Land vehicles – Wheeled – Tiltable vehicles – stabilized by attendant or article
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-30
2001-10-16
Mai, Lanna (Department: 3619)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Tiltable vehicles, stabilized by attendant or article
C280S047270, C280S079600
Reexamination Certificate
active
06302414
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates generally to multiple-use hand trucks, and more particularly those adapted for transporting bottled water containers as well as for normal use.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Drinking water is commonly packaged and sold in large glass or plastic bottles having volume capacities of about 5 gallons. The containers are very bulky and heavy, weighing about 50 lbs. each.
Because of their bulky size and weight, personnel who deliver these products find it convenient to use a hand truck when transporting these products from the delivery truck to the consumer's home or place of business. A conventional two-wheeled hand truck of the type having a single load-supporting nose piece projecting forwardly from the bottom of the frame can handle a single 5-gallon bottled water container. Another such two-wheeled hand truck is known in which multiple, foldable trays are provided that are pivoted to the side rails of the truck and which can be folded down to extend forwardly of the frame for carrying up to four bottled water containers on the hand truck.
Convertible bulk hand trucks are also known having a main frame and a foldable sub-frame that, when folded together, form a two-wheeled dolly device or hand truck and, that, when unfolded, form a four-wheeled cart as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,785,669; 4,921,270; and 5,536,034. When in the four-wheeled cart position, the horizontal main frame portion forms a flat, planar platform or bed for supporting cargo to be transported. It will be appreciated that while such a platform is well suited for supporting boxes and other objects with flat support surfaces, it would not be well suited for carrying cylindrical bottled water containers, as they would have a tendency to roll or shift about and be generally unstable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is concerned with a convertible hand truck, usable in two-wheeled as well as four-wheeled configurations, which is fitted with a tray configured to support a plurality of bottled water containers in stable manner on the main frame of the truck when in the four-wheeled configuration.
According to another object of the invention, such a tray is constructed so as to be detachable from the hand truck, enabling the tray to be manufactured as a separate component, and enabling the hand truck to be used in conventional manner in its two and four-wheeled configurations when the tray is removed.
According to another object of the invention, the tray is designed to overlie and detachably mount to the main frame.
According to still a further object, the hand truck and/or tray is fitted with at least one and preferably a pair of upright end supports when the frame is in the four-wheeled configuration to support a stack of the containers on the tray.
According to a further object, the end wall or walls are hinged to the hand truck or tray and movable between a folded stowed position and the upright use position when in the four-wheeled configuration.
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Berthiaume William
Kukla Kenneth A.
Law Bruce W.
Magline Inc.
Mai Lanna
Reising Ethington, Barnes, Kisselle, Learman & McCulloch, P.C.
Restifo Jeffrey J.
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