Device for transporting flat goods

The invention relates to a device for transporting mainly plate-like, flat goods such as glass panes, furniture panels or sheet metal, windows, door leaves, but also cupboards whose depth is small compared to their width and height, according to the features specified in the preamble of claim 1.

A simplest device for transporting a flat part, which is already too heavy for a single person to carry, is shown in US Pat. No. 4,630,838 A. The surface normal of the flat part to be transported is approximately horizontal. One side edge of the part rests on the lower rail of the device and is leaned against the handle that stands up from it. The rail can be moved by means of a swivel castor and a fixed castor. The device is simple, space-saving, inexpensive and enables a single person to transport large panes and the like on flat, reasonably smooth floors. However, the device is not applicable to stairs and it does not stand alone in a loaded state, but must be held by a person or leaned against somewhere.

This disadvantage is avoided by using a carriage of the type shown in DE 298 19 755 U1. From an essentially horizontal platform that can be moved by four rollers, a frame protrudes upwards, against which panes that rest with one edge on the platform can be leaned. Devices of this type work fine as long as they are flat

Soils are used. They cannot be used to transport large panes or the like on uneven terrain or through staircases.

According to EP 960 992 A2 and DE 200 02 463 U1, trolleys are proposed which, in addition to the transport function, also support the pivoting of the flat parts between the positions “lying flat” and “lying on an edge”. These devices cannot be used to transport large panes or the like on uneven terrain or through staircases.

The US 5244221 A shows a device which can be imagined as such an improved Sackkar30 re that it can be turned over to the operator side, and then next to the usual pair of rollers for sack carts to rest on castors, which are attached to the longitudinal part of the cart are. On the then overhead side of the longitudinal part of the hand truck, support parts are attached, between which discs can be arranged so that they stand on an edge and their surface normal is horizontal. The device can thus stand freely even when it is loaded and panes can thus be easily transported on a horizontal, level surface. E.g. to overcome unevenness, the device can be lifted by a handle attached to one end of the longitudinal part so that it is held and movable again like a normal hand truck. The device is conditionally suitable for transporting panes etc. over stairs. A disadvantage of this Vorrich40 device is that larger rectangular discs or plates can be transported reasonably comfortably and safely only lying on their long edge, and not on their short edge. As a result, the sometimes necessary turning on small areas, such as platforms in stairwells, can become difficult or even impossible during transport.

A device that is very similar in structure, as well as in terms of advantages and disadvantages to US 5244221 A, is shown in US 2277303 A in FIG. 1. Two legs of different lengths are combined to form an L-shaped frame, with two wheels near the junction between the legs of the same diameter are rotatably arranged, the circumference of which lies in the region of the longer leg in the raised angular range between the two legs. In addition, each of the two legs is close to its free end in with the other

Legs formed raised angles provided with a roller.

WO 2004/005106 A1 shows a device for transporting glass panes which can be moved by means of four steering rollers which lie in a common plane. The one to be transported

The lower, horizontally aligned longitudinal edge of the pane of glass lies diagonally behind

AT 501 909 B1 at the top open groove, and is leaned with its surface on a protruding frame therefrom. It is fixed to this frame by means of vacuum suction cups. The device is well suited for safe transport and safe storage on flat surfaces. The device is of little or no help when transporting on uneven terrain, in particular on stairs.

Based on this prior art, the inventor set himself the task of providing a device which facilitates the transport of flat parts, both on flat, spacious surfaces and in confined spaces and over stairs. The solution is achieved by the specified in the characterizing part of claim 1 Merkio male.

The device according to the invention comprises an L-shaped frame which is assembled from two legs of different lengths. Close to the junction between the two legs, on both sides of the frame plane, there is a wheel on a normal to this

Level standing, relative to the frame rigid axis rotatably arranged. The axes of these two wheels of equal size are aligned with one another and intersect the frame plane in the smaller, non-raised angular area between the two legs, preferably in the angular symmetry. The point formed by the connection of the two legs lies within the circular area delimited by the projection of the wheels onto the frame plane. At the free ends, the two legs are provided with swivel castors in the raised angle formed together. (A "raised angle" in this sense is an angle of more than 180 °.) The flat part to be transported, which is normally rectangular, is positioned at a right angle between the two legs so that its longer side edge rests against the longer leg and with its shorter side edge on the shorter leg. The flat part is protected against slipping normal to the frame level by elevations on the edge of the legs. It can be held against slipping in the plane of the frame along the legs by additional means, such as suction cups or straps.

The structure of the invention is made clearer with the aid of the drawings, which show an advantageous embodiment in a slightly simplified manner, and the advantages of the device according to the invention thus also become transparent:

1: shows a device according to the invention in a side view, that is to say with a horizontal viewing direction normal to the plane of that flat part 20 which is to be transported.

Fig. 2: shows, from the same viewing direction, the device rotated by 90 ° in the plane of that flat part which is to be transported.

Fig. 3: shows a partial sectional view of the device in the position as in Fig. 2 from the same viewing direction.

Fig. 4: shows the device in the position as in Fig. 1 looking from the left.

Fig. 5: - shows a frame part in profile sectional view.

Fig. 6: - is a sketch of an essential section of the device during transport over a staircase. The viewing direction is horizontal, normal to the plane of the flat part to be transported.

The L-shaped frame of the device according to the invention consists of the longer leg 1 and the shorter leg 2. As can be clearly seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, each of the two legs 1, 2 can be used as a lower frame part arranged parallel to the ground , on which the flat part 20 to be transported rests with one side edge. The other leg is normal in height. The person using the device grasps the device on the handle 6 or 7th of the leg 1 or 2 protruding from the ground.

To load the device with the flat part 20 and to transport it to sufficient

AT 501 909 B1 spacious areas, the device will preferably be used in such a way that the longer leg 1 is at the bottom and with this also a longer side edge of the flat part 20 to be transported (FIG. 1). The advantage of this arrangement is that it is well stable against lateral tilting. The disadvantage of this is that it requires more floor space, which can make turning in narrow spaces difficult or even impossible.

If maneuverability on narrow surfaces, such as platforms of staircases, is required, the arrangement according to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 is more advantageous, according to which the short leg 2 of the device is at the bottom and the long leg 1 protrudes vertically upwards.

The change between the two positions is done simply by rotating the device about the axes 9 of the wheels 3, the wheels 3 resting against the ground. In the case of large, heavy flat parts, two people have to work together.

The fact that the circumference of the wheels 3 in the projection onto the frame plane protrudes beyond the point formed by the connection of the two legs 1, 2, and that the common axis 9 of these wheels is the frame plane behind that created by the connection of the two legs 1 and 2 formed point intersects, the wheels 3 can have an unusually large diameter for such transport devices. That brings considerable advantages if the

Device must be moved over bumps or stairs.

Because the axis 9 of the two wheels 3 intersects the surface in which the flat part 20 to be transported lies, no continuous common axis can be used, but only individual, mutually aligned truncated axes that are located on both sides of the area where the flat part 20 is arranged, protrude from the plane of the L-shaped frame.

The two legs 1 and 2 are advantageously supported against one another by two diagonal struts 8 at a distance from their connection point. These two diagonal struts are parallel to one another, on both sides of the plane of the L-shaped frame. The stub shafts for the two wheels 3 can be attached to these two diagonal struts 8.

In the example shown, a double vacuum suction holder 10 is fastened to each of the two diagonal struts 8 via a pivotable device 11 such that it can be moved normal to the frame plane. With these, the flat part 20 to be transported can be held in its surface plane against movement relative to the transport device.

Instead of vacuum suction holders, belts could also be used, for example, by means of which the part 20 to be transported is pulled against a limb 1 or 2.

As can be seen in FIG. 5, the legs 1, 2 can be designed with a flat U-shaped cross-sectional shape, the opening of the cross-sectional area pointing towards the flat part 20 to be transported. At the base of the U a sliding coating 20, for example consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene, is inserted. Support parts 13 made of a soft material are inserted between the legs of the U-profile and the flat part 20 to be transported in order to avoid damage to the flat part 20 to be transported. Instead of a sliding coating 20, rollers can also be used which are rotatably arranged on axles which connect the two legs of the U-profile.

So, of course, instead of a one-piece leg 1, 2, it is also possible to use a wider arrangement of several parts, with lateral delimiting parts which can be fastened in an adjustable manner, which against Form movement of the flat part 20 to be transported normal to its plane in a stop. Such an embodiment is particularly recommended if the device is to be used for the transport of very differently thick flat parts.

To move the loaded device up a staircase, it is best used with the longer leg 1 lying at the bottom. The end of the leg 1 equipped with the castor 4 is up the stairs, the end lying on the large rollers 3 is down the stairs. On both sides of the frame, a person grabs the handle bar 6. The two people use it to lift the device at the top and pull it up the stairs. With the lower end, the device rolls with the wheels 3 on the steps.

Tests have shown that with a good design of the device, even such glass panes can be easily and safely transported by two people over a staircase, which without such a device could only be transported the same way with the assistance of four people and with the application of great skill .

As illustrated with the aid of FIG. 6, there is an optimal size range for the diameter of the wheels 3. If the diameter is very small, more and more irregular movements with very steep partial movements are required when rolling up a staircase . If the diameter is very large, the wheels 3 always roll only on the edges between vertical and horizontal step surfaces and the device can no longer be parked on a long staircase without being held downstairs by additional, with heavy loads, considerable effort against movement . With a good design, the wheels 3 can just rest with one circumferential point on the edge region of a horizontal step surface facing the next lower step, while they rest with another circumferential point on the adjacent edge of the next upper step. Expressed mathematically, this means that the diameter of the wheels 3 should at least be of the order of magnitude:

D = (b^{1 2} + h²) / h where D is the diameter of the wheels 3, h the height and b the depth of a step (Fig. 6).

So that the device can stand in a stable position, which is particularly advantageous when loading and unloading, the castors 4 and 5 are designed to be lockable.

In a very convenient embodiment of the device, it can be equipped with a brake for the wheels 3, which can be operated, for example, from the two handle bars 6, 7; then the wheels 3 can be made even larger without any disadvantage.