US2958539A - Dolly - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 1, 1960 Filed March 25, 1958 E. W. MUNHARVEY DOLLY 2 SheetsSheet 1 I 36 INVENTOR.

Eznesr W. Mun HARVEY A 7' Tax/Vera Nov. 1, 1960 E. w. MUNHARVEY DOLLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 25, 1958 PIG-.5

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INVENTQR. ErzuEs-r W. Muunnavew United States Patent DOLLY Ernest W. Munharvey, Massena, N.Y. (R.F.D., North Lawrence, N .Y.)

Filed Mar. 25, 1958, Ser. No. 723,697

2 Claims. (Cl. 280-473) This invention relates to dollies, that is, wheeled support means for objects, adapted to move said objects short distances while the same are being loaded, unloaded, or moved from one location to another within a warehouse.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a generally improved dolly that will be characterized by its particular strength, its relatively low height, its unusually effective balance, and its adaptability for manufacture at a comparatively low cost, considering the ruggedness and great strength thereof.

Another object is to provide a dolly or truck that will be comprised in large part of readily obtainable, basically conventional pieces of stock, such as heavy metal channels, etc.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawings, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a dolly according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view substantially on line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section through the device, approximately on line 4+4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view substantially on line 6-6 of Figure 1; and

Figure 7 is a sectional view substantially on line 7-7 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the dolly 10 constituting the present invention includes a rectangular frame having a front cross member 12, a rear cross member 14, and side members 16. All of these are formed of heavy channel material, with the channels opening in a direction outwardly of the frame. The corners are square, with the front and rear cross members being inside :the side members. The abutting surfaces of the several members are Welded together as at 18.

A center plate 20 of rectangular configuration fills the center opening of the rectangular frame, and is coplanar with the top, horizontal walls of the several channels (see Figure 5). The center plate 20 is welded throughout its periphery to the inner edges of the several channels.

This defines a rectangular frame the marginal portion of which, is, in effect, a continuous, outwardly facing channel with a center portion opening downwardly and having a bottom recess defined by the inner walls of the several channels and the plate 20, said recess being designated at 21 in Figure 5.

Mounted upon the bottom walls of the side members 16, adjacent the rear ends thereof, are transversely aligned bearings 22, having ball bearings 24 therein receiving the reduced tmnnions 26 of a core 27 on which is fixedly secured a roller 28 extending across the greatest part of Patented Nov. 1, 1960 the width of the recess 21. Bronze bushings may be used instead of ball bearings.

The roller is disposed adjacent the back wall of recess 21 as will be noted from Figure 4 and it has been found that this provides a desirable balancing action that particularly facilitates the balanced support of heavy objects that are being moved.

At 30 there are designated transversely aligned shoes that have upwardly extending projections at their front ends, said shoes being welded to the undersides of the side members 16. The shoes prevent the corners of the frame from digging into the floor surface.

Medially between the opposite sides of the device there are collars 32 which are spaced closely apart for extension of a draw bar 34 therebetween, said draw bar having an opening, the collars being secured to a shaft 36 extending through said opening.

Forwardly convergent arms 38 cooperate with the draw bar in defining a yoke for pulling the dolly, said arms, at their rear, divergent ends, having openings receiving the ends of the shaft 36. Shaft 36 comprism an elongated bolt having a head at one end, with a nut 40 being threaded upon the other end of the bolt.

At their convergent, forward ends, arms 38 extend in contact with the forward end of the tongue 34, and registering openings are provided in the tongue and arms, receiving a cross pin 46 on which is threaded a nut 48. A clevis 44 has openings receiving the pin, to pivot the clevis on the front end of the yoke.

In use of the device, it can be tilted slightly to permit a heavy object to be moved onto the same. The device, despite its great strength, is exceedingly low, so that the objects need not be lifted other than to a very minor extent.

Once the object is upon the device, it can be readily moved from place to place, and the device can of course be drawn either manually or perhaps by a tractor, industrial truck, etc.

In any event, the device is so formed that it provides a flat, rectangular, load-supporting surface, with all bearings, rollers, handle means, etc., being disposed below said surface in such a manner that they can not possibly interfere with the object being moved.

The device, further, has the adaptability of being manufactured from readily obtainable components, and it will be understood that in a commercial embodiment, the formation of various components of the device may be varied somewhat. For example, the yoke may be formed differently than as shown.

It is also important to note that the shaft 36 is engaged in side bearing plates 50 (see Figure 6) extending between the top and bottom walls of the side members 16 at the forward ends of the side members. Plates 50 may extend, also, across the weld seams 18 if desired.

For moving heavy loads, as for example, objects having long rectangular dimensions, one could use two dollies fastened together by two round rods of possibly /2 inch or inch diameter.

With further reference to the above mentioned tilting of the device, it is to be noted that there is specifically, clearly shown in Figure 3 the characteristic of the invention that facilitates said tilting by a particular form and relative arrangement of the front end of the frame, drawbar 34, shaft 36, and bearing plates 5t As will be seen from Figure 3, the forward edge of the top wall of the peripheral channel of the frame is spaced forwardly from the pivot axis of the vertically swinging drawbar 34. Said pivot axis is defined by the shaft 36, journaled in vertical bearing plates 50 connected between the top and bottom walls of the channel. By reason of this arrangement, on upward swinging of the drawbar 34, said drawbar will ultimately engage the forward edge of the mentioned top wall, at a location spaced forwardly from the pivot axis of the drawbar along the length of the 'drawbar. Continued upward .swinging movement of the .drawbar will, .as a result, impart a force in an upward direction against the front end .o'fthe frame, tending :to tilt the frame longitudinally .so that the frame swings upwardly at its front end. The frame swings, .in these circumstances, .about :the axis :defined by the trunnions '26. The trunnions are located adjacent the rear end of the frame, facilitating the tilting operation. ,Not only does this aid in sliding a supported object rearwardly off the frame during unloading of the device, but also, the arrangement aids in tilting the frame to facilitate loading of objects thereonto. Still further, the arrangement allows easy swinging of the frame to a .full vertical position, for storage with other dollies against a'vertical wall when not in use.

.It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any urpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A dolly comprising a frame having outwardly opening longitudinal channel side members having vertical webs and horizontal upper and lower flanges, said frame having a forwardly opening channel front cross mernher having horizontal upper and lower flanges, a transverse axle spaced removably from said cross member and extending between the webs of the side members, said axle having reduced trunnions on the ends, said Webs having transversely aligned openings, bearings fixed upon the lower flanges of the side members, said trunnions extending through the openings and being journaled in the bearings, an enlarged diameter ground-engaging roller securably circumposed on the axle and extending below the frame, and a handle assembly secured to and extending forwardly from said cross member, groundengaging shoes fixed to the underside of the lower flange of the front cross member and extending forwardly from the cross member, said handle assembly comprising a transverse shaft located between the upper and lower flanges and forwardly of the web of said front cross member, means fixing said shaft in place, spaced collars on a midlength point of said shaft, a longitudinal center bar journaled at its rear end on the shaft between the collars, and a handle loop pivoted on the center bar at the forward end thereof.

2. A dolly comprising a frame having outwardly opening longitudinal channel side members having vertical webs and horizontal upper and lower flanges, said frame having a forwardly opening channel front cross member ,having horizontal upper and lower flanges, a transverse axle spaced removably from said cross member and extending between the webs .of the side members, said axle having reduced trunnions on the ends, said webs having transversely aligned openings, bearings fixed upon the lower flanges of the side members, said trunnions extending through the openings and being journaled in the bearings, an enlarged diameter groundengaging roller securably circumposed on the axle and extending below the frame, and a handle assembly secured to and extending forwardly from said cross member, ground-engaging shoes fixed to the underside of the lower flange of the front cross member and extending forwardly from the cross member, said handle assembly comprising a transverse shaft located between the upper and lower flanges and forwardly of the web of said front cross member, means fixing said shaft in place, spaced collars on a midlength point of said shaft, a longitudinal center bar journaled at its rear end on the shaft between the collars, and a handle loop pivoted on the .center bar at the forward end thereof, said .handle assembly further comprising rearwardly divergent longitudinal side bars located at opposite sides of the center bar, :said side bars having rear ends securably journaled on said shaft at the ends of the shaft, said side bars having forward ends engaged with the center bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,293,699 Cannon Feb. 11, '1919 1,432,296 Mosel Oct. 17, 1922 1,728,436 Morrison Sept. 17, 1929 1,828,248 Hallowell et al. Oct. 20, 1931 2,389,584 Acker Nov. 27, 1945 2,397,315 Harris Mar. 26, 1946 2,560,928 Bockius July 17, 1951 2,699,953 C-haddick Jan. 18, 1955 2,744,763 Carter May 8, 1956

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