Dolly and frame assembly for the same
The present invention provides a dolly for transporting objects and a frame assembly for said dolly. The dolly includes an engagement member made of formable material and having an engaging side shaped for receiving carriers and a back side opposite to the engaging side, a load-bearing frame, to which a plurality of wheels are mounted, and an abutment between the frame and the engagement member for fastening the engagement member to the frame, whereby a single type of load-bearing frame is applicable to a variety of engagement members.
1. A dolly for transportation of objects, the dolly comprising:
an engagement member made of formable material and having an engaging side shaped for receiving carriers and a back side opposite to the engaging side,
a plurality of wheels,
a load-bearing frame having a top side and a bottom side, the plurality of wheels being mounted relative to the bottom side of the load-bearing frame, and
an abutment extending between the back side of the engagement member and the top side of the load-bearing frame for fastening the back side of the engagement member to the top side of the load-bearing frame, whereby a single type of the load-bearing frame is applicable to a variety of the engagement members,
wherein the engaging side of the engagement member is provided with non-circular wheel reception wells configured to receive the wheels of a superimposed second dolly,
wherein each of the wheel reception wells is shaped so that each of the wells shares only three contact points with a corresponding one of the wheels of the superimposed second dolly.
2. The dolly according to claim 1 , wherein an interface for the objects is provided to the engaging side and configured to provide a form-fitting connection to the objects.
3. The dolly according to claim 1 , wherein the engagement member is formed from a polymer.
4. The dolly according to claim 3 , wherein the frame is formed from steel.
5. The dolly according to claim 1 , wherein the frame is formed from steel.
6. The dolly according to claim 1 , wherein the frame is constructed of aluminum or carbon fiber.
7. The dolly according to claim 1 , wherein the frame is formed by an assembled beam structure and the engagement member is molded.
8. The dolly according to claim 1 , wherein the abutment is provided between the frame and the back side of the engagement member.
9. The dolly according to claim 8 , wherein the abutment between the frame and the back side of the engagement member is a detachable joint.
10. The dolly according to claim 9 , wherein the abutment between the frame and the back side of the engagement member is a form-fitting joint.
11. The dolly according to claim 1 , wherein the dolly comprises an adaptor fixed to the frame, the adaptor being configured to form a snap-fit joint between the frame and the engagement member for accommodating an exchange of the engagement member.
12. A frame assembly for a dolly according to claim 1 , wherein the frame assembly comprises a plurality of interconnectable beams which are configured to be connected to each other by cribbing joints.
13. The frame assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the assembly comprises at least two mutually parallel longitudinal beams and at least two mutually parallel transverse beams, which connect to the longitudinal beams by the cribbing joints forming a rectangular frame.
14. The frame assembly of claim 12 , wherein the wheels of the assembly are fixed with screw joints to the cribbing joints between the beams of the frame so that the screw joints also secure the engagement member to the frame.
15. The frame assembly of claim 14 , wherein the assembly comprises a central longitudinal beam provided to a center of the frame and at least one transverse beam fixed to each end of the central longitudinal beam with cribbing joints, wherein the wheels are attached to terminal ends of the transverse beams.
16. A dolly for transportation of objects, the dolly comprising:
an engagement member made of formable material and having an engaging side shaped for receiving carriers and a back side opposite to the engaging side,
a plurality of wheels bearing-mounted to the dolly on opposite side to the engaging side,
a load-bearing frame, to which the wheels are mounted,
an abutment between the frame and the engagement member for fastening the engagement member to the frame, whereby a single type of load-bearing frame is applicable to a variety of engagement members,
a plurality of interconnectable beams configured to be connected to each other by cribbing joints,
said plurality of wheels being fixed with screw joints to the cribbing joints between the beams of the frame so that the screw joints secure also the engagement member to the frame, and
a central longitudinal beam provided to a center of the frame and at least one transverse beam fixed to each end of the central longitudinal beam with cribbing joints, wherein the wheels are attached to terminal ends of the transverse beams.
17. A dolly for transportation of objects, the dolly comprising:
an engagement member made of formable material and having an engaging side shaped for receiving carriers and a back side opposite to the engaging side,
a plurality of wheels bearing-mounted to the dolly on opposite side to the engaging side,
a load-bearing frame, to which the wheels are mounted;
an abutment between the frame and the engagement member for fastening the engagement member to the frame, whereby a single type of load-bearing frame is applicable to a variety of engagement members, and
a frame assembly comprising a plurality of interconnectable beams which are configured to be connected to each other by cribbing joints and each of said plurality of wheels being fixed with screw joints to the cribbing joints between the beams of the frame so that the screw joints secure also the engagement member to the frame.