Load leveler for a cart

A load leveler is disclosed that is used with a nesting type cart having a basket with a tapered front to provide a level surface for safely carrying loads that are longer than the length of the cart basket and must sit on top of the cart basket in order to be transported. The load leveler comprises spaced vertical pieces on top of the larger rear of the tapered basket to restrain a long load from sliding to the side and off the cart basket, and also comprises a pivoting member that is attached to the top of the front of the tapered basket. The pivoting member provides a raised surface for supporting a long load in a horizontal orientation with the top rear of the basket, and also has vertical members for helping restraining a long load from sliding to the side and off the cart. The pivoting member is lowered and rests against the inside of the front wall of the basket to permit nesting of the carts in a known manner. When a cart does not have a tapered, nesting basket and its top is level, the spaced vertical members on the top rear of the basket are repeated on the top of the front of the basket to help restrain a long load from sliding to the side and off the cart.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a cart which may be used in a conventional manner, but has means for providing a level surface on top of the cart for safely transporting loads that are longer than the length of the cart and must sit on top of the cart in order to be transported, rather than inside the basket of the cart.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Existing carts found in many grocery and other stores need to be stored when not in use and can be nested to conserve space. This is done by the rear wall of the basket of the cart, underneath the push handle of the cart, being hinged nearest the handle and swinging forward and upward so that a front end of another cart may be pushed therein in a nesting fashion to conserve storage space. To permit this nesting operation the basket of the carts must be tapered, with the front of the cart basket being smaller than the rear of the cart basket nearest the handle. Due to the tapered shape of the cart basket the plane in which the top surface of the basket lies is not horizontal to the ground.

In some hardware and building goods stores, such as the Home Depot chain, such nesting carts are utilized. In addition, larger flat bed and other carts designed to carry loads that are larger than the nestable carts normally carry are provided to carry lumber, plywood and other items that cannot fit into the conventional nestable carts. A problem exists in that too often the larger carts are all in use so shoppers try to make do with the conventional nestable carts when they are purchasing one or a few pieces of larger items such as lumber and pipe that are long and cannot fit inside the cart. The shoppers position such longer items on top of the cart. However, with the top of a nestable cart basket not being level the longer items sitting on top of the cart too often fall off or almost fall off and continuously need repositioning. Nevertheless to say, this is a dangerous situation and people get hurt when long loads positioned on top of the cart basket shift and fall due to their weight, or when they are inadvertently bumped and fall off the top of the cart basket. This also happens with non-nestable carts the tops of which are level.

Thus, there is a need in the art for a conventional type cart that can easily and safely carry longer items that cannot fit inside the cart.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a load carrier and leveling means that is used with a conventional cart to provide a level surface for safely carrying loads that are longer than the length of the cart and must sit on top of the cart basket to be transported.

The load carrier and leveling means comprises two spaced vertical members that are fastened to the top of the rear wall of the cart basket just forward of the push handle of the cart, and a third vertical support member that is fastened to the top of the front wall of the cart basket. The vertical support member normally folds down and rests against the inside of the front wall of the basket. When a load longer than can fit inside the cart basket is to be transported, the vertical support member is swung upward and locks in a vertical position. The vertical support member comprises two vertical pieces and a horizontal piece that is elevated above the top of the front wall of the basket and lies in a horizontal plane that includes the top of the rear wall of the basket. Thus, when a long load such as pieces of lumber or pipe, sits on top of the rear wall of the basket and on top of the vertical support member the load lies in a horizontal plane and does not easily fall off.

The vertical support member also includes vertical extensions that protrude above both ends of the horizontal portion. The spaced vertical members on top of the rear wall of the cart basket and the vertical extensions at either end of the horizontal portion of the third member provide horizontal support to small quantities of long pieces of lumber or pipe sitting on top of the basket to help prevent them from falling from the side of the cart and hurting someone.

The novel load carrier and leveling means is used with a nestable, conventional cart that does not have a basket with a horizontal top surface, or a variation of the load carrier and leveling means may be used with a non-nestable cart that has a basket with a horizontal top surface. In the latter embodiment the spaced vertical members on top of the rear wall of the cart basket are also added to the top of the front wall of the cart basket to provide horizontal support to small quantities of long pieces of lumber or pipe sitting on top of the basket.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is a load carrier and leveling means that may be used with any conventional cart having nestable or non-nestable baskets, and is utilized for providing a level surface for safely carrying long loads that are longer than the length of the cart and must sit on top of the cart basket to be transported. The novel load carrier and leveling means may be built into the basket of a new cart or it may be retrofitted to an existing cart basket. The novel load leveling means may be used with a conventional nestable cart that does not have a basket with a horizontal top surface; or a variant may be used with a conventional non-nestable cart that has a basket with a horizontal top surface.

When the novel load carrier and leveling means is built into a new cart its elements are either welded to or otherwise more permanently attached to the cart basket or cart frame depending on the material from which the cart basket and frame are made. When the novel load carrier and leveling means is to be retrofitted to an existing cart appropriate sturdy clamps or a twist lock arrangement are utilized. The latter is shown in the drawings and described herein.

It should be understood that there are different types of conventional carts for carrying different levels of loads. A cart utilized in a clothing store may typically have a plastic basket and is designed to carry light loads. In contrast, a cart utilized in a hardware and/or building supply store must be much sturdier to carry heavier loads. The present invention is contemplated to be combined and used with such heavy-duty carts for carrying long loads that do not fit inside the cart basket. Such heavy-duty cart baskets may be made of metal mesh or heavy duty plastic.

InFIG. 1is shown a front view of a conventional nesting type cart10fitted with the novel load carrier and leveler comprising vertical members15aand15b, and front vertical support member16that comprises a horizontal crossbar piece16cand two vertical pieces16aand16b. Vertical support member16is shown in its downward storage position for when no long loads are to be carried on top of cart basket11. Elements15a,15b,16a,16band16care not shown in detail inFIGS. 1 through 3but are shown and described in detail with reference toFIGS. 5 through 11. Cart10typically comprises a frame13having four wheels14and a push handle12, and a basket11that is attached to frame13. Cart10shown inFIGS. 1 through 3is of the nesting type for more compact storage of a number of carts and, accordingly, basket11is tapered as shown inFIG. 1with its front wall18being smaller than its rear wall19. The result is that the top of basket11is not level. As nesting carriages are well-known in the art details of how rear wall19swings forward and upward to provide an opening for nesting of carts10are not shown or described. In addition, the mesh work of the bottom and four side walls of basket11inFIGS. 1 through 4are not shown to make it easier to understand the present invention. Further, carts10sometimes have baskets11made of a rigid, metal mesh, and sometimes they are made of a molded, tough plastic mesh such as shown inFIGS. 8 and 9.

The integral load carrier and leveler means for a nesting type cart10comprises basically three members. There are first and second vertical members15aand15battached to either the top of basket11or to a portion of frame13to which push handle12is attached and are spaced as shown. There is a also a third vertical support member16that is pivotally attached to the top of front wall18of cart10and it comprises pieces16a,16band16c. When the novel load leveler is not required vertical support member16is unlatched and pivoted downward to rest against the inside surface of front wall18of basket11as shown inFIG. 1. When vertical support member16is pivoted into its downward storage position a plurality of carts10may be nested together for storage in a conventional, known matter.

More particularly, vertical support member16has two spaced, vertical pieces16aand16b, and a horizontal crossbar piece16cassembled as shown. Pieces16aand16beach have a vertical extension16a1or16b1as shown. The two vertical extensions16aand16b1cooperate with vertical members15aand15bto help prevent long loads from falling off the top of cart10to the side as shown in and described in greater detail with reference toFIG. 3and other figures.

InFIG. 2is shown a conventional type, nesting cart10fitted with the novel load carrier and leveler means and having its vertical support member16in its upright position for use in supporting long loads to be carried safely on top of the cart basket11. The basic parts of cart10have previously been described with reference toFIG. 1and are not described again. The two spaced vertical members15aand15bare shown attached to a crossbar13bof frame13to which push handle12is also attached, but may also be attached to the top of rear wall19of basket11. Vertical support member16is shown pivoted upward and locked into its upright, vertical position. As described in the previous paragraph vertical support member16has two spaced, vertical pieces16aand16b, and a crossbar piece16cbetween them.

With basket11being tapered the top edge of its front wall18is lower than the top edge of its rear wall19. Any load (not shown in this figure) sitting on top of the basket11, without the use of the vertical support member16, is not level and can easily fall off cart10. When vertical support member16is pivoted upward and locked into its upright, vertical position, as shown inFIG. 2, the top of its crossbar piece16clies in a horizontal plane including the top of rear wall19of basket11. Any long load resting on top of crossbar16cand the top of rear wall19lie in a horizontal plane and are less prone to full off cart10. Details of the two spaced vertical members15aand15bare shown in and described with reference toFIG. 11. Briefly however, vertical extensions16a1and16b1extending above crossbar piece16ccooperate with vertical members15aand15bat the top rear of basket11to constrain any long loads on top of basket11, such as shown inFIG. 3, from falling off the side of cart10. Vertical extensions16a1and16b1may extend from one to a several inches above crossbar piece16c. Details of vertical support member16and how it is locked into its upright position are shown in and described with reference toFIGS. 5 through 10.

The vertical support member16shown inFIGS. 2 and 3has its horizontal crossbar piece16csitting higher than the top of front wall18of basket11in order to be level with the top of rear wall19of basket11. This is necessary because the front of basket11is tapered with respect to the rear of the basket so that the front of one cart10can nest inside the rear of another cart10in a manner well known in the art.

InFIG. 3is shown a view of cart10with the novel load carrier and leveler in use to support long pieces of lumber17in a horizontal plane to keep them from falling off cart10. In addition, vertical members15aand15b, and vertical extensions16a1and16b1of vertical pieces16aand16bprovide a side constraint to pieces of lumber17to prevent them from falling off the side of cart10. It should be understood that the height of the vertical extensions and vertical members depends on the number of long pieces17that can safely be held on top of cart10.

However, there are carts20, the basket21of which has a level top, that are not intended to nest together and the front portion of their baskets are not tapered with respect to their rear portion. An example of such a cart20is shown inFIG. 4. Thus, there is no need for a vertical support member16as shown inFIGS. 1 through 3since the top of the cart basket21is already level. However, an alternative embodiment of the invention is used with such carts20having baskets21the top of which is level. There is still a need for vertical members15aand15bto prevent long pieces (not shown inFIG. 4) on top of basket21from falling off the side of cart20as described in the previous paragraph. In this alternative embodiment vertical members15aand15bare utilized, but instead of vertical support member16two more vertical members15cand15dare mounted on the top of the front wall18of basket21as shown. Members15athrough15dare all identical and are described and shown in greater detail with reference toFIG. 11. Thus, adequate horizontal support is provided to prevent a long load from sliding off the side of basket21.

InFIG. 5is shown a detailed view of one of vertical piece16aor16b, which are identical and are part of vertical support member16, and only vertical piece16bis shown in this Figure. Because vertical pieces16aand16bare identical the following description applies equally to both of them.

Vertical piece16bhas gap20which is used to lock it to side piece16c2of crossbar16cwhen these parts are assembled together as shown onFIG. 8. The bottom of crossbar16calso rests on shoulder16b4when it is fully inserted onto piece16b. At the bottom of vertical piece16bis formed a channel26that is better seen and described with reference toFIG. 10. This channel26facilitates locking vertical piece16b(and16a) to the top of front wall18as described in greater detail further in this detailed description.

At the bottom of vertical piece16b, in the area marked16b3, is a separate mounting piece23that is connected in a rotatable manner. Mounting piece23has a square portion24that is spaced from the main body of23by an extension25. Mounting piece23is shown and described in more detail with reference toFIGS. 6 and 7. Briefly, mounting piece23is fastened to cart front wall18and vertical piece16brides along pivots around it when being raised to its upright and locked position as shown inFIGS. 8 and 9, and being un-locked and rotated to its storage position as shown inFIGS. 1 and 10.

FIG. 6shows a rear view of a mounting piece23that is assembled to both vertical pieces16aand16bof vertical support member16. Piece23has two parallel side walls23aand23bwith a distance between them that permits it to sit astride the side of the main part of both vertical pieces16aand16b. Side wall23ahas a cylindrical protrusion23dand side wall23bhas a cylindrical protrusion23eas shown. When a mounting piece23is attached to the bottom of one of vertical pieces16aand16bthese protrusions23dand23esit in and ride in channel26at the bottom of vertical pieces16aand16b. When so positioned mounting piece23can rotate with respect to the main body of pieces16aor16band can ride along their channel26. This is better seen inFIG. 10.

FIG. 7shows a front view of a mounting piece23that is rotatably mounted to and is part of both vertical pieces16aand16bof vertical support member16. Piece23has a square piece24that is spaced from its end wall23cby a cylindrical extension25. The length of extension25is the same as the thickness of the front wall18of basket11. In the embodiment of the invention shown in these Figures cart basket11is molded of tough plastic that has a mesh web consisting of square holes as shown inFIGS. 8 and 9. How a mounting piece23attaches to the front wall18of a cart10is better shown and described with reference toFIG. 9.

InFIG. 8is shown a rear view of an assembled vertical support member16that is attached to front wall18of basket11, and it is shown pivoted upright and locked in its upright position to provide a level surface on top of its crossbar piece16cto carry a long load on top of cart basket11. In assembly to front wall18, vertical pieces16aand16bare first individually mounted to wall18as is described in greater detail with reference toFIG. 9. When they are mounted vertical pieces16aand16bare in their upright position as shown. Crossbar piece16cis then placed over and moved downward onto vertical pieces16aand16buntil it contacts shoulders16a4and16b4. In this position gap20shown inFIG. 5locks into position inside crossbar piece16c.

As previously described, vertical piece16bhas a hook16b2and vertical piece16ahas hook16a2formed as part thereof that each define a space22as seen inFIG. 5. These hooks16a2and16b2sit astride the top of front wall18of basket11as shown inFIGS. 8 and 9when vertical support member16is rotated into its upright position and the pieces16aand16bare then pushed downward to thereby lock vertical support member16into its upright position on top of front wall18as shown inFIGS. 8 and 9. The width of the spaces22is only slightly larger than the combined thickness of front wall18of basket11and wall23cof mounting member23so vertical pieces16aand16bof vertical support member16can sit astride the top of wall18.

To move vertical support member16from its upright, locked position as shown inFIGS. 2,3,8and9, to its storage position as shown inFIG. 1, vertical support member16is first pushed upward until its hooks16a2and16b2are above the top of front wall18. This can happen because protrusions23dand23eof mounting member23can move vertically along channel26formed in the bottom portion of vertical pieces16aand16b. Once the hooks16a2and16b2are above the top of front wall18vertical support member16can be rotated around protrusions23dand23einto its downward storage position as shown inFIG. 1. This is better shown and described with reference toFIG. 10.

InFIG. 9is show a partial front view of the assembled vertical support member16that is mounted on top of the front wall18of a nesting type cart basket11, and it is pivoted and locked in its upright position to provide a level surface on top of cross bar piece16cto carry a long load on top of the cart basket. InFIG. 9it can be seen that hook16b2sits over the top of front wall18and the square portion24of mounting piece23protrudes through a hole in the mesh of front wall18of basket11. This occurs, as previously described, because the length of extension25is the same as the thickness of the front wall18of basket11. In addition, the length of each side of square portion24is only slightly smaller than the dimension of the square holes through wall18. Thus, square portion24can pass through the square holes through front wall18.

When mounting a vertical piece16aor16bto the front wall18of a cart10it is first rotated forty-five degrees from the vertical so that the square portion24of its mounting member23can align with and pass through a hole through front wall18just below the top of front wall18as shown. The vertical pieces16aand16bare then rotated back to the vertical so the square pieces24are not aligned with the square holes through wall18and they are thereby locked to front wall18as shown inFIG. 9. Due to tight manufacturing tolerances pieces16aand16bare locked snugly to front wall18. Cross bar16cis then inserted down over the top of each of vertical pieces16aand16buntil it rests on their shoulders16a4and16b4and is locked by gap30shown inFIG. 5. This may also be a force fit.

While basket11is described and shown as being molded of tough plastic, it may also be fabricated from metal rod in a mesh construction in a manner well known in the art. Although not shown in the Figures, if a basket is made of a wire mesh square portions24are inappropriate and instead vertical pieces16aand16bare fastened to the basket wall using nuts, bolts and metal washers in a clamping action. From the inside of basket11two bolts would be passed through a part of mounting piece23of each of vertical pieces16aand16band the metal mesh of the front basket wall18. The bolts would then extend through large washers or a plate and a lock nut would then be tightly screwed onto each of the two bolts to securely hold vertical support member16to front wall18of basket11.

InFIG. 10is shown a side view of vertical piece16bof vertical support member16released from its locked upright position and being rotated to its downward, storage position. In this side view, wall18of basket11is shown at roughly a forty-five degree angle from the vertical only to save space in the drawing. The following description applies equally to vertical piece16aso is not repeated for the sake of brevity.

As previously described, when vertical support member16is in its upright and locked position its hooks16a2and16b2of the respective vertical pieces16aand16bsit astride the top of wall18as shown inFIGS. 8 and 9. In this position the protrusions23dand23eof the mounting member23sit in channel26of vertical piece16bat a point spaced above the bottom of the channel26as shown inFIG. 5. This space permits vertical piece16bof vertical support member16to move upward to release hook16b2when it is desired to move vertical support member16to its storage position as shown inFIG. 1. After vertical support member16is moved upward as far as it can go, protrusion23dand23esit in the bottom of channel26of vertical piece16bas shown inFIG. 10. In this position hook16b2is above the top of front wall18so it can swing clockwise as indicated by the arrow. It is swung beyond what is shown in the figure until it rests against the inner side of wall18which is to the lower right. This same description also applies to vertical piece16a.

InFIG. 11is shown a view of vertical member15athat is mounted at the top rear of cart10to provide lateral support against long pieces on top of a basket11from falling off the side of the basket11. Vertical member15bis identical to piece15a. Using the square portion29with its extension30vertical member15ais attached through square holes in the rear wall19of basket11in the same manner that vertical pieces16aand16bare attached to the front wall18of basket11and described above. Member15ais rotated forty-five degrees from the vertical so that its square portion29can pass through a square hole just below the top of rear wall19. Member15ais then rotated back to the vertical so that it is locked to rear wall19in the same manner that vertical pieces16aand16block to front wall18. Due to tight manufacturing tolerances piece15ais locked snugly to rear wall19.

However, vertical members15aand15bmay be fastened to the rear wall19of basket11using nuts, bolts and metal pieces in a clamping action that is not shown but is described for vertical pieces16aand16b. Vertical members15aand15bmay alternatively be attached to the portion of the frame of cart10to which handle12is attached.

The novel load carrier and leveler may be manufactured as part of a new cart10, in which case members15aand15band16are preferably permanently attached to the appropriate parts of the cart10. Alternatively, the load leveler may be retrofit to a cart10. It is the retrofit version that is shown and described herein since the attachment to a cart10is more complex.

While want has been described herein is the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that numerous changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.