Patent ID: 8262105

Claim:
A hand truck assembly, comprising: a child hand truck comprising a locking feature; a parent hand truck including a truck-receiving volume for receiving the child hand truck, a bottom front cross bar, and a handle assembly configured to engage the locking feature and prevent movement of the child hand truck relative to the parent hand truck, the handle assembly including a locking bar that engages the locking feature of the child hand truck; and a lock and release mechanism configured to lock the handle assembly in a raised position and to automatically release the handle assembly as the child hand truck is removed from the truck-receiving volume, the lock and release mechanism comprising: a mounting bracket fixedly mounted to the bottom from cross bar of the parent hand truck; an arm pivotally mounted to the mounting bracket; a latch assembly pivotally mounted to the arm, the latch assembly forming a closed loop; and a bar latch plate mounted to the locking bar, the bar latch plate including a nose portion slidingly received within the closed loop.