Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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GAS CYLINDER TRA~SPORTING CARRIER
The invention relates to a gas cylinder transporting carrier.
The traditional method of transporting gas cylinders, which
can weigh up to 150 kilos, has been to manually tilt the cylinders
and roll the cylinders about their lower ends. A disadvantage of ;
5 this method is that much physical strength is required to transport
the cylinders. Further one can easily cause a gas cylinder so
transported to fall, thereby possibly damaging the cylinder body
or breaking off its valve. Such a damage might be hazardous in
view of the risk of gas coming free from the cylinder.
Another known method of transporting gas cylinders is to use
a two-wheeled carrier having a supporting plate. When using such
a carrier, the cylinder to be transported is tilted backwards
with one hand while the supporting plate is forced under the
cylinder. The carrier is then tilted backwards and at the same
15 time the cylinder must be tipped backwards in order to lift the
cyiinder for transport. To prevent the load from falling during
transport a chain may be secured about the load and the carrier.
Although the loading of such a two-wheeled carrier is relatively
easy, there is a problem in balancing the load, in particular
20 when the carrier iq moved on inclined or uneven floors. Especially
when transporting gas cylinders, having a high center of gravity
the manual power necessary for balancing the load during transport
is considerable. The risk of unbalancing the load involves the
danger that the carrier with the load may tilt thereby possibly
25 causing damage to the load and/or injury to the operator transporting
the carrier.
The object of the present invention is to provide a gas
cylinder transporting carrier wherein no balancing of the carrier
~ is required during transport, and wherein the loading of the
; ~ 30 carrier can be easily carried out without the necessity of tiltine
the carrier and the load for transport.
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The invention provides a carrier for transporting a gas
cylinder comprising a base section provided with at least three
wheels, a top section rigidly connected to the base section by an
extended section, a platform capable of carrying the gas cylinder,
and a lever for displacing the platform relative to the base sec-
tion of which lever one end is rotatably connected to the platform,
wherein the lever is connected to a fulcrum which is located at,
or close to, the base section so that during normal operation the
lever can be manipulated at a level close to the ground, and
wherein the top section is capable of retaining the gas cylinder.
The invention will now be further elucidated with
reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein
Figure 1 shows a front view of a carrier according to the
invention;
Figure 2 shows a side view of the carrier shown in
Figure l;
Figure 3 shows cross section III-III of Figure l;
Figure 4 shows cross section IV-IV of Figure l; and
Figure 5 shows a side view of the carrier shown in the
preceding figures with the load carrying platform in an elevated
position.
Referring to Figures 1 through 4, a frame structure of
a gas cylinder transporting carrier generally indicated by
reference numeral 1, comprises a U-shaped base section 2, supported
by two front wheels 3 and two rear wheels 4. For steering purposes
the wheels 3 and 4 are vertically pivotally attached to the base
section 2. The wheels 3 and 4 are substantially equally distri-
buted over the base section 2 to obtain a self standing carrier.
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The frame structure 1 further comprises an upwardly tapering
vertical section consisting of a plurality of upwardly converging
bars 5 forming a connection between the base section 2 and a top
secti.on 6 consisting of a plurality of bars 7 for retaining a gas
cylinder loaded on the carrier. To allow horizontal access to the
top section 6, one of the bars 7 has one end hingeably connected
to an adjacent bar 7, and the other end provided with a slideable
pin 8 which fits in an opening 9 of another adjacent bar 7.
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The base section 2 is provided with a U-shaped load carrying
plat~orm 10 being centrally arranged with respect to the base
section 2. The load carrying platform 10 is supported by a number
of vertical plates 11 welded to said platform 10. A fork-shaped
5 lever 12 for displacing the load carrying platform 10 in vertical
direction is pivotally connected to the vertical plates 11. Said
lever 12 is further pivotally connected to two supports 13 fixedly
mounted on the base section 2.
For locking the load carrying platform 10 in an elevated
10 position an arm 14 provided with protrusions 15 is pivotally
secured to the base section 2. The arm 14 is loaded by a spring
16 arranged between the arm 14 and a bracket 17 mounted on the
base section 2 of the carrier. In the elevated position of the
load carrying platform 10 the protrusions 15 rest on the upper
15 side of the lever 12, thereby preventing movement of said lever
12.
For loading a gas cylinder on the carrier shown in the
Figures for transport thereof, the carrier having the top section
6 in an open position is manoeuvred to the gas cylinder, indicated
20 in Figures 3 and 5 by the reference numeral 20. The gas cylinder
20 i5 of the type being provided with a curved bottompart 21, as
shown in Figure 5. For an easy loading of the gas cylinder 20 on
the carrier without the necessity of lifting the gas cylinder,
the load carrying platform 10 is U-shaped. The platform 10, being
25 at the ground level, is pushed towards the gas cylinder 20, until
all the edges of the U-shaped platform 10, touches the bottompart
21 of the gas cylinder 20. .Subsequently the top section 6 is
closed by turning the hingeably connected bar 7 with pin 8 towards
the bar having the opening 9 and inserting the pin 8 in the
30 opening 9, by manually displacing the pin 8 in outward direction.
In a further step of the loading procedure, the U-shaped
load carrying platform 10 is lifted from the ground level, thereby
lifting the gas cylinder 20, at the curved bottom outer edge
thereof. T~e load carrying platform 10 is lifted by pushing with
35 one feet the free end of the fork-shaped lever 12 in downward
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direction. The lever 12 thereby pivots on the supports 13 mounted
on the base section 2, and lifts the vertical plates 11, supporting
the load carrying platform 10. By the movement of the lever 12
the cross bar of said lever 12, holding the arm 14 in a substantially
vertical position when the load carrying platform 10 is on the
5 ground level, is lowered so that the spring 16 is no longer
compressed.
As a result thereof the arm 14 moves outwardly and the
protrusions 15 mounted on said arm 14 engages the upper side of
the cross bar of the fork-shaped lever 12 so that the lever 12 is
10 locked in this position.
The carrier is now ready to be moved. At the location where
the gas cylinder is to be delivered the free end of the lever 12
is pushed downwardly to unload the arm 14 with the protrusions
15. The arm 14 is pushed inwardly against the action of the
15 spring 16 so that the cross bar of the lever 12 is free to move
in upward direction along the protrusions 15 on the arm 14. Due
to the weight of the gas cylinder 20 and the load carrying platform
10 the lever 12 starts pivoting on the supports 13 so that the
vertical plates 11 and the load carrying platform 10 move in
20 downward direction until the platform reaches the ground level.
Subse~uently the displaceable arm of the top section 6 is
unlocked by displacing the pin 8 away from the opening 9 and
turned away, so that the gas cylinder can be unloaded. The carrier
is moved away from the gas cylinder 20, leaving the gas cylinder
25 standing on the ground.
In the above a carrier has been described provided with a U-
shaped load carrying platform 10, being particularly suitable for
transporting gas cylinders having a curved bottompart. Although
it is not necessary to slide the load carrying platform under the
30 gas cylinder so that the gas cylinder stands on the load carrying
platform 10, instead of hanging on the platform as discussed in
the above, the above procedure can also be followed, for example
to be absolutely sure that the gas cylinder will not fall on the
ground during loading and transport. In this case the gas cylinder
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to be loaded is tilted slightly and at the same time the carrier
is moved so that the load carrying platform 10 slides under the
gas cylinder, whereafter the gas cylinder is pulled upright and
the top section 6 is closed to retain the gas cylinder. For
unloading the gas cylinder the above procedure is reversed.
If the gas cylinder is to be used for only a short time,
lowering of the load carrying platform to the ground level,
effectively creates a safe temporary stand for the gas cylinder,
when the top section 6 is left in closed position. The weight of
the gas cylinder on the load carrying platform 10 and the ground
prevents rolling of the carrier.
The arrangement of the wheels 3, 4 equally distributed over
the base section 2 provides a self standing carrier. The carrier
with or without a gas cylinder therefore can be left unattended,
without the danger of tipping.
Instead of the ~ wheels shown in the drawings, the base
section may be supported by three or more than ~ wheels provided
that the wheels are equally distributed over the base section so
that the carrier is self standing.
Althoueh the Figures show a U~shaped load carrying platform,
a load carrying platform of any other suitable form, such as a
circular one, may be applied. Such a circular shaped load carrying
platform can for example be combined with a base section in the
form of a segment of an annulus.
Further it is noted that the invention is not restricted to
a particular shape of the top section 6. Any other shape than the
rectangular one shown in the drawings may be applied provided
that the top section is provided with a displaceable part for
introducing a gas cylinder.
Although the Figures show a carrier for the transport of a
single gas cylinder, the carrier may be so dimensioned that a
plurality of gas cylinders can simultaneously be transported by
the carrier.
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