초록 ▼

A dolly for large appliances facilitates manual movement of soft drink vending machines, refrigerators, etc. The dolly has a dropped floor between each end, with the ends raised for installation of casters therebeneath. The lower central floor area is preferably only about 1.5 inches above the lower

A dolly for large appliances facilitates manual movement of soft drink vending machines, refrigerators, etc. The dolly has a dropped floor between each end, with the ends raised for installation of casters therebeneath. The lower central floor area is preferably only about 1.5 inches above the lower supporting surface when the dolly is resting thereon, thereby allowing a large machine to be tilted slightly and the dolly maneuvered therebeneath. The low floor also results in a very low ride height for the appliance, enabling the appliance to fit upright through a standard doorway. Carrying the appliance sideways on the dolly, also permits large vending machines to fit through a standard doorway by opening the door of the machine to narrow the effective width of the machine. A roller lever is also provided, for lifting one end of loaded dolly for maneuvering the lifted end across thresholds and other floor discontinuities.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A dolly assembly for transporting a large appliance, comprising:a rectangular platform having a first end panel, a second end panel opposite said first end panel, and a planar central floor area therebetween for receiving and supporting a large appliance thereon, each said end panel lying in a pl

1. A dolly assembly for transporting a large appliance, comprising:a rectangular platform having a first end panel, a second end panel opposite said first end panel, and a planar central floor area therebetween for receiving and supporting a large appliance thereon, each said end panel lying in a plane extending substantially parallel to said central floor area and being higher than said central floor area, said first end panel and said second end panel each having a single slot defined therein; a first pair of supporting caster wheels disposed beneath said first end panel and a second pair of caster wheels disposed beneath said second end panel, each of said caster wheels having an axle, said central floor area being lower than said axle of each of said caster wheels when said caster wheels are resting upon a level supporting surface; and a lever assembly having: an elongated flat plate having a first end and a second end, and having a single tongue extending normal to the first end of said plate, the tongue being sized and dimensioned for insertion into either one of the slots defined in said end panels, said flat plate defining a foot platform and being sized and dimensioned for supporting at least one foot of a user of the dolly assembly; and a single caster wheel mounted beneath said plate adjacent said tongue, the single caster wheel defining a fulcrum when the tongue is inserted into one of the slots, said flat plate forming a lever pivoting on the fulcrum, the lever having a relatively short lever arm formed between the tongue and the single caster wheel and a relatively long lever arm formed between said single caster wheel and the second end of said flat plate; whereby a dolly user may stand on said flat plate with the tongue inserted into one of the slots, said central platform being supported by and rollable on one of said pairs of supporting caster wheels and on said single caster wheel in order to raise and move the other one of said pair of caster wheels over an obstruction.