US3751059A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Cantilever-type,nestable shopping carts
Assignee: WHITTAR Corp A CORP OF
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Filing: 1971-09-21
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Granted: 1973-08-07
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Expires: 1991-09-21
Abstract
Abstract A cantilevered shopping cart wherein the forward end of the basket is wider than the rearward end, said forward end being provided with a bottom-hinged gate swingable either forwardly from its closed, upright position to an open position to allow the easy removal of the basket contents, or rearwardly and downwardly to a horizontal position to allow the telescopic nesting of a plurality of carts, said cart being provided with a novel collapsible baby seat located at its smaller end.
Inventors
- 👤 D Dunder
- 👤 H James
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 03:04
CPC Classifications
B; B62; B62B; B62B3/00; B62B3/14; B62B3/148; B62B3/1484; B62B3/1496; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S280/00; Y10S280/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
363 words
A cantilever-type shopping cart comprising: a wheeled base having a forward end and having an open, relatively wider rearward end adapted to receive the forward end of a cart therebehind when a plurality of said carts are nested in telescopic relation; basket-supporting means extending upwardly from said base at a point spaced inwardly from the side thereof; a merchandise-holding basket formed of spaced rods supported by said suppoRting means in a cantilevered manner permitting said basket to overlie a checkout counter, said basket having a rear wall with a pair of leg openings therein and a relatively wider forward end, the basket side walls being tapered rearwardly from said forward end to said smaller rearward end, and said basket having a bottom with a portion thereof inclined downwardly toward said forward end of the basket; a bracket member permanently secured to said basket side walls with a hook portion projecting slightly forwardly of the forward end of the basket, said hook portion forming a vertically-disposed oval opening and said hook portion having a rearwardly-facing shoulder formed on its upper edge; a gate adapted to close the forward end of said basket, said gate having a hinge element extending laterally outwardly from each side of the bottom thereof, each hinge element including an upper rod member and a lower rod member projected through and movably retained within said bracket opening, whereby said gate can be positioned in an upright, slightly forwardlyinclined position with the upper rod of said hinge element bearing against said rearwardly-facing shoulder on the hook portion to releasably retain said gate in said upright, basketclosing position, and whereby said gate can be lifted slightly to clear said shoulder and then swung forwardly and downwardly about said lower rod member of the hinge element to a position resting on a checkout counter, the rearwardly-facing design of said bracket shoulder permitting said gate to be automatically swung rearwardly and downwardly from its closed position to a position substantially flat against the basket bottom by the engagement of said gate with the rearward end of another cart to allow the partial insertion of said latter cart into the basket when said carts are nested.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
363 words
A cantilever-type shopping cart comprising: a wheeled base having a forward end and having an open, relatively wider rearward end adapted to receive the forward end of a cart therebehind when a plurality of said carts are nested in telescopic relation; basket-supporting means extending upwardly from said base at a point spaced inwardly from the side thereof; a merchandise-holding basket formed of spaced rods supported by said suppoRting means in a cantilevered manner permitting said basket to overlie a checkout counter, said basket having a rear wall with a pair of leg openings therein and a relatively wider forward end, the basket side walls being tapered rearwardly from said forward end to said smaller rearward end, and said basket having a bottom with a portion thereof inclined downwardly toward said forward end of the basket; a bracket member permanently secured to said basket side walls with a hook portion projecting slightly forwardly of the forward end of the basket, said hook portion forming a vertically-disposed oval opening and said hook portion having a rearwardly-facing shoulder formed on its upper edge; a gate adapted to close the forward end of said basket, said gate having a hinge element extending laterally outwardly from each side of the bottom thereof, each hinge element including an upper rod member and a lower rod member projected through and movably retained within said bracket opening, whereby said gate can be positioned in an upright, slightly forwardlyinclined position with the upper rod of said hinge element bearing against said rearwardly-facing shoulder on the hook portion to releasably retain said gate in said upright, basketclosing position, and whereby said gate can be lifted slightly to clear said shoulder and then swung forwardly and downwardly about said lower rod member of the hinge element to a position resting on a checkout counter, the rearwardly-facing design of said bracket shoulder permitting said gate to be automatically swung rearwardly and downwardly from its closed position to a position substantially flat against the basket bottom by the engagement of said gate with the rearward end of another cart to allow the partial insertion of said latter cart into the basket when said carts are nested.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
243 words
A shopping cart comprising a wheeled base, basket-supporting means extending upwardly from said base, a merchandise-holding basket supported by said basket-supporting means, said basket having a bottom with a relatively wide forward end and having side walls which angle toward one another away from said forward end, a gate of less width than the spacing between said side walls at the forward end of the basket adapted to close said forward end, cooperating hinge means on said basket and gate located adjacent the bottom of the gate whereby the bottom of said gate is hingedly connected to said basket, said cooperating hinge means including hinge pins on the gate and including upright pin-receiving openings having lower portions below the bottom of the basket and having upper portions above the bottom of the basket and including elements for releasably retaining said hinged gate in its upright basket-closing position, said releasable retaining means providing for manual swinging of said gate forwardly and downwardly, while the hinge pins are in said lower portions of the openings, from its upright closed position to a position to permit discharge of the contents of the basket, and said releasable retaining means permitting swinging of the gate, while the hinge pins are in said upper portions of the openings, rearwardly and downwardly from its upright position to a position within and lying substantially flat against the bottom of the basket when it is desired to nest carts in telescopic relationship.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
243 words
A shopping cart comprising a wheeled base, basket-supporting means extending upwardly from said base, a merchandise-holding basket supported by said basket-supporting means, said basket having a bottom with a relatively wide forward end and having side walls which angle toward one another away from said forward end, a gate of less width than the spacing between said side walls at the forward end of the basket adapted to close said forward end, cooperating hinge means on said basket and gate located adjacent the bottom of the gate whereby the bottom of said gate is hingedly connected to said basket, said cooperating hinge means including hinge pins on the gate and including upright pin-receiving openings having lower portions below the bottom of the basket and having upper portions above the bottom of the basket and including elements for releasably retaining said hinged gate in its upright basket-closing position, said releasable retaining means providing for manual swinging of said gate forwardly and downwardly, while the hinge pins are in said lower portions of the openings, from its upright closed position to a position to permit discharge of the contents of the basket, and said releasable retaining means permitting swinging of the gate, while the hinge pins are in said upper portions of the openings, rearwardly and downwardly from its upright position to a position within and lying substantially flat against the bottom of the basket when it is desired to nest carts in telescopic relationship.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
40 words
A shopping cart as claimed in claim 2 in which said releasable retaining elements of said cooperating hinge means are so located that they automatically releasably hold the gate in a forwardly-tilted upright position against further downward movement by gravity.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
49 words
A shopping cart as claimed in claim 2 in which the releasable retaining means for the hinged gate permits automatic rearward and downward swinging movement of the gate in response to pressure from the rearward end of a like shopping cart when it is desired to nest said carts.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
229 words
A shopping cart comprising a wheeled base, basket-supporting means extending upwardly from said base, a merchandise-holding basKet supported by said basket-supporting means, said basket having a bottom with a relatively wide forward end and having side walls which angle toward one another away from said forward end, a gate of less width than the spacing between said side walls at the forward end of the basket adapted to close said forward end, cooperating hinge means on said basket and gate located adjacent the bottom of the gate whereby the bottom of said gate is hingedly connected to said basket, said cooperating hinge means including elements for releasably retaining said hinged gate in its upright basket-closing position, said releasable retaining means providing for manual swinging of said gate forwardly and downwardly from its upright closed position to a position to permit discharge of the contents of the basket, and said releasable retaining means permitting swinging of the gate rearwardly and downwardly from its upright position to a position within and lying substantially flat against the bottom of the basket when it is desired to nest carts in telescopic relationship, the upper portion of the basket-supporting means including spaced brackets, one on each side of the basket near the forward end thereof, the forward ends of said brackets providing said hinge means for cooperation with the hinge means on the gate.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
229 words
A shopping cart comprising a wheeled base, basket-supporting means extending upwardly from said base, a merchandise-holding basKet supported by said basket-supporting means, said basket having a bottom with a relatively wide forward end and having side walls which angle toward one another away from said forward end, a gate of less width than the spacing between said side walls at the forward end of the basket adapted to close said forward end, cooperating hinge means on said basket and gate located adjacent the bottom of the gate whereby the bottom of said gate is hingedly connected to said basket, said cooperating hinge means including elements for releasably retaining said hinged gate in its upright basket-closing position, said releasable retaining means providing for manual swinging of said gate forwardly and downwardly from its upright closed position to a position to permit discharge of the contents of the basket, and said releasable retaining means permitting swinging of the gate rearwardly and downwardly from its upright position to a position within and lying substantially flat against the bottom of the basket when it is desired to nest carts in telescopic relationship, the upper portion of the basket-supporting means including spaced brackets, one on each side of the basket near the forward end thereof, the forward ends of said brackets providing said hinge means for cooperation with the hinge means on the gate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
A shopping cart as claimed in claim 5 in which there are attaching elements between the spaced brackets and the basket attaching the basket to the basket-supporting means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
273 words
A shopping cart comprising a wheeled base, basket-supporting means extending upwardly from said base, a merchandise-holding basket supported by said basket-supporting means, said basket having a bottom with a relatively wide forward end and having side walls which angle toward one another away from said forward end, a gate of less width than the spacing between said side walls at the forward end of the basket adapted to close said forward end, cooperating hinge means on said basket and gate located adjacent the bottom of the gate whereby the bottom of said gate is hingedly connected to said basket, said cooperating hinge means including elements for releasably retaining said hinged gate in its upright basket-closing position, said releasable retaining means providing for manual swinging of said gate forwardly and downwardly from its upright closed position to a position to permit discharge of the contents of the basket, and said releasable retaining means permitting swinging of the gate rearwardly and downwardly from its upright position to a position within and lying substantially flat against the bottom of the basket when it is desired to nest carts in telescropic relationship, each hinge means on the basket including a rearwardly-directed hook having an interior opening and having an upwardly-projecting external shoulder, and each hinge means on the gate including a laterally-projecting hinge element having spaced upper and lower rod members, each lower rod member being retained within the opening of a hook, and the upper rod member being engageable with said shoulder when the gate is swung in a forward direction whereby the gate is releasably maintained in a basket-closing position against opening movement by gravity.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
273 words
A shopping cart comprising a wheeled base, basket-supporting means extending upwardly from said base, a merchandise-holding basket supported by said basket-supporting means, said basket having a bottom with a relatively wide forward end and having side walls which angle toward one another away from said forward end, a gate of less width than the spacing between said side walls at the forward end of the basket adapted to close said forward end, cooperating hinge means on said basket and gate located adjacent the bottom of the gate whereby the bottom of said gate is hingedly connected to said basket, said cooperating hinge means including elements for releasably retaining said hinged gate in its upright basket-closing position, said releasable retaining means providing for manual swinging of said gate forwardly and downwardly from its upright closed position to a position to permit discharge of the contents of the basket, and said releasable retaining means permitting swinging of the gate rearwardly and downwardly from its upright position to a position within and lying substantially flat against the bottom of the basket when it is desired to nest carts in telescropic relationship, each hinge means on the basket including a rearwardly-directed hook having an interior opening and having an upwardly-projecting external shoulder, and each hinge means on the gate including a laterally-projecting hinge element having spaced upper and lower rod members, each lower rod member being retained within the opening of a hook, and the upper rod member being engageable with said shoulder when the gate is swung in a forward direction whereby the gate is releasably maintained in a basket-closing position against opening movement by gravity.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
44 words
A shopping cart as claimed in claim 7 in which the openings of the hooks are of a size to permit raising of the gate to clear the shoulders when it is desired to swing the gate forwardly and downwardly to an open position.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
A shopping cart as claimed in claim 7 in which each hinge element on the gate is in the form of a loop.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-08-06 | 1977-02-05 | 1977-08-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-08-06 | 1981-02-05 | 1981-08-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-08-06 | 1985-02-05 | 1985-08-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |