Dished caster wheel pocket for a platform or dolly
The present invention provides a dolly having a polygonal-shaped platform having an upper surface, a lower surface, a peripheral edge having four corners, a torus-shaped pocket positioned at each corner and dimensioned to receive a wheel from an adjacent dolly, and a plurality of wheels extending from the lower surface and attached thereto.
1. A dolly comprising a platform having an upper surface, a lower surface, a peripheral edge, a torus-shaped pocket dimensioned to receive a wheel from an adjacent dolly and mounted for rotational movement about an axis generally perpendicular to the upper surface, and a plurality of wheels extending from the lower surface and attached thereto.
2. The dolly of claim 1 wherein the torus-shape has an aspect ratio within the range of from 3:2 to 2:3.
3. The dolly of claim 1 wherein the torus-shape has an aspect ratio of 1:1.
4. The dolly of claim 1 further comprising a stop wall positioned proximate the pocket.
5. The dolly of claim 4 wherein the stop wall extends above the upper surface.
6. The dolly of claim 5 wherein the stop wall is moveable from a deployed position to a stowed position.
7. The dolly of claim 1 wherein the pocket is generally D-shaped.
8. The dolly of claim 7 further comprising a raised edge in the pocket.
9. The dolly of claim 1 having a plurality of corners and a plurality of pockets one of each of the plurality of pockets being positioned at one of each of the plurality of corners.
10. The dolly of claim 1 wherein the wheel is a caster wheel attached to the lower surface with a swivel for rotation about a first axis perpendicular to the lower surface and the wheel is mounted for rotation about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis.
11. The dolly of claim 10 wherein the first axis of rotation is coaxially disposed with a centerline of the pocket.
12. The dolly of claim 11 wherein the first axis of rotation if extended through the wheel is spaced from a diameter line through the wheel to define a swivel radius.
13. The dolly of claim 1 wherein the wheels are caster wheels mounted for rotation about an axis from 180° to 360°.
14. A dolly comprising a polygonal-shaped platform having an upper surface, a lower surface, a peripheral edge having four corners, a torus-shaped pocket positioned at each corner and dimensioned to receive a wheel from an adjacent dolly and mounted for rotational movement about an axis generally perpendicular to the upper surface, and a plurality of wheels extending from the lower surface and attached thereto.
15. The dolly of claim 14 further comprising a first stop wall positioned proximate the pocket.
16. The dolly of claim 15 wherein the first stop wall is moveable between a deployed position and a stowed position.
17. The dolly of claim 16 further comprising a second stop wall spaced from the first stop wall.
18. The dolly of claim 17 wherein the second stop wall is moveable between a deployed position to a stowed position.
19. The dolly of claim 18 wherein the pocket is mounted for rotational motion about an axis perpendicular to the top surface.