GB2341146A

GB2341146A - A Wheelbarrow

Info

Publication number: GB2341146A
Application number: GB9819105A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Keith Mason
Original assignee: CHILLINGTON MANUFACTURING LIMI
Current assignee: CHILLINGTON MANUFACTURING LIMI
Priority date: 1998-09-03
Filing date: 1998-09-03
Publication date: 2000-03-08
Anticipated expiration: 2018-09-03
Also published as: GB9819105D0; GB2341146B

Abstract

A wheelbarrow 10 comprises a pan 12 and a chassis 14 to carry the pan 12 and to mount wheel 16. The chassis has two separate tubular elongate parts 18,20 each of which is shaped towards one end to provide a U-shaped leg to support the wheelbarrow and a handle for moving the wheelbarrow. The chassis parts 18,20 towards the other end are provided with means to mount the wheel 16. The ends 30 of the parts 18,20 extend beyond the wheel 16 to provide means to support the wheelbarrow when it is tipped. A U-shaped member (36, fig 3) can be provided to connect the two ends 30. The wheelbarrow may be provided as a kit of parts which can be assembled at the point of use.

Description

2341146

Title: A Wheelbarrow Description of Invention

The present invention relates to a wheelbarrow.

Conventionally a wheelbarrow comprises a pan, mounted on a chassis, and at least one wheel or ball, also mounted on the chassis. A large amount of space is required in order to transport the wheelbarrow from the manufacturer to the point of sale, as well as from the point of sale to the place of use. It is often the case that the luggage compartment of a car, for example, has an insufficient amount of space in which to transport the wheelbarrow. It is terefore desirable for the wheelbarrow to be assembled at the point of use in order that the amount of space required for transportation is reduced.

A wheelbarrow comprising a chassis having two or more separate chassis parts is known. One advantage of such a wheelbarrow is that before the wheelbarrow is assembled, the chassis parts can be arranged relative to one another such that less space for transportation is required.

However, it is also desirable for a wheelbarrow to have a tipping means comprising a chassis part in front of the wheel, to provide greater stability when the wheelbarrow is tipped.

Conventionally the chassis part which provides the tipping means is 0 provided by an integral chassis part and thus the chassis comprises a rigid, integral frame, which cannot be provided in other than an assembled condition. Thus conventionally, a tipping means has only been provided on heavy duty wheelarrows which are fully factory assembled.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wheelbarrow comprising a pan, and a chassis to carry the pan and to mount ground engaging means, the chassis comprising a first part and a second part, the first and second chassis pails being separate and each providing, towards a 0 2 first end, means for mounting the ground engaging means such that the ground engaging means is rotatable about an axis, the distance between the axis and the first ends of both of the first and second chassis parts being greater than the radius of the ground engaging means so that the first ends of the first and second chassis parts extend outwardly from the circumference of the ground engaging means and provide means on which to support the wheelbarrow when it is tipped.

Thus the present invention provides a wheelbarrow comprising both a chassis comprising separate parts, such that the wheelbarrow may be assembled at the point of use, and a tipping means.

Preferably the ground engaging means is a wheel. However, the ground engaging means may alternatively be of a generally spherical configuration.

In order that the force required to tip the wheelbarrow is not beyond the means of a person using the wheelbarrow, the first ends of both of the first and second chassis parts preferably only extend up to 10cm outwardly from the circumference of the ground engaging means. Preferably, the first ends of both of the first and second chassis parts only extend up to 5cm outwardly from the circumference of the ground engaging means.

c) 0 The first and second chassis parts may be provided by generally tubular elements, providing a strong, light chassis.

An end stop is preferably provided at the first end of each of the first and second chassis pails, to prevent or deter debris and the like from clogging up the insides of the chassis pails when the chassis parts are provided by tubular elements, and to obtain a better purchase with the ground when the wheelbarrow is tipped than that which othei-wise would be obtained by the first ends of the chassis parts.

Each of the end stops may comprise a cap, the cap having an open end, the first end of each chassis pail being received within the open end of the 3 respective cap, forming a push fit connection between the cap and the first end of the respective chassis pail.

Alternatively, for chassis parts provided by generally tubular elements, each of the end stops may comprise a retaining insert which is received within the first end of the respective chassis part to form a push fit connection.

The end stops are preferably made from a plastics material.

Alternatively, a tipping bar may be provided which is attached to, and extends between, the first end of each chassis part, and extends around the ground engaging means. This may provide additional rigidity to the chassis.

The first and second chassis pails may each provide, at a second end a handle such that the chassis may be supported by the ground engaging means towards one end and the handles at another end.

The wheelbarrow may further comprise support means which provide alternative support when the chassis is not supported by the handles, the support means being located between the handles and the ground engaging means.

The support means may be provided by the first and second chassis parts.

Additional chassis parts may be provided to increase the rigidity of the chassis.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a kit of parts comprising a pan, ground engaging means, a first chassis pail and a C 0 second chassis pail, and means to assemble the parts of the kit to provide a wheelbarrow such that when the parts of the kit are assembled the first and second chassis pails provide, towards a first end of each, means for mounting the ground engaging means for rotation about an axis, the distance between the axis and the first ends of both of the first and second chassis parts being greater than the radius of the grounds engaging means so that the first ends of the first and second chassis pails extend outwardly from the circumference of the 4 ground engaging means and provide means on which to support the wheelbarrow when it is tipped.

The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure I is an illustration of a wheelbarrow according to a first aspect of the present invention; Figure 2 is an illustration of some of the parts of the wheelbarrow of Figure 1, prior to the wheelbarrow of Figure I being assembled; and Figure 3 is an illustration of a second embodiment of the present invention.

Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown a wheelbarrow 10, comprising a pan 12, and a chassis 14 to carry the pan 12 and to mount a ground engaging means. 16. In the embodiment illustrated, the ground engaging means 16 is a wheel 16, although an alternative ground engaging means may be provided, e.g. of a generally spherical configuration.

The chassis 14 comprises a first part 18 and a second part 20, the first and second chassis parts 18, 20 being separate. The chassis parts 18, 20 provide, towards a first end 30 of each, mounting means 24 for mounting the wheel 16, such that the wheel 16 is rotatable about an axis A, which for the embodiment illustrated in Figure I passes generally through the centre of each C, of the mounting means 24.

C> For the embodiments illustrated, the mounting means 24 comprises a bracket 25 for supporting an axle 27. The axle 27 extends between the two brackets 25 of each of the chassis part 18, 20, and about which the wheel 16 can r6tate. Any suitable alternative for mounting the wheel 16 may be provided, for example two axles, may be provided, each axle being integral with the wheel 16, and rotatable within a bearing provided by the respective bracket 25.

The chassis parts 18, 20 further provide, at a second end 26 of each, handles 28, such that the wheelbarrow 10 may be supported by the wheel 16 towards the one end 21 and by the handles 28 at the other end 23, and manoeuvred.

The wheelbarrow 10 further comprises supports 22, which for the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1 are provided by, and integral with the chassis parts 18, 20, and are located between the handles 28 and the wheel mounting means 24. The supports 22 may alternatively be provided by additional chassis parts, which may be attached to the chassis parts 18, 20 or the pan 12. The supports 22 provide support for the wheelbarrow 10 on the ground when no, or insufficient, support is provided by the handles 28.

The distance between the axis A about which the wheel 16 rotates and the first end 30 of each of the chassis parts 18, 20 is greater than the radius of the wheel 16 so that the first ends 30 of the chassis parts 18, 20 extend outwardly from the circumference of the wheel 16. Thus when the wheelbarrow 10 is tipped sufficiently by raising the handles 28, the chassis 14 pivots about the wheel 16 until the first ends 30 of the chassis parts 18, 20 come into contact with, for example, the ground. When the wheelbarrow 10 is tipped further, the chassis 14 becomes supported at the one end 21 solely by the first ends -'30 of the chassis pails 18, 20, and the wheel 16 is raised off the ground. When the wheelbarrow is tipped so that the one end 21 is supported solely by the first ends '30 of the chassis parts 18, 20, the wheelbarrow is more stable than if no tipping means were provided.

The ends -330 of the chassis pails 18, 20 preferably only extend outwardly up to 5cm from the circumference of the wheel 16 to facilitate tipping. However, the ends 30 may extend up to 10cm from the circumference of the wheel 16 if required. Furthermore, the ends 30 illustrated in the drawings are generally straight. However ends comprising a bend, or which are curved, may alternatively be provided.

6 The chassis parts 18, 20 are preferably provided by generally tubular elements, providing a strong, light chassis.

The first ends 30 of the chassis parts 18,20 are each provided with an end stop 32. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, each end stop 32 comprises a cap 32, the cap 32 having an open end. The first end 30 of each chassis part 18, 20 is received within the respective cap 32 through the open end, forming a push fit connection between the cap 32 and the first end 30 of the respective chassis part 18, 20.

Alternative end stops 32 may be provided comprising a retaining insert which is received within the first end 30 of the respective chassis part 18, 20, forming a push fit connection.

For generally tubular chassis parts 18, 20, the end stops 32 prevent debris, e.g. mud etc., from clogging up the first ends 30 of the chassis parts 18,20. Furthermore, the end stops may be made from a plastics material, providing greater friction between the ends 30 of the chassis parts 18,20 and the ground, when the wheelbarrow is tipped, than, for example, a metallic material from which the chassis pails 18, 20 may be made.

Figure 1 shows the chassis 14 further comprising an additional chassis part in the form of a cross-support 34, which may be provided to increase the rigidity of the chassis 14.

Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown the chassis parts 18,20 and the wheel 16 prior to assembly. It can be seen that by virtue of the chassis parts 18, 20 being separate, they can be positioned side by side, as illustrated, reducing the amount of space required for transportation. For the embodiment illustrated, the supports 22 may be used to provide a location for the wheel 16 to be transported without requiring a large amount of additional space.

0 Referring now to Figure 3, there is shown a second embodiment of the present invention. Instead of end stops 332 being provided at the ends 30 of the chassis pails 18, 20, a tipping bar 36 may altematively be provided, which can 7 be attached to, and extend between the ends 30 of the chassis parts 18, 20 around the wheel 16.

Although the chassis parts 18, 20 illustrated in the drawings each comprise a single elongate member, they may alternatively comprise a plurality of separate members which may be connected together at the point of use to assemble the wheelbarrow.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

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Claims

1. A wheelbarrow comprising a pan, and a chassis to carry the pan and to mount'ground engaging means, the chassis comprising a first part and a second part, the first and second chassis parts being separate and each providing, towards a first end, means for mounting the ground engaging means such that the ground engaging means is rotatable about an axis, the distance between the axis and the first ends of both of the first and second chassis pails being greater than the radius of the ground engaging means so that the first ends of the first and second chassis parts extend outwardly from the circumference of the ground engaging means and provide means on which to support the wheelbarrow when it is tipped.

2. A wheelbarrow according to claim 1 wherein the ground engaging means is a wheel.

3. A wheelbarrow according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the first ends of both of the first and second chassis parts extend up to 5cm outwardly from the circumference of the ground engaging means.

Z

4. A wheelbarrow according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the first ends of both of the first and second chassis pails extend up to 10cm outwardly from the circumference of the ground engaging means.

5. A wheelbarrow according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the first and second chassis parts are provided by generally tubular elements.

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6. A wheelbarrow according to any one of the preceding claims wherein an end stop is provided at the first end of each of the first and second chassis parts.

7. A wheelbarrow according to claim 6 wherein each of the end stops comprises a cap, the cap having an open end, the first end of each chassis part being received within the open end of the respective cap, forming a push fit connection between the cap and the first end of the respective chassis part

8. A wheelbarrow according to claim 6 or claim 7 wherein the end stops are made from a plastics material.

9. A wheelbarrow according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein a tipping bar is provided which is attached to, and extends between, the first end of each chassis part, and extends around the ground engaging means.

10. A wheelbarrow according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the first and second chassis parts each provide, at a second end, a handle such that the chassis may be supported by the ground engaging means and the handles.

11. A wheelbarrow according to claim 10 wherein the wheelbarrow further comprises support means which provide alternative support when the chassis is not supported by the handles, the support means being located between the handles and the ground engaging means.

12. A wheelbarrow according to claim 11 wherein the support means are provided by the first and second chassis parts.

13. "A wheelbarrow according to any one of the preceding claims wherein at least one additional chassis part is provided to increase the rigidity of the chassis.

14. A wheelbarrow substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

15. A kit of parts comprising a pan, ground engaging means, a first chassis part and a second chassis part, and means to assemble the parts of the kit to provide a wheelbarrow such that when the parts of the kit are assembled the first and second chassis pails provide, towards a first end of each, means for mounting the ground engaging means for rotation about an axis, the distance between the axis and the first ends of both of the first and second chassis parts being greater than the radius of the ground engaging means so that the first ends of the first and second chassis parts extend outwardly from the circumference of the ground engaging means and provide means on which to support the wheelbarrow when it is tipped.

16. A kit of parts as substantially hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

17. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.