Shopping cart pickup machine

Claim 1

A MACHINE FOR MOVING CARTS HAVING WHEELS SUCH AS THOSE EMPLOYED IN MARKETS, SAID MACHINE COMPRISING: (A) A CARRIAGE INCLUDING: (1) A FRAME, SAID COMPRISING: (A) A PLURALITY OF PARALLELLY DISPOSED RAILS, SPACED HORIZONTALLY FROM ONE ANOTHER A SUFFICIENT DISTANCE TO RECEIVE A CART, AND BEING OF SUCH LENGTH AS TO RECEIVE A PLURALITY OF SAID CARTS; (B) SAID FRAME INCLUDING MEANS AT THE REAR OF THE CARRIAGE FORMING: (I) A SUPPORT FOR THE REAR ENDS OF THE RAILS AND A REAR ABUTMENT FOR THE CARTS, AND (II) A SECTION DISPOSED REARWARDLY OF SAID SUPPORT; (C) MEANS ADJACENT THE FRONT ENDS OF THE RAILS FOR MAINTAINING THE SAME IN DESIRED HORIZONTAL SPACED RELATIONSHIP WITH ONE ANOTHER; (2) A PAIR OF GROUND WHEELS DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID REAR SECTION OF THE FRAME FOR SUPPORTING THE REAR OF THE FRAME; (3) A MOTOR CARRIED BY SAID REAR SECTION OF THE FRAME AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH THE REAR WHEELS FOR DRIVING THE LATTER; (4) A VERTICALLY EXTENDING BEARING CARRIED BY THE FRONT END OF ONE OF SAID RAILS; (5) A VERTICALLY EXTENDING SHAFT JOURNALED FOR OSCILLATING MOVEMENT IN SAID BEARING; (6) A GROUND WHEEL CARRIED BY THE SHAFT FOR GUIDING THE CARRIAGE; (7) AN OPERATOR''S SUPPORT CARRIED BY THE FRAME REARWARDLY OF THE MOTOR; (8) GATE MEANS HINGEDLY CONNECTED WITH THE FRONT END OF ONE OF SAID RAILS, SAID GATE MEANS BEING MOVABLE FROM A POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL WITH SAID LATTER MENTIONED RAIL TO A POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY BRIDGING THE SPACE BETWEEN IT AND THE NEXT ADJACENT RAIL; (9) MEANS ACCESSIBLE TO AN OPERATOR WHEN ON THE OPPERATOR''S SUPPORT FOR SWINGING SAID GATE MEANS FROM EITHER OF THE TWO POSITIONS TO THE OTHER OF THE TWO POSITIONS; (10) AND MEANS ACCESSIBLE TO AN OPERATOR WHEN ON THE OPERATOR''S SUPPORT FOR MANIPULATING SAID SHAFT FOR GUIDING THE CARRIAGE.