Hand truck with safety stand

Claim 2

A safety stand for use with a hand truck of the type having a back support and base platform, the safety stand comprising: a. bracket means capable of being removably mounted to a relatively upper portion of the hand truck back support; b. a support leg unit pivotally coupled to a relatively upper part of the bracket means and arranged for free swinging movement in response to gravity force towards and away from the hand truck back support as the hand truck is tilted forwardly and rearwardly respectively the support leg including, b.1 a cross bar pivotally coupled by its opposing ends to the bracket means, b.2 a pair of side members depending from adjacent the opposing ends of the cross bar, b.3 a joint interconnecting the side members, and, b.4 a depending strut coupled to the joint; and, c. locking means connected to the support leg unit including a hand operable release mechanism coupled to a relatively lower part of the bracket means and releasably engaging the locking means, the release mechanism having an adjustable catch for selectively varying and fixing the swing angle of a support leg unit.

Claim 3

The structure according to claim 1, wherein the support leg unit includes: length adjustment means for selectively varying and fixing the end-to-end length of the support leg unit.

Claim 4

The structure according to claim 1, wherein: a. the joint is a sleeve; b. the strut is slidably and telescopically coupled within the sleeve; and, c. length adjustment means interconnects the sleeve and strut and is arranged for selectively varying and fixing the end-to-end length of the support leg unit.

Claim 5

The structure according to claim 1, wherein the release mechanism includes: a. a slide member that defines the adjustable catch; and, b. a swing bar formed with an elongated laterally extending slot that slidably mounts the slide member.

Claim 6

The structure according to claim 1 wherein the locking means includes: a. a rigid link fixed to and extending generally downwardly and rearwardly from the cross bar; and, b. a pin connected to and extending transversely of the rigid link and into selective engagement with the adjustable catch.

Claim 7

The structure according to claim 5, wherein: the rigid link includes a pair of laterally spaced link members straddling the swing bar with the pin extending between and coupled to the outermost ends of the link members.

Claim 8

The structure according to claim 1, including: a. an upper bracket of the bracket means which mounts the support leg unit; and, b. a lower bracket of the bracket means which mounts the release mechanism.

Claim 9

The structure according to claim 1, wherein: the support leg includes length adjustment means for selectively varying and fixing the end-to-end length of the support leg unit; and the release mechanism includes a slide member that defines the adjustable catch, and, a swing bar formed with an elongated laterally extending slot that slidably mounts the slide member.

Claim 10

A hand truck combined with a removable safety stand, comprising: a. a hand truck having a generally upstanding back support and a base platform; b. an upper bracket demountably secured to a relatively upper part of the hand truck back support; c. a lower bracket demountably secured to a relatively lower part of the hand truck back support; d. a pair of bearing plates coupled to opposing ends of the upper bracket; e. a support leg unit having a cross bar rotatably coupled by its opposing ends in corresponding bearing plates to allow free swinging movement by the support leg unit in response to gravity force towards and away from the hand truck when the hand truck is tilted forwardly and rearwardly respectively, the support leg including: e.1 a sleeve, e.2 a strut slidably and telescopically coupled within the sleeve and e.3 length adjustment means interconnecting the sleeve and strut and arranged for selectively varying and fixing the end-to-end length of the support leg; f. an adjustable catch for selectively varying and fixing the swing angle between the support leg unit and the hand truck back support; and g. locking means including; g.1 a hand operable release mechanism coupled to the lower bracket and releasably engaging the locking means, the release mechanism including a slide member defining the adjustable catch and a swing bar formed with an elongated laterally extending slot that slidably mounts the slide member, g.2 a rigid link fixed to and extending generally downwardly and rearwardly from the cross bar, the rigid link including a pair of laterally spaced link members straddling the swing bar, g.3 a pin connected to and extending transversely of the rigid link, the pin extending between and being coupled to the oUter ends of the link members.

Claim 11

A hand truck combined with a removable safety stand, comprising: a. a hand truck having a generally upstanding back support and a base platform; b. an upper bracket demountably secured to a relatively upper part of the hand truck back support; c. a lower bracket demountably secured to a relatively lower part of the hand truck back support; d. a pair of bearing plates coupled to opposing ends of the upper bracket; e. a support leg unit having a cross bar rotatably coupled by its opposing ends in corresponding bearing plates to allow free swinging movement by the support leg unit in response to gravity force towards and away from the hand truck when the hand truck is tilted forwardly and rearwardly respectively, the support leg including: e.1 a sleeve, e.2 a strut slidably and telescopically coupled within the sleeve and e.3 length adjustment means interconnecting the sleeve and strut and arranged for selectively varying and fixing the end-to-end length of the support leg; f. an adjustable catch for selectively varying and fixing the swing angle between the support leg unit and the hand truck back support; and g. locking means including; g.1 a hand operable release mechanism coupled to the lower bracket and releasably engaging the locking means, the release mechanism including a slide member defining the adjustable catch and a swing bar formed with an elongated laterally extending slot that slidably mounts the slide member, g.2 a rigid link fixed to and extending generally downwardly and rearwardly from the cross bar, the rigid link including a pair of laterally spaced link members straddling the swing bar, g.3 a pin connected to and extending transversely of the rigid link, the pin extending between and being coupled to the oUter ends of the link members.