Improvements in TruckS.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Apr., 1898—Accepted, 9th July, 1898
Improvements in TruckS.
We, CORNELIUS ANDREW BUCK, and WILLIAM THOMAS SEIVER, of 1334, 7th
Avenue, in the City and County of San Francisco, State of California, Teamster and
Gentleman, respectively, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
-
Our present invention has to do with the general class of devices known as
trucks and more particularly to the subclass designated hand trucks.
The invention has for its object to provide a device of this class, simple, durable
and inexpensive in construction and by the use of which the ease of loading and
unloading the truck is greatly facilitated, thereby rendering the truck capable
of being easily and successfully employed in shifting merchandise otherwise too
heavy or bulky for this mode of handling.
A further object of our invention lies in the matter of simplicity, of operation.
In the accompanying drawings, similar letters of reference are employed to
indicate corresponding parts, and in which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an ordinary outside wheel truck showing our
invention in position thereon, the spade or lip inclining at an obtuse angle with
the direction of the handles.
Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the handles tilted up against the load until
they assume a position at right angles to the spade.
Fig. 3 is a section through the line, Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one side of the invention removed from the
truck.
We will now set forth the construction of the device and, in so doing, refer to
the above views by letter.
The truck proper is formed as ordinarily, with the spreading side members A, A'
terminating in curved handles, the square axle B bolted to the under face of the
members A, A, and flat-faced wheels C, C¹ mounted on turned spindles formed
integral with the axle.
The braced upper metal legs D, D₁ are of the ordinary form, while the tenoned
cross bars E, E₁, El give the desired spread to the members A, A¹ from the nose
to the handles of the truck.
Extending transversely across the nose of the truck or between the lower
extremities of the members A, A¹, is the cross rod F which has a mounting or is
secured terminally to the lower ends of the metal face strips a, a¹, one of which
is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4.
In a position normally the same as that occupied by the ordinary stationary
spade or shovel of a truck, is the swinging spade G which is provided with the
integrally formed short twin arms H, H¹. These arms assume an obtuse angle
with the direction of the spade while at their point of turning are integrally or
rigidly formed the lugs I, I¹ which are bored to receive the cross rod or spindle F
as a bearing or pivot.
Joining the upper extremities of the arms H, H' is the bar J which is connected

page_text: thereto by means of the headed bolts e, e¹, the latter being fixed in the arms
and protruding through oblong slots f in the bar.
Below this bar J and parallel thereto is the secondary bar K, which is bolted
or otherwise rigidly secured to the arms H, H. Projecting downward from the
centre of the bar J and entering a perforation in the projection or lug g extend-
ing from the centre of the bar K, is the rod or tongue h, which is encircled by
the compression spring i.
o
Formed on the arc of a circle of which the cross rod F is the centre and the
arms H, H¹ the radius, are the plates M, M constructed with lower webs m, m¹,
and bolted to the inner faces of the members A, A' so that the webs will lie in
the path of the bar J. Cut through these webs m, m³ are the notches n, n'into
which the bar J engages.
Having thus fully described our invention and its normal position relative to
the truck, we will now explain the function and operation of each individual
part.
By reference to Figure 1, which represents the normal position of a truck in
an upright position, or after the spade has been inserted beneath the load, it will
be seen that the plane of the floor is coincident with the plane of the spade and
tangent to the periphery of the wheels. A line perpendicular to this plane, or
that assumed by the load, the latter being shown in dotted lines, assumes an
acute angle with the direction of the handles of the truck. Now to close this
gap and cause the load to coincide in direction with that of the handles as the
latter remain stationary requires an effort more or less great according to the
weight of the load. In ordinary trucks this tilting of the load is accomplished
by the operator reaching over and drawing toward the handles the dead weight
of the object to be handled. When this is accomplished, the subsequent wheeling
away of the load is a matter of relative ease.
In our invention we accomplish this parallelism or coincidence in direction
between the load and handles by ignoring the former and causing the latter to
advance toward the load as it remains stationary on the spade. To make this
operation possible, we have resorted to the generic construction shown of pivoting
the truck to the spade.
In handling the device, the spade is forced under the load in the usual manner,
occupying the relative position shown in Figure 1.
The operator then places his foot on the bar J and forces it down until it leaves
the notches n. The handles are now free to be swung up against the load and
when that position is reached the action of the spring will force the bar J into the
notches thereby firmly locking the spade in a position at right angles to the
handles of the truck or that shown in Fig. 2, or the dotted lines in Fig. 3.
This operation raises the wheels from the ground and thus the fulcrum of
leverage is thrown from the point of contact between the wheels and ground to
the inner edge of the load.
As the handles and spade are now drawn back, the outer edge of the latter
raises the load up and toward the handles, and by the time the wheels touch the
ground, the dead weight of the load is overcome and the loading of the truck
accomplished with comparative ease.
The hook S shown in Figures 1 and 2 is for the purpose of aiding the loading
of heavy barrels, as it can be readily hooked over the rim thereof and the barrel
held against the truck as the latter is tilted back.
This foot method of operating the spade is of inestimable value over any hand
actuated device, as the operator is free to use his hands as in the ordinary manner
of loading, while the necessary action of the foot is none other than is usually
resorted to in order to hold the spade in place as the load is drawn back.
Although we have shown the best form of construction now used by us, still
it will be understood that we intend to cover mechanical equivalents when such
are substituted.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The combination with a truck, of a shovel pivoted to said truck, and foot
actuated means for changing the angle between said shovel and the direction of
the handles of the truck as set forth.
2. The combination with a truck, of a shovel pivoted to said truck, the outer
extremity of said shovel being capable of but a single motion in the arc of a
circle, and foot actuated means for changing the angle between said shovel and
the direction of the handles, as set forth.
3. The combination with a hand truck, of a shovel pivoted to said truck, said
pivotal point being stationary relative to said truck and foot actuated means for
shifting and locking said shovel in the desired position, substantially as set forth
4. A truck provided with a terminal shovel and foot actuated means for changing
the angle between said shovel and the direction of the handles of the truck, said
shovel being so connected with said truck that the distance between the outer
extremity of the former and the lower extremity of the latter will remain approxi-
mately constant, as set forth.
5. A truck provided with a hinged shovel having a relatively stationary pivot,
arms leading from said shovel and rigidly connected thereto and foot actuated
means for locking said arms in the desired position, substantially as set forth. .
Dated this 19th day of April 1898.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents..