Folding or Collapsible Cart.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 6th July, 1897-Accepted, 7th Aug., 1897
Folding or Collapsible Cart.
We CARL MAX MEYER, 8B Domhof Osnabrück, Germany, Merchant, and
LUDWIG BROCKMEYER, Osnabrück, Germany, Inventor, do hereby declare the nature
of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement: —
The object of this invention is a cart which can be readily folded or collapsed
in such a manner as to reduce its breadth to a minimum.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the subject matter of this
invention
Figure 1 is the cart ready for use, and
Figure 2 shows the same with the bottom folded.
Figure 3 shows the cart with the inner frame when it is about to be folded.
Figure 4 shows the cart entirely collapsed.
Figure 5 is a top view, and
Figure 6 a front view of the said cart.
The cart consists essentially of an arrangement of axles which are hinged
in order to be readily folded and upon which are loosely laid the boards forming
the bottom, these boards being capable of sliding one within the other, consisting
of several parts and being secured by means of hinges to the side boards or planks
if desired. The accompanying drawings illustrate a handcart, but it is obvious
that any street vehicle could be arranged in a similar manner such as hereinafter
set forth.
The upper frame is built with V irons b arranged on both sides (see Figures 1
to 5) of the cart and connected together by the transverse rods c d and e. These
transverse rods can turn with the aid of plain hinges s in the side rails b, being like-
wise centrally fixed by hinges (o) to the pole or rail f. It will be seen that when
in this arrangement the rail f is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow
(Figures 2 and 3) the side rails bare brought into close proximity together. The
fixing means are such that the rods g and gl which are arranged to turn at t on
the side rails are bent over at their free ends in the form of hooks which enter
holes formed in the rail f whereby no shifting of the parts can take place.
The upper frame is connected to the axles by means of springs; these axles are
centrally hinged at o', while their free ends turn, by means of the hinges u, in
the wheel forks or irons l. A strap or curved bar m furnished with a suitable
number of perforations n is connected to the axle, a hook entering one of these
perforations whereby the necessary stability is obtained when shifting the frame.
At both sides of the rail 6 bearings p are provided and serve to receive the rail
ties in the usual manner.
When the cart is required to be collapsed after use, the hook is removed from
the perforation of the bar m and the hooked rod g from those of the middle rail f,
while the latter is displaced in the direction indicated by the arrow, whereupon
the whole cart can be collapsed, one side being thus brought into close proximity
to the other. It is obvious that by the use of such a constructive arrangement a
cart may be reduced to any suitable width. The advantages of this invention are
that the width of such a cart can be so reduced as to occupy the smallest possible

page_text: amount of space when collapsed as well as the case with which this collapsing
can be effected.
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:-
CLAIM.
A collapsible cart characterized by transverse rods (c, d, e) connected together by
hinges arranged to turn in side, rails, and likewise connected by hinges with a
middle rail f, the displacement or shifting of these transverse rods causing the cart
to be folded or collapsed, this cart being fixed up when unfolded and in use by
the aid of the hooks ( and 7).
GEORGE BARKER,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicants.