GB2337488A - Wheelbarrow having raisable and lowerable body - Google Patents

Abstract

A wheelbarrow has a load carrying body (a) which can be raised or lowered by pivoting the wheelbarrow handles (b) about pivot point (c). Pivoting linkage (g) connected between the body (a) and the wheel axle enables the body (a) to be maintained level with the ground when being raised and lowered. In its fully raised position (figure 3) the body (a) is pulled tight against the wheel (f). The wheelbarrow can be folded for storage by rotating the handles (b) forward and locking them with bolts (k)..raised.

Description

2337488 1 LIFTING WHEELBARROW This invention relates to a lifting

wheelbarrow:

A wheelbarrow is a conveyance, with a box-like container mounted over a single wheel or double wheel at the front, with two tubular handles at the rear used to lift the part of the load not supported by the front wheel. The wheel barrow and load is then moved by manually pushing or pulling the handles.

Because of the height of the load container of a conventional wheel barrow, which remains in a fixed position, older or not so fit people may have difficulty in loading or unloading the load transported by the wheelbarrow.

The lifting wheelbarrow illustrated in the drawings provides a method of lowering the container (body) of the wheelbarrow to the ground for loading or unloading. The wheelbarrow can then be lifted to normal operational height for transporting the load, or lifted higher to enable the load to be tipped easily.

The wheel barrow also folds up to take less room when not in use.

The operation of the invention will now be fully described by reference to the accompanying drawing on pages 4,5, and 6 in which:

Figure 1 Illustrates the wheelbarrow in the transport mode. Figure 2 Illustrates the wheelbarrow fully lowered to the ground. Figure 3 Illustrates the wheel barrow full raised to its tipping mode Figure 4 Illustrates the wheelbarrow folded for storage. Figure 5 Illustrates the back view of the wheelbarrow. Figure 6 Illustrates the view from the underside of the wheelbarrow to show the fixing of the pivot points. Figure 7 Illustrates the view from when the hand hold may be changed to exert more leverage when lifting the wheelbarrow.

2 Referring to the drawings (figures 1,2,3,4,5,6, and 7) on pages 4,5, and 6 The operation of the lifting wheelbarrow is thus:

C. The body a. is lowered when the handles b. are rotated around pivot When the handles b. are rotated up and towards the front of the wheelbarrow, connecting bar d. ( which is connected to the handles b. at pivot point j. and to the axle e of the wheel) moves the wheel forwards and away from the body a.

The wheel forks are connected to the pivot point h. and the axle e. As the wheelbarrow is bein lowered, the bend L comes into contact with the ground as shown in Rgure 7.

The bend L allows the load to be lowered with less effort than if the leg rn. was straight. It also allows a different hand holds on handles b. to be used for the last and lightest at of lowering the wheelbarrow to the position showed in Figure 2.

To raise the wheelbarrow, the handles b. are pulled back until the it is in the position shown in Figure 7. The hand hold can be changed so that by the operator simply applying weight (for instance, leaning or bearing down) upon the handles b., the lifting operation is completed and the wheelbarrow is then in the position shown in Figure 1.

When the lifting wheelbarrow is in the normal wheelbarrow mode, as shown in Figure 1, it is held in this position by two bolts k., as shown in Figure 5. The spring loaded bolts k. are connected to each other and the foot pedal 1. by a flexible steel cable n. Where the cable n. connects between the two bobs k., it passes through a plastic sleeve p. The two bolts k. can be withdrawn from the locking position, which is a hole in the end of each arm of connecting bar d., by pulling the plastic sleeve p. or by pressing down on the foot pedal 1.

The wheelbarrow can be adjusted to make tipping easier by withdrawing the bolts k. and pushing down on handles b to the position shown in Figure 3. The bolts k. can then be released to lock the handles b. in this position; this action also moves the connecting bar d. towards the rear. The wheel f. is pulled tight against the wheelbarrow body a. This makes tipping easier because the wheel f. cannot rotate, and more load weight is moved onto the wheel f., thus making the load on the handles b. lighter.

The wheelbarrow can be folded for storage by lowering the wheelbarrow body a. to the ground as shown in Figure 2. Then the bolts k are withdrawn by pulling the plastic sleeve p. and then rotating the handles b. to the position shown in Figure 4. The bolts k. are then released so that they hold behind the legs ni., as shown in Figure 4.

The view of the lifting wheelbarrow shown in Figure 6 illustrates how the handles b. and connecting bar d. are held by brackets to the body a. of the wheelbarrow.

Claims (6)

Claims

1. A wheelbarrow comprising a load carrying body, a single wheel at the front and two handles at the rear, which when pivoted cause the body of the wheelbarrow to be lowered to the ground for loading or unloading, raised to a normal operating mode, to a higher position for tipping, or to fold the wheelbarrow for storage.

2. A lifting wheelbarrow as claimed in claim l., described in sheets 1,2, and 3, and Figures 1 to 7.

3. A lifting wheelbarrow as claimed in claims 1. and 2., where the tubular handles are pivoted to raise the load carrying container.

4. A lifting wheelbarrow as claimed in claims l., 2. and 3., in which the tubular connecting bar to the wheel moves the wheel forwards to lower the body of the wheelbarrow in a level position.

5. A lifting wheelbarrow, as claimed in claims l., 2.,3., and 4., which has two spring loaded bolts to lock the wheelbarrow in its different positions.

6. A lifting wheelbarrow as claimed in l., 2., 3., 4., and 5., which can be folded for storage.