Land vehicles – Wheeled – Tiltable vehicles – stabilized by attendant or article
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-03
2004-09-28
Fischmann, Bryan (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Tiltable vehicles, stabilized by attendant or article
C280S047340, C280S079600
Reexamination Certificate
active
06796564
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a table dolly for conveniently and rapidly moving tables. More particularly, the invention relates to a table dolly for moving pedestal tables, wherein the dolly has one or more cradle hooks or claws constructed to provide a fulcrum upon which an underside of a pedestal-type table can be balanced and a support member disposed on the front end of the table dolly frame so as to provide a surface upon which the base of the pedestal-type table rests, thereby stabilizing the table on the table dolly for transport.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In restaurant businesses, catering businesses, and the like, it is often necessary to move tables about in a room or catering area when preparing for various events such as parties, weddings, dances, conferences, etc. To save on time and effort, there is a need for devices for moving tables conveniently and rapidly using as little labor as possible. Thus, the mechanical art of table dolly construction has evolved. Specifically, many table dolly devices have been constructed to move and/or store portable, foldable tables. Several examples of prior art devices for moving and/or storing foldable tables are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,262 to Skinner, U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,655 to Sheeks, U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,045 to Leyton, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,871,219 to Elliott. Other table dolly devices have been constructed to move other types of tables. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,236 to Sundstromn et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,626 to Lonsway et al. disclose devices for moving pool tables. U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,005 to Birkley discloses a carriage apparatus for moving saw tables, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,566,708 and U.S. Patent Des 408,111 are directed to picnic table dollies.
However, there is not much taught in the prior art regarding a table dolly for moving a pedestal table (i.e., a table having a pedestal base rather than a plurality of legs extending directly from the table top). The most relevant prior art device is a table dolly marketed as “Kelly's Table Taxi,” previously conceived, manufactured and sold by the present inventor, which is illustrated in
FIGS. 1 and 2
. Specifically, the prior art table dolly
1
is constructed to have a frame
5
preferably made of a lightweight metal, such as aluminum alloy tubing, to which a wheel axle
10
connects so that wheels
14
can be mounted to the frame to permit wheeled motion of the dolly. The frame
5
includes a stand portion
18
so that the two wheels
14
and the stand portion form a tripod for supporting the table dolly
1
on a flat surface or floor. Stand portion
18
can also be used as a lever for rotating the frame
5
about the wheel axis
10
as will be described below. Two brackets
20
, being cradle hooks or claws, are disposed and positioned on the frame
5
so as to provide a cradle for holding a pedestal table T as shown in FIG.
2
.
Each bracket
20
has a roughly J-shaped portion
22
, having a long forwardly pointing finger and a short rearwardly pointing finger, and has a base portion
24
located at the base of the “J” of portion
22
, wherein the base portion is integrally welded to frame
5
. Some models used two bolts to bolt the base portion to the frame
5
. A rubberized pad
26
is provided on an inner surface of the J of portion
22
of each roughly J-shaped bracket
20
, wherein pad
26
provides a contiguous cushioned pad along the inner surface of portion
22
. Pad
26
is attached to portion
22
by means of an adhesive and two bolts. Models having a scratch preventing plastisol covering formed to cover the outer surface of both fingers and a part of the base portion
24
have been manufactured and sold to provide an improvement over the prior art dolly
1
. Specifically, by replacing pads
26
with a contiguous scratch resistant covering over most of each bracket
20
, the risk of accidentally gouging or scratching table T is markedly reduced.
To maneuver the table dolly
1
, frame
5
has a handle portion
30
that is grabbed by one using the dolly so the dolly can be pushed or pulled on a flat surface or floor.
FIG. 2
shows the dolly
1
holding a pedestal table T in the cradle provided by brackets
20
. Pedestal table T has a base B that can be a single round or conical unitary structure, or base B can be provided by a structure having three or more radially directed roughly linear legs or feet. Base B is attached to a central pillar P, which is attached to an undersurface U of the table top. Base B and pillar P form a pedestal upon which the undersurface U of the table top rests, which is the distinguishing feature of a pedestal-type table. As is plain from
FIG. 2
, one using the dolly
1
can push or pull on handle portion
30
to move the dolly, and the pedestal table T is carried by the dolly as the dolly moves along a flat surface or floor by means of the wheels
14
.
However, the prior art table dolly
1
for moving pedestal tables has several disadvantages. First, there is only one reasonable way to carry and move a pedestal table using table dolly
1
, which is to position the pillar P of table T in brackets
20
. Therefore, it is necessary to tilt the table T or place table T on its side in order to maneuver the dolly
1
so as to position pillar P into the cradle provided by brackets
20
. Frame
5
is rotated forwardly about wheel axis
10
until the brackets
20
are positioned so that pillar P rests in the cradle provided by brackets
20
. Then the dolly
1
can be used to pick up the table T by having the user step on stand portion
18
if necessary to provide leverage to rearwardly rotate the dolly and table into the position shown in FIG.
2
. Attempts to use dolly
1
in another manner, such as by balancing the table T by placing the undersurface U of the table top on the fingers of the brackets
20
, has been unsuccessful because the tips of the fingers are not covered by the pads
26
so the brackets gouge into the undersurface U. In addition, the base B of table T either abuts against the wheels
14
providing a brake, thereby making it impossible to move the dolly
1
, or the base B merely swings down and hits the floor. In other words, it is impractical to balance a table T on the dolly
1
except by placing the pillar P in the brackets
20
as shown in FIG.
2
.
Another disadvantage of the prior art pedestal table dolly
1
is that the brackets
20
are welded to the frame
5
. This creates a packaging problem when shipping the device to customers. Detachable brackets would obviate this problem.
Another disadvantage of the prior art pedestal table dolly is that the pads
26
are glued and bolted in place, which increases manufacturing costs and creates the problem that the pads sometimes come loose. In addition, the pads
26
do not cover the tips of the fingers of the roughly J-shaped portion
22
, which predisposes the exposed metal tips to gouging or scratching the tables T.
The present invention endeavors to provide an improved table dolly for moving pedestal tables so that the dolly in accordance with the present invention maintains the advantages of the prior art pedestal table dolly while overcoming the disadvantages of the prior art devices.
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a table dolly for moving a pedestal table that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art devices.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a table dolly for moving a pedestal table that conveniently and rapidly carries a pedestal table by engaging an undersurface of the pedestal table and by engaging the base of the pedestal table.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a table dolly for moving a pedestal table wherein the brackets forming the cradle are detachable so as to facilitate packaging for shipping.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a table dolly for moving a pedestal table that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a table dolly for moving a pedestal tab
Bottorff Christopher D
Fischmann Bryan
Griffin & Szipl, P.C.
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