GB2146591A

GB2146591A - Folding wheelbarrow

Info

Publication number: GB2146591A
Application number: GB08424001A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Jan Hayman; Gordon Proven
Original assignee: MALKIN AGNES
Current assignee: MALKIN AGNES
Priority date: 1983-09-21
Filing date: 1984-09-21
Publication date: 1985-04-24
Also published as: GB8424001D0; GB2146591B; GB8325229D0

Abstract

A body 1 is mounted on a frame which carries a road wheel 16 or other transport means, the frame having struts 7 which terminate in handles 9 and which are hinged at 10 intermediate their ends so that on folding the wheelbarrow the overall strut length is reduced, the body 1 being flexible to allow collapse on folding. In an alternative embodiment, the pivot type hinges are replaced by coil springs 20 which allow folding of the struts, sleeves 21 being provided to maintain the struts in the erect position. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Folding wheelbarrow This invention relates to a folding wheelbarrow.

The common wheelbarrow comprises a load carrying box supported by a wheel at the front and two legs at the back when at rest and by the wheel and two handles when being moved.

When not in use the wheelbarrow takes up much valuable space in a shed, garage or in a vehicle if it is being transported by road.

According to the present invention there is provided a folding wheelbarrow having a body portion, a frame supporting the body portion, and ground-engaging transport means on the frame, the frame including struts disposed one on each side of the body portion and terminating in a handle portion, the struts being hinged intermediate their ends to allow reduction of the overall length of the strut in a folded out-of-use position of the wheelbarrow.

Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa side view of a folding wheelbarrow of the present invention in its in-use position; Figure 2 is a side view of the wheelbarrow of Figure 1 in its folded out-of-use position; Figure 3 is a top plan view of the wheelbarrow of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a split top (Figure 4A ) and bottom (Figure 4B) plan view of the wheelbarrow of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a split front (Figure 5A) and rear (Figure 5B) view of the wheelbarrow of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a perspective view of an alternative folding wheelbarrow of this invention; Figure 7 is a perspective view of the wheel barrow of Figure 6 partially folded; Figure 8 is a perspective view of the wheelbarrow of Figure 6 in its folded out-of-use position;; and Figure 9 is a side view of the wheelbarrow of Figure 1 showing the movement of various parts during folding.

Parts of the wheelbarrow of these embodiments of the invention which correspond will be identified by the same reference numerals.

Referring to Figures 1 to 5, the wheelbarrow has a body 1 in the form of a flexibile polypropylene moulding which is generally triangular in side view. The body 1 is secured by self-tapping screws 2 to a cross-member 3 forming part of spars 4 of tubular steel which are also secured to the body 1 at its lower region 5 by self-tapping screws. The spars 4 are flattened at their lower ends to form support feet 6.

Tubular steel struts 7 are pivotally connected in a scissors-type arrangement to the spars 4 through pivot pins 8, and the struts 7 terminate at their upper ends in handles 9. Between the handles 9 and the pivot pins 8 the struts 7 are hinged at 10. Pivot pins 11 extend through brackets 12 on the upper 7A and lower 7B sections of the strut 7 to allow the sections 7A, 7B to pivot into the attitude shown in Figure 2.

The body 1 is loosely secured to a cross-member 13 of the struts 7 by the material of the body passing around the cross-member 13 and being firmly attached to the main body 1 at 14.

At their lower portion the struts 7 converge and interconnect through an axle 15 on which is rotatably mounted a road wheel 16.

When the wheelbarrow of this embodiment is in its in-use position as shown in Figures 1,4 and 5, a locking pin 17 is inserted between the brackets 12 to hold the structure rigid. However, this is simply a safety feature as the wheelbarrow is inherently stable in this position. As the wheelbarrow rests on the ground with its weight borne by the support feet 6 and the wheel 16, the struts 7 and spars 4 are held in their relative positions by means of the upper edges 18 of the body 1 being under tension. When the wheelbarrow is to be moved, and a lifting force is applied to the handles 9, or when the body 1 is loaded, tension is induced in the body 1 along a line between the cross-member 13 and the lower region 5 at which the body 1 is secured to the spars 4.Thus the body portion is constantly under tension which has the effect of maintaining the form of the body 1 as shown in Figures 1,4 and 5.

When the wheelbarrow is not required it is folded into the out-of-use position shown in Figures 2 and 3 by releasing the locking pin 17 and pivoting the upper part 7A of the struts downwards about the hinges 10. This allows the rear corss-member 13 to move closer to the front cross-member 3, causing the side walls of the flexible body 1 to collapse. Continued pivoting of the parts 7A about the hinges 10 causes further progressive collapse of the side walls and "scissoring" of the spars 4 and the struts 7 about the pivot pins 8 until the wheelbarrow adopts the attitude shown in Figures 2 and 3. The wheel 16 then fits below the body 1 and between the spars 4 for neat and compact storage.

Reversal of this procedure, by raising the handles 9 about the hinges 10, returns the wheelbarrow to its in-use position.

It will be seen that the position of the hinges 10 is selected so that on folding of the wheelbarrow the cross-member 13 describes an arc centred on the lowest part 19 of the body 1. The distance between the cross-member 13 and the part 19 should on folding remain the same as or less than that distance when the wheelbarrow is in its in-use attitude, and the position of the hinges 10 determines this.

Referring now to Figures 6 to 8, the general construction and manner of operation of the wheelbarrow is similar to that of Figures 1 to 5. However, the hinges in this instance consist of coil springs 20 to allow bending or alignment but to prevent the possibility of fingers being trapped, and sleeves 21 which slide down over the springs 20 to hold them rigid when open and in use. The wheel assembly consists of the wheel 16 fitted on an axle 24 cantilevered off a support beam 22. The beam 22 is able to pivot round a fixing bolt 23 extending between brackets 25 on cross-spars 26 between the spars 4. In use, the wheel 16 is held in a housing on the bracket 25A by a spring 27 fitted around the fixing bolt 23.

In order to fold the wheel the support beam 8 is pushed down against the spring 10 until it clears the housing 9 when it can be swung round on the fixing bolt until it too lies along the support frame 2.

In orderforthe folding body 1 of the barrow to work in practice it must be sufficiently durable for the job as well as being able to fold up. The particular embodiments of the invention illustrated here use a polypropylene moulding which is sufficiently flexible to fold but will be durable in use. Other flexible materials could be used, or rigid sheet materials with hinges along the folding edges.

Figure 9 shows the relative movements of parts of the wheelbarrow of Figure 1 during the process of folding from its in-use position (in continuous lines) to its out-of-use position (in broken lines). Relative dimensions of this embodiment of the invention are as follows with reference to A two H shown on Figure 9: A - 1350 overall B - 570 C - 155 D - 260 E - 415 F - 940 overall G - 265 H - 640 Modifications and improvements may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A folding wheelbarrow having a body portion, a frame supporting the body portion, and ground-engaging transport means on the frame, the frame including struts disposed one on each side of the body portion and terminating in a handle portion, the struts being hinged intermediate their ends to allow reduction of the overall length of the strut in a folded out-of-use position of the wheelbarrow.

2. Awheelbarrow according to Claim 1, wherein the frame includes spars having a ground-engaging support and pivotally interconnected one with each strut, the spars being secured to the body portion.

3. A wheelbarrow according to Claim 2, wherein in the in-use position of the wheelbarrow the struts and the spars are held against relative pivotal movement by tension induced in the body portion.

4. Awheelbarrow according to Claim 2 or 3, wherein the struts are secured to the body portion at a position on the struts intermediate the handle portion and the hinge.

5. A wheelbarrow according to Claim 2,3 or 4, wherein the spars are each secured to the body portion at first and second positions which are spaced on opposite sides of the pivotal interconnection of the corresponding spar and strut.

6. A wheelbarrow according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the struts converge towards the front ofthewheelbarrow and interconnect through an axle on which the ground-engaging transport means in the form of a road wheel is mounted.

7. A wheelbarrow according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the ground-engaging transport means comprises a road wheel which is pivotably mounted on the frame so as to lie in an out-of-use position flat against the body portion.

8. A wheelbarrow according to Claim 6 or 7, wherein the road wheel is disposed so as to extend between the spars when the wheelbarrow is in its folded out-of-use position.

9. A wheelbarrow according to Claim 6, 7 or 8, wherein the road wheel is disposed so as to extend below the body portion when the wheelbarrow is in its folded out-of-use position.

10. A wheelbarrow according to any one of Claims 2 to 5, wherein the spacing between the hinge on the strut and the position at which the strut is secured to the body portion is such that when the wheelbarrow is in its folded out-of-use position the distance from (a) the position at which the strut is secured to the body portion to (b) the lowest part of the body portion is the same as or less than said distance when the wheelbarrow is in its in-use position.

11. A wheelbarrow according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the struts andlorthe spars include a cross-member extending between them.

12. A wheelbarrow according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the body portion is flexible.

13. Awheelbarrow according Claim 9, wherein the body portion is of polypropylene.

14. Awheelbarrow according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the hinges on the struts comprise coil springs having retractable sleeves extending around them.

15. A wheelbarrow according to any one of Claims 1 to 13, wherein the hinges on the struts comprise pivot pins extending through brackets on the struts.

16. A wheelbarrow according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the body portion is generally triangular in side view, an apex of the triangle being lowermost.

17. A folding wheelbarrow substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

18. A folding wheelbarrow substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 6 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.