Linkage for hauling material handling equipment

A convoy of material handling equipment displaceable on a floor in a hauling direction, the convoy comprising:

• a first material handling equipment and a second material handling equipment each having floor contacting components for displacement on the floor, the first material handling equipment and the second material handling equipment each having a first connecting portion on a first side and a second connecting portion on a second side opposite the first side;
• and
• a linkage interconnecting the first material handling equipment and the second material handling equipment via the first connecting portion on the first material handling equipment and the second connecting portion on the second material handling equipment, the linkage including:
• a rod having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, a first pivot joint defined between the first end and the second end, the first pivot joint having a first pivot axis extending transversely to a longitudinal axis of the rod and the floor, a first rod segment and a second rod segment of the rod are pivotally coupled to each other by the first pivot joint;
• a biasing member secured to the first rod segment and to the second rod segment, the biasing member being tubular and extending around the first pivot joint, along a periphery of the first rod segment and the second rod segment, the biasing member having a first portion overlying peripherally at least part of the first rod segment and a second portion overlying peripherally at least part of the second rod segment, the biasing member deformable by bending in a direction transverse to the hauling direction and the longitudinal axis of the rod upon rotation of the first pivot joint about the first pivot axis, the biasing member at least partially resisting to the rotation of the first pivot joint about the first pivot axis upon bending the first portion relative to the second portion as the first rod segment pivot relative to the second rod segment;
• and
• a first coupling and a second coupling respectively pivotally mounted to the first end and the second end of the rod for rotation about a second pivot axis and a third pivot axis, the second pivot axis and the third pivot axis extending in a parallel direction that is transverse to both the longitudinal axis of the rod and the first pivot axis, the first coupling and the first connecting portion of the first material handling equipment removably engaged together, the second coupling and the second connecting portion of the second material handling equipment removably engaged together, wherein the first material handling equipment and the second material handling equipment are displaceable with respect to one another in a direction parallel with the first pivot axis, the first coupling and the second coupling pivoting respectively about the second pivot axis and the third pivot axis upon relative displacement of the first material handling equipment and the second material handling equipment in the direction parallel with the first pivot axis.