Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
COLLAPSIBLE WORK STOWAGE CART
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The instant invention relates generally to
workbenches and more specifically it relates to a
collapsible work stowage cart.
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Description of the Prior Art
Numerous workbenches have been provided in
prior art that are sturdy tables at which manual work
is done. While these units may be suitable for the
particular purpose to which they address, they would
not be as suitable for the purposes of the present
invention as heretofore described.
CA 02156031 2000-09-14
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention there is provided a collapsible work stowage cart
which comprises: a) a storage chest for holding work equipment
therein, the storage chest including a bottom wall, a front
wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall, a rear wall
extending upwardly from the bottom wall, and a pair of side
walls, each extending upwardly from the bottom wall between the
front wall and the rear wall, to form an open top compartment
for holding the work equipment therein, the storage chest
further including a lid to cover most of the open top
compartment, and a first hinge between one side of the lid and
a top edge of one the side wall, so that the lid can lift up,
and a latch for retaining the lid in a closed position over the
open top compartment; b) a tool box on the storage chest for
carrying hand tools, the tool box including a bottom wall, a
rear wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall, a pair of
side walls, each extending upwardly from the bottom wall, and
a top wall over the bottom wall, the rear wall and the side
walls to form an open front compartment for carrying the hand
tools therein, a door to cover the open front compartment, and
a second hinge between a top edge of the door and a front top
edge of the top wall, so that the door can lift up, the tool
box further including a plurality of pull out trays within the
open front compartment for carrying the hand tools therein, and
a third hinge between a rear bottom edge of the bottom wall and
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CA 02156031 2000-09-14
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a top edge of the rear wall of the storage chest, so that the
tool box can lift up from the storage chest only after the lid
is lifted up; c) a foldable worktable on the storage chest at
which manual work is done; and d) means for moving the storage
chest along a generally flat horizontal surface, when the cart
is changed from a working mode into a transporting mode.
To the accomplishment of the above and related
features, this invention may be embodied in the form
illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being
called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative
only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction
illustrated and described within the scope of the appended
claims.
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CA 02156031 2000-09-14
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the instant
invention in its transporting mode being pulled by a handle in
a stanchion assembly;
FIGURE 2 is a perspective view taken in the direction
of arrow 2 in Figure 1;
FIGURE 3 is a side view showing the instant invention
in the transporting mode and in the working mode in phantom;
FIGURE 4 is a side view of the instant invention
similar to Figure 3, in the working mode;
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FIGURE 5 is a front view taken in the
direction of arrow 5 in Figure 4.
FIGURE 6 is a perspective view similar to
Figure 2 of the instant invention in the working
mode.
FIGURE 7 is a perspective view taken in the
direction of arrow 7 in Figure 6.
FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of the
instant invention in the transporting mode and in an
upright storage position with parts broken away and
shown in phantom.
FIGURE 8A is a bottom view taken in the
direction of arrow 8A in Figure 8.
FIGURE 8B is a perspective view of the
instant invention in transition between the
transporting mode and the working mode with parts
broken away.
FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of the
instant invention going from the transporting mode
into the working mode shown in phantom.
FIGURE 9A is a side view of the worktable
when in the working mode, taken in the direction of
arrow 9A in Figure 9 with parts broken away and in
section.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Turning now descriptively to the drawings,
in which similar reference characters denote similar
elements throughout the several views, Figures 1
through 9 illustrate a collapsible work stowage cart
10, which consists of a storage chest 12 for holding
work equipment therein. A tool box 14 on the storage
chest is for carrying hand tools. A foldable
worktable 16 is on the storage chest 12, at which
manual work is done. A structure 18 is for moving
the storage chest 12 along a generally flat
horizontal surface 20, when the cart is changed from
a working mode "A" into a transporting mode "B".
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The storage chest 12 includes a bottom wall
22. A front wall 24 extends upwardly from the bottom
wall 22. A rear wall 26 extends upwardly from the
bottom wall 22. A pair of side walls 28 are
provided, with each extending upwardly from the
bottom wall 22 between the front wall 24 and the rear
wall 26, to form an open top compartment 30 for
holding the work equipment therein. A lid 32 covers
most of the open top compartment 30. A first hinge
34 is between one side of the lid 32 and a top edge
of one side wall 28, so that the lid 32 can lift up.
A latch 35 can be provided for retaining the lid 32
in a closed position over the open top compartment
30.
The tool box 14 contains a bottom wall 36.
A rear wall 38 extends upwardly from the bottom wall
36. A pair of side walls 40 are provided, with each
extending upwardly from the bottom wall 36. A top
wall 42 is over the bottom wall 36, the rear wall 38
and the side walls 40 to form an open front
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compartment 44 for carrying the hand tools therein.
A door 46 covers the open front compartment 44. A
second hinge 48 is between a top edge of the door 46
and a front top edge of the top wall 42, so that the
door 46 can lift up. A plurality of pull out trays
49, as shown in Figure 6, can be within the open
front compartment 44 for carrying the hand tools
therein. A third hinge 50 is between a rear bottom
edge of the bottom wall 36 and a top edge of the rear
wall 26 of the storage chest 12, so that the tool box
14 can lift up from the storage chest 12, only after
the lid 32 is lifted up.
The foldable worktable 16 includes a pair
of legs 52. A first pair of pivot pins 54 are
provided, with each for attaching a lower portion of
one leg 52 to an upper corner of one side wall 28 of
the storage chest 12. A tabletop 55 is divided into
two panels 56, 57, each having an upper work surface
58a and a bottom surface 58b. A fourth hinge 59
extends transversely below abutting ends of the two
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panels 56, 57 of the tabletop 55. The two panels 56,
57 can be inverted, with the bottom surfaces 58b
folding over onto each other on the lid 32 of the
storage chest 12. A second pair of pivot pins 60 are
provided, with each for attaching an upper portion of
one leg 52 to a rear side of the rear panel 56 of the
tabletop 55. A support frame 61 is provided. An
assembly 62 is for mounting in a removable manner the
support frame 61 in an upright position onto the
front wall 24 of the storage chest 12. A unit 63 is
for retaining a front side of the front panel 57 of
the table top 55 to a distal end of the support frame
61, when the two panels 56, 57 of the tabletop 55 are
unfolded and put in the working mode "A" (see Figure
9A).
The moving structure 18 consists of each
side wall 28 of the storage chest 12 having a wheel
well 64 formed at a lower rear corner thereof. An
axle 66 extends through the wheel wells 64. A pair
of wheels 68 are provided, with each rotatively
mounted on each end of the axle 66 within one wheel
well 64. A central front steering caster 70 is
mounted to a bottom surface at a front end of the
bottom wall 22 of the storage chest 12. The wheels
68 and the caster 70 can roll along the generally
flat horizontal surface 20.
A facility 72 is on an outer surface of the
bottom wall 22 of the storage chest 12, for affixing
in a removable manner the support frame 61 thereto,
when in the transporting mode "B". Most of the
support frame 61 is directly under the bottom wall 22
of the storage chest 12, while the distal end of the
support frame 61 extends outwardly away from the
front wall 24 of the storage chest 12. A handle 74
is on the distal end of the support frame 61. When
the support frame 61 is in the transporting mode "B",
a person 76 can grip the handle 74 by the hand 78 and
raise up the storage cart 12 at an angle, to pull the
wheels 68 along the generally flat horizontal surface
20, as shown in Figure 1.
A retaining mechanism 80 can also be
provided, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The retaining
mechanism 80 will hold the folded panels 56, 57 of
the tabletop 55 to the lid 32 in a stationary manner,
when the collapsible work stowage cart 10 is in the
transporting "B".
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OPERATION OF THE INVENTION
To position the collapsible work stowage
cart 10 in the working mode "A", the following steps
should be taken:
1. Attach the support frame 61 to the
mounting assembly 62 in an upright
position onto the front wall 24 of the
storage chest 12.
2. Lift up the two panels 56, 57 of the
tabletop 55 off of the lid 32.
3. Unfold the two panels 56, 57 of the
tabletop 55.
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4. Place the legs 52 in a vertical
position.
5. Lock the front side of the front panel
57 of the tabletop 55 to the distal
end of the support frame 61 with the
retaining unit 63.
6. Lift up the lid 32 on the storage
chest 12.
7. Open the door 46 of the tool box 14.
8. Flip the tool box 14 back away from
the storage chest 12.
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To position the collapsible work stowage
cart 10 in the transporting mode "B", the following
steps should be taken:
1. Flip the tool box onto the storage
chest 12.
2. Close the door 46 of the tool box 14.
3. Lower the lid 32 back onto the storage
chest 12.
4. Disengage the front side of the front
panel 57 of the tabletop 55 from the
distal end of the support frame 61 by
unlocking the retaining unit 63.
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5. Move the legs 52 downwardly towards
the lid 32 of the storage chest 12.
6. Fold back the two panels 56, 57 of the
tabletop 55.
?. Put the folded two panels 56, 57 of
the tabletop 55 on the lid 32.
8. Remove the support frame 61 from the
mounting assembly and engage it to the
affixing facility 72 on the bottom
wall 22 of the storage chest 12.
9. Grip the handle 74 on the support
frame 61.
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10. Raise up the storage cart 12 at an
angle by the handle 74.
11. Pull the wheels 68 along the generally
flat horizontal surface 20.
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It will be understood that each of the
elements described above, or two or more together may
also find a useful application in other types of
methods differing from the type described above.
While certain novel features of this
invention have been shown and described and are
pointed out in the annexed claims, it is not intended
to be limited to the details above, since it will be
understood that various omissions, modifications,
substitutions and changes in the forms and details of
the device illustrated and in its operation can be
made by those skilled in the art without departing in
any way from the spirit of the present invention.
Without further analysis, the foregoing
will so fully reveal the gist of the present
invention that others can, by applying current
knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications
without omitting features that, from the standpoint
of prior art, fairly constitute essential
characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of
this invention.
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