The Lugger. A helpful carrying tool.

watch the video demonstration here

This was designed to give people a helping hand when they need one. Carrying two gallon jugs at a time now is easy and handy.

 I have included two files for download. Both versions should be identical except one will have the name "The Lugger" and one will be plain. The rough overall dimensions of the print are 2.9" X 7.0" X 1.625" tall. (73.6 MM X 177.8 MM X 41.27 MM)

 The Lugger will accommodate four 6 MM round by 1.5 MM thick n50 magnets to be glued in.

Notes: Depending on which 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 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 the creation of it 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 to the user to explain why there are two gallons of milk on the floor. It also needed to be easy to use, and ergonomic. Above all it needed to be handy. I love tools that are handy because it seems there is more of a reason to have it around, and to use it. It also needed a home. A place you can put it so you know where it is when you need it. The Lugger features two well designed prongs which provide trouble free usage, recessed areas for magnets, an ergonomic and streamlined handle, and a stress relief gap to absorb stress but also provides a way to clip it on a bag strap. When you need it you can go to the fridge and pull it off. It uses four round neodymium N50 magnets which provide sufficient pull. The magnets are 6 X 1.5 MM and can be purchased online here. http://www.ebay.com/itm/100pcs... 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 your 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 thou 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.