School supplies transporting device

6,073,944

08/915,743

August 21, 1997

A transporting device adapted to be manually towed behind a student. The transporting device comprises a container with attached telescoping handle and incorporating an axle with attached wheels. Within the container can be placed school books, pencils, pens, paper, and other school supplies. Vertical spacers within the container hold the books and notebooks in an upright position. When the telescoping handle is in the retracted position, the transporting device easily fits beneath a school desk.

Moore, Larry James (Huber Heights, OH)

I claim

1. A transporting device comprising a storage means with incorporated axle and attached wheels and towing means, said storage means embodying a hollow container having a hinged closure, said hollow container comprising a rectangular box closed at one end and open at the other end, said box having two side walls and a front wall and a back wall joined to form a peripheral wall, said peripheral wall being fixed to said closed end, said peripheral wall having a groove formed on the exterior surface thereof at said open end, said hinged closure comprising a rectangular lid closed at one end and open at the other end, said rectangular lid having a front wall and two side walls and a back wall joined to form a peripheral wall, said peripheral wall being fixed to said closed end, said peripheral wall having a groove formed on the interior surface thereof at said open end, two support blocks being fixed to the bottom surface of said closed end, said support blocks being located along the edge formed by the juncture of said front wall and said closed end of said box and being adjacent to said side walls, said box having a beveled edge formed at the juncture of said closed end and said back wall, said box having a support wall disposed therein and perpendicularly fixed to said side walls and said closed bottom, said front wall having vertical grooves formed on the interior surface thereof, said support wall having vertical grooves formed on the interior surface thereof, said vertical grooves of said front wall and said support wall being in alignment such that a removable rectangular spacer being slidingly inserted into an aligned pair of said grooves is held in a vertical position perpendicular to said front wall and said support wall and to said closed bottom, said box having a triangular block therein fixed to said beveled edge and said side walls, said block having a centrally located cylindrical hole in alignment with and communicating with the interior of a corresponding hole in each of said side walls, an axle and two wheels, said axle extending through said hole in one of said side walls, said block, and the other side wall of said box, said wheels attached to each end of said axle, the exterior surface of said back wall having four rectangular blocks fixed thereto such that two of said blocks are aligned with said side walls and said top and two of said blocks are aligned with said side walls and said bottom, the bottom two of said blocks being in vertical alignment with the upper two of said blocks, all four said blocks having a centrally located vertical hole, all four said blocks being cut into two equal halves along a vertical plane parallel to said back wall such that one half of said blocks are permanently fixed to said back wall, the other half of said blocks are removably attachable to said fixed halves, said equal halves being joined by screws to secure said towing means to said box, said removable halves having an internally threaded horizontal cylindrical hole for incorporation of a spring loaded locking device, said hole being open at one end and closed at the end normally joining said fixed halves, said closed end having a centrally located hole. said spring loaded locking device comprises a spring, a cylindrical knob having a centrally located threaded aperture, a cylindrical pin having external threads formed at one end and having a collar fixed in close proximity to the other end such that a portion of said pin extends beyond said collar, a hollow cylinder flanged at one end and being externally threaded, said cylinder being closed at said flanged end, said closed end having a centrally located hole, said spring being slidingly inserted into said hollow cylinder such that one end of said spring abuts said closed end, said threaded end of said pin being slidingly inserted into said spring and said cylinder such that said threaded end extends through said hole in said closed end and said collar abuts said spring, said threaded end engaging said threaded aperture in said knob.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said towing means comprises a telescoping handle having an upper portion open at one end and closed at the other end, said closed end having an offset extension fixed thereto, a lower portion open at one end and closed at the other end and having a support crossbar fixed to said open end, said upper portion comprises two hollow tubes being closed at one end by a hollow crossbar and being open at the other end, said hollow tubes having a hole located in close proximity to said open end, said offset extension being fixed to one end of said hollow crossbar, said lower portion comprises two hollow tubes being closed at one end by a hollow crossbar and being open at the other end, said open end having a hollow support crossbar fixed thereto, said hollow tubes having a hole located between said closed end and said hollow crossbar and in close proximity to said hollow crossbar, said open end of said upper portion being slidingly inserted into said open end of said lower portion, said holes in said upper portion and said lower portion being in alignment with and engaging a pin in said spring loaded locking devices when said telescoping handle is extended.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said offset extension comprises a hollow tube being centrally bent to form a right angle, said hollow tube being normally closed at the free end by a hollow flexible gripping tube, said gripping tube being closed at one end, the free end of said gripping tube being slidingly pushed onto the free end of said offset extension.

4. A transporting device comprising, in combination, a hollow portable article storing and transporting container open at its top and closed at its bottom and incorporating an axle with attached wheels, a removably attachable two piece telescoping handle having an offset handle extension fixed thereto, said container having a front wall and two side walls and a back wall joined to form a peripheral wall, said peripheral wall being fixed at one end to said closed bottom, the bottom surface of said closed bottom having two supports fixed thereto, said supports being in alignment with the bottom edge of said front wall and adjacent to said side walls, said container having a groove formed on the exterior surface of said peripheral wall at said open end, a manually opening and closing hinged lid normally closing said open top, said lid being closed at its top and open at its bottom, said lid having a front wall and two side walls and a back wall joined to form a peripheral wall, said peripheral wall being fixed at one end to said closed top, said lid having a groove formed on the interior surface of said peripheral wall at said open bottom, said groove of said lid interlocks with said groove of said container when said lid is closed, said container having a beveled edge formed at the junction of said back wall and said closed bottom, said container having an interior support wall fixed perpendicularly to said side walls and said closed bottom, the interior surface of said front wall and said support wall having vertical grooves formed thereon and in alignment such that a removable insertable rectangular spacer being slidingly inserted into said grooves forms a vertical partition perpendicular to said front wall and said support wall and said closed bottom, said container having a triangular block disposed therein and fixed to said beveled edge and said side walls, said block having a centrally located cylindrical hole extending through the length of said block and being in alignment and communicating with the interior of a corresponding hole in each of said side walls, said axle being slidingly inserted through the hole in one of said side walls, the triangular block, and the other side wall of said box such that the ends of said axle extend beyond said side walls, said wheels being attached to each end of said axle, a two piece latch, the lower portion of said latch being attached to one of said side walls of said container at a point centrally located on a plane adjacent to said open top, the top portion of said latch being attached to the corresponding side wall of said lid and being in alignment with and engaging said bottom portion of said latch, said lid being attached by hinges to said side wall opposite said latch, the exterior surface of said back wall of said container having four centrally apertured rectangular blocks fixed thereto, said aperture extending vertically through said blocks, said blocks being cut into two equal parts along a vertical plane parallel to said back wall, said equal parts being normally joined by screws to secure said telescoping handle to said back wall, the upper two said blocks being in alignment with said sides and said open top and incorporating spring loaded locking devices, the lower two said blocks being in alignment with said sides and said bottom and being in vertical alignment with the upper two said blocks, said spring loaded locking devices comprise a centrally apertured cylindrical knob, a spring, a hollow externally threaded cylinder being closed at one end and open at the other end, said closed end being flanged and having a centrally located hole, a cylindrical pin having a collar attached near one end and being adapted at the opposite end to engage said aperture in said knob, said spring being slidingly inserted into and enclosed by said cylinder, the adapted end of said pin being slidingly inserted into said enclosed spring such that said collar is enclosed by said cylinder and abuts said spring, said adapted end of said pin extending through said hole in said closed end and engaging said aperture of said knob.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said telescoping handle comprises an upper portion with a fixed offset extension and a lower portion, said upper portion comprises two hollow tubes closed at one end by a hollow crossbar and open at the other end, said hollow tubes having a hole located near said open end, said offset extension being fixed to one end of said hollow crossbar, said lower portion comprises two hollow tubes closed at a one end by a hollow crossbar and fixed to a hollow support crossbar in close proximity to said open end, said hollow tubes having a hole located between said support crossbar and said closed end at a point adjacent to said support crossbar, the free end of said upper portion being slidingly inserted into the free end of said lower portion.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein said offset extension comprises a closure and a hollow tube, said hollow tube being bent to form a right angle at a point equally distant from its ends, said offset extension being normally closed at the free end by said closure, said closure comprises a hollow flexible tube closed at one end, the free end of said closure being slidingly pushed onto the free end of said offset extension.

7. The device of claim 5 wherein said container and said lid are made of a translucent material.

280/4726; 2806/551; 206/558

B62B 100

1523136 January 1925 O'Connor
2572486 October 1951 Isaac
2883731 April 1959 Wells
3366397 January 1968 Zeilstra et al.
5511682 April 1996 Pace
5797612 August 1998 Buccioni

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