Hand cart braking system

A brakeable hand cart comprising the combination of:

• a frame having a surface for supporting a load;
• a pair of bearing brackets connected to a lower
• section of said frame in spaced-apart relationship
• and extending from the hand cart between a pair of
• laterally spaced wheels;
• a bearing mounted in each of said bearing brackets and aligned between the wheels;
• a split axle rotatably mounted in the bearings of said bearing support and extending laterally across said frame, said split axle including a first axle segment, a second axle segment, and a connection means positioned at an end-to-end junction of the two axle segments for facilitating the independent rotation of the axle segments;
• a pair of laterally spaced wheels for movably supporting said frame, including a first wheel connected to the first axle segment and a second wheel connected to the second axle segment such that the first axle segment and first wheel are independently rotatable from the second axle segment and second wheel;
• a brake mounted on said split axle at said connection means for selectively and simultaneously engaging the first and second axle segments of said split axle;
• and
• an actuator mounted on the frame, said actuator connected to said brake for selectively causing said brake to engage said split axle.