Tugger and rider cart assembly

{
  "publication_number": "US11014593B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Tugger and rider cart assembly",
  "abstract": "According to some embodiments, an improved tugger and rider cart assembly system is presented. The system comprising a tugger cart with a central space to receive a rider cart; the tugger cart having both front side and rear side pluralities of transport wheels approximately parallel to, but not touching, ground; a front side and a rear side loading wheel positioned closer to the ground than the transport wheels; a rider cart having a first wing and a second wing, both wings having a curved portion; and wherein the loading wheels and wing curved portions can be operatively connected to allow a user to move the rider cart onto the tugger cart thereby allowing the tugger cart to transport the rider cart.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An improved tugger and rider cart assembly comprising: a tugger cart having a front side and a rear side, the tugger cart front side and the tugger cart rear side operatively connected by a central portion to define a central space wherein the central space is dimensioned to receive a rider cart, the central portion comprising a front sidewall and a rear sidewall, the front sidewall comprising an outer surface facing the front side, and the rear sidewall comprising an outer surface facing the rear side; the tugger cart having a plurality of tugger wheels operatively connected to the tugger cart; the tugger cart having a front side plurality of transport wheels approximately parallel to, but not touching, ground, wherein the front side plurality of transport wheels is coupled to the outer surface of the front sidewall by a plurality of front side axles; the tugger cart having a rear side plurality of transport wheels approximately parallel to, but not touching, the ground, wherein the rear side plurality of transport wheels is coupled to the outer surface of the rear sidewall by a plurality of rear side axles; the tugger cart having a first at least one front side loading wheel coupled to the outer surface of the front sidewall by a front side loading axle at a fixed position closer to the ground than is the front side plurality of transport wheels; the tugger cart having a first at least one rear side loading wheel coupled to the outer surface of the rear sidewall by a rear side loading axle at a fixed position closer to the ground than is the rear side plurality of transport wheels; a rider cart having a first end and a second end, the rider cart first end and rider cart second end operatively connected by a central portion to define a load carrying area; the rider cart having a plurality of rider wheels operatively connected to the rider cart; the rider cart first end having a first wing and the first wing having a first wing first curved portion; the rider cart second end having a second wing and the second wing having a second wing first curved portion; and wherein the first at least one front side loading wheel and the first wing first curved portion are configured to be operatively connected to each other, and the first at least one rear side loading wheel and second wing first curved portion are configured to be operatively connected to each other to allow a user to move the rider cart first wing onto the front side plurality of transport wheels and the rider cart second wing onto the rear side plurality of transport wheels such that when the rider cart first wing is on the front side plurality of transport wheels and the rider cart second wing is on the rear side plurality of transport wheels the plurality of rider wheels is off of the ground and the plurality of tugger wheels supports both the tugger cart and the rider cart to allow the tugger cart to transport the rider cart.",
    "2. The improved tugger and rider cart assembly of claim 1, wherein the first wing further comprises a first wing second curved portion, and wherein the second wing further comprises a second wing second curved portion.",
    "3. The improved tugger and rider cart assembly of claim 1, wherein the tugger cart further comprises a second at least one front side loading wheel at an opposite end of the front side plurality of transport wheels from the first at least one front side loading wheel, and a second at least one rear side loading wheel at an opposite end of the rear side plurality of transport wheels from the first at least one rear side loading wheel.",
    "4. The improved tugger and rider cart assembly of claim 1, wherein the improved tugger and rider cart assembly further comprises a locking mechanism to secure the rider cart to the tugger cart after loading the rider cart onto the tugger cart.",
    "5. An improved tugger and rider cart assembly comprising: a tugger cart having a front side and a rear side, the tugger cart front side and the tugger cart rear side operatively connected by a central portion to define a central space wherein the central space is dimensioned to receive a rider cart, the central portion comprising a front sidewall and a rear sidewall, the front sidewall comprising an outer surface facing the front side, and the rear sidewall comprising an outer surface facing the rear side; the tugger cart having a plurality of tugger wheels operatively connected to the tugger cart; the tugger cart having a front side plurality of transport wheels approximately parallel to, but not touching, ground, wherein the front side plurality of transport wheels is coupled to the outer surface of the front sidewall by a plurality of front side axles; the tugger cart having a rear side plurality of transport wheels approximately parallel to, but not touching, the ground, wherein the rear side plurality of transport wheels is coupled to the outer surface of the rear sidewall by a plurality of rear side axles; the tugger cart having a first at least one front side loading wheel coupled to the outer surface of the front sidewall by a first front side loading axle at a fixed position that is closer to the ground than is the front side plurality of transport wheels and a second at least one front side loading wheel at an opposite end of the front side plurality of transport wheels from the first at least one front side loading wheel, the second at least one front side loading wheel coupled to the outer surface of the front sidewall by a second front side loading axle; the tugger cart having a first at least one rear side loading wheel coupled to the outer surface of the rear sidewall by a first rear side loading axle at a fixed position that is closer to the ground than is the rear side plurality of transport wheels and a second at least one rear side loading wheel at an opposite end of the rear side plurality of transport wheels from the first at least one rear side loading wheel, the second at least one rear side loading wheel coupled to the outer surface of the rear sidewall by a second rear side loading axle; a rider cart having a first end and a second end, the rider cart first end and rider cart second end operatively connected by a central portion to define a load carrying area; the rider cart having a plurality of rider wheels operatively connected to the rider cart; the rider cart first end having a first wing and the first wing having a first wing first curved portion and a first wing second curved portion; the rider cart second end having a second wing and the second wing having a second wing first curved portion and a second wing second curved portion; and wherein the first at least one front side loading wheel and the first wing first curved portion are configured to be operatively connected to each other, and the first at least one rear side loading wheel and second wing first curved portion are configured to be operatively connected to each other to allow a user to move the rider cart first wing onto the front side plurality of transport wheels and the rider cart second wing onto the rear side plurality of transport wheels, or alternatively, the second at least one front side loading wheel and the first wing second curved portion are configured to be operatively connected to each other, and the second at least one rear side loading wheel and second wing second curved portion are configured to be operatively connected to each other to allow a user to move the rider cart first wing onto the front side plurality of transport wheels and the rider cart second wing onto the rear side plurality of transport wheels such that when the rider cart first wing is on the front side plurality of transport wheels and the rider cart second wing is on the rear side plurality of transport wheels the plurality of rider wheels is off of the ground and the plurality of tugger wheels supports both the tugger cart and the rider cart to allow the tugger cart to transport the rider cart.",
    "6. The improved tugger and rider cart assembly of claim 5, wherein the improved tugger and rider cart assembly further comprises a locking mechanism to secure the rider cart to the tugger cart after loading the rider cart onto the tugger cart, wherein the locking mechanism comprises at least a first peg upstanding from the central portion and disposed on one side of the rider cart and a second peg upstanding from the central portion and disposed on an opposing side of the rider cart.",
    "7. An improved tugger and rider cart assembly comprising: a tugger cart having a front side and a rear side, the tugger cart front side and the tugger cart rear side operatively connected by a central portion to define a central space wherein the central space is dimensioned to receive a rider cart, the central portion comprising a front sidewall and a rear sidewall, the front sidewall comprising an outer surface facing the front side, and the rear sidewall comprising an outer surface facing the rear side; the tugger cart having a plurality of tugger wheels operatively connected to the tugger cart; the tugger cart having a front side plurality of transport wheels approximately parallel to, but not touching, ground, wherein the front side plurality of transport wheels is coupled to the outer surface of the front sidewall by a plurality of front side axles; the tugger cart having a rear side plurality of transport wheels approximately parallel to, but not touching, the ground, wherein the rear side plurality of transport wheels is coupled to the outer surface of the rear sidewall by a plurality of rear side axles; the tugger cart having a first at least one front side loading wheel coupled to the outer surface of the front sidewall by a first front side loading axle at a fixed position that is closer to the ground than is the front side plurality of transport wheels and a second at least one front side loading wheel at an opposite end of the front side plurality of transport wheels from the first at least one front side loading wheel, the second at least one front side loading wheel coupled to the outer surface of the front sidewall by a second front side loading axle; the tugger cart having a first at least one rear side loading wheel coupled to the outer surface of the rear sidewall by a first rear side loading axle at a fixed position that is closer to the ground than is the rear side plurality of transport wheels and a second at least one rear side loading wheel at an opposite end of the rear side plurality of transport wheels from the first at least one rear side loading wheel, the second at least one rear side loading wheel coupled to the outer surface of the rear sidewall by a second rear side loading axle; a rider cart having a first end and a second end the rider cart first end and rider cart second end being operatively connected by a central portion to define a load carrying area; the rider cart having a plurality of rider wheels operatively connected to the rider cart; the rider cart first end having a first wing and the first wing having a first wing first curved portion and a first wing second curved portion; the rider cart second end having a second wing and the second wing having a second wing first curved portion and a second wing second curved portion; wherein the first at least one front side loading wheel and the first wing first curved portion are configured to be operatively connected to each other, and the first at least one rear side loading wheel and second wing first curved portion are configured to be operatively connected to each other to allow a user to move the rider cart first wing onto the front side plurality of transport wheels and the rider cart second wing onto the rear side plurality of transport wheels, or alternatively, the second at least one front side loading wheel and the first wing second curved portion are configured to be operatively connected to each other, and the second at least one rear side loading wheel and second wing second curved portion are configured to be operatively connected to each other to allow a user to move the rider cart first wing onto the front side plurality of transport wheels and the rider cart second wing onto the rear side plurality of transport wheels such that when the rider cart first wing is on the front side plurality of transport wheels and the rider cart second wing is on the rear side plurality of transport wheels the plurality of rider wheels is off of the ground and the plurality of tugger wheels supports both the tugger cart and the rider cart to allow the tugger cart to transport the rider cart; and a locking mechanism to secure the rider cart to the tugger cart after loading the rider cart onto the tugger cart."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "An improved tugger and rider cart assembly for transporting materials is generally described.\n\nThe present invention relates to an improved tugger and rider cart assembly, and more particularly, to a rider cart that may be easily attached to a tugger cart.\n\nIn the world of intra-plant material handling, a common approach to conveying material from one location to another is called a tugger/rider cart system. The system consists of three components; a tugger truck, tugger cart, and rider cart. The tugger truck pulls a train of tugger carts, with rider carts on board, from location to location in a factory or warehouse. For example, the rider carts are loaded with material at a picking station or supermarket. They are then loaded on to the tugger carts. After that, they are tugged to the unload area, unloaded off of the tugger carts, and pushed into their final position. At this point, the empty tugger carts may be reloaded with empty push carts and returned to the picking station.\n\nOne issue companies have with this type of system is being able to efficiently and ergonomically load and unload the rider carts on to the tugger carts. Currently, hydraulic and manual devices are used. The hydraulic lift solution increases cost, presents plant safety issues (oil on the floor), and requires more equipment maintenance. Also, if a plant already has a fleet of tugger carts they will probably have to change their entire fleet to special tugger carts that have hydraulic systems driving even more cost.",
  "cpc": [
    "B62B 3/1404",
    "B60D 1/167",
    "B60D 1/481",
    "B60D 2001/005",
    "B62B 2202/90",
    "B62B 2207/02",
    "B62B 3/06",
    "B62B 5/0083",
    "B62B 5/04",
    "B62D 53/005",
    "B62D 61/04"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B62B 3/14",
    "B62B 5/00",
    "B62B 5/04"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "J Tec Industries Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Joseph Wayne Knepp",
    "Kris A. Buckert",
    "Nicholas Michael Kaiser",
    "Ryan Wilham Greiner"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2018-04-08",
  "publication_date": "2021-05-25",
  "grant_date": "2021-05-25",
  "priority_date": "2018-04-08",
  "application_number": "US-201815947843-A",
  "family_id": "68098094",
  "cited_by_count": 7,
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}