Quad-caster carriage with forklift attachment
AssigneeMartin Mobile Company, LLC
InventorDouglas G. Willis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A carriage including an articulated caster is disclosed. The carriage supports a load and includes a frame with a load-supporting section, base sections, and a linkage that permits relative pivotal movement therebetween. The linkage includes a transverse section that pivotally interconnects at least two of the base sections and a longitudinal section that pivotally interconnects the transverse section and the load-supporting section. The linkage permits relative pivotal movement so that at least two of the carriages may cooperatively support the load and substantially share the load over an uneven surface.
Claims35
A pair of carriages operable to cooperatively support a rigid load for movement across a surface, wherein the carriages are spaced apart and the load extends therebetween in a spaced direction, each of said carriages comprising:
- at least two caster assemblies, each of which includes a base section and at least three rotatable caster wheels attached to the base section so that the caster assembly is self-supporting;
- a load-supporting section operable to support the load thereon;
- a linkage interconnecting the caster assemblies;
- and
- at least two pivot couplers, each being pivotally attached to a respective one of the base sections and the linkage to define a pair of base pivot axes associated with the respective caster assembly,
- each of said pivot couplers cooperating with the respective base section and the linkage to restrict relative movement between the respective caster assembly and linkage to pivoting movement about the base pivot axes,
- said linkage being pivotally connected to the load-supporting section about an intermediate pivot axis,
- said load-supporting sections of the carriages having a positional relationship which is maintained substantially constant as the carriages move across the surface.
A carriage operable to support a load for movement across a surface, said carriage comprising:
- a plurality of caster assemblies, each of which includes a base section and at least three rotatable caster wheels attached to the base section so that the caster assembly is self-supporting;
- a load-supporting section operable to support the load thereon;
- a linkage interconnecting the caster assemblies and load-supporting section,
- said linkage including a longitudinal section and at least a pair of transverse sections,
- each of said transverse sections extending in opposite directions from the longitudinal section to present a pair of opposed outrigger arms, with the transverse section being pivotally coupled to the longitudinal section between the arms for pivotal movement about a longitudinal axis;
- and
- a plurality of pivot couplers, each being pivotally attached to a respective one of the base sections and a corresponding one of the outrigger arms to define a pair of base pivot axes associated with the respective caster assembly,
- each of said pivot couplers cooperating with the respective base section and the corresponding outrigger arm to restrict relative movement between the respective caster assembly and the corresponding outrigger arm to pivoting movement about the base pivot axes.
A carriage operable to support a load for movement across a surface, wherein the load is supported at least in part by a forklift tube, which is provided with a connection tab having an aperture defined therein, said carriage comprising:
- a caster assembly including a base section and at least three rotatable caster wheels attached to the base section so that the caster assembly is self-supporting;
- a load-supporting section operable to support the load thereon;
- a linkage interconnecting the caster assembly and load-supporting section;
- and
- a pivot coupler pivotally attached to the base section and the linkage to define a pair of base pivot axes,
- said pivot coupler cooperating with the base section and the linkage to restrict relative movement between the caster assembly and linkage to pivoting movement about the base pivot axes,
- said load-supporting section including a tube-supporting shelf operable to support the tube thereon,
- said shelf presenting a hole dimensioned and configured to align with the aperture when the tube is supported on the shelf;
- and
- a pin configured to be removably received in the aperture and hole when the tube is supported on the shelf so as to releasably secure the load-supporting section to the tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.