Abstract:
A fishing cart for carrying a plurality of fishing rods, and tackle gear from a first site to a fishing site, said fishing cart includes a tubular frame for carrying gear and supplies and tubular sleeves on the outside of the frame for carrying fishing rods. The frame is provided with removable wheels and a releasable towing handle for moving the cart between locations. An auxiliary work table may be supported on the sleeves. The cart may be disassembled for compact storage and vehicle transportation and readily assemble at the fishing site.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims benefit under 35 USC 119 of U.S. Provisional Application 60/169,897 filed on Dec. 10, 1999 in the name of Aaron Ramsey and entitled “Multi-Purpose Cart”. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to wheeled carts for transporting supplies, and in particular to a cart that is easily assembled at an activity site for organizing, transporting, and utilizing gear and supplies associated with an activity such as fishing. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Carts, wagons and like wheeled small cargo units have been used for a variety of personal activities requiring goods, gear and other paraphernalia between locations. Oftentimes, the units are designed for alternative purposes and are not well suited for the specific needs of the moment. Although wagons, wheelbarrows and utility carts may be used for other activities, they are normally not intended or configured for organizing and transporting specific items. This is particularly a problem in adapting such units for fishing or like activities wherein the materials must be manually transported from a vehicle to a shore or pier location. 
     Fishing gear and supplies generally includes a variety of fishing rods, a tackle box, a cooler and bait supplies as well as personal items. The varying lengths, shapes and sizes present difficulty in packing and stable transportation to and from the fishing site. At the site the gear and supplies are not organized for immediate use and must be deployed as individual items. Further the carriers are available as fully assembled units making transportation by ordinary vehicles difficult. 
     In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cart for carrying in organized fashion supplies related to an activity. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a general-purpose cart that may be readily transported in ordinary vehicles, quickly assembled at an arrival site, and conveniently towed to a desired activity site. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a multiple purpose cart that can be compactly stored and transported and reassembled for use in transporting elongated articles, bulky containers and specialty items. 
     Yet another object of the invention is to provide a wheeled fishing cart that may be assembled on site and has discrete locations for poles, tackle, bait, coolers and related supplies. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The foregoing objects are accomplished by the present invention with a multipurpose cart that can be used for such sundry purposes as a garden cart, a produce cart, a beach cart, a party cart, fishing pier cart, a surf fishing cart, a general utility cart and the like. Additionally, when being stored, being transported in a small vehicle and for other reasons, the cart component including stabilizing feet, a work station, a towing handle and the tires can all be quickly assembled for use and readily disassembled and place inside the frame of the cart for compact storage, compact transport in a vehicle and the like. The cart includes a transportation compartment for the cooler, tackle box and supplies, and a plurality of peripheral vertical sleeves for carrying the fishing rods. The work station includes a cutting board for cleaning and baiting purposes. The sleeves may also be used for use during active fishing in lieu of sand spikes. The footrests firmly support the cart on-site and allow the operator to use the frame and/or cooler as a seat. The cart allows all supplies to be organized for immediate use without unpacking. Accordingly it can be seen that the present invention provides an extremely versatile, multi-purpose cart that can be quickly converted to a compact condition for storage and/or transport and can just as readily be reassembled for use. The cart may be also be used for general purpose use for rakes, hose, shovels, etc., bales of hay, bags of mulch and transportation of other bulky or difficult to transport items. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multi-purpose cart in accordance with an embodiment of the invention carry gear and supplies; 
     FIG. 2 is side view of the cart of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a top view of the cart of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a front view of the cart of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5A is an enlarged top view of a support sleeve for the cart; 
     FIG. 5B is an enlarged side view of a support sleeve for the cart; 
     FIG. 5C is an enlarged front view of a support sleeve for the cart; 
     FIG. 6A is a disassembled side view of the work table before installation on the cart; 
     FIG. 6B is an assembled side view of the work table installed on the cart; and 
     FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the mounting assembly for the wheels of the cart. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the drawings for the purpose of describing the preferred embodiment and not for limiting same, FIG. 1 illustrates a multi-purpose cart  10  for organizing, transporting and utilizing various gear, supplies and paraphernalia, collectively numbered  12 , associated with an activity such as a sporting occasion, and in particular a fishing trip like pier fishing. As will hereinafter be described in detail, the cart and associated items may be transported to the desired location as separate component, and the cart thereafter assembled and organized. 
     Referring additionally to FIGS. 2 and 3, the cart  10  includes a tubular cargo frame  20  supported by laterally spaced wheels  22  and towed to location with a forward mounted handle  23 . At location, the cart  10  is additionally supported by an extendable front and rear footrest assemblies  24 . As illustrated, the front footrest  24  is in the lowered stabilizing position and the rear footrest  24  is in the raised transportation position. A work table  26  is releasably carried on the frame  20  as described below. 
     The frame  20  comprises a top rail  30 , and a bottom rail  32  including a base  34  and a transverse axle  36  supporting at the outer ends thereof the wheels  22 . The wheels  22  may comprise solid or inflatable tires. The rails  30  and  32  are vertically connected and supported by side bars  37  and the support sleeves  38  for the footrest assemblies  24 . A plurality of cylindrical support sleeves  40  are attached about the periphery of the rails  30  and  32 . The sleeves  40  provide additional structural rigidity for the frame  20  and are used for holding elongated articles such as fishing poles  42  and the work table  26 . The rails  30  and  32  are generally rectangular in shape with rounded corners. The rails  30  and  32  are formed of a suitable structural material, preferably aluminum tubing. 
     As shown in FIG. 4, the sleeves  40  are connected by weldments at spaced peripheral locations on the rails  30 ,  32 . Additionally, a cross pin  46  extends through each sleeve  40  and is attached to the adjacent lower rail  32 . The cross pin  46  is thus effective for limiting downward movement of the poles  42  and the work table  26 . 
     The base  34  includes a pair of laterally spaced longitudinal stringers  50  attached to the front and rear ends of the bottom rail  32 , and a plurality of cross braces  52  transversely interconnecting the stringers  50  and the sides of the lower rail  32 . The top surfaces of the bottom rail  32 , the stringers  50  and the braces  52  lie generally in a common horizontal plane thereby providing a support platform for the gear and supplies, such as the cooler and tackle box illustrated in FIG.  1 . 
     The axle  36  extends transversely across the lower surface of the bottom rail  32  and is connected thereto by brackets  54 . The outer ends of the axle  36  extend outwardly of the sides of the lower rail  32  and carry an inner washer  56  located by cross pin  58  and a removable fastener assembly  60  including an outer washer  62  and a split ring  64  releasably captured in cross hole  66 . The axle  36  is preferably a cylindrical rod having a telescopic rotating fit with the center bore of the wheel  22  whereby the wheel is maintained on the axle  36  between the washers  56  and  62 , as retained therebetween by the split ring  64 . For ease of transport and stability, the axle is located slightly rearward of the longitudinal centerline of the frame. 
     Referring to FIG. 5, the sleeves  40  are cylindrical tubes having ends projecting beyond the respective rails. The upper end  47  of the sleeve  40  is outwardly flared and provided with outwardly and upwardly opening notches  48  for facilitating insertion and removal of the fishing poles and the work station. Preferably, the sleeves are cylindrical tubing of a material compatible with the frame and of sufficient internal diameter to accommodate the telescopic insertion of the desired poles. 
     The footrest assemblies  24  each include a vertical tubular support sleeve  80  connected by weldments at the front and rear ends of the rails  30 ,  32  at the longitudinal center line thereof. The support sleeve  80  telescopically adjustably carries a support leg  82  and the towing handle  23 . The support sleeve  80  is provided with a plurality of cross holes carrying lock pins  86  for latching the support leg  82  and towing handle  23 . The support leg  82  includes a horizontal planar base  88  and has a telescopic fit with the support sleeve  80 . The Leg  82  includes a cross hole for alignment with the holes in the support sleeve for thereby receiving the lock pins  86  to circumferentially and axially position the base with respect to the frame  20  and horizontally orient the cargo base  34 . Deployed, the footrest assemblies  24  provide stability in varying terrains and permit the operator to use the cart and/or cooler as a seating platform. 
     The towing handle  23  includes an L-shaped support shaft  100  having a lower leg  104  and upper leg  106 , and a laterally extending handle bar  108 . The lower leg  104  is telescopically received at the top end of the support sleeve  80 . The upper leg  106  is horizontally disposed and projects forwardly of the frame  20 . The handle bar  108  is provided with a handle grip  109  for gripping by an operator. It will be apparent that other suitable handle arrangements may be provided, such as double handles integral with the support shaft. The lower leg  104  is provided with axially spaced cross holes, alignable with the cross holes in the support sleeve, for variable height orientation of the handle bar  108  and locked in place with the lock pin  86 . Further, the cart may be provided, in lieu of or in addition to, a trailer hitch or connector to permit the cart to be transported behind a motorized vehicle such as a small powers vehicles such as lawn mowers and all terrain vehicles. 
     The work table  26  includes a tubular support shaft  120  carrying at the upper end thereof a work platform  122 . The work platform  122  is sized to provide the use with a work surface for various activities. The work platform  122  may be aperatured and carry a container  124  for holding bait or other loose supplies. The support shaft  120  is telescopically insertable into a desired sleeve  40 . The lower end of the shaft  120  includes diametric notches  126  for orienting the work table  22  on the cross pin  46  at the frame. 
     To stabilize the cart  10  of the present invention when it is not being moved, such as during loading and unloading or used for purposes such as fishing, etc., the foot assemblies can be lowered as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. Thus, the footrest assemblies  24 , and the wheels  22  provide a very stable non-tipping platform. If the cart has a cooler, a tackle box or the like adjacent the rear of the cart with the rear foot down, it can actually be used as a seat. 
     The cart may obviously be configured in different sizes and shapes dependent on the desired application. For fishing activities, a frame of about 2 feet in width and 3 to 4 feet in length has been found to accommodate conventional gear and supplies, such as coolers, tackle boxes and like gear As illustrated, eight sleeves are provided for handling the poles and work table. A greater or lesser number may be incorporated as required. 
     For storage and vehicle transportation, the cart may be disassembled into separate components. The work table, support legs, handle and wheels may be removed as stored on the frame bed for transporting. At the site, the wheels  22  are disposed over the axle  36  and locked in place with the split rings  64 . The support legs  82  is inserted into the support sleeve and locked in place with lock pin at the desired or elevated position. The handle is mounted on the support sleeve and locked thereto by lock pin  86 . The wheels  22  are assembled on the axle  36  and locked into place by the fastener assembly  60 . The base is loaded with the gear and poles disposed in the sleeve  20 . The work table may also be inserted into the associated support sleeve  40  and stowed at either an inboard or outboard position. After towing to the desired site, the support legs and work table may be adjusted as required. Similarly, after completion of the fishing activity, the above procedures may be reversed for compact storage and transportation. 
     Having thus described a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will now be appreciated that the objects of the invention have been fully achieved, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the sprit and scope of the present invention. The disclosures and description herein are intended to be illustrative and are not in any sense limiting of the invention, which is defined solely in accordance with the following claims.