If you’re like most American’s you’ve owned or at least had a neighbor that owned a Radio Flyer wagon. This little red wagon has been perfect for family fun at home for years but not so much if you wanted to travel with it unless you have an SUV with plenty of room in the back. That was until inventor Rick Shapiro created U.S. patents that developed ways to fold a wagon handle inside the wagon to get it out of the way.
Historically, RF wagons included what is called a wagon "bolster" which is the part under a wagon to which a handle mounts. The bolster would also swivel. Most of us realize that RF handles could be steered by a kid inside a wagon with the handle partly folded back inside. Although today we don't see many kids rocketing down a hill steering their wagons, but in the good ole days that was a big deal.
But this bolster design had a big drawback: you could not fold the handle out of the way. This means it was hard to travel with the typical "red wagon" inside a regular car trunk. I think this drawback led RF to consider lots of ways to get a wagon handle out of the way for travel or storage.
But that has all changed now that inventor Rick Shapiro has signed a patent technology license agreement with Radio Flyer (http://www.RadioFlyer.com) The license agreement covers a leading edge fold flat handle design patented by Pancake Wheel LLC and inventor Rick Shapiro. Radio Flyer has adopted this fold away handle design so that the wagon handle stows flat inside the Radio Flyer wagons.
Where did Rick come up with this stroke of genius? To tell the truth he has been inventing and designing fold flat wheels for consumer wheeled products since 2001 and holds about 15 patents with several pending. Amazon is now carrying his Hideaway Pancake flat wagon that folds to 7 inches flat.
But wagons aren’t the only thing of Rick’s that folds flat he also has a great jogging stroller design that is not yet licensed or in production. He has also patented fold flat tricycles, ride on cars and bike trailers too.
Historically, RF wagons included what is called a wagon "bolster" which is the part under a wagon to which a handle mounts. The bolster would also swivel. Most of us realize that RF handles could be steered by a kid inside a wagon with the handle partly folded back inside. Although today we don't see many kids rocketing down a hill steering their wagons, but in the good ole days that was a big deal.
But this bolster design had a big drawback: you could not fold the handle out of the way. This means it was hard to travel with the typical "red wagon" inside a regular car trunk. I think this drawback led RF to consider lots of ways to get a wagon handle out of the way for travel or storage.
But that has all changed now that inventor Rick Shapiro has signed a patent technology license agreement with Radio Flyer (http://www.RadioFlyer.com) The license agreement covers a leading edge fold flat handle design patented by Pancake Wheel LLC and inventor Rick Shapiro. Radio Flyer has adopted this fold away handle design so that the wagon handle stows flat inside the Radio Flyer wagons.
Where did Rick come up with this stroke of genius? To tell the truth he has been inventing and designing fold flat wheels for consumer wheeled products since 2001 and holds about 15 patents with several pending. Amazon is now carrying his Hideaway Pancake flat wagon that folds to 7 inches flat.
But wagons aren’t the only thing of Rick’s that folds flat he also has a great jogging stroller design that is not yet licensed or in production. He has also patented fold flat tricycles, ride on cars and bike trailers too.
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