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US 5,632,592 AGranted
Extensor wing latch mechanism for a two-wheeled hand truck
AssigneeMagline, Inc.
InventorJoseph D. Krawczyk
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A latch assembly mounted on a two-wheeled hand truck having vertically extending wings mounted on the hand truck frame side rails to pivot about axes extending generally parallel to said side rails from an operative position in which they extend laterally as substantially extensions of said side rails to a folded inoperative inboard transport position in which they lie inboard of the laterally inboard sides of said rails. The latch assembly is mounted on the frame for movement in a lateral path from a first position in which the latch assembly blocks movement of the wings to a laterally displaced second position in which the wings are freed to travel.
Claims12
In a two-wheeled hand truck comprising a pair of laterally spaced axled wheels;
- a frame with front and rear sides supported by said wheels and adapted for transport in a position of vertical inclination, and having upper and lower ends, said frame including laterally spaced apart side rails with front, rear, and laterally inboard and outboard sides, connected by at least one laterally extending cross rail, and having a surface at its upper end which can be grasped to move the hand truck manually along a supporting surface;
- a forwardly extending nose projecting from the front side of said lower end of said frame;
- and at least one vertically extending wing mounted on said frame to pivot from a first operative position in which it extends laterally as generally a continuation of said front side of one of the side rails to a folded storage position in which it lies laterally inboard of the laterally inboard side of one of said side rails;
- the improvement wherein;
- a latch assembly is mounted on said frame for movement from a first position in which a portion of said latch assembly lies rearwardly of the path of movement of said at least one wing, to prevent movement of said at least one wing from a second operative position thereof in which said at least one wing bears on said latch assembly and has a portion which extends at a laterally, forwardly inclined angle, to a displaced position in which said at least one wing is freed to travel to said folded storage position and back to said first position of said latch mechanism to retain said at least one wing in said folded storage position.
2 more elements
In a method of retaining folding extensor wings of a two wheeled hand truck comprising a pair of laterally spaced axled wheels;
- a frame, with front and rear sides, supported by said wheels and adapted for transport in a position of vertical inclination and having upper and lower ends, said frame including laterally spaced apart side rails with front, rear, and laterally inboard and outboard sides, connected by at least one laterally extending cross rail, and having a surface at its upper end which can be grasped to move the hand truck manually along a supporting surface;
- a forwardly extending nose projecting from the front side of said lower end of said frame;
- and a pair of laterally spaced vertically extending wings mounted on said frame to pivot about axes extending generally parallel to said side rails from a first operative position in which they extend laterally as substantially a continuation of said front sides of the side rails to a folded storage position in which they lie laterally inboard of the laterally inboard sides of said side rails;
- the wings having slots aligned vertically with said at least one cross rail so as to freely pass by said at least one cross rail when pivoting from said first operative position to said folded storage position;
- the step of:
- (a) mounting a latch assembly on said frame to be movable from a retention position blocking travel of said wings from said folded storage position to a wing releasing position in which said wings can swing forwardly to said first operative position.
3 more elements
An extensor wing latch mechanism in combination with a two-wheeled hand truck having a pair of laterally spaced wheels;
- an axle mounting said wheels on the ends thereof;
- a frame with front and rear sides adapted for transport in a position of vertical inclination and having upper and lower ends, said frame including laterally spaced apart side rails, with front, rear, and laterally inboard and outboard sides, connected by cross rails, and having a surface at its upper end which can be grasped to move the hand truck manually along a supporting surface;
- brackets connecting said axle to the lower end of said frame and supporting said frame for travel on said wheels;
- a forwardly extending nose projecting from the front side of said lower end of said frame;
- and vertically extending wings mounted on said frame to pivot about axes extending generally parallel to said side rails from an operative position in which they extend laterally outwardly generally in line with said side rails to a folded inoperative inboard position in which they lie inboard of the inboard sides of said rails, said wings having slots vertically aligned with one of said cross rails so as to freely pass by said one of said cross rails when moving to said folded position;
- (a) said latch mechanism including a latch element mounted on said frame for movement from a first position in which said latch element lies forwardly of the path of movement of one of said wings to prevent movement of said wing from said folded position to a displaced second position in which said wing is freed to travel to said operative position.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.