Instantly attachable and removable handle for roller cages

Abstract

A handle device 1 that can be removably attached to a roller cage 2. The handle device 1 comprises a handle 11, which can be straight or curved, which can be held by a user; a frame 12 for holding a pen and a handheld retail scanner; and two clamps 4 for securing to vertical bars on a roller cage 2. The clamps 4, which are located at the ends of the handle 11, comprise two semi-circular hinged halves which can close around the bars on a roller cage 2, and which have inner surfaces with a rubber lining 3. The halves of the clamp 4 can be locked together using a closure system comprising a shaped metal catch 13 movably attached to a spring bar 15 fitted inside a hollow with the clamp 4, the bar being spring loaded using push buttons 5, 9 affixed to a locking bar 6 located on the exterior of the clamp 4.

Description

Field of the Invention The present invention relates to handles which are used to push or pull roller cages in warehouses or other commercial environs. Background The use of roller cages is common and widely spread world wide as a way of moving commercial stock and products around warehouses or other commercial environs, including supermarkets. These roller cages consist of a squared flat platform base with at least four castor type wheels, from this are at least two or more vertically disposed metal cage sides. These cage sides are derived of metal bars arranged vertically and horizontally in a repeated crossing pattern to form enclosures when joined at least at one of their abutted corners. The user then stacks boxes or other containers inside these cage enclosures to wheel them to another location safely to be removed. These cages are heavy and require some strength and agility to perambulate them, which is sometimes aided by at least one handle formed from a section of the frontal edge bars. These handles aid the pulling or pushing of the roller cage, however; many roller cages do not have these handles. Due to the restrictive nature of some of the areas into which a user has to manoeuvre a roller cage it can be very difficult to handle the roller cage and the user often has to ‘squeeze’ past the cage to access the other side or change sides to pull it through a tight corner or position, for example in a warehouse. Therefore, this disclosure shows a handle which can be attached and removed instantly to any given part of the vertical corners of a roller cage and can also hold a hand-held scanner and pen. Examples of removable handles for similar use are known and can be found in the prior art, but they do not demonstrate a quick attachment or release and do not have the advantageous addition of a bracket for holding a retail scanner and pen. This is shown in patent US4045842 (THERIAULT) wherein a detachable manoeuvring handle for a transport cart is shown, the handle having outwardly extending inboard and outboard clamps projecting from a main support bar wherein either the inboard or outboard clamps or both may be readily fitted to the sides of the vertical corner legs of an end member of the transport cart, the handle having bearing means likewise projecting outwardly relative to the main support bar which may be readily fitted to a selected one of the horizontal cross members extending between the corner legs, in end members having such horizontal cross members, for purposes of serving as a handle by means of which the transport cart can be more easily manipulated. Patent US'!569184 (HERRING) discloses a detachable handle consisting of a substantially U-shaped bar the side portions of Which are provided at their ends with return bent portions folded back in close contact with the surfaces of the side portions and forming compact abutting heads, the side portions being provided at their opposite sides and point-s between their ends with pointed books the pointed ends of which are disposed towards the intermediate poi-thin of the bar. Patent US2339646 (MANN) discloses a handle in combination with a truck having a horizontally extending member, a wall depending from said member and a frame member extending upward from said horizontal member, a detachable handle comprising a plate adapted to extend along the top of said horizontal member, a pendant flange extending along an edge of said plate to engage one edge of said horizontal member, a second flange extending along the opposite edge of said plate to engage the opposite edge of said horizontal member, a projection formed on said second flange to engage beneath said horizontal member, a grip member rigidly connected to said plate, said plate, flanges and projection being movable into engagement with said horizontal member by tilting said plate laterally and a lug projecting from said handle for engagement with said truck frame member, the handle being movable longitudinally of said horizontal member to engage said lug with said frame member. The prior art therefore shows that there is a need for a more effective attachable and removable handle for use on roller cages which is instantly used and is able to also hold a retail scanner and a pen. Summary of the invention According to the present invention there is provided an attachable and detachable handle for roller cages which has a handle which is either curved or straight which the user holds onto. To the ends of the curved handle, as shown in Figure 1, are two clamps which are attached onto the handle end by being formed in two halves. The clamps first semi-circular half is moulded as part of the handle at the end and has a semi-circular centre which is lined with an attached rubber lining. To form the remaining half of the clamp a hinge is disposed vertically through the portion of the clamp half which is located to the handle. The hinge is set vertically through the inner body of the clamp half and to it is attached to the exacting second half of the clamp; being a second semi-circular clamp half, which swings on said vertically disposed hinge. The hinge is a strong cut-away design where the two clamp sections interlock at the hinge in the known way to open and close. The second clamp semi-circular half also has a matching semi-circular centre, which is also lined with the exacting semi-circular rubber liner as the fixed first half of the clamp, previously described herein. Therefore, when the two halves of the clamp are closed together, a smaller round hole is formed in the centre of the clamp halves, as shown in the accompanying Figures. This hole is of a diameter which, when combined with is flexible rubber liner, is the correct size to tightly clamp around the vertical cage sections of a roller cage, preferably where the side sections of the cage meet, at the comers. The corners form a round vertical bar onto which the clamps can be attached securely. Because some cage structures have slightly different diameter bars to form them, the flexible rubber lining in the centre hole of the clamp compresses and expands slightly under pressure of the closed clamp, to accommodate these tolerances. Should the vertical corners of the roller cage also be of a more squared profile, the thick rubber liner also changes shape to press around the vertical section to provide sufficient grip. The clamps are instantly closed using a sprung closure system, which is derived of a shaped catch movably attached to a spring bar which is fixed into the catch area of the clamp. The spring bar is fitted inside a hollow and has the shaped metal catch attached to its sliding barrel, which is sprung using a simple push button located to its end, and on the outside of the clamp surface, culminating in a press button. The spring is at its relaxed state when the clamp is open and the press button is more protruding outward from its hole in the clamp surface, the shaped catch is also situated in its starting position closer to the inner end. As shown in Figure 2, 13. To apply the clamp to the roller cage, the user places the semi-circular centre of the first clamp side around the vertical bar and closes the second half of the clamp by pushing the sprung loaded button inward whilst closing the second half of the clamp. They then release the button to slightly when the two halves of the clamp are closed together, retracting the shaped catch slightly to seat into its larger shaped catch housing, holding the clamp shut. This is aided on the handle with two clamps by an instant lock bar which is attached vertically to both sprung buttons, as shown in Figure 1. The user, therefore advantageously puts the open clamps onto the cage bar and closes the two clamps simultaneously by pushing the bar to close the two clamp halves at the top and bottom of the bar and then taking their hand away, which releases the sprung catch to seat into its shaped housing, as shown. This provides an instant locking mechanism, purely operated and secured by the sprung catch system and instant lock bar. This action is reversed to release the handle from the roller cage bar. In addition to this a small bracket may be attached, using a welding or similar method, to the exterior of the handle arrangement, preferably onto the outer facing side of the clamp surface. This small metal bracket has a large squared frame with a small vertical piece attached to one of its outer sides, to hold a pen. The frame is provided to accommodate a hand held retail scanner which is slid into the square opening in the frame centre, which is sized suitably. A further example of the handle is a single handle which is shown in Figure 4, this operated in the same manner as the aforementioned curved handle, but has a single hand grip option. In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the Patent Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved instantly attachable and removable handle for roller cages which has all the advantages of the prior art handles and none of the disadvantages. It is another object of the present invention to provide a new instantly attachable and removable handle for roller cages which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved instantly attachable and removable handle for roller cages which is of durable and reliable construction. An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved instantly attachable and removable handle for roller cages which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labour, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such a product available to the buying public. Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved instantly attachable and removable handle for roller cages which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith. These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and detailed descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. Brief description of figures Figure 1 shows a dimensional view of the instantly attachable and removable handle for roller cages. Figure 2 shows a plan view of the instantly attachable and removable handle for roller cages with the clamps open. Figure 3 shows a plan view of the instantly attachable and removable handle for roller cages with the clamps closed. Figure 4 shows a dimensional view of the straight instantly attachable and removable handle for roller cages. Figure 5 shows a plan view of the straight instantly attachable and removable handle for roller cages. Figure 6 shows a dimensional view of a roller cage with the handles attached. Figure 7 shows a dimensional view of the handles attached in an alternative position on the roller cage. Detailed description of figures A typical embodiment of the instantly attachable and removable handle for roller cages is shown in Figure 1 and comprises the device 1 which consists of a handle 11 which has two clamps 4 which are attached onto the handle ends, each being formed in two halves. The clamps first semi-circular half is moulded as part of the handle at the end and has a semi-circular centre which is lined with an attached rubber lining 3. To form the remaining half of the clamp a hinge 7 is disposed vertically through the portion of the clamp 4 half which is located to the handle 11. The hinge is vertically appointed within the two halves of the clamp as a strong cut-away design where the two clamp sections interlock on the hinge in the known way to open and close. Therefore, when the two halves of the clamp 4 are closed together, a smaller round hole is formed in the centre of the clamp halves, as shown. This centre hole is of a diameter which tightly clamps around the vertical cage sections of a roller cage 2. An elongated instant lock bar 6 is vertically mounted and fixed onto two sprung loaded push buttons 5 and 9 to close the halves of the clamps 4 on installation onto the roller cage thereto. A small bracket 12 is attached using a welding or similar method, to the exterior of the handle arrangement and on the clamp 4 exterior. This small metal bracket has a large squared frame with a small vertical piece attached to one of its outer sides, to hold a pen 10. The frame 12 is provided to accommodate a hand held retail scanner 8 of varying sizes which is slid into the square opening in the frame 12 centre. Figure 2 shows the device 1A from above as a plan view which the clamps 4 closed. The clamps 4A are instantly closed using a sprung closure system, which is derived of a shaped catch 13 movably attached to a spring bar 15 which is fixed into the catch area of the clamp. The spring bar 15 is fitted inside a hollow and has the shaped metal catch 13 attached to its sliding barrel, which is sprung using a simple push button 5A located to its end, and on the outside of the clamp surface, culminating in the press button. The spring on the spring bar 15 is at its relaxed state when the clamp 4A is open and the press button 5A is more protruding outward from its hole in the clamp surface, the shaped catch 13 is also situated in its starting position closer to the inner end. As shown. To apply the clamp to the roller cage, the user holds the handle 11A and places the semi-circular centre of the clamp 4 side with the rubber lining 3A around the vertical bar 2A and closes the second half of the clamp 4 by pushing the sprung loaded button 5A inward whilst closing the second half of the clamp, closure made possible by the vertically opposed hinge 7A. They then release the buttons 5A to slightly retract the shaped catch 13 to seat into its larger shaped catch housing 14, holding the clamp shut due to the shaping of the shaped catch 13 interlocking with the housing 14 and preventing the clamp 4A from opening. The small bracket 12A and the small vertical piece are shown from above as a plan view, for the holding of hand held scanners and pens as described previously. The clamp 4B is closed around the vertical bar 2B of the roller cage, as shown in Figure 3 with the rubber lining 3B forming a full circle around the centre hole interior. The push button 5B has been released with its spring bar 15B released and the shaped catch 13B interlocking with the housing 14B due to their corresponding shaping and preventing the clamp 4A from opening. The handle is presented as a straight handle 17 with a singular clamp 4C in Figure 4, wherein the clamp 4C is applied securely to the vertical bar 2C. The hand held retail scanner 8C is shown with a larger sized scanner being depicted in broken lines held within a wider bracket 12C attached to the handle 17 at close proximity to the clamp 4C with a pen 10C also being held onto the bracket. A plan view of the single straight handled example 1D is shown in Figure 5. The general positioning of the handles 1E on the roller cage 18 is shown in Figures 6 and 7 and may vary from these depending on the requirement on the user at the time.

Claims

1) An instantly attachable and removable handle for roller cages comprising; a handle which is either curved or straight which the user holds onto; having a holding frame means for a hand held retail scanner and pen, to the ends of the curved handle are up to two clamps each formed in two semi-circular hinged halves to close, in use, around the vertical bars on a roller cage, the centre of the clamp halves are lined with a semi-circular rubber lining which forms a circle when they are locked together using the an internally disposed sprung closure system, which is derived of a shaped catch movably attached to a spring bar which is fixed into the catch area of the clamp, the spring bar is fitted inside a hollow within the clamp and has the shaped metal catch attached to its sliding barrel, which is sprung loaded using simple push buttons affixed to an instant locking bar, located to its end on the exterior of the clamp.2) An instantly attachable and removable handle for roller cages as claimed in claim 1 wherein the clamps first semi-circular half is moulded as part of the handle at the handles ends.3) An instantly attachable and removable handle for roller cages as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hinge is disposed vertically through the portion of the clamp half which is located to the handle and it is attached to the exacting second half of the clamp being a second semi-circular clamp half, which swings on said vertically disposed hinge.4) An instantly attachable and removable handle for roller cages as claimed in claim 3 wherein the hinge is a cut-away design where the two clamp sections interlock on the hinge to open and close forming a centre hole from the two semi-circular halves.5) An instantly attachable and removable handle for roller cages as claimed in claim 4 wherein the hole is of a diameter which, when combined with its flexible rubber liner, is the correct size to tightly clamp around the vertical cage sections of a roller cage.6) An instantly attachable and removable handle for roller cages as claimed in claim 5 wherein the rubber liner adjusts by compressing or expanding in depth when it is fitted to a wider bar or narrower bar on a roller cage.7) An instantly attachable and removable handle for roller cages as claimed in claim 6 wherein should the vertical corners of the roller cage also be of a more squared profile the thick rubber liner also changes shape to press around the vertical section to provide sufficient grip.8) An instantly attachable and removable handle for roller cages as claimed in claim 1 wherein the spring on the spring bar is at its relaxed state when the clamp is open and the press buttons attached to the instant lock bar are more protruding outward attached from its hole in the clamp surface, the shaped catch is also situated in its starting position closer to the inner end.9) An instantly attachable and removable handle for roller cages as claimed in claim 8 wherein on closing the clamp, in use, the instant lock bar and therefore the sprung loaded buttons are pushed inward simultaneously whilst closing the second half of the clamp; placing the catch in the correct alignment for the closure of the catch housing.10) An instantly attachable and removable handle for roller cages as claimed in claim 9 wherein when released, in use, the instant lock bar and buttons retract the shaped catch slightly to interlock simultaneously into their larger shaped catch housing, holding the clamp shut.11) An instantly attachable and removable handle for roller cages as claimed in claim 1 wherein the holding means for a retail scanner and pen to be attached to the handle is provided, in use, as a small metal bracket attached to the exterior of the handle arrangement, preferably onto the outer facing side of the clamp or handle surface.12) An instantly attachable and removable handle for roller cages as claimed in claim 11 wherein the small metal bracket has a large squared frame with a small vertical piece attached to one of its outer sides, to hold a pen.13) An instantly attachable and removable handle for roller cages as claimed in claim 12 wherein the frame is provided to accommodate a hand held retail scanner which is slid into the square opening in the frame centre.

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