CA2608810A1 - Foldable cart for recyclables - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to carts which are pushed by hand and more particularly to a cart which is particularly suited to use for transporting containers for recyclables.

Containers for recyclables, commonly referred to as "blue boxes" are used in most homes in North America as receptacles for old newspapers, cans, bottles and other recyclables. Recycl-ables are usually picked up by municipalities on a regular basis and, on the scheduled day for collection, householders usually carry the boxes by hand to a collection point and leave them there for later pick-up. After pick-up, householders carry the boxes back by hand to the homes for reuse.

Blue boxes such as those filled with newspapers and bottles can be quite heavy. For the elderly or persons who are physically handicapped such as the arthritic, the task of carrying such blue boxes can be impossible. In addition, where homes are not close to the collection point, such as farmhouses or homes in restricted or gated areas, the task of carrying them to the collection point is quite onerous. Hand pulled wagons are sometimes used to transport the blue boxes but they are not entirely suitable for such purpose. The boxes can tip over and the contents spill out, particularly if the wagons are being pulled over rough or irregular ground such as gravel and curbs. Furthermore the wind can also carry the contents away.

I have invented a cart which has means for preventing the contents of blue boxes and other containers for recyclables from tipping over as they are being transported to a collection point. In addition, my cart has means for preventing the wind from carrying the contents of the boxes away.

Briefly, the cart of my invention includes a pair of wheels and a pair of parallel rear corner posts each of which extends upwardly from a separate wheel. A shelf is pivotal about the corner posts from a generally horizontal position in which the shelf is in position for supporting a blue box or other container to a generally vertical position in which the cart is in position for storage. A
horizontal bar extends between the posts. The bar is slidable vertically relative to the posts but has provision for immobilizing the bar from sliding by such means as a bolt or screw or by friction. A
vertically extending catch is mounted to the bar and is adapted to extend into a groove formed in the blue box to prevent the box from tipping over.

The cart of the invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the cart;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a conventional container for recyclables;
Figure 3 is an elevation of the container from the side;

Figure 4 is an elevation of the cart from the side;

Figure 5 is an elevation of the upper portion of the cart, from the front; and Figure 6 is an other elevation of the cart from the back in conjunction with an optional retainer.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the description of the drawings.
With reference to Figure 1, the cart of the invention, generally 10, has a pair of wheels 12

2 beneath rear posts 14. The posts are parallel to one another and each post extends upwardly from a separate wheel Lower and upper vertically spaced shelves 16, 17 pivot from a generally horizontal pos-ition in which the shelves are in position for supporting a container for recyclables to a generally vertical position in which the shelves are in position for storage. Links 18 extend from the posts to the front corners of each shelf and serve to support the shelf when it is in a horizontal position.

Legs 19 are provided at the front corners of the lower shelf 16. The legs are pivotally at-tached to the shelf so that they swing outward when the lower shelf supports a load and inward when the cart is folded for storage.

A curved handle 20 is fastened to the top of each post and extends to the rear of the cart.
The handles facilitate manual pushing of the cart.

With reference to Figures 2 and 3, a conventional container for recyclables such as a blue box, generally 24, has a bottom 25 and four sides 26 which extend upwardly and terminate at a U-shaped brim 28. The brim defines the mouth, generally 30, of the container.
The brim has a down-wardly extending lip 32 which defines the outer wall of an elongated downwardly opening groove 34.

With reference to Figures 1 and 4, link 18 is composed of outer and inner components 18a,b. The outer component 18a has one end pivotally connected to an outer corner of each shelf 16,17 and the other end pivotally connected to an end of the inner component 18b. The other end

3 of the latter component is pivotally connected to post 14. The shelf which is pivotally connected to the post may be pivoted from the position illustrated in Figure 4 in which the shelf is horizontal and in position for supporting a container to a generally vertical position in which the cart is in position for storage.

With reference to Figure 5, a horizontal bar or rod 40 extends between posts 14. At op-posite ends of the bar are hollow circular collars 40a through which the posts extend. The bar is slidable vertically relative to the posts but is immobilized by friction between the collars and the posts until a force, opposed to the friction, is applied to the bar. The bar may also be immobilized by bolts or screws which fit into openings in the collars and into any one of a number of vertically spaced openings in the posts.

A pair of spaced catches 42 is fastened to the bar and extend upwardly from it. The catches may be triangular in shape as illustrated or any other shaped that will fit into groove 34 of the container. The catches serve to prevent the container from tipping over when it is on the shelf.

The level of the catches can be adjusted to the size of the container by raising and lowering bar 40.
With reference to Figure 6, an optional retainer 46 is pivotally attached to an upper third bar 48. The bar is above the other two bars 40 and is permanently attached to the posts. The retainer is preferably rectangular and is composed of a wire mesh. The retainer swings from the position illustrated in which it is behind the posts to a position in which it is in front of the posts and extends across the mouth of a container on the upper shelf. The retainer serves to prevent

4 recyclables within the container from escaping by jarring of the cart or by a heavy wind. The retainer can be swung out of the way to allow the container to be placed on the upper shelf and removed from it.

It will be understood, of course, that modifications can be made in the structure of the cart without departing from the scope and purview of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims (3)

I claim:

1. A foldable cart for carrying at least one container for recyclables, said container having an upwardly opening mouth defined by a U-shaped brim, said brim defining an elongated down-wardly opening groove, said cart including: a pair of wheels; a pair of parallel rear corner posts each extending upwardly from a separate said wheel, a shelf pivotal about said corner posts from a generally horizontal position in which said shelf is in position for supporting said container to a generally vertical position in which said cart is in position for storage; a horizontal bar which extends between said posts, said bar being slidable vertically relative to said posts but having means for selectively immobilizing said bar relative to said posts; and a vertically extending catch mounted to said bar, said catch being adapted to extend into said groove when said container is supported by said shelf for preventing said container from tipping over.

2. The foldable cart of claim 1 wherein said means for immobilizing said cart is friction which may be selectively overcome by applying a force, opposed to the friction, to said bar in order to cause said bar to slide.

3. The foldable cart of claim 1 further including a retainer pivotal relative to said posts about an axis disposed above said catch, said retainer being movable from a first position in which said retainer extends across the mouth of said container for preventing recyclables within said container from exiting therefrom to a second position in which said retainer is spaced apart from said container for allowing said container to be placed on and to be removed from said shelf.