GB2242870A

GB2242870A - Support apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2242870A
Application number: GB9008193A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Frank Iles
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-04-11
Filing date: 1990-04-11
Publication date: 1991-10-16
Also published as: GB9008193D0; GB9104941D0

Abstract

A support apparatus for temporary engagement with the front chassis portion of a shopping trolley to hold the front wheels of the shopping trolley, spaced from the ground comprises an elongate member 1 having supports 6 for temporary transverse engagement with the shopping trolley chassis portion. The member having wheels 4 attached thereto for rotation about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongate member. By the use of the apparatus, the front of the trolley can move only orthogonally of the said longitudinal axis of the trolley, and hence a nest of trolleys can be precisely controlled by positioning the front thereof and directionally guiding from the rear. <IMAGE>

Description

SUPPORT APPARATUS The invention relates to a support apparatus which enables one person to move with accuracy several shopping trolleys nested together.

The difficulty with moving a nest of shopping trolleys is that because of the nature of the castors there is considerable directional instability so it requires one person to push and steer from the rear and one person to guide and steer the front of the nest of shopping trolleys.

If only one person tries to move a long or short nest of shopping trolleys, that person has no control over the leading trolley. When moved over ground where there are undulations or slight slopes, because of the nature of the castors, the un-manned end of the nest of shopping trolleys moves down the slope or follows the troughs of the undulations.

According to the present invention, I propose support apparatus suitable for temporary engagement with the front chassis portion of a shopping trolley to hold the front wheels thereof spaced from the ground, the apparatus comprising an elongate member having means of temporary transverse engagement with the chassis portion, the member having wheel means attached thereto for rotation about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongate member.

By the use of apparatus according to the invention, the front of the trolley can move only orthogonally of the said longitudinal axis and the trolley, and hence a nest of trolleys, can be precisely controlled by positioning the front thereof and directionally guiding from the rear.

The temporary engagement means may be laterally adjustable and may comprise U-section or channel members with the open end uppermost, whereby the front cross-member of the trolley chassis is receivable therein. Where two or more such members are present, they may be slidingly mounted on the elongate member with clamps for securing in desired positions. To provide for vertical stability, that is, to prevent the apparatus tilting and rolling away from the trolley, the engagement means may be capable of engaging with the longitudinal side members of the trolley chassis at a front portion thereof, or with both the front cross member and side member simultaneously, for example by means of brackets with upstanding pegs or spigots which define U-section members in both lateral and longitudinal directions and which, in use, support the front corners of the trolley chassis.However, in the case of trolleys which have parallel upper and lower chassis members, vertical stability is attainable by engagement with the front cross member only, provided that the limbs of the U-section or channel members are long enough to engage both upper and lower chassis members.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which Figure 1 is a perspective view of apparatus for engagement with the front chassis cross member of a shopping trolley; Figure 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of Figure 1, engaged with the chassis of a shopping trolley; Figure 3 is a side elevation of a shopping trolley, having the apparatus of Figure 1 engaged therewith; Figure 4 shows a side elevation of a nest of trolleys with the leading trolley being similar to that shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a plan view of the nest of trolleys shown in Figure 4; and Figure 6 is a plan view of an alternative form of apparatus engaged with the chassis of a shopping trolley.

The device is quite simple in design and construction as can be seen in Figure 1 and 2. The device comprises a rectangular steel tube 1 at each end of which is located at right angles an axle support 2. Mounted on the two axles 3 are freely rotating rubber tyred wheels 4, and slidably mounted on the tube 1 are two short lockable steel tubes 5 each with two vertically mounted and fixed supports 6. The tubes 5 are lockable on tube 1 by means of levers 7. Figure 3 illustrates how the device is located on the front portion of a trolley chassis 8, the two slidably mounted supports 6 locating either side of the trolley chassis members 9 locked by means of levers 7, to be located adjacent to the bends on chassis members 9 to prevent any sideways movement of the device.

The distance between the floor and the top of tube 1 is such that it lifts the front castors of the shopping trolley free of the floor, as seen in Figure 3 & 4.

Because the wheels 4 are on a fixed axis parallel to tube 1, the front of the trolley is unable to move sideways as is the case with castors.

Figure 5 illustrates in plan view how the nest of shopping trolleys can be steered from the rear while maintaining directional stability with the device located on the leading trolley. The device enables one person to move and steer a number of shopping trolleys with complete control and will not deviate from the intended direction.

Figure 6 indicates in plan view an alternative arrangement in which a pair of corner brackets 10 with upstanding pags 11 are engaged with both lateral 9a and longitudinal 9b trolley chassis members.

Claims

1 A support apparatus suitable for temporary engagement with the front chassis portion of a shopping trolley to hold front wheels thereof spaced from the ground.

2 A support apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising an elongate member having means of temporary transverse engagement with the front chassis portion of a shopping trolley.

3 A support apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 having wheel means attached thereto for rotation about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongate member.

4 A support appartus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 or claim 3 having temporary engagement means which may be laterally adjustable.

5 A support apparatus as claimed in claim 4 having temporary engagement means which may comprise a U-section or channel members with open end uppermost.

6 A support apparatus as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5 where 2 or more engagement means are slidably mounted on the elongate member.

7 A support apparatus as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4 or claim 5 or claim 6 having temporary engagement means with clamp means for securing in desired position on elongate member.

8 A support apparatus as claimed in claim 7 having temporary engagement means which may be capable of engaging with the longitudinal side members of a shopping trolley chassis and a front portion thereof.

9 A support apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to figures 1-6 of the accompanying drawings.