USRE6267E - Improvement in hand-trucks - Google Patents

Description

L. al'Lsou Hand-Truck.

Reissued Feb. 2,1875.

WIT N ES S E 5 Leonard also/L. v ,4: Va M- yam may assume a UNI STATES PATENT OFFICE.=

LEONAR GILSON, or osrou, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN HAND-TRUCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters PatentNo.134,5 37, dated January 7, 1873 reissue No. 6,267, dated February 2, .1875 application filed December 9,1871.

Trucks, of which the following is a specificzv tion These improvements relate more or-lessclosely to a class of .variable or universal trucks for use in: and abontrailway -depots,

stores, warehouses,&c., such as is shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States issued to me on the 19th day of July,

1870. Although-sufficiently described in my said Letters Patent, I may here state that the invention therein sh'own consists, among other devices, in the employment-and arrangement of three wheels or sets of wheels, disposed below the platform of the truck under such an arrangement that I am enabled to obtain a bearing upon the door of all the wheels, or of any two of them, in'order that the platform sloping .position in either direction, according to the disposition of the'load upon it, and in this manner he trundledupon two of its sets of wheels, or turned about in-a circle, in order to change its direction with case and'celerity whencarrying a heavy load, which cannot be done with the present fourwheelcd depot baggage-truck.

By my arrangement of wheels, as shown in I said Letters Patent, I obtain all the advantages of a single ortwo wheeled hand'truck, in that it may be-tiltedinto a sloping position in either direction, in order to receive a' loadfrom different elevations, or enable merchandise to be tipped over upon it, while at the same time'I retain the great. carrying capacity and ease of propulsion-of the present fourwheeled baggage-truck now universally in use in railway-stations.

My present improvement consists, first, in attaching any one or all the wheels or sets of wheels in an adjustable manner. to the truckplatform, whereby the extent of inclination of 1 such platform may be varied'at pleasure, to accommodate the various elevations at which loads are to be received, or to enable the entire series of wheels to bear and roll upon the floor, should this be desired; and, secondly, the improvements herein embodied consist in K In the drawing,-

' swiveling the end wheel or wheels or their supports horizontally within the platform, and connecting the two together by diagonallycrossed' rods,jas hereinafter stated, in order that theattendant, by means of the handle attached to each, may change the direction of both simultaneously when the truck is to be rotated upon its center wheels, this connection 'of the-end wheels being of service more espe cially when the entire series of wheels are bearing upon the floor. The drawing accompanying this specification represents, in Figure l, a side elevation, in Fig. 2 a longitudinal section, in Fig. 3 an under-side view,- and in Fig. 4 a transverse central section, of a truckembodying my present improvements.

A denotes a flat platform, provided at each end with sloping grating A, for retaining in place the baggage which may be piled upon such platform, and by which the position of the truck may be varied,'or by which it may be trundled along the floor, in lieu of or in addition to the handles to be hereinafter described. v

To the under side of the platform A, andabout equidistant between its'ends, and preferably inside of its outer edge, 1 mount two wheels, B B, these wheels constituting the primary supporting-wheels of the truck, and

'revolvin g independently of each other, in order that the truck may be permitted to easily describe a'circle' or part of a circle upon its own center. The two end wheels or casters of the truck are shown at O O,respectively, as disposed at opposite ends of the platform A, and

each mounted within a furcated foot or standard, D, which is provided with a bail, E, and

handle F, the latter of which extends outwardly beneath and below one gratin g, A, and

into a position to be readily seized by the attendant. By means of these handles the truck is trundled along and its direction changed at pleasure.

Each foot or support D is swiveled within or to the under side of the platform A, in order that it may rotate easily upon its pivot when it becomes desirable to change the di-' .rection traveled by thetruck, and one or either of such feet is applied inan adjustable manner to the platform, in order that the height of the wheel carried by it may be varied in relation to the others, the platform, and the floor.

To accomplish elevation or depression of the foot, its upper part maybe swiveled within or upon a rod or stud, a, which stud is screwed into the platform, or a metallic plat e,.b, afiixed thereto, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing; or the same result may be arrived at in various ways, as I do not confine myself to any given method.

It may also be found desirable, under some circumstances, to mount the center wheels adjust-ably; but this is of doubtful utility.

To the upper part of each foot or standard D, whether the same is adjustable vertically or not, I aflix a grooved disk or pulley, c and around the peripheries of these pulleys-I pass an endless chain or cord, d, or the equivalent thereof, this chain' being-crossed diagonally, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, in order that when one end wheel is turned upon its pivot the opposite wheel shall assume the same position.

*AS the purpose in changing each end wheel from a position parallel tothe longest plane of the platform to one at right anglesthereto is to enable the truck to be turned in a circle, it is not necessary that the connecting-chain d should be crossed; but I prefer to so arrange it in order that the handles F shall be situated at one and the same side of the platform.

By attaching one or both end wheels 0 or G adjustably to the platform, I am enabledto vary accordingly the angle of slope of the platform, by which means either end of the platform may be made closely to approach the floor for ease in loading, and also enable the truck to be trundled along with its load disposed upon one side of its center. By means of the adjustable arrangement of the end wheels, I am enabled to cause each to bear upon the floor, and thus support theweight of the load upon all of the wheels, when desired and in case this should be done, it is important that the end wheels should be sus- 4, and with the upper surface of the two about in the same horizontal plane, the length of the roller, with respect to that of the platform, being guided by necessity or circumstances.

The roller G may be applied to the ends of the platform as well as the sides by removing the gratings-A, and in either position will constitute a means of enabling a heavy or bulk'y'object to be raised and depositcdupon the platform with ease and celerity.

- The swiveled wheel at one end of the truck may be dispensed with inorder to produce a single truck, the mainwheels B being placed at or near the said end of the truck, and the remaining swiveled wheel left free to turn independently on its owuaxis.

I claim- 1. In a hand-truck, the combination, with central primary wheels, of end wheels, adjustable vin'altitiule with respect to one another and the floor or platform of the truck, substan tially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In combination with the central primary wheels of a hand-truck, end wheels adjustable vertically and swiveled to turn on a yertical axis, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth. I

3. In a hand-truck, the combination, with a primary or main wheel or wheels, of a swiveled end wheel or wheels, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. x I

' I LEONARD GILSON. Witnesses:

F.-GURTIs, W. E. BOARDMAN.

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