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US 5,294,137 AGranted
Transport container with integral dolly
AssigneeHoover Group, Inc.
InventorsGeorge L. Barber, Curtis P. Taylor, Richard A. Volker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to reusable bulk transport containers having four wheels attached thereto forming a dolly for easy movement of the containers by a single person. The containers are further equipped with four legs for supporting the containers upright wherein the four wheels are all spaced above the ground surface. Two of the legs are in the form of a kick-stand which can be rotatable to a raised position after which the container can be tilted onto the four wheels and the center of gravity spaced between the main and rear wheels such that when tilted to a wheeled position, the container is inherently stable and will not tip over.
Claims25
A transport container for shipping of bulk materials comprising:
- a tank having an upright wall including fore and aft spaced front and rear walls and laterally spaced opposing side walls, a top and a bottom;
- front leg means forming at least one fixed leg attached to said tank adjacent said front wall;
- a pivot leg extending below said bottom adjacent said rear wall in a first position in which said pivot leg and said front leg means support said tank in an upright position;
- main wheel means for forming a rotatable support positioned fore and aft between said fixed and pivot legs with the center of gravity of said container and contents being located between said front leg means and said main wheel means in the upright position of said container, said main wheel means, said front leg means and said pivot legs defining a first support plane for said container;
- secondary wheel means for forming a rotatable support positioned rearward of said main wheel means and spaced from said first support plane, said main and secondary wheel means defining a second support plane inclined relative to said first support plane;
- said pivot leg being rotatably mounted to said container for rotation upward from said first position to a second position above said first support plane whereby said tank remains supported substantially upright on said front leg means and said main wheel means;
- and
- said tank, when said pivot leg is in said second position, being rotatable upon said main wheel means to lower said secondary wheel means to a support surface whereby said main and secondary wheel means support said tank in a tilted position in which said center of gravity is between said main and secondary wheel means whereby said container is inherently stable in said tilted position.
5 more elements
A transport container for shipping bulk materials comprising:
- a tank having an upright wall, a top and a bottom;
- a frame for supporting and carrying said tank, said frame including a pair of legs at a front of said container extending downwardly below said tank, a pair of legs at a rear of said container having a first position extending downwardly below said tank;
- a pair of laterally spaced main wheels mounted to said frame for rotation about a first lateral axis positioned between said front and rear legs and rearward of the center of gravity of said container and contents, said frame and rear legs and said main wheels defining a first support plane above which said upright wall is supported in a substantially vertical direction;
- and
- means forming a rear wheel mounted to said frame for rotation about a second lateral axis rearward of said first axis, said rear wheel means being spaced from said first support plane and together with said main wheels defining a second support plane inclined relative to said first support plane;
- said rear legs being rotatable to a raised position above said rear wheel means whereby said container can be tilted rearward onto said second support plane and supported by said main wheels and said rear wheel means, the angle of inclination between said first and second support planes being such that when said container is tilted onto said second support plane, the center of gravity of said container passes over said first axis to a position between said main and rear wheels whereby said container is inherently stable in the tilted position.
3 more elements
A transport container for shipping of bulk materials comprising:
- a tank having an upright wall including fore and aft spaced front and rear walls and laterally spaced opposing side walls, a top and a bottom;
- means forming front legs extending below said bottom adjacent said front wall for contact with a supporting surface;
- means forming rear legs extending below said bottom adjacent said rear wall, said rear legs being rotatably mounted to said tank for rotation relative to said tank between a lowered position forming rear legs for said tank and a raised position forming a handle above said tank;
- and
- wheel means rearward of said front leg means for supporting said tank when said rear leg means is in said raised position, said wheel means including a main wheel rotatable about a first axis of rotation rearward of the center of gravity of said container for supporting said container together with said front leg means with said upright wall extending substantially vertically and a secondary wheel spaced vertically higher than said main wheel and having a second axis of rotation rearward of said first axis of rotation and parallel thereto whereby said tank can be tilted rearward onto said main and secondary wheels when said rear leg means is in said raised position and said center of gravity of said container is passed over the first axis to a position between said first and second axes.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.