Method of distributing product with a transport vehicle and transport carts

Abstract

A series of transport carts are positioned in side by side relation in fore and aft extending spaced apart rows disposed along a delivery van to leave an aisle between them. The carts have wheel supported upright frames with bottom supports for the products disposed at a level above the floor of the van and open fronts from which the carts can be unloaded. The carts have rear posts which are disengageably locked in track sections provided in longitudinally spaced relation along the van side walls. Pallets with discs projecting downwardly from the floors of the pallets support the product stacks on the cart bottom supports. A hand truck with a bifurcated nose plate defining disc receiving arms engages under each pallet to enable removal of a pallet and product stack from the cart.

1 . A method of positioning and securing product transport carts having a lock fitting into a transport vehicle supported for travel on wheels and having a floor, side walls, a front end and an openable rear end, to provide laterally spaced rows leaving an aisle between the opposing side walls; the side walls having fore to aft spaced channel shaped track sections; said method comprising the steps of: 
 a. moving a first cart to a position in which the lock fitting is connected to a first track section; and    b. interlocking the first cart with a second cart intermediate the side wall and the aisle, thereby connecting the first and second carts together with at least the first cart connected to the side wall at the first track section.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of disengaging the second cart from the first cart and removing the second cart from the transport vehicle.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein a lift gate is utilized to remove the second cart from the transport vehicle.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the carts have rear corner post portions projecting upwardly therefrom which support the lock fittings.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the carts have at least two lock fittings, a first lock fitting connecting the cart to the track section, and a second lock fitting for at least assisting in interconnecting the first cart to the second cart.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the second lock fitting is also configured to connect the second cart to the track section thereby securing the second cart to the side wall.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the carts have a product support connected to a frame and supported by rollers; side walls and a rear wall are connected to the frame and the locking mechanism is connected to one of the side walls and rear wall.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the carts have a frame supported by rollers, said frame connected to side walls, a product support and a rear wall; and the first lock fitting is connected to one of the side walls and rear wall.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the second lock fitting is connected to one of the side walls and rear wall.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of loading at least one of the carts with at least one pallet having a dependent downwardly extending disc.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising the step of after loading the at least one cart, providing at least one hand truck having a nose plate with disc-embracing arms and piloting it into a load receiving position under one of said pallets on the at least one cart; and moving said hand truck and nose plate to remove said pallet and product stack from said cart.  
     
     
         12 . A method of unloading stacked products from transport carts positioned in side by side relation in fore to aft extending, spaced apart rows disposed longitudinally along side walls of a delivery vehicle to leave an aisle between the spaced apart rows, the carts having wheel supported upright frames with bottom supports for the products disposed at a level above a floor of the delivery vehicle, and fronts from which said products can be removed; comprising: 
 a. providing pallets on said bottom supports of said carts on which said product stacks are supported; the pallets having dependent discs; and    b. providing a hand truck having a nose plate with disc-embracing arms and piloting it into a load receiving position under one of said pallets on a cart; and    c. moving said hand truck and nose plate to remove said pallet and product stack from said cart.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising the step of loading the carts with the product stacks prior to loading the carts in the delivery vehicle.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising the step of after removing the pallet and product stack from the cart with the hand truck, transporting the product stack with the hand truck along the aisle in the delivery vehicle and off of the vehicle.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising the step of providing an lift gate at an openable rear end of the delivery vehicle and utilizing the lift gate to lower the loaded hand truck from the delivery vehicle.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising the step of providing channel track sections on the side walls of the delivery vehicle and securing the transport carts to one of the side walls by connecting the transport carts to at least one of the track sections.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising the step of connecting adjacent carts to one another.  
     
     
         18 . A method of positioning and securing product transport carts having a lock fitting into a transport vehicle supported for travel on wheels and having a floor, side walls, a front end and an openable rear end, to provide laterally spaced rows leaving an aisle between the opposing side walls; the side walls having fore to aft spaced channel shaped track sections; said method comprising the steps of: 
 a. moving a first cart to a position in which the lock fitting is connected to a first track section on a first side wall; and    b. connecting a second cart to the first side wall with its lock fitting intermediate the first side wall and the aisle, thereby providing bays along the first side wall with the first and second carts connected respectively to the first side wall.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the lock fitting of the second cart is interconnected with the first cart along first side wall.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising the step of preloading at least one of the carts with product prior to placing the carts in the transport vehicle and the step of unloading at least some of the product from the at least one of the carts without disconnecting the at least one of the carts from the first side wall.