Vertically folding hand truck and methods of its operation and construction

A hand truck comprising:

• a. a generally vertically disposed frame including laterally spaced side rails with front and rear sides, exterior sides, and interior sides connected by generally laterally extending braces;
• b. an axle mounting a pair of wheels connected to carry said side rails;
• c. a load support nose member connected to the lower end of said frame having an operative position extending generally horizontally forwardly from said frame;
• d. pivots mounting said nose member for upward swinging movement from said operative position to a vertical position substantially folded against said front sides of said side rails;
• e. a backer member for said nose member extending generally vertically angularly thereto;
• and
• f. manually releasable latch and slot lock mechanism carried on said backer member and on the lower end of said frame including a slot provided on one of said backer member and frame and a lock provided on the other of said backer member and frame engaged to automatically lock when said nose member is swung down from stowed position to operative position to automatically lock said nose member in operative position.

A hand truck comprising:

• a. a skeletal, generally vertically disposed frame including channel side rails with front and rear sides, exterior sides, and open interior sides connected by generally laterally extending braces, said frame having separated upper and lower frame sections with upper and lower side rail sections meeting at laterally aligned hinging interfaces;
• b. a pair of wheels connected to said lower frame section to lie rearwardly of said lower side rail section;
• c. a load support nose member connected to said lower frame section having an operative position extending generally horizontally forwardly from said lower frame section;
• d. pivots mounting said nose member for upward swinging movement from said operative position to a vertical position substantially folded against said front sides of said lower frame section side rails;
• e. a back plate for said nose member extending generally perpendicularly thereto;
• f. manually releasable slot and rod lock mechanism carried on said back plate and lower side rail sections automatically engaged when said nose member is swung down from stowed position to operative position to lock said nose member in operative position;
• g. said slot and rod lock mechanism including lock bracket mechanism carried on the nose support member back plate having at least one forwardly facing access opening leading rearwardly to a nose locking slot which extends downwardly when said nose member is in operative position, and also including a laterally extending nose lock rod carried on said lower frame section movable from a locked position within said nose locking slot on said nose member to a raised position above said slot permitting said nose bracket mechanism to swing forwardly out away from under said rod as said nose member is folding to stowed position;
• h. hinges connecting said upper frame section from a first operative position in which said upper and lower frame sections are vertically aligned to a folded-down stowed position in which said upper frame section is behind said lower frame section;
• and
• i. lock slides within said upper side rail section connected with a handle rod extending generally laterally between said upper side rail sections and carried for movement from a first raised position vertically free of said lower rail sections to a second vertically defined lower locking position downwardly beyond said interfaces to prevent relative folding movement of said upper and lower rail sections.

In a hand truck having a skeletal generally vertically disposed frame including channel side rails with front and rear sides, exterior sides, and open interior sides connected by generally laterally extending braces, said frame having separated upper and lower sections with upper and lower side rail sections meeting at laterally aligned interfaces, the improvement comprising:

• a. hinging devices carried on said side rail sections and connecting said rail sections for relative hinging movement from a first generally vertically aligned operative position to a folded down stowed position in which said frame sections are in front to rear lapping relationship;
• b. support guide plates spanning and fixed to said open laterally interior sides of said channel side rails, and having elongate vertical guide slots therein providing vertical guide surfaces;
• and
• c. rigid, non-hinged lock parts for said upper and lower frame sections carried within said side rail channels and having laterally inwardly projecting parts movable in engagement with said guide surfaces on said guide plates from a position removed from said interface to a projected position spanning said interface and blocking said relative hinging movement of said upper and lower rail sections.

A method of constructing a hand truck having a skeletal generally vertically disposed frame including side rails with front and rear sides, exterior sides, and interior open sides connected by generally laterally extending braces, said frame having separated upper and lower frame sections with upper and lower side rail sections meeting at side rail interfaces;

• a pair of wheels connected to said lower frame section rearwardly of said lower side rail sections;
• a load support nose member connected to said lower frame section having an operative position extending generally horizontally forwardly from said lower frame section;
• hinges connecting said upper frame section to said lower frame section for relative folding movement from a first operative position in which said upper and lower side rail sections are generally vertically aligned to a folded-down stowed position in which said side rail sections are in front to rear lapping relationship;
• comprising:
• a. providing guide plates on said open interior sides of said channel side rails having elongate vertical guide slots and further providing handle operated lock slides with parts guiding in said guide slots carried by said upper rail sections for downward locking vertical sliding movement within said upper side rail sections from a first raised position vertically free of said lower rail sections to a second locking position extending past said interfaces into the upper ends of said lower rail sections to prevent relative folding movement of said upper and lower side rail sections;
• and
• b. providing stop surfaces carried by said lock slides interacting with said frame for limiting the downward, gravity-assisted locking travel of said lock slides beyond said locking position.

A method of constructing a hand truck comprising a generally vertically disposed frame including laterally connected laterally spaced side rails with front and rear sides, exterior sides, and interior sides;

• an axle mounting a pair of wheels connected to carry said side rails;
• a load support nose member connected to the lower end of said frame having an operative position extending generally horizontally forwardly from said frame;
• pivots mounting said nose member for upward swinging movement from said operative position to a vertical stowed position substantially folded against said front sides of said side rails;
• and a back for said nose member extending generally angularly thereto;
• comprising
• a. providing a manually releasable latch and slot lock mechanism having parts carried on said back and on the lower ends of said side rails to automatically interact when said nose member is swung down from stowed position to operative position and automatically lock said nose member in operative position, one of said parts being a displaceable latch and the other of said parts being a memeber having a slot in which said latch is received.