Abstract:
A cart for transporting various articles, most particularly sporting goods such as ski and golf equipment, that folds into a compact package for storage including a handle folds down and a shelf that folds up and wheels that can be rotated so as to be aligned in a common plane against the frame of the cart.

Description:
RELATED DOCUMENTS 
     This application is based upon information filed under the Disclosure Document Program on Feb. 9, 2001 as Disclosure Document Number 488491. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to carts for moving a variety of goods and more particularly to a cart which is readily folded for transport and storage. 
     2. Prior Art and Objects of the Invention 
     Skis are notably difficult to handle being long and awkward to carry. Along with the skis, ski boots and poles, an equipment bag is also essential to carry such items as goggles, caps and gloves. With all of this equipment to carry, the trip from the parking lot to the lodge of a ski center can be difficult and precarious. 
     In playing golf, carts have long been an essential part of golf equipment. However, carts which are pulled to carry equipment including golf clubs and golf bag, are not easily transportable in an automobile. 
     A cart on which all the equipment could be securely stowed and which could be easily pulled with all the necessary sports equipment on it would fill a long felt need. Such a cart would need to be light and compact. Of greatest importance, it would have to be capable of being folded so as to require minimal space when not in use and when being transported in an automobile. While skiing the cart could be compactly stored while with golf, the cart would be used during the playing of the game. In both situations, the cart could be easily carried and readily stored when not being used. 
     It should be understood that many other uses for a compact cart, besides golf and skiing, are possible and in fact are almost unlimited. However, skiing and golf provide two areas of use encompassing both winter and summer. Such a cart is not known or available. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cart for carrying a variety of equipment. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a cart for carrying ski and snow board and golf equipment. 
     It is another object of the present invention safely to retain articles to prevent others from falling over the articles if placed to one side. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a cart that is light and is easily folded into a compact unit for storage. 
     These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art based upon the description of the preferred embodiment. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A cart is provided for transporting various items most particularly sports equipment such as ski and snow board and golf equipment. The structural base for the cart is a frame which includes a cross bar and two wheel bars generally parallel to one another and extending substantially at right angles from the ends of the cross bar. Journals are mounted to rotate on the wheel bars and wheel plates extend from the journals to which the wheel plates are secured. The wheel plates taper from the journal to an outside end which is generally rounded. An axle is secured to each of the wheel plates at the outside end and a wheel is mounted on each axle to rotate. On these two wheels, the cart can be readily pulled. 
     To use the cart, the wheel plates are placed parallel to one another and locked into position. For storage purposes, the wheels can be rotated toward one another against the frame and are then locked in that position. 
     A handle extends from the frame and the handle folds downwardly and backwardly for storage. A cradle is mounted on the handle to retain items in place and the cradle may be modified to accommodate different items. Straps may be used to secure the various items to the handle and on the shelf. 
     A shelf is mounted on the cart on the opposite side of the cart from the wheels to rotate generally ninety degrees from a vertical position to a horizontal position with the cart in an upright position. A locking means is used to retain the shelf in its lower or operating position. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of the cart being used to transport ski equipment with the handle extended and the shelf down and the cart tipped back to be pulled. 
     FIG. 2 is a pictorial view from the side and front of the cart with the cart in an upright position but with the handle extended and showing in exploded form an modification member which can be added to the cradle so as to make the cart more suitable for use in carrying a snow board. 
     FIG.  3 . is a pictorial view from the side and rear showing the wheels in their stored position but with one wheel shown in italics in its operating position and also showing the handle folded down for storage with the handle in its upright position shown in italics. 
     FIG. 4 is a pictorial view partially exploded showing the journal and the outer collar with the lugs and indentations used to lock the wheels in selected positions. 
     FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the shelf view showing the locking mechanism for the shelf and for limiting the movement of the shelf. 
     FIG. 5A is an enlarged pictorial view of the locking mechanism shown in FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 6 is a plan view of the underside of the shelf showing the plates affixed to the shelf and the locking mechanism. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1,  2  and  3 , the cart is shown and the cart includes a frame  11 , a handle  13 , a platform or shelf  15  and a wheel assembly  19  including wheels  21 . The handle  13  is secured to the frame  11  at the center point of the frame  11  between the two wheels  21 . The frame  11  is an inverted U-shaped member including a cross bar  23  and two wheel bars  25 , each wheel bar  25  is attached at its upper end  27  to opposite ends of the cross bar  23  generally at right angles to the cross bar  23  and substantially parallel to one another. The opposite end of each wheel bar  25  is the lower end  29  of the wheel bar  25 . The handle  13  is securely affixed to the cross bar  23 , as stated, midway between the two wheel bars  25 . 
     For purposes of reference, the back of the frame  11  is where the wheels  21  are located and the front of the frame  11  is where the shelf  15  is located. 
     The wheel assembly  19  is mounted on each of the two wheel bars  25 . Each wheel assembly  19  includes a journal  31  mounted on each wheel bar  25  so as to rotate on the wheel bar  25 . The journal  31  has a lower end  33  adjacent the lower end  29  of the wheel bar  25  and an upper end  35  opposite from the lower end  33 . An end collar  37  is secured to the lower end  29  of each wheel bar  25  by a set screw  38 . A spring  39  is placed between each end collar  37  and the journal  31  to force the journal  31  away from the end collar  37 . An upper collar  41  is secured to the upper end  27  of the wheel bars  25 . The upper collar  41  has lugs or projections  43 , as shown in FIG. 4, and the upper end  35  of the journal  31  has indentations  45  which mate with the lugs  43  causing the journal  31  to lock to the upper collar  41  at ninety degree intervals thus preventing rotation of each journal  31 . However, when each journal  31  is pressed toward its respective end collar  37  against the spring  39 , each entire wheel assembly  19  including the wheel  21  may be rotated and then may be locked in a different position by the same lugs  43  and indentations  45 . 
     A wheel plate  47 , which is part of the wheel assembly  19 , is secured to each of the two journals  31 . The wheel plate  47  generally tapers from the journal  31 , to which it is secured, to a rounded end  49 . At the rounded end  49 , an axle  51  is secured to the wheel plate  47  on which the wheel  21  is mounted to rotate. The two wheels  21  so mounted serve to roll the cart by pulling. When the wheels  21  are set to serve as a basis to roll the cart, the two wheel plates  47  are parallel as shown in FIG.  2 . When the cart is being stored, the wheels  21  are folded against the frame  11  as seen in FIG.  3 . and are aligned with one another. The wheels  21  may be moved from the operation position, to the storage position as has been previously explained, by depressing the journal  31  against the spring  39  to release the lugs  43  from the indentations  45 . 
     The shelf or platform  15  is centrally mounted on the handle  13  slightly forward of the two wheel bars  25 . A hinge  55  is used to secure the shelf  15  to the handle so that the shelf  15  can be rotated up against the handle  13  and down approximately ninety degrees when in use. The shelf  15  may be mounted to rotate on the cart in any number of ways. 
     When the shelf  15  is its lowered position and particularly when is use, it is important that the shelf  15  not rotate back up toward the frame  11  as might occur if the shelf  15  struck a curb. To assure that the shelf  15  will not improperly rotate when is use, a lock  57  is provided as seen in FIGS.5,  5 A and  6 . A pair of tapered plates  59  on the underside  61  of the shelf  15  are located generally parallel to the side edges  63  of the shelf  15  and extend past the rear edge  65  of the shelf  15  to slide along the sides of the handle  13  in close proximity to the handle  13 . A pair of spring-loaded projections  67  engage openings  69  in the tapered plates  59  securing the shelf  15  in its lowered position. A stop bar  71  across the tapered plates  59  strikes the handle  13  to stop the shelf  15  in its desired lowered position, generally at ninety degrees from the upright position of the shelf  15  when not in use. 
     The handle  13  in its operating position can best be seen in FIG.  1 . The handle  13  has a lower section  73  and an upper section  75 . The lower end  77  of the upper section  75  is secured to the upper end  79  of the lower section  73  by a retaining assembly  81 . The upper section  75  and the lower section  73  are aligned with one another but are offset from one another. A hinge member  83  is secured to lower section  73  of the handle  13  towards the upper end  79  of the lower section  73 . The upper section  75  of the handle  13  is mounted to pivot on the hinge member  83 . A retaining member  85  is mounted to slide on the upper section  75  of the handle  13  and the retaining member  85  includes a socket  87 . The retaining member  85 , with the upper section  75  of the handle  13  in the operating position, slides downwardly so that the socket fits over the upper end  79  of the lower section  73  of the handle  13  thereby retaining the upper section  75  as a rigid extension of the lower section  73 . By lifting the retaining member  85  upwardly, the upper section  75  of the handle  13  may be folded over the back of the cart as seen in FIG  3 . 
     The upper section  75  of the handle  13  at its upper end  89 , most remote from the lower section  73 , includes a hand grip  91 . The lower section  73  is secured to the frame  11  as has been previously described and, as seen in FIGS. 2 and 5, the lower section  73  extends to a lower end  93  beneath the cross bar  23  below the shelf  15  and serves, as also previously discussed, to permit the lock  57  to secure the shelf  15  in its lowered position. 
     Again referring to FIG. 1, a cradle  95  is secured to the lower section  73  of the handle  13  but above the hinge member  83 . The cradle  95 , as seen in FIG. 3, is designed to retain articles such as skis, as shown in FIG.  1 . When used for larger articles such as a snow board, a broader support is preferable and, seen in FIG. 2, a cradle modifier  97 , that is a flat and elongated plate is placed on the cradle  95 . The cradle modifier  97  includes hooks  99  at each end to retain the snow board in place by means of hooked expansible straps (not shown). A hook  101  (FIG. 1) on the back of the upper section  75  of the handle  13  provides a means to hold a bag. Straps  103  affixed to the cart are provided to retain articles being transported, to secure the articles in place when in transit. 
     It is to be understood that the drawings and description matter are in all cases to be interpreted as merely illustrative of the principles of the invention, rather than as limiting the same in any way, since it is contemplated that various changes may be made in various elements to achieve like results without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.