Standing occupant propelled merchandise carrier

Claim 1

A standing occupant propelled merchandise cart comprising: a forward container portion having forward, rearward and side upright walls, and having an open upper side through which articles can be inserted and removed, a forward caster wheel means freely pivoting about a vertical axis to permit steering, and a rearward wheel means attached to and supporting said forward container portion, said rearward wheel means rotating about fixed axis means, handle means at the rear of said forward container portion and adapted to be gripped by a standing operator, an operator''s riding platform elongated forwardly and rearwardly, a platform wheel means attached to the rearward end of and supporting said platform and having portions for engaging any horizontal surface which supports said platform wheel means at places horizontally spaced laterally of said platform for substantial sidewise Tipping deterrent, means pivotally attaching said platform at its forward end to said forward container portion whereby an operator riding on said platform can steer said forward portion, said platform wheel means rotating about axis means which latter is substantially stationary with respect to a line at a right angle to the elongation of said platform, said platform being suitable for propulsion in the manner of a scooter, said wheel means under the forward container portion comprising rear wheel means and forward wheel means, said pivotal attaching means attaching the forward end of said platform attaching means to said container portion for the pivoting of said platform and said forward container portion normally in horizontal planes with respect to each other at a pivot point, said pivot point being disposed substantially at the center from side to side of said cart where the turning motions of said cart have the least effect in altering position of said pivot point, said platform having a width from right to left and said wheel means having a maximum span from the right side thereof to the left side thereof, and in which said width and span are each respectively substantially lesser in dimension than the width from right to left of said forward container portion, the top of said platform being substantially level when said platform wheel means and said container wheel means are on a horizontal surface, said platform being in a natural position for ease of standing thereon and also said handle means being in substantially a natural position for ease of gripping by an average operator while said operator is leg-propelling said cart in the manner of a scooter, the top of said platform being less than 3 3/4 inches from the underside of said wheel means for ease of toepropulsion by a standing operator whose other foot is on said platform, said container portion forward wall being on a same horizontal level with said container portion rearward wall.