GB2485403A

GB2485403A - A barrow having a handle which is rotatable and pivotable about two axes so as to be folded flat

Info

Publication number: GB2485403A
Application number: GB201019226A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mark John Collins
Original assignee: Fox International Group Ltd
Current assignee: Fox International Group Ltd
Priority date: 2010-11-12
Filing date: 2010-11-12
Publication date: 2012-05-16
Also published as: GB201019226D0

Abstract

A barrow, possibly a wheelbarrow suitable for carrying angling equipment, has at least one handle 28 extending rearwardly from a main support 12 of the barrow. The handle has at least one bend 46 in an upright plane when the barrow is in use. A part 42 of the handle is rotatable about its longitudinal axis as well as being pivotable about a transverse axis to enable that part of the handle to be laid flat (figure 4) against the main support for storage purposes. The handle may have at least two parts which are telescopic relative to each other, where the formations (figure 10) which allow the handle to be pivoted are covered in a first position of the telescopic arrangement, and uncovered in a second relative position, thus rotating and pivoting of the handle is only possible in the second telescopic position.

Description

A barrow The present invention relates to a barrow, especially but not exclusively a wheelbarrow for use in angling.

Hitherto, such a barrow has comprised a main support part, at least one wheel towards the forward end of the barrow, and at least one handle at a rear end of the barrow. Some constructions of such a barrow have at least one bend in the handle which, when the barrow is in use, has at least a component in an intended vertical plane. This facilitates a more horizontal orientation of the support part of the barrow when the latter is being pushed along by the user without the part of the handle that is held by the user being inconveniently low.

A problem with such a construction of barrow is encountered in the event of its being designed to fold up for packing and/or storage purposes. This is because the bend in the handle prevents the handle lying in a generally horizontal plane in the event that it is constructed to be folded over onto the main support part of the barrow.

The present invention seeks to provide a remedy. *. 0 * * *

pccordingly, the present invention is directed to a barrow having at least one elongate handle extending rearwardly from a main support. part o,f the barrow and having at least one bend therein in a plane which has an * ,, upright component when the barrow is in use, a part of the handle being rotatable about its longitudinal axis as * 00000 * well as being pivotable about a transverse axis to enable that part of the handle to be laid flat against the main support part of the barrow for storage purposes.

The or each handle may have at least two parts which telescope relative to one another, to provide a telescopic arrangement for the handle. The formations which enable the said part to be pivoted may be covered in! a first relative position of the telescopic arrangement, and uncovered in a second relative position of the telescopic arrangement, in such a way that rotation and pivoting of the said handle is prevented when the telescopic arrangement is in the said first relative position, and such rotation and pivoting is enabled when the telescopic arrangement is in the said second position. The formations which enable rotation of the said part may include abutments to limit the amount of rotation available to substantially 90 degrees. As a result, the bend in the handle may be in a generally vertical plane when the barrow is in use and in a generally horizontal plane for storage purposes.

The formations which enable pivoting of the said part of the handle may include abutments which limit the amount of pivoting to substantially 180 degrees so that the said part of the handle may be pivoted from a position in which it lies flat against the main supporting part of the barrow to a position in which it projects in a generally horizontal direction rearwardly of and away from that part of the barrow. More especially, with such a construction of barrow, the said part of the handle * ,* cannot flop down onto the ground, even when the :.: telescopic arrangement is in its said second position.

*.* s*� * * The telescopic arrangement may be provided with a plunger to inhibit relative movement between the telescopic parts when they are in one or other, or both of the said first and second relative positions. For example, the plunger may be at an inner end of the said part of the handle.

The formations which enable rotation and pivoting of the said part of a handle may be provided on an extension portion of that part of the telescopic arrangement which is on or closer to the main support part of the barrow.

The said extension portion may have an elongate section over which the other telescopic part of the handle may slide.

The present invention extends to a barrow having at least one elongate handle extending rearwardly from a main support part of the barrow, a part of the handle being pivotable about a transverse axis to enable that part of the handle to be laid flat against the main support part of the barrow for storage purposes, in which the handle has at least two parts which telescope relative to one another, to provide a telescopic arrangement for the handle, and the formations which enable the said part to be pivoted are covered in a first relative position of the telescopic arrangement, and uncovered in a second relative position of the telescopic arrangement, in such a way that pivoting of the said handle is prevented when the telescopic arrangement is in the said first relative St S. * . position, and such pivoting is enabled when the telescopic arrangement is in the said second position.

Such a construction is useful for storage purposes even when the handle is straight, without a bend in it.

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An example of a barrow made in accordance with the present invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the barrow ready for use; Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the barrow shown Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of the barrow shown Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a plan view of the barrow shown Figures 1 to 3, with its handles folded over and its wheel removed for storage purposes; Figure 5 shows, on an enlarged scale, a perspective view of the barrow shown Figures 1 to 3 from the front and to one side; Figure 6 shows an exploded view of the barrow shown Figures 1 to 3 and 5; Figure 7 shows a plan view of a handle part of the barrow shown Figures 1 to 6;

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* n..l * Figure B shows a side view of the part shown in Figure 7; * *, Figure 9 shows a perspective view from one end and from above of the part shown Figures 7 and 8; S.....

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Figure 10 shows an exploded view of a part, shown Figures 7 to 9; Figure 11 shows an axial sectional view of the part shown in Figure 7 in the plane indicated by the line XI-XI shown in figure 7; Figure 12 shows an axial sectional view of the part shown Figures 7 to 9 in the plane indicated by the line xII-XII shown in Figure 8; Figure 13 shows a cross-sectional view of the part shown in Figures 7 to 12 in the plane indicated by the line XIII-XIII shown in Figure 11.

The barrow 10 shown in Figures 1 to 6 comprises a generally horizontal support part 12 with side rails 14 and a front rail 16 extending above the generally flat support part 12 and connected thereto in such a way as to be foldable thereonto for storage purposes.

The generally flat support part 12 of the barrow includes a frame 18 on which are provided a plurality of mounting lugs 20 to which can be connected a bogey 22 of a wheel 24. The frame 18 is also provided with a foldable rear leg support 23.

* ***.* * In an alternative construction of barrow, two bogeys 22 with respective wheels 24 may be attached to the frame 18 side by side by means of the lugs 20. Whilst this * ** provides greater strength at the wheel support of the barrow, it reduces the manoeuvrability of the barrow * because it cannot then so easily be tilted to one side.

Extending in a generally horizontal direction rearwardly from the generally horizontal main support part 12 of the barrow 10 are respective first parts 26 of a pair of handles 28 of the barrow 10. These respective first parts 26 are generally square in cross-section and are tubular. Respective elongate extensions 30 of these parts 26 have square-section first ends 32 which form a tight fit within the rear ends of the tubular parts 26.

Each extension 30 is provided with pivot formations 34 and rotation formations 36. The extension 30 also has an elongate section 38 extending away from the pivot formations 34 and the rotation formations 36. The elongate section 38 is tubular and is of generally square cross-section and is provided with an end cap 40.

The pivot formations 34 and the rotation formations 36 have generally square cross-sections. The common width of their square-section is the same as the outer cross-sectional width of the extension 30 and the cuter width of the handle part 26. Second handle parts 42 are also tubular and square-sectioned and have an inner width slightly larger than the outer width of the section 38.

Open ends of the parts 42 are slideable over the extension parts 30 and the handle parts 26.

An inner end of each handle part 42 is provided with a plunger 44 having an interior portion which engages an aperture 45 in the elongate section 38 of the extension S. *.

* * 30 to prevent the part 42 being removed entirely from the part 26. An aperture may also be provided in each of the parts 26 into which the plunger 44 may also engage.

* The handle parts 42 are each formed with a first bend 46 in an upward direction resulting in portions 28 of the handle parts 42 which slant in upward direction, and second bends 50 which result in rearwardmost portions 52 of the handle parts 42 being generally horizontal. These portions 52 are covered by respective handgrips 54. It will be appreciated therefore that the part 42 of the handle form telescopic arrangements with the parts 26 thereof.

When the plungers 44 engage the apertures 45, the pivot and rotation formations 34 and 36 enabled to perform their pivot and rotating functions. When the plungers 44 are in the respective apertures of the parts 26 of the handles, the pivot and rotation formations 34 and 36 of the extension 30 are inoperable because they are covered by the parts 42 of the handles 28.

Each of the extension parts 30 will now be described in greater detail with reference to Figures 7 to 13 of the drawings.

Thus the pivot formations 34 comprise respective bifurcated lugs 100 directed towards one another and are attached to respective adjacent ends of the parts 32 and 38 of the extension 30. Respective pivot pins 102 extend through respective pairs of apertures 104 of the n,: bifurcated lugs 100. A connector part 106 is formed with two apertured lugs ios respectively sandwiched between the bifurcations of the two lugs 100 with the pivot pins *0 * 102 extending through the apertures 110 of the lugs 108.

Abutments 112 provided on the undersides of the lugs 100 * , as well as abutments 114 provided at the bottom and :.: laterally of the lugs 108 prevent pivoting of the * e elongate section 38 downwardly relative to the end 32 of the extension 30, and hence prevent the handle parts 42 flopping down onto the ground. At the sane time, however, provided the parts 42. of the. handle do not cover the pivot formations 34, the elongate section 38 and with it the handle parts 42 can be folded upwardly and over onto the main support part 12 of the barrow 10 for storage purposes.

However, it will be appreciated that with the handle parts 42 having their axial orientation as shown in Figure 6 they could not be laid flat against the main support part 12 of the barrow 10 because of the bends 45 and 50. This problem is overcome by virtue of the axial rotation formations 36 of the extensions 30. These each comprise a first portion 120 which extends away from the bifurcated lug 100 of the section 38. The first portion has outermost arcuate surfaces 122 both having centres of curvature lying on the central axis of the extension 30. The part 120 is also stepped in cross section to provide abutment surfaces 124 extending in a radial direction between the outermost surfaces 122 of the portion 120 to inner arcuate surfaces 126, of smaller radius of curvature than that of the arcuate surfaces 122, but also centred on the axis of the extension 30.

A box portion 130 has outer surfaces which together have :1.: a square cross-section which forms a tight fit inside the inner end of the section 38 of the extension 30. It has * es t0.

* inner arcuate surfaces corresponding to and slidingly I. *.

* * engaging the arcuate surfaces of the portion 120 so that it is also formed with abutments 132. A bolt 140 with * * end nuts and washers 142 holds the box portion 130 and :,: * the bifurcated lug 100 of the elongate section 38 against * axial separation. The spacings between the abutments 124 and the abutments 132 are such as to create limits to available rotation of the section 38 relative to the end 32, with an angular spacing of 90 degrees. Thus, with the lugs 44 engaging the apertures 45 so that the handle parts 42 no longer cover the pivot formations of the extensions 30, the handle parts 42 can be rotated inwardly towards one another by 90 degrees so that they may now be pivoted by means of the pivot formations 34 to lie flat against the main support part of the barrow 10, as shown in Figure 4.

Numerous variations and modifications to the illustrated barrow may occur to the reader without taking the resulting construction outside. the scope of the present invention. For example the parts 26 of the handles 28 may be of larger cross-section than the parts 42, with the ends 32 of the extensions 30 secured in the parts 42 instead of the parts 26. A skid or ski part may replace the wheel if ground or weather conditions make such a construction useful. 0 0 * * **

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Claims

Claims: 1. A barrow having at least one elongate handle extending rearwardly from a main support part of the barrow and having at least one bend therein in a plane which has an upright component when the barrow is in use, a part of the handle being rotatable about its longitudinal axis as well as being pivotable about a transverse axis to enable that part of the handle to be laid flat against the main support part of the barrow for storage purposes.
2. A barrow according to claim 1, in which the or each handle has at least two parts which telescope relative to one another, to provide a telescopic arrangement for the handle.
3. A barrow according to claim 2, in which the telescopic arrangement is provided with a plunger to inhibit relative movement between the telescopic parts.
4. A barrow according to claim 3, in which the plunger is at an inner end of the said part of the handle.
5. A barrow according to any one of claims 2 to 4, in 0**s*I * which the formations which enable rotation and pivoting *s*** * * of the said part of a handle are provided on an extension ****** * portion of that part of the telescopic arrangement which * * is on or closer to the main support part of the barrow. * I
6. A barrow according to claim 5, in which the said extension portion has an elongate section over which the other telescopic part of the handle may slide.
7. A barrow according to any preceding claim, in which the formations which enable the said part to be pivoted are covered in a first relative position of the telescopic arrangement, and uncovered in a second relative position of the telescopic arrangement, in such a way that rotation and pivoting of the said handle is prevented when the telescopic arrangement is in the said first relative position, and such rotation and pivoting is enabled when the telescopic arrangement is in the said second position.
8. A barrow according to any preceding claim, in which the formations which enable rotation of the said part include abutments to limit the amount of rotation available to substantially 90 degrees.
9. A barrow according to any preceding claim, in which the bend in the handle is in a generally vertical plane when the barrow is in use and in a generally horizontal * : plane for storage purposes.

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10. A barrow according to any preceding claim, in which * ***** * the formations which enable pivoting of the said part of * * the handle include abutments which limit the amount of ** ** * pivoting to substantially 180 degrees so that the said **. *** * * part of the handle may be pivoted from a position in which it lies flat against the main supporting part of the barrow to a position in which it projects in a generally horizontal direction rearwardly of and away from that part of the barrow.
11. A barrow having at least one elongate handle extending rearwardly from a main support part of the barrow, a part of the handle being pivotable about a transverse axis to enable that part of the handle to be laid flat against the main support part of the barrow for storage purposes, in which the handle has at least two parts which telescope relative to one another, to provide a telescopic arrangement for the handle, and the formations which enable the said part to be pivoted are covered in a first relative position of the telescopic arrangement, and uncovered in a second relative position of the telescopic arrangement, in such a way that pivoting of the said handle is prevented when the telescopic arrangement is in the said first relative position, and such pivoting is enabled when the telescopic arrangement is in the said second position.*I..eI *
12. A barrow substantially as described herein with * S reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying * o55.5 * : drawings.*SeS So * S S.S -* S..S *s5 4