GB2389101A

GB2389101A - Dolly with movable portions

Info

Publication number: GB2389101A
Application number: GB0312248A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Ian Gordon Bushell
Original assignee: Bekaert Handling Ltd
Current assignee: Bekaert Handling Ltd
Priority date: 2002-05-29
Filing date: 2003-05-29
Publication date: 2003-12-03
Anticipated expiration: 2023-05-29
Also published as: GB2389101B; GB0312248D0; GB0212320D0

Abstract

A dolly with means whereby it is convertable between alternative forms in which, on the one hand, it has a substantially continuous flat upper surface, or, on the other hand, it has upward projections for location of trays or boxes and/or recesses for location of the wheels of a similar dolly, has a platform (11) comprising a base (12) with three parallel raised portions (13, 14, 15) with flat surfaces (16, 17, 18), two of the raised portions (13 and 14) being disposed one across each end of the base overlying a pair of castored wheels (19), while the other raised portion (15) lies intermediately, there being two depressions (20, 21) disposed one between each raised portion and the intermediate raised portion, the platform (11) being completed by two movable members (22, 23) each adapted in a first position to fit in one of the depressions (20 or 21) and provide a then upper flat surface (24 or 25) co-planar with the flat surfaces (16, 17, 18) of the raised portions (13, 14, 15). Each of the movable members (22, 23) is adapted in a second position to lie with its flat surface (24 or 25) on the flat surface (16 or 18) of a respective one of the end raised portions (13 or 15) and each provided in its then upper surface (26 or 27) with recesses (28) for location of the wheels (19) of a similar dolly stacked thereon but not shown, interengaging means (29) being provided between the base (12) and the movable members (22, 23) to provide retention thereon, which means (29) is in the form of hinged links between the raised end portions (13, 14) and their respective movable members (22, 23), whereby the latter can be swung from first to second position, and vice versa. A further movable member (35, figs 8-10) can be provided to location smaller trays.

Description

DOLLY This Invention relates to a dolly (also known from WO 94/14668 as "a

roller carriage having swingable wheels", from GB-A-2 280166 as a 'mobile platform assembly", from GB-A-2 281 897 as a "stackable wheeled platform", or from WO 98/42585 as "a stackable roller 5 carriage having swngably mounted wheels") comprising a platform on wheels, at least two of which are swingably mounted (or castored wheels"), the upper side of the platform being provided with recesses for location of the wheels of a similar dolly stacked thereon to restrain the dollies from moving apart laterally or longitudinally The object of the present invention Is to provide such a dolly with means whereby it is 10 conversable between alternative forms In which, on the one hand, it has a substantially continuous flat upper surface, or, on the other hand, it has upward projections for location of trays or boxes and/or recesses for location of the wheels of a similar dolly.

According to the present Invention, a dolly comprises a platform having abase with three parallel raised flat-surfaced portions, one across each end overlying a pair of wheels and 15 one Intermediately, two depressions, one between each end raised portion and the Intermediate raised portion; and at least two moYabie members, each adapted in a first position to fit in one of the depressions and provide a then upper flat surface co-planar with the flat surfaces of the raised portions, and each adapted in a second position to lie with its fiat surface on the flat surface of one of the end raised portions and each provided in its then 20 upper surface with recesses for location of the wheels of a similar dolly stacked thereon, there also being provided nterengagng means between the base and the movable members to provide retention thereon.

The interengaging means may be hinged links between the end raised portions and their respective movable members, whereby the movable members can each be swung from 25 first to second position, and vice versa The hinged links therefore serve to provide retention of the movable members when In either position. Rebates are preferably provided in the ends

of the movable members to afford entry of an operator's fingers to facilitate lifting and swinging of the movable members from first to second position, and vice versa. Rebates may be provided at the ends of the depressions to accommodate projections provided on the surfaces of the movable members with the recesses for location of trays or boxes; recesses for further 5 projections for the like purpose may also be provided at the sides of the depressions adjacent the intermediate raised portion To facilitate location of trays or boxes of much lesser size than the overall size of the dolly, a third movable member may be provided, having one generally flat surface to lie on the fiat surface of the intermediate raised portion of the base and upward projections on the 10 opposite surface, with nterengagng means between the third movable member and the base to prevent shding movement and provide retention betvveen them The third movable member may also provide Intermediate support for trays or boxes of similar overall size to the dolly.

The third movable member may be stowed in either of two ways; one of the first movable members may be provided with a cavity In what is its upper surface when in first IS position to receive the third movable member, with the flat surface of the latter uppermost and I coplanar with the flat surface of that first movable member alongside the cavity, alternatively, the third movable member may be stowed between one of the first movable members and its respective depression, with the flat surface of the latter uppermost and with the projections on the opposite surface located In cavities In the bottom of the depression. The interengaging 20 means for the third movable member may be further hinged links between it and the respective movable member or the respective side of the intermediate raised portion of the base The base and the movable members may be moulded plastics components, with cavities In the underside of the base mouldng both to save material and weight and also to accommodate mountings for the wheels; and the sides of the base moulding where they span 25 the ends of the depressions are preferably extended downwards for strength' with the extensions conveniently also extending across the ends of the intermediate raised portion'

Two embodiments of the Invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which.

Fgure 1 Is an isometric view of a first embodiment of dolly in accordance with the invention have three raised portions, two depressions and tvvo movable members; castored S wheels are also shown In Figure 1 but are omitted from Figures 2 to 7; figure 2 Is a plan view of the dolly of figure 1 with both movable members located in respective depressions; Figure 3 is a side elevation in the direction of arrow A in Figure 2; figure 4 is an end elevation in the direction of arrow B In Figure 2; lo Figures 5 to 7 corresponds to figures 2 to 4 but with both movable members located on respective end raised portions, figure 8 Is a fragmentary sometnc view of a second embodiment of dolly in accordance with the Invention showing a third movable member located on the intermediate raised portion; Figure 9 corresponds to figure 2 but shows the third movable member located within I S one of the initial pair of movable members, and I figure 10 corresponds to Figure 5 but shows the third movable member located on the intermediate raised portion, as well as the nbal pair of movable members located on respective end raised portions.

The dolly shown in Figure 1 has a platform 11 composing a base 12 with three parallel 20 raised portions 13, 14, 15 with flat surfaces 16, 17, 18 (see also Figures 2 to 4). Two of the raised portions 13 and 14 are disposed one across each end of the base overlying a pair of castored wheels 19, while the other raised portion 15 lies Intermediately, there being two depressions 20, 21 (see also Figures 5 to 7) disposed one between each raised portion and the Intermediate raised portion The platform 11 Is completed by two movable members 22, 25 23 each adapted In a first position to fit In one of the depressions 20 or 21 (see particularly Figures 2 to 4) and provide a then upper flat surface 24 or 25 co-planar with the flat surfaces

16, 17, 18 of the raised portions 13, 14, 15 Each of the movable members 22, 23 is adapted in a second position to lie with its flat surface 24 or 25 on the flat surface 16 or 18 of a respective one of the end raised portions 13 or 15 (see particularly Figures 5 to 7) and each provided in its then upper surface 26 or 27 with recesses 28 for location of the wheels 19 of 5 a similar dolly stacked thereon but not shown Interengagng means 29 Is provided between the base 12 and the movable members 22, 23 to provide retention thereon, which means 29 is in the form of hinged links between the raised end portions 13, 14 and their respective movable members 22, 23, whereby the latter can be swung from first to second position, and vice versa 10 Rebates 30 are provided in the ends of the movable members 22, 23 to afford entry of an operator's fingers to facilitate lifting and swinging of the movable members from first to second position, and vice versa.

Rebates 31 are provided at the ends of the depressions 20, 21 to accommodate projections 32 provided on the surfaces 26, 27 of the movable members 22, 23 with the 15 recesses 28 for location of trays or boxes (not shown), recesses 33 for further projections 34 for the like purpose are provided at the sides of the depressions 20, 21 adjacent the Intermediate raised portion To facilitate location of trays or boxes (not shown) of much lesser size than the overall size of the dolly 11X of Figures 1 to 7, the dolly shown In Figures 8 to 10 is provided with a 20 thud movable member 35 having one generally flat surface 36 to lie on the flat surface 18 of the Intermediate raised portion 15 of the base 12X and upward projections 37, 38 (to suit a variety of existing trays or boxes) on the opposite surface 39, with nterengagng means 40 between the third movable member 35 and the base 12 to prevent sliding movement and provide retention between them 25 The nterengagng means 40 Is in the form of hinged links between the third movable member 35 and one side of the intermediate raised portion 15 of the base 12X, the third

movable member being stowed (as shown In Figure 9) within a cavity 41 in one of the movable members 23X, which also has apertures 42, 43 to accommodate the projections 37, 38 respectively, further projections 44 on the third movable member 35 similar to the projections 34 on the movable members 22, 23X being accommodated In recesses 45 in the bottom of the 5 depression 21 The bases 12, 12X and the movable members 22, 23, 35 are conveniently moulded plastics components, with cavities 46 in the underside of the base mounding both to save material and weight and also to accommodate mountings (not shown) for the wheels 19; and the sides of the base melding where they span the ends of the depressions 20, 21 are 10 extended downwards for strength, with the extensions 47 conveniently also extending across the ends of the intermediate raised portion 15 The bottoms of the recesses 33, 45 in the bottoms of the depressions 20, 21 are provided with drain holes 48

Claims

1 A dolly compnsng a platform having a base with three parallel raised flat-surfaced portions, one across each end overlying a pair of wheels and one Intermediately; two depressions, one between each end raised portion and the intermediate raised portion; and 5 at least two movable members, each adapted In a first position to fit in one of the depressions and provide a then upper flat surface co-planar with the flat surfaces of the raised portions, and each adapted In a second position to lie with its flat surface on the flat surface of one of the end raised portions and each provided In its then upper surface with recesses for location of the wheels of a similar dolly stacked thereon, there also being provided nterengaging 10 means betvveen the base and the movable members to provide retention thereon

2 A dolly as In Claim 1, wherein the nterengagng means Is hinged links between the

end raised portions and their respective movable members, whereby the movable members can each be swung from first to second position, and vice versa

3 A dolly as In Claim 2, wherein rebates are provided In the ends of the movable l 5 members to afford entry of an operator's fingers to facilitate lifting and swinging of the movable members from first to second position, and vice versa

4 A dolly as In any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein rebates are provided at the ends of the depressions to accommodate projections provided on the surfaces of the movable members with the recesses for location of trays or boxes 20

5 A dolly as In Claim 4, wherein recesses for further projections for the like purpose Is provided at the sides of the depressions adjacent the Intermediate raised portion.

6 A dolly as In any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein, to facilitate location of trays or boxes of much lesser size than the overall size of the dolly, a third movable member is provided, having one generally flat surface to lie on the flat surface of the Intermediate raised 25 portion of the base and upward projections on the opposite surface, with nterengagng means between the third movable member and the base to prevent sliding movement and provide

retention between them 7 A dolly as in Claim 6, wherein one of the first movable members is provided with a cavity in what Is its upper surface when in first position to receive the third movable member, with the flat surface of the latter uppermost and coplanar with the flat surface of that first 5 movable member alongside the cavity 8. A dolly as In Claim 6, wherein the third movable member is stowed between one of the first movable members and its respective depression, with the flat surface of the latter uppermost and with the projections on the opposite surface located in cavities In the bottom of the depression 10 9 A dolly as In Claim 7 or Claim 8, wherein the nterengaging means for the third movable member Is further hinged links between it and the respective side of the Intermediate raised portion of the base or the respective movable member 10 A dolly as In Claim 7 or Claim 8, wherein nterengaging means for the third movable member Is further hinged links between it and the respective movable member.

I 5 11 A dolly as In any one of the preceding claims, wherein the base and the movable members are moulded plastics components, with cavities in the underside of the base moulding both to save material and weight and also to accommodate mountings for the wheels 12 A dolly as In Claim 11, wherein the sides of the base moulding where they span 20 the ends of the depressions are extended downwards for strength, with the extensions conveniently also extending across the ends of the intermediate raised portion 13 A dolly as In Claim 1 and substantially as herenbefore described with reference to figures 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings 14 A dolly as In Claim 6 and substantially as herenbefore described with reference 25 to Figures 8 to 10 of the accompanying drawings