malawi cart2

8/14/2019 Malawi Cart2

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Manufacturing the Africart

The AfriCart is designed to be

built by 'village' carpenterswith a minimal investment in

commonly available

carpenters tools.

Any carpenter capable of producing a chair,table, or window frame can easily build an

AfriCart, although we have found that many

village carpenters have difficulty following a

dimensioned construction drawing.

Most types of seasoned wood (hard of soft) are

suitable, but a stronger hardwood is preferable

for the handles.

Nails are widely available, but small bolts for

the handles are harder to come by in rural areas.

Some bicycle bolts are suitable for this purpose.

The handles are currently being affixed just

below and parallel to the upper edge of the cart

body, so as to have a maximum length bolted orscrewed to the body for added stiffness. The

earlier angled handle arrangement has been

found to be prone to breakage, as the lever arm

of the handle is too long relative to the short

length screwed or bolted to the body.

NOTE: More detailed construction

view full exploded diagram,

view chassis 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

view carts in productionview instructional seminars in Malawi Workshops

Basic Tools:

Rip Saw,

Crosscut Saw,

Claw Hammer, Screwdriver (Slotted

and/or Phillips depending on available screws),

Chisel, Pliers or Shifting

Spannner,

Brace and 3/8" bit, Triangular Saw File,

Oil (Sharpening) Stone,

Twist Drills (sized to suit wood screws),

Smoothing Plane,

Sash Clamp (If necessary this can be improvisedfrom a narrow wooden plank with transverse blocks

clench nailed to it and tightened by hammeringwood wedges between the end block and the work

PIECE.),

Tape Measure,

Pencil


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instructions and material list to be provided in

future.

Bicycle Components used to build the

AfriCart

(Best to use heaviest duty "nylon" tiresavailable, and heavy duty rims if available)

'Ordinary' bicycle spokes are of 14 gauge

thickness, and their

nipples are 4mm in diameter.

These spokes will pass through the holes in

'ordinary' hubs and rims. Heavy duty spokes are

of 12 gauge thickness, and their nipples are5mm in diameter. They require heavy duty hubs

and rims, as the holes in 'ordinary' hubs and

rims are too small for them. If these heavy dutycomponents are available, they use is highly

recommended.

Link to page with bicycle part descriptions

Useful Additional Tools:

Hacksaw, Countersink (for flathead wood screws),

Rasp,

Jack Plane, Hand Drill (for small bits),

3/4" or 1" Auger Bit,

Carpenter's Square


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MALAWI CART 2002 PHOTO UPDATE

1. Mr. Chika Muchogho (in cart), the Malawi Handcart Projects

only paid employee, demonstrating the Malawi Cart at Meeting

of the Malawi Congress Party at the Natural Resources College,

Lilongwe, Malawi in June of 2002.


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2. Stand of the Mark II version. It is now screwed directly to the

rear end of the chassis, as opposed to the rear of the body on the

Mark I version. This not only allows it to be used without the

body, but also with other bodies. In addition this design is more

rigid and sturdier. Note: The pattern of screws holding the catch-

plate has been changed since this photo was taken, to two

staggered rows, so as to make a stiffer joint.

3. Front inside corner detail, showing the three long bolts

(actually 7 bicycle rear axles, nuts and washers) fastening thejoint. The bolts were positioned in this pattern so that the bolt

nearest the end of the plank would be less likely to split the wood,

as it is in the middle of the plank. If it was near the corner of the

plank, the compressive force would tend to split the corner. It is

possible that only two bolts would suffice. However as the axles

are sold by the dozen at a discount, it seems worthwhile to spread

the load and employ three per corner. To ensure that the inner nu

on each bolt does not loosen, the washer and nut are first screwed

onto the axle-bolt as far as they can go. Then that end of the axle

is pounded with a hammer so as to deform the threads or the end

of the bolt so that when the nut is screwed out to the end, it is an

interference fit, and will not loosen. The bolt is then inserted into

the frame joint from the inside, and the outside washer and nut arethreaded in place.

4. Front top corner detail of Mark II Malawi Cart. Note that 2

wood screws are screwed into the spacer blocks, and not into the

wheel bearers. Also, the design has been changed so that the

outer wheel bearer is made to project about at each end, so as

to enable it to be more easily removed by hammering on it to

allow the wheel to be removed for repairs.


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5. Front bottom corner detail of Mark II Malawi Cart. Note that

fewer screws are used than on the top, as the bottom transverse

member bears no weight. The screws have been positioned so as

not to hit the through bolts fastening the wheel bearers and their

spacer blocks together.

6. The front of the Mark II-b version, showing the triangular

gusset screwed to the front sidewall of the body. It function is to

resist outward forces and keep the front of the sidewall frombending outwards. Any outward movement of the top of the

sidewall will be resisted by the gusset pushing down on the top of

the crossbar of the joint it is resting on. The earlier model had two

vertical battens on each side, extending down to the bottom of the

chassis frame. (See the photos of the 2000 Livingstonia Cart.)

They not only resisted the outward forces on the sidewalls by

pushing on the frame, but also served to locate the body laterally

on the frame. They have been removed from this prototype.

Their removal substantially increases the wheel clearance,

allowing for a considerable wobble of the rim before the wheel

rubs on the cart body. [Note: If the rear as well as the front of the

body is made removable, with a sliding gate, then triangular

gussets must be placed at the rear corners as well as the frontcorners.]


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7. Bottom view of the Mark II-b Malawi Cart. Note the

longitudinal cleat clench-nailed to (each side of) the bottom of the

body. These two cleats serve to laterally locate the cart body.

Also, note (two of the four) swivel catches serving to attach the

body to the chassis. They are best bolted to the floor of the body,

although screws were employed in this prototype.

8. Two methods of affixing the handles to the rear sidewalls of

the Mark II cart body. The former method was by three bolts(bicycle rear brake bell-crank bolts and nuts). The improved

method is via four rear wheel chain adjuster bolts and two 4

nails. The nails pass through the handle, and through the eyes of

the chain adjuster bolts, much more securely clamping the handle

to the sidewall than the earlier bolt pattern. The rectangular

washers and nuts that come with these bolts are all readily

(inexpensively) available from market vendors selling bicycle

spares.

Bicycle Components used to build the AfriCart

best to use heaviest duty "nylon" tires available, and heavy duty rims if available


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1. Ordinary bicycle spokes are of 14gauge thickness, and their nipples are

4mm in diameter. These spokes will

pass through the holes in ordinaryhubs and rims. Heavy duty spokes are

of 12 gauge thickness, and their

nipples are 5mm in diameter. They

require heavy duty hubs and rims, as

the holes in ordinary hubs and rimsare too small for them. If these heavy

duty components are available, theyuse is highly recommended.

2. Rear axles are of 10mm diameter and

come in various lengths. The bestones to use for bolting the chassis

oints are nominally 7" long, as theUtility (India) brand illustrated. The

Sim Hwa (China) axles depicted are 6

3/4" long.


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Rear hubs with 40 holes vary in width between flanges:

Eastman (India) = 58mm

Avon (India) = 57mm

Sim Hwa (China) Special Grade = 63mm

Sim Hwa (China) De Luxe = 64mm

It is best to use the widest flange distance hubs available, in order to ensure

maximum wheel rigidity.

Rear hubs vary in width between inner cone faces:

Eastman (India)= 100mm

(= 110mm with lock nuts)

Avon (India) = 105mm

Sim Hwa (China) Special Grade = 108mm

Sim Hwa (China) De Luxe = 106mm

Rear hubs vary in length of axle / spindle

Eastman (India) = 7" (178mm)

Avon (India) = 6 " (166mm)

Sim Hwa (China) Special Grade = 6 3/4" (172mm)

Sim Hwa (China) De Luxe = 7" (178mm)

3. The crucial dimension here is the widthbetween the spoke flanges, and not the width

between cone faces. However when replacing

a wheel/hub, it is best to use one that matches

the original in this dimension, as otherwise

the bearers will have to bend to accommodate

the different dimensions.

NOTE: There must be washers fitted between

the inner cones and the wooden wheel

bearer/frames, and washers fitted between the

axle nuts and the frame. So, each wheel

requires four washers.

It is best to use the longest available axles. It

is easy to and inexpensive to exchange a

shorter axle/spindle for a longer 7" one. The

longer axles allow for the use of thicker wood

bearers, not requiring counterboring for the

axle washers and nuts.


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4. A selection of bicycle bolts useful as

fasteners for the Africart. The chain

adjuster bolts stamped (as opposed tobent) can be cut apart to produce

washers of 10mm inside diameter,

which are useful for both the chassis

corner bolts, as well as the wheelaxles. As washers of this size are hard

to find in rural areas, and as the costof the chain adjuster bolts isfrequently less than that of a washer in

a hardware shop, this is a useful and

cost effective to obtain washers of thissize. These bolts are used for

attaching the handles to the cart body.

The other bolts are used to fasten the

handle cross bar to the handles, tosecure the four swivel latches to the

bottom of the body, and to attach the

swiveling stand to its base.

Cart being used to collect rubbish. Notice the difference in volume that can be held by the Africart.


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Click here for photos on the Hastings Mkandawire Workshop

Click here for photos from the Agricultural Fair in Llongwe

Click here for photos from AfriCart's participation in the 2003 Tanzania Workshop on "Improving Mobility forRural Poor"

Click here for photos of the first AfriCart prototype, the Livingstonia Cart

View More New Uses!

2008 Trials of Handcarts by Millennium Villages Project/UNDP

Woman using handcart to carry bags of maize, Mwandama Millennium Research Village, UNDP-Malawi

Photo by Elasto Chanza

2008

Imported Taiwanese handcart wheels bound for Mwandama Millennium Research Village in a pickup provided

by the Malawi Rural Travel and Transport Programme.

Photo by Elasto Chanza

February 2004

Pililani Women's Group Chenga Village Dedza Region. AfriCart has been modified with motorcycle wheels.

Photos by Christian Casillas, environmental engineer/ex-Peace Corps Namibia, taken during his month long


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voluntary assessment tour of the Malawi Handcart Project.

Hastings Mkandwrie purchasing bicycle components for AfriCarts at the Mzuzu hardware market.

Click here for all photos in Casillas' Asessement Project

Cart Usage in other parts of the world

In Brooklyn, NYand in city streets

Other Carts

History and Global usage of cartsGoat Carts and usages

malawi cart2

Documents