Folding wheelbarrow photographed on December 22nd, 1923

Folding wheelbarrow photographed on December 22nd, 1923. Alexandre Darton, resident of the Nièvre region, applied for a patent for his folding wheelbarrow on October 27th, 1919, in Nevers. The patent was issued on May 17th, 1920, and published on August 10th, 1920. His wheel¬barrow’s distinctive feature was its ability to fold, making it easy to carry up stairs, according to the inventor. The folding and unfolding process took only two or three minutes and once folded, the device took up very little space. The front and back panels folded back onto the five handles, and the sides could be placed under its bottom panel. The legs folded under the handles, and the wheel (with a specialized hub) was placed under the handles. Manufactured out of wood and metal without set dimensions, the folding wheelbarrow could be customized to each customer's needs. Office national des recherches scientifiques et industrielles et des inventions. Extract from the book Inventions 1915-1939 by Luce Lebart.