Jointed Truck.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Aug., 1899-Accepted, 30th Sept., 1899
Jointed Truck.
I, CHARLES ARTHUR ALLISON, of 52, Chancery Lane, London, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
(which has been communicated to me from abroad by Henry Orange Warner,
Merchant, of 43, Main Street, New Milford, Litchfield County, Connecticut,
United States of America, and Joseph Gerson Mayer, Merchant, of 121, East 69th
Street, New York City, New York, United States of America), and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
-
This invention has for its object to provide a truck adapted for general use,
for example in freight houses and in commercial houses where heavy boxes,
bales and packages are required to be moved about, which can be easily loaded
and handled by one person and which does not require to be held when loading a
weight thereon to prevent it from sliding out from under the weight.
With these ends in view I have devised the novel truck which I will now
describe referring by numbers to the accompanying drawing forming part of
this specification in which
Figure 1 is a plan view of this novel truck.
Figure 2 a side elevation corresponding therewith, showing the frame of the
truck in operative position, and
Figure 3 is a side elevation showing the receiving position of the truck,
the frame being bent upward at the center so that the two halves of the truck
incline downward from its mid length.
The gist of the present invention lies in providing a joint at the mid length
of the frame of a non-folding freight truck of any ordinary or preferred con-
struction. It will be apparent therefore that the details of construction are
not of the essence of this invention, for example the frame may be made of
wood or metal and of any design that may please the taste of the manufacturer
or suit the requirements of special uses to which the trucks are to be applied
The first requirement for a satisfactory truck is that it be strong and durable
and capable of withstanding a practically unlimited amount of hard usage, in
connection with which it is desirable that the truck be made as light as is
consistent with the great strength required. The style of frame which is
illustrated in the drawing is inexpensive to make and combines relative lightness
with enormous strength. I wish it distinctly understood however that while
this style of frame will be found perfectly satisfactory in use it is not an essential
feature of this invention.
A denotes the wheels, B the side pieces of the frame, each of which is pro-
vided with a joint C at its mid length, and D denotes cross pieces extending
transversely between the side pieces In the present instance I have shown
the side pieces as each consisting of two straight strips of metal indicated
specifically by 10 and two offset strips of metal indicated specifically by 11,
the offsets being indicated by 12. The mode in which the joints C are formed
is of course not of the essence of this invention. I have shown the cross pieces ])
as having reduced ends 13 which terminate in shoulders 14. The reduced
ends of the central cross piece pass through the inner ends of each pair of strips,

page_text: it being apparent from the drawing that each straight strip corresponds with an
offset strip and that each side piece B comprises two straight strips and two
offset strips the offsets lapping past the inner ends of the straight strips on the
outer sides thereof so as to leave each pair of strips straight and parallel upon
their inner sides. This construction and arrangement insures that the wheels
will track perfectly under all circumstances as side motion of the wheels is
prevented. 15 denotes sleeves which surround the reduced ends of the cross
pieces and lie between the two straight strips in each side piece. The con-
struction of the joint in each side piece is therefore in the present instance as
follows: an inner offset 12 lies against a shoulder 14; outside of the offset
is the inner straight strip; next to the straight strip is a sleeve 15; lying
against the outer end of the sleeve is the outer straight strip and lying against
the outer side of the outer straight strip is the outer offset 12. The parts are
held in position by nuts 16, washers 17 being preferably interposed between the
nuts and the outer faces of the strips. In the present instance I have shown
the end cross pieces as constructed in the same manner, the only difference
being that the end cross pieces pass through one strip only of each pair, sleeves
being interposed between the strips the same as at the center. The wheels are
shown in the present instance as provided with journals 18 which have their
bearings in ears 19 which are riveted to the side pieces, although they may
be made integral therewith if preferred or if preferred the wheels may be mounted
to turn on pins the ends of which are fixed in the ears. 20 denotes stops which
limit the movement of the joints in both directions. These stops may be formed
in any ordinary or preferred manner, for example lugs may be formed upon the
strips, or pins may be so located as to be engaged by the sides or ends of the
strips, these being obvious mechanical expedients are not thought to require
illustration in the drawing. In the present instance I have shown stops 20 as
consisting of blocks of metal rivited to the strips in position to be engaged
by the ends of the corresponding strips. The stops upon the outer faces of
strips 10 are engaged by the ends of strips 11 to limit the upward movement
of the middle of the frame when placing the truck in the receiving position,
as is clearly shown in Fig. 3, and the stops upon strips 11 are engaged by the
ends of strips 10 to limit the downward movement of the middle of the frame
when a load is placed upon the truck.
The operation will be readily understood from the drawing. Suppose for
example that the operator is standing at the right end of the truck as seen in the
drawing and is about to load a heavy box thereon from that side. The operator
places his foot upon the right cross piece D and presses down upon it sufficiently
to bend the joints and raise the central portion of the frame, as in Fig. 3. In
practice the nuts 16 upon the middle cross piece are so adjusted as to permit
the joints to bend freely so that but little pressure upon either of the end
cross pieces is required to lift the central portion of the frame into the receiving
position in which position it will remain until the center is pressed down again
by the load or otherwise. When a box or other article is tilted over upon the
truck the effect is to straighten the joints of the frame and return the side pieces
from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 2. The side
pieces will now be horizontal and the load will be wholly upon the truck. The
special advantage of this novel construction is that when the load is tilted over
upon the truck the latter will not roll out from under it as is the case with all
trucks now in use, so far as I am aware, but the frame will simply pass from
the receiving position to the operative position and will retain the load thereon.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. A non-folding truck frame of the character described jointed at the center,
substancially as shown, for the purpose specified.

page_text: 2. A truck frame consisting of side pieces jointed at the center and cross pieces,
each side piece comprising two strips 10 and two strips 11 whose ends are offset
and lie outside of strips 10.
3. A truck frame consisting of side pieces jointed at the center and cross
pieces, each side piece comprising two straight strips and two offset strips and
the offsets lapping past the inner ends of the straight strips on the outer sides
thereof so as to leave each pair of strips straight and parallel upon their inner
sides, substancially as shown, for the purpose specified.
4. The combination with side pieces B having joints C and stops which limit
the movement of the joints in both directions, of wheels A carried by the side
pieces and cross pieces ) between said side pieces.
5. The combination with side pieces B having joints C, each side piece com-
prising strips 10 and 11 offset as shown, of wheels carried by the side pieces,
cross pieces between said side pieces and sleeves 15 lying between the strips in
each side piece.
6. The combination with side pieces B having joints C, each side piece com-
prising strips 10 and 11 offset as shown, of wheels carried by the side pieces,
cross pieces having reduced ends which pass through the strips and shoulders
against which the inner strips rest, sleeves lying between the strips in each side
picce and nuts on the cross pieces which engage the outer faces of the outer
strips and retain the parts of the frame in place.
7. In a non-folding truck the combination with side pieces jointed at the
center and having stops 20 for the purpose set forth, of end and central cross
pieces D.
8. A non-folding truck frame jointed at the center so that when the central
portion of the frame is raised and a load is tilted over upon it the truck will not
roll out from under the load.