GB2580859A

GB2580859A - A floor layers trolley

Info

Publication number: GB2580859A
Application number: GB1814629.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kinsella Tom
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-09-07
Filing date: 2018-09-07
Publication date: 2020-08-05
Anticipated expiration: 2038-09-07
Also published as: GB201814629D0; GB2580859B

Abstract

A wheeled trolley for carrying a container (11, see fig. 5); wherein the trolley has a flat baseboard 3 upon which materials, including said container, are carried. The flat baseboard has a D shaped aperture 10 in which a container may be partially received in said aperture for enabling tilting of the container. The D shaped aperture may be placed nearer to a second end 3b of the baseboard than the first end 3a. The trolley may comprise sockets (9, see fig.1) for receiving T shaped handles 1. Said handles may be secured by a linchpin which passes through both the handle and the socket. Said T shaped handles may be rotated 90 degrees so that they are parallel to the sides of the trolley. Finally, the handles may comprise receiving arms 6 for receiving other material.

Description

A FLOOR LAYERS TROLLEY

The present invention is a multi-function trolley for use in the building trade and more specifically for use by floor layers. The trolley is capable of carrying a container within which flooring screed or any other settable material is mixed and also provides a facility to assist the tilting of said container for the purpose of pouring the finished mix. In addition to its primary function as previously described, the trolley also provides for carrying rolls of flooring materials or any other rolled material and for carrying large solid sheets of boarding or floor covering and tools of the trade.

The transportation of building materials around a site where works are being carried out, has long been recognised as a problem. Because of the wide range of different materials a single solution has not been possible even within particular trades.

One such trade, floor laying is a perfect example of this difficulty. Floor laying materials come in many different forms, most common is the flooring screed which arrives on site as a granular mixture or a powder then has to be mixed with water and transported to its point of use where it has to be poured. Other flooring materials present their own particular transportation problems. For example, large rolls of flexible floor covering materials are difficult to transport as are harder less flexible materials such as large plywood sheets or boards. In addition to this the floor layer has to transport things like latex and also tools of the trade including brooms and rollers. All can be heavy and cumbersome to transport and handle. The floor layer may also have to provide the means for carrying all of these materials around the site, therefore the means for carrying these materials is itself in need of transportation to the site along with other items. The said carrying means therefore needs to occupy as little space as possible so that it may be easily brought to the site by the floor layer.

There are many different well known solutions to these problems, however, most solutions address a particular problem associated with a particular task or particular material and are not multi-functional in nature.

Mixing, transporting and pouring floor screed is one of the most common problems and a conventional wheelbarrow is the most frequently used solution requiring a degree of physical strength, but more focussed solutions can be found in the art as follows:-GB621246 The patent illustrates a simple tipping cart in which materials can be mixed, transported and poured it is effectively an improvement on the conventional and well known wheelbarrow.

GB264092, A similar solution to the above patent but provided with a means for assisting the tilting action which is required for pouring a finished screed mix.

CN106379383, Similar again to the above two solutions but taking the design to the next stage where an ejection device is provided for tilting.

DE2427674, This patent provides a slightly different solution for use in situations where flooring screed is piped into this trolley which then distributes the screed evenly on to the floor.

The above patents are examples which are designed to remove the physical strain of lifting and tilting a conventional wheelbarrow in a controlled manner they are not ideal for mixing and not adaptable for carrying other materials such as sheet plywood or rolls of flooring material.

The specific problem of transporting large sheets of material or rolls of flexible flooring material is address by the following patents.

W00125122, This patent provides a simple solution for transporting large sheets of material or individual rolls of material but is focussed only on this task and will not assist in moving liquid screed.

W02008031568, A general purpose cart suitable for transporting flat boards in an upright position, also suitable for carrying a tub of mixed screed but providing no way of safely tipping the screed out of the container.

GB2037671, this patent is an example of a multipurpose trolley or cart and can be converted into several different orientations for carrying several different materials.

There follows now a series of patents which teach the provision of a flatbed truck which can be used for any general purpose but none of them provide for tipping a full container of mixed screed safely in a controlled manner nor do they provide for safely carrying large sheets of plywood. These patents are GB2458115, W002092409, US2013/0328279, and W02016131040.

A final example of the art is provided in the form of US2018194381 which teaches the provision of a removable handle though does not provide for other tasks required by a floor layer as mentioned previously.

The present invention seeks to address all of the problems so far highlighted in the transporting, mixing and tipping/pouring of screed together with the carrying of large plywood sheets, tools of the trade and rolls of flexible flooring materials by providing a universal solution where one truck or trolley addresses all of these requirements and is therefore multi-functional. The present invention also provides a truck or trolley with a low profile body and removable handles which make it compact and easily transportable in a vehicle to and from the site where it is to be used.

In this specification.

The invention as described herein is referred to as "the Trolley" or "Trolley" The words "in use" indicate the orientation of the trolley when it is being used to carry materials at which time the wheels would be at the bottom in contact with the floor.

According to the invention there is provided a multi-function trolley for use mainly but not exclusively in the building trade and more specifically for use by floor layers. The said trolley has a flat rectangular baseboard with four wheels, each on a rotatable mounting attached, in use, to each corner of the four corners of the underside of the baseboard. In use the sides of the baseboard are parallel and are the longest sides of the rectangular baseboard. The ends are the shortest sides and are a first end and a second end of the baseboard which are also first and second ends of the trolley.

The rectangular baseboard has a D shaped aperture positioned nearer to the second end of the baseboard than the first end. The straight edge of the D shape is parallel to the ends and the curved part of the D which is approximately a half circle, is nearer to the second end than the straight part of the D. In use a cylindrical screed container is placed upon the upper side of the baseboard whereupon it will remain relatively stable and can be transported. In order to pour the contents of the container it needs to be located part way toward the second end allowing part of the circular base of the container to drop into the D shaped aperture. It may therefore be necessary to move the container manually into this position which permits the container to tilt. The degree of tilt can be controlled by altering the balance point of the container manually. In this fashion the contents of the container are poured from the second end of the trolley It should be noted that a preferred embodiment has been described above but there are other embodiments where the said D shaped aperture may be set so that the straight edge of the D is parallel to one of the sides of the baseboard allowing the container as previously described to be tilted towards the side of the trolley.

Attached, in use, to the top of the said flat rectangular baseboard, in parallel with the longest sides are two elongate batons, one each side made from any suitable material. The said batons are intended as side stop points which are to prevent sheet material from sliding off the sides of trolley.

At the first end of the trolley is a first handle and at the other end which is the second end is a second handle each is a removable, rotatable T shaped handle and the cross bar of the T shape of each handle is for holding whist manually pushing or pulling the trolley and is a preferred embodiment, but may be any other shape suitable for gripping. The said first and second T shaped handles each fits into a socket mounted at first and second ends of the baseboard respectively and are each secured by a linchpin which passes through both the socket and the handle.

Each handle has two sets of holes to receive the said linchpin a first set of holes and a second set of holes, where the second set is at 90 degrees to the first set around the same circumference. This allows the linchpin to be removed, the handle rotated by 90 degrees and the linchpin replaced thus allowing the cross bar of the T shaped handle to be parallel to the longest sides of the baseboard. In this position the said first and second handles provide support for large sheet materials such as plywood.

The first handle is equipped with receiving arms intended for receiving the second handle. The second handle may be removed from the second end and placed alongside and in parallel to the first handle at the first end, whereupon the said receiving arms on the first handle retain the second handle in position.

This leaves the second end of the trolley clear to accommodate a tilting screed container.

The trolley can also be used for carrying rolled flooring materials by placing the rolls on to the trolley in parallel to the longest sides so that in use there would be one roll either side of the trolley's first and second handles. The rolls would be prevented from rolling off the trolley by the previously described batons which are mounted in parallel and near to each edge of the longest sides of the baseboard.

The invention will now be more particularly described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-Figure 1, Is a side view of the trolley showing the baseboard with side baton attached and the first and second handles in position at the first and second ends of the trolley. Wheels can also be seen together with their rotating mounts.

Figure 2, Shows the trolley with the second handle removed and placed alongside in parallel with the first handle.

Figure 3, Is, in use, a view from above illustrating the T shaped handles and the D shaped aperture provided to facilitate pouring.

Figure 4, Shows a trolley with a screed container in place and mixing taking place.

Figure 5, Illustrates the tilting of the container where the base of the container is seated within the D shaped aperture in the baseboard.

Figure 6, Shows an example of the trolley being used to carry rolls of flooring material.

Figure 7, Demonstrates the use of the trolley for carrying flat sheets. The first and second handles are shown turned through 90 degrees. The dotted outline of the trolley would not normally be visible in this view unless the boards being carried were transparent.

Figure 8, Shows the mounting of the second handle which is identical to the first handle. A close up of the handle's socket together with the linchpin is provided. 20 Referring now to figure 1, An outline of the present invention is shown in side view. The baseboard 3, having a first end 3a and a second end 3b, has wheels 5a and 5b mounted on the underside and side batons 4, are mounted on the topside. At each end of the baseboard there is a socket 9, for receiving a handle. In this view the socket at the first end 3a, is not visible but it is identical to the socket 9, at the second end 3b which is visible. Handle 1 is shown with the receiving arms 6, though only one of the two arms is visible in this view. The T shaped hand bar 7 is shown attached to the first handle 1 and similarly the hand bar 8 is shown attached to the second handle 2. The lever 15 is a brake lever on the wheel.

Figure 2, is an identical view to figure 1, but the second handle 2 has been removed from socket 9, and placed alongside handle 1 where it is retained by the receiving arms 6.

Figure 3, A view from above to illustrate the position of the D shaped aperture 10 in closer proximity to the second end 3b of the baseboard 3, than to the first end 3a. It will be seen that the straight edge 10b of the D shaped aperture 10, is in parallel with the ends 3a and 3b. The curved edge 10a of the aperture 10, is nearest to the second end 3b. An outline 11, shown as a dotted circle is the normal position of the screed container. In order to tilt the container for pouring the container has to be moved along the baseboard 3, in the direction of the curved side/edge 10a of the aperture 10. The leading edge of the said container will then initially pivot against the straight edge 10b and drop into the aperture 10, with the curved side of the container resting against the curved edge of the D shaped aperture. It is then ilting towards the baseboard end 3b and the contents of the container may be poured. A better understanding of pouring may be had by referring to figure 5.

Figure 4, Simply illustrates the container 11, in place on the baseboard 3 and an electric mixer 12 is in use.

Figure 5, Is a side view of the container 11 being tilted to pour the screed on to the floor. Also shown is the bottom of the said container engaged in and extending through, the D shaped aperture 10, (not visible) so that part of the container is visible underneath the baseboard 3. Referring also to figure 3, in the pouring position as illustrated in figure 5, the circular side of the container is resting against the curved edge 10a, of the D shaped aperture and the flat base of the container is resting against the straight edge 10b of the D shaped aperture. In this position the container may be easily moved to tilt it more or less to control the pouring process. The more the container is tilted the less of the base of the container extends through the D shaped aperture in the baseboard and the weight of the container is placed upon the curved edge 10a of the D shaped aperture.

Figure 6, Illustrates the use of the trolley for carrying rolls of flooring materials 13, such as vinyl. The side batons 4 can be seen in use retaining the rolls of flooring material 13, which are lying side by side along the baseboard 3.

Figure 7, Illustrates the trolley, in use, carrying flooring boards 14, such as plywood. The first handle 1 and the second handle 2, have been rotated by 90 degrees and are acting as supports for the said boards 14. The boards are shown as transparent so as to facilitate understanding of the placement of the boards 14. The baton 4 is preventing the boards sliding off the trolley.

Figure 8, Is an end view of the trolley carrying boards showing the position of the handles which have been rotated through 90 degrees from their normal position.

Figure 9, Gives a close up view of the second handle 2 and it's corresponding socket 9. Holes for receiving a linchpin 16, are show in the handle 2, at point 17 for use when turning the handle for carrying boards of plywood and a further set of holes for normal use are positions where shown by the arrow 18. These holes are not visible from the angle displayed in this drawing. The linchpin 16, also passes through the socket 9 in order to retain the handle 2, when inserted into the socket 9. The linchpin as described is a straight metal pin with a shoulder at one end to prevent over insertion and also would have some form of flexible retainer to prevent accidental loss of the pin.

It will be understood that the above is just one example of an embodiment of the present invention and there are many other embodiments possible which do not resemble the example given. It is possible to use the method of tilting for pouring for example without any other features. However the provision of an aperture for tilting the said container together with other features providing universality are preferred common features.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A wheeled trolley adapted for carrying a container which is mainly but not exclusively cylindrical which trolley has a flat base board upon which materials including the said container are carried and which board has a D shaped aperture over which in use a full container may be placed so that part of the base of the container is received by the D shaped aperture allowing the container to tilt for the purpose of emptying the said container.
2. A wheeled trolley according to claim 1 where the said flat base board is a) rectangular in shape with four wheels each on a rotatable mounting located in use on the underside of the base board near to each of the C\I four corners of the base board and where in use the sides of the baseboard are parallel and are the longest sides and the first and second ends are the shortest sides of the baseboard.
3. A wheeled trolley according to any previous claim where the said D shaped aperture in the baseboard is nearer to the second end of the baseboard than it is to the first end.
4. A wheeled trolley according to any previous claim where first and second sockets are attached to the first and second ends respectively for the purpose of receiving first and second T shaped handles for pushing the trolley which handles are removable and where the top bar of the T is parallel to the one of the shortest sides of the trolley.
5. A wheeled trolley according to any previous claim where the said T shaped handles are secured to their respective sockets by a linchpin which passes through both the handle and the socket.
6. A wheeled trolley according to any previous claim where the said handles may be rotated through 90 degrees so that the top bar of the T shaped handle is parallel to the sides of the said trolley so as to provide supports for material to be carried on the trolley.0, 15
7. A wheeled trolley according to any previous claim where the said firstTCO handle is equipped with arms intended for receiving the second handle.TCV