Patents Assigned to United Steel & Wire Company
  • Patent number: 7237782
    Abstract: A vertically swingable rear gate assembly for closing an open rear side of a shopping cart basket. The gate assembly includes a monolithic one-piece plate-like molded plastic gate member sized to substantially close off the rear side of the basket. A rigid one-piece connecting frame is disposed primarily adjacent a rear side of the gate member and includes a pair of generally transversely aligned top hinge parts for vertical hinged connection to the shopping cart. The connecting frame, adjacent an upper edge, has a downwardly-opening, transverse channel structure which engages over and confines an upper edge portion of the gate member. The lower part of the connecting frame is fixedly joined to the gate member at a location adjacent the bottom edge thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: United Steel & Wire Company
    Inventors: James B. Tucker, Verlyn C. Ruger, Larry S. Hubbard
  • Patent number: 6981708
    Abstract: A molded plastic basket associated with a wheeled shopping cart, which plastic basket has a generally U-shaped support rod engaged within an elongate channel extending along upper edges of the side and front walls of the basket. The support rod has constructional features to provide for desirable supportive engagement and reinforcement of the upper edge of the basket while at the same time permitting coupling of the support rod and basket to the rear frame uprights to facilitate assembly while providing desirable load transmission from the basket to the upright frame elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Assignee: United Steel & Wire Company
    Inventors: James B. Tucker, Verlyn C. Ruger, Larry S. Hubbard
  • Patent number: 5401042
    Abstract: A wheeled nestable shopping cart having a wheeled base on which an upwardly-opening shopping basket is fixedly mounted. A handle is fixedly positioned adjacent the rear end of the basket. The base is formed primarily by three one-piece U-shaped rearwardly opening members. The first U member defines a base frame and mounts casters adjacent the front or bight end thereof, and rear wheels adjacent the free ends of the side legs. The second U member has an elevated U-shaped portion which directly supports the bottom wall of the basket adjacent the rear end thereof, and has rear leg portions which project down and rigidly secure to the side legs of the base frame adjacent the rear ends thereof. The third U member functions to provide vertical load support between the first and second members, and to prevent storage of goods on the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1995
    Assignee: United Steel & Wire Company
    Inventor: Verlyn C. Ruger
  • Patent number: 5235767
    Abstract: An advertisement display unit for use with the sidewall of a shopping cart basket, which display unit includes an enlarged platelike base member and a ring-shaped cover member hingedly coupled to the base member and swingable between an open position and a closed position wherein it overlies the base member for clamping a sheetlike advertisement therebetween. The cover and base members define a separable hinge structure which provides a desirable hinge connection which enables the cover member to swing to an open position and be supportingly maintained in the open position, but which also enables the cover member to be vertically lifted upwardly when in the open position so as to slidably separate the hinge to totally disconnect the cover member from the base member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1993
    Assignee: United Steel & Wire Company
    Inventors: Dewey J. Waterman, Gregory W. Ferris
  • Patent number: 5074570
    Abstract: A shopping cart having a side-opening gate arrangement associated with one of the basket side walls. The gate at its upper edge has a latch arrangement which cooperates with the adjacent side walls to simply but securely maintain the gate in its closed position. The lower edge of the gate is disposed in guided slidable engagement with guide structure which is fixed to the basket adjacent the opposite lower corners of the opening. The gate is opened by the cashier lifting the gate a small amount to release the latch, slightly pulling it forwardly and then permitting the weight of the gate to move it downwardly into an opened position, under the control of the cashier's hand, so that the gate is generally suspended below the bottom wall of the basket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1991
    Assignee: United Steel & Wire Company
    Inventors: Gregory W. Ferris, Dewey J. Waterman
  • Patent number: 4968047
    Abstract: A shopping cart having an upwardly-opening basket supported on a wheeled base. The basket has a pivotally-mounted rear gate to permit nesting of like carts. A bracket structure is hingedly suported on the cart handle, and has a frame structure disposed generally in the vicinity between the cart handle and the rear edge of the basket. The frame structure is adpated to mount a small video unit thereon. The bracket structure also has stops which engage the side supports for the handle and limit the bracket structure for swinging movement between raised and lowered positions. The bracket structure wil automatically swing upwardly to its raised position in response to nesting of like carts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 6, 1990
    Assignee: United Steel & Wire Company
    Inventor: Gregory W. Ferris
  • Patent number: 4883281
    Abstract: A bumper for a shopping cart basket is molded of an elastomeric plastics material which is relatively soft and provides the bumper with desirable cushioning effect. The bumper is sized to extend substantially the full vertical extent of the basket front corner. The bumper has rounded convex and concave outer and inner surfaces respectively to provide a smooth outer configuration and a smooth inner configuration which snugly mounts against the cart basket. The bumper has pairs of vertically-spaced inwardly projecting mounting flanges integrally molded thereon and provided adjacent the upper and lower ends thereof, which pairs respectively straddle one of the uppermost and lowermost horizontal basket wires. The bumper also has one or more intermediate mounting flanges which also project inwardly for vertical disposition between the upper and lower pairs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1989
    Assignee: United Steel & Wire Company
    Inventor: Dewey J. Waterman
  • Patent number: 4875695
    Abstract: A shopping cart of the over-the-counter type having a baby seat assembly provided with a one-piece back rest unit which includes an upright back rest extending between upright arms associated with a pair of sidewardly-spaced L-shaped supports. These supports have lower generally horizontally extending arms which project rearwardly from the back rest and have the rearward free ends thereof formed with loops for hinged support on a cross rod associated with the rear wall of the basket. The back rest has its lower cross rod spaced upwardly a substantial distance from the bottom wall or seat part of the basket. The back rest can be swung upwardly and rearwardly over the rear wall so as to provide substantial clearance for goods stored on the seat part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1989
    Assignee: United Steel & Wire Company
    Inventors: Ronald L. Badger, Michael Pejakovich
  • Patent number: 4777888
    Abstract: A shelf arrangement adapted to be mounted on an upright wall in cantilevered relationship thereto, which arrangement includes a wire shelf releasably supported by a pair of underlying brackets. The brackets attach to and project in cantilevered relationship from the wall by wall clamps which fixedly attach to the wall. Each bracket has upper and lower legs which, at their rearward ends, terminate in a pair of sidewardly-spaced leg portions which terminate in a pair of sidewardly-spaced hooks which engage a respective wall clamp. The wall clamp has sidewardly-spaced hook receiving parts, and also has a center part which accommodates fasteners for direct attachment to a wall, particularly to an underlying wall stud. A pair of shelf supports project upwardly from the bracket and have, at their upper ends, rearwardly-opening hook parts which engage front and rear support rods which are fixed to the shelf and extend longitudinally thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1988
    Assignee: United Steel & Wire Company
    Inventors: Dewey J. Waterman, David V. Kavnor
  • Patent number: 4750626
    Abstract: A corner structure, specifically for a shelving unit, which is formed by three one-piece members. The first member comprises a plastic sleeve having an external conical configuration, the sleeve being axially split throughout its length to facilitate elastic spreading so that it can be moved transversely into surrounding gripping engagement with a post. The second member involves a channel-like corner piece which is preferably welded directly to a shelf adjacent a corner thereof, this corner piece defining an arcuate channel which permits it to snugly embrace one side of the plastic sleeve. The third member comprises a strap which also has a channel adapted to embrace an opposite side of the plastic sleeve. The strap and corner piece having cooperating wedge structures which lockingly join the strap and corner piece together to effectively define a closed collar having an internal conical bore which is maintained in snug clamping engagement with the exterior conical surface of the plastic sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 14, 1988
    Assignee: United Steel & Wire Company
    Inventor: Charles W. Nicely
  • Patent number: 4637323
    Abstract: A shelving unit wherein each corner of the shelf has a platelike bracket rigidly associated therewith. A corner structure coacts between each bracket and a respective corner post, which post is preferably of tubular cross section and has dimplelike recesses formed therein at selected vertically spaced intervals. The corner structure employs a strap which surrounds the post and creates intimate clamping contact with the post over approximately one-half of the external periphery thereof. This strap also preferably has interior projections which engage the dimples on the post. The corner structure also employs a corner piece which is stationarily secured to the bracket. The corner piece includes a downwardly cantilevered wedge having a front surface for engaging the periphery of the post over approximately one-half the extent thereof. The wedge vertically slidably engages within a wedgelike slot formed between the strap and the post to effect clamping of the post between the strap and corner piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1987
    Assignee: United Steel & Wire Company
    Inventor: Charles W. Nicely
  • Patent number: 4632411
    Abstract: A shopping cart having a wheeled base assembly constructed primarily from metal tubing, a separate handle assembly constructed from metal tubing and projecting upwardly adjacent the rear of the base assembly, and a basket assembly having a one-piece plastic basket rigidly secured to the base and handle assemblies. The bottom wall of the basket has a rear edge reinforcing member extending therealong and defining a longitudinally extending groove which opens downwardly. A horizontal support tube extends transversely of the cart adjacent the rear of the base and is rigidly connected across the legs of the handle assembly. This support tube is disposed within the groove for supporting the rear edge of the basket bottom wall. The base has an upright extending transversely thereacross intermediate the ends thereof, which upright supportingly engages a transversely extending portion integrally associated with the basket bottom wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1986
    Assignee: United Steel & Wire Company
    Inventor: Ronald L. Badger
  • Patent number: 4627543
    Abstract: A shelving unit employing a corner structure formed by two cooperative clamping members having a wedge relationship therebetween, one of the members being fixedly or removably attached to the shelf and the other being disposed so as to removably surround a support port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1986
    Assignee: United Steel & Wire Company
    Inventor: Charles W. Nicely
  • Patent number: 4600204
    Abstract: A shopping cart having an upwardly opening basket supported on a wheeled base. The basket includes a front wall rigidly joined between a pair of side walls through intermediate front corners. The front and side walls are defined by intersecting wire rods which extend vertically and horizontally to form a gridlike construction. The horizontal wires are normally positioned outermost relative to the vertical wires and are substantially vertically spaced apart. An elongated striplike plastic bumper is positioned to extend longitudinally along and conform with each of the vertical front corners of the basket. The bumper is of a substantially L-shaped cross section and has an inner surface which enables it to conform to and abut against several of the vertically spaced horizontal wires. Upper and lower hooks associated with the bumper project inwardly and downwardly to engage a pair of vertically spaced horizontal wires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1985
    Date of Patent: July 15, 1986
    Assignee: United Steel & Wire Company
    Inventor: Ronald L. Badger
  • Patent number: 4544171
    Abstract: A shopping cart having an anti-sway bracket secured to the rear cross wire of the basket bottom wall for sidewardly confining the central vertical wires of the rear gate when in its closed position for minimizing side sway of the basket. This bracket comprises a single wire element which is shaped like a "W" and is suitably welded to the rear cross wire of the basket bottom wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1985
    Assignee: United Steel & Wire Company
    Inventor: Guy Kellogg
  • Patent number: D523207
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: United Steel & Wire Company
    Inventors: James B. Tucker, Verlyn C. Ruger
  • Patent number: D525008
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: United Steel & Wire Company
    Inventor: Larry S. Hubbard
  • Patent number: D526106
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: United Steel & Wire Company
    Inventors: James B. Tucker, Larry S. Hubbard, Verlyn C. Ruger
  • Patent number: D528732
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: United Steel & Wire Company
    Inventors: Larry S. Hubbard, Verlyn C. Ruger
  • Patent number: D326550
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1992
    Assignee: United Steel & Wire Company
    Inventor: Dewey J. Waterman