The Lugger. A helpful carrying tool.

pinshape

Watch this video demonstration here. This was designed to give people a helping hand when they need one. Carrying two-gallon jugs at a time is now easy and convenient. I have included two files for download. Both versions are identical except one has the name "The Lugger" and the other is plain. The rough overall dimensions of the print are 2.9 inches x 7.0 inches x 1.625 inches tall (73.6 mm x 177.8 mm x 41.27 mm). The Lugger will accommodate four 6mm round by 1.5mm thick N50 magnets to be glued in. Notes: Depending on the material you choose, you may want to add a raft or other bed adhesion structures depending on your printer. I made mine from both PET G and ABS which I normally don't require the use of a brim or a raft. I did need to use support for the magnet recesses, but I found that no support also worked well for me. The magnets will be glued in place. The problem: In a truly great and unique invention, you can trace its creation back to a root problem. Where there is a problem, there is a need for improvement. I have noticed while shopping for groceries that there seems to be a small need for helpful creations to lend a hand for people who lead hectic lives or just have a need for something to improve their quality of life. On one recent visit to our normal grocery stomping grounds, I had noticed a woman shopping around the store with no cart and an armful of goods. Realizing she was about to get two gallons of milk with no way to carry them, I was prompted by my wife to get her a cart. Which would mean traversing to the entrance and dishing out a quarter for a cart. Which was not an issue. She gladly accepted the cart and said she refused to pay for the cart because she was in a hurry. It was here where the idea of "The Lugger" was born. Design: Knowing what I wanted to accomplish, I set out designing a tool which would be specifically designed to help carry milk jugs. Specifically one-gallon jugs. Knowing the weight involved, I decided to go fairly beefy with the design as this tool can never break; it would be disastrous for the user to explain why there are two gallons of milk on the floor. The Lugger uses four round neodymium N50 magnets which provide sufficient pull. The magnets are 6 x 1.5mm and can be purchased online or you can use your own source. I feel the ergonomic design feels good when handling two gallons at once, and you can feel comfortable carrying it. You can clip it right in place and pick up the two gallons at once without any drag or catching. The gallons fall into place using their own weight to rest on each other. Also, its designed to be handy when you need to put them down and reach for your keys or open a door. The Lugger will not fall off and you can pick it back up again for that more streamlined usage. You can clip it on a purse for mobility, and finally, when you're done with it, simply post it back on the fridge for storage. I designed this piece by simply mocking up the two-gallon jugs and crafting how I wanted to clip into the handles for carrying them. I then completed a paper sketch as a rough drawing along with the dimensions. I needed to get a good measurement of inside the jug handles to get a hooking motion that would flow rather than catch or drag when you slip it through. I then drafted it up on the computer using 123d Design. I did come up with several versions, but this is the version I liked most. I then exported the 3D model to a .stl file and ran it through Meshmixer to prove out the file. I sliced The Lugger using MatterControl 1.5 and printed it on my SeemeCNC Rostock Max V2. How to use: Even though The Lugger was designed to help you carry two gallons of milk or water at one time, it also tested great for lugging around two half-gallons of milk. Or you can use it for grocery bags. Simply set up the gallon jugs with the handles facing each other and have the jugs spaced out as far as The Lugger is long. Use a hooking motion with The Lugger to hook the prongs into the jug handles, then lift.