US-12623704-B2 - Wheelbarrow

US12623704B2US 12623704 B2US12623704 B2US 12623704B2US-12623704-B2

Abstract

A wheelbarrow is disclosed. The wheelbarrow includes an improved wheel guard, leg arrangement, and stabilizer that require less work to transport, lift, and dump the wheelbarrow. Also disclosed are an improved axle structure and means of assembly for a wheelbarrow.

Inventors

Joseph P. Foley
Benjamin M. Wernberg
Ryan P. Ellsworth
Benjamin P. Williams

Assignees

TRICAM INDUSTRIES, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20230207

Claims (20)

1 . A wheelbarrow, comprising: a tub supported by two handle shafts, each handle shaft having a handle at one end, a handle shaft center line, and supported by a respective leg, each leg having a bottom portion comprising a bottom portion center line wherein each handle shaft center line and respective leg bottom portion center line defines a leg rear offset and a leg front offset and wherein the leg front offset is greater than the leg rear offset and each bottom portion center line is laterally disposed externally of the handle shafts; a wheel guard connecting the two handle shafts distal to each handle of each handle shaft; an axle mount on each handle shaft located between the wheel guard and each leg; an axle traversing between each handle shaft axle mount; a wheel mounted on the axle; and wherein the axle is held inside each axle mount by a pin clip passing through an axle slot.
2 . The wheelbarrow of claim 1 wherein each leg bottom portion is parallel to a ground surface upon which the wheelbarrow rests.
3 . The wheelbarrow of claim 2 further comprising a handle brace wherein each leg comprises a front portion; and wherein each leg front portion is attached to its respective handle shaft and to the handle brace.
4 . The wheelbarrow of claim 3 further comprising a second handle brace wherein each leg comprises a rear portion; and wherein each leg rear portion is attached to its respective handle shaft and to the second handle brace.
5 . The wheelbarrow of claim 1 further comprising a stabilizer.
6 . The wheelbarrow of claim 5 wherein the stabilizer comprises: a stabilizer bottom portion having a center line, the stabilizer bottom affixed to the leg of the wheelbarrow; a stabilizer top tab having a center line, the stabilizer top tab affixed to the leg of the wheelbarrow; a stabilizer upright portion intermediate of the stabilizer top tab and stabilizer bottom portion; and wherein the stabilizer upright portion forms an angle with the stabilizer bottom portion of at least 30 degrees.
7 . The wheelbarrow of claim 6 wherein the leg bottom portion center line and stabilizer bottom portion center line are parallel to each other.
8 . The stabilizer for the wheelbarrow of claim 6 further comprising a stabilizer grip.
9 . The stabilizer for the wheelbarrow of claim 6 wherein the stabilizer grip is comprised of plastic.
10 . The wheelbarrow of claim 1 wherein the wheel guard comprises: a front portion having an axis; a rear portion having an axis; and an intermediate portion between the front portion and rear portion; wherein an angle formed between the axis of the front portion and the axis of the rear portion is less than 175 degrees.
11 . The wheel guard for the wheelbarrow of claim 10 the angle formed between the wheel guard front portion axis and the wheel guard rear portion axis is between 12 and 24 degrees.
12 . The wheel guard for the wheelbarrow of claim 10 wherein the wheel guard further comprises a wheel guard handle grip that is parallel to a ground surface upon which the wheelbarrow rests.
13 . The wheelbarrow of claim 12 further comprising a bolt and respective nut and the leg comprises a leg rear portion wherein the tub, a handle shaft, a leg rear portion, and a handle brace are all connected by the bolt and respective nut.
14 . The wheelbarrow of claim 13 further comprising a second bolt and respective nut and the leg comprises a leg front portion wherein the tub, a handle shaft, a leg front portion, and a handle brace are all connected by the second bolt and respective nut.
15 . A wheelbarrow, comprising: a tub supported by two handle shafts, each handle shaft having a handle at one end, a handle shaft center line, and supported by a respective leg, each leg having a bottom portion comprising a bottom portion center line wherein each handle shaft center line and respective leg bottom portion center line defines a leg rear offset and a leg front offset and wherein the leg front offset is greater than the leg rear offset and each bottom portion center line is laterally disposed externally of the handle shafts; and a wheel guard connecting the two handle shafts distal to each handle of each handle shaft, the wheel guard comprising: a front portion having an axis; a rear portion having an axis; and an intermediate portion between the front portion and rear portion; wherein the angle formed between the axis of the front portion and the axis of the rear portion is less than 175 degrees.
16 . The wheelbarrow of claim 15 further comprising a stabilizer, the stabilizer comprising: a stabilizer bottom portion having a center line, the stabilizer bottom affixed to the leg of the wheelbarrow; a stabilizer top tab having a center line, the stabilizer top tab affixed to the leg of the wheelbarrow; a stabilizer upright portion intermediate of the stabilizer top tab and stabilizer bottom portion; and wherein the stabilizer upright portion forms an angle with the stabilizer bottom portion of at least 30 degrees.
17 . The wheel guard for the wheelbarrow of claim 16 wherein the wheel guard transition portion is closer to a ground surface upon which the wheelbarrow rests than the wheel guard front portion and the wheel guard rear portion.
18 . The wheel guard for the wheelbarrow of claim 16 wherein the wheel guard front portion axis forms a positive angle from a level surface of between 1 and 15 degrees.
19 . The wheel guard for the wheelbarrow of claim 16 wherein the wheel guard rear portion axis forms a negative angle from a level surface of between 8 and 16 degrees.
20 . A wheelbarrow, comprising: a tub supported by two handle shafts, each handle shaft having a handle at one end, an axis a handle shaft center line, and supported by a respective leg, each leg having a bottom portion comprising a bottom portion center line wherein each handle shaft center line and respective leg bottom portion center line defines a leg rear offset and a leg front offset and wherein the leg front offset is greater than the leg rear offset and each bottom portion center line is laterally disposed externally of the handle shafts; and each leg having a stabilizer, the stabilizer comprising: a stabilizer bottom portion having a center line, the stabilizer bottom affixed to the leg of the wheelbarrow; a stabilizer top tab having a center line, the stabilizer top tab affixed to the leg of the wheelbarrow; a stabilizer upright portion intermediate of the stabilizer top tab and stabilizer bottom portion; and wherein the stabilizer upright portion forms an angle with the stabilizer bottom portion of at least 30 degrees.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/307,902 entitled “WHEELBARROW,” filed on Feb. 8, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present disclosure relates generally to portable wheelbarrows and more particularly to improvements to the size, arrangement, and orientation of components to enhance stability, clearance, and handling of a wheelbarrow. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The modern wheelbarrow is believed to have been invented in China as early as 100 B.C. As is well known, a wheelbarrow has a tub, a frame, and at least one wheel. The frame includes a plurality of rigid frame members, with the wheel typically disposed at the front of the tub, and a pair of handles extending behind the tub. Two elongated frame members typically form a yoke to support the wheel and the backwardly extending handles. The frame members further include at least one, and typically two, legs structured to engage the ground when the wheelbarrow is resting. The legs may be generally straight posts, or, more typically, are generally U-shaped members having two tines connected by a bight. The bight is the part of the leg that engages the ground. The tines extend upwardly and are coupled to the elongated frame members forming the yoke and handles. The tines and the bight are, typically, elongated and straight. That is, the legs are substantially U-shaped, but the bight is not curved except at the ends where a transition portion curves into the tines. The bight is structured to extend generally parallel to the ground. For purposes of the present disclosure, the ground surface is to be considered flat and horizontal unless described otherwise. Thus, the bight of each leg extends generally horizontally. In this orientation, substantially the entire lower surface of the bight engages the ground. The two handles allow the wheelbarrow's legs to be raised from the ground in order to change from the stationary position to the mobile position. In the mobile position, only the wheel is in contact with the ground surface, whilst the operator's legs transfer the balance of the vertical load down and away. There are a number of drawbacks associated with conventional wheelbarrows. The single wheel facilitates the manual handling of the load, but the materials carried in the container frequently shift position therein and the balance of the wheelbarrow shifts, making control of the wheelbarrow quite difficult. Consequently, operation of the normal presently available wheelbarrow by a person of relatively small stature may be extremely difficult, and indeed, even relatively large and powerful persons may encounter difficulties in manipulation of a heavily loaded wheelbarrow. To lift a loaded wheelbarrow, a substantial lifting force is required that depends on the actual load, the position of the center of gravity with respect to distance between the center of gravity and the wheel axle, and on the distance between the handles and the wheel axle, as they are defined by established equations of a lever. Further, the orientation of known wheelbarrows includes drawbacks such as interference with a user's feet while moving the wheelbarrow and actually lifting the wheelbarrow (to overcome obstacles). The present disclosure addresses these concerns. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The disclosed invention provides a wheelbarrow that overcomes the above-cited shortcomings of prior-art wheelbarrows. The example embodiments described hereafter relate generally to improvements in wheelbarrows and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a wheelbarrow in which the structural shape of the frame and/or positioning of the wheel thereof provide a wheelbarrow which distributes load favorably from the user to the wheelbarrow, thus reducing the lifting force required. Another embodiment is a wheelbarrow including improvements to stabilizer legs with an orientation that allows better use foot clearance and stability as well as grips for a use to more comfortably manipulate the wheelbarrow. Yet another embodiment of the improved wheelbarrow includes an axle system that allows for quick change from a single to a double wheel arrangement. Other embodiments include the use of retaining tabs integrated into plastic risers and handles as well as square head bolts configured for square recesses in the wheelbarrow for ease of assembly. The square head bolts and recesses allow for a flush arrangement inside the tub, which also improves use of the wheelbarrow by eliminating catch points for carried material or user tools (e.g., shovels). A further embodiment also incorporates a handle into the wheelguard to allow for easier lifting of the front of wheelbarrow. Improvements in other embodiments include handle grips that utilize pop rivets on the bottom of the handles to better retain the handle on the wheelbarrow handles and a stepped top lip de