US1980211A - Baby carriage - Google Patents

Description

6, 1955 2 Sheets-Shed 1 Mam LIA Evil 4 Samuel (30% t .T/zeifA ziorne s N. J. KROLL El" AL BABY CARRIAGE Filed Dec.

Nov. 13, 1934. 1

NOV. 13, 1934. J, KRQLL r AL 1,980,211

BABY CARRIAGE Filed Dec. 6. 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 maze dKFOZZ.

fizz/67260715 Patented Nov. 13, I934 UNITED STATES PATENTGFFFCE BABY CARRIAGE Nathan J Kroll and Samuel Kroll, Chicago, 111. Application December 6, 1933, Serial No. 701,128 4 Claims- (Cl. 280-29) This invention relates to baby carriages.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved baby carriage which is relatively simple and inexpensive in construction and efiicient in use.

Another object of this invention is: to provide a baby carriage, coach or like vehicle, which is so constructed that the body of the carriage will be kept in a level or horizontal position at all times and hence will not cause the occupant of the carriage to shift or slide forwardly therein, and consequently will not disturb or awaken the child occupying the carriage, as happens with the conventional prior art carriages, especially when the latter are lifted to mount a curb or other obstruction in the path of the carriage. This is an important feature of the present invention because it assures the childs rest and the mothers peace of mind.

, Other objects of the invention are: to provide a baby carriage which can readily be liftedup over a curb or other obstruction with a minimum expenditure of time and effort; toconstructthe carriage in such a way that its front end can be pivoted up over a curb or other obstruction and its rear end lifted simultaneously therewith by the operator through the act of pressing down on a foot lever; to construct the carriage in such a way that side sway of its body, relative to its frame or chassis, is prevented; to provide, in combination with the pivoted frame, a braking mechanism for the front and rear wheels of the carriage; to equip the carriage with anti-tipping means for preventing it from tipping rearwardly; to construct said anti tipping means asa part of the lifting means; and to provide the baby carriage hereinafter described and claimed.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The drawings show a preferred embodiment of the invention and therein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a carriage embodying the invention and illustrating how the lifting mechanism of the carriage is manipulated to raise the carriage up over acurb or other obstruction, and how, at the same time, the antitipping device is brought into play;

Fig. 2 is a plan view, on line 2? "2 in Fig. 1, showing the arrangement of the wheel bearing frame or chassis, and the lifting means, and anti-tipping device, relative to each other;

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view on line 3-3 in Fig. 2 illustrating certain parts of the lifting means and means for latchin the same in raised or inefiective position;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view on line scribed more fully 4-4 in Fig. 2 illustrating the operation of the combination lifting and anti-tipping device; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional View on line 5-.5 in Fig. 2 illustrating the construction of the anti-side sway device which is embodied in the invention.

A baby carriage or coach, embodying a preferred form of the present invention, is illustrated in the drawings and is generally indicated therein at 10; said carriage comprising a wheelhearing frame or chassis, generally indicated at 11; and a body 12 carried thereby and having at its rear end a handle or handle bars 13.

Attached to the front axle 14, as at 15, are flat springs 16 to which the body 12 is attached, as at 17, so that the body 12 of the carriage is suspended from the springs 16. Pivotally attached to the rear axle 18, as at 19, (Fig. 3), are releasable latching means in the form of dogs or pawls 20, each of which has a latching portion 21. These latch portions 21 engage the springs 18 adjacent the rear axle 18 (Figs. 2 and 3), and hold the combination lifting and anti-tipping device in ineffective position, as will be explained more fully hereinafter.

Each of the latch members 20 has an arm 22 (Fig. 3) which cams against an arm 23 of a U- shaped combination lifting and anti-tipping member, generally indicated at 24 (Fig. 2). This lJ-shaped member 24 has a cross arm 25 (Fig. '2) 5 which projects rearwardly of the body 12 of the carriage. When in lowered position this member 24 functions as an anti-tipping device and when in raised position itacts asv a foot operated lever for releasing the latch members 28 from latching 9 engagement with the flat springs 16 so that the front end of the carriage can be pivoted upwardly to clear an obstruction, To this end each of the arms 23 of the U-shaped member 24 is pivotally attached, as at 26, to a horizontal rod 2'7. These rods 2'7 form part of the lifting means, tobe dehereinafter, and they extend substantially parallel to the horizontal portions of the springs 16 and are pivotally attached at their front ends to the springs 16, just to the rear of the front axle 14 as at 28 (Fig. 2), so as to be capable of pivoted movement relative to the frame or chassis ll. The'rods 27 at their rear ends project below the rear axle 18 (Figs. 2 and 3) and are rigidly attached thereto, as at 29.

Having its end portions projecting under the springs 16 and extending across the rear axle 18 parallel to and above the latter so as to bear thereon, is a flat spring 30 which is kept under a slight compression by the engagement of the latch 1m engagement with the springs 16 (Fig. 3).

. tions of which bear or cam upwardly against the latch members 26 (Fig. 2) and tend to rotate the latch members 20 (clockwise, Fig.3) so as to urge the latch members 20 into latching engagement with the springs 16. i

A supporting truss rod 32 is arranged below the rear axle 18; this truss rod 32 being attached at its midportion to the rear axle 13, as at 33, and hav ing its outer end portions attached to the rods 27 as at 33 (Fig.3).

The several parts of the new baby carriage coach or like vehicle 10 are normally in the lower or full line position of Fig. 1, and in this position of the parts the spring 31, being under a slight compression urges the latch members 20 into This action of the spring 31 upon the latch members 20 exerts a bearing reaction upon the U-shaped anti-tipping and operating member 24, and thereby holds the member 24 in the raised or full line position of Figs. 1 and 4; thisbearing reaction of the spring 31 upon the latch members 20 acting through the arms 22 of the latch members 20 to prevent the arms 23 of the member 24 from pivoting downwardly (Fig. 4) and thus tending to keepthe cross arm 25 of member 24 in raised position.

' When the baby carriage 10 encounters a. curb, or other obstruction, the mother or other operator of the vehicle holds the body 12 of the vehicle in a substantially horizontal position, through the medium of the handle 13, of the vehicle and at the same timeshe presses her foot down against the cross arm 25 of the lifting and anti-tipping member-24 (as indicated in Fig. 1), thereby pivot ing the arms 23 of member 24 at 26 (clockwise, Fig. 4) upwardly into engagement with the arms 22 of the latch members 20. During this movement the arms 23 of the member 24 first engage the arms 22 of the latch members 20 and pivot the latter out of engagement with the springs 16 (Fig. 3), after which further movement of the member 24 causes its arms 23' to engage under the rear axle 18 whereupon the rods 27 and themember 24 move as one unit (into dotted line position, Fig. 4). Thus the front end of the carriage is pivoted upwardly to clear an obstruction and at'the same time the cross arm '25 of member 24 is pivoted downwardly. i i

This member 24 is so shaped that in its normal or raised position it is free to engage the ground or other surface'upon Which the carriage is disposed and prevent the same from tipping over backwardly, should the carriage for any reason, tend so to do.

Simultaneously with this upward movement of the front end of the carriage and downward movement of the member 24, the operator moves the body of the carriage forwardly on a level,

that is in a horizontal plane, whereupon the rear wheels of the carriage climb and thus the carriage clears the obstruction. The aforementioned operation elevates the front wheels and front end of the vehicle up over the curb or other obstruction and at the same time elevates the rear wheels and rear end of the carriage so that the occupant of the carriage body 12 will not shift or gravitate toward the rear of the vehicle during the opera- (Figl 1) for device for preventing the carriage body 12 from tipping over. The chain 34 also acts as a safety device to prevent the carriage body 12 from tipping over should the operator of the'carriage "accidentally release the latch members 20.

After the carriage has cleared the obstruction, the weight of the carriage body 12 compresses the spring and automatically reengages the latch members 20 with the springs 16. It may be said here that the spring 30 limits the extent to which the springs 16 may be flexed upwardly during the carriage lifting operation so that the springs 16 may be readily reengaged with the latch members 20 by a slight downward movement of the carriage body 12 and this reengagement of the latch members 20, being automatic in its operation, does not require the attention of theoperator of the carriage.

' To prevent side sway of the body 12 of the carriage an anti-side sway device (Fig. 5) is associated with each of the springs 16 and rods 27. Each of these devices comprises a member 35 which is attached at its upper'end to the corresponding spring 16 just forwardly of the rear axle 18, as at 36 (Figs. 2 and 5). These members 35 depend from the springs 36 inside the rods 27 and abut the latter to prevent side sway of the body of the carriage, relative to the chassis 11.

mechanism, generally indicated at 37 in the drawing, and including a rock shaft 38. The inner 'end of the rock shaft'38 is mounted in a bracket 39 that is' attached to the flat spring 30 and the outer end of the rock shaft 39 is mounted in a bracket 40 that is attached to one of the springs 16 (Fig. 2). 'Pivotally attached at its lowerend'to the-outer end of'the rock shaft 38 is a brake "operating lever 41 which projects upwardly 'at the rear of the vehicle manipulation by the vehicle *operator.

Formed on the inner end of the rock shaft 38 is a crank arm 42 and pivotally attached is a slide rod 43. Attached to the front end of the. slide rod. 43 is a brake rod 44Whi0h slid 16 on the top thereof (Fig. 4).

to the crank arm 42 below the rock shaft 38 To operate the braking mechanism 37 the operator of the vehicle pulls upwardly on the brake control and operating lever 41 (Fig. 1). This rocks the shaft 38 (clockwise as seen looking from the top to bottom of the sheet in Fig. 2)

and this motion of the rock shaft 38 slides the rod 43 and the brake rod 44 attached thereto toward the front of the vehicle (to the left Fig. 2) causing the brake rod 44 to-engage the front wheels of the, carriage 10; while at the same time this motion of the rock shaft 38 slides the rod 45 and the brake rod 46 toward therear of the vehicle, (to the left Fig. 2) thus moving the brake rod 46 into braking engagement with the rear wheels of the vehicle. To release the brake rods 44 and 46 from braking engagement with the wheels of the vehicle the operator reverses the aforementioned movements by pushing down on the brake control lever 41.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying our invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification, without departing from the spirit of the invention. We, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A baby carriage, comprising the combination of: a frame and a body supported thereby; means for pivotally lifting one end of the carriage relative to the other end thereof; said lifting means including horizontally extending members having attachment at their rear ends to the rear axle of the vehicle and being pivotally suspended at their front ends from said frame;

latch members pivotally mounted on the said rear axle of the vehicle and having portions latchingly engageable with said frame; a resilient member carried by said rear axle normally urging the said portions of said latch members into latching engagement with said frame; a footoperated member pivotally mounted upon said horizontally extending members at the rear thereof and having bearing engagement at its inner ends under said latch members and tending to pivot the said portions of the latter out of latching engagement with said frame; said latch members normally latching said foot-operated member in raised position.

2. A baby carriage, comprising the combination of: a frame and a body supported thereby; means for pivotally lifting one end of the carriage relative to the other end thereof; said lifting means including horizontally extending members having attachment at their rear ends to the rear axle of the vehicle and being pivotally suspended at their front ends from saidframe; and a foot-operated member having parallel arms pivotally mounted between their ends upon said horizontally extending members and including a carriage;

cross arm extending between said arms and pro-' jecting rearwardly of the frame and body of the carriage, and latch members carried by the rear axle of the carriage for latching the said arms in raised position; said arms having a bearing engagement at their inner ends under said latch members.

3. A baby carriage, comprising the combination of: a frame and a body supported thereby; means for pivotally lifting one end of the carriage relative to the other end thereof; said lifting means including horizontally extending members having attachment at their rear ends to the rear axle of the vehicle and being pivotally suspended at their front ends from said frame; and a footoperated member having parallel arms pivotally mounted between their ends upon said horizontally extending members and including a cross arm extending between said arms and projecting rearwardly of carriage; and latch members pivotally mounted on the rear axle of the carriage for latching the said arms in raised position; said arms having a bearing engagement at their inner endsunder said latch members; and said foot-operated member being adapted to prevent rearward tipping of the carriage during normal operation thereof.

4. A baby carriage, comprising the combination of: a frame and a body supported thereby; means for pivotally lifting one end of the carriage relative to the other end thereof; said lifting means including horizontally extending members having attachment at their rear ends to the rear axle of the vehicle and being pivotally suspended at their front ends from said frame and a footoperated member having parallel arms pivotally mounted between their ends upon said horizontally extending member and including a cross arm extending between said arms and prov jecting rearwardly of the frame and body of the and latch members pivotally mounted on the rear axle of the vehicle for latching said arms inraised position; said arms having a bearing engagement at their inner ends under said latch members; said latch members being releasable from latching engagement with said frame by movement of said foot-operated member into lowered position.

NATHAN J. KROLL.

SAMUEL KROLL.

the frame and body of the

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