Dumping cart

Abstract

A dumping cart has a carriage, a front wheel mounted to rotate on a horizontal axis with respect to the carriage and a pair of laterally spaced back wheels mounted to turn about horizontal axles supported on vertical pivots attached to the carriage. A tray is mounted on the carriage and has a front portion and a back portion, the tray being pivotal on a horizontal axis with respect to the carriage. A handle support extends up from the carriage and a handle attached to the handle support for pushing, pulling and steering the dumping cart. A pair of levers are pivoted to the handle support, the levers each having first and second ends, wherein the first ends of the levers provide handles for pivoting the levers relative to the handle support and the second ends have couplings thereon adjacent the rear portions of the tray. A linkage is attached to the couplings at the second ends of the levers to the rear portions of the tray to lift the tray upon pushing down on the first ends of the levers.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various other features and attendant advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dumping cart configured in accordance with the principles of the present invention showing the cart being pushed;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the dumping cart of FIG. 1 showing a person applying downward pressure to lever handles to initiate dumping;

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view showing a tray of the dumping cart being raised for dumping a load therefrom;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the load being dumped from the pan of the dumping cart, and

FIG. 5 is a side perspective view of the dumping cart showing the cart empty and ready to receive a subsequent load.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the Figures, a dumping cart 10, configured in accordance with the principles of the present invention, comprises a carriage 12 having first and second rails 13 and 14 joined by cross members 15 at a rear portion 17 of the carriage and joined adjacent to a horizontal axle 20 at a front portion 22 of the carriage.

A front wheel 30 is mounted on the fixed horizontal axle 20, while rear wheels 32 and 34 mounted on vertically pivots 36 and 38. This allows the rear wheels 32 and 34 to pivot about vertical axes 40 and 42 as the wheels roll on horizontal axes 44 and 46. A frame 50 is mounted on the carriage 12 and comprises a pair of vertically extending front struts 52 and 54 and a pair of rear vertically extending rear struts 56 and 58 joined by a pair of upper rails 60 and 62. A front cross brace 66 and a rear cross brace 68 provide a substantially rectangular frame structure for supporting a tray 70. The tray 70 is also referred in the art as a bucket or pan and is preferably a convex, open top container which receives a load 72 which is transported by the dumping cart 10.

The tray 70 has a front end 74 which is pivoted on an axle 76 adjacent to the front brace 66 of the frame 50. The rear portion 78 of the tray 70 rests on the frame 50 adjacent to the rear brace 68 so that the tray can pivot about the horizontal axis 76 to dump the toad 72.

Dumping the load 72 is accomplished by a pair of levers 80 and 82 that are pivoted on a handle support 84 which projects upwardly from the carriage 12 and is attached to the rear portion 17 of the carriage. The handle support 84 is comprised of a pair of vertical struts 85 and 86 which are rigidly attached or otherwise braced at the cross piece 15 of the carriage 12 and which have pivot points 87 and 88 for the levers 80 and 82, respectively. The handle support 84 is rigidified by a handle 89 having grips 90 and 91. The handle 89 is used to maneuver the dumping cart 10 and allows one to push, pull and turn the dumping cart.

Considering FIGS. 1-4 in sequence, it is seen in FIG. 1 that the cart 10 is being pushed for transport of the load 72 by pushing on the handle 89. As seen in FIG. 2, the user is pushing down on the levers 80 and 82 by pushing on handles 100 and 102 of the levers. When the handles 100 and 102 are pushed, a flexible cable 104, preferably of stainless steel and coupled to the handles, is pressed against the bottom of the tray 70. As seen in FIG. 3, as the user continues to push down on the handles 100 and 102, the levers 80 and 82 lift the flexible cable 104 which extends under the bottom of the tray 70, causing the tray to pivot about the horizontal axis 66 of the axle 76 and rotate clockwise in the direction of arrow 106. Finally, as seen in FIG. 4, the load 72 discharges from the tray 70 as the levers 80 and 82 lift the rear portion 78 of the tray toward a vertical position. The person using the dumping cart 10 then pulls the cart rearwardly a short distance until the tray 70 clears the load 72. The tray 70 then returns to the FIG. 5 position where the rear portion 78 of the tray 70 rest on the frame 50. The dumping cart 10 is then ready to receive a new load 72 as is seen in FIG. 1.

From the foregoing description, one skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention, and without departing form the spirit and scope thereof, can make various changes and modifications of the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions.

Claims

1. A dumping cart comprising: a carriage;at least one front wheel on the carriage;a rear support on the carriage for engaging the ground surface behind the front wheel;a frame on the carriage;a tray pivoted on the frame at a location adjacent the front wheel;a handle support extending above the frame;a lever arrangement pivoted to the rear support, the lever arrangement extending rearward of the tray and having a second end adjacent the tray, anda linkage between the second end of the lever arrangement and a rear portion of the tray, wherein rotation of the lever assembly pivots the pan to dump the load forward of the front wheel.

2. The dumping cart of claim 1 wherein the linkage between the lever assembly and the tray comprises a flexible cable arrangement.

3. The dumping cart of claim 1 wherein the first rear support comprises at least one wheel and the second rear support includes a handle for pushing, pulling and steering the dumping cart.

4. The dumping cart of claim 3 wherein the at least one rear wheel is mounted to the carriage by a vertical pivot.

5. The dumping cart of claim 4 wherein there are two laterally spaced rear wheels each of which is mounted to the carriage by a vertical pivot and wherein there is a single front wheel.

6. The dumping cart of claim 5 wherein the linkage between the lever assembly and the tray comprises a flexible cable arrangement.

7. The dumping cart of claim 6 wherein the lever arrangement comprises a pair of levers with each lever having a handle at the first end and with each lever having a coupling at the second end, with the flexible cable arrangement being attached at opposite ends to second ends of the levers.

8. A dumping cart comprising: a carriage;a front wheel mounted to rotate on a horizontal axis with respect to the carriage;a pair of laterally spaced back wheels mounted to turn about horizontal axles supported on vertical pivots attached to the carriage;a tray mounted on the carriage and having a front portion and a back portion, the tray being pivotal on a horizontal axis with respect to the carriage;a handle support extending up from the carriage;a handle attached to the handle support for pushing, pulling and steering the dumping cart;a pair of levers pivoted to the handle support, the levers each having first and second ends, wherein the first ends of the levers provide handles for pivoting the levers relative to the handle support and the second ends have couplings thereon adjacent the rear portions of the tray, anda linkage attaching the couplings at the second ends of the levers to the rear portions of the tray to lift the tray upon pushing down on the first ends of the levers.

9. The dumping cart of claim 8 wherein the linkage is a flexible cable arrangement attached at opposite ends to the couplings on the second ends of the levers.

10. The dumping cart of claim 9 further including a frame for supporting the tray in vertical spaced relation on the carriage.