US3173705A

US3173705A - Wheelbarrow and hand grips therefor

Info

Publication number: US3173705A
Application number: US236287A
Authority: US
Inventors: Puy De Graff Du
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-11-08
Filing date: 1962-11-08
Publication date: 1965-03-16
Anticipated expiration: 1982-03-16

Description

March 16, 1965 DE GRAFF DU PUY 3,173,705

WHEELBARROW AND HAND GRIPS THEREFOR Filed Nov. 8, 1962 ATTOfiA/EYS United States Patent 6 f 3,173,795 WHEELBARROW AND HAND GRIPS THEREFUR De Gralf Du Fey, Norfolk, Va. (2105 Crystal Spring Ave. SW., Roanoke, Va.) Filed Nov. 8, 1962, Ser. No. 236,287 2 Claims. (U. 250-4751) This invention relates to wheelbarrows and similar devices having shafts by means of which they are manipulated, and more particularly to improved handles for the shafts of such devices.

In using wheelbarrows, hand trucks, and similar one and two wheeled conveyances, itis customary, and natural, to grasp the shaft handles with the arms fully extended, so that the proper balance, both of vehicle and body, will be maintained and the greatest possible carrying power and thrust is obtainable. The shaft handles are usually shaped to provide for comfortable grip when the arms are fully extended. The hands encircle the handles, the fingers extending under the bottom of the handles and up the inside faces. This places the thumbs forward. The utmost stability, power and com-fort is obtained by pushing the barrow in this position. When it becomes necessary to dump the barrow, however, problems arise. The human wrist will bend backward but a limited amount, and it is impossible to raise the barrow handles much above the waist level while maintaining the above-described grip upon them. This is seldom high enough to dump the load. Because of this, the wheelbarrow is usually dumped by tilting to the side, or by throwing the shafts upwardly so that the wheelbarrow overturns about its wheel. In either event, the movement is awkward, and control of the dumping is lost.

The general object of the present invention is to provide an improved conveyance of the general type mentioned which will permit an operator to grasp the handles in a natural manner, and to maintain that grip while the vehicle is being pushed, dumped, or otherwise manipulated.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision of a device of this kind which has movable hand grips to shift as the barrow handles shift so that it will not be necessary to change grip on the handles or to release them in order to tilt, or dump, the wheelbarrow.

Another object is to provide hand grips for attachment to the handle ends of wheelbarrow shafts to facilitate operation of the wheelbarrow.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of one practical embodiment thereof, when taken in conjunction with the drawings which accompany, and form part of, this specification.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a wheelbarrow equipped with hand grips embodying the principles of the present invention, with an operator holding the grips to illustrate their manner of use;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of a hand grip in place at the end of a portion of a wheelbarrow handle;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section through the hand grip and its mounting, taken on the 'line 33 of FIGURE 2 and shown on an enlarged scale; and

FIGURE 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 3 and being on a smaller scale.

In general, the invention consists in hand grips having mounting members to permit the grips to be pivotally mounted on the handle ends of wheelbarrow shafts, so that the grips may be rocked in vertical planes as may be required to permit an operator to maintain his grip upon the handles while the wheelbarrow is being pushed, tilted, and completely dumped.

3,173,705 Patented Mar. 16, 1965 Referring to the drawings in detail and first to FIG- URE 1, a wheelbarrow 1 is shown. The wheelbarrow has a pair of shafts 2 on which a wheel 3 is journalled. Supporting legs 4 are fastened beneath the shafts to support the barrow when it is not in motion, and material-receiving body 5 is mounted on the shafts. The shafts have handles 6 formed at their free ends, and hand grip 7 incorporating the features of the present invention are connected to the ends of the handles.

The hand grips inoludetwo members, a mounting element 8 and the grip, proper '9, pivotally interconnected. The mounting element 8--is inthe form of a plate 10 having screw openings 11 near i-tsends. At the center there is an eye 12 which is apertured asat'13 to receive a pivot bolt 14. Screws 15 through openings 11 into the barrow handle fix the mounting elements to the wheelbarrow.

The grip element 9 consists of a curved grip bar 16, mounted between two side plates 17. The side plates are of general V-shape, having diverging legs 18 which are connected at their ends to the ends of the curved grip bar. At the juncture of the legs, at the base of the V, the plates have openings 19 to receive the pivot bolt 14. The grip bar is approximately the same diameter as the barrow handle so that the side plates of the grip will pass freely on either side of the handle. The side plate legs may be pinned, welded, or both, to the grip bar.

It will be clear from FIGURE 1 that a hand grip is attached to each handle of the wheelbarrow. They are secured in place by screwing the mounting plates 10 to the undersides of the handles. The grips 8 are then attached by inserting the pivot bolts 14 through the holes 19 in the side plates of the grips and the opening 13 in the eye of the mounting plate. The hand grips are attached very close to the ends of the handles, so that the grip elements will be free to swing about their pivots completely around the handle ends so that the grips may iove freely from above the handles to below them.

In using a wheelbarrow equipped with the hand grips as described, the operator will grasp the hand grips and lift to raise the legs 4 from the ground, so that the wheelbarrow can be moved on its wheel 3. As the weight will exert a downward pull, and the operators arms will be fully extended, the hand grips will be in their upper positions, as shown in FIGURE 2. This is a natural, and comfortable, position for the operators hands. When it is desired to tilt the wheelbarrow to dump its contents, the operator need only lift on the hand grips to raise the handles to the position shown in FIGURE 1. It is to be noted that the hand grips swing about their pivots as the wheelbarrow tilts so that the hand grips maintain a position which will allow the operators hands to stay in a normal, unstrained position. If it is necessary to tilt the wheelbarrow even further, the hand grips will rock even further around the handles. When the wheelbarrow is to be moved back to its carrying position, it is only necessary to pull back on the hand grips. As the wheelbarrow swings back and down to its original position the hand grips will adjust to the proper angle to allow the operators hands to remain in a natural position.

It will be understood that wheelbarrows may be manufactured with the hand grips attached, or the hand grips may be sold as attachments for connection to wheelbarrows already in use.

While in the above one practical embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it will be clear that the specific details of construction shown and described are merely for purposes of illustration and the invention may take other forms within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a wheelbarrow having spaced shafts mounting a wheel and a body with the shafts terminating in handles at one end, the improvement which comprises, mounting members fixed to the wheelbarrow handles adjacent the ends thereof, and hand grips pivotally connected to the mounting members for swinging movement in vertical planes in excess of 90, the hand grips having arcuate grip bars and side plates in spaced relation on each side of the grip bar, the side plates having diverging legs connected at their ends to the grip bar and the pivoted connection being to the side plates centrally of the diverging legs, said hand grips adapted for continuous swinging movement both above and below the longitudinal axis of the handles.

2. In a wheelbarrow having spaced shafts mounting a wheel and a body with the shafts terminating in handles at one end, the improvement which comprises, hand grips each having a central opening through which the fingers of a user may pass, that portion of each hand grip on one side of the opening forming a grip bar, and that portion of the hand grip on the opposite side of the opening forming a connector, and means pivotally interconnecting the connectors and the wheelbarrow handles adjacent the handle ends toprOVide swinging movement of the hand grips in vertical planes, said hand grips adapted for continuous swinging movement both above and below the longitudinal axis of the handles.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 626,332 6/99 Mason 16-112 X 2,263,879 11/41 Jorgensen. 2,361,674 10/44 Zeindler 28047.29 X 2,820,643 1/58 COhn 28047.27 2,901,263 8/59 Van Loon 18047.31

A. HARRY LEVY, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A WHEELBARROW HAVING SPACED SHAFTS MOUNTING A WHEEL AND A BODY WITH THE SHAFTS TERMINATING IN HANDLES AT ONE END, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES, MOUNTING MEMBERS FIXED TO THE WHEELBARROW HANDLES ADJACENT THE ENDS THEREOF, AND HAND GRIPS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE MOUNTING MEMBERS FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT IN VERTICAL PLANES IN EXCESS OF 90*, THE HAND GRIPS HAVING A ARCUATE GRIPS BARS AND SIDE PLATES IN SPACED RELATION ON SAID SIDE OF THE GRIP BAR, THE SIDE PLATES HAVING DIVERGING LEGS CONNECTED AT THEIR ENDS TO THE GRIP BAR AND THE PIVOTED CONNECTION BEING TO THE SIDE PLTES CENTRALLY OF THE DIVERGING LEGS, SAID HAND GRIPS ADAPTED FOR CONTINUOUS SWINGING MOVEMENT BOTH ABOVE AND BELOW THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE HANDLES.