GB2136363A

GB2136363A - Trolley

Info

Publication number: GB2136363A
Application number: GB08307305A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony Nayler
Original assignee: PETROLEUM EQUIPMENT TRADING CO
Current assignee: PETROLEUM EQUIPMENT TRADING CO
Priority date: 1983-03-16
Filing date: 1983-03-16
Publication date: 1984-09-19
Also published as: GB8307305D0; GB2136363B

Abstract

A two-wheeled trolley has a handle (18) at one end and a pair of hangers (21, 22) at an opposite end. The trolley is used to raise a manhole cover when the hangers have been engaged with the underside of an upper wall of the cover. The spacing between the hangers may be adjustable. Each hanger may include a spring biased element to grip the manhole cover. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Trolley The present invention relates to a method of lifting a manhole cover and to a trolley for use in the method. The invention has been devised primarily for lifting manhole covers associated with an underground fuel-storage tanks.

At stations where fuel is supplied for motor road vehicles, the fuel is normally stored in underground tanks having inlets which are accessible under manholes in the ground. It is essential that these manholes be covered by covers which are sufficiently strong to avoid the risk of damage being caused to a cover by the weight of a vehicle driven over or parked on the cover. On each occasion when fuel is to be delivered to the associated tank or tanks, the manhole cover must be removed and subsequently replaced. To facilitate this, there is normally provided in an upper surface of the manhole cover a pair of apertures which form the entrances to undercut sockets into which suitable tools can be introduced and engaged with the cover for lifting the cover.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a trolley comprising a body and a pair of axially spaced wheels which are mounted on the body to support the body in use, wherein there are provided on the body a handle spaced from the wheels in a first radial direction and a pair of hangers spaced from the wheels in a second radial direction and spaced from each other in a third direction perpendicular to the second direction.

The hangers are adapted to engage with a manhole cover in the sockets thereof to enable the cover to be lifted by the trolley when a user rocks the body about the wheels. By a radial direction we mean a radial direction with respect to the wheels.

There is also provided in accordance with the invention a method of lifting a manhole cover wherein a trolley according to the first aspect of the invention is wheeled into a position in which the hangers are above the cover and the wheels rest on the ground beside the cover, the hangers are passed through apertures of the cover and engaged with the cover, the handle is depressed to raise the cover and the trolley, with the cover supported thereon is wheeled away from the manhole.

An example of a trolley embodying the first aspect of the invention and which is used in a method according to the second aspect of the invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIGURE 1 shows a perspective view of the trolley and, FIGURE 2 shows a hanger of the trolley isolated from other components of the trolley.

The trolley comprises a body 10 and a pair of axially spaced wheels, 11 and 12, which are mounted on the body for rotation relative thereto about a common axis 1 3. Alternatively, the wheels 11 and 1 2 may have respective axes which are mutually inclined at a small angle and which lie in the same approximately vertical plane.

The body comprises a lower part 14 and an upper part 1 5 connected together by a joint structure 1 6. The upper body part 1 5 is elongated and on an upper end thereof there is secured a handle 1 8. The joint structure 1 6 provides for movement of the upper body part and handle relative to the wheels and lower body part so that the distance between the handle 1 8 and the wheels can be varied. Preferably, the joint structure provides for pivoting of the upper body part relative to the lower body part about an axis parallel to the axis 13. Alternatively, the joint structure may permit the upper body part to be detached from the lower body part.Releasable retaining means (not shown) is preferably provided for retaining the body parts in the relative position illustrated in Figure 1. Such retaining means may comprise a sleeve which can slide along the upper body part 1 5 to overlap partly with the lower body part.

The lower body part comprises an axle 1 7 which extends between the wheels 11 and 1 2 and which is provided, adjacent to its ends, with suitable bearings for mounting the wheels. The body further comprises an elongate spine 1 9 which extends from the joint structure 1 6 across the axle 17, to which it is rigidly secured. On an end portion of the spine remote from the joint structure, there is rigidly mounted a cross-member which is elongated and is parallel to the axle 1 7.

That portion of the spine 1 9 which extends between the axle and the cross-member is rectilinear, the axle is secured beneath the spine and the cross-member is secured on top of the spine.

On the cross-member 20, there are provided two hangers 21 and 22. The hangers are slidable along the cross-member 20 and are each trapped between the spine 1 9 and a respective end cap 23 on the cross-member. Thus, the hangers are invariably spaced apart in a direction along the axis 13.

The hangers 21 and 22 are freely slidable along the cross-member 20 and are therefore adjustable relative to the body 10 and relative to each other in the axial direction. In the example of trolley illustrated, no means is provided for restraining movement of the hangers along the cross-member between the end caps and the spine. However, such restraining means could be provided if it is required to retain the hangers in positions to which they have been adjusted.

The hanger 22 is illustrated in Figure 2. The hanger comprises an elongated stem 24 mounted in a carrier 25. The carrier comprises a hollow housing 26, through which the stem extends, and a sleeve 27 rigidly secured to the housing and arranged with its length perpendicular to that of the stem 24. The stem is slidable and rotatable in the housing 26. The sleeve 27 is cylindrical and is a free sliding fit on the cross-member 20, which has a circular transverse cross-section.

At an upper end of the stem 24, there is rigidly secured a transverse handle 28. At a lower end of the stem, there is rigidly secured a support element 29. The support element is elongated and rectilinear, although somewhat shorter than the handle 28, and is arranged with its length parallel to that of the handle 28. There is provided on the stem 24 between the support element 29 and the housing 26 a gripping element 30 of annular form which is freely slidable on the stem. Biasing means in the form of a coiled compression spring 31 is interposed between the gripping element and the housing 26. The spring urges the gripping element away from the housing 26 towards the support element 29.Movement of the support element and the stem under the action of the spring 31 is limited by an abutment 32 which is secured on the stem 24 between the housing 26 and the handle 28 to engage an upper end of the housing. The stem can undergo limited longitudinal movement relative to the carrier 25.

The hanger 21 is identical with the hanger 22 and includes a respective stem 33, carrier 34 and support element 35.

When the trolley is to be used for lifting a manhole cover, the trolley is wheeled into a position in which the wheels 11 and 1 2 rest on the ground beside the cover and the hangers 21 and 22 lie over the cover, adjacent to respective apertures in an upper wall of the cover. The centre of gravity of the trolley lies between the axis 1 3 and the cross-member 20 so that the trolley will rest on its wheels and on the hangers. The user then grasps the handle 28 of one of the hangers and inserts the support element 29 through one of the apertures in the cover by pushing the handle towards the carrier 25. The user next turns the stem 24 in its housing 26 so that the support element 29 can engage the underside of the upper wall of the cover. The support element 35 of the other hanger 21 is engaged in a similar manner with the cover at the other aperture.

When the support element 29 is inserted through the aperture of the cover by pushing the handle 28 towards the carrier 25, the clamping element 30 is brought to rest on the upwardly facing surface of the cover. The spring 31 is then compressed by continual depression of the handle 28. When the handle 28 is rotated and released, the spring urges the housing 26, stem 24, and support element 29 upwardly relative to the cover so that the support element is moved into firm engagement with the underside of the upper wall of the cover. Friction between this wall and the support element prevents the support element turning inadvertently to become released from the cover.

When both hangers have been engaged with the underside of the upper wall of the cover, the user depresses the handle 1 8 so that the trolley rocks about the axis 1 3 and the hangers 21 and 22 are raised. In this way, the manhole cover is raised from the manhole and can be wheeled away from the manhole.

The foregoing procedure is reversed to replace the manhole cover on the manhole.

It will be noted that the handle 1 8 is spaced from the wheels, particularly from the axis 13, in a first direction and that the hangers 21 are spaced from the wheels in a second direction, both of these directions being radial directions with respect to the wheels. The angle included between the first and second directions is greater than 90 . Thus, when the hangers are spaced horizontally forwardly from the wheels, the handle 1 8 is spaced rearwardly and upwardly from the wheels. The length of the upper body part 15 and the angle of inclination of that upper body part relative to the rectilinear portion of the spine 1 9 are selected to provide a sufficient moment arm about the axis 13 to enable a user to raise a manhole cover suspended by the hangers 21 and 22 without difficulty.

Movement apart of the hangers 21 and 22 is so limited by the end caps 23 that the separation between the hangers is invariably less than the separation between wheels 11 and 1 2.

Claims

1. A trolley comprising a body and a pair of axially spaced wheels which are mounted on the body to support the body in use, wherein there are provided on the body a handle spaced from the wheels in a first radial direction and a pair of hangers spaced from the wheels in a second radial direction and spaced from each other in a third direction perpendicular to the second direction.

2. A trolley according to Claim 1 wherein the angle included between the first and second directions is greater than 90 .

3. A trolley according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the hangers are adjustable relative to the body in the third direction.

4. A trolley according to any preceding claim wherein each hangar has, for engaging a manhole cover, a support element and biasing means for urging the support element into gripping engagement with the cover.

5. A trolley according to Claim 4 wherein there is associated with each support element a respective gripping element and wherein the biasing means acts effectively on the support element and the gripping element to urge these elements towards each other.

6. A trolley according to Claim 4 or Claim 5 wherein each hangar has an elongated stem and the support element of the hangar is elongated and is transverse to the length of the stem.

7. A trolley according to any one of claims 4, 5 and 6 wherein each hanger has a respective handle at an end of the stem remote from the support element.

8. A trolley according to Claim 6 wherein the stem is movable longitudinally in a carrier mounted on the body.

9. A method of lifting a manhole cover wherein a trolley according to any preceding claim is wheeled into a position in which the hangers are above the cover and the wheels rest on the ground beside the cover, the hangers are passed through apertures of the cover and engaged with the cover, the handle is depressed to raise the cover and the trolley, with the cover supported thereon, is wheeled away.

10. A trolley substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

11. Any novel feature or novel combination of features disclosed herein or in the accompanying drawings.