Rolling containers assembly

An apparatus for transporting articles, comprising:

• a first removable storage container having interior surfaces defining an interior space in which articles to be transported can be stored;
• a second removable storage container having interior surfaces defining an interior space in which articles to be transported can be stored;
• a wheeled device comprising:
• (i) a frame,
• (ii) one or more rotatable ground engaging wheels connected with said frame and constructed and arranged to rollingly support said frame,
• (iii) a lower storage container being mounted below said first and second removable storage containers on portions of said frame that are fixed with respect to an axis of rotation of said wheels so as to prevent said lower storage container from being removed from said one or more wheels and carried separately from said one or more wheels,
• (iv) structure providing a generally downwardly facing fixed ground engaging surface, said ground engaging surface being located forwardly of said one or more wheels and being constructed and arranged to engage the ground,
• (v) a manually engageable handle member extending generally upwardly from said frame, and
• (vi) first removable container supporting structure constructed and arranged to removably support said first removable storage container;
• said first removable storage container being removably mounted on said first removable container supporting structure such that said first supporting structure supports said first removable container above said lower storage container and such that said first removable storage container can be removed and handled separately from said lower storage container;
• said first removable container providing second removable container supporting structure constructed and arranged to removably support said second removable container, said second removable container being removably mounted on said second supporting structure such that said second removable container supporting structure supports said second removable container above said first removable container and such that said second removable container can be removed and handled separately from said first removable storage container and said lower storage container;
• said handle member and said one or more ground engaging wheels of said wheeled device being constructed and arranged to enable a user to pull said handle member generally rearwardly so as to tilt said wheeled device rearwardly from (a) a substantially upright position wherein said fixed ground engaging surface engages the ground so as to stably support said wheeled device in a freestanding manner such that the interior spaces of said lower and removable containers can be accessed or said removable container can be removed from said removable container supporting structure and handled separately from said wheeled device to (b) a tilted rolling movement position wherein said fixed ground engaging surface is moved generally upwardly out of engagement with the ground in such a manner that said wheeled device is rollingly supported by said ground engaging wheels with the weight of said wheeled device and said removable container being supported only by the one or more ground engaging wheels and the portion of the handle member engaged by the user, thereby enabling the user to roll said apparatus to a desired location by pushing or pulling said handle member in a desired direction.

An apparatus for transporting articles comprising:

• (i) a drawer supporting frame assembly having interior surfaces defining a drawer receiving space;
• (ii) structure providing a generally downwardly facing, fixed ground engaging surface, said ground engaging surface being constructed and arranged to engage the ground;
• (iii) one or more rotatable ground engaging wheels connected with said drawer supporting frame assembly rearwardly of said ground engaging surface, said one or more wheels being constructed and arranged to rollingly support said drawer supporting frame assembly;
• (iv) a manually engageable handle member;
• (v) a storage drawer having interior surfaces defining an interior space configured to receive articles to be transported and a generally upwardly facing access opening permitting access to said interior space, said storage drawer being mounted within said drawer receiving space of said drawer supporting frame assembly such that said drawer is selectively moveable between (1) an open position wherein said drawer extends outwardly from said frame to permit access to said interior space through said generally upwardly facing access opening and (2) a closed position wherein said drawer is received within said drawer supporting frame assembly so as to prevent access to said interior space through said access opening;
• and
• (vi) flexible member storage means carried by said drawer supporting frame assembly for restraining an elongated flexible member in a wound manner thereon against lateral movement;
• said handle member and said one or more ground engaging wheels being constructed and arranged to enable the user to pull said handle member generally rearwardly so as to tilt said drawer supporting frame assembly rearwardly from (a) a substantially upright position wherein said fixed ground engaging surface engages the ground so as to stably support said drawer supporting frame assembly in a freestanding manner and the elongated flexible member can wound about or unwound from said flexible member storage means to (b) a tilted rolling movement position wherein said fixed ground engaging surface is moved generally upwardly out of engagement with the ground in such a manner that said drawer supporting frame assembly is rollingly supported by said ground engaging wheels, with the weight of said drawer supporting frame assembly being supported only by the one or more ground engaging wheels and the portion of the handle member engaged by the user, thereby enabling the user to roll said apparatus to a desired location by pushing or pulling said handle member in a desired direction;
• said storage drawer being selectively movable between the open and closed positions thereof when said drawer supporting frame assembly is in said substantially upright position and when said drawer supporting frame assembly is in said tilted rolling movement position thereof;
• said flexible member storage means being constructed and arranged such that the elongated flexible member can be unwound therefrom when said drawer supporting frame assembly is in said tilted rolling movement position thereof to thereby enable the flexible member to be unwound from said reel as said drawer supporting frame assembly is being rolled for transporting articles;
• wherein the drawer supporting frame assembly includes a first portion connected with the wheels and a second portion removably mounted with respect to said first portion, the drawer receiving space being provided by said second portion of said drawer supporting frame assembly to enable said drawer receiving space and the storage drawer to be transported independently from said wheels.