improvement in hand trucks especially adapted for handling, raising or lowering barrels, boxes, packages; &c
Year: 1888

page_text: I, JOHN J. HAHN of Oxford, Sumner County, Kansas, United States of America,
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
My invention relates to improvements in hand trucks especially adapted for
handling, raising or lowering barrels, boxes, packages; &c.
The object of this invention is to produce a cheap, strong and efficient truck,
simple in construction, interchangeable in its parts, and economical in space and
time. It is readily folded in such manner that it is compact and capable to an
ordinary store truck, and at the same time it is also capable of elevating a barrel
or other article on skids, into drays or wagons or up upon other barrels in, tiers as
may be required. It is particularly designed for wholesale stores, warehouses or the
like, where barrels, bales or crates are continuously handled. Also on wharves, depots,
steamboats, or other such places where rapid transportation and movements of stores
is essentially necessary.
To these ends, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and
combinations of parts more fully described hereinafter and particularly pointed out in
the claims.
Referring to the accompanying drawings;
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the truck, with the handles extended and the main
frame supporting the sliding frame in position to raise a barrel.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section, the truck being in the same position as
shown in figure 1.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the truck, the various parts of the same being
adjusted so that the truck can be used in the common way as an ordinary truck.
Figure 4 is a top plan, the truck being adjusted as shown in figure 3.
Figure 5 is a cross section of the device.
Figure 6 is a sectional view of one of the extension handles, illustrating the dog
for holding the handles in their extended position, and
Figure 7 is a detail view of the hook for engaging the chime of the barrel.
In the drawings, the reference letter A, indicates the main frame of the truck;
and said frame is composed of the parallel pieces or bars a, suitably braced and held

page_text: the desired distance apart by cross pieces or the like, and at their lower ends by the
axle of the truck provided upon its outer ends with suitable wheels, as usual. Upon
their inner longitudinal edges the side pieces are provided with ways or leads a',
Fig. 5 and in said ways the side bars 6, of the sliding frame B, are wholly or partially
confined in a sliding adjustment by means of metallic strips 1, on the top of side
bars a, and by additional metallic springs on the inner sides of said bars, thus the
sliding frame is secured to the main frame and can be longitudinally raised and
lowered in the ways a', of the same. The barrel or other article being raised by
the sliding frame can be prevented from rubbing against the side bars of the main
frame by metallic strips secured to the inner faces of the side bars of the sliding
frame so as to extend above the strips 61..
This sliding frame is adapted to support and raise or lower a barrel, or other
article, and is provided at its lower end with a foot or yoke, to support the article,
and having parts e' to hold and receive the chime of the barrel, and near the opposite
end of the sliding frame its side bars are connected and braced by suitable cross
bars two (preferably) of which, such as d, removably support a rod d longitudinally
and centrally between the upper portion of the side pieces of said sliding frame..
A double hook D, is loosely mounted upon said rod by means of an aperture in its
shank, through which the rod passes, and the upper portion of said hook D, is
provided with projecting arms or hooks e e¹, one located above or longer than the
other as shown.
-
This double hook is adapted to hold the barrel, or other article, in position upon
the sliding frame, and it can be adjusted up and down on the rod to fit barrels of
different heights, and barrels of different widths are provided for by said two hooks,
one longer than the other, the longer hook to engage the chimes of larger barrel-;
and the shorter hook the chimes of smaller barrels.
E E, indicate a pair of extension handles, each handle being formed in the
sections. The sections f¹ of each handle are pivotally secured at their lower
ends to the lower outer faces of the main frame side bars, as shown, to allow the
upper end of the main frame to swing upwardly upon its axle as a pivot. Each
section, is provided with a laterally projecting arm or flange g, adapted to engage
the under edge of the main frame to uphold the same. The sliding sections, of the
extension handles are provided at their outer ends with the hand grips or handle
portions, and said sliding sections are secured to and confined on the pivoted
sections in sliding adjustment by sleeves g³ rigidly secured to the pivoted sections,
and loosely embracing the sliding sections, and by sleeves rigidly secured to the
sliding sections near their ends and loosely embracing the pivoted sections as clearly
shown. Thus it will be seen that the sliding sections are confined upon the upper
side of the pivoted sections and can be extended until the sleeves g² and g³ engage,
or the two sections can be pushed together until the handle sections lie full length
upon the pivoted sections as seen in figure 3.
The extension handles are provided with pivoted folding braces F. Each sliding
section having an end of one of said braces F. pivoted to its end, the opposite end
of the brace being provided with a longitudinal slot through which extends a pin b³
secured to the outer face of a side bar of the main frame. Thus it will be seen that
when the main frame is tilted to the position shown in figure 1, and the handles
extended, the lower ends of the braces pivoted to the sliding sections are drawn
forward to the position shown in said figure with the pins 2 at the upper ends of the
slots, supporting the main frame in its inclined position, and when the sliding sections
are pushed inward the braces will be folded in between the handles and the sides of
the main frame.
A windlass shaft G, is journalled in the sliding sections of the extension handles
near their outer ends and said shaft is provided with a suitable reel and a gear G
between the sections and at one side of the reel and said gear meshes with another
gear G mounted on a shaft G³ extends through a sliding section and provided with
a movable hand crank, and said gear G2 is normally prevented from rotating in one
direction by a suitable pawl.

page_text: Pulley blocks h, are secured at the front ends of the side bars of the sliding
frame, one on each side. Pulleys, are journaled in metal band's or straps secured to
the inner faces of the main bars of the main frame and at the front portions of the
same one pulley being located on each side bar and at the rear ends of said main
frame side bars, two pairs of pulleys, and jj, are journalled in suitable metal bands
or straps secured to the main frame, one pair of pulleys journalled on one side and
the opposite pair on the other side of the main frame and said pulleys are of greater
diameter than the pulleys at the front of the truck.
It will thus be seen that each side of the truck is provided with a separate system
of pulleys over which operate separate ropes or cords H. One of said cords being
secured at one end to the eye of a pulley block I, from thence extending rearwardly
around the surface of the formost of the pair of pulleys, from thence forwardly
around the pulley in a pulley, block h, from thence rearwardly again around the sui face
of the rearmost of said pair of pulleys, from thence forwardly again around the pulley ij,
journaled to the main frame, and from thence the rope or cord extends rearwardly
and is secured to the windlass shaft. The other cord is connected with the similar
system of pulleys, on the opposite side and the windlass, in the same way as the cord
just described, hence it will be seen that when the windlass shaft is rotated in one
direction, the cords will be wound upon the same and the sliding frame will be raised
requiring a minimum amount of power applied to the windlass shaft by reason of the
power multiplying system of pulleys just described. One of the extension handles,
preferably, the left one, is provided with a locking dog J, pivoted at about its centre
in a recess in the end of the sliding section and said dog is composed of an engaging
end adapted to normally project above the upper surface of said sliding section, being
held normally in this position by the opposite heavier end of the dog.
A rod Jis secured to said dog and extends rearwardly in a groove in said section
to the hand grip where it is provided with a finger ring and by pulling on said rod
the upper end of the dog is withdrawn into its seat. Thus it will be seen that when
the handles are extended, the dog will engage the end of the sleeve secured to the
pivoted section and thus hold the sliding sections from being pushed together; while
elevating the article to be raised and when it is desired to shorten the handles the
operator disengages the locking dog and draws the sections together by winding up
the rope on the windlass shaft.
When it is desired to move and raise a barrel, the foot of the truck is placed
under the barrel as usual, and the hook D placed on the upper chime; the truck is
then wheeled to the spot the barrel is to he located and the handles are extended and
the main frame assumes the position shown in figure 1. The barrel is then raised by
the windlass. ropes and system of pulleys operating the sliding frame.
It should be observed that articles of great weight can be raised as well as lowered
by this truck..
It is evident that various slight changes and modifications might be resorted to in
the form and arrangement of the various parts described without departing from the
spirit and scope of my invention, hence I do not wish to limit myself strictly to the
precise construction herein set forth.
Having described, the nature of the said invention and the manner of carrying it
into practical effect I declare that what I claim is :—
1st. In a truck, the combination of the main frame, the sliding frame, and the
handles pivoted to the main frame, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2d. In a truck, the combination of the main frame, the sliding frame confined in
ways on the main frame, and extension handles pivoted to the main frame and carrying
a windlass connected with the sliding frame, whereby the same is raised or lowered
substantially as described.
3d. The combination with the main frame, and the sliding frame, of extension
handles pivoted to the main frame, and pivoted folding braces connected with the
main frame and extension handles as set forth.

page_text: 4th. In a truck, the combination with a frame and cross piece, of a rod carried by
said cross piece between the side bars of the frame, and a hook mounted on said rod
to freely slide on the same and provided at its free end with one or more hooks to
engage the chime of a barrel, substantially as described.
5th. The combination with the main frame, and extension handles of the herein
described dog pivoted in a section of the extension handles and adapted to removably
hold the handles extended, substantially as described.
6th. The combination of the main frame, the sliding frame operating in longitudinal
ways in the upper side of the main frame, the windlass shaft and the herein described
system of power multiplying pulleys, mounted on the sliding frame and the main
frame, and the ropes or cords secured at one end to the sliding frame, and operating
over said pulleys and secured at their opposite ends to the windlass, substantially as
described.
7th. A truck provided with extension handles, formed in sections of each handle
being pivoted to the side bars of the truck, substantially as described.
8th. In a truck, the combination of the main frame, the sliding frame, the handles,
and a windlass journaled between said handles and connected with the sliding frame,
substantially as described.
9th. In a truck, the combination of the main frame, the sliding frame, and the
extension handles pivoted to the main frame for the purpose described.
10. The improved hand truck shewn in and described with reference to the annexed
drawing.
Dated this 11th day of September 1888
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.