Abstract:
A handtruck has an elongated frame, with wheels mounted adjacent to the bottom of frame and forming a wheelbase. A load-bearing member, such as a base plate, is attached to the frame. A footkick is provided and is attached to the frame, the footkick extending rearwardly relative to the wheels, preferably with a part engageable by a person&#39;s foot. The footkick provides a lever for facilitating rotation of the frame about the wheelbase.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to provisional Patent Application No. 61/734,483, filed Dec. 7, 2012, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates to handtrucks, and more particularly to a handtruck having a device for facilitating rotation of the handtruck about its wheel axis. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Handtrucks are used to move cargo manually from place to place. They generally comprise a plate or base upon which items are placed, and can be stacked, and a frame extending upwardly therefrom, to support stacked cargo. A set of wheels is typically provided at the bottom of the frame, and a handle toward the top of the frame which is graspable, for moving the handtruck. The frame is ordinarily tilted rearwardly to move the handtruck on the wheels. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    In accordance with one aspect of the invention, an improved handtruck, which is an apparatus for moving loads manually, has a device which facilitates the rotation of the handtruck about a fulcrum, such as its wheel axis, as for tilting the handtruck for movement through an arc toward the user, as well as for placing the load plate of the handtruck on the ground after travel. In one embodiment, the handtruck has a frame with a set of wheels at the base of the frame. Other rotatable members, or a single movable member, such as a caster or roller ball, could be used. Extending rearwardly from the base, or near the base, is a member which presents a lever end that is engageable by a user&#39;s foot. This member takes the form of a footkick, such that a user can press upon the lever end with his or her foot, and thereby facilitate rotation of the frame, with its attached cargo plate. This is useful in both lifting the load for movement of the handtruck, but also can be employed in placing the plate with its load back on the ground. 
         [0005]    In a preferred embodiment, the footkick is a rod which extends from a fixed attachment point on the handtruck frame at a distal part or end, and rearwardly at a slightly upward angle from the frame. The footkick need not be affixed to the frame, however, but could rotate on a wheel axle and engage the frame, or simply engage some part of the handtruck to deliver the lever action. Here, rearwardly is relative to the plate upon which the load is carried, and upward is relative to the ground. An endpiece may be provided extending laterally at the rearward or proximal part or end of the footkick, for better foot engagement. The material used for the footkick can be metal, plastic or composite material, or indeed any material that will yield a sufficiently rigid lever arm. 
         [0006]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a handtruck has an elongated frame, with wheels mounted adjacent to the bottom of frame and forming a wheelbase. A load-bearing member, such as a base plate, is attached to frame, preferably adjacent the bottom of the frame. A footkick is provided and is attached to the frame. The footkick extends rearwardly relative to the frame and the wheels, most preferably with a widened part easily engageable by a person&#39;s foot. The footkick provides a lever for facilitating rotation of the frame about the wheelbase. 
         [0007]    In a variation of the invention, the footkick can be made releasably attachable, such that it may be affixed to the frame, and then removed as desired. 
         [0008]    Other advantages, aspects and particulars of the invention will be further understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of an embodiment, taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which: 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a side view, slightly in perspective, of a handtruck made in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged perspective view of the lower end of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , with the footkick engaged; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a rearview of the handtruck of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a partial perspective rear view showing an alternative version with a removable footkick; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged view of a mount for affixing a removable footkick. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    A handtruck in one embodiment constructed in accordance with an aspect of the invention is shown in  FIGS. 1 through 3 . This embodiment has an elongated frame  10  made of two vertical bars or rods  12 , with five cross spans  14  extending therebetween, spaced along the bars  12 . There is a central vertical span  16  at approximately the middle of the frame, and joining the cross spans  14 . A cargo load plate  18  is affixed to the bottom of the rods  12 . At the top of the frame is a handle  20 , which can be an intermediate portion of a single tubular element which has been bent into the shape of the two vertical rods  12  with the handle  20  extending rearwardly therefrom at the top of the frame  10 . It will be understood that the general structure of the frame  10  is conventional, and may take many different forms understood by those of skill in the art. Various elements are connected via welding, for example. Frame is used expansively herein, and is generally a structure to which a load to be moved is attached or carried. 
         [0015]    Extending at the back of the frame are a pair of struts  22 . At the bottom of the struts are wheel brackets  24 , which extend and are affixed to the bottom of the frame  10 . There is a cross bar  26  connecting the brackets  24  and the struts  22 . 
         [0016]    A pair of wheels  28  are mounted in conventional fashion to an axel  30 . The axel extends through appropriate openings in the brackets  24 . The cross bar  26  is located slightly rearwardly and upwardly of the axel  30 . How the wheels  28  are mounted is, of course, a matter of choice. Other rotary, or even slidable members, or even a single such member, could be used. 
         [0017]    Affixed to the frame  10  is a footkick  32 . The footkick has an elongated bar or rod  33  having one end (its distal end) attached to the bottom of the frame  10  at the juncture between the lowest cross span  14  and the central span  16 , as by welding thereto. At the other end (the proximal end) of the kick rod  33  is a lateral element  34 , which is provided to give a better engagement surface for a person&#39;s foot. The kick rod  33  extends rearwardly at a slight upward angle. It preferably is also in contact with, or affixed to, the top of the cross bar  26 . It will be understood that the footkick may be made of many kinds of materials, so long as a sufficiently rigid element results that will withstand the lever forces applied. Furthermore, while a rod or bar is noted as a particularly useful form, the footkick may take the form of other elongated elements that do the job. 
         [0018]    In use, the footkick  32  functions as a lever. A user may step or press upon the lateral element  34 , pressing the footkick  32  downwardly, while the user is also pulling rearwardly on the handle  20 . This facilitates pitching the frame  10  and its plate  18  back about the pivot or fulcrum formed by the wheel axel  30 . In like measure, when the user has moved the handtruck and is placing the load (plate) back on the ground, the footkick  32  can be used to assist in that action. 
         [0019]    As a lever, the footkick  32  may be of any suitable length. The longer the lever-arm, the more easily the load may be tilted (levered). Most preferably, the distal end of the lever (away from the user) is near the plate  18 . The proximal end (where the foot engages) will preferably extend beyond the back of the wheels  28 , with a fulcrum formed more or less around the wheel axis. A tilt upwardly for the footkick  32  is indicated in these embodiments, so as to provide a placement for the footkick lower to the ground, but with sufficient height to the lateral element  34  (or end of the kick rod  33 ) so that the proximal end of the footkick will not interfere with sufficient rearward rotation of the hand truck. 
         [0020]    A variant embodiment is shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . Here, the footkick  32  is made to be removably mounted or affixed to the frame  10 . To that end, a short cylindrical receptacle, collar or well  38  is provided on the frame, such as welded to a cross-span  14 . It has a hole or aperture  40 . The end of the kickrod  33 , which in this embodiment is a hollow metal tube, is provided with a spring-loaded nub  42  of conventional type, as used to connect tubing members together and well known in the art. The nub  42  extends through an aperture in the kickrod  33 . The outer diameter of the kickrod  33  is made to fit within the inner diameter of the receptacle  38 , which forms a socket, in a generally snug fit, with the nub  42  then extending through the hole  40  in the receptacle  38  to locate the kickrod in place. The nub  42  can be pressed inwardly relative to the kickrod  33  to release the kickrod from the receptacle. The kickrod  33  could be arranged to be rearwardly attached to the handtruck in other ways, such as fitting over a mount. It could be attached to the axle  30 , for instance, and rotate to engage with part of the frame. 
         [0021]    Thus, while the invention has been described with respect to a particular embodiment, those of skill in the art will recognize modifications, substitutions, variations and other embodiments which will fall within the scope and spirit of the invention, as set forth in the following claims.