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This invention is a container which can be transported easily by a person. The container rolls along the ground by means of someone pulling a telescoping handle. The contents always remain upright because there is an outer container, known as an “outer shell” moving around an inner container, known as an “inner shell.” The outer concentric container circumnavigates around the inner concentric container, which remains upright.
This invention is a transport and container utility which is shaped like a sphere in one version, shaped like a drum in another version and a hybrid shape that looks like a fat sausage. The container carries cargo on the inside of the apparatus while the cargo remains level to the ground. The external container rolls along the ground as it is pulled by a handle attached to the axis of the container. The Pillbug could be shaped like anything that can roll smoothly, a sphere, a drum, or even like a fat sausage. Henceforth, the word “Pillbug” will include the shape of a sphere, a drum and a sausage. In all three versions, the outer concentric container, that is comprised of the top and bottom halves, rolls along the ground will be referred to as the “outer shell.” The inside, stationary and level, container will be known and referred to as the “inner shell.”
This invention, called “the Pillbug” is a transportable container utility which is shaped like a sphere or drum or fat sausage that carries cargo on the inside of the apparatus while the cargo remains upright within the inner shell and the outside rolls along the ground as it is being pulled by a telescoping handle. The word “Pillbug” collectively refers to the sphere, drum and sausage shape versions. The contents always remain upright because there is an outer shell container moving around an inner shell container. The cargo weight plus the weighted bottom directs the inner sphere to stay stationary. The outer shell container circumnavigates around the inner shell container. The outer container rolls along the ground and the inner shell container which does not spin, stays upright and stationary. The inner shell container remains stationary and does not roll, thus enabling the cargo to stay upright and avoid being jostled and tumbled within the container. The Pillbug is designed to ease the transport of heavy or delicate loads which cannot afford to be tussled around. The Pillbug can be used to easily take supplies on picnics, construction sites, and military operations.
Traditional methods of moving goods from point A to point B have consisted of dragging them behind pack animals or humans, carrying them on one's head or in a back-pack, shipping by boat, flying by airplane or placing them on wheels in trucks or trains. Each method has advantages and disadvantages depending on the distance to be covered, the terrain to be navigated, and the weight and bulk of the items to be transported.
Most terrains have already had appropriate methods invented to transport goods over them. The most obvious one is the invention of boats to transport goods over water. The other is the invention of wheels to transport goods over a reasonably flat or inclined surface on trucks or trains.
Therein lies the problem that the Pillbug seeks to overcome: the use of wheels require a pre-made flat surface or some kind of track. It is neither cost-effective nor desirable to construct flat pathways or rails over a major share of the earth's surface. No one would want to have paved paths on most mountain trails or construct concrete paths on most of the world's beaches so that people could tote their picnic supplies in wheeled coolers over these areas. It would seriously despoil the environment and the cost would be prohibitive.
Another serious problem with traditional picnic cooler containers arises when people attempt to transport picnic container coolers over beach sand. Although most coolers now have wheels, the wheels are too narrow for the terrain and the weight of the cooler sinks the wheels into the sand. As a consequence, the cooler either has to be dragged over the sand or picked up and carried. If it is carried, it puts a great strain on the back of the person carrying it. Often, lifting and carrying heavy coolers requires two persons.
A similar problem happens on construction sites where the terrain is uneven. There are ditches, holes, mounds of dirt, and piles of debris to navigate. Cargo currently has to be moved by means doilies which require planks to be laid across construction site grounds.
A major transportation problem also occurs in warfare and military applications. Soldiers are burdened by heavy backpacks. They need more supplies than they can carry in those packs. They also need to navigate over rough terrain where motorized vehicles cannot travel with the supplies the soldiers need. Also, in military applications, it would benefit the soldiers if the same transportation device which can haul goods over rough terrain could also haul them over water.
Clearly, then, there is a need for a transportation device which can haul goods over unpaved, irregular, soft, muddy, sandy, rough terrain, plus bodies of water. Such a device would allow people to take more goods than they can carry on their backs. Such a device would solve the problem of other devices which have wheels, but where the wheels sink into the terrain. Such a device would also be able to float on water when water is encountered.
Further, such a device would be able to be manufactured from plastics, composites or metals if heavy-duty use is required. The Pillbug invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.
The present invention is a sphere, drum or sausage shaped shell that revolves around another concentric sphere, drum or sausage shaped shell while the concentric inner shell remains stationary. Goods can be transported without damage or breakage. The Pillbug moves goods from one place to another while the goods inside of it stay upright. There are two spheres in one version, two drums in another version and two sausage shapes in the third version. The Pillbug Sphere version has an outer concentric sphere shell, which rolls along the ground and the other sphere shell or half-sphere rests inside the outer sphere shell. The Pillbug Drum version has a concentric outer drum shell, which rolls along the ground and the inner concentric drum shell or half-drum rests inside the outer drum. The Pillbug Fat Sausage version has a concentric outer sausage shape, which rolls along the ground and the inner concentric sausage shape or half-sausage rests inside the outer sausage shape. All three versions will be collectively referred to as the “Pillbug.”
In all three versions, the outer Pillbug concentric shell has ball bearings inside of it on which the inner concentric Pillbug shell can glide. The inner shell has a weighted bottom which causes it to always stay upright. The cargo also serves as a weight which helps keep the inner concentric shell level and stationary.
A telescoping double tow-bar, like that used on luggage, is attached to the two poles of the axle protruding from the Pillbug. The tow-bar can be pulled, like one pulls luggage, or it can be attached to the back of a belt, on a clip, going around the user's waist. An extremely large version can be attached to a vehicle using a trailer hitch.
In comparison to a typical ice-chest cooler, which usually has wheels, the wheels on an ice-chest sink in the sand or earth and the user just ends up literally dragging it. Wheels have no useful function when traveling over sand. They give the consumer an illusion of functionality. The wheels work fine on pavement or compacted earth, but fail the user's expectations when being pulled over soft earth, such as sand.
The Pillbug does not become mired in most terrain because, instead of depending on wheels for its locomotion, it is shaped like a sphere or drum or fat sausage and, thus, the weight is not forcing it down into the terrain as wheels would be impaled into soft ground due to the weight being focused into the wheels.
The Pillbug has a water-tight rubber seal at the equator of the outer shell which would allow it to be towed over water as well.
Part 1A is the top half of the Pillbug Shell for all versions.
Part 1B is the bottom half of the Pillbug Shell for all versions.
Part 2 represents all the inward facing ball bearings attached to the inside of the outer shell comprised of 1A & 1B.
Part 3 is the inner shell of all three versions.
Part 4 is the axel located closest to the release hatch 6.
Part 5 is the water tight seal located at the equator of all three Pillbug versions.
Part 6 is the release latch joining the top shell 1A and bottom shell 1B in all three versions 10, 17, & 19.
Part 7 is the axel located closest to the hinge connecting the top shell 1A and bottom shell 1B in all three versions.
Part 8 refers to the axel ball bearings located at both polar axis 4 & 7. The bearings reduce friction and drag on the polar axles 4 & 7.
Part 9 is the axel cap which holds the axel in place in all three versions 10,17, & 19.
Part 10 is the Pillbug Sphere version.
Part 11 is the harness which connects to the axles 4 & 7 of the Pillbug in all three versions 10, 17, & 19.
Part 12 is the telescoping handle which connects to the harness in all three versions 10, 17, & 19. The harness then connects to the Pillbug in all three versions 10, 17, & 19.
Part 13 is the handle grip that the end-user grasps when pulling the Pillbug. The handle grip connects to the top of the telescoping handle 12.
Part 14 is a clip loop which is at the top of the grip 13 so it can connect to a clip loop 15 worn at the back of a belt worn by the user so the user's hands can be freed from pulling it.
Part 15 is a clip loop at the back of a belt 16 worn by the user that can connect to the clip loop on the Pillbug's grip 13 so the user's hands can be freed from pulling it.
Part 16 is the belt which has a clip loop 15 at the back end so that the user's hands can be free for other purposes.
Part 17 is the Pillbug Drum version.
Part 18 shows cargo 18 held into the Pillbug. The cargo is represented by two beverage containers and some grapes.
Part 19 is the Pillbug Sausage Shaped version.
Part 20 is the flat floor of the inner shell. This gives cargo a flat area on which to sit in the inner shell sphere 3.
The telescoping tow-bar 12 and handle 13 are the same type as found on standard luggage, which can be extended for towing or contracted for easy storage. It is made of a metal material for durability and to endure the stress of pulling a heavy payload. The tow-bar snaps onto the horseshoe shaped harness 11 at the apex. The reason for this design is so that the whole apparatus can be easily disassembled and compacted and stored in a trunk of a standard sedan or on the back seat. The apparatus can be carried by the harness 11 alone if the user desires to do so. This might be done while lifting it from the trunk of a car and moving it to the ground. The user would have the option of leaving the tow-bar 12 snapped to the harness 11 or unsnapping it.
Two features help reduce frictional drag so that the concentric inner shell 3 remains stationary: the polar ball bearings 8 and the axles 4 & 7. The concentric inner facing ball bearings 2 are located in multi-locations on the inside of the outer shell 1A & 1B facing the center. The concentric inner half-shell 3 is suspended by two axles 4 & 7 which are placed at both sides of the equator of the apparatus. In order to make sure that the outer two half-shells stay together and do not open while being rolled, two latches 6 secure them together. The latches are wide enough for a set of average-sized human fingers to reach under them and lift them up. The two axles 4& 7 at the polar caps have ball bearings 8 to reduce drag and friction on the axles.
The Pillbug invention, consisting of the sphere version, the drum version, and the sausage shape version, is a novel method for moving goods from point A to point B. Traditional methods of hauling goods have consisted of dragging them behind animals or humans, carrying them on one's head or in a back-pack, half-tracks, shipping by boat, flying by airplane or placing them on wheels in trucks or trains. Each method has advantages and disadvantages depending on the distance to be covered, the terrain to be navigated, and the weight and bulk of the items to be transported.
Most terrains have already had appropriate methods invented to transport goods over them. The most obvious one is the invention of boats to transport goods over water. The other is the invention of wheels to transport goods over a reasonably flat surface on trucks or trains.
The Pillbug is unique because, instead of having wheels, it functions as the wheel itself. In the grand scope of the invention, it can be used for recreation, military, and construction purposes. Its chief feature is its shape which makes it resistant to sinking into soft terrain such as sand, mud or water.