Bowling ball cart

Abstract

A hand propelled cart with a wheel supported platform adapted to receive and transport thereon a bowling ball or a bowling ball case in a manner readily removed therefrom, and including a handle projecting rearwardly and upwardly from the platform with the platform having upstanding flanges about all four sides to retain the object being transported on the platform. There is also provided a box-like hollow container adapted to carry bowling shoes and the like therein and having an opening in the top thereof adapted to receive a bowling ball restingly therein, the container being supported on wheels and having a flange projecting outwardly of one end thereof with a slot therein adapted to be temporarily engaged by a detachable handle in a manner to propell the cart in a pulling or pushing manner along the supporting surface.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to push or pull carts and more particularly to a novel and improved cart-type carrier adapted to transport bowling balls, bowling shoes, and other bowling accessories from point to point.

2. Description of the Prior Art

It has been known in the prior art to provide different types of conventional hand propelled carts for the carrying about of garbage cans, drums, golf carts, and the like, but none of such carts are suitably adapted to transport relatively heavy bowling balls and associated bowling accessories in a safe and secure manner between different locations, such as within a bowling alley or the like.

Thus, at the present time, bowling balls and associated bowling accessories must be hand carried by use of bowling ball cases and the like from an individual's car into the bowling alley, with this being quite difficult for many elderly or handicapped individuals in view of the great weight of the bowling ball and the distance the same must be carried to the bowling alley.

Further, difficulties are experienced within a bowling alley as to such a handicapped or elderly individual having to carry the bowling ball from a storage rack normally positioned in one location in a bowling alley to the particular alley on which the individual is to bowl, this again being difficult and inconvenient to such individuals.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention recognizes the problems of individuals relative to the carrying of bowling balls and associated bowling accessories, such as shoes, towels, and the like, and overcomes such difficulties by providing a novel bowling ball cart specifically adapted for the carrying of bowling balls and bowling ball bags between various locations.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a manually operated cart which is lightweight but sturdy in construction and which is adapted to carry bowling balls or bowling ball cases in a safe and secure manner.

A further object of the present invention provides a cart specifically adapted for the transporting of bowling balls and accessories from point to point within a bowling alley or the like.

Yet still a further object of the present invention provides a wheeled cart readily pushed or pulled between locations and having a platform on which bowling balls, bowling cases, and the like may be temporarily rested in a secured manner preventing relative movement on the the base and yet permitting the same to be readily removed from the base without requiring any special instructions, expertise, or the like.

The provision of a hand propelled cart for transporting bowling balls and bowling accessories, such as briefly outlined above, and possessing the stated advantages, constitutes the principal features of the present invention. The provision of a cart which is relatively simple in its construction and which therefore may be readily manufactured at a relatively low cost and by simple manufacturing methods; one which is relatively devoid of moving parts and which therefore is unlikely to get out of order; one which is rugged and durable and which therefore may be guaranteed by the manufacturer to withstand many years of intended usage; one which is aesthetically pleasing and refined in appearance; one which is adapted to receive and transport bowling bags of different sizes and configurations in a safe and secure manner thereon; and one which, otherwise, is well adapted to perform the services required of it, are further desirable features which have been borne in mind in the production and development of the present invention.

Other features and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like reference characters are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a cart constructed in accordance with the present invention and illustrated with a bowling ball being transported thereon;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the cart of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a back elevational view of the cart of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a bowling ball case adapted to be transported on the cart of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a further type of bowling ball case adapted to be transported on the cart of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of the invention; and

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the cart of FIG. 6, partially broken away, and illustrated as transporting a bowling ball and bowling shoes thereon.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings in detail and in particular to FIGS. 1 to 5 inclusive, a preferred form of a cart constructed in accordance with the present invention is designated in its entirety by the reference numeral 10 and is comprised of three component parts, namely a substantially flat rectangularly shaped base or platform 11, an elongated tubular handle 12, and a wheel assembly 13.

The base 11 is of a flat rectangular shape having a front edge 21, a back edge 22, opposed side edges 23 and 24, a top surface 25, and a bottom surface 26. Projecting upright from the base 11 centrally of each of the edges 21-24 are flanges 27, such as shown in the drawings. Projecting co-planar with base 11 horizontally outwardly of the central portion of back end edge 22 is a lip 28 having a socket 29 welded to the top surface thereof and projecting upwardly therefrom, the socket including a bore 30 extending longitudinally axially therethrough which is provided with a screw type thread about the peripheral inward wall surface thereof.

The handle 12 is of an elongated tubular construction having a shank 31 terminating at the top end thereof in a handle grasping portion 32 adapted to be grasped in the hand of an individual, with the opposite end 33 provided with threads about the peripheral surface thereof of a size and pitch complementary to the size and pitch of the threaded bore 30 such that the same is threadedly received in the socket 29 to detachably attach the handle 12 to the base 11.

The wheel assembly 13 includes a pair of transversely spaced and aligned winged V-shaped brackets 40 each depending downwardly from the bottom surface 26 of the base 11 and fastened to the base by fasteners 41 which may consist of screws, nuts, or the like. Secured to the apex 42 of each bracket 40 and extending normal to the axis of each bracket is a cylindrical bushing 43 having a bore extending completely therethrough, each of the bushings 43 being axially aligned with each other and adapted to rotatably receive therethrough an axle 44 having a wheel 45 secured to each end thereof such that the wheels 45 are rotatably supported relative to the brackets 40.

In operation to carry a bowling ball 50 thereon, there is provided a cylindrical ring like member 51 having an inner diameter adapted to restingly receive the bowling ball therein, with the outer diameter adapted to be received within the brackets 27 when the ring 51 is rested on the top surface 25 of the base 11. It is to be understood that the height of ring 51 is sufficient so as to retain the bowling ball 50 out of contact with the base 11. Ring 51 thus may be readily placed onto and removed from the base 11, with bowling ball 50 readily inserted into or removed from the ring 51, with the cart 10 being utilized to transport the bowling ball between various locations without having to force the individual to actually carry the weight of the bowling ball.

When it is desired to use a bowling ball case, such as case 52 of FIG. 4 or case 53 of FIG. 5, then such cases are merely rested on the top surface 25 of the base 11 and fit between the flanges 27 so as to be securely detachably retained on the base 11 in a safe manner, the case 52 provided with a hinged cover 54 and a hasp type closure 55 with the case 53 provided with a hinged cover 56 and hasp type closure 57, each of the cases 52 and 53 adapted to hold therein a bowling ball and associated accessories, such as bowling shoes and the like, in a conventional manner.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7 there is illustrated a modified form of the invention wherein there is provided a hollow box-like rectangular container 61 having a top surface 62, a bottom surface 63, depending side walls 64 and 65, and depending front and back walls 66 and 67 respectively. The top surface 62 is provided with a circular opening 68 therein of a size and configuration adapted to restingly receive a bowling ball 70 therein. The surfaces 62-67 define therebetween a compartment 69 which is completely closed except for opening 68, and which is adapted to receive therein bowling accessories, such as bowling shoes 71 and the like. Further, projecting outwardly from the back end 67 is a lip 72 having a transversely extending slot 73 disposed therein and adapted to be detachably engaged by a T-shaped end of a handle 75 as will be later described.

The handle 75 includes a shank 76 of an elongated tubular configuration having a handle grasping end 77 adapted to be grasped in the hand of an individual, with the opposite end 78 terminating in a T-shape having a member 79 weldingly secured to end 78 about its midpoint and projecting laterally outwardly normal to the axis of the shank 76 a distance less than the length of the slot 73 in lip 72, the end 78 and member 79 being of a diameter less than the width of the slot 73 so as to be readily inserted into and removed from such slot. To engage the handle to the container 61, member 79 is disposed over slot 73 and aligned therewith, after which the member is moved vertically downwardly through the slot until passing through the bottom end thereof, after which the handle 75 is rotated ninety degrees about its axis such that member 79 is disposed substantially perpendicular to the axis of the slot 73. In this position the handle is detachably attached to container 61, with it being understood that to remove the handle from the container the above procedure is reversed with the member 79 being aligned with slot 73 and then being vertically withdrawn through slot 73 to separate the handle from the container.

The container 61 is rotatably supported on a set of spaced apart wheels 80 each rotatably connected by brackets 81 to the bottom surface 63 of the container at spaced points thereabout, preferably at each of the four corners, such brackets 81 being either permanently affixed to the bottom surface 63 or rotatably affixed thereto in a manner to permit rotation of the wheels 80 about their axes as well as about an axis normal to the plane of the bottom surface 63.

In operation, bowling shoes and accessories 71 are inserted through opening 68 into the compartment 69, after which bowling ball 70 is rested in the opening 68, after which the handle is detachably attached to the container for pulling or pushing the container about a supporting surface from point to point, such as between a storage area in a bowling alley and the particular alley at which the ball and accessories are to be utilized, with the handle being readily detached from the container and stored separately therefrom so as to be out of the way and yet readily accessible for use in the transporting of the container.

It is to be understood that the form of this invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as preferred examples of the same, and that this invention is not to be limited to the exact arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this specification as various changes in the details of construction as to shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of the novel concepts thereof, or the scope of the sub-joined claims.

Claims

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A bowling ball cart comprising a substantially flat rectangular platform having a top surface, a bottom surface, opposed side edges, and opposed front and back end edges, flange like members associated with each of the end edges and side edges and projecting upright adjacent thereto from the top surface of the platform, a socket secured to the platform adjacent the back end edge thereof and projecting upwardly therefrom, an elongated handle member having one end adapted to be detachably attached to the socket with the opposite end projecting upwardly and rearwardly therefrom and terminating in a handle grasping end adapted to be readily grasped in the hand of an individual, a pair of axially aligned transversely spaced wheels rotatably mounted to the bottom surface of the platform, the socket having a threaded bore with screw like threads, the end of the handle received in the bore provided with screw like threads of a size and pitch complementary to the size and pitch of the threads in the socket such that the handle may be threadedly attached to and detached from the socket, the wheels include a pair of winged V-shaped transversely spaced and aligned brackets having the winged portions thereof suitably fastened to the bottom surface of the platform, the apex of each bracket having a transversely extending cylindrical bushing fastened thereto with the bores of the bushings in axial alignment, an elongated cylindrical axle adapted to extend completely through both of the bushings and project laterally outwardly of the outermost ends of each of the bushings, a wheel adapted to be permanently affixed to each end of the axle adjacent the end of the bushing and within the boundaries of the platform whereby the combined wheels and axle are rotatable about their axis relative to the brackets and bushings, a cylindrical ring like member having an outer diameter adapted to fit within the flanges on the platform and having an inner diameter adapted to restingly receive therein a conventional type bowling ball, the ring member being of a sufficient height such that when rested on the top surface of the platform between the flanges the bowling ball supported therein will not engage the top surface of the platform, and the ring being detachably retained on the platform between the flanges with the flanges preventing any unwanted relative movements between the ring and the platform.

2. The bowling ball cart as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a bowling ball case having a hinged cover and a rectangular bottom portion of a size and configuration adapted to be restingly received on the top surface of the platform between the flanges thereon whereby the case may be readily rested in a secure and safe manner on the cart, transported thereby, and then readily removed therefrom at the desired point of usage.