GB2272368A

GB2272368A - Luggage trolley casters

Info

Publication number: GB2272368A
Application number: GB9224072A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John STONE
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-11-17
Filing date: 1992-11-17
Publication date: 1994-05-18
Also published as: GB9224072D0

Abstract

A luggage trolley of the kind for carrying baggage has castored wheels. Difficulty has arisen in controlling these trolleys on sloping surfaces and the present invention has means for locking a castored wheel in position. <IMAGE>

Description

LUGGAGE TROLLEY This invention relates to luggage trolleys and is more particularly concerned with luggage trolleys of the kind for carrying baggage such as are available at airports, railway stations and the like, although the invention is equally applicable to supermarket trolleys.

Such trolleys are provided with castored wheels which enables the trolleys to have good manoeuvrability in confined spaces, particularly crowded supermarkets, but these trolleys are difficult to control on a sloping surface, such as a ramp leading from one level to another.

Similar problems can occur in car parks and pavements.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a trolley which will overcome this defect.

According to the present invention, a luggage trolley has wheels which are castored and in which means are providing for locking one or more of the castored wheels in position.

Preferably the castored wheel which is to be locked is a rear wheel. The means preferably lock the castored wheel in a position parallel to the direction in which the trolley faces. The means may be operable by a mechanism adjacent the wheel, or alternatively operable by a control bar or other mechanism which is adjacent means for pushing the trolley.

It has been found with the present invention, that the trolley will only move in the direction in which the trolley faces and the trolley may be steered by applying asymmetrical fore and aft pressure to the means for pushing the trolley.

The invention may be performed in various ways and one specific embodiment together with various modifications will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 - is a cross-section through a conventional trolley wheel Figure 2 - is a similar view with locking means attached Figure 3 - is a view of a modified construction and Figure 4 - is a view of an alternative operating mechanism In Figure 1 there is shown a wheel 1 supported by an axle 2 which is mounted in a fork 3 which swivles at the bottom of a shaft 4 and on a ball race 5 between the top surface of the fork and a flange 6 which flange is fixed to the shaft.

Over the flange and the ball race there is a buffer 7 which absorbs the shock if the trolley bumps into an obstacle.

Figure 2 shows a similar view, but in this case a locking device is provided whereby the rear wheel can be locked in the fore and aft position if required. In this Figure a tube 8 is attached to the shaft by welding it to a stout webb 9 which is welded to the shaft. Moving vertically in this tube is a bolt 10 which is spring-loaded to cause it to move in a downward direction. The top of the spring 11 rests against a ring 12 which is pressed into the tube and the bottom of the spring rests against a pin 13 passing through the bolt which pin is shorter in length than the diameter of the tube and so can pass up into the tube.

After the bolt and spring are passed up into the tube the bolt is retained by a handle 14 which is pressed or threaded into a hole in the bolt and rests in a notch 15 in the top of the tube. The bolt is of such a length that in this position the lower end is just above the fork. There is a slot 16 in the top of the tube into which the handle may be lowered. Then the bolt will be lowered and engage a hole 17 in the rear of the top surface of the fork which surface is extended to accommodate it. Thus the fork and wheel assembly is restrained from rotating about the vertical axis and is locked in the fore and aft position.

Depending on the design of the ball race the flange may be extended so that the tube may be attached to it, thus reinforcing the mounting of the tube to the trolley. Also the tube may be mounted closer to the shaft so that the tube and the bolt pass through the buffer.

As an alternative to the ring 12 the tube 8 may be squeezed at this point so that the reduced internal diameter is smaller than the external diameter of the spring. Also the pin 13 may be dispensed with if the bolt is crimped at this point so that bosses are formed which can not pass through the spring.

When the trolley is in use and it is proposed to engage the locking mechanism, in order to locate the hole directly under the bolt it will be necessary to move the trolley straight forwardly for a few inches before lowering the bolt into the hole.

Only one rear wheel need be locked in the fore and aft position.

As an improvement to facilitate locating the bolt in the hole in the fork, the extension of the fork may be pressed into a V shape so that the surface of the fork slopes towards the hole in it as shown in Figure 3.

If desired the bolt may be spring loaded in the unlocked position. The pin 13 in this case is a short distance below the ring 12 and the spring will be below the pin. The notch will be cut into the tube 8 at the side of the slot 16 at such level that when the handle 14 is engaged therein the bolt 10 will have engaged the hole 17 in the fork 3.

As an alternative there may be a notch to engage the handle of the bolt at the top of the travel of the bolt and one at the bottom. Then the spring-loading may be dispensed with.

Depending on the shape of the rear of the trolley the bolt may be controlled by a lever 18 (as shown in Figure 4) hinged to a bracket attached to the handlebar 19 of the trolley. When the right side of the lever 18 is squeezed up toward the handlebar of the trolley the link 20 linked to the bolt will be pressed downwards and will shift the bolt 10 down to engage the hole 17. When the left side of the lever is squeezed up the bolt will be lifted. This lever can be used with the bolt spring-loaded downwards or upwards or not spring-loaded at all.

If on a particular trolley the fork can not be fitted to the rear of the shaft it may be fitted to the front of the shaft but in this event the bolt will drop into a hole in an extension of the front of the fork instead of the rear of the fork as shown in these drawings.

Claims

1. A luggage trolley having wheels which are castored and in which means are provided for locking one or more of the castored wheels in position.

2. A trolley as claimed in Claim 1, in which the castored wheel which is to be locked is a rear wheel.

3. A trolley as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the means lock the castored wheel in a position parellel to the direction in which the trolley faces.

4. A trolley as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, in which the means are operable by a mechanism adjacent the wheel.

5. A trolley as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, in which the means are operable by a control bar or other mechanism which is adjacent means for pushing the trolley.

6. A luggage trolley substantially as described herein and with reference to the accompanying drawings.