Pallet truck

Claim 2

Auxiliary wheel structure for use with a pallet truck having pivotable wheel apparatus for raising and lowering pallet forks attached to the truck with respect to an operating surface and dirigible wheel apparatus for steering and supporting the truck, said structure comprising: detachable wheels adapted to be attached to the forks of the pallet truck adjacent the free ends thereof, the ends of said forks opposite the said free ends being supported by the said dirigible wheel apparatus, means for attaching said wheels, said detachable wheels having a diameter sufficient to support the forks of the pallet truck on an operating surface at a height above said surface sufficient to allow the pivotable wheel apparatus to be raised off of the operating surface while maintaining contact between said surface and said dirigible wheel apparatus, and said wheels when attacHed to said forks operating at right angles to the direction of projection of the forks so as to provide for sidewise movement of the pallet truck.

Claim 3

A pallet truck comprising: a forked bed having two spaced-apart projecting forks, said forks joined together at one end through a back member, said bed supported by dirigible wheels and nondirigible wheels, means for extending and retracting the said nondirigible wheels to raise and lower said forks above an operating surface, a pair of detachable wheels, means for attaching said detachable wheels to said forks adjacent their ends remote from said back member, said detachable wheels, when attached, enabling rolling at right angles to the direction of projection of the forks, and said detachable wheels dimensioned diameterwise to be attachable to said forks when said nondirigible wheels are in at least a partially extended state, and said detachable wheels dimensioned diameterwise to project below said nondirigible wheels when said nondirigible wheels are in a fully retracted position whereby said forks will be supported on said operating surface by said detachable wheels and said nondirigible wheels will be free from the operating surface.

Claim 4

A pallet truck comprising: a forked bed having two spaced-apart projecting forks, said forks joined together at one end through a back member, said bed supported by dirigible wheels and nondirigible wheels, means for extending and retracting the said nondirigible wheels to raise and lower said forks above an operating surface, a pair of detachable wheels, means for attaching said detachable wheels to said forks adjacent their ends remote from said back member, said detachable wheels, when attached, enabling rolling at right angles to the direction of projection of the forks, and said detachable wheels dimensioned diameterwise to be attachable to said forks when said nondirigible wheels are in at least a partially extended state, and said detachable wheels dimensioned diameterwise to project below said nondirigible wheels when said nondirigible wheels are in a fully retracted position whereby said forks will be supported on said operating surface by said detachable wheels and said nondirigible wheels will be free from the operating surface.

Claim 5

A pallet truck according to claim 2 wherein the means for attaching the detachable wheels to the forks comprises: an axle projecting from said remote end of each of said forks in the direction of projection of said forks, said axles sized to project through an axial bore in said detachable wheels, and means on said axles for retaining said detachable wheels on said axles.

Claim 6

A pallet truck according to claim 3 wherein the means for retaining the detachable wheels on the axles comprises: a bore extending diametrically through each of said axles, and a pair of retaining pins adapted to extend into each said bore and to project therefrom on either side of the said axle to entrap the detachable wheels between the projecting portions of the retaining pins and said remote ends of the said forks.

Claim 7

A pallet truck according to claim 2 wherein said means for attaching said detachable wheels to said forks comprises: elongated crossbar apparatus having the detachable wheels operatively fastened adjacent the opposite ends thereof, and retaining means attached to said crossbar apparatus intermediate the ends thereof, and adapted to interfit with portions of said remote ends to retain the said crossbar apparatus adjacent said remote ends.

Claim 8

A pallet truck according to claim 5 wherein said retaining means comprises open rectangular cross section chambers dimensioned to receive said remote ends of the forks therethrough in tight fit relationship.

Claim 9

A kit for adapting a pallet truck, having projecting forks which may be raised and lowered by extending and retracting nondirigible wheels, for movement in a direction transverse to the direction of projection of the forks which comprises: a plurality of axles, means for mounting said axles on the forward ends of the forks, said axles when mounted projecting from the ends of the forks in the direction of projection of the forks, a plurality of wheels having axial bores sized to receive said axles, means for retaining said wheels on said axles, and said wheels dimensioned to have a radius less than the distance from said axles to the bottom of the nondirigible wheels when the nondirigible wheels are in their extended state but greater than the distance from said axles to the bottoms of the nondirigible wheels when the nondirigible wheels are in their fully retracted state.

Claim 10

A kit for adapting a pallet truck, having projecting forks which may be raised and lowered by extending and retracting nondirigible wheels, for movement in a direction transverse to the direction of projection of the forks which comprises: a plurality of axles, means for mounting said axles on the forward ends of the forks, said axles when mounted projecting from the ends of the forks in the direction of projection of the forks, a plurality of wheels having axial bores sized to receive said axles, means for retaining said wheels on said axles, and said wheels dimensioned to have a radius less than the distance from said axles to the bottom of the nondirigible wheels when the nondirigible wheels are in their extended state but greater than the distance from said axles to the bottoms of the nondirigible wheels when the nondirigible wheels are in their fully retracted state.

Claim 11

A kit for adapting a pallet truck, having projecting forks which may be raised and lowered by extending and retracting nondirigible wheels, for movement in a direction transverse to the direction of projection of the forks which comprises: elongated crossbar apparatus, said crossbar apparatus having transverse axles adjacent opposite ends thereof, a plurality of wheels, said wheels having axial bores sized to receive said transverse axles, retaining means attached to said crossbar apparatus, said retaining means adapted to attach said crossbar apparatus to the forward ends of the forks transversely to the forks, and said wheels dimensioned to have a radius less than the distance from said axles to the bottoms of the nondirigible wheels when the nondirigible wheels are in their extended state but greater than the distance from said axles to the bottoms of the nondirigible wheels when the nondirigible wheels are in their fully retracted state.

Claim 12

A kit for adapting a pallet truck, having projecting forks which may be raised and lowered by extending and retracting nondirigible wheels, for movement in a direction transverse to the direction of projection of the forks which comprises: elongated crossbar apparatus, said crossbar apparatus having transverse axles adjacent opposite ends thereof, a plurality of wheels, said wheels having axial bores sized to receive said transverse axles, retaining means attached to said crossbar apparatus, said retaining means adapted to attach said crossbar apparatus to the forward ends of the forks transversely to the forks, and said wheels dimensioned to have a radius less than the distance from said axles to the bottoms of the nondirigible wheels when the nondirigible wheels are in their extended state but greater than the distance from said axles to the bottoms of the nondirigible wheels when the nondirigible wheels are in their fully retracted state.

Claim 13

A pallet truck according to claim 2, including means carried by the pallet truck for locking said dirigible wheels to roll only in a direction parallel to that of said detachable wheels.