The Dumping Wheelbarrow: A Hinged Tray and a Foot Catch

"The subject of my invention is an improvement in dumping wheelbarrows. It consists of a balanced body or tray hinged, by means of a rod and lugs or ears, to the front portion of a supporting-frame. At the back of the frame is a spring-catch, which can be operated by the foot for releasing the tray to dump the contents." The tray is "constructed of stout wood" as an open frame "for carrying wood, brick, or other material not requiring a box", or as a box "for carrying coal, sand, sawdust, or other material which must be held in a containing vessel." "The parts of the barrow are secured immovably together while conveying a load; but when the latter is to be dumped, this is effected by a slight pressure of the foot on the spring-catch". The empty bed is put back "either by drawing it down behind or by lifting the handles of the barrow."

Measure the distance from the wheelbarrow's axle to where you hold the handles. Load it with ten bricks stacked at the front of the tray, over the wheel. Hook the force meter under one handle grip, lift until the legs just leave the ground, read it, and double it for both handles. Move the bricks to the back of the tray and repeat. Measure how far the load's middle is behind the axle each time and compare your readings with the notebook's F = W a / L. Tip the barrow forward and feel where it wants to go over by itself.

**Solomon Stern** of New Orleans filed US 154,923 on 3 August 1874; it is dated 8 September 1874. He claims the combination of main frame, tilting frame and spring-catch. **Honest limits.** The notebook treats the barrow as a rigid lever on level ground and ignores the tray's own weight and the tilt of the handles. Weights and distances are examples. Your force readings are the measurement.