A WHEEL BARROW

Abstract: A wheel barrow comprising a carrier frame (1), a travelling wheel (2) at one end, connected to said carrier frame by coupling means for movably carrying said carrier frame, a pair of handles (15, 16) at the other end for manually supporting and wheeling the barrow, and cargo accommodated means for holding and transporting cargo. According to the invention, said cargo accommodating means include a lifting clamp (5) comprising a pair of clamping jaws (7, 8).

Description: A wheel barrow. The invention relates to a wheel barrow coπprising a carrier frame, a travelling wheel at one end, connected to said carrier frame by coupling means for movably carrying said carrier frame, a pair of handles at the other end for manually supporting and wheeling the barrow, and cargo accommodating means for holding and transporting cargo. Such a wheel barrow is generally known and is widely employed for manually transporting many types of goods. A wheel barrow is actually an indispensable and also in the trade of a paver, but precisely in this trade, has clear limitation as well. Though a wheel barrow is naturally a highly useful aid in the transport of sand, being a material used in paving operations, this is clearly less true with regard to the transport of e.g. paving stones from the storage site to the job site. Manual effort, is indispensable not only when paving stones have to be loaded, which unlike sand, are not a dumping material, but also during unloading of the wheel barrow,i.e. the paving stones have to be lifted frcm the wheel barrow, " hich is scon experienced as heavy labour.This applies all the more to kerbstones, which serve for bounding pavement. Kerbstones are extremely heavy, canno be lifted by one man and certainly cannot be considered to be dumping material but rather as piece-goods. According, they are transported separately to the job site by wheel barrow. Both loading and unloading takes place substantially entirely by hand, requiring two persons. Furthermore, it is precisely these heavy kerbstones which, at the place where they are positioned, require much adjusting operations for bringing them into the proper position: both as regards the height above the surface level and the relative orientation, and the proper position relative to the horizontal and vertical plane. This adjusting work should also be done manually in a deeply bowed position. It is not stirprisingthat this leads to back coπplaints to such an extent that such cαrolaints can be considered to be a typical occupational disorder of pavers. It is an object of the invention to provide an aid which alleviates situations in which heavy lifting operations occur frequently or are even a rule, such as in paving work- According to the invention, based on the insight that due to the lever principle, the load distribution with a wheel, barrow better enables the handling of even very heavy objects, there is provided a wheel barrow of the above described type which is characterized in that the cargo accommodating means include a lifting clamp comprising a pair of clamping jaws. By using a lifting σlaup, good use is made of the known per se property thereof and the claiming force exerted on the article to be lifted by means of the clamping jaws is adjusted aut natically in proportion to the weight of the article. Acxxxrding to a further eπix liment, the wheel barrow according to the invention is characterized in that a carrier turret is positioned on the carrier frame and is affixed thereto, and the lifting clamp is suspended, in the carrier turret at the end opposite the load bearing end comprising the pair of clasping jaws. In order to provide for the possibility of carrying out adjusting operations, as customary in the installation of a kerbstone, it is ensured that the suspension of the lifting clamp in the carrier turret effects that the cargo clamped between the clamping jaws s moved in directions that can be .resolved in the horizontal plane into perpendicular directions and furthermore is rotatable about a vertical axis. Tb this effect,, the lifting clamp may be suspended in the carrier turret by means of a ball joint. The cargo acccmmodating means of the wheel barrow according to the invention may be fitted with a single lifting clamp. However, they may also be an assembly of two coacting jointed tongs, hich are inter- connected by the pair of claπping jaws at the respective load bearing ends thereof in a manner moving the clanping jaws away and towards each other through extension and contraction, of the jointed tongs. In this case, for the purpose of a convenient operation of the cargo accoπitodating means during manoeuvring therewith for finding the best _ OMPI position of the pair of clamping jaws relative to the cargo to be carried, or of the cargo carried in respect of the required arrangement thereof at the required destinatio ,said cargo accoπroodating means can be provided with an orienting rod affixed thereto, which which the required claπping direction of the pair of clamping jaws is adjustable by rotation of said accommodating means via the ball joint. For ease of handling, it is desirable for the -wheel barrow according to the invention, as customary with wheel barrows in general, to have, in addition to the travelling wheel, further ≤nαpporting means by means of which, in coaction with the travelling wheel, the wheel barrow can be positioned in a rest position on the ground. The supporting means may be designed in such a waythatthey are integral with an assembly by means of which the gripping position of the pair of clamping jaws on the load to be lifted can be adjusted in height. To this effect, the assembly may comprise a substantially rectangular supporting frame consisting of links,-which frame is connected on one side to the carrier frame in a manner bridging the distance between »the handles via the corresponding link, and at the opposite side of the supporting frame, can be supported on the ground using the links of the other pair of supporting-frame sides as standards, and furthermore, an upwardly directed sι_jρρorting leg lying substantially in the vertical plane and fitted with a valve joint, said leg being fixedly connected at one endto a connecting rod fixedly connected to the carrier frame between the handles, and the other end of said leg being pivotally connected to the corresponding frame link of the supporting frame side adapted to be supported on the ground and the links serving as standards of the supporting frame each being fitted in corresponding places with a pivot joint. When in practice, a wheel barrow constructed according to this embodiment of the invention has been manoeuvred so that the pair of claπping jaws is above the cargo to be carried and transported,e.g. a kerbstone, it is possible, by means of a grip effectively connected to the linkage, to displace the pair of clamping jaws downwardly until a -substantially workable gripping position about the cargo lying on the ground and to be lifted, e.g. a kerbstone, is occupied. The extent of workability of the gripping position relative to the kerbstone, thus obtained via what could be called a coarse adjustment, is determined among other things by the degree in which the lifting claπp can be extended when this is in freely suspended position and also by the height of the kerbstone above the ground. If, judged by the distance of the pair of claπping jaws frcm the soil, a deeper gripping position is desired, the assembly of hinged supporting frame and hinged supporting leg, within certain limits, offers a further possibility therefor. To this effect, the valve joint of the supporting leg is bent frcm its supporting or stretched position so that, hinging in the joints accαπnodated in the standards of the supporting frame, the angle of inclination between the plane of the supporting frame and the ground becomes smaller and so the carrier frame and hence the pair of claπping jaws are moved further towards the ground, until the definite gripping position is occupied. While adjusting with the grip in such a way that the clamping jaws engage with the kerbstone on opposite sides thereof, the kerbstone is lifted over a limited distance, clear of the ground, when the hinged toggle of the supporting leg is again returned to the s * upporting or stretched position. By further lifting the carrier frame of the -wheel barrow at the handles, the supporting frame and the castor • wheels connected thereto will also get clear of the ground and the wheel barrow is further freely transportable. With a view toareasonable load distribution during the lifting of a wheel barrow at the handles,the travelling wheel of the wheel barrow is attached norm lly, seen in the direction of travel, far to the front to the carrier frame. As a result, the cargo cannot be brought close to a wall. In order to deal with this situation,in a preferred embodiment of the invention the handles are connected to the further part of the carrier frame so as to be axially removable therefrom and the carrier fra is provided on opposite sides of the longitudinal median plane of the wheel barrow, at the side of the travelling wheel, with members wherein t removed handles can be inserted so as to be axially removable therefrom. Since the castor wheels are much closer to the lifting clamp, the cargo can be brought much closer to the wall by reversing the handles, wheeling the wheel barrow on the two castor -wheels, and pushing and steering the travelling wheel by means ofthe reversed handles, and so manoeuvring it -ξjfEA OMPI to the required location. For instance, the installation of grates in cow-houses near walls can thus be realized quite well, while it is also possible in this manner to position the grates above a gulley. A further possibility of control to bring the cargo, such as a kerbstcne, in the proper starting position for its subsequent deposition at the required destination can be found by incorpo-rating an adjusting means in the connection of the pair of claitping jaws to the jointed tongs, with which the relative position of the claπping jaws is adjustable. If the relative positions of the claπping jaws, which are normally parallel to each other in the horizontal plane, are altered by the adjusting means in such a way that they come to be positioned at different levels, while maintaining their mutual parallel relationship,- then the cargo to be lifted by means of such a pair of claitping jaws, e.g. a kerbstone, will be turned during the lifting about its longitudi al axis through a given angle. If desired, the form of the clamping jaws can be adjusted to the form of the cargo to be carried: e.g. curved kernstones, which are employed in places where a pavement makes a bend, can be effectively lifted by a pair of clamping jaws curved accordingly. With the wheel barrow according to the invention, heavy articles such as kerbstones, can be lifted by one person and be transported to the required destination and be installed there in the proper position with minimal effort and great accuracy. A further major advantage of the wheel barrow according to the invention is that it can be used for selectively removing a single kerbstone from an installed row of such kerbstones, e.g. for its replacement by another in case of damage. Some embodiments of the wheel barrow according to the invention will now be described, by way of exaπple, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a side view of the wheel barrow which which a kerb¬ stone is lifted by cargo accommcdating in the form of an assembly of two coacting jointed tongs; Fig. 2 is an elevational view on the line II-II of Fig. 1 ; Fig. 3 is a side view of the wheel barrow including cargo accoπmod ting means comprising a single jointed tong; and Fig. 4 is a section on the line I7-IV of Fig. 3. In the drawings, a supporting frame is shown at (1) , which is connected on one end to travelling wheel (2) and on the other end and terminates in two handles (15 and 16) . The carrier turret (3) is welded with its four legs (4) in pairs to the interπεdiate links (23,24) of the supporting frame (1). T-he lifting claπp (5), cαπposed of two jointed tongs (7,8) suspended syimstrically relative to the longitudinal median plane of the wheel barrow and coacting in parallel relationship, said tongs being interconnected at the bottom via the pair of claπping jaws (6,6') , is suspended in the carrier turret via a combination of a bearing plate (9) and swivelling ball (19) . In additiontothe travelling wheel (2) , supporting frame (1) rests on the ground by means of supporting frame (10) , said supporting frame (10) coπprising castor wheels (11,12), not shown in Fig. 2, while (13 and 14) represent pivot joints (17,18) provided in the standards. The supporting frame (10) is maintained in its supporting position by means of the supporting rod 13 fitted with a valve joint (14) and pivotally connected as its ends to intermediate link (26) and thelowerlink (27) of the supporting frame (10), respectively. The wheel barrow can be gripped, lifted and transported by the barrow-man at the handles (15 and 16) . At (21) is shown an orienting red which is fixedly connected to the jointed tongs (7) and hence to the lifting claπp (5) and which can be swivelled to turn the lifting claπp by means of the swivelling ball (19) , within given limits so as to find the proper position of the kerbstone 22) . When the wheel barrow is tobe wheeled in unloaded condition, the lifting claπp (5) can be brought in lifted position by the grip (25) affixed thereto and be fixed therein by suspending the grip (25) frcm the supporting frame (1) via suspension means, not shown. Figs. 4 and S^in which reference numerals identical to those used in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 relate to corresponding meirbers) of the drawings show a second eπisodiment of a lifting claπp (70) which can be combined to form a wheel barrow according to the invention, said ei±odiment cαrprising a single pair of jointed tongs (71) only. The lifting claπp (70) as shown in Fig. 3 is suspended in the carrier turret, which is attached to the supporting frame of a wheel barrow, analogously to the lifting claπp 5 in Fig. 1, in longitudinal direction of the supporting frame. The way in which the lifting claπp (70) is hung in the carrier turret, however, is different here, using not a ball jointbutasuspension construction (73) . By means of stud (72) , connectedtothe suspension construction (73) , and a bolt-and-nut connection, lifting claπp (70) * is suspended within the carrier turret frcm the top platform thereof, being rotatable about a vertical axis. The suspension construction (73) itself has the form of an assembly consisting of a U-shaped bracket (74) pivotally connected to a shaft (75). , mounted at its end faces between the legs of the U- shaped bracket, as well as a supporting beam (76) ,• U-shaped in cross- section, which on the one hand, has its end portions pivoted to the end portions of the arms (31 and 32) in the pivots (77,78) and on the other hand is supported on the shaft (75) , being thus supported by it so as to be rotatable about the shaft. The -arms (33 and 34) are interconnected in two pivots (79,80) by means of the connecting rod (85) , in which pivots moreover there are mounted the slides (81,82), made of angle section, whose sides (86,87) are each provided with equally spaced apart holes. The carrier frames (83,84) , carrying at the ends thereof the clamping jaws 6,6' , are suspended via said holes by means of bolt-and-nut connections. By choosing the suspension point of the carrier framas (83,84) inanother corresponding pair of holes in the sides (86,87) ,the distance between the carrier frames (83,84) and hence between the claπping jaws (6,6') , canbeadjusted to the width of the article to be lifted, such as a kerbstone, for obtaining an optimal clamping force. The arms (31 and 33) are interconnected with an overlap combination closure (86) , by means of which the jointed tongs (71) can be locked in contracted condition, as shown in Fig. 3.In this position, the wheel barrow can be wheeled in non-loaded condition and the carrier frame of the wheel barrow, in the rest position, can be supported on the ground by means of the lifting claπp (70) and the pair of clampings jaws 6,6', which renders separate supporting means, such as the supporting frame (10) and the coacting st_pporting red (13) (Fig. 1) superfluous, which reduces the dead weight of the viieel barrow according to the invention. The suspension ccnstrτ__ctic_n (73) and the pivot joint thereof in the pivots(77 and 78) to the arms 31 and 32 contribute to the feature when the wheel barrow is lifted and the handles for transporting a load clamped between the claπping jaws (6,6') , the lifting claπp (70) swings forwardly, i.e. in the sense away frcm the barrow-man, so that the weight to be carried is displaced more towards the travelling wheel (2) (Fig. 1). Naturally, mod fications can be made to the -wheel barrow according to the invention, as described in the above and shown in the drawings, without departing from the scope of the invention. OMPI

Claims: C L A I M S. 1. A wheel barrow coπprising a carrier frame, a travelling wheel at one end, connected to said carrier frame by coupling means for movably carrying said carrier frame, a pair of handles at the other end for manually supporting and wheeling the barrow, and cargo accomπcdating means for holding and transporting cargo, characterized, in that said cargo acccπracdating means include a lifting claπp cσπprising a pair of claπping jaws. 2. A wheel barrow according to claim 1, characterized in that a carrier turret (3) is positioned on the carrier frame and is affixed thereto, and the lifting claπp (5)is suspended in the carrier turret at the end opposite the load bearing end coπprising the pair of clamping jaws (6, 6') . 3. A wheel barrow according to claim 2, characterized in that the suspension of the lifting claπp in the carrier turret is effected via a ball joint (19) . 4. A wheel barrow according to claims 1-3, characterized in that the cargo acccm cdating means is an assembly of two coacting jointed tongs (7,8) , which, at the respective load bearing ends thereof, are interconnected by the pair of claπping jaws (6,6.') in a manner moving the claπping jaws towards and away from each other by extending and contracting the jointed tongs. 5. A wheel barrow according to claims 2-4, characterized in that the cargo accommodating means comprise an orienting rod (21) fixedly connected thereto, with which the required claitping direction of the pair of claπping jaws (6,6') is adjustable by rotation of the cargo accoπmcdating means via the ball joint (19) . 6. A wheel barrow according to claims 1-5, the carrier frame of which is provided with further supporting means through which, in cc junction with the travelling wheel, the wheel barrow, in the rest position, can be positioned on the ground, characterized in that the supporting means are associated with an assembly with which the gripping position of the pair of claπping jaws about the load to be lifted is adjustable in height. 7. A -wheel barrow according to claim 6, characterized in that the assembly comprises a substantially rectangular supporting frame (10) consisting of links, said frame being connected on one side to the carrier frame in a manner bridging the distance between the handles via the corresponding link (24) and at the opposite side of the supporting frame, can find support on the ground, using the links 28 of the other pair of supporting-frame sides as standards, and furthermore, an upwardly directed supporting leg (13) lying substantially in tiie vertical plane and fitted with a valve joint (14) , .said leg being connected at one end to a connecting rod (26) fixedly connected to the carrier frame 1 between the handles (15,16) , and the other end of said leg being pivotally connected to the corresponding link (27) of the supporting frame side adapted to be supported on the ground and the links functioning as standards 28 of the supporting frameeachbeing provided in corresponding places with a pivot joint (17). 8. A wheel barrow according to claim 7, characterized in that at the ground-supportable side the supporting frame (10) is provided with a castor -wheel (11) adjacent its corners. 9. A -wheel barrow according to claims 1-8, characterized in that the handles (15,16) are connected to the further part of the carrier frame so as to be axially removable therefrom and the carrier frame, on opposite sides of the longitudinal median plane of the -wheel barrow, at the end of the travelling wheel, comprises tubular -members wherein the removed handles can be inserted so as to be axially removable therefrom. 10. A wheel barrow according to claims 1-9, characterized in that the connectionof the pair of claπping jaws to be jointed tongs accαirmodates an adjusting means with which the relative position of the clamping jaws is adjustable. 11. A wheel barrow according to claims 1-10, characterized in that the form of the claπping jaws is adjusted to the form of the cargo to be carried. 12. A wheel barrow according to claims 1-2, in which the carrier frame comprises further supporting means which, in coactiαn with the travelling wheel, enable the wheel barrow to be arranged in a rest position cn the ground, characterized in that the lifting claπp constitutes the supporting means coacting with the travelling wheel (2) . 13. A wheel barrow according to claim 12, characterized in that th lifting claπp comprises a single pair of jointed tongs (71) including a pair of coacting arms β1,33 and/or 32,34) interconnected by locking means arranged to lock the tongs (71) in contracted condition. 14. A wheel barrow according to claim 13, characterized in that said locking means is a closure member (8Qofthecombination closure principle.

Inventors: PRINS FOKKO, PRINS, FOKKO
Applicants: PRINS FOKKO, PRINS, FOKKO
Application year: 1983
Main classification: B62B1
IPC codes: B62B1, B62B3, B66C1