1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to floor fans and, more particularly to a novel floor fan handtruck apparatus and method for incorporating a floor fan into a handtruck to facilitate transporting one or more floor fans and associated equipment from place to place.
2. The Prior Art
Floor fans are well known throughout the janitorial profession. The conventional floor fan is configured around an electrically driven, squirrel-cage blower. The electric motor for the blower is mounted in the interior space of the blower. Screen-enclosed air intakes are placed at each end of the axis of the blower. A discharge chute is located adjacent the bottom of the blower housing and extends outwardly tangentially from the blower housing and parallel to the floor. The discharge chute is designed to allow the operator to direct the blast of air from the floor fan horizontally across the designated portion of the floor. Adjustable risers at the outer end of the discharge chute allow the operator to adjust the angle of the air blast from the discharge chute relative to the floor surface.
Conventionally, a carrying handle is formed in the upper surface of the housing of the floor fan to enable the user to transport the floor fan from place to place. However, experience has shown that a floor fan is awkward and difficult to hand carry particularly for members of the janitorial profession who are less robust or even physically impaired. The result is that there are numerous instances where floor fans are not utilized even though their use would dry the floor faster resulting in the return of the floor to a safer condition more quickly. Further, I have found that the overall bulk of the floor fan causes it to be bumped by the knees of the person carrying it and that the inlet screens have been pushed into contact with the squirrel-cage blower. In view of the foregoing, it would be a significant advancement in the art to provide a cart or handtruck apparatus and method for transporting a floor fan. It would be an even further advancement in the art to incorporate the floor fan into a floor fan handtruck, the floor fan handtruck also serving as a carrier for miscellaneous accessory equipment. It would also be an advancement in the art to provide a floor fan handtruck system for a floor fan whereby a second floor fan handtruck can be releasably attached to the first floor fan handtruck to allow the operator to pull the second floor fan handtruck while pulling the first floor fan handtruck. Such a novel apparatus and method is disclosed and claimed herein.