Folding trolleys and the like

Claim 2

A folding trolley comprising first and second U-shaped frame members, said frame members being pivotally interconnected, stop means for limiting the pivoted opening of said frame members, upper and lower trays each pivoted in the vicinity of one of its ends to the side portions of said first frame member, said upper and lower trays slideably engaging said upper and lower supporting crossmembers respectively during folding of said trolley, said lower supporting crossmember being cranked at each end to provide a center portion, said center portion lying out of the plane of said second frame member, the pivot of said upper tray being, in the folded condition of the trolley, further from the axis of pivotal interconnection of the frame members than is the engaging surface of the upper crossmember and the pivot of the lower tray being in the folded condition, further from the axis of pivotal interconnection of the frame members than is the engaging surface of the lower crossmember, whereby the trolley can be folded from a normal opened condition in which said trays are supported between said frame members one above and the other below the axis of pivotal interconnection of said frame members to a normal closed condition in which said frame members are nested one within the other with said lower tray folded upwards and said upper tray folded downwards, said upper tray being able, on folding to swing down while sliding over said upper crossmember and said lower tray being caused to swing up by the sliding engagement therewith of said lower crossmember said center position engaging said lower tray in the closed condition forward of the plane of said second frame member.

Claim 3

A folding trolley as claimed in claim 1 wherein the distance between said center portion of said lower crossmember and the axis of pivotal interconnection of said frame members is less than the distance between the line joining the points of connection of the ends of said lower crossmember with said frame member and the axis of pivotal interconnection of said frame members.

Claim 4

A folding trolley as claimed in claim 1 including members dependent from the undersides of said trays, said trays being pivoted to said frame member by said dependent members, whereby the axes of pivotal connection of the trays are displaced with respect to the undersides of said trays.

Claim 5

A folding trolley as claimed in claim 6, wherein said stops have lips and said crossmembers engage in recesses between said trays and said lips of said stop.

Claim 6

A folding trolley comprising two U-shaped frame members, said frame members being pivotally interconnected, stop means for limiting the pivoted opening of said frame members, upper and lower trays pivoted in the vicinity of one of their ends to the side portions of one of said frame members, upper and lower supporting crossmembers connected between the side portions of the other of said frame members, said upper and lower trays slideably engaging said upper and lower supporting crossmembers respectively, the pivot of said upper tray being, in the folded condition of the trolley, further from the axis of pivotal interconnection of the frame members than is the engaging surface of the upper crossmember and the pivot of the lower tray being in the folded condition, further from the axis of pivotal interconnection of the frame members than is the engaging surface of the lower crossmember, whereby the trolley can be folded from a normal opened condition in which said trays are supported between said frame members one above and the other below the axis of pivotal interconnection of said frame members to a normal closed condition in which said frame members are nested one within the other with said lower tray folded upwards and said upper tray folded downwards, said upper tray being able, on folding to swing down while sliding over said upper crossmember and said lower tray being caused to swing up by the sliding engagement therewith of said lower crossmember, a stop mounted on the underside of said lower tray, a lip on said stop, said lower crossmember being arranged to engage in a recess between said lower tray and said lip of said stop, when trolley is in said folded condition, whereby said lower tray is held in its folded condition.

Claim 7

A folding trolley comprising two U-shaped frame members, said frame members being pivotally interconnected, stop means for limiting the pivoted opening of said frame members, upper and lower trays pivoted in the vicinity of one of their ends to the side portions of one of said frame members, upper and lower supporting crossmembers connected between the side portions of the other of said frame members, said upper and lower trays slideably engaging said upper and lower supporting crossmembers respectively, the pivot of said upper tray being, in the folded condition of the trolley, further from the axis of pivotal interconnection of the frame members than is the engaging surface of the upper crossmember and the pivot of the lower tray being in the folded condition, further from the axis of pivotal interconnection of the frame members than is the engaging surface of the lower crossmember, whereby the trolley can be folded from a normal opened condition in which said trays are supported between said frame members one above and the other below the axis of pivotal interconnection of said frame members to a normal closed condition in which said frame members are nested one within the other with said lower tray folded upwards and said upper tray folded downwards, said upper tray being able, on folding to swing down while sliding over said upper crossmember and said lower tray being caused to swing up by the sliding engagement therewith of said lower crossmember, a stop mounted on the underside of said lower tray, a lip on said stop, said lower crossmember being arranged to engage in a recess between said lower tray and said lip of said stop, when trolley is in said folded condition, whereby said lower tray is held in its folded condition.

Claim 8

A folding trolley comprising two U-shaped frame members, said frame members being pivotally interconnected, stop means for limiting the pivoted opening of said frame members, upper and lower trays pivoted in the vicinity of one of their ends to the side portions of one of said frame members, upper and lower supporting crossmembers connected between the side portions of the other of said frame members, said upper and lower trays slideably engaging said upper and lower supporting crossmembers respectively, the pivot of said upper tray being, in the folded condition of the trolley, further from the axis of pivotal interconnection of the frame members than is the engaging surface of the upper crossmember and the pivot of the lower tray being in the folded condition, further from the axis of pivotal interconnection of the frame members than is the engaging surface of the lower crossmember, whereby the trolley can be folded from a normal opened condition in which said trays are supported between said frame members one above and the other below the axis of pivotal interconnection of said frame members to a normal closed condition in which said frame members are nested one within the other with said lower tray folded upwards and said upper tray folded downwards, said upper tray being able, on folding to swing down while sliding over said upper crossmember and said lower tray being caused to swing up by the sliding engagement therewith of said lower crossmember, wherein said stop means comprises two stops mounted on the underside of said upper and lower tray respectively near their free ends, said crossmembers being arranged to engage against said stops in the opened condition, whereby the frame members are prevented from opening beyond their opened condition.

Claim 9

A folding trolley comprising two U-shaped frame members, said frame members being pivotally interconnected, stop means for limiting the pivoted opening of said frame members, upper and lower trays pivoted in the vicinity of one of their ends to the side portions of one of said frame members, upper and lower supporting crossmembers connected between the side portions of the other of said frame members, said upper and lower trays slideably engaging said upper and lower supporting crossmembers respectively, the pivot of said upper tray being, in the folded condition of the trolley, further from the axis of pivotal interconnection of the frame members than is the engaging surface of the upper crossmember and the pivot of the lower tray being in the folded condition, further from the axis of pivotal interconnection of the frame members than is the engaging surface of the lower crossmember, whereby the trolley can be folded from a normal opened condition in which said trays are supported between said frame members one above and the other below the axis of pivotal interconnection of said frame members to a normal closed condition in which said frame members are nested one within the other with said lower tray folded upwards and said upper tray folded downwards, said upper tray being able, on folding to swing down while sliding over said upper crossmember and said lower tray being caused to swing up by the sliding engagement therewith of said lower crossmember, wherein said stop means comprises two stops mounted on the underside of said upper and lower tray respectively near their free ends, said crossmembers being arranged to engage against said stops in the opened condition, whereby the frame members are prevented from opening beyond their opened condition.