This invention relates to luggage trolleys especially suitable for carrying suitcases

and similar types of luggage which may be permanently or releasably secured in place by

fasteners so that the luggage may be either carried by its own handle, or carried by the

trolley.

According to the invention there is provided a luggage trolley comprising a

one-piece bottom rail which includes means for receiving the lower ends of a pair of

tubular side rails, a pair of wheels and a base plate which extends outwardly generally at

right angles to the side rails, a top rail which includes means for receiving the upper ends

of the side rails so that the bottom rail, side rails and top rail form a rigid generally planar

structure, and a pair of extension pieces received in respective bores of the side rails and

being secured at their upper ends to a handle, the side rails being telescopicaHy adustable

by a toggle lever on or in the top rail.

Preferably, the toggle lever is mounted centrally on or in the top rail and is secured

for rotation on a shaft, each free end of which includes a cam for releasably locking the

extension pieces in a desired position relative to the side rails when the toggle is moved to

its closed position.

The bottom plate may conveniently comprise a single one-piece plastics moulding

which is secured to the bottom rail on pegs. One or more spacer elements may be

provided of cross section generally corresponding to the bottom plate and being adapted

to be mounted between the bottom rail and the bottom plate, conveniently on the pegs

which secure the bottom plate to the bottom rail.

An extension piece in the form of a front rail secured to a pair of telescopic arms

may suitably be provided on the bottom plate to selectively mcrease the effective width of

the bottom plate in order to accomodate larger or additional items of luggage. The

telescopic arms may conveniently include means to releasably lock them in their extended

positions so that when the trolley is in use and therefore tilted backwards, the arms do not

collapse inwardly.

The locking mechanism for the arms preferably comprises respective pairs of

interengagable locking dements, each mounted on a respective end portion of part of each

arm and being provided with a cam surface adapted to, in use, bear against a

corresponding cam surface of the other interengagable element of each pair so that when

extended outwards the arms resist the tendency to collapse inwardly.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to

the acompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view from the rear and one side of a trolley according to the invention,

Figure 2 is a perspective view from the front and other side of the trolley of Figure 1,

Figure 3 ^' is a perspective view of a base plate and respective spacer element for the trolley shown in Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the telescopic extension pieces of the trolley of Figure 1 in their extended position,.

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the lower portion of the trolley of Figure 1 showing respective pairs of interengagable locking dements,

Figure 6a is a cross-sectional detail of one of the interengagable locking elements of Figure 5,

Figure 6b is an end view from the position A-A of the dement shown in Figure 6a

Figure 7a is a cross-sectional view of the corresponding interengagable element to that shown in Figure 6a, and

Figure 7b is an end view from position B-B of the element shown in Figure 7a,

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings the

trolley comprises a generally rectangular bottom rail 1 made from a one-piece rigid

plastics moulding on the upper surface of which project two lugs 2, 3 within a bore of

each of which is received the lower end of two tubular aluminium side-rails 4, 5. The

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upper ends of the side rails 4, 5 are received in corresponding lugs 6, 7 of a top rail 8

which is also made of a one-piece plastics moulding so that together the rails 1, 4 5 and 8

provide a rigid planar structure for supporting one side of an item of luggage ( not shown ₎

Since the rails 4, 5 are tubular they are able to receive in the internal spaces thereof

correspondingly shaped extension pieces 9, 10 which are each received within respective

bores in the top rail 8 so that they may be selectively telescoped up or down as desired.

The extension pieces 9, 10 are interconnected at their upper end by a handle 11, again

made of a one-piece plastics moulding, so that by means of the extension pieces 9, 10, the

height of the handle 11 relative to the bottom rail 1 is adjustable. When adjusted to its

desired position, the handle 11 may be locked in place through rotation of a toggle lever

12 which is mounted for rotation on a shaft ( not shown) which runs the length of the top

rail 8 and is provided at each end thereof with a cam surface which engages, in use, with

the extension pieces 9, 10 so that they may be locked in their chosen positions and

unlocked as necessary.

The extremities of the bottom rail 1 are provided with a pair of wide wheels 13, 14

which are received in correspondingly shaped wheel arches 15, 16 and are mounted for

rotation on an axle 17 which extends along the whole length of the bottom rail 1 within a

recess therein.

A base plate 18 extends at right angles to the plane of the structure defined by rails 1,

4, 5 and 8 from the bottom rail 1 and is mounted thereon by means of pegs 19, 20 as

shown in figure 3. The pegs 19, 20 are received in correspondingly shaped bores ( not

shown) in the bottom rail 1 and are secured in place by means of rivets or screws. The

base plate 18 is again made of a one-piece plastics moulding which includes strengthening

ribs and a generally flat middle area 21 which in combination are able to support luggage

placed thereon. In the event that the luggage is required to be permanently fixed to the

trolley, a pair of screw holes 22, 23 are provided.

The base plate 18 is also provided with an extension piece in the form of a front rail

24 which may be pulled out from the base plate 18 to a desired distance by virtue of being

mounted on tdescopic arms 25, 26 secured within correponding recesses in the front part

of the base plate 18. In this way the trolley can support one hern of luggage or, if

preferred, additional hems of luggage by pulling the front rail out an appropriate distance.

Turning now to Figure 3, it will be seen that in this embodiment the base plate 18 is

also provided with a spacer element in the form of an auxiliary piece 27 which

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is slidable on and off the pegs 19, 20. The auxiliary piece 27 is formed of a

one-piece plastics moulding having a cross-sectional shape generally corresponding to that

of the base plate 18. This has the advantage in that a manufacturer of the trolley can

selectively increase the width of the base plate 18 to accomodate larger hems of luggage if

necessary. This overcomes the disadvantage of otherwise having to provide different

widths of base plate 18 and hence tooling costs are considerably reduced. As well, the or

each auxiliary piece 27 may be provided as an accessory with the trolley in order to

provide means for the user to adjust the effective width of the base plate 18 as desired.

In Figure 4 there is shown the lower portion of the trolley of Figure 1 in which the

front rail 24 is shown in it's fully extended position where the arms 25, 26 have been

telescoped outwardly. In this position h will be seen that each arm element 25a, 26a,

includes an opening towards the end thereof adjacent on dements 25b, 26b through which

are visible respective lugs 28 of locking elements described with reference to Figures 5, 6

&7.

In Figure 5 h will be seen that the lugs 28 form part of a locking element 29 in the

form of an annular collar, shown more clearly with reference to Figures 6a and 6b, which

fits within the bore of the arm 26a and slidingly engages the outer surface of arm 26b.

Similarly, a complementary locking piece 30, shown more clearly with reference to

Figures 7a and 7b, is also provided with lugs 31 received within correspondingly shaped

bores near to the end of the arm 26b, the element 30 being received on the outer surface

of the arm 26b and slidingly engaging with the bore of the arm 26a.

The elements 29 and 30 constitute a pair of locking elements which cooperate to

provide a releasable locking mechanism for the arms 25, 26 in a manner to be described.

Similarly, at the other end of the arm 26a there is a further locking element 32 which

again includes lugs 33 for securing the element onto the outer surface of the arm 26a

through correspondingly shaped holes therein. Locking element 32 is cooperable with a

correspondingly shaped bore 34 in the base member 18.

Turning now to Figures 6a and 6b, h will be seen that the locking element 29

is generally of cylindrical shape apart from a pair of higs 28. The locking element 29 is

made of rdativdy rigid plastics material and includes a longitudinal slot 35 by which is

possible, during manufacture, to insert the dement 29 into the end of the arm 26a

sufficient for it to allow the lugs 28 to take up their respective positions by which the

element 29 is fixed in place at the end of arm 26a remote form the plate 18. Locking

element 29 also includes a cam surface 36 in the form of an annular taper, the function of

which is described later.

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Turning to Figures 7a and 7b, the complementary locking element 30 is

also generally cylindrical apart from a pair of lugs 31 and, again, a longitudinal slot. As

will be seen, the primary difference between locking elements 29 and 30 is that the latter

has inwardly facing lugs 31 by which it may be secured onto the outer surface of the arm

26b in the manner as shown in Figure 5. The locking element 30 also includes a cam

surface in the form of taper 38, cooperable with cam surface 36 on locking element 29.

Referring back to Figure 5 it will be seen that when the locking dements 29 and

30 are each secured in place on respective ends of arms 26a, 26b they cooperate to

limit the amount by which arm 26b may telescope outwardly away from base plate 18.

Similarly, the locking elements 32 and 34 limit the amount by which arm 26a extends from

the base plate 18. Each complementary pair of locking dements 29,30 and 32,34 have

complementary cam surfaces in the form of tapers which provide that when the arms

25,26 are fully extended outwardly the cam surfaces wedge together each extendible

portion of the arms 25,26 in the extended position to thus inhibit inward movement of the

rail 24 when, particularly, the trolley is in use and a load is being applied to the rail 24 and

arms 25,26.

The invention thus provides a neat and efficient trolley suitable for carrying luggage

either permanently of temporarily which is easy to use, particularly by virtue of the

toggle lever 12 and the relatively large wheels 13, 14 and also has advantages for the

manufacturer in that only one piece of tooling needs to be provided for the manufacturing

of the base plate 18. The locking mechanism in the form of cam surfaces is also easy to

use and, for the manufacturer, easy to assemble.

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