Load Supporting Frame Patents (Class 280/33.997)
  • Patent number: 6926291
    Abstract: A shopping cart has a wheeled base, a rear frame projecting upwardly from the rear end of the base with a handle at its upper end, and a basket having a rear end secured to the frame and projecting forwardly from the frame at a spacing above the base. The basket is closed by a pivoted rear gate at its rear end. A fixed child seat is secured to the cart adjacent the upper end of the rear frame so as to project forwardly from the rear frame above the basket. Two or more carts can be nested together by pushing the front wall of the basket of a first cart through the rear frame beneath the fixed child seat of a second cart, simultaneously pivoting the rear gate upwardly to allow the basket of the first cart to enter the basket of the second cart. Removable caster lifts may be located on the base such that the rear wheels of a forward cart are lifted when two carts are nested.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Inventor: V. John Ondrasik
  • Patent number: 6923456
    Abstract: In a shopping cart, which is nestable into a preceding, similarly constructed cart and into which a following, similarly constructed cart is nestable, a chassis has front and rear casters including two rear, transversely spaced casters and has two generally longitudinal members, each extending along one side of the chassis, on which two camming elements are mounted. A transversely extending member is mounted to and bridges the longitudinal members. The transversely extending member is adapted to be upwardly cammed by the camming elements of a following, similarly constructed cart, which is being nested into the shopping cart, so as to elevate the rear casters of the shopping cart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: Unarco Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark T. Ryan, Richard Wilkinson
  • Publication number: 20050104307
    Abstract: There is provided a shopping cart comprising a shopping cart basket with a vertically movable bottom wall. The vertical movement of the bottom wall is controlled by two pairs of springs. The first pair of springs has a first maximum load capacity, while the second pair of springs has a second maximum load capacity that is greater than the load capacity of the first pair of springs. The first pair of springs is connected to either the fore or aft corners of the bottom wall. The second pair of springs is connected to the side edges of the bottom wall. Low-friction, non-binding rollers are attached to the upper end of each spring and engage respective guide posts. Preferably, to avoid trapping items (or fingers) in the side walls of the shopping cart basket as the bottom wall lowers, the side walls of the shopping cart are initially collapsed and subsequently expand as the bottom wall lowers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2004
    Publication date: May 19, 2005
    Inventor: Bruce Roseman
  • Patent number: 6857642
    Abstract: A dolly and a tray and dolly assembly are provided. The dolly has a floor with upper and lower surfaces and with one or more features such that when the tray floor is received on the dolly floor, the feature interlocks the tray with the dolly. One feature is a plurality of protruding members extending upwardly from the dolly floor upper surface into openings in the tray floor to interlock the tray with the dolly. Another feature is the presence of dolly side wall locking portions configured to abut and mate with corresponding tray side wall bottom locking portions on the tray to interlock the dolly with the tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Rehrig Pacific Company
    Inventor: Robert V. Gruber
  • Publication number: 20050012283
    Abstract: A new shopping cart includes a wheeled base having forward and rear portions, a pedestal formed on the base for supporting a container or basket thereon, where the pedestal is secured to the base at a location between the forward and rearward ends of the base, and the container is supported on the pedestal so that the rear of the container is disposed forwardly of the rear of the base, and the cart as a whole exhibits a lowered center of gravity. The cart also includes an upwardly extensive handle member, and the pedestal includes a surface for supporting the rear of the basket fowardly of the rear of the base. The basket is hung from the handle member at a location disposed a substantial distance from the upper part of the handle member. A pair of connecting rods attaches the handle member to the rear of the pedestal to support the latter against excessive longitudinal forces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2003
    Publication date: January 20, 2005
    Inventors: James Prather, Patrick Maandag
  • Publication number: 20050012284
    Abstract: A new shopping cart includes a wheeled base having forward and rear portions, a pedestal formed on the base for supporting a container or basket thereon, where the pedestal is secured to the base at a location between the forward and rearward ends of the base, and the container is supported on the pedestal so that the rear of the container is disposed forwardly of the rear of the base, and the cart as a whole exhibits a lowered center of gravity. The cart also includes an upwardly extensive handle member, and the pedestal includes a surface for supporting the rear of the basket fowardly of the rear of the base. The basket is hung from the handle member at a location disposed a substantial distance from the upper part of the handle member. A pair of connecting rods attaches the handle member to the rear of the pedestal to support the latter against excessive longitudinal forces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2003
    Publication date: January 20, 2005
    Inventors: James Prather, Patrick Maandag
  • Patent number: 6808184
    Abstract: The present invention is a shopping cart for manually transporting goods from one location to another, it includes a bottom frame with a plurality of wheels connected thereto, a vertical support connected to the bottom frame and extending upwardly therefrom to support a basket. The basket has a rigid bottom, an open top, a front, and a back, and two side walls. Each of the side walls includes at least one top member connected to the front and the back. The side walls, front and back, each establish corners where they connect to one another, and these corners include at least one substantially vertical rigid member. The side walls each include a flexible, elastically expandable member connected to the top member and elsewhere to the basket. The flexible, elastically expandable member may be open mesh or sheet, and may be a partial panel. Optionally the flexible, elastically expandable material may be included in the front of the cart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Inventor: Marc L. Ames
  • Patent number: 6793223
    Abstract: A wheeled cart has a generally flat base platform with a plurality of wheels supporting the platform above the ground. A handle frame extends upwardly from the rear end of the cart. The platform has a plurality of spaced, upwardly facing supports for releasably mounting accessories on the platform to extend upwardly from the platform. Accessories are provided for conversion of the cart between stocking and other purposes, including at least one horizontal support panel for supporting items at a location spaced above the platform and at least one vertical support frame for holding items at predetermined locations on the platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Precision Wire Racks and Carts, Inc.
    Inventors: V. John Ondrasik, Miguel J. Orozco
  • Publication number: 20040135330
    Abstract: A metal wire rod shopping cart wherein a reinforced display frame is integrated in a wall of at least one of a front wall, opposed side walls or the backrest wall of a baby seat compartment. The reinforced display frame is a U-shaped metal channel defined by opposed parallel side channel members and an integral transverse end channel member disposed in a common plane. The channel members have longitudinal slots having a slot opening facing inwardly to one another. A metal panel sheet is secured substantially centrally in said slots of at least said opposed parallel side channel members to divide the slots to form an outer and inner slot adjacent an outer and inner side wall of the metal panel sheet whereby to receive a promotional sheet having display material thereon in sliding fit over the outer and inner side walls between opposed parallel ones of the outer and inner slots.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Applicant: Cari-All, Inc.
    Inventor: Antoine Trubiano
  • Publication number: 20030155731
    Abstract: A wheeled cart for use in a grocery store to fill multiple orders simultaneously includes a body supported by wheels. The body has at least one opening for storing totes to be filled with bags of groceries. The totes are taken to a delivery truck after being filled at the grocery store. The wheeled cart has an inverted U-shaped top rail to which are secured a printer and a scanner. A computer base secured to the cart supports a computer. The printer, scanner and computer are powered by a battery housed in the cart.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2002
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Applicant: The Kroger Co.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Richard Ditges, Joseph Michael Bollig
  • Patent number: 6607199
    Abstract: A dolly and a tray and dolly assembly are provided. The dolly has a floor with upper and lower surfaces and with one or more features such that when the tray floor is received on the dolly floor, the feature interlocks the tray with the dolly. One feature is a plurality of protruding members extending upwardly from the dolly floor upper surface into openings in the tray floor to interlock the tray with the dolly. Another features is the presence of dolly side wall locking portions configured to abut and mate with corresponding tray side wall bottom locking portions on the tray to interlock the dolly with the tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Rehrig Pacific Company
    Inventor: Robert V. Gruber
  • Publication number: 20030151217
    Abstract: A business method and a shopping cart for use with that method is described. The shopping cart has an articles carrying basket which is secured to a frame displaceable on casters by a user person. The basket has a bottom wall, opposed side walls, a front wall, a rear gate assembly and an open top end. The method comprises the steps of providing at least one display frame in a surface of at least one of the front wall and opposed side walls. A promotional sheet having display material thereon is also provided for removable attachment to the at least one display frame. The display material contains an imagery and/or written material of promotional content whereby to increase the sale of a promotional product which is displayed or described on the sheet and for a predetermined period of time. The promotional sheet is changed after the predetermined period of time to provide a further promotion during a further predetermined period of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2002
    Publication date: August 14, 2003
    Inventor: Antoine Trubiano
  • Publication number: 20030151219
    Abstract: A shopping cart with dedicated multi-compartments is described. There are five distinct compartments which are shallow and formed of wire mesh to provide visibility of the articles in the compartments whereby a person can quickly examine the articles placed in each of the compartments to ascertain their nature. Also, the size and location of the compartments provides for the placement and separation of different types of articles which either need to be separated from one another and permit lower support for the placement of heavy objects. The provision of such multi-compartments also prevents articles from being damaged or odor contaminated by other articles positioned in the same compartments. Casters are disposed on the outer periphery of the frame of the shopping cart, wherein the load in the multi-compartments remains between the casters to provide stability, and preventing tipping of the shopping cart.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2002
    Publication date: August 14, 2003
    Inventor: Gilles Simard
  • Patent number: 6540239
    Abstract: A foldable utility cart (10) is provided having a main basket (15), an auxiliary basket (34), a pair of front wheels (12), a pair of rear wheels (14) and a pair of auxiliary wheels (46). The primary basket (15) is formed from a plurality of links pivotally connecting a front mesh panel (16) with a rear mesh panel (18). Thus, the primary basket (15) may be folded for storage. Further, auxiliary basket (34) is similarly foldable, having a plurality of side links (41) pivotally connected to a pair of vertical rods (39, 43). Additionally, the foldable, auxiliary basket (34) has a pair of auxiliary leg members (42) pivotally extending from a lower link (40) thereof. Auxiliary wheels (46) are affixed to the lowermost ends of the auxiliary leg members (42) and allow the auxiliary wheels (46) to be folded against the rear mesh panel (18) when not required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Inventor: Edward W. Lee, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6446986
    Abstract: The present invention is a shopping cart for manually transporting goods from one location to another, it includes a bottom frame with a plurality of wheels connected thereto, a vertical support connected to the bottom frame and extending upwardly therefrom to support a basket. The basket has a rigid bottom, an open top, a front and a back, and two side walls. Each of the side walls includes at least one top member connected to the front and the back, and further includes a flexible, elastically expandable member connected to the top member and elsewhere to the basket. The flexible, elastically expandable member may be open mesh or sheet, and may be a partial panel. Optionally the flexible, elastically expandable material may be included in the front of the cart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Inventor: Marc L. Ames
  • Patent number: 6364326
    Abstract: A child carriers accessory attachable to a shopping or luggage cart which does not significantly reduce the functionality of the cart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: Four D Incorporated
    Inventors: Mary J. Reiland, Kenneth H. Reiland
  • Publication number: 20010010419
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a utility space without decreasing the space for passenger seats, by providing a utility function to a meal service cart and using the meal service cart after finishing the meal service as a bar counter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2001
    Publication date: August 2, 2001
    Applicant: Jamco Corporation
    Inventor: Toshihisa Kasuya
  • Patent number: 6260863
    Abstract: A nestable lumber cart has a wheeled base having a front end, a rear end, and opposite sides, the sides of the base tapering outwardly from the front end to the rear end of the cart, an outer side wall extending along at least part of the length of each side from the rear end of the base, and a pair of spaced inner side walls extending along at least part of the base from the rear end of the cart and spaced inwardly from the respective outer side wall. The inner side walls define a central channel for supporting flat panels in an upright orientation, and each inner side wall and adjacent outer side wall defines a side channel on a respective side of the central channel for supporting beams. Each side wall has an outward taper matching that of the base sides from the front to the rear end of the cart. The base of the cart is designed to permit nesting so that the front end of one cart can nest into the rear end of another cart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Inventors: Miguel J. Orozco, V. John Ondrasik