Dual row cart collector and method
AssigneeGatekeeper Systems (HK) Limited
InventorsJeffrey O. Berg, Joseph D. Berg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A motorized cart collector for pulling two rows of carts in a forward direction over a surface includes a mobile body having a frame and a cart connector assembly. The cart connector assembly is pivotally connected to a rear end of the frame for pivotal movement about a vertical axis that is approximately perpendicular to the surface. The cart connector assembly includes first and second cart connectors that respectively configured to simultaneously attach to first and second lead carts. Also disclosed is a method of pulling two rows of carts using the cart collector.
Claims29
A motorized cart collector for pulling two rows of carts in a forward direction over a surface, the cart collector comprising:
- a mobile body including a frame having a front end, a rear end and a width, wherein the forward direction is toward the front end from the rear end;
- and
- a cart connector assembly pivotally connected to the rear end of the frame for pivotal movement about a vertical axis that is approximately perpendicular to the surface, the cart connector assembly including a horizontal support member spanning approximately the width of the frame, a cart separator attached to the horizontal support member and having a pair of outside edges displaced along a length of the horizontal support member that define a cart separating distance, and first and second cart connectors each coupled to the horizontal support member on opposing sides of the cart separator and respectively configured to attach to first and second lead carts, wherein the cart separator is configured to maintain at least the cart separating distance between leading portions of the first and second lead carts.
A motorized cart collector for pulling two rows of carts in a forward direction over a surface, the cart collector comprising:
- a mobile body including a frame having a front end and a rear end, wherein the forward direction is toward the front end from the rear end;
- and
- a cart connector assembly pivotally connected to the rear end of the frame for pivotal movement about a vertical axis that is approximately perpendicular to the surface, the cart connector assembly including first and second cart connectors respectively configured to simultaneously attach to first and second lead carts.
A method of pulling two rows of carts comprising steps of:
- providing a motorized cart collector configured to pull carts in a forward direction over a surface, the cart collector including a mobile body having a frame and a cart connector assembly attached to a rear end of the frame and including first and second cart connectors;
- connecting the first cart connector to a lead cart of a first row of carts;
- connecting the second cart connector to a lead cart of a second row of carts;
- and
- pulling the first and second rows of carts with the motorized cart collector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.