GB2046674A - Wheelbarrow - Google Patents

Abstract

The wheelbarrow has a tray 1, a pair of handles 2 and 3, supporting legs 4 and 5, and a wheel 6. The wheel carrying frame 7 is formed from a pair of substantially parallel disposed, vertically mounted substantially U-shaped brackets 8 and 9, one arm 10 of each bracket extending from the tray support frame 12 and the other arm 11 bearing the axle mounting bracket for the wheel. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Wheelbarrow This invention relates to a wheelbarrow.

Wheelbarrows can be defined as a manually operable load carrying apparatus having a wheel a frame connected to the wheel and supporting a load carrying part and handles for lifting of the load. The load carrying part can be of any generally recognised nature such as a simple tray or can be of a more specific nature such as a revolving container suitable for mixing concrete.

The construction of wheelbarrows has not materially changed over the year.. Generally the wheel has been located forward of the centre of gravity of the wheelbarrow which has not provided the full benefit of reducing the effort necessary to lift the particular weight using the wheelbarrow. There have been previous suggestions to place the wheels more closely to the centre of gravity but commercially such wheelbarrows have not proven successfui perhaps because of the complexity of construction and hence the extra costs involved.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a wheelbarrow having a tray, a pair of handles, supporting legs and a wheel characterising that the wheel carrying frame is formed from a pair of substantially parallel disposed vertically mounted substantially Ushaped brackets, one arm of the U-shaped bracket extending from the tray support frame, the other arm of the U-shaped bracket the axle mounting for the wheel.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows a perspective view from below of a wheelbarrow of this invention.

Thus referring to the drawing the wheelbarrow comprises the normal system of a tray 1, a pair of handles 2 and 3, legs 4 and 5 and a wheel 6.

In accordance with this invention the wheel support frame indicated by arrow 7 consists of a pair of parallel disposed U-shaped brackets 8 and 9. The latter (9) is partially concealed by the wheel 6 but is identical to that of bracket 8. Thus each bracket is substantially U-shaped having two arms 10 and 1 the first arm 10 extending from the tray support frame 12, while the other arm 11 carrying, preferably at its extremity indicated by arrow 13, the axle mounting for the wheel. The base 14 of the U-shaped bracket is desirably more forwardly positioned than the foremost position of the wheel 6 in a horizontal direction.In this manner when the wheelbarrow is tilted such as when a load is to be emptied the weight of the wheelbarrow plus the weight of the load in the tray is transferred from the wheel onto the base 1 4 of the bracket for steadiness when emptying the load. An additional advantage of this feature of the invention is that three balancing points are provided such that the apex of the tray and each of the bases of the U-shaped brackets 8 and 9 can provide resting points for the wheelbarrow in the tilted position so that the wheelbarrow can be free standing in this position. To assist the stability of the wheelbarrow in such a free standing disposition, the front of the apex of the tray can be flattened for part of the width of the tray.

By a substantially U-shaped bracket is meant that part of the bracket between the point at which it joins to the tray support frame and the point where the axle mounting brackets are located extends in the forward direction from a line joining those two points. This joining part of the bracket can for example be in a slow curve or can be in a form of a V having a sharp bend at the apex of the V. It is most preferable to have the bracket in the shape shown in the drawing having no sharp turns which would be points of weakness where failure of the bracket could occur. By substantially parallel disposed is meant that the plane of the two U-shaped bracket are aligned substantially vertically but at the same time can taper towards each other, generally, as discussed below, as an extension of the tray support frame 12 in turn extending from handles 2 and 3.

The wheel 6 can be mounted to the U-shaped bracket 8 by providing a straight shaft on which the wheel is rotatably mounted. The end of the shaft 15 is rigidly secured to the end 13 of the Ushaped bracket for example by provision of a Ubolt 16 passing around the end of the shaft 15, the two ends of the U-bolt passing through the end 13 of the bracket 8 and being secured by suitable securing means such as nuts.

'In a more preferred form of the invention the Ushaped bracket 8 is formed integrally with the tray support frame 12 and the handle 2. For example this can be formed of heavy wall steel tube bent into the desired shape. Support brackets 1 7 and 1 8 extending from each of the U-shaped brackets 8 can be provided for the front of the tray 1. The legs 4 and 5 can be of standard construction or any other desired construction sufficient to support the load on the tray.

Similarly the wheel can be of any suitable type such as a pneumatic rubber tyre supported on a rim rigidly carrying the axle or else rotatably mounted on the axle.

It is a further desirable advantage of the invention that the wheel be positioned more rearwardly in relation to the tray than in a conventional wheelbarrow. This can be achieved by adjustment of the length of one of the arms 11 of the U-shaped bracket or adjusting the position of the U-bolt 1 6 on bracket 8. The desirability of having a wheel more centrally mounted than in conventional wheelbarrows is firstly in spreading the load more evenly and secondly in being able to tilt the wheelbarrow when full more easiiy.

A further optional feature of the invention is the provision of a brace (now shown) between the two arms 10 and 11 of the U-shaped bracket.

While the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, the invention is not to be construed as being limited thereto.

In addition where specific features have been described and where known mechanicai equivalents exist, such mechanical equivalents are to be construed as incorporated herein as if specifically set forth.

Claims (6)

1. A wheelbarrow having a tray, a pair of handles, supporting legs and a wheel characterised that the wheel carrying frame is formed from a pair of substantially parallel disposed, vertically mounted substantially Ushaped brackets, one arm of the U-shaped bracket extending from the tray support frame, the other arm of the U-shaped bracket bearing the axle mounting bracket for the wheel.

2. A wheelbarrow as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the U-shaped brackets are of a shape substantially as shown in the drawing.

3. A wheelbarrow as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the base of the U-shaped bracket extends beyond the foremost point of the wheel.

4. A wheelbarrow as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the wheelbarrow can be freestandinig on the three points comprising both of the bases of the U-shaped brackets and the apex of the tray.

5. A wheelbarrow as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the U-shaped brackets are formed integrally with the tray support frame and the handles.

6. A wheelbarrow as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the centre of the wheel is located rearwardly of the foremost part of the base of the tray.