AU2003100858A4

AU2003100858A4 - Easy Empty Wheelbarrow Mechanism

Info

Publication number: AU2003100858A4
Application number: AU2003100858A
Authority: AU
Inventors: John Alexander Steber
Original assignee: JOHN STEBER
Current assignee: JOHN STEBER
Priority date: 2003-10-15
Filing date: 2003-10-15
Publication date: 2004-01-22
Anticipated expiration: 2011-10-15
Also published as: WO2005037625A1

Description

Desciption

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT EASY EMPTY WHEELBARROW MECHANISM The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: EASY EMPTY WHEELBARROW MECHANISM Since the humble wheelbarrow first came into existence the major concern and problem that became apparent with the device was the ability to empty the load contents of the wheelbarrow's contents with control and ease. This invention addresses the specific problem of tipping the contents from the bucket of the wheel barrow with minimal ease and effort whilst retaining full control of the wheelbarrow. The material construction of the wheel barrow is not relevant to the invention as any type of material used can include the Easy Empty innovation.

A wheelbarrow is a small cart with handles and a wheel, used for moving loads on a building site or around a garden, that comprises a load bucket attached to a load bearing frame that is weight balanced towards a driving wheel or wheels that is able to be manoeuvred by manually raising the load bearing frame handles to transport the load from one point to another.

The invention allows the operator to apply pressure to a lever, using his or her thumb, attached on either the left or right hand-grip on the handle of the load bearing frame to release a latch, that holds the bucket in a normal position, to be able to fulcrum swing from a hinge, or hinges, attached to the front base of the load bucket and load frame to allow the bucket to tip forward emptying the contents from the bucket.

The lever mechanism that pressure is applied to controls a rod that runs along the handles attached to the load frame of the wheelbarrow that withdraws the latch tongue or tongues from the latch or latches attached to the rear base of the bucket. When pressure is released from the latch a spring will draw the tongue bar back to the original position allowing the tongue to lock back into the latch securing the bucket into a normal loading position.

If the load frame of the wheelbarrow and handles were or are hollow, the latching mechanism can and could be completely housed within the cavity of either of the handles.

With the tongue being drawn back from the latch this allows the bucket to swing freely on the hinges attached to the front base of the bucket and the load frame. The hinges are at a fulcrum point and can be either of the following, attached at each front comer, the full width of the bucket, center of the bucket or multiple hinges at any front point. Any of these will in accordance with this invention allow the complete operation of the fulcrum swing to become operative arriving in the intended use of this invention.

The fulcrum hinges are directly related to the size and weight of the load that the bucket and load frame are able to bare.

This invention can be better understood with reference to the illustrations of basic embodiments of the invention: The main illustration is a side view of a wheelbarrow with a circled area referring to detail B.

Detail B gives a side view and an above view of an illustration referring to the lever to latch mechanisms that lock and release the bucket allowing it to tip.

The alternative illustration is a front view of a wheelbarrow with a circled area referring to detail A.

Detail A is an enlargement of the fulcrum hinge that, in this instance, is designed for attachment to both front corners of the bucket and load frame. It at this point that the bucket is able to swing in a forward motion allowing the contents of the bucket to empty out.

Claims

1. A wheelbarrow is a device for carrying loads as defined by plain English dictionary definition as, "a small cart with handles and wheel used for moving loads on a building site or around a garden", and can comprise one or multiple wheels and use any materials in its construction.

2. The wheelbarrow can carry any type of load bucket size and load-bearing frame that falls under the description as claimed in claim 1.

3. The wheelbarrow as claimed in claim 1 is able to have the load bucket as claimed in claim 2 tip forward if hinged at the fulcrum point that exists at the front base of the load bucket and top of the load-bearing frame enabling the contents of the bucket

4. The bucket, as claimed in claim 2, action, as claimed in claim 3, is allowed to swing forward at the fulcrum point by the release of a latch tongue controlled by a lever mechanism attached to the handles of the wheelbarrow as claimed in claim 1. The latch tongue as claimed in claim 4 locks into a latch that is attached to the rear base of the bucket of the wheelbarrow, as claimed in claims 1 and 2, being able to secure this bucket for normal loading operations and to be released to tip, as claimed in claim 3, to empty the contents of the claimed bucket. EASY EMPTY WHEELBARROW MECHANISM. 15th October 2003 Mr. John A. and Mrs. Charmian Steber