Transfer cart with improved base and gate guides

Claim 1

In a transfer cart for use in transporting and displaying products such as food containers, having a cart base having wheels and defining a periphery of the cart; a vertically extending frame having two rear corner posts and two front corner posts, said posts being mounted to and extending upward from said base; a plurality of vertically spaced apart product support shelves extending between and supported by said corner posts; and a sliding gate disposed along a rear side of the cart and between the rear corner posts, said gate having a pair of vertical legs and a plurality of transverse rungs in between and fastened to the legs and normally positioned between and blocking access to the product shelves, said gate being vertically movable to an alternative loading position wherein the rungs are at the same level as the shelves enabling products to be loaded on the shelves from the rear of the cart; the improvement comprising, a vertically elongated single-piece gate guide affixed on each rear corner post, each guide having an open generally C-shaped cross section which concavely faces the opposite said gate guide and slidingly retains one of the gate legs enabling the gate to be slid upwards in the guides from the normal position to the loading position, each of said guides being structurally integral and extending a majority of the height of a respective corner post, each said guide being structurally fastened to a respective corner post in a weldment that extends a majority of the height of the respective post and mutually structurally reinforces both the majority of the height of the respective corner post and the entire length of the guide, for maintaining the entire length of each guide straight and for maintaining the guides parallel to each other under severe service and means spaced from a respective said rear post and fastening each guide directly to each said shelf adjacent a respective shelf corner, for further support of said shelves by said guides.