Four-wheel super trolley

Abstract

The present invention involves a four (4) wheel trolley used in a track and trolley system which allows the trolley to move smoothly along a track, bear and carrying heavy movable wall panels, and minimize the stacking depth of the movable wall panels when such panels are stored. The trolley includes trolley discs that define an outer circumferential groove. The outer circumferential grooves allow the trolley discs to maintain a lubricant reserve so that the trolley discs may move smoothly along the track. While the trolley may carry heavy loads, because of its relatively small size, the trolley minimizes the stacking depth of movable wall panels in their storage positions.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A trolley movable along a trolley track, the trolley track including a pair of longitudinally extending bottom flanges, the bottom flanges being horizontally displaced from each other to define a channel, the bottom flanges projecting inward from a track wall, and each of the bottom flanges defining a disc-supporting surface, said trolley comprising: 
 a trolley body, said trolley body including first and second axle members, said first and second axle members each having opposite ends, said first and second axle members rotationally supported within said trolley body; and    no more than four discs, each of said first and second axle members rotationally supporting one of said four discs at each end, each of said four discs defining an outer circumferential groove.    
     
     
         2 . The trolley of  claim 1  wherein said trolley includes a trolley carrier member fixed to said trolley body and adapted to extend below said trolley body and through the channel between said bottom flanges.  
     
     
         3 . The trolley of  claim 1  wherein each said disc has a diameter, said diameter being at least fifty (50) millimeters.  
     
     
         4 . The trolley of  claim 1  wherein each said disc is capable of bearing at least one hundred and eighteen (118) kilograms.  
     
     
         5 . The trolley of  claim 2  wherein said trolley carrier member is attached to a movable wall panel.  
     
     
         6 . A method of moving a trolley along a track in a track and trolley system, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing a track;    (b) providing a trolley movably coupled to said track, said trolley having a trolley body, said trolley body including first and second axle members, said first and second axle members each having opposite ends, said first and second axle members rotationally positioned within said trolley body, each of said first and second axle members supporting a disc rotationally attached at each end, each said disc defining an outer circumferential groove; and    (c) reserving lubricant within said outer circumferential groove.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein each said disc has a diameter, said diameter being at least fifty (50) millimeters.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein each said disc is capable of bearing at least one hundred and eighteen (118) kilograms.  
     
     
         9 . A trolley movable along a trolley track, the trolley track including a pair of longitudinally extending bottom flanges, the bottom flanges projecting inward from a track wall and being horizontally displaced from each other to define a channel, each of the bottom flanges defining a bottom disc-supporting surface, each of the bottom flanges defining a vertically contoured lip member, and each of the lip members defining a second disc-supporting surface having a width, said trolley comprising: 
 a trolley body, said trolley body including first and second axle members, said first and second axle members each having opposite ends, said first and second axle members rotationally supported within said trolley body; and    at least four discs, each of said first and second axle members rotationally supporting one of said four discs at each end, each of said four discs defining a first and second region, said first region having a first radius and said second region having a second radius, and the first radius of said first region is greater than the second radius of said second region by about the height of said lip member.    
     
     
         10 . The trolley of  claim 9  wherein said trolley includes a trolley carrier member fixed to said trolley body and adapted to extend below said trolley body through the channel between said bottom flanges.  
     
     
         11 . The trolley of  claim 9  wherein each said disc has a diameter, said diameter being at least fifty (50) millimeters.  
     
     
         12 . The trolley of  claim 9  wherein each said disc is capable of bearing at least one hundred and eighteen (118) kilograms.  
     
     
         13 . The trolley of  claim 10  wherein said first region defines an outer circumferential groove.  
     
     
         14 . A method of moving a trolley along a track in a track and trolley system, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing a trolley track, the trolley track including a pair of longitudinally extending bottom flanges, the bottom flanges projecting inward from a track wall and being horizontally displaced from each other to define a channel, each of the bottom flanges defining a bottom discsupporting surface, each of the bottom flanges defining a vertically contoured lip member, and each of the lip members defining a second disc-supporting surface having a width; and    (b) providing a trolley movably coupled to said track, said trolley having a trolley body, said trolley body including first and second axle members, said first and second axle members each having opposite ends, said first and second axle members rotationally positioned within said trolley body, each of said first and second axle members rotationally supporting one of four discs rotationally attached at each end, each of said four discs defining a first and second region, said first region having a first radius and said second region having a second radius, and the first radius of said first region being greater than the second radius of said second region by about the height said lip member.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said trolley includes an outer circumferential groove on said first region, and said method includes the step of supplying lubricant to the outer circumferential groove.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein each said disc has a diameter, said diameter being at least fifty (50) millimeters.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14  wherein each said disc is capable of bearing at least one hundred and eighteen (118) kilograms.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising the step of providing a movable wall panel, the movable wall panel adapted to connect to the trolley carrier member of said trolley body.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising the step of enabling the trolley to carry the movable wall panel from a stacked arrangement to a wall-forming arrangement.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the stacked arrangement has a stacking depth, said stacking depth reduced by at least twenty (20) percent in comparison to a stack of like number of movable wall panels, each of the movable wall panels supported by a trolley having eight wheels.