Lawn and garden cart with pivotable tow bar and container

• US 8,496,298 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2010
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ohio Steel Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ohio Steel Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Martini, Thomas P., Montag, Patrick, Podrosky, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): GORDON, STEPHEN T
• Application Number:
  US12/875,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20110049825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 298/5, 298/9, 298/10, 298/17.R, 298/17.T, 298/38, 298/17.SG, 280/479.3, 280/493, 280/494, 414/482, 414/483, 414/485
• US Class Current: 298/5
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/04 with a tipping movement of load-transporting element dredgers or soil-shifting machines E02F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/24 using the weight of the load

Abstract

A towable cart. At least one axle is coupled to a frame. A bottom of a container is also attached to the frame. Each of a pair of wheels are rotatably attached to the axle. A tow bar has first and second ends, the first end of the tow bar being pivotably coupled to one of the frame and the axle. An arm has first and second opposing ends, the first end of the arm being attached to the container and the second end of the arm being selectably secured to the tow bar. The container is fixed in a loading condition when the arm is secured to the tow bar, the container and the frame further being pivotable to an unloading condition when the arm is not secured to the tow bar.

Claims

1. A towable cart, comprising:

a frame, the frame including a frame portion and at least one axle portion;

a container having a bottom, a front wall, an opposing rear wall, and a pair of spaced-apart sidewalls, the bottom of the container being attached to the frame;

a pair of wheels, each wheel being rotatably attached to the at least one axle portion;

a tow bar having first and second ends, the first end of the tow bar being coupled to the frame, the tow bar being movable on a first and a second axis with respect to the frame; and

an arm having first and second opposing ends, the first end of the arm being attached to the container and the second end of the arm extending into and being selectably secured to the tow bar,

the container being fixed in a loading condition with the bottom generally parallel to the tow bar when the arm is secured to the tow bar, the container and the frame further being pivotable to an unloading condition when the arm is not secured to the tow bar.

2. The towable cart of claim 1, further including:

a bracket intermediate the first end of the tow bar and the frame, the bracket being rotatably attached to the first end of the tow bar and pivotably coupled to the frame.

3. The towable cart of claim 2 wherein the bracket further includes a pair of spaced-apart tabs, the tabs being pivotably coupled to the at least one axle portion of the frame.

4. The towable cart of claim 3, further including a support spacer, the support spacer being intermediate the tabs of the bracket.

5. The towable cart of claim 1, further comprising a hitch attached to the second end of the tow bar.

6. The towable cart of claim 5 wherein the hitch is one of a ball hitch, a drawbar hitch, a sleeve hitch, or a three-point hitch.

7. The towable cart of claim 1, further comprising a latch to releasably secure the arm to the tow bar.

8. The towable cart of claim 7, further including a notched portion extending from the second end of the arm, the latch further comprising:

a slidable member to selectably engage the notched portion;

a biasing element to urge the slidable member into engagement with the notched portion; and

a lever pivotably coupled to the tow bar and slidably coupled to the slidable member,

wherein the lever, when actuated, urges the slidable member away from the notched portion, releasing the arm from the tow bar.

9. The towable cart of claim 1 wherein the frame portion is generally V-shaped.

10. The towable cart of claim 1 wherein the wheels include:

a rim; and

a tire coupled to the rim.

11. The towable cart of claim 1 wherein the wheels are formed from a unitary piece of material.

12. The towable cart of claim 1 wherein the at least one axle portion comprises a pair of axles, a first one of the pair of wheels being rotatably attached to a first one of the pair of axles and a second one of the pair of wheels being rotatably attached to a second one of the pair of axles.

13. The towable cart of claim 1 wherein the at least one axle portion is an elongate axle, a first one of the pair of wheels being rotatably attached to a first end of the axle and a second one of the pair of wheels being rotatably attached to a second, opposing end of the axle.

14. The towable cart of claim 1 wherein the tow bar has one of a rectangular shape, a U-shape, a closed rectangular box shape, or a generally circular shape.