Lawn and garden cart with pivotable tow bar and container

• US 9,056,573 B1
• Filed: 07/29/2013
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• 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:
  US13/953,455
• Time in Patent Office: 687 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: 1/1
• 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;

a container attached to the frame;

a tow bar having first and second ends;

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;

an arm having first and second opposing ends, the first end of the arm being attached to the container; and

a latch to selectably secure the second end of the arm to the tow bar,

the container being fixed in a loading condition when the arm is secured to the tow bar, the container further being pivotable to an unloading condition when the arm is not secured to the tow bar, and

the tow bar being movable on a first and a second axis with respect to the frame.

2. The towable cart of claim 1, wherein the frame includes a frame portion and an axle portion.

3. The towable cart of claim 2, further including a pair of wheels, a first wheel of the pair of wheels being rotatably attached to a first end of the axle portion and a second wheel of the pair of wheels being rotatably attached to a second, opposing end of the axle portion.

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

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

6. The towable cart of claim 1, wherein the container includes 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.

7. The towable cart of claim 6 wherein the container is fixed in a loading condition with the bottom of the container generally parallel to the tow bar when the arm is secured to the tow bar.

8. The towable cart of claim 1, wherein the second end of the arm includes a notched portion.

9. The towable cart of claim 8, wherein the notched portion of the arm extends into the tow bar when secured thereto.

10. The towable cart of claim 8, wherein the latch further comprises:

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.

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

12. A towable cart, comprising:

a frame, the frame including a frame portion, a first axle portion and a second axle portion;

a container attached to the frame;

a first wheel and a second wheel, the first wheel being rotatably attached to the first axle portion and the second wheel being rotatably attached to the second axle portion;

a tow bar having first and second ends;

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;

an arm having first and second opposing ends, the first end of the arm being attached to the container, the second end of the arm having a notched portion; and

a latch to selectably secure the second end of the arm to the tow bar, the notched portion of the arm extending into the tow bar when secured thereto,

the container being fixed in a loading condition when the arm is secured to the tow bar, the container further being pivotable to an unloading condition when the arm is not secured to the tow bar, and

the tow bar being movable on a first and a second axis with respect to the frame.

13. A towable cart, comprising:

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

a container 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;

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, a notched portion extending from the second end of the arm; and

a latch to releasably secure the arm to the tow bar, the latch including;

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,

the container being fixed in a loading condition when the arm is secured to the tow bar, the container further being pivotable to an unloading condition when the arm is not secured to the tow bar.