US1145523A - Folding wheelbarrow. - Google Patents

Description

0. L. THOMPSON.

FOLDING WHEELBARROW.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3. 1914.

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FOLDING WHEELBARROW- APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3. 19M.

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mm m1 m2 OSCAR I. THOMPSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FOLDING WHEELBARROW.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July c, rein.

Application filed June 3, 1914. Serial No. 842,681.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR L. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Wheelbarrows; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to transporting devices, particularly to wheelbarrows, and has for its object the provision of a wheelbarrow which may be folded for convenience in transportation, shipping or storage.

An important object is the provision of a wheelbarrow of this character which is provided with novel and eflective bracing means whereby its component parts may be rigidly secured together when the device is in use, said bracing means being pivotally and otherwise secured whereby they may be quickly disengaged when it is desired to fold the wheelbarrow.

Another object is the provision of a folding wheelbarrow which will be simple, comparatively inexpensive in manufacture, eflicient and durable in use, and a general improvement of the art. I

With these and other objects and advan tages in view, my invention consists in the novel construction, formation, arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my novel wheelbarrow in its extended and operative position. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the point of attachment of the wheellooking at the front wall of the wheel barrow. Fig. 4: is a vertical cross sectional viewon the line 4-4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a similar view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the wheelbarrow in its folded position, and Fig. 7 is-a cross sectional view therethrough.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numerals 10 and 11 designate the side bars of my wheelbarrow which are formed at one end with handle portions 12 and which are provided at their other ends with bearing plates 13 adapted to engage with similar hinged bearing plates 14: for

supporting, revolubly, the axle 15 of the wheel 16. Legs 17 and 18 are hinged upon the lower sides of the bars 10 and 11, as shown at 19, and have their upper ends cut away to form shoulders 20 abutting against the bottom sides of the bars 10 and 11 and to provide extensions 21 disposed upon the outer sides of the bars; In order to support ends 26 engaged within recesses 27 disposed on the under sides of the bars.

The bottom of the wheelbarrow is desi nated as a whole by the numeral 28 and comprises similar plates 29 and 30 which are hinged together at their contiguous lon- 31 Adjacent theirv outer longitudinal edges the plates 29 and 30 are provided with gitudinal edges by hinges 81 and hinged upon the side bars 10 and 11 as shown at rectangular slots or sockets 32 for a purpose j to be described.

In order that the bottom 28. may be held rigid and prevented from accidental folding, I provide cross bars 33 and 34: which have their outer endsseating within rectangular recesses 35 and 36 formed in the upper sides of the bars 10 and 11. The plates 29 andBO are secured to the cross bars a 33 and- 34k by bolts 87 which extend through the cross bars. and are secured by suitable thumb nuts 38. Bolts 88* pass through the plates 29 and 30 and into the side bars 10 and 11.

Secured upon the lower sides of the plates 29 and 30 adjacent their rear ends and adjacent their hinged connection, are screw eyes or loops 39 within which are engaged thehooked ends or diagonal brace rods 10 which are pivotally secured, as at a1, upon the inner opposed faces of thelegs 17 and 18, whereby the logs are prevented from swinging either inwardly or outwardly.

The front of my wheelbarrow is designated as a whole by the numeral 42 and comprises similar plates 13 and 14 which are hingedly secured to each other, as shown at 45. Theplate 43 is also hinged upon the plate 29 of the bottom, as shown at 46. In order to prevent the plates 43 and 44 of the front from accidental folding, I provide bars 47 pivoted, as at 48, upon the plates 43 and 44 and slotted at their other ends, as shown at 49, for engagement with projections 50, or the like, secured upon the plates 43 and 44. In order to prevent the front 42 from swinging backwardly, I provide brace rods5l pivotally secured at 52 upon the forward ends of the bars 10 and 11 and provided upon their upper ends with hooks 53 detachably engageable within screw eyes, or the like, 54 secured upon the front.

When the device is assembled, as shown and described, it is adapted for use in hauling wood or long articles of any description. In order to adapt the device for hauling material. or articles whichmight roll OK the bottom, I provide sides which comprise plates 55 having vertically extending cleats 56 secured thereto, passing through the sockets 32 in the bottom plates 29 and 30 and having their lower ends engaging within U-shaped brackets 57 secured upon the outer sides of the bars 10 and 11. The side plates 55 have connection with the front 42 by hooks 58 pivoted upon the inner sides of the plates 55 and engaging within screw eyes, or the like, 59 secured upon the rear edges of the plates 43 and 44.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a wheel barrow which, when assembled and braced as described and shown in Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings, is adapted for carrying or hauling anything which can be handled with a wheel barrow.

In order to collapse my device for convenience in transportation, shipping or storage, I detach the hooks 58 from the screw eyes 59 and remove the side plates 55 by pulling upwardly upon them to release the cleats 56 from engagement with the brackets 57 and the sockets 32, and then place the sides face to face with the cleats on one side engaging the cleats on the other side. I then disengage the hook rods 51 from the screw eyes 54 and swing them downwardly upon the tops of the side bars 10 and 11, and then release the cross bars 47 from engagement with the projections 50 and allow the cross bars 47 to be disposed vertically upon the plates 43 and 44 of the front 42. I then swing the plate 44 rearwardly upon its hinges 45 and into engagement with the plate 43, and allow both plates to swing forwardly upon the hinges 46 to lie parallel with the bottom 28. The wheel 16 is removed by swinging the movable hinged bearing plates 15 open. In order to fold the legs 17 and 18, I disengage the projecting ends 26 of the rods 23 from. the recesses 95' 27 and also disengage the hook rods 40 from the screw eyes 39 and swing the legs upwardly upon the hinges 19 until they rest against the lower sides of the side bars 10 and 11, the rods 23 sliding along the guide rods 25. The bottom 28 is folded by re moving the bolts 37, removing the cross bars 34 and from the sockets 35 and 36 and swinging the plate 28 upon the plate 29. The side bars 10 and. 11 are then swung upon the hinges 31 so that the folded legs will lie along the plates 28 and 29. It is of course necessary first to remove the bolts 38.

When the device is folded as described, it will appear as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings, in which it is seen that the plates 29 and 30 are disposed upon each other, the front plates 43 and 44 being disposed upon each other and in alinement with the plates 29 and 30, the side bars 10 and 11 being disposed upon the outer opposite sides of these alined plates, the legs 17 and 18 being disposed flat along the sides 10 and 11 and upon the plates 29 and 30, and the wheel 16 being disposed between the side bars.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a wheelbarrow which may be readily extended for use and which may be quickly and easily folded to occupy but a small space.

It will be readily understood that I reserve the right to make various changes in the form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or limiting the scope of the sub-joined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A folding wheelbarrow comprising side bars, a wheel detachably journaled thereon, a bottom foldable upon said side bars, legs foldable upon said side bars, a front hinged upon said bottom, and bracing means for holding said parts in their extended positions.

2. A folding wheelbarrow comprising side bars, a wheel detachably journaled thereon, a bottom in two sections foldable upon each other and upon said side bars, legs foldable upon said side bars, brace rods connected with said legs and detachably connected with said bottom, additional braces connected with the legs and slidably connected with corresponding side bars and a front in two sections hinged to each other, one of said front sections being hinged to said bottom.

3. A folding wheelbarrow comprising side bars, a wheel detachably journaled thereon, a bottom comprising two similar sections hinged to each other, cross bars disposed below said bottom and engaging said side bars, legs hinged upon said side bars, brace rods pivotally connected with the inner and forward faces of said legs and detachably connected with said bottom sections and slidably connected with said side bars respectively, a front comprising two similar sections hinged to each other and hinged upon said bottom, and braces pivoted upon one of said front sections and detachably connected with the other of said front sections.

4. Afolding wheelbarrow comprising side bars, a wheel detachably journaled thereon, a bottom comprising two similar sections hinged to each other at their longitudinal contiguous edges and hinged upon said side bars, bolts extending through said bottom sections and engaging said side bars, legs hinged upon the lower sides of said side bars, brace rods 'pivotally connected with the inner opposed faces of said legs and detachably connected with the lower side of said bottom section, brace rods pivotally connected with the forward edges of said legs and detachably engaging recesses in the lower sides of said side bars, cross bars disposed below said bottom and seated within recesses in the top of said bars, a front com prising two similar sections hinged to each other, one of said sections being hinged upon one of said bottom sections, and brace rods pivoted upon the forward ends of said side.

bars and detachably connected with said front sections.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

OSCAR L. THOMPSON. Witnesses:

GEORGE H. SIMs, W. H. JOHNSON.

Copies 01. this patent may be obtained forfive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of JPatents, Washington, D. C.

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