WO1997046405A1

WO1997046405A1 - Foldable luggage trolley tarpaulin

Info

Publication number: WO1997046405A1
Application number: PCT/AU1997/000346
Authority: WO
Inventors: David Ronald Cole
Original assignee: David Ronald Cole
Priority date: 1996-05-31
Filing date: 1997-06-02
Publication date: 1997-12-11
Also published as: AUPO018796A0

Abstract

A tarpaulin assembly for protection of luggage on an aircraft loading trolley, wherein a tarpaulin (28) is carried on a spring return roller (27) mounted on a transverse end frame (15, 16) at one end of a trolley (10), the tarpaulin when extended having a horizontal portion (30) and at least one side portion (31) which can depend from the horizontal portion (30) to inhibit access of rain from the side of the trolley (10), or can be folded back over the horizontal portion (30) to be retracted onto the roller. A side portion (31) can be retained in a down position by releasable touch and hold straps (33), but when retraction is required, the side portion (31) can be thrown over the horizontal panel (30), and the straps (33) will co-operate with complementary touch and hold pads on the upper panel (30).

Description

FOLDABLE LUGGAGE TROLLEY TARPAULIN

This invention relates to a foldable tarpaulin for a trolley and although

not limited to the handling of luggage between airports and aircraft, it is

particularly suitable for such use.

Quite frequently, there is a requirement that luggage should be loaded from a passenger terminal to an aircraft, or vice versa, without the benefit of a cover against rain which could otherwise penetrate the luggage. However,

although this problem has been known to exist for a long time, the provision of

means to protect the luggage against rain has not come into general use, and

the main reason for that is that time is of utmost importance, since the loading

of luggage into an aircraft or unloading from an aircraft must be capable of

being achieved in a very short period of time to enable a quick turnaround of the aircraft.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a tarpaulin for a luggage trolley which can be quickly and easily extended over the trolley to

protect luggage against rain, and in this invention a tarpaulin is carried on a

roller so it can be quickly extended for a horizontal portion to cover the luggage, and has at least one side portion which, when extended, can be

folded down from the horizontal portion to further protect the luggage against

rain which would otherwise penetrate luggage from a side of the trolley.

Very little prior art is known to the Applicant, but a search through Australian patent records disclosed Australian Patent No 18611/24 Fenn et al wherein a canvas cover extended over a seed box and its extending end was

retained in its extended state by fastening means. It did not however disclose a side portion which could fold over a horizontal portion for storage around a roller, or folded to depend from the horizontal portion when extended.

In one embodiment of this invention, there is provided a tarpaulin for a

luggage trolley (but useable also on other types of trolleys), the tarpaulin being

carried on a roller from which it can be extended to have a horizontal portion

flanked on at least one side by a side portion which is foldable over the

horizontal portion, but can depend therefrom so as to cover a side of a trolley, but when folded back over the horizontal portion, can be retracted over the roller.

Retention lugs may project from an end of the trolley, so that to roll the tarpaulin out it is simply a matter of applying a tension to a bar at the extending end of the tarpaulin, unwind the tarpaulin from the roller, latch the bar over the

retention lugs, and then unfold the side portion or portions.

In order to ensure that the tarpaulin occupies the required shape when it

is to be rolled back again, there are provided Velcro® touch and hold strips

(sometimes called hook and loop strips) on the folding sides which will fold over the horizontal portion and engage complementary strips on the horizontal

portion, or if the width is less than twice the height, the sides are foldable one over another to still be retained in position by touch and hold material.

An embodiment of the invention is described hereunder in some detail

with reference to and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig 1 is an isometric illustration of a luggage trolley of the type which may be used at an airport, with the tarpaulin in its unrolled position, and the sides in their downwardly folded position; and Fig 2 is a section taken on plane 2-2-2 of Fig 1

In this embodiment, a trolley 10 is of the type commonly used in airports

for the handling of passengers' luggage to and from an aircraft It comprises four wheels 11 , a chassis frame 12, two forwardly projecting arms 13 and a

generally triangular tow frame 14

Each end of the chassis frame has upstanding posts, 15 and 15a, which

are joined by an upper horizontal bar, 16 and 16a, to provide a transversely

extending inverted U shaped frame In this invention, the horizontal bar 16, (or

posts 15) is apertured to receive projecting spigots 17 which project outwardly from an end bar 18 of a tarpaulin assembly 20, and the bar 18 is restrained against displacement by means of insertable spring clips 21

The end bar 18 is of rectangular cross-section and has two side wings

24 which extend rearwardly to overlie but be spaced from the chassis frame 12

The side wings 24 each have a slot 25, the slots being transversely aligned

with one another, and receiving projecting ends 26 from a spring loaded roller

27 around which is wound a tarpaulin 28 when retracted Projecting end 26 is retained in slot 25 by means of a locking member 29 which is releasably attached to end bar 18 by means of screw fasteners

The tarpaulin 28 itself comprises an upper horizontal panel 30 when

extended, as illustrated in the sketch, and this is flanked on each side by

vertical side walls 31 The side wails are retained in their down position by

releasable touch and hold straps 33, but when retraction is required, the side

walls can be thrown over the horizontal panel 30, and the straps 33 will co¬

operate with complementary touch and hold pads on the upper panel 30, and if the upper panel 30 is less than double the width of the side walls 31 (as drawn)

the first side wall 31 is provided with pads 33 on both sides so that the second

side wall 31 can overlap the first side wall 31 by a short distance and be retained by the touch and hold material.

In order to retain the tarpaulin over the trolley, the withdrawable end is

provided with a U shaped withdrawal bar 35 which hooks over outwardly and upwardly sloping lugs 36 which are permanently secured to the horizontal bar 16a at the end of the trolley which is opposite the bar 16.

As drawn, it will be seen that there is a gap between the roller 27 and

the depending end panel 38, because of the reduction in diameter of the roller

when the tarpaulin is withdrawn. This gap can be partly closed by a cover 39 which is shown in dashed lines and which will reduce, at least to some extent, ingress of rain. This is optional and may not be required in all instances.

In use, the retraction of the tarpaulin 28 onto roller 27 is achieved by firstly releasing one of the sides 31 and folding it to overlie the horizontal panel 30 and then the other side wall 31 to overlie the first said wall, and removing

bar 35 from lugs 36, whereupon the roller will retract by its internal spring upon

release of the withdrawal bar 35. The withdrawal bar 35 will finally bear against the upper edge of the end bar 18 until it is required to reverse the above

procedure and again cover the trolley.

If it is required to remove the cover, and for example transfer to another

trolley, this is easily and quickly achieved by withdrawing spring clips 17, and sliding the spigots 17 from the end bar 18, then lifting the entire tarpaulin assembly with the tarpaulin rolled onto the roller 27, and reassembling to the

other trolley.

The primary requirement of speed and efficiency has been found to be

met by this invention, it taking much less than one minute to either cover or uncover the trolley. The tarpaulin itself may be made of UV stabilised material

which is rugged and will last for a considerable period of time. The cost is very

much less than if a cover were made from rigid material.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. A trolley tarpaulin assembly useable on a trolley having wheels, a chassis frame supported by the wheels, and a pair of transverse upwardly extending end frames on respective ends of said chassis frame, a roller carried by one of said end frames for rotation with respect thereto, a tarpaulin on said roller having an extending end extendable between said end frames, said tarpaulin when so extended having a horizontal portion over the trolley and at least one side portion which can be folded over said horizontal portion or can depend therefrom, and fastening means co-operable between said extending end and the other of said end frames releasably retaining said extending end thereto.

2. A trolley tarpaulin assembly according to claim 1 wherein said roller is of the spring return type.

3. A trolley tarpaulin assembly according to either claim 1 or claim 2 further comprising complementary fastening means on the chassis frame and the lower ends of the or each said side portion to releasably retain its lower edge with respect to said chassis frame.

4. A trolley tarpaulin assembly according to any preceding claim further comprising complementary fastening means on said side portions which releasably retain the or each said side portion folded over said horizontal portion.

5. A trolley tarpaulin assembly according to either claim 3 or claim 4 wherein said complementary fastening means are of the touch and hold type.

6. A trolley tarpaulin assembly according to any preceding claim wherein said fastening means comprise a withdrawal bar at said extending end of said tarpaulin.

7. A trolley tarpaulin assembly according to claim 6 wherein said fastening means further comprise outstanding lugs on a said end frame.

8. A trolley tarpaulin assembly according to any preceding claim further comprising an end bar carrying said roller, and fasteners releasably retaining said end bar to a said end frame.

9. A trolley tarpaulin assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying representations.