Other

Ephtec, Inc.

Ralph L Powers

Leonard S Smith

This invention is directed to a caster wheel foot brake assembly which may be used with casters on items such as shopping carts, strollers, moving carts, furniture and the like. The brake assembly includes a foot pedal, pair of connector arms, brake arm, U-shaped braking foot and hinge spring which form an overcenter locking mechanism. In order to engage the braking foot with the caster wheel, the user pushes down on the rear portion of the foot pad, thereby moving the braking foot overcenter in toggle fashion into a releasably locked braking position. In order to disengage the brake, the user may either push down on the front portion of the foot pad or pull back on the shopping cart or other item attached to the caster, thereby moving the braking foot back overcenter into a disengaged nonbraking position.

Shopping cart brake assembly

A shopping cart has a foot brake assembly added as an improvement. The assembly comprises a shopping cart caster frame variable length mounting bracket with a worm clamp for mechanically attaching the brake housing and subsequent brake assembly to the shopping cart caster frame. The brake mechanism itself is comprised of a toggle pedal, connector arms, a brake arm, a brake foot travel adjuster rod, a brake foot, aligning and lubricating spacers, as well as required tension pins. The pedal is pivotably attached to the connector arms and pivotably attached to the brake housing. The connector arms are pivotably attached to the brake arm which is pivotably attached to the brake housing. the brake foot travel adjuster rod is screwed into the brake arm and is bonded to the brake foot. The brake foot engages the shopping cart caster wheel when the toggle pedal is depressed by a downward force applied by the operator's foot to the rear portion of the top surface of the toggle pedal. The brake foot disengages the shopping cart caster wheel when a downward force is applied by the operator's foot to the forward portion of the upper surface of the toggle pedal.

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Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Ralph L Powers