Abstract:
A wheeled load transfer device comprising a load containing member, a handle assembly and a pair of wheels affixed at opposite sides of said load containing member; said load containing member open at a first loading end and provided with a rear discharge door; said device adapted for scooping movement along a ground surface.

Description:
[0001]     The present invention relates to load carrying devices and, more particularly, to wheeled, manually operated devices.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Various wheeled devices have been devised for transferring quantities of loose material, such as for example sand, soil, road base, gravel and compost, from one location to another. Probably the best known and most used is the common single wheeled wheelbarrow.  
         [0003]     A disadvantage of the wheelbarrow is that the material to be transported in it must be raised to a level where it can be deposited into the body of the barrow. This requires considerable repetitive strain on the back of a user in shovelling the material over the rim of the barrow body.  
         [0004]     Further disadvantages of a common wheelbarrow, include that a fully laden barrow is awkward to wheel, taking considerable skill and strength. Also, the emptying of the barrow, unless effected by laborious shovelling out of its contents, requires tilting the barrow load over the wheel centre to allow the contents to slide out. Again, this is an operation requiring strenuous effort from a user. Thus, particularly for people with weak, or lower back injuries, the effective use of a wheelbarrow for the purposes of transporting loads of material is virtually precluded.  
         [0005]     It is an object of the present invention to address or at least ameliorate some of the above disadvantages.  
         [0000]     Note  
         [0006]     The term “comprising” (and grammatical variations thereof) is used in this specification in the inclusive sense of “having” or “including”, and not in the exclusive sense of “consisting only of”.  
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION  
       [0007]     Accordingly, in a first broad form of the invention, there is provided a wheeled load transfer device comprising a load containing member, a handle assembly and a pair of wheels affixed at opposite sides of said load containing member; said load containing member open at a first loading end and provided with a rear discharge door; said device adapted for scooping movement along a ground surface.  
         [0008]     Preferably, said load containing member comprises opposing side portions, a bottom portion and a rear end; said rear end provided with said rear discharge door.  
         [0009]     Preferably, said rear discharge door is pivotally hinged proximate an upper edge of said discharge door.  
         [0010]     Preferably, each wheel of said pair of wheels is mounted to a respective wheel axle housing affixed to respective said opposing side portions; said wheels having a common axis.  
         [0011]     Preferably, said handle assembly comprises first and second handle members and at least one cross member; said first and second handle members pivotally connected to respective said wheel axle housings.  
         [0012]     Preferably, said handle assembly is pivotable about axes of said pair of wheels; said handle assembly pivotable between at least one fixed position latched to said load containing member and unlatched positions.  
         [0013]     Preferably, said handle assembly is provided with a first latching mechanism; said first latching mechanism adapted to releasably lock said handle assembly into said at least one fixed position relative said load containing member.  
         [0014]     Preferably, said rear discharge door is provided with a second latching mechanism; said second latching mechanism adapted to releasing said rear discharge door from a closed load retaining position to an open load discharge position.  
         [0015]     Preferably, each said first latching mechanism and said second latching mechanism are operable by respective lever assemblies and respective first and second cables; said lever assemblies mounted to respective said handle members.  
         [0016]     Preferably, when said first latching mechanism is released from engagement with said load containing member, a front lip of said load containing member is in contact with a supporting ground surface supporting said device, and wherein said bottom portion is at a slight upward inclination to said surface; said inclination sufficient to provide clearance between a rear lower edge of said load containing member and said supporting ground surface.  
         [0017]     Preferably, said device may be urged into a scooping motion so as to load material from a volume of said material disposed on said ground surface, into said load containing member; loading of said material effected without need of hand held implements.  
         [0018]     Preferably, said first latching mechanism may be brought into engagement with said load containing member by rotation upwardly of said handle assembly from said unlatched positions.  
         [0019]     Preferably, said device is brought into an attitude for transporting said material in said load containing member by rotation downwardly of said handle assembly; outer ends of said handle assembly then at a height proximate the waist of an average user; said bottom portion of said load containing member then inclined downwardly so as to secure said material within said load containing member.  
         [0020]     Preferably, said material is discharged from said load containing member by operating said second latching mechanism to release said rear discharge door from said closed load retaining position to an open discharge position.  
         [0021]     Preferably, said load containing member is provided with an upper partial cover segment; said cover segment provided with a second latching element adapted to releasably engage with said first latching mechanism thereby to lock said handle assembly into a second fixed position relative said load containing member; said second fixed position adapted to provide a greater angle of downward inclination of said bottom portion of said load containing member during discharge of said material.  
         [0022]     In a further broad form of the invention, there is provided a method for loading and transporting material by means of a wheeled load transfer device; said method not requiring use of a spade or shovel or other hand held implement; said method including the steps of: 
        (a) unlatching a load containing member of said device from a locked position relative a handle assembly so as to rotate said load containing member into a scooping position relative said handle assembly,     (b) urging said load containing member against a volume of material disposed on a supporting ground surface so as to load at least a portion of said material into said load containing member,     (c) rotating said handle assembly upwardly to a latched fixed position relative said load containing member,     (d) rotating said handle assembly downwardly to bring outer portions of said handle assembly proximate the waist of an average user,     (e) wheeling said transfer device to an unload destination,     (f) unlatching a rear discharge door from a first locked position to rotate to a second open discharge position.       
 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0029]     Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:  
         [0030]      FIG. 1  is a side elevation view of a preferred embodiment of a wheeled load transfer device according to the invention in a first latched condition,  
         [0031]      FIG. 2  is a side elevation view of the device of  FIG. 1  in a second latched condition,  
         [0032]      FIG. 3  is a rear elevation view of the device of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ,  
         [0033]      FIG. 4  is a front elevation view of the device of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ,  
         [0034]      FIG. 5  is a plan view of the device of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ,  
         [0035]      FIG. 6  is a side elevation view of the device of  FIGS. 1 and 2  when in a preferred loading configuration,  
         [0036]      FIG. 7  is a side elevation view of the device of  FIGS. 1 and 2  when in a load transfer configuration,  
         [0037]      FIG. 8  is a side elevation view of the device of  FIGS. 1 and 2  when in a load discharge configuration. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0038]     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a wheeled load transfer device  10  comprises a load containing member or bucket  12 , a pair of coaxial wheels  14  and  15  (only one of which is visible in  FIG. 1 ) disposed at opposite sides of bucket  12 , and a handle assembly  13 . Wheels  14  and  15  are preferably provided with pneumatic tyres.  
         [0039]     As can be seen from  FIGS. 1 and 7 , the wheel mounting position on bucket  12  is such that the rear lower edge  23  of bucket  12  is clear of the supporting ground surface  50  when the bucket is in the loading attitude shown in  FIG. 1  or in the transporting attitude shown in  FIG. 7 .  
         [0040]     Bucket  12  comprises opposing, generally triangular-shaped sides  16  and  17 , a bottom  18  and rear discharge door  20 , as can be seen in  FIGS. 3, 4  and  8 . The front  22  of bucket  12  is open except for a short upper cover segment  24  (as best seen in  FIGS. 4 and 5 ). Preferably, the leading front edge  48  is provided with a replaceable wear strip (not shown).  
         [0041]     As best seen in  FIGS. 3, 4  and  5 , wheels  14  and  15  are mounted to axles projecting from wheel axle housings  26  and  27 , which in turn are affixed to the opposite sides  16  and  17  respectively of bucket  12 . Pivotally mounted to wheel axle housings  26  and  27 , and preferably pivoting about the axes of wheels  14  and  15 , are handle members  28  and  29  of handle assembly  13 .  
         [0042]     Referring again to  FIGS. 1, 2 ,  4  and  5 , handle assembly  13  is provided with a first cable operated spring-loaded latching mechanism  30  mounted to cross member  32  of handle assembly  13 . Short upper cover segment  24  of bucket  12  is provided with at least first and second latch blocks  34  and  35  respectively adapted for engagement by the tongue  36  of first spring-loaded latching mechanism  30 .  
         [0043]     First spring-loaded mechanism  30  is adapted to lock handle assembly  13  in a first latched position relative to bucket  12  as shown in  FIG. 1  when engaged with first latch block  34 , or a second latched position as shown in  FIG. 2  when engaged with second latch block  35 . First spring-loaded latching mechanism  30 , is controlled by a first lever assembly  38  and a first cable  39 , attached to first handle member  28 . As can be seen in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , first spring loaded latching mechanism  30  may be disengaged from either of the two latch blocks  34  or  35  so as to allow bucket  12  and handle assembly  13  to assume the relative positions shown in  FIG. 6 .  
         [0044]     Rear discharge door  20  is hinged proximate its upper edge  21  about pivots  40  and  41  mounted in respective opposite sides  16  and  17  of bucket  12 . A second cable operated spring-loaded latching mechanism  42  (best seen in  FIG. 3 ) mounted at the lower edge  44  of rear discharge door  20 , is adapted to allow the release of rear discharge door  20  from a normally closed position locked to the bottom  18  of the bucket  12 , and is controlled similarly by a second lever assembly  46  and second cable  47  attached to second handle member  29 .  
         [0000]     In Use  
         [0045]     It will be seen from  FIG. 6  that when bucket  12  is unlatched from handle assembly  13 , front lip  48  rests on the ground surface  50  and bottom  18  is only slightly inclined to surface  50 , sufficient to leave rear lower edge  23  of bucket  12  clear of surface  50 . By applying a forward force at handle assembly  13 , bucket  12  acts as a scoop to at least partially fill the bucket from a heap of material  52 . Alternatively, or additionally, material  52  may be readily scraped or raked into the bucket  12  without the need for any lifting or shovelling of the material to be transported.  
         [0046]     Once a desired load has been gathered into bucket  12 , the handle assembly  13  is rotated upwardly about the pivot axes of wheels  14  and  15  and the handle assembly  13  latched to the bucket  12  by engagement of the first spring-loaded latching mechanism  30  with the first latch block  34 . In this position, relatively little downward force applied at the end of the handle assembly  13  will bring the bucket  12  into the attitude shown in  FIG. 7 . The handle assembly  13  is then approximately horizontal so that the outer ends of handle members  28  and  29  are adjacent the waist level of an average user, with the bottom  18  of bucket  12  inclined so as to securely retain the material in bucket  12 . In this position the device allows the load of material to be easily wheeled to a point of destination.  
         [0047]     When it is desired to discharge the load in bucket  12 , the second spring-loaded mechanism  42  is activated to release rear discharge door  20  from its locked closed position, allowing it to swing rearward as shown in FIG.  8 . Because of the slope of the bottom  18  of bucket  12 , the material it contains will readily slide rearward and discharge through door  20 .  
         [0048]     To aid in discharging the material if required, the second latching position of the handle assembly  13  relative to bucket  12  afforded by second latch block  35 , may be utilised as shown in  FIG. 8  to increase further the slope of bottom  18 . It will be obvious that the slope of the bottom  18  of bucket  12  may be made quite steep by inclining the handle assembly  13  further downward from that shown in  FIG. 8 . The device  10  can simply be wheeled forward as the discharge proceeds to allow all the material  52  to exit through rear discharge door  20 .  
         [0049]     When all material has been discharged, the device is tilted back to a position approximating that of  FIG. 1  which allows the rear discharge door  20  to resume its locked closed position, for example by pushing the door closed with a foot of the user, and the device is ready for a next loading and transporting cycle.  
         [0050]     The above describes only some embodiments of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the art, can be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.  
         [0051]     For example whilst only a first spring loaded latching mechanism  30  is illustrated it may be required that more than one such mechanism is utilised in order to spread the latching load eg where the anticipated loading will be high. In this instance the single latching mechanism  30  shown in  FIG. 5  could, for example, be replaced by a first and second latching mechanism mounted in spaced apart relationship mounted on cross member  32  and adapted for engaging with corresponding spaced apart latch blocks  34 .