Transportation carts for gas bottles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11052810-B2
Application number	US-202016774382-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2020
Priority date	Sep 28, 2017
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

A cart is disclosed for carrying a gas bottle. The cart includes a wheeled frame and a bottle support platform. The support platform is configured to pivot between a loading position in which a gas bottle may be loaded and/or unloaded from the bottle support platform and a cradle position in which the gas bottle and the bottle support platform are elevated. A bottle rest may support the bottle when the bottle support platform is in the cradle position. A bottle support spine may also, or alternatively, support the bottle during transportation and act as a lever for pivoting the bottle support platform between the loading position and the cradle position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cart, comprising:
a chassis; and
a bottle support platform coupled to the chassis, the bottle support platform comprising a backrest and a bottom plate and configured to pivot at a pivot joint, relative to the chassis, between:
a loading position in which a side of the bottom plate opposite the pivot joint is lower than the pivot joint when the chassis is positioned horizontally, and the gas bottle can be loaded or unloaded from the bottle support platform without lifting the gas bottle, and
a cradle position in which the side of the bottom plate opposite the pivot joint is above the pivot joint when the chassis is positioned horizontally, and the gas bottle is supported by the bottle support platform, and the gas bottle and the bottle support platform are elevated,
wherein the chassis is configured to abut the backrest when the bottle support platform is in the cradle position, thereby preventing further pivoting of the bottle support platform.

2. The cart of claim 1 , further including a locking latch having an engaged position where the locking latch is engaged with the chassis, and a released position where the locking latch is not engaged with the chassis, wherein the locking latch is configured to prohibit pivoting of the bottle support platform from the cradle position to the loading position when in the engaged position and allow pivoting of the bottle support platform when in the released position.

3. The cart of claim 2 , wherein the locking latch engages with the chassis when the locking latch is in the engaged position.

4. The cart of claim 1 , further including a gate to secure the gas bottle on the bottle support platform, wherein the gate is pivotally attached to the bottle support platform by way of a joint, and configured to pivot about the joint between a loading position substantially planar with the bottle support platform and a securing position angled with respect to the bottle support platform.

5. The cart of claim 4 , wherein the gate is biased towards the securing position.

6. The cart of claim 4 , wherein the gate comprises a first gate, wherein the cart further includes a second gate pivotally attached to the bottle support platform and configured to pivot between a loading position substantially planar with the bottle support platform and a securing position angled with respect to the bottle support platform, wherein the second gate is attached to the first gate at a partition, wherein the partition divides the bottle support platform into a plurality of bays, and wherein each bay is configured to retain a gas bottle.

7. The cart of claim 6 , wherein the first gate and the second gate are biased towards the securing position.

8. The cart of claim 1 , further including a harness to secure the gas bottle to the cart.

9. The cart of claim 1 , wherein the chassis is mechanically linked to a frame sized or proportioned to support a welding power supply.

10. The cart of claim 1 , wherein the bottle support platform is configured to position a center of gravity of the gas bottle substantially vertically above a pivot of the bottle support platform when the bottle support platform is in the cradle position and the cart is positioned substantially horizontally.

11. A cart, comprising:
a frame configured to carry a welding type power supply;
a chassis coupled to the frame; and
a bottle support platform pivotally attached to the chassis by way of a joint, the bottle support platform comprising a backrest and a bottom plate and configured to pivot about the joint between:
a loading position in which a gas bottle can be loaded or unloaded from the bottle support platform without lifting the gas bottle, and
a cradle position in which the gas bottle and the bottle support platform are elevated,
wherein the chassis is configured to abut the backrest when the bottle support platform is in the cradle position, thereby preventing further pivoting of the bottle support platform,
wherein the bottle support platform is configured to position a center of gravity of the gas bottle substantially vertically above a pivot of the bottle support platform when the bottle support platform is in the cradle position and the frame is positioned substantially horizontally.

12. The cart of claim 11 , further including a locking latch having an engaged position and released position, wherein the locking latch is configured to prohibit pivoting of the bottle support platform when in the engaged position and allow pivoting of the bottle support platform when in the released position.

13. The cart of claim 11 , wherein the support platform includes one or more partitions that divide the bottle support platform into a plurality of bays, wherein each bay is configured to retain a bottle.

14. The cart of claim 11 , further including a gate to secure the gas bottle on the bottle support platform, wherein the gate is pivotally attached to the bottle support platform by way of a joint, and configured to pivot about the joint between a loading position substantially planar with the bottle support platform and a securing position angled with respect to the bottle support platform.

15. The cart of claim 14 , wherein the gate is biased towards the securing position.

16. The cart of claim 14 , wherein the gate comprises a first gate, wherein the cart further includes a second gate pivotally attached to the bottle support platform and configured to pivot between a loading position substantially planar with the bottle support platform and a securing position angled with respect to the bottle support platform, wherein the second gate is attached to the first gate at a partition, wherein the partition divides the bottle support platform into a plurality of bays, and wherein each bay is configured to retain a gas bottle.

17. The cart of claim 16 , wherein the first gate and the second gate are biased towards the securing position.

18. The cart of claim 11 , further including a harness to secure the bottle to the cart.

19. The cart of claim 11 , wherein the cart is a running gear of a welding power supply.

20. The cart as defined in claim 1 , wherein the bottle support platform is configured to pivot with respect to the chassis via only a single pivot joint.

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Marcusen David Paul
• Dessart Nicholas James
• Helein Daniel James

Classifications

• B62B3/104 Primary

  the object being of cylindrical shape, e.g. barrels, buckets, dustbins · CPC title

• B62B2203/05

  Rocking means for facilitating tilting of the cart, e.g. by loading · CPC title

• B62B2202/022

  Gas bottles · CPC title

• B60P3/055 Primary

  for transporting bottles · CPC title

• B62B5/0089

  Lifting lever on wheels or rollers · CPC title