Patent ID: 7374197

Claim:
A cart for transporting objects, said cart comprising: a base structure upon which the objects may be disposed, said base structure having posterior and anterior ends and opposing first and second sides; a pair of first wheels mounted to the base structure and disposed toward the first side of the base structure; a pair of second wheels mounted to the base structure and disposed toward the second side of the base structure; a housing mounted to the base structure and at least partially defining an interior channel, said housing extending in a longitudinal direction of the cart and being disposed midway along a width of the cart; an elongated coupling tongue adapted for connection to another cart, said coupling tongue being at least partially disposed in the channel and being movable between a retracted position, wherein a majority of the coupling tongue is disposed inside the channel, and an extended position, wherein a majority of the coupling tongue is disposed outside the channel and forwardly of the anterior end of the base structure; a tongue actuator connected to the coupling tongue and operable, upon manipulation by an operator, to move the coupling tongue from the retracted position to the extended position; a hitch apparatus mounted to the base structure at the posterior end thereof, said hitch apparatus comprising: a hitch disposed midway along the width of the cart and defining a tongue-receiving space for receiving a second coupling tongue of a second cart; and a locking assembly including a pin movable between a locking position, wherein the pin extends through the space to lock the second tongue of the second cart to the hitch, and a release position, wherein the pin is disposed above the space to unlock the second tongue of the second cart from the hitch; and a hitch actuator connected to the pin of the locking assembly and disposed laterally outward from the hitch, said hitch actuator being operable, upon manipulation by an operator, to move the pin from the locking position to the release position.