and resilient tyres which are flat or slightly rounded.

The attached drawing shows by way of example an embodiment of the device of the invention.

Figure 1 shows two wheels one (A) having a flat tyre, the other (B) having a slightly rounded tyre.

Figure 2 shows the axle (C) drilled at its ends. Three sleeves, i.e. a central sleeve (E) and two end sleeves (D) are disposed on the axis and ensure a suitable spacing of the wheels and the handles (F) shown partly in Fig. 3.

Figure 4 shows in more detail the penetration of the axle (C) into the fork-joint at the end of one handle (F) seen from the side.

Figure 5 is a side view of a device on which a tank is disposed and supported by bars or tubes (H) engaged in the fork-joints (I). This tank comprises bosses or feet at its lower portion.

Figure 6 is an end view of the tank of Fig.

5 showing that the support elements (H) are connected by flat iron elements (J) maintaining the handles.

Figure 7 is a top view of the same tank.

Figure 8 is a side view of the tank resting on the ground by means of its bosses.

Figure 9 is a side view of a pallet (K).

Figure 10 shows a plate (L) of wood or metal, which is solid or perforated, provided with a front rest (M) and a back rest (N) constituted in the same way as the plate (L).

Four feet (P) may facilitate picking up of the plate when it is resting on the ground.

The invention may be used in all cases in which a firm must undertake short distance transport of materials or articles whose diversity requires the setting up of a considerable fleet of different transport devices which are pushed or towed by the operator. Building firms will benefit from the use of the polymorphic device in a particularly advantageous manner.

1. Hand-driven polymorphic device for conveying all types of load over short distances, characterised in that in order to adapt it to very varying requirements, all its components are assembled by fork-joints with key locking in the operating position.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that it may be used with one or two wheels maintained in all cases in position by tubular crossbars.

3. A device as claimed in claims 1 and 2, characterised in that it comprises two handles each having at one end a fork-joint with a perforation for a key designed to lock the axle.

4. A device as claimed in claims 1, 2 and 3, characterised in that the handles may be straight or elbow-shaped according to various requirements.

5. A device as claimed in claims 1, 2, 3 and 4, characterised in that the loads to be conveyed are disposed, according to type, on or in suitable interchangeable components such as metal tanks, loading pallets, solid or

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

Claims

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

SPECIFICATION Wheelbarrow The invention relates to a hand-driven device designed for conveying a variety of loads over short distances. The wheelbarrow and is derivatives which have been improved to varying degrees are always designed for a single type of materials or loads to be conveyed. This includes the conventional wheelbarrow provided with a tank shaped as a truncated pyramid enabling the transport of all solid materials on a building site. A current version of this comprises a metal tank for the transport of pasty materials such as concrete or cement or granular materials such as sand and gravel. In order to enable deliveries over several metres, very compact two-wheeled devices have been designed enabling a single man to load cases, boxes or even sacks.

Railway stations are provided with twowheeled trolleys provided with a support and an open work back rest enabling baggage to be loaded thereon. It can be seen from these simple examples that a firm must possess a considerable fleet of small conveyor devices if it is to successfully deal with its various activities.

An adaptable device has therefore been designed to remedy the drawback of specialisation whilst enabling an almost instantaneous adaptation of the device to varying needs without requiring a qualified and specialised workforce. In accordance with the invention, the device must comprise at least one support wheel mounted on a fixed axle and maintained at its centre by two tubular sleeves. If two wheels are used, they are both separated from the ends of the axle by two short identical sleeves, whilst a longer central sleeve separates the wheels. It is also possible to envisage varying the spacing of the handle elements whatever their curvature. These handles are each provided at their ends with a U-shaped fork joint welded to the end of the tube at the back and drilled on both arms in order to receive a pin designed to immobilise the axle.The handles may be straight or in the shape of an elbow or a counter-elbow according to whether the requirement is for a tank, a plate or even a perforated frame in accordance with the transport envisaged. Feet may possibly be welded to the handles in order to facilitate the gripping of the handles.

In the same way, the U-shaped fork-joints are disposed and welded such that they may house the lugs or crossbars of tanks or other plates themselves provided with bosses or feet at their lower portions. The wheels of the device generally have flexible and resilient tyres which are flat or slightly rounded.

The attached drawing shows by way of example an embodiment of the device of the invention.

Figure 1 shows two wheels one (A) having a flat tyre, the other (B) having a slightly rounded tyre.

Figure
2 shows the axle (C) drilled at its ends. Three sleeves, i.e. a central sleeve (E) and two end sleeves (D) are disposed on the axis and ensure a suitable spacing of the wheels and the handles (F) shown partly in Fig.
3.

Figure
4 shows in more detail the penetration of the axle (C) into the fork-joint at the end of one handle (F) seen from the side.

Figure 5 is a side view of a device on which a tank is disposed and supported by bars or tubes (H) engaged in the fork-joints (I). This tank comprises bosses or feet at its lower portion.

Figure 6 is an end view of the tank of Fig.
5. A device as claimed in claims 1, 2, 3 and 4, characterised in that the loads to be conveyed are disposed, according to type, on or in suitable interchangeable components such as metal tanks, loading pallets, solid or perforated piates with or without back rests or any other design suited to the requirements of the firm.

5 showing that the support elements (H) are connected by flat iron elements (J) maintaining the handles.

Figure 7 is a top view of the same tank.

Figure 8 is a side view of the tank resting on the ground by means of its bosses.

Figure 9 is a side view of a pallet (K).

Figure 10 shows a plate (L) of wood or metal, which is solid or perforated, provided with a front rest (M) and a back rest (N) constituted in the same way as the plate (L).

Four feet (P) may facilitate picking up of the plate when it is resting on the ground.

The invention may be used in all cases in which a firm must undertake short distance transport of materials or articles whose diversity requires the setting up of a considerable fleet of different transport devices which are pushed or towed by the operator. Building firms will benefit from the use of the polymorphic device in a particularly advantageous manner.

1. Hand-driven polymorphic device for conveying all types of load over short distances, characterised in that in order to adapt it to very varying requirements, all its components are assembled by fork-joints with key locking in the operating position.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that it may be used with one or two wheels maintained in all cases in position by tubular crossbars.

3. A device as claimed in claims 1 and 2, characterised in that it comprises two handles each having at one end a fork-joint with a perforation for a key designed to lock the axle.

4. A device as claimed in claims 1, 2 and 3, characterised in that the handles may be straight or elbow-shaped according to various requirements.