Hand trucks having multiple, foldable bottle-carrying trays and methods of constructing the hand trucks

A method of making an improved hand truck construction comprising the steps of:

• a. connecting a pair of laterally spaced, vertically extending side rails with crosswise braces laterally to form a hand truck frame and provide a handle surface which can be grasped, associated with the upper end thereof;
• b. fixing axle supporting front to rear extending brackets to the lower ends of the side rails to extend rearwardly thereof;
• c. securing an axle and wheel mechanism to the rear ends of said brackets;
• d. connecting a nose piece having a forwardly extending load support platform to the lower end of said frame;
• and
• e. connecting a plurality of trays having product stabilizing wall abutments of a crosswise length less than the spacing between said side rails by connecting forwardly extending tray brackets hingedly to said frame side rails for movement from a substantially horizontal load support operative position to a vertically disposed inoperative stowed position in substantial parallelism with said side rails in which said tray abutments extend between said side rails.

A method of using an improved hand truck construction having a pair of laterally spaced, vertically extending side rails, connected by crosswise braces laterally to form a hand truck frame, said frame having a handle surface associated with the upper end thereof and axle supporting front to rear extending brackets fixed to the lower ends of the side rails and extending rearwardly thereof;

• said frame further incorporating an axle and wheel mechanism secured to the rear ends of said brackets;
• the frame further having a nose piece fixed to the lower end of said frame providing a forwardly extending load support platform, and also having a plurality of trays with product restraining abutments and forwardly extending tray brackets hingedly supported by said frame side rails for moving said trays from a substantially horizontal load supporting operative position to a vertically disposed inoperative stowed position in substantial parallelism with said side rails in which said tray abutments extend between said side rails inboard thereof and do not obstruct nose piece load carrying capacity;
• the steps of:
• a. moving said trays to operative position and loading a liquid containing bottle to each of said trays in a crosswisely disposed orientation such as to be restrained by said abutments;
• b. tilting said frame and transporting said bottles to the location desired;
• c. removing said bottles individually;
• d. folding said trays upwardly to stowed position;
• e. with said trays folded upwardly, loading a stack of products to be carried on said nose piece;
• f. tilting said frame and transporting said stack in engagement with said stowed trays to a desired location;
• and
• g. removing said products from the frame.

A method of retrofitting a hand truck construction having:

• a pair of laterally spaced, vertically extending side rails and crosswise side rail connecting braces forming a hand truck frame;
• axle supporting front to rear extending brackets fixed to the lower ends of the side rails to extend rearwardly thereof;
• an axle and wheel mechanism secured to the rear ends of said brackets;
• and a nose piece having a forwardly extending load support platform mounted on the lower end of said frame;
• comprising the step of:
• a. connecting a plurality of trays having product stabilizing wall abutments of a crosswise length less than the spacing between said side rails by connecting forwardly extending tray brackets hingedly to said frame side rails for movement from a substantially horizontal load support operative position to a vertically disposed inoperative stowed position in substantial parallelism with said side rails in which said tray abutments extend between said side rails.