GB2399321A

GB2399321A - Two-wheeled barrow

Info

Publication number: GB2399321A
Application number: GB0305869A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nigel Oseland
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-03-14
Filing date: 2003-03-14
Publication date: 2004-09-15
Also published as: GB0305869D0

Abstract

A wheelbarrow comprising of two rear wheels (2) and two front stays (3) supporting a hopper (1) with a protruding rear handle (4). The protruding rear handle (4) is preferably a continuous bar rather than two separate handles, as seen on a traditional wheelbarrow. The handle bar along with the other design elements means that the user pushes down, rather than lifts, to transport the load. The rear handle bar (4) is at a length so that the distance between the top of the handle bar and the ground (10) in the transporting position is ergonomically suited and comfortable for an average height user. The hopper's geometry is designed so that the load is centred around the wheel base (5) when in the transporting position and the hopper top edge (6) angled so that the load is not spilled, but also facilitates unloading. The geometry of the front stays is designed to facilitate loading by using their apex (7) to support the hopper in the loading position and also assist unloading by resting the barrow on the front arms (9). The two rear wheels (2) are preferably located so that the upper side of the hopper (6) overhangs them to prevent spillage of the load onto the wheels. The wheels are appropriately sized and made from the appropriate materials to provide sufficient traction and suspension. The wheelbarrow may also include a pivoted door (not shown), at the front end, to provide easier unloading, a completely removeable hopper, two separate handles rather than a single continuous arrangement and two small front wheels.

Description

1 239932 1

TWO-WHEELED BARROW

This invention relates to wheelbarrows used for containing and transporting garden, household and construction waste.

Traditional wheelbarrows have a single wheel at the front and two nonwheeled supports at the back of a hopper/container from which carrying arms/handles protrude. The traditional wheelbarrow is manoeuvred by lifting the arms, so that the supports are above the ground, and pushing forward.

The traditional wheelbarrow design has several limitations. Firstly, the action of lifting heavy weights, especially from a low position, places unnecessary strain on the lower back.

Secondly, the single wheel design results in the wheelbarrow sometimes being unstable and prone to poor traction in mud, due to the load weight being at one point of contact with the ground. Thirdly, locating a single wheel at the front also means that the wheelbarrow is not easily manoeuvred up and down steps, without the aid of a plank. Finally, the overall design of the traditional wheelbarrow may cause some difficulty to the user when attempting to tip the entire load.

An object of this invention is to remedy all of the above limitations of the traditional wheelbarrow design. The invention will a) make it less effort to lift heavy loads, b) allow easier manoeuvrability through mud, c) enable the loaded barrow to be pulled up and lowered down steps, and d) provide a more stable and better tipping action.

Accordingly, this invention provides a wheelbarrow with two rear wheels and front stays supporting a hopper with a protruding rear handle. Pushing down on the handle, rather than lifting, manoeuvres the twowheeled barrow.

Preferably, but not exclusively, the two-wheeled barrow chassis is made from a combination of metal and plastics with rubber, or similar material, tyres.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIG 1 shows a side view of the two-wheeled barrow in the resting/loading position.

FIG 2 shows a side view of the two-wheeled barrow in the transporting position.

FIG 3 shows a side view of the two-wheeled barrow in the tipping/unloading position.

FIG 4 shows a plan view of the underside of the two-wheeled barrow.

The invention comprises of a hopper (1) with two rear wheels (2), front supports (3) and a protruding rear handle bar (4).

The hopper (1) is designed to provide equal or greater load capacity than a traditional wheelbarrow. The hopper's geometry means that the load is centred around the wheel base (5) when in the transporting position (FIG 2). The angle of the top edge of the hopper (6) also means that the load is less likely to be spilled when transporting (FIG 2) but facilitates unloading (FIG 3). t

The two rear wheels (2) are preferably located so that the upper side of the hopper (1) overhangs them (FIG 4) to prevent spillage of the load onto the wheels. However, this invention also allows for the wheels to be placed outside of the line of the top of the hopper.

The wheels are appropriately sized and made from the appropriate materials to provide sufficient traction and suspension, for example pneumatic rubber tyres may be used.

Preferably, but not exclusively, there will be two front stays (3) which form an integrated part of the barrow's frame support (8). The geometry of the front stays (3) facilitates loading (FIG 1) by using their apex (7) to support the hopper in the loading position (FIG 1). The design of the front stays also assists unloading by resting the barrow on the front arms (9), which allows a single user to remove the load from a self-supported barrow (FIG 3).

Preferably, but not exclusively, there will be a protruding rear handle (4) designed to be a continuous bar (10), rather than two separate handles as seen on a traditional wheelbarrow.

The handle bar design means that the user pushes down, rather than lifts, to transport the load (FIG 2). The rear handle bar (4) is at a length so that the distance between the top of the handle bar and the ground (11) in the transporting position is ergonomically suited and comfortable for an average height user.

Claims

1. A wheelbarrow comprising of two rear wheels and two front stays supporting a hopper, for carrying loads, fitted with a protruding continuous rear handle bar, designed so that the user pushes down and forward to transport loads rather than lifting, as with a traditional wheelbarrow.

2. A wheelbarrow as claimed in Claim 1, where the hopper is pivoted at the lower front end so that the rear end can be lifted to provide easier unloading through a tipping action.

3. A wheelbarrow as claimed in Claim 1, where the hopper has a pivoted door at the front end to provide easier unloading.

4. A wheelbarrow as claimed in Claim 1, where the hopper is completely removable leaving a flat base to support the carrying of loads such as logs and buckets.

5. A wheelbarrow as claimed in Claim 1, where the rear handle consists of two separate handles rather than a continuous handle bar.

6. A wheelbarrow as claimed in Claim 1, where the stays are formed from a continuous bar rather than two separate ones.

7. A wheelbarrow as claimed in Claim 1, with two small front wheels.

8. A two-wheeled barrow substantially as herein described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.