Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7506879?dq=6317900
Timestamp: 2014-09-18 08:28:26
Document Index: 184943513

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 14', 'arts 14', 'arts 14', 'arts 14', 'arts 14', 'arts 14', 'arts 14', 'arts 14', 'arts 14', 'arts 14']

Patent US7506879 - Transport cart system incorporating a portable floor surface for unloading ... - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign in<nobr>Advanced Patent Search</nobr>PatentsA portable floor surface and method of use thereof facilitates unloading side-by-side cargo carts disposed in laterally spaced relation with an aisle defined between them. The floor surface has a body with opposite front and rear ends and lower and upper surfaces extending between the front and rear...http://www.google.com/patents/US7506879?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7506879 - Transport cart system incorporating a portable floor surface for unloading palleted containers from a vehicle and method of useAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS7506879 B1Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 11/295,795Publication dateMar 24, 2009Filing dateDec 7, 2005Priority dateDec 7, 2004Fee statusPaidPublication number11295795, 295795, US 7506879 B1, US 7506879B1, US-B1-7506879, US7506879 B1, US7506879B1InventorsJeffry R. Frahm, Matthew A. Royalty, Barry E. MonroeOriginal AssigneeMagline, Inc.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (4), Classifications (16), Legal Events (2) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetTransport cart system incorporating a portable floor surface for unloading palleted containers from a vehicle and method of useUS 7506879 B1Abstract A portable floor surface and method of use thereof facilitates unloading side-by-side cargo carts disposed in laterally spaced relation with an aisle defined between them. The floor surface has a body with opposite front and rear ends and lower and upper surfaces extending between the front and rear ends. The upper surface is brought into a generally flush relation with the floor of the cargo cart when the lower surface is resting on a common floor surface with the cargo cart. A ramp surface extends at an upward inclination from the front end toward the rear end and a latch member operably associated with the body is adapted for operable engagement with a first cargo cart to releasably lock the portable floor surface to the first cargo cart.
a body having opposite front and rear ends with a lower surface and an upper surface extending between said front and rear ends, said lower surface and upper surface being spaced a predetermined distance from one another to bring said upper surface into a generally flush relation with the floor of the cargo cart when said lower surface is resting on a common floor surface with the cargo cart;
a ramp surface extending at an upward inclination from said front end toward said rear end of said body, said ramp surface being constructed as one piece with said body; and
a latch member operably associated with said body and adapted for operable engagement with a first cargo cart to releasably lock said portable floor surface to the first cargo cart and another latch member operably associated with said body and adapted for operable engagement with a second cargo cart adjacent the first cargo cart and in the same row as the first cargo cart to releasably lock said portable floor surface to the second cargo cart.
a ramp surface extending at an upward inclination from said front end toward said rear end, said ramp surface being constructed as one piece with said body; and
a first latch member operably attached to said body and adapted for operable engagement with a first one of said at least one of said cargo carts to releasably lock said portable floor surface to the first cargo cart and another latch member operably attached to said body and adapted for operable engagement with a second cargo cart adjacent said first cargo cart and in the same row as said first cargo cart to releasably lock said portable floor surface to said first and second cargo carts.
14. The device of claim 13 which also comprises another latch member operably associated with said body and adapted for operable engagement with a second cargo cart adjacent the first cargo cart and in the same row as the first cargo cart to releasably lock said portable floor surface to the second cargo cart. Description
REFERENCE TO CO-PENDING APPLICATION This application claims the benefit of, and incorporates in by reference in its entirety, U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/633,929, filed Dec. 7, 2004.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A portable floor surface for use to facilitate unloading side-by-side cargo carts disposed in laterally spaced relation to leave an aisle between them and having a floor raised on casters. The portable floor surface has a body with opposite front and rear ends and lower and upper surfaces extending between the front and rear ends. The lower surface and upper surface are spaced a predetermined distance from one another to bring the upper surface into a generally flush relation with the floor of the cargo cart when the lower surface is resting on a common floor surface with the cargo cart. A ramp surface constructed as one piece with said body extends at an upward inclination from the front end toward the rear end of the body. A latch member is operably associated with the body and adapted for operable engagement with a first cargo cart to releasably lock the portable floor surface to the first cargo cart.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and some of the other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent in view of the following detailed description of presently preferred embodiments and best mode, appended claims, and accompanying drawings, in which:
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring in more detail to the drawings, FIGS. 1-5 illustrate a transport cart system constructed according to one presently preferred embodiment having a portable floor surface, referred to hereafter as a false floor 10. The false floor 10 is particularly suited for use with a product support and delivery system such as shown generally at 12 in FIGS. 1-4, and 5A, and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,410,515 to Krawczyk, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and which is assigned to Magline, Inc., the assignee of applicants' invention herein. In one aspect, the system 12 includes a plurality of wheeled modules or carts 14 that can be positioned side-by-side within an interior of a transportation vehicle, such as an enclosed trailer or van 16, for example. The carts 14 are preferably positioned on a floor 20 along opposite sidewalls 18 of the van 16 in longitudinally extending rows R1, R2 (FIGS. 1 and 2). The rows R1, R2 generally extend from a front wall 22 of the van 16 toward a back wall 24 thereof and are laterally spaced from one another to define a center aisle A. The aisle A accommodates the passage of a hand truck used by an operator to facilitate removing containers, such as, by way of example and without limitations, multiple mini-stacks of palleted containers C (FIG. 2), from the carts 14 for transport to a retail sales facility, for example.
Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, it will be seen that the floors 30 of the wheel supported carts 14 are elevated above the level of the floor 20 of the trailer 16 on which the carts 14 are supported. The leading front edge of each cart floor 30 facing the aisle A may be, by way of example and without limitations, about 7� inches above the floor 20 of the trailer 16. According to the invention, it is desirable to be able to unload the mini-stacks of the containers C from the carts 14 directly with the hand truck, by way of example, disclosed in the aforementioned incorporated patent. The hand truck travels at generally the level of the cart floors 30 on the portable false floor 10 to facilitate engaging, lifting and transporting the mini-stacks C directly with the hand truck. As such, the operator does not need to unload individual ones of the containers C from the carts 14, and manually restack them on the hand truck.
As shown in FIG. 3, the rear wall 42 and the sidewalls 40 extend downwardly from the upper surface 38 an equal distance to form a flat base or lower surface 44. To facilitate removing the mini-pallets MP from the carts 14, the lower surface 30 and the upper surface 38 are spaced a predetermined distance from one another by the sidewalls 40 and rear wall 42. Accordingly, to facilitate removal of the mini-pallets MP and/or containers C from the carts 14, in this example, the sidewalls 40 and rear wall 42 are about 7� inches tall. As such, the upper surface 38 of the false floor 10 is gradually brought into a substantially flush relation with the leading front edges of the floors 30 of opposite carts 14 across the aisle A.
Patent CitationsCited PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS5433576 *Apr 1, 1994Jul 18, 1995Moore Business Forms, Inc.Low profile dolly and ramp assembly for a rollUS5467977 *Dec 18, 1991Nov 21, 1995Beck; John W.Portable pitching moundUS5582114 *Nov 17, 1995Dec 10, 1996Ge Polymer LogisticsTiltable portable palletUS6520515 *May 31, 2001Feb 18, 2003Magline, Inc.Transport cart system and method of its manufacture and operation* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification280/63, 14/2.4, 280/79.11, 193/41International ClassificationB62B11/00Cooperative ClassificationB62B1/10, B62B1/06, B62B2202/12, B62B3/003, B62B3/02, B60P1/64, B62B2203/70, B62B2203/07, B62B2205/20European ClassificationB62B3/00B, B60P1/64Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionMar 29, 2012FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 4Dec 7, 2005ASAssignmentOwner name: MAGLINE, INC., MICHIGANFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:FRAHM, JEFFRY R.;ROYALTY, MATTHEW A.;MONROE, BARRY E.;REEL/FRAME:017328/0500;SIGNING DATES FROM 20051130 TO 20051202RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services©2012 Google