WO1989002242A1

WO1989002242A1 - Lifting wheeled arrangement

Info

Publication number: WO1989002242A1
Application number: PCT/US1987/003439
Authority: WO
Inventors: Enrique I. Sotolongo
Original assignee: Sotolongo Enrique I
Priority date: 1987-09-14
Filing date: 1987-12-28
Publication date: 1989-03-23
Also published as: AU1180388A

Abstract

This invention consists of a mounted bracket (1) with wheels (4) that attaches to existing holes (2) on the carriage of a sponge roller (9) or similar equipment for removing water from and simultaneously drying hard surfaces such as tennis courts. The purpose of the invention is to eliminate the need to lift and carry the roller dry or wet, while transporting the roller to and from the wet area or during the drying operation. This is accomplished by lowering the handle (11) of the roller which places the wheels (4) of the invention in contact with the ground thereby lifting the roller (9) off of the ground. The user can pull the roller along by the wheels (4) of the invention without having the roller (9) in contact with the ground.

Description

Lifting Wheeled Arrangement

for rollers for removing water from and simultaneously drying hard surfaces

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Copending application Ser. No. 530, 124 entitled ROLLER FOR REMOVING WATER FROM AND SIMULTANEOUSLY DRYING HARD SURFACES by C. Ray Newman which was filed on December 6. 1974, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,339 and assigned to Rol-Dri, Inc., Houston, Tex. shows the general structure of a water removing roller which can advantageously utilize the wheeled lifting apparatus.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Today, removing water and drying hard surfaces such as tennis courts is predominantly done by using rollers such as the Rol-Dri, Pat. No. 3.967.339. This roller will remove water from a tennis court by absorbing and pushing the water to the edge of the surface or to a drain. To continue drying the surface, the roller must be lifted and walked back to the starting point. Pulling the roller back to the starting point would pull water back on the dried surface. Our experience has found that in drying the surface of a tennis court the average number of times a roller is lifted is approximately fifty times. This is very tiresome, specially when the roller that weighs about eight pounds dry and eighteen pounds wet remains wet and heavy after coming in contact with water. It is also necessary to lift the roller apparatus when replacing it to its storage position so as to avoid getting any dry surface wet. The LIFTING WHEELED ARRANGEMENT for rollers that remove water from and simultaneously dry hard surfaces will allow the user to eliminate lifting the roller while using it and also save on the life of the roller.

OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the invention is to provide an ancillary device to facilitate the use of a Rol-Dri roller or similar equipment during its use, and transportation to and from the wet areas.

Second, the invention will have small wheels centrally located so as to not track water onto the dried surface and also far enough apart so as to adequately balance the roller. The invention is designed and attached so that the entire " Rol-Dri " roller or similar equipment is balanced by the invention when the handle is lowered.

Third, the invention will attach to Rol-Dri rollers and similar equipment by using existing screw holes in the roller's design and will be made of light weight and durable components so as to not add significant weight to the roller. The invention will not affect the operation of the roller during the drying process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention will carry, by rolling, a medium weight roller known in the trade as squeegee, roller, or Rol-Dri, on a repeated basis while removing water from a flat surface such as a tennis court. This invention will make using the roller much easier and efficient. The invention is an arrangement that attaches mounting wheels to the aforementioned roller in a manner which permits moving said roller, suspended on the wheels, during repositioning of the roller after each pushing stroke. The use of the roller will be completely effortless so as to require only one hand for its entire operation. The old operation of the Rol-Dri is that of pushing the water off the court by rolling the roller forward to the edge of the surface, lifting the entire wet roller with both hands, walking back to a spot adjacent to the previous starting point, and setting the roller down to continue rolling more water forward to the edge of the surface until all water is removed. Because of the design and weight of the roller and its carriage it is very tiring and awkward to lift on a repeated basis.

This invention allows for the following new procedure to be followed: As with the old operation the process begins by pushing water off the court by rolling the roller forward to the edge of the surface. Now, instead of lifting the roller with both hands the handle is allowed to drop a few inches and the roller is lifted in a balanced position by the invention. The user can now proceed to walk back as before, and restart the process by simply raising the handle a few inches until the wheels are off the ground allowing the roller to recontact the surface with its full weight being brought to bear on the working roller.

This invention eliminates any lifting of the drying roller apparatus during its use and eliminates the most tiring part of the process.

The present invention can be fabricated from relatively low-cost components. In general, the present invention is an ancillary bracket with wheels, that attaches to the carriage of the Rol-Dri water removing roller or similar equipment. It is designed to fit the carriage of the aforementioned Rol-Dri roller and other similar devices in such a mannner as to achieve the described objectives. The bracket must be of certain dimensions so as to fit firmly and the position of the wheels on the bracket must meet certain criteria as found by test and experimentation, so that the comfortable raising and lowering movement of the handle will produce the desired objectives. The position and dimension of the bracket must be such that they provide a balancing effect when the roller is so lifted by the wheels.

The objectives, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent upon reviewing the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment described below and taken in conjunction with the appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG..1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a LIFTING WHEELED ARRANGEMENT for rollers for removing water from and simultaneously drying hard surfaces;

FIG..2 shows a side view of the invention attached to and lifting the Rol-Dri as it is being pulled back above the surface by the invention;

FIG..3 shows a perspective view of the invention and the exploded view of the roller device and where the invention attaches to the Rol-Dri roller for removing water from hard surfaces;

FIG..4-9 show a view of the step by step operation of the Rol-Dri and the invention at work;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown in FIG. 1, the invention bracket 1 provides a means of supporting two small wheels 4 in a position so that when the roller FIG. 3. 9 is being used for pushing water to the edge of the surface the spacing between the wheels 4 and the ground is one quarter inch or greater. This is accomplished by designing the bracket 1 so that it has wheel mounting members 5 at the proper height from the surface to be dried when bracket 1 is attached to C-shaped bracket 12 FIG. 2 through mounting holes 2. The two vertical trusses 3 are set far enough apart by a horizontal bar 8 so that the wheels 4 balance the roller device FIG. 3. 8 when the invention is being used to transport the roller, and yet not so far as to roll outside the dried path formed by the roller 9.

FIG. 2 shows a detailed side view of the invention balancing the roller 9 in a lifted position as it would be while being pulled back to another position by handle 11. Handle 11 has been lowered as indicated by the down arrow, thus pivoting the roller 9 up and lowering the wheels 4 to the ground. It also shows a detailed attachment of the mounting truss 6 to C-shaped bracket 12 at mounting holes 2 with mounting bolt 7 and nuts 10.

FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of roller device 8 without the invention attached. The invention bracket 1 and aforementioned components are shown oriented along the same axis as the roller device 8 as it would be positioned during the attachement to the underside of C-shaped bracket 12. Bolts 7 pass through handle socket 14, thn C-shaped bracket 12 then through mounting holes 2 and firmly secured by nuts 10.

FIG. 4 to FIG. 9 shows a view of the roller device 8 with the invention bracket 1 attached to the C-shaped bracket 12 and the method of use with the preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a view from above of a roller device 8 positioned behind the water to be dried 13. The arrow indicates the direction the roller device 8 is being pushed. FIG. 5 is a side view of FIG. 4 and shows the long handle 11 of the roller device in its proper position, about forty three degrees with the ground 7 with the roller 9 in contact with the surface 7 and rolling while the roller device 8 moves forward. The wheels 4 of the invention are above the ground 7 so as not to hinder the action of the roller while drying the water 13.

FIG. 6 is a top view that shows the roller 9 as it gets to the edge of the surface to be dried. Leaving a dried path 16 the width of the roller 9 immediately behind. It also shows how the water 17 that has been pushed aside 30 flows back into the dried path 16 from both sides, and how the only way to bring the roller back to reposition it would be to lift it above that water.

FIG. 7 is a side view of FIG. 6 and shows the action of the roller 9 with the long handle at a forty three degree angle with the surface. The mounting wheels 4 of the invention are clear off of the ground and not hindering the effective use of the roller 9 as the roller moves forward pushing the water to the edge of the surface.

FIG. 8 shows the top view of the roller 9 being rolled back on the wheels 4 of the invention from where the roller 9 was at the end of the drying stroke so as to relocate it at a position adjacent to the starting position 18 in FIG. 4 to begin a second drying stroke forward. It also shows the roller 9 riding above the water 17 while the wheels 4 are in contact with the dried surface 16. Even if the water 17 has rolled back over the dried surface path 16 pulling the roller 9 back on the wheels 4 avoids rolling water away from the edge 15 since the small wheels 4 track little if any water and push none as would be done by the roller 9. FIG. 9 shows a side view of FIG. 8 with the handle 11 of the roller device 8 in its down position at a thirty one degree angle to the surface and the roller 9 has pivoted up about the wheels 4 thus being raised one quarter inch or higher and not touching the water 13. The positions of the wheels 4 in relation to the rolling device is such that the rolling device is in nearly perfect balance while riding on the wheels 4 and being pulled back to restart the drying process at which point the handle 11 will be raised back to a position to push the water as in FIG. 4.

Having described the preferred embodiment of the present invention in specific detail, it should be understood that numerous modifications, additions and omissions in the details thereof are possible within the intended spirit and scope of the invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art as defined in the attached claims.

Claims

CLAIMSI claim;

1. A wheeled lifting device that when attached to liquid removing rollers for flat hard surfaces can lift said liquid removing rollers so that the roller can be wheeled to any location without having to lift and carry said roller, said wheeled lifting devise comprising:

a bracket having a design such that it attaches to said rollers or its carriage, positioning the wheels of the devise tc serve as a fulcrum with the handle of the roller as the lever. The roller is balanced and raised by the wheels when the handle is lowered and the need to lift and carry the roller is eliminated.

wheels whose diameter combines with the dimensions of the bracket to produce the desired objective of suspending the roller.