Patent ID: 7926599

Claim:
A motorized cart for lifting and transporting a drum, the cart comprising: a frame having upper and lower extents, a forward end and an oppositely-disposed rearward end, and a left side and an oppositely-disposed right side, the frame defining at the forward end thereof a rearward-extending frame recess sized to receive at least a one hundred liter drum; handles disposed at the upper extent of the frame; lower engaging means disposed at the forward end and the lower extent of the frame for engaging a lower end of the drum received in the frame recess and then lifting and supporting the drum within the frame recess; upper engaging means disposed at the forward end of the frame for engaging an upper end of the drum received in the frame recess and supported by the lower engaging means; first wheels disposed at the lower extent of the frame adjacent the left and right sides of the frame to define with the lower engaging means a stable multi-point support for the frame and a drum secured within the frame recess when the cart is in a vertical upstanding position and to enable insertion of the lower engaging means beneath the drum as the cart moves forward on the first wheels, the first wheels comprising at least one drive wheel disposed adjacent the left or right side of the frame; non-driven wheels disposed closer to the upper extent of the frame and closer to the rearward end of the frame than the first wheels, the non-driven wheels comprising left and right non-driven wheels disposed adjacent the left and right sides, respectively, of the frame to define with the first wheels at least a stable four-point support for the frame when the cart is rearwardly inclined relative to the upstanding position, wherein the non-driven wheels do not support the cart in the upstanding position; a kickstand disposed at the rearward end of the frame, the kickstand, the first wheels, and the lower engaging means defining at least a stable five-point support for the cart when the cart is in the upstanding position; a drive system comprising; a motor supported by the frame and adapted to drive the drive wheel, a clutch supported by the frame and adapted to selectively engage and disengage the motor with the drive wheel, and a battery supported by the frame and adapted to provide power to the motor and to the clutch; means for controlling the motor to vary the rotational speed and rotational direction of the drive wheel and thereby control the ground speed and travel direction, respectively, of the cart; and means for selectively delivering and interrupting power from the battery to the motor and to the clutch to enable the cart to be self-propelled by the motor under the control of an operator or manually propelled by an operator; wherein the controlling means is operable to control the motor to move the cart forward on the first wheels to insert the lower engaging means beneath the drum.