Garden Maintenance Transporter (GMT)

Technical Details
Maximum lifting capabilities:
• Load = 150kg
• Lift = 1400mm from ground level
• Tipping height = 1050mm
• Handle load at max lifting load = 30 kg approx
Dimensions (mm):
• In use (H x W x D) = 1820 x 739.8 x 1954
(including handles)
• Storage position = 2010 x 739.8 x 443
(excluding bucket)
Weight:
• 65kg (approximately)
Note: Larger versions, including powered, can be produced for commercial applications.
Garden Maintenance
Transporter (GMT)
Geoff Bell
BU Innovations Ltd
Bournemouth University
Studland House, 12 Christchurch Road
Bournemouth, Dorset, BH1 3NA
Telephone: 01202 963760
Email: gbell@bournemouth.ac.uk
©
Patent applied for.
BU Innovations Ltd & David Burrell 2005
The Garden Maintenance Transporter (GMT) provides a manual handling
device to aid in transporting and raising heavy or cumbersome loads.
The GMT reduces the chance of injury caused by lifting loads.
1959-11/05-CMP

Why is it needed?
The GMT has been designed in response to the recent legislation that has reduced the maximum weight that can
be carried by a single person in the work place to 25kg, increasing the time required to carry out tasks. The GMT
could potentially reduce injury claims due to dangerous activities for example, loading skips with waste material.
Who is it for?
The intended markets for the GMT are: -
• building and landscape gardening companies
• owners of larger domestic gardens
• warehouse companies
• delivery companies
• garages (including scrap-yards)
• other situations that require a versatile lifting aid
How does it work?
The GMT has 5 main features;
1. Lifting system:
The GMT has a powerful lifting system created by a worm and wheel gearbox that is manually operated. It
provides lifting capabilities of up to 150kg to a height of 1400mm. The system comprises two runner poles that
support the fork base plate, forks and tipping bucket and two independent cords that run from the gearbox
pulleys over two smaller pulleys mounted under the top plate. The cords attach to the fork base plate.
2. Tipping system:
Loose debris can be transported and deposited using the tipping bucket. This includes direct depositing into
skips, standard bins, compost bins and ‘Wheelie’ bins. The tipping bucket is held in the transporting position by
two bars, a pivot bar and a locking bar. The locking bar is removed and the tipping handle is used to tip the
bucket, the bucket can then be repositioned and the locking bar replaced.
Who has developed it?
Design and development work was initially
completed by David Burrell, a final year
student in Computer Aided Product Design
at Bournemouth University. The project was
assisted in development by Geoff Bell,
Bournemouth University final year project
tutor and other Bournemouth University
staff. The design was demonstrated to the
public in June 2005 at the Bournemouth
University’s Festival of Design & Innovation.
Features and Benefits
Ratchet
The ratchet system is a back-up device that should always be used with heavy loads, it stops
the load dropping dangerously in the unlikely event of both the support cords breaking
simultaneously.
Brakes
The GMT has twin independent cable activated brake systems, providing good
manoeuvrability and reliability.
Auto-brake cam
This feature stops the GMT being moved when the load is in an unstable position, creating a
high centre of gravity. The linear cam is activated when the forks pass above 1000mm from the
ground, the system can be deactivated for fine adjustment then it must be reapplied.
Drop down leg
The safety leg on the rear of the GMT is designed to stop the GMT toppling over backwards and
injuring the user. When the GMT tilts back to 30° from vertical, the leg rests on the ground to
protect the user. If the bucket has any load in it or it’s not in the full height position then the
GMT will right itself.
3. Car boot/van loading and unloading:
The GMT can provide this service because the front end is 200mm high allowing it to fit neatly under standard
cars. The incremented fork lift and varying fork arrangements provide versatile capabilities.
4. Tree trunk and fence post removal:
The GMT can convert the (at least) two person job of removing posts or tree trunks from the ground to a single
person job. The GMT achieves this by having the fork positioned centrally and having a cord attaching it to the
object being removed. Tension can be applied using the winch system and the user can dig around foundations
or cut large roots, then more tension can be applied and the process repeated until the object is free. The object
is then in the correct position for transportation and/or depositing.
5. Safety:
Manual handling can be very dangerous so the GMT has a series of safety features to reduce the chance of the
users injuring themselves. Described in Features and Benefits.