Abstract:
A barrel truck has a handle structure; a wheeled support, the wheels spaced apart such that the wheels can slide under a barrel when the barrel is pivoted; a cradling member pivotally coupled to the support for engaging the perimeter of the barrel but not extending past the center line of the barrel; and an upright structure having a gripping mechanism for gripping the top of the barrel adapted to have a force applied thereto to exert an upward force on the barrel to pivot the barrel off the ground causing the wheeled support to move forward and pivot with respect to the cradling member, allowing the wheels on the wheeled support to move underneath the barrel, with further force on the handle structure lifting the barrel off the ground balanced over the wheels.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/547,929, filed Oct. 17, 2011, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to barrel or drum trucks for handling and moving barrels or drums. 
     Barrel trucks are wheeled devices that are used to lift a barrel from the ground in order to move the barrel. The typical barrel truck has two wheels, straddles the barrel and has a gripping mechanism for grasping the barrel, typically at the top of the barrel, and, in particular, at the top rim or rib of the barrel. An example is shown in an advertisement for the DTC01 Universal Barrel Trolley from SDS Bespoke Handling Equipment. The known barrel truck is moved into position with the wheels along-side the barrel, straddling the barrel and a clamp clamps the barrel at the top rim of the barrel. The handles of the barrel truck or trolley are then pivoted downwardly to lift the barrel off the ground with the clamped barrel being held in the frame of the barrel truck above the ground allowing the user to wheel the barrel to a new position. 
     A problem with the known barrel truck is that the wheels straddle the barrel. Thus, if a number of barrels are lined up in close proximity to each other, the barrel truck cannot access a barrel that is in an interior line of such barrels without moving the other barrels. 
     Also, with standard drum trucks which tilt the drum resting the weight over the wheels, the operator must exert substantial force to initially tip the drum. This causes many back, shoulder, and arm injuries. The present invention reduces the amount of force needed, and will also reduce injuries using leverage instead of strength. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a barrel or drum truck that can engage and pick up a barrel even when other barrels are in close proximity without having to move the other barrels. 
     It is also an object of the invention to provide a barrel truck that can be used, if desired, so that the wheels straddle the barrel, by a convertibility feature, whereby the legs or wheels can be reversed. 
     It is also desired to provide a barrel truck which can be used to lift a plurality of barrels on a pallet. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will be described in the following detailed description which reference to the drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a barrel and a barrel truck according to the invention in position ready to lift the barrel; 
         FIG. 2  shows the barrel truck and barrel with the barrel truck pivoting the barrel; 
         FIG. 3  shows the barrel truck with the barrel being held above the ground by the barrel truck allowing the barrel to be moved; 
         FIG. 4  shows the barrel truck in a rear view before lifting a barrel with the handle structure omitted for clarity and showing two alternative or reversible wheel arrangements, “A” for going under the barrel and “B” for straddling it; 
         FIG. 5  shows the “B” set wheels configured to be used as a palletizer; 
         FIG. 6  shows the “A” set wheels with the barrel lifted; 
         FIG. 7  shows how the wheels alone can be reversed to change between a barrel truck wherein the wheels go under the barrel and a palletizer wherein the wheels straddle the barrel; and 
         FIG. 8  shows an embodiment of the barrel truck with a bottom toe or toes. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  shows the barrel truck according to the present invention in an initial orientation prior to lifting the barrel  1 . As shown, the barrel truck includes two legs  10  which are designed so that they curve or bend forwardly and under the barrel when the barrel is picked up from the ground. A curved arm  20  provides a cradle for the barrel  1 . The arm extends approximately one quarter way around the barrel. It preferably does not extend to the barrel center line but can if desired. A barrel truck handle structure  30  which has two handle arms  40  for grasping by a user is rigidly connected at  45  to the legs  10 , for example, by welding, bolting or riveting or any other suitable means. Brackets or additional supports between structure  30  and legs  10  can be added for strength, as necessary. The legs  10  are connected at a pivot point  50  to the cradle arm  20 . The arm  20  is connected to an upright shaft  60  which is preferably adjustable, to accommodate barrels of different heights. A gripping mechanism  70  is provided to grip the top of the barrel at the upper-most rib  2 . Gripping mechanisms for accomplishing this are known in the art. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,272,447 or 4,902,187. Details of the gripping mechanism  70  are not shown. The gripping mechanism can also grip at the bottom of the drum using a well-known toe or toes at the bottom, in which case shaft  60  is extended down to the bottom. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,187. At the top, a beak-type grip can be used if only the top is gripped. 
     The handle structure  30  may include one or two handles  40 , as shown. Structure  30  may be bolted to legs  10  at points  45  to allow legs  10  to be reversed, but can be welded or riveted if two types of drum trucks are sold separately, as explained below. When bolted, handle and leg should interlock together to prevent relative movement when downward pressure is applied to the handle to lift the drum. Suitable strengthening cross members  32  can be provided as needed. 
     The barrel truck has two wheels  5 , preferably of relatively small outer diameter, so that they can be disposed under the barrel when the barrel is lifted. For example, the wheels may be 4″-6″ in diameter or may be connected together by an axle. Other size wheels or casters can be used so long as they can go under the barrel when the barrel is tipped. Caster type wheels without an axle is preferred. 
     In operation, the user moves the barrel truck into the position shown in  FIG. 1  against the barrel so that the curved arm  20  cradles the barrel. The arm  20  is curved so that it cradles the barrel approximately one quarter of the way around the barrel. It preferably does not extend to the barrel center line so that arm  20  will not interfere with other barrels disposed along-side the barrel being moved. 
     The user then pivots the handles  40  downwardly. See  FIG. 2 . Since the handle structure  30  is rigidly connected at the points  45  to the legs  10 , the cradle arm  20  is firmly in engagement with the barrel, and the gripper  70  firmly grips the barrel at the top near the uppermost rib  2 , the barrel pivots forwardly due to the leveraged downward motion of the handles  40  and the forward motion of the legs  10 . The wheels  5  roll under the tipped barrel and attain the position shown in  FIG. 2 . The center of gravity of the barrel remains behind the tipping point T of the barrel so it will not tip over. Furthermore, with the user exerting downward force on the handles, the barrel will not tip over. 
     Once the wheels  5  are centered below the tipped barrel, the user then pivots the handles  40  further downwardly with the barrel suspended centered and balanced above the wheels  5  above the ground. See  FIG. 3 . The user can now wheel the barrel to any desired position. 
     The present invention utilizes leverage to lift the barrel and tilt it forward to enable the wheels to be slid under the barrel. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the barrel balances level over the wheels  5 . 
     Because the curved cradle arm  20  preferably only grips the barrel approximately a quarter of the way around the barrel and does not reach the center line of the barrel and further because the wheels go under the barrel, the present invention can be used to move barrels placed side by side. Furthermore, because the barrel truck of the present invention grips the barrel from the top, it fits all barrels and drums. 
     The barrel truck is preferably made to grip the barrel by gripper mechanism  70  in the standard way from the top lip of the barrel, making the barrel truck adapt to all size barrels and drums. The conventional way of gripping the drum from the top and bottom may also be used. 
     As described, the legs  10  are curved or bent or dog-legged forwardly and inwardly at the bottom so that they go under the barrel and are positioned approximately at the center of the barrel to provide balance. See  FIG. 3 . The legs  10  can be curved, bent at an angle, or straight so long as the legs clear the bottom of the barrel and enable the wheels to move underneath the barrel.  FIG. 4  shows the barrel truck and barrel in a rear view (handle structure  30  is omitted for clarity) when the barrel is lifted off the ground. 
       FIG. 4  shows two sets of legs or wheels, an “A” set and a “B” set. The “A” set go under the drum and the “B” set are to be used as a palletizer. The “A” and “B” sets are the same, just reversed. They may be curved, bent or straight so long as they clear the bottom of the drum. The whole leg may be reversed, or just the bottom of the legs where the wheels are mounted. See  FIG. 7 .  FIG. 5  shows the “B” set of wheels being used as a palletizer.  FIG. 6  shows the “A” set of wheels that can go under the barrel. 
     According to are embodiment of the present invention, the legs  10  are preferably removably connected at the pivot point  50  to the cradle arm  20  and at  45  where the legs  10  attach to the handles  30 . In this way, the left leg and the right leg can be interchanged so that the wheels  5  may be disposed so that they straddle the barrel, i.e., the bends in the legs allow the wheels  5 , instead of going under the barrel, to go on the side of the barrel. In this way, by reversing the legs, the barrel truck can be used so that it straddles a barrel. This is useful where the barrel truck is being used as a palletizer lifting a barrel that is on a pallet where the wheels cannot go under the barrel. Furthermore, in this way, the barrel truck can be used to lift a plurality of barrels on a pallet (with the pallet). Used as a palletizer, caster type wheels, without an axle might be best used. Also, only the bottom of the legs where the wheels mount may be reversed as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     Although reversible legs/wheels are shown, the barrel truck can also be constructed as two fixed models: An economy model with fixed legs for use on a palletizer, and an economy standard drum truck model with fixed legs/wheels that go under the drum. A deluxe model can have the reversible legs/wheels. Furthermore, as described, the legs can be reversed, in whole, from cradle arm to wheel or just the bottom of the legs with wheels can be reversed. See  FIG. 7 . 
     As described, there can be two sets of wheels that attach to the bottoms of the legs that would serve the same purpose, “A set” and “B set” (4 wheels). See  FIG. 4 . The “A set” may have an axle that connects both wheels (for example, 4″) to go under the drum and a separate “B set” of casters (for example, 6″) that fit into the legs and straddle the drum to act as a palletizer. See  FIG. 5 . 
     The shaft  60  should lock into the cradle arm  20  to enable ease of movement of the drum truck while approaching drums. 
       FIG. 8  shows an alternative gripping mechanism that grips the barrel from the top and the bottom. The shaft  60  is lengthened to include a lower portion  60 A with one or more toes  61  not go under the barrel. When the barrel is first tipped slightly, the toe or toes  61  go under the bottom lip of the barrel to support/grip it from the bottom. 
     The invention thus provides solutions to the need for a barrel truck that can move barrels that are lined up side-by-side and also provides a convertibility feature to allow it to be used as a palletizer or with barrels that are on a pallet.