GB2448990A

GB2448990A - Handcart with strap

Info

Publication number: GB2448990A
Application number: GB0807973A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Frank Jasper Garnham
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-05-01
Filing date: 2008-05-01
Publication date: 2008-11-05
Anticipated expiration: 2028-05-01
Also published as: GB0807973D0; GB0708380D0; GB2448990B

Abstract

The handcart, e.g a sack trolley or wheelbarrow has a strap 6 preferably in two parts 6a, b with interengaging buckle elements 8a,8b extendable over the open top of its tray 1 for retaining a load secure in the tray 1. The two strap-parts 6a,6b can unwind in opposite directions from a spring-loaded reel bolted to the underside of the tray 1. Fittings bolted to opposite side-walls 12 of the tray 1 can be provided to restrain full return of the strap-parts 6a,b to the reel. One part of the strap can be wound on a spring-loaded reel clipped over a rim of the tray 1 on one side of the tray, and the other part is clipped to the rim on the other side.

Description

Handcart a This invention relates to handcarts, and is particularly,

though not exclusively, concerned with wheelbarrows and sack-trolleys.

The term "handcart" will be used throughout the description and claims as a collective term embracing wheelbarrows and sack-trolleys.

According to the present invention there is provided a handcart for carrying a load wherein a strap or other, elongate element for securing over the load in retention of the load on the handcart is at least in part selectively-extendable against resilient bias from a reel attached to the handcart.

The strap or other elongate element may be in two parts and have a selectively-releasable buckle or other coupling for securing the two parts together when extended over the load. The two parts may both be extendable from the reel against the resilient bias, and may be restrained from retraction fully into the reel.

Where, for example, the handcart has a container or tray for receiving the load, the reel may be attached to an underside of the container or tray, and the two parts may be restrained from retraction beneath a rim of the container or tray.

In the circumstances in which the strap or other elongate element is in two parts, only one of them may be extendable from the reel against the resilient bias. Where in this case the handcart has a container or tray for receiving the load, the reel may be attached to a side-wall of the container or tray, and the other of the two-parts may be attached to an opposite side-wall of it. More especially, the reel and/or the other of the two-parts may be clipped over the rim of the container or tray.

A wheelbarrow as an example of a handcart in accordance with the present invention, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 and 2 are, respectively, a perspective view and a transverse-section of the wheelbarrow of the invention; Figures 3 and 4 show details of fittings attached to the wheelbarrow of Figures 1 and 2; Figures 5 and 6 are illustrative of a modification in accordance with the invention, of the wheelbarrow of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 7 shows detail of a fitting used in the modified form of wheelbarrow of Figures 5 and 6; Figures 8 and 9 are illustrative of an alternative modification in accordance with the invention, of the wheelbarrow of Figures 1 and 2; and Figure 10 shows detail of a fitting used in the modified form of wheelbarrow of Figures 8 and 9.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the wheelbarrow is of conventional construction having an open-top load-container or tray 1 that is supported on a tubular frame 2. The front of the frame 2 is mounted on a wheel 3 and is configured to provide rear-extending handles 4 and a pair of support-legs 5. To the extent so far described, the wheelbarrow is of conventional construction, but in the present case a strap 6, for example of nylon webbing and comprising two parts 6a and 6b, is extendable over the open top of the tray 1 and any load (not shown) within it, for use in retaining the load in the wheelbarrow.

The two strap-parts 6a and 6b are extendable from a reel 7 that, as shown in greater detail in Figure 3, is bolted to the underside of the tray 1; an additional washer (for example of nylon and having flanges either side of the hole in the tray 1) may be included in the arrangement shown in Figure 3. Each strap-part 6a and 6b is extendable from the reel 7 against a resilient bias provided within the reel 7 by one or more coiled-springs (not shown) that are wound up as the individual strapparts 6a and 6b are drawn out of the reel 7 in opposite directions. The one or more springs tend to draw the strap-parts 6a and 6b back into the reel 7; the strap-parts 6a and 6b are shown in Figures 1 and 2 as though held extended against the spring bias.

Referring now also to Figure 4, a two-part buckle 8, which comprises male and female elements Ba and 8b that are attached to the strap-parts 6a and 6b respectively, is used for securing the strap 6 over the open top of the tray 1. The element Ba can be readily snapped into the element Bb to secure the buckle 8 holding the strap-parts 6a and 6b together as one, and by squeezing side-latches 9 of the element 8b can be selectively released from the element 8b to enable the strap-parts 6a and 6b to separate and be drawn back into the reel 7.

The provision of the extendable strap 6 with the snap engagement of the buckle 8 to retain it over the load within the tray 1, is of advantage in affording the user of the wheelbarrow a simple yet effective way of avoiding the load or part of it falling from the tray 1 when the wheelbarrow is lifted by its handles 4 and wheeled along. The spring or springs within the reel 7 exert a strong biasing force via the strap 6 to hold the load in the tray 1. The strap 6 is pulled tightly onto the load under this spring bias which, moreover, provides a return action by which each part 6a and 6b is reeled in clear of the load and tray 1 as soon as the buckle 8 is released.

The need to draw Out the two strap-parts 6a and 6b from the reel 7 beneath the tray 1 can be avoided by use of the modification illustrated in Figures 5 to 7 now to be described.

Referring initially to Figures 5 and 6, two strap-retaining fittings ha and lib are in this case bolted to the two opposite side- walls 12 respectively, of the tray 1 near its upper rim 13.

The strap-parts 6a and 6b pass through the fittings ha and hlb respectively, and can be extended from the reel 7 over the tray 1 for engagement of the male element 8a with the female element 8b in retaining the strap 6 tightly over the load. However, on release of the buckle 8, the consequent retraction of the strap-parts 6a and 6b into the reel 7 under the action of the spring bias, is brought to a halt by obstruction at the fittings ha and lib. More specifically as can be seen from Figure 7 for the strap-part 6b, the buckle-element 8b is too large to pass through the fitting hib so retraction is halted with the element 8b retained at the fitting hlb near the rim 13. Similarly, for retraction of the strap-part 6a, the buckle-element 8a cannot pass through the fitting ha and so is retained near the rim 13 at the fitting ha.

Retention of the buckle-elements 8a and 8b near the rim 13 when the strap 6 is not in use is of advantage since it facilitates subsequent use of the strap 6, making the drawing of the strap-parts 6a and 6b out from the reel 7 over the load less arduous.

The same advantage can be achieved with the modification illustrated by Figures 8 to 10.

Referring to Figures 8 and 9 initially, the strap 16 used in this case for retention of the load within the tray 1 of the wheelbarrow, comprises two strap-parts 16a and 16b, of which only the strap-part 16b is retractable. In the latter respect, the strap part 16b is extendable from a reel 17 shown enlarged in Figure 10. The reel 17 has a spring clip 18 by which it is clamped over the rim 13 to one side-wall 12 of the tray 1, whereas the other strap-part 16a is secured to a spring clip 19 by which it is clamped over the rim 13 on the opposite side-wall 12.

The strap-part 16b is extendable from the reel 17 against a resilient bias provided by a coiled-spring (not shown) within the reel 17. The coiled-spring is wound up as the strap-part 16b is drawn out from the reel 17. The strap-part l6b, which is shown in Figures 8 to 10 as though held extended against the spring bias, is extendable over the load in the tray 1 against the spring bias for snap-engagement of its male buckle-element 20b with a female buckle-element 20a of the strap-part 16a.

The straps 6 and 16 have been described above in the context of extending transversely of the wheelbarrow-tray 1 for load-retention. They may alternatively be used extending longitudinally of the tray 1, and clearly more than one strap may be used in each case with one or more extending transversely and/or one or more extending longitudinally. Moreover, the straps may be replaced by other forms of elongate restraining elements.

Although the description is confined to the application of the invention to a wheelbarrow, it will be apparent that it is equally applicable to sack-trolleys and other forms of handcart.

Claims

Claims: 1. A handcart for carrying a load wherein a strap or other,

elongate element: for securing over the load in retention of the load on the handcart is at least in part selectively-extendable against resilient bias from a reel attached to the handcart.
2. A handcart according to Claim 1 wherein the strap or other elongate element is in two parts and has a selectively-.re].easabj.e buckle or other coupling for securing the two parts together when extended over the load.
3. A handcart according to Claim 2 wherein the two parts are both extendable from the reel against the resilient bias.
4. A handcart according to Claim 3 wherein the two parts are restrained from retraction fully into the reel.
5. A handcart according to any one of Claims 2 to 4 having a container or tray for receiving the load, and wherein the reel is attached to an underside of the container or tray.
6. A handcart according to Claim 5 wherein the two parts are restrained from retraction beneath a rim of the container or tray.
7. A handcart according to Claim 2 wherein only one of the two parts is extendable from the reel against the resilient bias.
8. A handcart according to Claim 7 having a container or tray for receiving the load, wherein the reel is attached to a side-wall of the container or tray, and the other of the two-parts is attached to an opposite side-wall of the container or tray.
9. A handcart according to Claim 8 wherein the reel is clipped over a rim of the container or tray.
10. A handcart according to Claim 9 wherein the other of the two-parts is clipped over the rim.
11. A handcart according to any one of Claims 1 to 10 wherein the handcart is in the form of a wheelbarrow.
12. A wheelbarrow substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.
13. A wheelbarrow according to Claim 11 modified substantially as hereirthefore described with reference to Figures 8 to 10 of the accompanying drawings. * I. * * * * ** * *

I I...

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* S SS.I * I

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13. A wheelbarrow according to Claim 12 modified substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 5 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.

14. A wheelbarrow according to Claim 12 modified substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 8 to 10 of the accompanying drawings.

AMENDMENTS TO THE CLAIMS HAVE BEEN FILED AS FOLLOWS:-Claims: 1. A handcart for carrying a load wherein a strap or other elongate element for securing over the load in retention of the load on the handcart is at least in part against resilient bias from a reel attached to the handcart, and wherein the strap or other elongate element is in two parts and has a buckle or other coupling for securing the two parts together when extended over the load.

2. A handcart according to Claim 1 wherein the two parts are both extendable from the reel against the resilient bias.

3. A handcart according to Claim 2 wherein the two parts are restrained from retraction fully into the reel.

4. A handcart according to any one of Claims 1 to 3 having a container or tray for receiving the load, and wherein the reel is attached to an underside of the container or tray.

5. A handcart according to Claim 4 wherein the two parts are restrained from retraction beneath a rim of the container or tray. * *a * * . * .*

0, 6. A handcart according to Claim 1 wherein Only one of the two parts is extendable from the reel against the resilient bias. ****

7. A handcart according to Claim 6 having a container or tray * S...

* for receiving the load, wherein the reel is attached to a side-* S wall of the container or tray, and the other of the two-parts is attached to an opposite side-wa].]. of the container or tray.

8. A handcart according to Claim 7 wherein the reel is clipped over a rim of the container or tray.

9. A handcart according to Claim 8 wherein the other of the two-parts is clipped over the rim.

10. A handcart according to any one of Claims 1 to 9 wherein the handcart is in the form of a wheelbarrow.

11. A wheelbarrow substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A wheelbarrow according to Claim 11 modified substantially as herejn1,efor described with reference to Figures 5 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.