Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present invention relates to an improved
handle construction for a shopping car-t.
In my Canadian Patent 1,007,~79, issued March 29,
1977, I disclosed therein a handle for a shopping cart and
wherein the handle can carry advertising material thereon.
Since then I have improved this handle both structurally and
to provide additional features.
It is therefore a feature of the present invention
to provide an improved handle construction for a shopping
cart of the push-type and wherein the handle provides adver-
tising material therein which is easily interchangeable.
A further feature of the present invention is to
provide an improved handle constr~lction for a shopping cart
of the push-type wherein the handle is positively secured
to the push cart to prevent accidental removal therefxom.
According to the above features, from a broad
aspect, the present invention provides a handle for a shopping
cart of the push-type. I'he handle comprises an elongated
open-ended structural tubular member having a pair of opposed
longitudinal flat walls and a pair of parallel side walls
therebetween. A transparent tubular member is provided about
the structural member and having arresting means on diametri-
cally opposed portions of an inner face thereof. The arrest-
ing means abuts a respective one of the flat walls to prevent
relative rotational displacement about the structural tubular
member wlhilst permitting longitudinal sliding displacement
therewith. An elongated strip is slidingly received over at
least one of the side walls of the pair of side walls in a
space intermediate the one of said side walls and the inner
3G face of the transparent tubular member adja~ent thereto.
Elongated strip has printed matter on at least one visible
surface thereof. A threaded fastener is spaced inwardly at
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each open end of the structural tubular member. A pair of
tabs is crimped in at least a pair of opposed walls adjacent
each end of the structural tubular member. The tabs of each
pair of tabs are spaced apart to form inward deformations on
an inner face of the structural tubular member to immovably
secure the fastener therein. The fastener provides attach-
ment of the structural member to an opposed wire loop portion ~`
of a handle support frame of a shopping cart whereby the
transparent tubular member is retained from opposed ends over
the open-ended tubular structural member and the elongated
strip is retained captive in the space by the wire loop portion.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention will
now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings
in which:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, partly fragmented
of the handle construction of the present invention;
FIGURE 2 is a fragmented perspective end view of
the structural tubular member.
FIGURE 3 is an end view of the handle construction
of the present invention, and
FIGURE 4 is a partly section end view of the handle
construction showing its attachment to a handle support frame
of the shopping cart.
Referring now to the drawings and more particularly
to Figure 1, there is shown generally at 10 the handle con-
struction for attachment to a shopping cart (not shown) of the
push-type. The handle comprises an elongated open ended
structural tubular member 11 having a transparent tubular
mem~er 12 slidingly received thereover. An elongated strip
13 is slidingly received between the transparent tubular
member 12 and the structural tubular member 11. Prin~ed
matter 14 is provided on the elongated strip 13.
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Referring now additionally to Figures 2 to 4, it can
be seen that -the structural tubular member 11 defines a pair of
opposed longitudinal flat walls 15 and a pair of parallel side
walls 16 therebetween~ As hereinshown the side walls 16 are
constituted by a single flat wall but this side wall may con- -
sist of two angular fla-t wall sections or other convenient
shaped side wall. The strip 13 could also consist of two
strip sections or a formed strip section having a cross-section
to match a formed side wall 16.
As shown in Figure 3, the transparent tubùlar member
12 is provided with arresting means 17 in the form of depending . .
ribs provided in opposite inner face portions 18 of the trans-
parent tubular member 12. These ribs are formed integral with
the cylinder transparent tubular me:mber 12, and extend to a
plane which is coextensive with the longitudinal flat walls -
15 of the structural tubular member 11. These ribs 17 abut
t'ne outer surface of the flat walls 15 and prevent relative ~: :
rotational displacement of the transparent tubular member 12
about the structural tubular member 11 but ~ermit longitudinal
sliding displacement axially therewith. ~ .
As also clearly shown in Figure 3, the elongated . ~ -
strip 13 is slidingly received over at least one of the side
walls 16, herein shown twostrips 13 over each side wall 16,
and retained therein by the transparent tubular member 12.
: The elongated strip 13 is rounded at the end edges 30 for
- better sliding fit with the inner surface 19 of the transparent
tubular member 12. The printed matter 14 on one of the strips :
13 may contain advertisi-ng material while the printed matter
- on the other strip may contain the name of the store where the
30 shopping cart is used and its address whereby when a cart is
misplaced outside a building, such as in a shopping center
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parking area, it may be returned to its rightful owner.
Referring now to Figures 2 and 4, there is shown a
fastener 20 retained inwardly within each open end 21 of the
structural tubular member 11. The fastener 20 is constituted
by a nut having a threaded bore 22 positioned centrally there-
through. The fastener 20 is retained spaced inwardly at each
open end 20 by a pair of tabs 23 crimped in at least a pair
of opposed side walls 15 or 16. In this particular embodiment
a pair of tabs is provided in the flat walls 15 and the side
wall 16. The tabs 23 of each pair of tabs are spaced apart
to form inward deformations 24 on the inner face 25 of the
structural tubular member to immovably secure the fastener 20
within the structural tubular member 11.
The fastener 20 or threaded nut has a plastic bushing
26 secured coextensive with its threaded bore 22 to immovably
retaln the threaded shaft portion 2'7 of an attachment bolt 28.
As shown in Figure 4, the handle 10 is secured to a handle
support frame, herein showing a loop portion 29 thereof by
inserting the attachment bolt 20 through the loop portion 29
and into the threaded bore 22 of the fastener 20,
In order to secure the fastener 20 inside the tube,
in operation the fastener 20 is positioned over a circular
shaft which extends through the threaded bore 22 and the nut
is arrested on this shaft (not shown) at a predetermined
position. The shaft is then inserted in the open end of the
structural member to precisely position the n~t at its desired -
position. A dye then forms the tabs 23 by crimping opposite
walls of the structural tubular member 11. The shaft is then
withdrawn and the opera-tion is repeated for the opposed end of
the structural tubular member. The purpose of attaching the
fastener 20 in the manner describad above eliminates the use
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of welding which would apply heat to the fastener 20 and deform
the plastic or rubber bushing 26. As hereinabove described
the purpose of the bushing is to immovably retain the bolt 28
to prevent detachment of -the bolt which would cause the handle
to be detached and therefore permitting the removal of the
strips 13 and the identification of the proprietor of the
shopping cart. In order to remove the bolt 28 it is necessary
to use a wrench because of this positive retention. Also as
shown in Figure 4, the loop 29 prevents longitudinal or axial
sliding displacement of the transparent tubular member 12 with
the structural member and also retains the elongated strips
13 in position.
It is within the ambit of the present invention to
cover any obvious modification of the preferred embodiment
described herein provided such modifications fall within the
ambit of the broad claims appended hereto.
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