GB2350351A

GB2350351A - Wheelbarrows and container combination

Info

Publication number: GB2350351A
Application number: GB9912388A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Keith Mason
Original assignee: P&G Industries PLC
Current assignee: P&G Industries PLC
Priority date: 1999-05-28
Filing date: 1999-05-28
Publication date: 2000-11-29
Anticipated expiration: 2019-05-28
Also published as: GB9912388D0; GB2350351B

Abstract

A combination of a plurality of wheelbarrows (10) and a container is adapted to be loaded onto a vehicle whilst containing the wheelbarrows during transport. The wheelbarrows (10) each include a frame means (11) mounting a ground engageable transport meant (15) and an open topped load carrying member (16), and the container includes a base (21) which extends generally horizontally in use and at least one wall extending upwardly from the base (21), the wall together with the base (21), providing a load-carrying space (36) for the wheelbarrows (10). The frame means (11), transport means and the load carrying member (16) of each wheelbarrow (10) are assembled for use, and the wheelbarrows (10) are supported on the base (21) and by the upwardly extending wall stacked in rows and columns.

Description

2350351

Title: Wheelbarrows and Container Combination Description of Invention

This invention relates to a combination of a plurality of wheelbarrows and a container.

It is known to transport a plurality of wheelbarrows from the factory to retail site for sale for example, on a pallet, in knocked-down form. The wheelbarrows are purchased in knocked-down form and are assembled e.g. at home. In this way the load carrying capacity of the pallet may be maximised.

However it is desirable also for wheelban-ows to be supplied fully assembled for use. In such a pondition, hithertofore because of their innate awkwardness, such wheelbarrows have been transported individually, which has involved a substantial amount of individual handling, Particularly, wheelbarrows have required the following individual handling steps.

First, when the wheelbarrow is constructed in the factory, it needs to be moved to a stock location.

Second, to transport the wheelbarrow it is necessary to move the wheelbarrow from the stock location onto a transport vehicle.

Third, once the transport vehicle has reached its destination, the wheelbarrow needs to be inoved from the transpoil vehicle to a retail stock location, and finally from the retail stock location to a display location.

It will be appreciated that in order to store assembled wheelbarrows in the factory, at the retail location oi. on display, or to load a plurality of wheelbarrows onto a transport vehicle, some stacking of the wheelbarrows is C> 2 inevitably required. Again because of the innate awkwardness of wheelbarrows, such stacks are inherently unsafe. Also, the frequent stacking of and unstacking of wheelbarrows during the handling stage described above, can lead to damage.

Moreover, assembled wheelbarrows require displaying at a retail site, which, because they are in an assembled condition requires a large floor space which is at a premium in for example, warehouse type display sites.

According to one aspect of the invention we provide in combination a plurality of wheelbarrows and a container adapted to be loaded onto a vehicle whilst containing the wheelbarrows during transport. the wheelbarrows each including frame means mounting a ground engageable transport means and an open topped load carrying member, and the container including a base which extends generally horizontally in use and on which the wheelbarrows are supported, and at least one wall extending upwardly from the base, the wall, together with the base, providing a load-carrying space for the wheelbarrows, and the frame means, transport means and the load carrying member of each wheelbarrow being assembled for use and the wheelbarrows being supported on the base and by the upwardly extending wall.

Thus utilising the invention a plurality of assembled wheelbarrows may efficiently be transported in the load carrying space.

Moreover, only one individual wheelbarrow handing step is required namely to move the wheelbarrow fi-0111 the point of construction in the factory to the container and thereafter a plurality of assembled wheelbarrows are handled safely and efficiently as one, for example using a forklift truck or other container handling means.

Because the wheelbarrows are contained within the container, even though stacked, the wheelbarrows may safely be contained within the load handling space, and because individual wheelbarrow handling is virtually eliminated, the wheelbarrows are less prone to transit damage.

3 Preferably the wheelbarrows are arranged on the base in a plurality of rows and columns, there being a first layer on or adjacent the base and a plurality of additional layers the wheelbarrows of each layer being stacked on the wheelbarrows of the layer beneath.

At the retail site, the stack of wheelbalTOWS safely contained in the load carrying space of the container may be displayed thus making much better use of the floor area available at the retail display site.

Typically the frame means of each of the wheelbarrows includes a handle means extending generally axially of the wheelbarrow at one end of thereof remote from the transport means, and the wheelbarrows may thus be arranged in the container with their handle means extending transversely e.g. downwardly relative to the base of the container. Moreover where the load carrying members of each of the wheelbarrows includes an upper periphery which lies in a plane which is substantially horizontal when the wheelbarrow is at rest on the ground, the peripheries of the wheelbarrows in the container may each extend transversely to the base and sides of the container.

Particularly where the handles extend downwardly there may be provided one or more wheelbalTOWS WhICII provide a second set of wheelbarrows, the wheelbarrow or wheelbarrOWS of the second set being supported on the base of the container generally below the first layer of the first set of wheelbarrows e.g. interleaved with the handles of the first layer of wheelbarrows- The or each wheelbarrow of the second set may be orientated in an inverted condition with the frame means upperniost and the load carrying member lowermost and preferably supported directly oil the base of the container.

The container may include a pair of container sides with the upstanding wall between the container sides. The base may be generally rectangular and a 0 fourth side of the container opposite to the upstanding wall, may have a closure 4 part which extends between the container sides and may be movable or removable to enable the wheelbarrows to be displayed in the container for sale at a retail site.

The container sides walls may be provided by frame members of a fi-ame means which extends upwardly from the base.

The two sides may include an infill means, such as a wire mesh, to assist in containing the wheelbarrows in the load carrying space.

The container may have an open top.

To facilitate lifting the container e.g. with a fork lift truck or like lifting means which lifts the container fi-orn below, the base may include spacer means extending therefrom away fi-om the load carrying space to space the base from a surface on which the container is placed.

In one example, to meet maximum height requirements, and for a generally standard pallet-sized base, the combination may include at least twenty two wheelbarrows arranged in an array of three columns by two rows, four of the columns of the array having four wheelbarrows, and the remaining two columns having three wheelbarrows whereby there are three layers of six wheelbarrows and one layer of four wheelbarrows.

Where there is a second set of wheelbarrows, the second set of wheelbarrows may have two wheelbarrows whereby the combination includes a total of twenty four wheelbarrows.

According to a second aspect of the invention we provide a method of transporting a plurality of wheelbarrows including the steps of placing the wheelbarrows in a container to provide a combination according to the first aspect of the invention, and transporting the container Nvith the wheelbarrows contained therein.

The method may include moving or removing a part or parts of the container e.g. side walls thereof where provided, and displaying the wheelbarrows for sale at a retail site in the container.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- FIGURES la, lb, lc and ld are respectively illustrative view of one end, one side, the other end and the base of a. container of a combination in accordance with the invention; FIGURE 2 is a side view of the combination with a side of the container thereof removed for clarity; FIGURE 3) is an end view of the combination of figure 2 with frame members omitted for clarity.

Referring to the drawings a combination includes a plurality of wheelbarrows 10 which are given specific designations below. The wheelbarrows 10 are all identical in this example but could differ, but each includes a frame means 11 including a pair of generally longitudinally extending handles 12, a ground support means 13) which when the wheelbarrow is at rest on the ground, supports the wheelbarrow 10 on the ground, and a mounting 14 for a ground engaging transport means being in this example a single wheel 15. The ftame means 11 further provides a mounting for a load carrying member 16 being in this example a generally open topped body and having in this example an, in use, upper periphery 17 which when the wheelbarrow is at rest on the ground, extends generally horizontally.

The invention may of course be applied to wheelbarrows of alternative configurations to that described.

The combination further includes a container 20 which has, in this example, a generally rectangular base 21, and four container sides 22, 23, 24, 25 defined by a frame means 26 which extends upwardly from the base 21. The two lonaer sides 22, 24 will liereinafter be described as "sides" and the two r-> shorter sides 23), 25 as "ends".

Overall, the base 21 is of generally standard pallet size and is adapted for lifting by a fork lift truck or sinillar, by spacers 28 which extend 0 6 downwardly from the base 21 and space the base 21 fi.om a surface on which it is placed Typically the base 21 is made of timber but may be made of other material provided the base 21 has sufficient strength to support the plurality of whefflarrows 10 as described below.

The frame 26 has an upright frarne member 330 at each comer of the base 2 1, and further frame members 3) 1 extending transversely to the uprights 30.

3 1 are closed by an infill 33 The sides 22, 24 defined by frame means) which may be timber or the like but preferably is wire mesh, and the frame 26 3 provides a cross strut 34 for each side 22,24 to support the infill The end 23 defined by the uprights 31 includes upright wall members 35 supported by transverse frame members -3) 1. At the other end 25, transverse frame closure members 3 l a are adapted to be removable or as seen in the drawings are hingeable to a lowered position alongside uprights -35 1, so as not the obstruct the end 25 when desired. In transport, the transverse frame closure members '--',la of the end 25 would extend across the end 25 between the sides 22,24 and be retained in position e.g. by hooks. At a retail site the transverse frame closure members J3) la may be removed/moved to enable the container 20 to be used to display the wheelbarrows 10 in a load carrying space 36 provided between the sides 22, 24 and ends 233, 25 and the base 2 1.

Within the space 36 twenty four in this example wheelbarrOWS 10 are arranged as follows.

A first set of wheelbarrows is arranged in an array of three columns 40a, 40b,40cbyhvoi-ows41a,41b. The wheelbarrows of column 40a lie against the upright members 335. A first layer 42 of wheelbarrows 10 which are at or adjacent the base 21 of the container 20 thus includes six wheelbarrows 42a to 42f. A second layer 43) of six wheelbarrows 10 is stacked on and supported by the wheelbarrows 42a to 42f of the first layer 42 and are designated 43a to 4'-')f, and so on for the next layer 44. However the final layer 45 on top of layer 44 7 has only four wheel barrows 45a to 45f. This is so because the wheelbarrows 10 of each layer 42-45 are nested in such manner that to have a further two wheelbarrows in the uppermost layer 45 would require the overall height of the wheelbarrows 10 in the combination to exceed a maximum height.

However a second set of two more wlicelbarrows 10a, 10b is provided, the wheelbarrows 10a, 10b of the second set being arranged in an inverted condition i.e. with the frame means 11 uppermost and the load carrying member 16 lowermost, and with the wheelbarrows 10a, 10b of the second set interleaved with the downwardly extending handles 12 of the wheelbarrows 42a to 42f of the first layer 42.

It can be seen that the wheelbarrows 10 of the first set are orientated with their handles 12 extending generally downwardly in the load carrying space 36, and with the upper peripheries 17 of their load carrying members 16 extending transversely to the base 21 and sides 22, 24 and ends 23, 25.

Various modifications in addition to those already mentioned may be made without departing form the scope of the invention.

For example the sides and ends 22-25 of the container 20 need not be of the configuration as described, and the container 20 need riot have an open top 50 as indicated in the drawings. The base 21 need not be rectanplar but could t> be square o-i. of any other desired polygonal or other shape provided that at least one upright wall with the base 21, defines a load carrying space '36 for the wheelbarrows 10.

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 perforining, the disclosed finiction, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, inay, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

8 CLAIMS

In combination a plurality of wheelbarrows and a container adapted to be loaded onto a vehicle whilst containing the wheelbarrows during transport, the wheelbarrows each including frarne means mounting a ground engageable transport means and an open topped load carrying member, and the container including a base which extends generally horizontally in use and on which the wheelbarrows are supported, and at least one wall extending upwardly from the base the wall together with the base providing a load-carrying space for the wheelbarrows, and the frame means, transport means and the load carrying member of each wheelbarrow being assembled for use and the wheelbarrows being supported on the base and by the upwardly extending wall.
2. A combination according to claim 1 characterised in that the wheelbarrows are arranged on the base in a plurality of rows and columns, there being a first layer on or adjacent the base and a plurality of additional layers the wheelbarrows of eacli layer being stacked on the wheelbarrows of the layer beneath.
A combnation accordino. to claim 1 or cla'iii 2 characterised in that the frame means of each of the wheelbarrows includes a handle means extending generally axially of the wheelbarrow at one end of thereof remote from the transport means, and the wheelbarrows are arranged in the container with their handle means extending transversely relative to the base of the container.
4. A combination according, to claim 3) cliaracterised in that the handle means of each of the wheelbarrows extend generally downwardly towards the base of the container.

9
5. A combination according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the load carrying members of each of the wheelbarrows includes an upper periphery which lies iii a plane which is substantially horizontal when the wheelbarrow is at rest on the ground, the peripheries of the wheelbarrows in the container each extending transversely to the base and sides of the container.
6. A combination according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the combination includes a one or more wheelbarrows which provide a second of wheelbalTOWS, the wheelbarrow or wheelbarrows of the second set being supported on the base of the container generally below the first layer of the first set of wheelbarrows.
7. A combination according to claim 6 characterised in that the or each wheelbarrow of the second set is orientated in ari inverted condition with the frame means uppermost and the load carryli-lg member lowermost and preferably supported directly on the base of the container.
8. A combination according to any oiie of the preceding claims characterised in that the container further nicludes a pail. of container sides with the upstanding side wall between the two cowainer sides.
9. A combination according to claim 8 characterised in that the base is generally rectangular and a fourth side of the container, opposite to the upstanding wall, has a closure part which extends betv,,een the container sides 0 and is movable or removable to enable the wlieelbaii.c)-,,.s ill the container to be displayed for sale at a retail
10. A combination according to claim 8 or claim 9 characterised in that the container sides are provided by fi-ame members of a frame means which extends upwardly from the base.
11. A combination according to any one of claims 8 to 10 characterised in that the two container sides include an infill means such as a wire mesh to assist in containing the wheelbarrows in the load carrying space.
12. A combination according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the container has an opeii top.
13. A combination according to anyone of the preceding claims characterised in that the base includes spacer means extending therefrorn away C) from the load carrying space to space the base from a surface on which the container is placed.
14. A combination according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the coiiibiiiatioii includes at least twenty two wheelbarrows arranged in an array of three columns by two rows, four of the colunuis Qf the array having four wheelbarrows, and the remaining two columns having three wheelbarrows whereby there are three layers of six wheelbarrows and one layer of fow. wheelbarrows.
15. A combination according to claim 14 where appendant to claim 6 characterised in that the second set of wheelbarrows has two wheelbarrows whereby the combination includes a total of twenty four wheelbarrows.
16. A combination of a container and a plurality of wheelbarrows substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.
17. A method of transporting a plurality of wheelbarrows including the steps of placing the wheelbarrows in a container to provide a combination according to any one of the preceding claims, and transporting the container with the wheelbarrows contained therein.
18. A method according to clairn 17 w1iicli includes moving or removing a 0 part or parts of the container and displaying the wheelbarrows for sale at a retail site in the container.
19. A method of transporting a plurality of wheelbarrows substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
20. Any novel feature of novel combination of features described herein and/or as shown in the acconipanying drawings.

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