Cart With Lift And Drive Assist

A cart and rack assembly in which the rack selectively includes materials to be transported, the cart and rack assembly comprising:

• a cart for transporting materials, the cart comprising:
• a cart frame defining an upper portion and a lower portion opposed thereto;
• a support surface joined to the cart frame, wherein the support surface is capable of selective vertical movement relative to the upper portion of the cart frame;
• a lift mechanism connected to the cart frame and to the support surface, wherein the lift mechanism is capable of selectively raising and lowering the support surface relative to the cart frame and wherein the cart defines a raised position when the support surface is raised a maximum vertical distance from the cart frame and the cart defines a lowered position when the support surface is lowered to a minimum vertical distance from the cart frame;
• at least one wheel attached to the cart frame and extending from the lower portion of the cart frame, wherein the at least one wheel defines a distal end opposite the cart frame in a generally vertical direction;
• a drive wheel assembly attached to the cart frame and capable of selectively providing drive motion to the cart in at least one direction;
• and
• a control assembly capable of selectively raising and lowering the support surface and of selectively providing drive motion to the cart;
• wherein the drive wheel assembly is capable of moving in at least a vertical direction relative to the cart frame while the drive wheel assembly provides drive motion to the cart in at least one direction;
• wherein the cart selectively defines a raised position dimension measured from the top of the support surface to the distal end of the at least one wheel when the support surface defines the raised position and the cart selectively defines a lowered position dimension measured from the top of the support surface to the distal end of the at least one wheel when the support surface defines the lowered position;
• and
• a rack defining a bottom surface and including at least one foot extending from the bottom surface of the rack, wherein the foot defines a distal end opposite the bottom surface of the rack;
• wherein the rack defines a clearance height between the bottom surface of the rack and the distal end of the at least one foot of the rack that is generally greater than the lowered position dimension of the cart and that is generally less than the raised position dimension of the cart.

A method of transporting material with a cart, the method comprising the steps of:

• moving the cart having at least one wheel to a first position wherein at least a portion of a cart frame is situated generally below the material to be transported, wherein the cart includes a support surface joined to the cart frame;
• raising the support surface of the cart with a lift mechanism until the materials are substantially supported by the support surface of the cart;
• moving the cart to a second position by controlling a drive wheel assembly attached to the cart frame, wherein the drive wheel assembly is capable of moving in at least a vertical direction relative to the cart frame while the drive wheel assembly provides drive motion to the cart;
• and
• lowering the support surface of the cart until the materials are substantially removed from the support surface of the cart.