UTILITY MACHINE WITH DUAL-MODE STEERING

• US 20110109054A1
• Filed: 11/10/2009
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dane Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Dane Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Holtan, Paul David, Dvorak, Andrew L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,010,771 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/47.11
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2301/05 Details of the attachment of the wheel assembly to the chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/001 Steering devices
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0026 Propulsion aids
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0079 Towing by connecting to another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/063 for low-lift hand trucks

Abstract

An apparatus for transporting carts including a machine body, a steering control arranged on the body, a steering pedestal pivotally arranged with respect to the body, and a selection mechanism adapted to be selectively coupleable between the body and the steering pedestal providing for a caster mode and a steering mode respectively. A method of using a dual mode utility machine including depressing a first lever thereby engaging a pivoting selector into a steering pedestal engaging position and controlling the direction of the machine by rotatably manipulating a tiller, and depressing a second lever thereby disengaging the pivoting selector from a steering pedestal engaging position to a body engaging position and controlling the direction of the machine by pushing and/or pulling a machine from side to side via a fixed tiller.

Claims

1. An apparatus for transporting carts comprising:

a machine body;

a steering control arranged on the body;

a steering pedestal pivotally arranged with respect to the body; and

a selection mechanism adapted to be selectively coupleable between the body and the steering pedestal providing for a caster mode and a steering mode respectively.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selection mechanism includes a pivoting selector pivotally positionable between a body engaging position and a pedestal engaging position.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the body engaging position provides the caster mode and the pedestal engaging position provides the steering mode.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the body further comprises a fixing element, the fixing element being engageable by the pivoting selector in a body engaging position.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the fixing element comprises a turn center plate.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the turn center plate further comprises a centering notch.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the pivoting selector includes a body engagement feature adapted to engage the fixing element.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the body engagement feature includes a stepped feature adapted to engage the centering notch.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the pivoting selector comprises a guide bar.

10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the pivoting selector further comprises a pedal fixedly connected to the pivoting selector, wherein depressing the pedal positions the pivoting selector in the pedestal engaging position.

11. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a locking latch adapted to engage the pivoting selector.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a pedal pivotally positioned on the steering pedestal, the locking latch being positioned on the pedal, wherein depressing the pedal releases the pivoting selector.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a biasing mechanism configured to bias the pivoting selector in a body engaging position, wherein depressing the pedal pivotally disengages the locking latch from the pivoting selector and the biasing mechanism causes the pivoting selector to rotate into the body engaging position.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the steering mechanism comprises a tiller.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the tiller includes a control interface.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the steering pedestal comprises a caster having a caster wheel and a caster yoke.

17. An apparatus for transporting carts comprising:

a machine body;

a steering control arranged on the body;

a steering pedestal pivotally arranged with respect to the body; and

a means for selectively coupling between a steerable mode and a caster mode, wherein;

the steerable mode includes coupling the steering control to the steering pedestal while allowing the each of the steering control and steering pedestal to rotate freely with respect to the body; and

the caster mode includes coupling the steering control to the body to prevent rotation of the steering control while freeing the steering pedestal allowing free rotation of the steering pedestal.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the means for selectively coupling is pivotally positioned on the steering control and the steering pedestal is rotatably connected to the steering control.

19. A method of using a dual mode utility machine comprising:

depressing a first lever thereby engaging a pivoting selector into a steering pedestal engaging position and controlling the direction of the machine by rotatably manipulating a tiller; and

depressing a second lever thereby disengaging the pivoting selector from a steering pedestal engaging position to a body engaging position and controlling the direction of the machine by pushing and/or pulling a machine from side to side via a fixed tiller.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the pivoting selector includes a guide bar pivotally positioned on a yoke plate and adapted to selectively engage the steering pedestal or the body of the utility machine.