US3115720A - Interchangeable identification theftproof handle construction - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 31, 1963 A. A. LACHANCE ,7

INTERCHANGEABLE IDENTIFICATION THEFT-PROOF HANDLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 21, 1958 A, FIG! 22 FIG?) 4 42 4 \4 1 A w! Hlllllllllll INVENTOR @Aw M 7 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,il5,72tl lhl'flElitlHAbiL-EABLE lDENElFlCATlQN THEE- lfllilflill lillANlDlLE CUNSTRUQTIUN Armand A. lbachance, American Metal Products (10., Seuthbridge Sat, Auburn, Mass. Filed Nov. 21, 1953, er. No. 775,651 l. Claim. (Cl. ill-308) This invention relates to a new and improved handle construction combined with an advertising medium or identification device and including means for permanently protecting the advertising message or identification, etc., together with theft-proof means for securing the parts together in assembled relation; and the provision of a device as above stated including means for disassembling the device for changing the advertising slogan or identification only by authorized personnel.

Further objects of the invention include the provision of a new and improved handle particularly adapted for grocery carts or other devices, said handle construction being extremely strong and permanent, easily assembled and isassembled, but by use of authorized personnel only, and including the provision of a primary elongated tube adapted to receive a fastener at each end thereof, said fastener being theft-proof and holding the parts in fixed assembled relation, there being an intermediate tube preferably of extruded plastic or the like surrounding the first-named tube, said second-named tube being provided with an identifying imprint or advertising thereon, and a tl'iird and last tube superimposed upon the intermediate tube, said last tube preferably being clear and permanently protecting the intermediate tube and the advert g or identifying imprint thereon, together with theftpreof locking means as aforesaid preferably threaded with relation to the innermost tube of the three tubes and substantially permanently assembling said tub-es in fixed, non-twisting relation onto a supporting means which may be, for instance, bent wire frame members applied to a cart or other vehicle.

The invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly set forth in the appended claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which l is a view in side elevation illustrating a grocery having be novel handle applied thereto; blG. 2 is an enlarged view, looking in the direction of arrow 2. in FIG. 1, parts being broken away and in section;

FlG. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of FIG. 2; l6. 4 is an end view, looking in the direction 4- in PK}. 3; and

5 is a view illustrating a special tool for use with the assembly of the parts shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 inclusive.

in carrying out the present construction, the same has been shown as applied to a more or less conventional grocery cart including a basket portion lb, a lower platform 12, and wheels lld and lid. T his grocery cart has applied thereto as a part thereof bent wire members and these being a continuation of each other and forming not only a structural member of a side of the basket ill but also being extended to the rear in a substantially circular conformation as illustrated at 22 and provi mg a support for the handle to be described.

The handle itself comprises a innermost tube 24 which is elongated and reduced at the end portions thereof as at the portion at 26 being internally threaded for the reception of a threaded fastener 25. This fastener 28 is provided with a substantially circular head portion 3b, this head portion being externally rounded all the way to the edges thereof, see 32-, and failing to provide a grip for an ordinary wrench or pair of pliers. The head is flat at the under side and may be indented at a plurality of of arrow ice positions as for instance at 34 so that it may be turned by means of a special wrench 36 in FIG. 5.

This wrench is provided with an enlarged opening 38 and inwardly directed projections which are adapted to fit the indentations 34 for turning the headed fastener 28 and Z-tl to both assemble and disassemble the same with relation to the substantially annular portion 22 of the wire members is and 2d and also with respect to the handle construction to be described including tube 2 The important point of the head 3b of this fastener is that it may not be taken 0d or disassembled by conventional means such as open end or box wrenches, monkeywrenches, pipe wrenches, pliers, etc, but instead must be assembled and dis-assembled by means of a special tool snown in detail in FIG. 5.

An intermediate tube indicated at 42 is assembled over the inner tube 24. Preferably the inner tube 24 is metal for strength but the tube 42 may be made of extruded plastic and may therefore appear in different colors and it also may be imprinted as indicated in FIG. 2 in any way desired for advertising or for identification purposes. This tube may be straight from end-to-end thereof and is not necessarily provided with any kind of fastening means at the ends thereof.

An outside tube indicated at 34 is applied over the intermediate tube and is preferably m de of clear plastic so that the lettering on the intermete tube is apparent therethrough and is permanently protected by the clear plastic tube 44. It is to be understood that these tubes may of course be made of any other materials but as a practical matter it is convenient to form the same as stated in order to provide a very strong, rigid combined advertising medium and handle comprising an inner metal tube, an intermediate lettered or indicated colored plastic tube and an outer clear plastic tube, the rimary function of which is to protect the intermediate tube and the lettering thereon.

As will be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3, the three tubes upon being telescopically assembled are applied between the annular parts of the wire members as at 2.2 and then the fasteners 23 mod 36) are applied through the central portion of the annular members 22 and threaded into the reduced portions of the inner tube 24 as is clearly shown FIG. 3. Upon tightening, this action clamps the annular portion 22 of the wire 13 between head 3% at the under flat side thereof and the tubes &2 and id, and this secures the parts together in fixed relation. This construction provides a strong, rigid handle member which will not fail even under very severe usage such as grocery carts and smaller vehicles have applied thereto and at the same time the advertising message or identification appearing on the handle is permanently protected by the outside tube 44- and the entire assembly is protected against unauthorized removal or disassembly or theft of any of the parts, as well as sealed against dirt and protected against twisting or turning of the imprinted tube.

daving thus described my invention and the advan tages thereof, 1 do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claim, but what I claim is:

A device of the class described comprising a plurality of tubular members of different diameters in telescoped relationship, means to secure the assembled tubes to annular obiects at the ends of the tubes, the outermost tube being transparent and the next inner tube having indicia thereon, an innermost tube having internal threads at the ends thereof, said means including headed bolts for for cooperation with the threads, the heads of the bolts securing the annular objects to the tubes, said heads being substantially the same in diameter as the annular objects and the outermost tube, the heads overlying and bearing on the annular objects and clamping the same to the ends 1,610,503 Langan Dec. 5, 1911 Lee Feb. 3, 1903 Currie Jan. 9, 1917 Kiger June 4, 1929 Hope Dec. 8, 1931 Corrnier July 2, 1946 WiHiams Apr. 15, 1947 Cadie Feb. 6, 1951 Brockway Aug. 31, 1954 Peters Aug. 27, 1957 Welter Dec. 29, 1959

Images