US782930A - Folding go-cart. - Google Patents

Description

No. 782,930. PATENTED FEB. 21, 1905. v

E. L. THOMPSON.

FOLDING GO-GART.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 24, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E. L. THOMPSON. 1

I FOLDING GO-OART. I APPLICATION rum) snr'r. 24, 1904.

PATBNTED FEB. 21, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNIT ED STATES Patented February 21, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

FOLDING eo-can'r.

SPECIFICATION forming art of Letters Patent No. 782,930, dated February 21, 1 905.

Application filed September 24, 1904. Serial No. 225.732.

To a who/n, it 'HMI/J/ concern.-

Be it known that l, ELwIN L. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bald winsville, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Folding (io-Carts, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is aspecification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of a novel folding go-cart so constructed and arranged that while of light weight, strong and simple, and quickly and readily foldable into a compact form for transportation or storage it possesses great resiliency and flexlbllity so far as concerns the comfort of the occupant, with the strength and durability requisite for'safety when in use.

In the present embodiment of my invention the body, comprising seat, back, and arms, is pivotally mounted upon and connected with the running-gear, their axles,and spring side bars connecting them. I make the running-gear non-collapsi- 'ble,and thus independent of the foldingaction,

so that its strength is very materially increased and the resiliency of the spring members thereof is distributed in a better manner and with greater ease to'the occupant than is compatible with collapsing or foldable runmug-gear.

The various novel features of my invention will be fully described in the subjoined specification and particularly pointed out in the following claims.

Figure 1 isa side elevation of a go-cart embodying one form of my present invention in upright position.- Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional detail, enlarged, taken through the cent-er of the seat. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the go-cart in folded position. Fig. 4 is a sidc elevation of a modification of the go-cart in upright position. Fig-.5 is a back view thereof; and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the modification, showing the go-cart folded in full lines, an intermediate position assumed ]during the folding being indicated by dotted mes;

5 1 have herein showitherunning-gear as the latter including wheels,

noncollapsible and comprising front and rear' axles a F, of suitable construction, equipped, respectively, with wheels A B (the latter being shown as of considerably larger diameter) and fore and aft spring members or side bars a. strong yet light spring metal and are continuous from end to endand fixedly secured at their. opposite ends to the axles, the spring or resilience of the side bars being increased at the back of, the vehicleby bending them to form C-springs 0 The main portions of the side bars are well above the axles and substantially horizontal, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 6, and their front ends are bent down at c. to the axle a", afoot-rest f being attached by .brackets fto the parts a. A skeleton running-gear is thus formed, strong, 'light,

'yet possessing great resiliency for the proper and comfortable support of the body of the go-cart.-

Referring to Figs. 1, 2', and 3, the side bars have rigidly-secured thereto near the front ends of their horizontal portions depending ears 0 and, rigid upturned ears 0 above the C-springs. The back of the body and the seat It are pivotally connected at It the lower ends-of the handle-bars it of the back extending below the seat and having ears It rigidly secured thereto and forwardly extended. Pivots [b connect the handle-bars with the upturned ears 0 of the running-gear, so that the back can swing between the side bars 0 on the fulcra if when the go-cart is folded or unfolded. The depending ears 0 have fulcrumed thereon at h upturned arms it, connected at their upper ends by a cross-bar It, which swings below the seat It and supports the latter at its front end (see Figs.,1 and 2) when the go-cart is unfolded. Links b are pivotally connected with the ears I? on the handle-bars and with the arms it at It, so that the arms will swing on their fulcra it oppositely to the back when it is swung on its fulcra It. or keeper 7t in the bottom of the seat is adapted to cooperate with the cross-bar It when the body is in upright position, and a guard It extends beneath the seat fore and aft to limit the swinging movement of the arms b.- Side arms h are fulcrumed at It on the handle- A locking stud front end of the guard k and the keeper h",

as in Figs. 1 and 2, the body is locked from swinging movement with relationito the running-gear and can only be unlocked by lifting the front end of the seat It far enough to cause the stud or keeper to clear the cross-bar. Then to fold the go-cart into small compass for carrying it about or for storage when not in use the upperend of the back is swung forward in the direction of arrow 75, Figs. 1 and 2. The

. links 127 are then pulled back, causing the arnris h to swing rearward on their fulcra h in the direction'of arrow 76, Fig. 2, the arms, being extended between the side bars 0 of the running-gear. As the forward swing of the back is continued it folds down upon the seat, the links h acting simultaneously to swing the.

' side arms up against the handle-bars h'of the back; but at the same time the backward swing of arms h 'on their fulcra It carries the crossbar it along the guard-to the rear end thereof, permitting the front of the seat k to descend until the ends of the links h rest at their pivotal points It upon the side bars, as shown in Fig. 3. In such folded position the go-cart is-manifestly very compact and occupies very little room, so that it can becarried about readily or hung up out of the way when not in use.

During the folding operation the connecf tion-points it between the links it and arms it gradually approach a straight line between the relatively fixed fulc'rumpoints 71 h, and the length of the links it is such that just before final folded position is reached thepoints h are caused to snap below the straight line between said relatively fixed fulcra, locking the body in folded position. This snapor jump ispermitted by theresiliency of the side ,bars a, so that when the gocart is completely folded, as in Fig. 3-, the parts ,will be retained folded until a hard enough pull is given the back away from the running-gear to overcome the resiliency of the side bars a and permit the points it t6 snap baek past dead-centeron the upper side. Then the, unfolding is completed by returning the back and seat to the position shdwn in Figs. 1 and 2, the studio being inclined and provided with a rounded end to let the c ross-bar it pass beneath it to locking positlon. The swinging arms and cross bar thus act not only to supportthe front endof the seat, but also as a latchdevice, to 6 lock the body in upright position. 5

In the modified construction'shown in Figs..

continued 4, 5, and-6 the running-gearis the same; but the back and seat 7) b of the body are rela-' tively fixed and conveniently made of bent wood, the seat being curved overand down in front at 72 to form a support for the legs of the occupant. Truss-braces 12 made of rigid iron straps, are secured to the 'under side of the seat 72. and its curved front 7;, the rear ends of the braces being attached to the lower ends of the handle-bars la, secured to the back 6. Upturned ears 1 are secured to the side bars about the center of the horizontal portions thereof, and similar ears 2 are attached at thefront ends of such portions. Depend- :ing links 3 are rigidly attached to the body beneath the seat,-their lower ends being fulcrumed at 4 on the ears 1, the links extending between the said ears and-forming a pivotal or swinging connection between the body 'and the running-gear, the weight of the oc-' cupant being transmitted by the supportinglinks directly to the spring side bars 0. The seat is made of less width than the distance between the side bars, so that it can be swung between them when the body is folded onto the running-gear, as will be explained. Side arms I) are pivotally connected with the body, herein shown as fulcrumed at 5 on thehandlebars h, and long links 6 are pivoted at 7 to" the arms near their outer ends, the'lower ends of said links being fulcrumed at 8 on the ears 2.

In order to hold the body locked from swinging movement with relation to the runninggear, 1 have provided latch members d, fulcrumed at 9 on the links 3-and having notches 10 11 in their lower edges near their outer ends,-a cross-bar d X connecting the members d. A rod 61, secured to the side bars 0 and extended from one to the other ,below the; latch members, serves asa keeper, the notches cooperating therewith, said latch members swinging between the side bars, aspring .s-

' attached at its ends to the axle b, and crossbar (1 holding the latch members and keeper in engagement. When the notches 10 engage the keeper, the links 3 are held from angular movement and the body is maintained locked in upright position, but permitting free movement of the body with the spring action of the side bars, the latch members d at such time assisting 'to support the weight of the body and its occupant. To fold the go-cart, the cross-bar d x is lifted, releasing the membersd from the keeper, and

the body is swung forward bodily onthe pivots 4 as f-ul'cralthe dotted lines in Fig. 6 showing the movement,-and as such movement is he seat swings down behind the foot-rest f and between the side bars into fullline position, Fig; 6. At such time the notches 11 receivethe keeper d and the body and runping-gear are locked in' such positionf While 'the'body is being moved into folded position,

thelink s 6- swing on their fulcra 8 and turn 13o tion.

Myinvention is not restricted tothe preclse construction and arrangement shown and Patent,

and means acting automatically by opening or folding of the body, respectively, to lock the I at their ends with theaxles, and bent to form C-springs at their rear ends, a body, pivotal pivotally the side arms btoward the back of the body, I

as shown in Fig. 6. The go-cart can then be turned into a vertical position, resting on the rear wheels B, and. either leaned against the wall or hung up orcarried about by the top bar It of the handle.

To restore the go-cart to position for use,

the latch is released and the body and running-gear will swing apart until the spring a" causes the notches to engage the keeper, and the body is then locked in upright posidescrihed, as the same may be modified or varied in different particulars without departing from the spirit and scope of myinven;

tion. I

Having fully described my invention, what I claim is' T 1. Ina folding go-cart, running-gear, includmg contlnuou s sprin'g side bars, a body connected therewith, whereby the running-gear and body may be folded together,

connections between it and the ru-nnlng-gear,

. whereby the body may be folded-'down upon the running-gear, and means in upright position..

4. In'a folding gocart, running-gear, including continuousspring side bars, an at tached foot-rest,,a body pivotally connected with the side bars and adapted when folded to swing betweengthem, and means automatically operative by opening or folding of the body, respectively, to lock the body in upright to lock the body or in folded position.

In a folding go-cart,;running-gear, including continuous spring side bars, a footrest fixedly mounted thereon, abody pivotally connected with the side bars, arms jointed to the body, meansto automatically move the latter is swung into folded position, and means to lock automatically the body in upright or in folded position.

-6. In a folding go-cart, non-collapsible running-gear having fore and aft continuous spring members, a b

ody pivotally connected :keeper,

as new, and desire to secure by Letters with and supported by said members,and

adapted to be swung down upon them when folded, and means, comprising a swinging, antomatically-controlled latch member and a to lock the body from swinging movement relatively to the running-gear.

7. In a folding gmcart, non-collapsible runninggear having fore and aft continuous spring members, a body having a back, and side arms jointed thereto, means to automatically fold the'side arms against the back when the body is folded upon the running-gear, swinging members pivotally connecting said body with the spring members of. the running-gear, and means to lock automatically the body and prevent angular movement, of said swi'hging connecting members relatively 'to the spring members of the running-gear.

8'. In a folding go-cart, non-collapsible run-.

ninggear.having fore and aft spring members bent to form C-springs at their rearend, a body, supporting-links connected therewith and fulcrumed on the running-gear, a latch member pivotally connected with the runninggear, a keeper mounted on the body, and

means toautomatically move the latch memher into position to cooperate with the keeper and lock the body in upright position.

.9. In a folding go-cart, non-collapsible running-gear, including spring side bars, a body having a relatively movable back and seat, pivotal connections between said body and v running-gear, whereby the back may be swung down upon the seat and the seat upon the side bars, a keeper mounted on the seat, and a swinging latch fulcrumed on the side bars and adapted to cooperate with the keeper to maintain the body in upright position. i

10. Inafoldinggo-cart,non-collapsiblerunning-gear having fore and aft spring members,

a foot-rest fixed thereon, a body having a pivotally-connected back and seat and swinging side arms, links pivotally connected with the' latter and the seat, the back below the pivotal connection with the seat being fulcrumed on the spring members, and manually-released locking means to prevent angular movement of the body relatively to the spring members of the running-gear, the seat swinging down behind the foot-rest and the side-arm links resting upon the spring members when the body is moved into folded position.

11. Ina foldingYgo-cart, running-gear, 1n-

eluding continuous spring side-bars, a body comprising aback and a pivotally-connected seat, fixed upright ears on the side bars, on

-which the back is fulcrumed below the seat, arms toward the back of the body when the' d epending ears fixed on the side bars near the front ends thereof, upturned arms fulcrumed on said ears and having a connecting crossright position, and links pivotally connecting the swinging ag'ms with the back below its to this specificationin the presence of two subfullcrumathte points of connection lzletvgeen the scribing Witnesses i in S an t earms snapping past ea -eenter q T with relation to the fulcra of the back and v ELWIN IHOMPSOL" 5 arms when the body is folded to retain the Witnesses? same in folded position. Y W. P. ABBOTT,

In testimony whereof I have signed my name L W. P. HAWLEY.

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