Abstract:
A wheelbarrow handle accessory has a tube member that slides over the end of a wheelbarrow handle, and a hand grip assembly including a partial sleeve that normally rests upon the tube member in aligned relationship, the hand grip assembly being rotatably supported from the tube member.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM  
       [0001]     This application claims the priority of my U.S. Provisional application Ser. No. 60/520,158 filed Nov. 14, 2003. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The field of this invention is hand operated apparatus such as wheelbarrows.  
       PRIOR ART  
       [0003]     Prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,173,705 issued Mar. 16, 1965.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The standard wheelbarrow has a wheel at the forward end to carry the load and a pair of generally parallel handles that project rearwardly to be grasped by the hands of the person using the wheelbarrow. A very difficult problem arises when it is necessary to empty a very heavy load, such as wet concrete, in a desired location. The operator when lifting the handles has to maintain a tight grip on them to prevent the load from spilling sidewise. At the same time it becomes increasingly difficult to manipulate the handles when they start to assume a more nearly vertical position, which they must do in order to empty the load.  
         [0005]     Not only is it very difficult to empty such a heavy load from the wheelbarrow, but the person doing it may have to change the position of their hands on the wheelbarrow handle, or alternatively must twist his or her hands through as much as 180 degrees of rotation in order to empty the load. In that twisting action the person may suffer the serious injury that is known as repetitive-motion or carpel tunnel syndrome injury. Or if the person&#39;s hands are removed and then engaged in a different position on the handle of the wheelbarrow, there is a risk of spilling the load in the wrong location.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     According to the invention I provide a pair of accessories which are conveniently attached to the wheelbarrow handles to make the dumping operation easy for the operator. Each accessory includes a tube member or adapter that slides over an end portion of the wheelbarrow handle, and a hand grip assembly that is rotatably secured to the tube member or adapter. While the wheelbarrow is being moved from one location to another the operator holds the two hand grips in a horizontal position, supporting the wheelbarrow handles from above. Then, when the load is to be dumped, the operator simply raises the hand grips and handles and rotates the hand grips by as much as 180 degrees so that they will then assume positions underneath the wheelbarrow handles, and the load can be dumped from the front end of the wheelbarrow at exactly the desired location.  
         [0007]     More specifically, according to the presently preferred form of my invention my accessory includes a tube member adapted to slide longitudinally onto an end of a wheelbarrow handle. The tube member has a pair of flanges formed along a portion of its length which also extend downwardly in parallel relation, and has ears that protrude outwardly from the flanges in aligned relationship. The hand grip assembly includes a partial sleeve for engaging and normally resting upon the upper half of the tube member, and a generally straight hand grip member arranged in parallel to and spaced from the partial sleeve. The partial sleeve also has parallel walls which extend downwardly below the upper half of the tube member, and which have longitudinal grooves extending inward from one of its ends. When the parts are assembled together the ears of the tube member slide into and along the grooves, and then snap into aligned openings formed at the ends of the grooves of the partial sleeve to securely and permanently lock the two parts together in relatively rotatable relationship. 
     
    
     DRAWING SUMMARY  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  illustrates my novel wheelbarrow handle accessory and positions of the operator&#39;s hand both when the wheelbarrow is carrying a load and when the load is being dumped;  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  shows how my novel tube member, if a separate part, would slidably fit onto the wheelbarrow handle;  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  illustrates how the ears of my tube member are inserted into the grooves of the hand grip member and then snappingly engaged with holes in the hand grip member to secure the two parts together;  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of my tube member;  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of my novel hand grip assembly viewed from above;  
         [0013]      FIG. 6  is an upside-down perspective view of my hand grip assembly; and  
         [0014]      FIG. 7  is a perspective upside-down view showing how my adapter or tube member is inserted into its locking position in the hand grip member. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
     (FIGS.  1  through  7 )  
       [0015]     Referring now to the drawings, in  FIG. 1  the wheelbarrow handle is designated as  12  and the operator&#39;s hand as  14 .  FIG. 1  shows in solid lines the position of my wheelbarrow handle accessory  10  when the wheelbarrow is carrying a load. When a load is being transported the operator&#39;s hand grasps the hand grip  34  of my accessory  10  from above, which then supports handle  12  from above. The solid arrow  16  indicates an upward movement of the handle  12  when the load is to be dumped.  FIG. 1  also shows in dotted lines the changes in position as the load is being dumped. As indicated by dotted arrow  18  the accessory  10  is rotated down and back through an angle of as much as 180 degrees, and the operator&#39;s hand is then underneath the hand grip  34 . But the operator does not have to remove their hands from the hand grips while the load is being dumped.  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  shows how my novel tube member  20 , if it were a separate part, would slidably fit onto the wheelbarrow handle  12 . End stop  26  limits the extent to which the tube member slides over handle  12 . The fact is that tube member  20  is a separate part only when it is first produced by the injection molding die. It is then inserted into and locked to hand grip assembly  30  as schematically illustrated in  FIG. 3 . The pegs or ears  24  of the tube member  20  are inserted into the grooves  40  of the hand grip assembly  30 . The pegs  24  slide to the ends of grooves  40  and are then snappingly engaged with holes  42  in the hand grip member to securely lock the two parts together in rotatable relationship.  
         [0017]     Tube member  20  is adapted to slide longitudinally onto the wheelbarrow handle  12  in a close-fitting relationship. The tube member  20  has a pair of flanges  22  formed along a portion of its length which also extend downwardly in parallel relation. A pair of ears  24  protruding outwardly from respective flanges  22  in aligned relationship.  
         [0018]     Hand grip assembly  30  has a partial sleeve  32  for engaging the tube member  20  in circumdisposed relation to the upper half of the tube. An elongated generally straight hand grip member  34  is disposed above to the partial sleeve. It is supported by end walls  36  at its two ends in spaced parallel relationship to the partial sleeve  32 . All portions of the hand grip assembly  30  are preferably integrally cast as a single part.  
         [0019]     Partial sleeve  32  also has downwardly extending parallel side walls  38 . Elongated grooves  40  are formed in the inner surfaces of the side walls  38 . When the tube member  20  is inserted into the partial sleeve  32  the pegs or ears  24  of the tube member are slidingly received in the grooves. The partial sleeve  32  also has aligned openings or holes  42  at the ends of grooves  40  which are adapted to be snappingly engaged by the ears  24  of the tube member when the tube is assembled to the partial sleeve.  
         [0020]     The parallel side walls of the partial sleeve  32  rather tightly engage the sides of the tube member  20  so as at all times to maintain alignment of the hand grip assembly in a vertical plane above the tube member. The partial sleeve  32  acts as a first stop means to limit forward rotating movement of the hand grip assembly relative to the tube member  20 . The rearward end of partial sleeve member  32  is closed off at  37  by an extension of end wall  36 , to act as a second stop means to limit the rearward rotating movement of the hand grip assembly  30  relative to the tube member  20 . The two stop means together allow hand grip assembly  30  to rotate nearly 180 degrees relative to the tube member  20 , as shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0021]     My product is preferably made by injection molding using fiber glass reinforced nylon material. Other types of plastic material may also be used. The grooves  40  in the inner surfaces of side walls  38  of the hand grip assembly  30  are preferably tapered throughout their length to ease the insertion of the tube member ears. Also, the pegs or ears  24  are preferably tapered on one side, so that the side or edge that initially enters the grooves  40  will fit more easily. When the tube member  20  and hand grip assembly  30  first come out of their respective injection molding dies they are preferably snapped together when both are still hot and hence somewhat flexible.  
         [0022]     The method of use of my product is generally shown in  FIG. 1 , which shows in dotted lines the changes in position of hand grip assembly  30  as the load is being dumped. As indicated by dotted arrow  18  the accessory  10  is rotated down and back through an angle of as much as 180 degrees, and the operator&#39;s hand is then underneath the hand grip  34 . But the operator does not have to remove their hands from the hand grips while the load is being dumped. The large rotational movement of the hand grip assembly  30  relative to tube member  20  is made possible by the fact that the axis of rotation defined by pegs or ears  24  and holes  42  is essentially at the rearward end of tube member  20 .  
         [0023]     My invention may also be used in ways other than as specifically illustrated. For example, suitable pivot support means may be incorporated into a standard wheelbarrow handle and my hand grip assembly modified accordingly. Also, my hand grip assembly may be supported by a supporting base other than either a wheelbarrow handle or the illustrated tube member. Further, the entire assembly as illustrated may be used for a different purpose, such as to support a flashlight that may be received within the tube member and adjusted at a desired angle.  
         [0024]     The presently preferred embodiment of my invention has been disclosed in detail in order to comply with requirements of the patent laws. It will be understood, however, that other modifications and variations will be understood by persons who are skilled in the art, and that the scope of my invention is to be judged only in accordance with the appended claims.  
         [0000]     Parts List  
         [0000]    
       
           10  accessory  
           12  wheelbarrow handle  
           14  hand of operator  
           16  solid arrow  
           18  dotted arrow  
           20  tube member  
           22  flanges  
           24  ears  
           26  end stop  
           30  hand grip assembly  
           32  partial sleeve  
           34  hand grip  
           36  end walls  
           37  downward extension of one end wall  36   
           38  side walls  
           40  grooves  
           42  holes for ears