US2422331A

US2422331A - Collapsible wheelbarrow

Info

Publication number: US2422331A
Application number: US656924A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles H Bates
Original assignee: WILCOX ELECTRIC CO
Current assignee: WILCOX ELECTRIC CO
Priority date: 1946-03-25
Filing date: 1946-03-25
Publication date: 1947-06-17
Anticipated expiration: 1964-06-17

Description

June 17, 1947. c, H, BATES 2,422,331

COLLAPSIBLE WHEELBARROW Filed March 25, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Char/es 19. 50/25 INVENTOR. I

C. H.- BATES COLLAPS IBLE WHEELBARROW June 17, 1947.

Filed March 25, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet; 2

INVENTOR.

Char/es H. Bqfes Patented June 17, 1947 COLLAPSIBLE WHEELBAR'ROW Charles H. Bates, Independence, Mo., assignor to Wilcox Electric 00., Kansas City, Mo., a. corporation of Missouri Application March 25, 1946, Serial No. 656,924

1.0 Claims.

This invention relates to wheel barrows and the primary aim is to provide such a material handling and transporting implement as may be conveniently and quickly converted to and from a completely collapsed condition where shipping, storing and transporting thereof may be done without the wheel barrow occupying an objectionably large amount of space.

One of the most important objects of this invention is the provision of a collapsible wheel barrow, the sections whereof are made of light weight material, shiftably interconnected to allow manual manipulation to convert the parts of the barrow from an operative to an inoperative condition and vice versa whenever the occasion requires, all without the employment of any tools or implements.v

Another important object of this invention is to provide a collapsible wheel barrow the. body whereof is formed of a number of sections of sheet material, all articulated and sized to allow superimposing the sheets of material in substantial parallelism when the wheel barrow is collapsed.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a wheel barrow having a body formed of a number of cooperating specially designed sections mounted upon framework capable of holding the sections in an operative condition; to provide a wheel assembly mounted directly upon the framework or other parts of the wheel barrow so that the same may be collapsed to the inoperative condition without removing the wheel or any part of the assembly; and to provide a framework formed to interlock and maintain the entire wheel barrow in a rigid condition for ma.- nipulation and the carrying of a load when the wheel barrow is to be put into use.

Other aims of the invention will appear during the course of the following specification referring to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top perspective view of the collapsible wheel barrow made in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom perspective view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the wheel barrow with the component parts thereof in a partially collapsed condition.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed sectional view taken on line V-V of Fig. 1; and

F 6 is a detailed sectional view taken on line VIVI, of Fig. 5.

The form of the invention chosen for illnstratic-n is capable of fulfilling the objects above .set down and adequate to teach the manner of pro.- ducing the wheel barrow in an economical way.

The body per se comprises a. pair of side walls l0 and I2, a pair of end walls HI and t6 and a bottom l8. The bottom is sectional and the two sections thereof are hinged together along a longitudinal line at the median point of bottom I8. This hinge 2!) permits the bottom. i8 to break and form a pair of superimposed sections, each substantially the same size as side wall it. End wall I4 is hinged as at; 22 to one end of side wall 10. hinge is so placed as to allow end wall It to swing into superimposed relation with side wall 1H] when the bodyof the wheel barrow is to be collapsed. Likewise, end Wall 16 is hinged as at. 24. to the opposite end of sidewall. 10 from hinge 22. Side wall l2 has flanges thereon for supporting the free ends of end walls l4, and t6 and the free. edge of bottom It when the wheel barrow is in the operative position as clearly ilustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.. For example, wall rests against inturned. flan e 26 on side W ll 3 end wall t6 rests against inturned flange 28 and bottom wall it rests upon flange 30, all rig-id to side wall 12. When the wheel barrow in the operative position and walls l4, l6 and I8 r st upon their

respective flanges

26, 28 and latches 3.2 are brought into pl y to lock the parts to ether. There is at least one latch on ea h wall Hi. Hi and I8 and all are formed ubstantially the. same, as. clearly illustrated in Figs. 3, 5 and 6. Each latch is pivotally mou t d as at 34 on the respective wall to have a notch 36 engage a pin 38 rigid to the flange against which the respective wall rests when th body is in the operative position. A, hole illv through the wall clears. pin 38, all as shown in Fig, 6. These latch members 32 are on. the inside faces of the variou walls and may be swung to and from position without trouble when the wheel barrow is to be manipulated from the open to the collapsed condition..

The material from which the aforesaid walls are constructed '15 preferably sheet metal and it has be n found that a very ght wheel arrow may be made when using aluminum. Aluminum tubing may also be employed in producing the handles 42 and wheel brackets 44 one of which is associated with each side wall I0 and t2 .resp ti ly.

The handl extends rearwardly from the body.

of the wheel barrow .and the bracket extends forwardlya distance suflicient. to accommodate the wheel assembly broadly designated b the numeral 45 and hereinafter to be. more fully described. The tubular member from which each handle and

bracket

42 and 44 is formed is rebent upon itself to present a U-shaped element, the upper leg whereof is embraced by a curled marginal edge of the respective wall. The lower leg of the U-shaped element lies along the bottom of inturned flange 36 of wall [2 on the one side and below an inturned flange 48 at the lower edge of wall It. This inturned flang 4B is wide enough to underlie end walls l4 and 16 when they are in superimposed relation against wall i and the hinge 5i! carrying the bottom Wall :8 is connected directly to this flange 48. A leg 52 depends from the lower leg of the aforesaid U-shaped element extending rearwardly from each bracket 44 and these legs 52 are likewise formed of tubular material and attached directly to the leg of the U-shaped element" as illustrated in Fig. 2. l

A framework of links is constructedas shown in Fig. 2. This framework serves to maintain the sections of the wheel barow body in a rigid extended condition and likewise presents a means for drawing the side walls l8 and I2 together after end walls M and I6 and bottom wall i8 have been unlatched and folded against side wall ill. The framework comprises a number of links 54, 56, 53 and 69 arranged in pairs and having pivotal connection with the rearwardly extending leg of brackets 44. For example, one end of link 54 is pivotally connected as at 62 and one end of link 55 is pivotally connected as at B l. The proximal ends of these links E l and 56 are overlapped and pivotally joined by a pin 65. The same form of structure is utilized in mounting links 58 and Bil but in addition to these links 58 and $8 at the rearmost portion of the wheel barrow body there is a pair of braces 68 and 70 pivotally secured as at 12 to the respective legs.

52 and pivotally interconnected as at M by the same pin which passes through the overlapped inner proximal ends of links 58 and 69. This pin also passes through bar 76 interconnecting the inner articulated ends of links 54 and 58 and also the similar ends of links 53 and 69. This bar It has a head 78 thereon that may be grasped by the operator to cause the two pairs of links to move to and from the extended condition. Thus, after walls 54, I6, and 18 are swung against wall Hi, manipulating the linkage just described will draw the side portions of the wheel barrow body toward each other, provided of course, the wheel assembly 56 is conditioned to permit such action.

r The wheel assembly 36 is a uniquely arranged construction as shown in detail in Fig. 4. Wheel 66 is mounted upon a section 82 of a shaft that extends from one bracket 44 to another. Section 84 of the shaft of wheel assembly 46 has one end secured to one bracket 44 through the medium of a bolt or analogous means 88 while its inner end is pivotally attached as at B8 to the outer end of section 82 of the shaft.

pivotally interconnected ends of these shaft sections are without-sleeve 90 and Where they may swing or break, as illustrated in Fig. 3. A similar section 98 joined to the other bracket 44 in identically the same manner as just described with respect to section 84 presents a double-joint (one on each side of wheel '88) and when these joints are both free to hinge, the wheel assembly 6 will remain associated with the brackets 44 as they are shifted toward and from each other. Thus, no parts will become lost or misplaced and since the sleeves 90 are manually manipulable, no tools are necessary to shift the wheel barrow parts from the open to the collapsed condition.

Advantages arising from the employment of a wheel barrow made pursuant to the invention are obvious and will not only fulfill the objects above set forth but other requirements of wheel barrows where the same are to be collapsed and stored in a minimum amount of space.

Such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and it is, therefore, realized that the above described form of the invention is merely as an example and not confiningso far as the appended claims are concerned.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to" secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A wheel barrow 0f the kind described comprising a body formed of a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls and a bottom wall; handles extending outwardly from the side walls at one end thereof; brackets extendin outwardly from the opposite end of the side walls; and a wheel assembly mounted on the brackets, said end walls and the said bottom wall being hinged to one of the side walls for movement into substantially I parallel relation therewith. said wheel assembly A sleeve 99 is slidably mounted upon shaft sections 82 and 84 and carries a locking pin 92 on a spring 94 to enter groove '96 in shaft section 8d when sleeve 90 is in the position to extend over a portion of both sections 82 and 84. This relation of the parts is clearly shown in Fig. 4 and indicates that the inner articulated ends of shaft sections 82 and 85 cannot move about their pivotal interconnection '88. When the wheel barrow is to be collapsed, spring 94 is lifted to draw pin 92 out of groove 95 and sleeve 90 then moves along section 84 to a point where the being collapsible permittin movement of the side walls together after the end walls and thebottom wall have been swung into parallel relation with'the one side wall.

2. A wheel barrow of the kind described comprising a body formed of a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls and a bottom wall; handles extending outwardly from the side walls at one end thereof; brackets extending outwardly from the opposite end of the side walls; a wheel assembly mounted on the brackets, said end walls and the said bottom wall being hinged to one of the side walls for movement into substantially parallel relation therewith, said wheel assembly being collapsible permitting movement of the side walls together after the end walls and the bottom wall have been swun into parallel relation with the one side wall; and a collapsible framework interconnecting the pair of side walls.

3. A wheel barrow of the kind described comprising a body formed of a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls and a bottom wall; handles extendin outwardly from the side walls at one end thereof; brackets extending outwardly from the opposite end of the side walls; a wheel assembly mounted on the brackets, said end walls and the i said bottom wall being hinged to one of the side walls for movement into substantially parallel relation therewith, said wheel assembly being collapsible permitting movement of the sidewalls together afterthe end walls and the bottom wall have been swung'into parallel relation with the one side wall; and a collapsible framework interconnecting the pair of side walls, said framework including a number of links and a manually manipulable bar disposed to receive force for shifting the side walls toward and from each other.

l. A wheel barrow of the kinddescribed comprising a body formed of a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls and a bottom wall; handles extending outwardly from the side walls at one end thereof; brackets extending outwardly from the opposite end of the side walls; and a wheel assembly mounted on the brackets, said end walls and the said bottom wall being hinged to one of the side walls for movement into substantially parallel relation therewith, said wheel assembly being collapsible permitting movement of the side walls together after the end walls and the bo tom wall have been swung into parallel relation with the one side wall, said bottom wall being a number of articulated sections in the same plane when in the operative position and in superimposed relation all in parallelism with the side wall when the body is collapsed.

5. A wheel barrow of the kind described comprising a body formed of a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls and a bottom wall; handles extending outwardly from the side walls at one end thereof; brackets extending eutwardlly from the opposite end of the side walls; and a wheel assembly mounted on the brackets, said end walls and the said bottom wall being hinged to one of the side walls for movement into substantially parallel relation therewith, said wheel assembly being collapsible permitting movement of the side walls together after the end walls and the bottom wall have been swung into parallel relation with the one side wall, the other side wall having a flange thereon for supporting the end walls and the bottom wall, along the portions thereof remote from their hinge connections, and which receive the end walls and the bottom wall when the wheel barrow is in the operative condition.

6. A wheel barrow of the kind described comprising a body formed of a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls and a bottom wall; handles extending outwardly from the side walls at One end thereof; brackets extending outwardly from the opposite end of the side walls; and a wheel assembly mounted on the brackets, said end walls and the said bottom wall being hinged to one of the side walls for movement into substantially parallel relation therewith, said wheel assembly beingcollapsible permitting movement of the side walls together after the end walls and the bottom wall have been swung into parallel relation with the one side wall, said wheel assembly including a sectional shaft, means pivotally interconnecting the sections of the shaft for movement to and from an aligned condition, and structure for holding the sections of the shaft against pivotal movement.

*7. A wheel barrow of the kind described comprising a body formed of a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls and a bottom wall; handles extending outwardly from the side walls at one end thereof; brackets extending outwardly from the opposite end of the side walls; a wheel assembly mounted on the brackets, said end walls and the said bottom wall being hinged to one of the side walls for movement into substantially parallel relation therewith, said wheel assembly being collapsible permitting movement of the side walls together after the end walls and the bottom wall have been swung into parallel relation with the one side wall; and a collapsible frame-work interconnecting the pair of side walls, said frame-work including a number of links and a manually manipulable bar disposed to receive force for shifting the side walls toward and from each other, said frame-work being constructed to rigidly secure the side walls in spaced apart relation when the wheel barrow is opened to the operative condition.

8. A wheel barrow of the kind described comprising a body formed of a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls and a bottom wall; handles extending outwardly from the side walls at one end thereof; brackets extending outwardly from the opposite end of the side walls; a wheel assembly mounted on the brackets, said end walls and the said bottom wall being hinged to one of the side walls for movement into substantially parallel relation therewith, said wheel assembly being 001- lapsible permitting movement of the side walls together after the end walls and the bottom wall have been swung into parallel relation with the one side wall; and a collapsible frame-work interconnecting the pair of side walls, said framework including a number of links and a manually manipulable bar disposed to receive force for shifting the side walls toward and from each other, said frame-work being constructed to rigidly secure the side walls in spaced apart relation when the wheel barrow is opened to the operative condition, said frame-work including a brace for each leg respectively.

9. In a collapsible wheel barrow, a body formed of a number of articulated sections; means for holding the sections in an operative condition; and a wheel assembly adapted to cooperate with the body sections to permit collapsing of all parts of the wheel barrow to a relatively fiat package, as all parts thereof remain interconnected, said wheel assembly comprising a sectional shaft, 2. wheel on one Of the sections of the shaft and a manually releasable joint at each end respectively of the shaft section having the wheel thereon for connecting that section to the proximal ends of two sections of the shaft at each end of the section having the wheel thereon.

10. In a collapsible wheel barrow, a body y formed of a number of articulated sections;

means for holding the sections in an operative condition; and a wheel assembly adapted to cooperate with the body sections to permit collapsing of all parts of the wheel barrow to a relatively flat package, as all parts thereof remain interconnected, said wheel assembly comprising a sectional shaft, a wheel on one of the sections of the shaft and a manually releasable joint at each end respectively of the shaft section having the wheel thereon for connecting that section to the proximal ends of two sections of the shaft at each end of the section having the wheel thereon, said two sections being secured to different but opposed sections of the wheel barrow body.

CHARLES H. BATES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,823,816 Chittenden Sept. 15, 1931 611,675 Brookmeyer Oct. 4, 1898 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 337,661 Germany June 6, 1921