Trolley and method for moving long pallets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10974749-B2
Application number	US-201815960313-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2018
Priority date	Apr 23, 2018
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

A pallet trolley includes: a frame having two ends, the frame defining a longitudinal axis; a handle assembly attached to the frame; a first wheel assembly attached to the frame at one end; and a second wheel assembly attached to the frame at the other end, the first and second wheel assemblies are oriented to allow the pallet trolley to roll in a direction other than parallel to the longitudinal axis of the frame. A method of moving a pallet includes: providing a pallet trolley having first and second wheel assemblies; locating the first and second wheel assemblies under a pallet; lowering the pallet onto the trolley; and moving the pallet on the trolley and a fork truck.

First claim

We claim:

1. A pallet trolley comprising:
a frame having two ends, the frame including an elongated member that defines a longitudinal axis;
a handle assembly attached to the frame;
a first wheel assembly attached to the frame at one end; and
a second wheel assembly attached to the frame at the other end,
wherein the first and second wheel assemblies are oriented to allow the pallet trolley to roll in a direction other than parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongated member, and
wherein at least 60% of the first wheel assembly is located on a first side of the longitudinal axis while a second side of the longitudinal axis directly opposite the first wheel assembly is devoid of a separate wheel assembly and at least 60% of the second wheel assembly is located on the second side of the longitudinal axis while the first side of the longitudinal axis directly opposite the second wheel assembly is devoid of a separate wheel assembly, the frame and first and second wheel assemblies being configured to stand unsupported when not loaded.

2. The pallet trolley of claim 1 , wherein the wheel assemblies are oriented to allow the pallet trolley to roll in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elongated member.

3. The pallet trolley of claim 1 , wherein each wheel assembly contains at least two wheels.

4. The pallet trolley of claim 1 , further comprising a support plate attached to each wheel assembly.

5. The pallet trolley of claim 4 , wherein the support plates are located higher than the frame such that a load placed on the trolley contacts the support plates before the frame.

6. The pallet trolley of claim 4 , wherein the support plates have substantially smooth upper surfaces.

7. The pallet trolley of claim 4 , further comprising gripping projections located on at least one of the support plates.

8. The pallet trolley of claim 4 , wherein at least 60% of a surface area of at least one support plate is located to one side of the longitudinal axis of the frame.

9. The pallet trolley of claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises a tubular portion and a flat portion attached to the tubular portion.

10. The pallet trolley of claim 1 , wherein the handle assembly includes a T-bar attached to an upright member.

11. The pallet trolley of claim 10 , further comprising an attaching plate connected to the upright member.

12. The pallet trolley of claim 11 , further comprising fasteners connecting the attaching plate to the frame.

13. The pallet trolley of claim 10 , further comprising resilient grips attached to the T-bar.

14. A pallet trolley comprising:
a frame having two ends, the frame including an elongated member that defines a longitudinal axis;
a handle assembly attached to the frame, wherein the handle assembly includes a grip axis that is offset from and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the frame;
a first wheel assembly attached to the frame at one end and offset to a first side of the longitudinal axis while a second side of the longitudinal axis directly opposite the first wheel assembly is devoid of a separate wheel assembly;
a second wheel assembly attached to the frame at the other end and on the second side of the longitudinal axis while the first side of the longitudinal axis directly opposite the second wheel assembly is devoid of a separate wheel assembly, wherein the first and second wheel assemblies are oriented to allow the pallet trolley to roll in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the frame, the frame and first and second wheel assemblies being configured to stand unsupported when not loaded; and
a first and a second support plate located over the first and second wheel assemblies, respectively.

15. The pallet trolley of claim 14 , wherein more than 70% of the first wheel assembly is located on one side of the longitudinal axis of the elongated member.

16. The pallet trolley of claim 14 , wherein more than 80% of a surface area of at least one of the support plates is located on one side of the longitudinal axis of the elongated member.

17. The pallet trolley of claim 14 , further comprising gripping projections located on at least one of the support plates.

Assignees

• Overhead Door Corp

Inventors

• Kuhl Bruce Kevin
• Womack Samuel T
• Kaiser Kent
• Tank Douglas G
• Sautter Jamye Lee
• Pearson Jordan Ly'Ron
• Peterson Jason

Classifications

• B62B3/001 Primary

  Steering devices · CPC title

• B62B5/0083

  Wheeled supports connected to the transported object · CPC title

• B62B2301/02

  comprising wheels for longitudinal travelling and wheels for lateral travelling · CPC title

• B62B3/00

  Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor {(convertible from one-axled to two-axled vehicle B62B1/002)} · CPC title

• B62B3/006 Primary

  for stacking objects like trays, bobbins, chains · CPC title