Patent US3924709A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3924709A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Unloading assembly for shopping cart
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1974-08-19
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Granted: 1975-12-09
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Expires: 1994-08-19
Abstract
Abstract An unloading assembly for shopping carts, which assembly moves the contents of the cart from the cart onto a stand, which stand may contain a scanner head for reading the prices on the individual items moved from the cart and across the top of the stand. Movement of the contents of the cart is accomplished by a belt which is positioned in the bottom of the basket of the cart and trained over a pair of spaced idler rollers, there being driving means carried by the stand whereby a pair of driven rollers of the driving means may be brought into engagement with the conveyor belt and one of the idler rollers and thus drive the belt and move the contents of the basket therefrom and onto the stand. An elevating mechanism may be provided on the stand to vertically shift the driving means and the cart to a position where the bottom of the cart basket is aligned with the top of a stand when the top of the stand is initially at a greater height than the bottom of the basket.
Inventors
- 👤 Russell K Swanson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 16:57
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47F; A47F9/00; A47F9/02; A47F9/04; A47F9/045; B; B62; B62B; B62B3/00; B62B3/14; B62B3/148
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
180 words
An unloading assembly for a shopping cart comprising: a substantially horizontal conveyor belt carried by the cart and supporting the contents of the cart when in use; a front and a rear idler roller rotatably carried by the cart, said conveyor belt being trained around said idler rollers; a stand engageable by the cart; and driving means on the stand for causing movement of the conveyor belt when the cart is brought into engagement with the stand, said driving means Including a pair of driven rollers, a power source for simultaneously driving said driven rollers, said driven rollers being spaced apart in a horizontal plane slightly beneath the horizontal plane of the conveyor belt in the cart, the space between said driven rollers defining a seat, the front idler roller and a stretch of the conveyor belt trained therearound being received within the seat with said stretch of the conveyor belt in engagement with both of said driven rollers whereby, upon actuation of the power source for the driven rollers, the conveyor belt in the cart is caused to move.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
180 words
An unloading assembly for a shopping cart comprising: a substantially horizontal conveyor belt carried by the cart and supporting the contents of the cart when in use; a front and a rear idler roller rotatably carried by the cart, said conveyor belt being trained around said idler rollers; a stand engageable by the cart; and driving means on the stand for causing movement of the conveyor belt when the cart is brought into engagement with the stand, said driving means Including a pair of driven rollers, a power source for simultaneously driving said driven rollers, said driven rollers being spaced apart in a horizontal plane slightly beneath the horizontal plane of the conveyor belt in the cart, the space between said driven rollers defining a seat, the front idler roller and a stretch of the conveyor belt trained therearound being received within the seat with said stretch of the conveyor belt in engagement with both of said driven rollers whereby, upon actuation of the power source for the driven rollers, the conveyor belt in the cart is caused to move.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
An unloading assembly for a shopping cart as claimed in claim 1, there being means for retaining said front idler roller and a stretch of the belt seated between said driven rollers.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
An unloading assembly for a shopping cart as claimed in claim 2, said means being in the form of a hook carried by the stand and selectively engageable with said front idler roller.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
An unloading assembly for a shopping cart as claimed in claim 1, said cart having a bottom pan spanning the distance between said front and rear idler rollers, said pan supporting the normally uppermost length of said belt.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
An unloading assembly for a shopping cart as claimed in claim 4, said pan having grooves formed therein, said belt having complementary ribs carried thereby and seated within corresponding grooves whereby to guide said belt as it passes around said idler rollers.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
An unloading assembly for a shopping cart as claimed in claim 1, said stand having guide means thereon to assist in seating said idler roller when the cart is brought into engagement with the stand.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
An unloading assembly as set forth in claim 1, said driving means being shiftable with respect to the stand.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
47 words
An unloading assembly as set forth in claim 1, said driven rollers and said power source being shiftably carried by the stand whereby to permit vertical shifting movement thereof to lift the cart to place the conveyor belt therein in alignment with the top of the stand.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
An unloading assembly as set forth in claim 8, there being power means for shifting said driving means in a vertical path.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
An unloading assembly as set forth in claim 9, there being control means for said power means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-12-08 | 1979-06-09 | 1979-12-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-12-08 | 1983-06-09 | 1983-12-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-12-08 | 1987-06-09 | 1987-12-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |