Carts, Wagons, Wheelers, and Chests 

This page will deal is for ideas on carts, wagons, wheelers, chests and similar items to help move things to and from and around at tourney sites and events.

There are a number of different types of wheeled, man powered devices for transporting things about. This isn't going to be a survey of them, rather just some interesting ideas. Hopefully some of them will be useful or at least inspirational.

Please note that the following definitions are my own from my experiences in the trucking industry, landscaping, gardening and doing some janitorial work. The definitions might vary for the different equipment in different industries.

• wheeler - a two wheeled upright cart which at rest stands it's load on end and is tilted towards the user until it balances with nearly 100% of the weight on its two wheels for movement. It may be pushed or pulled and sometimes can be modified to deal with stairs. The person using it should not be bearing the weight of the load normally. Tilting the load back can require some skill and practice with heavier loads. Occasionally when a wheeler is rarely used from a horizontal position like a wheelbarrow, the user must lift up to 1/2 the load. Some wheelers have landing legs at the top end to facilitate it being used horizontally as a wheelbarrow and if wheels are included on these landing legs the wheeler may also be used as a dolly or wagon. It is fairly stable but the user is responsible for balance forward and backward. It does require a firm path the width of the wheeler's wheels.
  
• wheelbarrow - a one or sometimes two wheeled horizontal cart which at rest stands on its one or two main wheels which are at one end and two landing legs which are at the opposite end with the handles the user holds. The landing legs will sometimes have wheels. Allowing the wheelbarrow to be used as a dolly or wagon. With heavier loads it might require some practice or skill to safely maneuver a one wheeled wheelbarrow as it requires being balanced from side to side. The one wheeled wheelbarrow can be wheeled down a very narrow plank if need be. It is fairly maneuverable, though can not quite navigate as tight a corner as a wheeler.
  
• cart - a two wheeled typically horizontal cart where the weight tends to be balanced over the axle of the cart unlike the wheelbarrow where the wheel or wheels are at one end. It balances the weight over the axle while being used like the wheeler, but unlike the wheeler when the cart is at rest normally it is fairly much in an operating position sometimes with landing legs to keep it horizontal or leaning on something or the ground. The weight will be lifted up slightly until it balances on the axle, but normally the weight is almost at this position from the start. A cart does require some balance front to back, but not as much skill or practice is required as the wheeler. Also not as much strength as the wheelbarrow. A wheeler requires a path as wide as it's wheels are apart and is fairly maneuverable. Perhaps more so than a wheelbarrow and close to that of the wheeler if not it's equal depending on the load and cart design. Sometimes a cart will have wheels on it's landing gear rendering it nearly a wagon where there are primary load bearing wheels and secondary balancing wheels which might not always be in contact with the ground.
  
• wagon - a wagon is a cart with more than 2 wheels. It need not be balanced by the user and rests on its wheels without need of additional support. At least some of the wheels will have to pivot or turn to allow the wagon to turn a corner with any ease. A wagon can be pushed or pulled easily. It does take more room to turn and requires a path the width of  of it's wheels. Little skill is needed and the only strength being that to tow it and coerce people to load it.
  
• dolly - a wagon or cart which is designed to be fully under a heavy object where the weight being moved is pushed and the dolly moves with the object rather than the user pushing or pulling directly on the dolly. It is like having a temporary set of casters or wheels attached to the object.
  
• wheeled chest - basically a chest or trunk where wheels have been added to it in the fashion of a wheeler, cart, wagon, dolly, or more rarely wheelbarrow. The wheels might be permanently attached or might be removable. The wheels may be obvious or discretely hidden.

The designs here are not intended to be reproductions of period pieces and are not for the most part researched though that too will come in time. Rather they are looking at problems of transporting items to, from, and around at events keeping in mind modern constraints of time, materials, skills, and money. A 15th Century Merchant might not have had to worry about fitting his cart into a Geo Metro. On the other hand I am looking for things that will not detract from the "Period" feel of an SCA event and indeed things that will add to the feel and hopefully add to the comfort and enjoyment of the participants.

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Library Cart:

Library Cart with integral wheeler.

This Cart was designed with the traveling book herald in mind. Anyone who has a substantial library any sort or has helped move friends with one understands that books are very heavy. A box of books is probably heavier than a log of similar dimensions. Heralds who are traveling to help others with heraldry tend to carry vast libraries of references books of the largest and heaviest sorts. Books with names like "Omnimasticon", "Etymology Dictionary", "Towns and Cities in Silesia" and "Dummy's Guide to Ancient Sanskrit Naming Patterns". Books in plastic totes and bins that stack can be handy to store and with stout young lads to act as beasts of burden, and fresh supplies of these work out okay. But they are ugly and necessitate being hidden under cloaks, blankets, howda, or haystack.

Books in chests at least look better, but when stacked can be awkward to get at and are still difficult to lift and carry. Access to various carts, barrows, wheelers, wagons, and dollies help greatly, but can be restricted from some places due to site and because of their popularity be hard to come by. Also they are one more thing to pack. Something to keep in mind if one is only carrying three chests of books.

My idea is to take a book shelf the size of a suitcase and make it in a style that looks period and is sturdy enough to stand to be moved with a load of books inside as well as have doors to seal it from the elements. This bookshelf would have wheels and a handle added so that one person could easily tilt it back and wheel it almost anywhere they might walk without help and with help anywhere two people might go without straining backs or other body parts.

I am thinking that these carts could be used in the home and even stacked at least two high though some accommodation would have to be made about the front legs. Perhaps a slight redesign with the legs outboard of the box and integral with the diagonal arm thus when stacked the wheels and legs would straddle the bottom shelf. a small base could be made for the bottom unit in order to take some of the strain off of the wheels with the double burden of two or even three units thus stacked and prevent inadvertent traveling.