Universally mounted hand truck holder apparatus and method

A hand truck holder apparatus (40) for releasably securing a hand truck (20) to a vehicle bumper (32) includes a bracket member (48) having a mounting plate (50) and a pair of flanges (52, 54) positioned on opposed sides of the mounting plate (50). Mounting means are coupled to the bracket member (48) for mounting the same to the vehicle and a support member (44) transversely mounted to the pair of flanges (52, 54) supports the hand truck (20) thereon. Moreover, a substantially resilient securing strap (46) is mounted to and transversely spans the bracket member (48), thereby securing the hand truck (20) to the bracket member (48). In another aspect, the mounting means include a plurality of sets of apertures (80) extending therethrough for releasably mounting the bracket member (48) to a plurality of vertical mounting positions relative to the bumper (32). A method of mounting the hand truck holder (40) to the bumper (32) by aligning at least one set of mounting apertures (80) with the at least one set of existing license plate apertures (82) is also described.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to hand truck holders and, more particularly, 
to hand truck holders releasably mounted to motor vehicles. 
2. Description of the Related Art 
Hand trucks or "dollies", as they are commonly referred, are widely used to 
transport heavy or bulky objects over generally short distances. Briefly, 
hand trucks usually comprise a frame, a lifting platform mounted thereon, 
at least one handle and a set of wheels or casters for mobility. However, 
a variety of sizes and designs are available to meet particular needs. 
These hand trucks have become an integral part or instrument for delivery 
personnel. Because of the physical difficulty of moving cargo or because 
of schedules or other time constraints, the delivery personnel often rely 
on hand trucks to transport the cargo from the delivery truck to the 
ultimate delivery destination. Each time, the hand truck must be unloaded 
from the vehicle to prepare it for transporting cargo. Due to the frequent 
stops over the course of the day, it thus becomes tiresome for the 
delivery personnel to constantly load and unload the hand truck into the 
vehicle. Therefore, it has been found beneficial to mount the hand truck 
to the exterior of the vehicle where it is much more accessible. 
Various hand truck holders for securing a hand truck to the exterior of a 
delivery truck have been recognized in the past. In particular, these hand 
truck holders often are designed to mount the hand truck to the rear or 
front bumper of the delivery vehicle. 
One problem usually associated with these prior designs is that these hand 
truck holders tend to be vehicle-specific. Depending on the make of 
delivery vehicle and the bumper configuration, the hand truck holders are 
generally designed for use only in conjunction with that specific vehicle 
model. These units are often not interchangeable. Mounting a hand truck 
holder to a vehicle for which it was not designed may result in 
interference problems which impede the normal operation of the vehicle. 
For example, the mounted hand truck holder may protrude too high whereby 
it may interfere with the operation of the hood. Similarly, too low of a 
positioning relative to the bumper may impede the movement of the vehicle 
itself. Accordingly, the hand truck holders usually cannot be 
interchangeably or universally mounted to numerous delivery vehicle 
models. Another problem associated with the prior art hand truck holders 
is that they are often hand truck model-specific. 
Therefore, they are ordinarily only capable of properly securing a specific 
model of hand truck. Hand trucks which are dimensioned differently from 
the designated hand truck model generally cannot be supported adequately. 
For instance, one approach is to provide a device which lockably secures 
the individual arms of the hand truck into lockable engagement with the 
hand truck holder. Typical of such an apparatus is set forth in U.S. Pat. 
No. 3,443,730 to Meusel. In this patent, latching blades are provided on a 
mounting frame which contains openings dimensioned to cradle the 
individual hand truck arms. A pivotal mechanism is used to lockably engage 
the arms, thereby cradling them. 
However, if it were desired to use another hand truck which, perhaps, 
included arms having a larger diameter or were spaced apart in a manner 
different from that of the designated model, a new hand truck holder which 
could accommodate the changes would be necessary. Meusel cannot 
universally accommodate a variety of hand truck designs. 
Moreover, the locking mechanism of Meusel is directed more toward the 
prevention of theft rather than convenience. Thus, this locking mechanism 
is rather complex, difficult to use and laborious to assembly. In 
addition, the locking mechanism protrudes beyond the rear side of the 
mounting frame which requires a rearward clearance necessary to allow 
latching blades to pivot about unimpaired. 
While the prior devices have been satisfactory for many applications, there 
has been a need for providing a hand truck holder capable of universal 
mounting to a plurality of delivery vehicles. Moreover, it is highly 
desirable to provide a device which is capable of releasably securing a 
plurality of different hand truck designs. 
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a hand 
truck holder apparatus and method which may be mounted to a variety of 
delivery vehicle models. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a hand truck 
holder which is capable of mounting a plurality of hand truck designs 
thereon. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a hand truck 
holder device which is durable, compact, easy to maintain, has a minimum 
number of components and is economical to manufacture. 
The apparatus and method of the present invention has other objects and 
features of advantage which will become apparent from and are set forth in 
more detail in the description of the Best Mode of Carrying Out the 
Invention and the accompanying drawing. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention includes a hand truck holder for releasably securing 
a hand truck to a vehicle bumper. The hand truck holder of the present 
invention comprises, briefly, a bracket member including a mounting plate 
and a pair of flanges positioned on opposed sides of the mounting plate. A 
mounting means is coupled to the bracket member for mounting the same to 
the vehicle. A support member transversely mounted to the pair of flanges 
supports the hand truck thereon. Finally, a substantially resilient 
securing strap is mounted to and transversely spans the bracket member, 
thereby securing the hand truck to the bracket member. 
In another aspect, the present invention provides a hand truck holder for 
releasably securing a hand truck having a lift platform to a vehicle 
bumper. This aspect of the present invention comprises a bracket member 
including a mounting plate defining a plurality of sets of apertures 
extending therethrough for releasably mounting the bracket member to a 
plurality of vertical mounting positions relative to the bumper. Each 
mounting aperature within individual sets of mounting apertures is 
laterally spaced apart by a distance substantially equal a lateral spacing 
between license aperatures of to a standard license plate mounting 
pattern. A support member transversely mounted to the bracket member 
supports the lift platform thereon. Securing means are means mounted to 
opposite sides of the bracket member for securing the hand truck to the 
bracket member. 
In still another aspect of the present invention, a method for mounting a 
hand truck holder having a mounting plate to a vehicle bumper is provided 
including the steps of removing an existing license plate from the vehicle 
bumper which has at least one set of laterally spaced apart license 
apertures corresponding to a standard license plate bolt pattern, 
positioning the hand truck holder against the vehicle bumper in a 
substantially upright position, vertically aligning at least one set of 
laterally spaced apart mounting apertures with at least one set of the 
license apertures. The mounting apertures being laterally spaced apart by 
a distance substantially equal to the distance between each license 
aperture in the set of license apertures. Finally, vertically aligning the 
hand truck holder with respect to the vehicle such that when the hand 
truck holder is mounted to the bumper, the vehicle may operate in a normal 
unimpeded manner. 
Accordingly, the present invention simplifies the mounting of a hand truck 
to a hand truck holder by providing a bracket whereby a substantially 
resilient strap is mounted thereto which adaptably conforms to numerous 
hand truck designs for releasably securement. Further, the present 
invention permits mounting of the hand truck holder to a vehicle bumper 
along a plurality of vertical positions by providing a plurality of sets 
of laterally spaced apart apertures which correspond to a standard license 
plate pattern.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the 
invention. While the present invention has been described with reference 
to a few specific embodiments, the description is illustrative of the 
invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention. Various 
modifications to the present invention can be made to the preferred 
embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the true 
spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 
It will be noted here that for a better understanding, like components are 
designated by like reference numerals throughout the various figures. 
Attention is directed to FIG. 1, where the subject hand truck holder, 
generally designated 40 is illustrated. In the preferred embodiment, a 
hand truck holder 40 is generally positioned vertically to receive a hand 
truck, generally designated 20. Hand truck 20, shown in FIG. 1, 
illustrates a general all purpose hand truck for convenience. As will be 
more apparent below, numerous hand truck designs and shapes may be used in 
conjunction with the present invention. The illustrated hand truck 20 
comprises a frame 22 having two substantially parallel arms 24. A lifting 
platform 26 is positioned proximate the distal ends of arms 24 and is 
generally perpendicular to arms 24. Wheels or casters 28 are similarly 
positioned proximate the distal ends of arms 24. 
To engage hand truck 20 with the holder designed in accordance with the 
present invention, briefly, lifting platform 26 of hand truck 20, is 
inserted a substantially into a slot 42 until frame arms 24 abut against 
holder 40. As viewed in FIGS. 1 and 3, the bottom side of lift platform 26 
rests and is supported by a support member 44 of holder 40. In the 
preferred form, a strap, generally designated 46, is provided to 
releasably secure hand truck 20 against the hand truck holder 40. Thus, 
securement and removal of the hand truck 20 is a very simple procedure. In 
contrast to the prior art, the hand truck holder of the present invention 
can accommodate a variety of hand truck holder designs and dimensions. 
Moreover, the present invention is rather mechanically uncomplex, easy to 
assemble and efficient to use. 
In the preferred embodiment, a bracket member 48 includes a substantially 
planar mounting plate 50. Disposed substantially along opposed sides of 
mounting plate 50, as can be viewed in FIG. 2, is a first flange 52 and a 
mirror-image second flange 54 each having corresponding lip portions 56 
and 58, respectively. Preferably, flanges 52 and 54 each are positioned 
perpendicular to the mounting plate 50 and define receiving notches 60 and 
62 which will be discussed in greater detail below. It will be appreciated 
that mounting plate 50 could just as easily comprise a frame member (not 
shown) of similar dimension having cross members (discussed below). 
Bracket member 48 is preferably metal and may be constructed from a single 
sheet. Any relatively rigid material, however, may be used without 
departing from the true spirit of the invention. Flanges 52 and 54 may be 
formed simply by bending the edges of metal sheet to a position 
perpendicular to mounting plate 50. Accordingly, bracket member 48 is 
extremely easy to fabricate. 
Positioned proximate a bottom edge 64 of mounting plate 50 is the support 
member 44 having a substantially planar ledge portion 66 which 
transversely spans opposed flanges 52 and 54. In the preferred form, ledge 
portion 66 is spaced apart from and positioned perpendicularly to both 
bracket member 48, and flanges 52 and 54. Opposed suspension brackets 68 
and 70, as seen in FIG. 2 coupled to the opposite ends of ledge 66, are 
rigidly mounted to flanges 52 and 54, respectively. Suspension brackets 68 
and 70 suspend ledge portion 66 away bracket member 48 defining slot 42 
therebetween. As previously mentioned and as shown in FIG. 3, lift 
platform 26 of hand truck 20 is inserted into slot 42 wherein support 
member 44 vertically supports hand truck 20 at lift platform 26. 
Furthermore, as FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate, a rearwardly extending lip 
member 72 is provided extending from the bottom edge 64. Lip member 
provides additional support for lift platform 26 should, for some reason, 
the resilient strap 46 fail. 
In accordance with the present invention, a substantially resilient strap 
46 comprises the securement means for releasably securing the hand truck 
20 against the hand truck holder 40. Preferably, strap 46 is composed of a 
material such as rubber which has elastic properties. FIG. 1 shows strap 
46 in a relaxed, nontensioned position (shown in broken lines). Disposed 
on one distal end of strap 46 is a mounting member 74 which fixedly 
couples strap 46 to at least one flange 52 or 54. For convenience, it will 
be designated that mounting member 74 shall be fixedly mounted to flange 
52. 
Preferably, mounting member 74 permits pivotal movement about an axis 
substantially parallel to the elongated axis of flange 52 such that strap 
46 may be positioned in a direction traverse to both flanges 52 and 54. 
Receiving notches 60 and 62 are positioned proximate transversely spanning 
strap 46 so that it may be positioned therethrough to provide lateral 
support. It will be appreciated that notches 60 and 62 are dimensioned to 
slidably receive the corresponding portions of strap 46. Accordingly, 
receiving notches 60 and 62 dissuade lateral movement of strap 46 relative 
to flanges 52 and 54 while strap 46 is tensioned therethrough. 
A retaining member 76 is disposed proximate the remaining distal end of 
resilient strap 46 for releasably retaining strap 46 through corresponding 
receiving notch 62. As best viewed in FIG. 3, retaining member 76 is 
dimensioned larger than corresponding notch 62 such that retaining member 
76 cannot be slidably positioned through notch 62. However, it will be 
appreciated that both ends could just as easily be releasable or include 
two retaining members 76 at opposite ends without departing from the scope 
of the present invention. 
In a relaxed position, as shown in broken lines in FIG. 1, strap 46 
preferably is not long enough to span the entire transverse distance 
between flanges 52 and 54. Thus, strap 46 and retaining member 76 must be 
stretched beyond respective flange 54 to be tautly positioned through 
corresponding receiving notch 62. 
Therefore, to mount hand truck 20 in an upright position to the holder 40 
of the present invention, the lifting platform 26 must be aligned with and 
position through slot 42 until arms 24 abut mounting platform 50. 
Subsequently, resilient strap 46 is pivotally swung around the backside of 
the frame 22. Retaining member 76 is then stretched beyond flange 54 and 
corresponding lip portion 58, whereby strap 46 may then be inserted into 
corresponding notch 62. Stretched resilient strap 46 will partially 
recoil, drawing retaining member 76 against a outer side wall of flange 
54. Moreover, the underside of lip portion 58 further wedges retaining 
member 76 in slot 62 such that strap 46 is secured across mounting plate 
50. In this configuration, strap 46 engages frame 22 to securably retain 
hand truck 20 against holder 40. 
To release hand truck 20, a pulling force must be exerted in the 
longitudinal direction of resilient strap 46 to move retaining member 76 
beyond the lip portion 58. This permits strap 46 to disengage from notch 
62, thereby allowing removal of hand truck 20. 
In the preferred embodiment, retaining member 76 includes a T-shaped handle 
78 which aids manual gripping of retaining member 76. T-shaped handles are 
old in the field and are not claimed as a novel aspect of the present 
invention. Strap 46 is preferably a heavy duty rubber strap of the type 
used by O.E.M. vehicle manufacturers for hood latches or battery box 
covers. In addition, both mounting member 74 and retaining member 76 may 
be integrated into resilient strap 46. Therefore, strap 46, mounting 
member 74 and retaining member 76 may be fabricated from one unitary 
molded piece. This functionally simple retaining structure is much more 
efficient and easier to use and assemble than the prior art mounting 
systems which include a variety of chain, clasps or other more complex 
mechanisms. 
Accordingly, as is apparent, the securement means designed in accordance 
with the present invention permits a variety of hand truck frames having 
different designs to be placed between mounting plate 50 and resilient 
strap 46. In contrast, the prior art hand truck-holders are ordinarily 
only designed to hold a specific hand truck model. 
In another aspect of the present invention, a mounting means includes a 
plurality of sets of mounting apertures 80 extending through mounting 
plate 50, as can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. Sets of apertures 80 allow hand 
truck holder 40 to be releasably mounted to a vehicle 30. Preferably, hand 
truck holder 40 is mounted in an upstanding, substantially vertical, 
position to a vehicle bumper 32 as can be clearly viewed in FIGS. 1 and 3. 
In the preferred form, the respective mounting apertures contained within 
an individual set of mounting apertures are positioned in the same 
horizontal plane. Moreover, each set of apertures 80 is positioned at 
differing vertical heights and is preferably centrally aligned on mounting 
plate 50 in a fashion parallel to both flanges 52 and 54. Accordingly, the 
plurality vertically mounted sets of apertures 80 allow bracket member 48 
to be releasably mounted to a plurality of vertical mounting positions 
along the bumper 32. 
In the preferred embodiment, each respective mounting aperture within 
individual sets of apertures 80 are laterally spaced apart by a distance 
substantially equal to the lateral spacing between each license apertures 
within a set of mounting apertures 82 of a standard license plate pattern. 
This is clearly illustrated by laterally spaced holes 82 of the license 
plate pattern shown in FIG. 1. For the purposes of the present invention, 
the definition of "standard license plate pattern" shall refer to the 
standardized mounting pattern used by the majority of car manufacturers 
for mounting a license plate. It will be appreciated, however, that some 
jurisdictions incorporate different standardized license plate patterns 
for that particular jurisdiction. For example, European countries 
incorporate a standardized license plate pattern substantially different 
from that employed in the United States. It will be noted that the present 
invention may be easily adapted to a specific jurisdiction. 
Therefore, according to the present invention, at least one set of 
apertures 80 is formed to align with the laterally spaced holes 82 of 
existing standardized license plate mounting holes. FIG. 1, however, 
illustrates holder 40 mounted to bumper 32 by two sets of apertures 80 
corresponding to both standardized laterally spaced holes 82 of the 
license plate. It will be appreciated that only one set of apertures 80 
extending through mounting plate 50 need be used without departing from 
the true spirit of the present invention. Moreover, if only one set of 
apertures 80 can be aligned with laterally spaced holes 82, mounting plate 
50 may act as a template whereby two or more additional holes may be 
drilled through bumper using a different set of apertures 80. 
As mentioned, the hand truck holder 40 of the present invention affords the 
freedom to mount it along a plurality of vertical positions relative to 
bumper 32. Therefore, hand truck holder 40 may be adaptably mounted to 
numerous delivery vehicle models. The prior art hand truck holders were 
generally vehicle model-specific because clearance problems between the 
hand truck holders and the vehicle parts often prevented 
interchangeability. The present invention, however, permits hand truck 
holder 40 to be vertically positioned such that when hand truck holder 40 
is mounted to the vehicle bumper 32, the vehicle 30 may be operated in a 
substantially unimpeded manner. 
The means for mounting plate 50 is to bumper 32 not only includes apertures 
80, but bolts 84 as well. As best viewed in FIG. 3, a set of corresponding 
spacers 86 may be provided between bumper 32 and mounting plate 50. 
Spacers 86 act as an isolatory means so that mounting plate 50 will not 
contact bumper 32. Moreover, spacers 82 allow hand truck holder 40 to be 
adjusted to a substantially vertical position if the face of bumper 32 is 
not itself substantially vertical. It will be appreciated, however, that 
mounting plate 32 could just as easily have been mounted flush against 
bumper 32 without departing from the true spirit of the present invention. 
Additionally, the method of mounting the hand truck holder 40 to vehicle 
bumper 32 includes removing the existing license plate from the front or 
rear bumper 32. The license plate may then be remounted to the right or 
left side of the bumper 32. Bracket member 48 is then positioned 
vertically upright against bumper 32, wherein at least one set of 
aperatures 80 is aligned with at least one corresponding set of 
standardized license plate apertures 82. Bracket member 48 is then 
vertically positioned with respect to vehicle bumper 32 to ensure that 
there is clearance between the top edge of bracket member 48 and all 
vehicle parts, such as the hood. 
After the hand truck holder 40 is properly vertically positioned, at least 
one other set of aperatures 80 may be used as a template to drill 
additionally holes corresponding to the other set of apertures 80 in 
mounting plate 50 in bumper 32. Lastly, to ensure proper isolation from 
bumper 32 and, more importantly, to ensure proper vertical positioning of 
bracket member 48, spacers 86 may be placed between bumper 32 and mounting 
plate 50. 
Although the mounting description substantially references mounting to the 
front bumper 32, it will be appreciated that a rear bumper mount, using 
the hand truck holder 40 as a template, could just as easily be 
accomplished in a manner similar to that of the front bumper mount. 
Moreover, it will further be appreciated that the hand truck holder 40 of 
the present invention may be mounted to almost any substantially planar 
surface by using additional bracketry or spacers. For example, mounting to 
a rear bulk head mount or an interior compartment mount can be 
accommodated. 
While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently 
considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be 
understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment 
but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and 
equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the 
appended claims. 
Therefore, persons of ordinary skill in this field are to understand that 
all such equivalent structures are to be included within the scope of the 
following claims: