Patent ID: 6488304
Filing Date: 2002-12-03
Classification: B62B

Abstract:
In a demountable multiple platform cart assembly:a. a lead cart having a horizontal load-supporting platform with sides and front and rear ends; b. laterally spaced non-castered wheels laterally inset from said sides mounted to and carrying said rear end of said lead cart platform; c. a fitting mounted on each side of said lead cart platform at said front end of each said lead cart platform, each said fitting carrying an open-ended sleeve mounted for pivotal movement from a generally vertical operative position to a generally horizontal stowed position; d. a handle having laterally spaced legs mounting castered front wheels of smaller diameter than said non-castered wheels slideably received in said sleeves for telescopic movement from a vertically extending operative position when said sleeves are in operative position to a telescoped rearwardly extending stowed position beneath said lead cart platform when said sleeves are pivoted to stowed position; e. a trailing cart, movable between operative and stowed positions, having a horizontal load-supporting trailing platform with sides and front and rear ends; f. a pair of laterally spaced castered rearmost wheels mounted on and carrying said rear end of said trailing cart platform; said pair of rearmost castered wheels being laterally spaced a distance less than the lateral spacing of said non-castered wheels and positioned to be movable between them when said trailing cart is moved forwardly to stowed position with said front end of said trailing cart above said lead cart; g. a releasable interconnection mechanism for coupling said rear end of said lead cart demountably to said front end of said trailing cart with the platform of said lead cart in horizontal alignment with the platform of said trailing cart and furnishing the sole support for the front end of said trailing cart; h. said interconnection mechanism comprising an upstanding flange carried by said rear end of said lead cart and extending at a spaced distance rearwardly of said platform of said lead cart from side to side thereof to provide an upwardly and sidewisely open side to side continuous first slit adjacent to said rear end of said lead cart platform, and further comprising a downwardly extending flange to be received in said first slit carried on said front end of said platform of said trailing cart at a spaced distance forwardly of said platform to provide a downwardly and sidewisely open side to side continuous second slit to receive said upstanding flange; said interconnection mechanism further having stop surfaces for limiting the vertical position of said downwardly extending flange in said first slit to carry said platforms of said lead cart and said trailing cart in horizontal alignment and being provided with lateral stop surfaces carried at a spaced lateral distance outward of said platform sides for preventing relative lateral shifting of said rear end of said lead cart platform and front end of said trailing cart platform beyond a predetermined limit; i. a lock mechanism carried beneath said lead cart platform and comprising a rearwardly extending part at each side of said cart spaced vertically below said platform and configured to provide a pair of rear access openings spaced forwardly of said non-castered wheels leading to upwardly open locking recesses forwardly of said access openings; j. a lock rod spanning said legs of said handle inward of said castered wheels thereon positioned to be received in said locking recesses when said handle is telescoped during pivoting movement of said sleeves to stowed position to a rearwardly extending position in which said locking rod when swung upwardly is rearward of said access openings and can be brought forwardly to be received within said locking recesses with forward telescopic movement of said handle relative to said sleeves when said sleeves are in stowed position; and k. said stowed position of said trailing cart being reachable by raising the front end of said trailing cart to release said interconnection mechanism and moving said trailing cart forwardly to a vertically stacked position in which said front end of said trailing cart is supported by the platform of said lead cart and the rear end of said trailing cart is supported on the castered wheels of said trailing cart.