AU2003204098B2

AU2003204098B2 - Vehicle tray

Info

Publication number: AU2003204098B2
Application number: AU2003204098A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Neil Kenneth Whyte
Original assignee: NEIL WHYTE
Current assignee: Whyte Wendy Christine
Priority date: 2002-05-10
Filing date: 2003-05-09
Publication date: 2008-01-10
Anticipated expiration: 2023-05-09
Also published as: AU2003204098A1

Description

APPLICANT: NEIL KENNETH WHYTE and WENDY CHRISTINE WHYTE

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AUSTRALIA

THE PATENTS ACT 1990 PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED "VEHICLE TRAY" The present invention will be described in the following statement:

TITLE

VEHICLE TRAY O FIELD OF THE INVENTION z M€3 The present invention relates to a vehicle tray.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Oo It is known to provide a hydraulically actuated jib arranged for use with a vehicle tray. It is generally purchased as a unit that is then installed in a desired location on the vehicle tray. However, such jibs occupy valuable storage space in the vehicle tray. The present invention attempts to overcome at least in part some of the aforementioned disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a vehicle tray provided with a rope rail comprising a pair of spaced apart substantially vertical support members mounted on the tray and a generally horizontal rail member supported by the substantially vertical support members, wherein the rope rail is also arranged to function as a jib and the generally horizontal rail member of the rope rail has a fixed portion and a moveable portion, the fixed portion having a first free inner end and the moveable portion having a second free inner end, the first and second free inner ends being arranged to be interconnected when used as a rope rail but being arranged to be disconnected when the rope rail is to be used as a jib, the moveable portion having an outer end which is pivotally connected to one of the substantially vertical support members, and the fixed portion having an outer end which is fixed to the other substantially vertical support member, means being provided for moving pivotally the moveable portion about its connection to the one substantially vertical support member in a vertical plane, and the one substantially vertical support member and the moveable member also being arranged to pivot together about a vertical axis.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a jib for use with a vehicle tray provided with a rope rail in accordance with the present invention wherein the boom member of the jib is shown in a stowed configuration; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the jib and rope rail shown in Figure 1 wherein the boom member is shown in a first operative configuration; Figure 3 is a partial front view of the jib and rope rail shown in Figures 1 and 2 wherein the boom member is shown in the stowed configuration; Figure 4 is a partial front view of the jib and rope rail shown in the preceding figures wherein the boom member is in a second operative configuration; Figure 5 is a partial perspective view of the jib and rope rail shown in the preceding figures wherein the boom member is in the stowed configuration; Figure 6 is a partial close-up front view of the jib shown in the preceding figures inclined below the horizontal; Figure 7 is a partial close-up front view of the jib shown in the preceding figures inclined above the horizontal; and Figure 8 is a partial close-up front view of the jib shown in the preceding figures in the stowed configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals and symbols refer to like parts throughout, there is shown a jib 10 for use with a vehicle tray The vehicle tray 20 is provided with a rope rail 30, the rope rail 30 comprising a first and a second upright support members 32a, 32b spaced apart from one another, the second upright support member 32b having a movable upper portion, and a horizontal rail member 34 interconnecting respective upper ends of the upright support members 32a, 32b. The horizontal rail member 34 is comprised of a fixed portion 34a having a fixed end 31a and a free end 31b and a movable portion 34b having a fixed end 33a and a free end 33b. The fixed end 31a of the fixed portion 34a is fixedly connected to the first upright support member 32a and the fixed end 33a of the movable portion 34b is pivotably connected to the second upright support member 32b about pivot point 36 with a tongue and groove connection combination.

The rope rail 30 is also provided with a plurality of reinforcing members to strengthen the rope rail 30 in case of a collision impact including a lower horizontal member 72, a first vertical strut 74, a second vertical strut 76, and a plurality of horizontal struts 78. The lower horizontal member 72 interconnects the upright support members 32a, 32b. The first vertical strut 74 is spaced apart from the upright support member 32a and interconnects the lower horizontal member 72 and the fixed portion 34a of the horizontal rail member 34. The second vertical strut 76 is spaced apart from the upright support member 32b and extends upwardly from the lower horizontal member 72. The second vertical strut 76 is shorter in length than the first vertical strut 74.

Each of the horizontal struts 78 interconnects the upright support member 32a and the second vertical strut 76. Preferably, the horizontal struts 78 are equidistantly spaced apart from one another in a vertically stacked arrangement. Preferably, the rope rail is also provided with a pair of obliquely inclined brace members (not shown) extending from the tray 20 to the upright support member 32b from behind the lower horizontal member 72.

The jib 10 includes a substantially vertical support member 12, a boom member 14 having a free end 13 and an opposing end 15 pivotably connected to the support member 12, and an extendable ram member 60 in operative communication with the boom member 14 and the support member 12.

In accordance with the present invention, the upright support member 32b of the rope rail 30 is integral with the vertical support member 12 of the jib 10 and the movable portion 34b of the rope rail 30 is integral with the boom member 14 of the jib 10. The extendable ram member 60 is in operative communication with the movable portion 34b of the rope rail 30 and the upright support member 32b. In other words, the boom member 14 of the jib 10 and the vertical support member 12 are formed from portions 32b, 34b, respectively, of the rope rail The second upright support member 32b of the rope rail is provided with a gusset 61 inwardly extending along an upper length of the second upright support member 32b.

Similarly, the movable portion 34b of the horizontal rail member 34 of the rope rail is provided with a gusset 63 downwardly extending along a substantial length of the movable portion 34b. Preferably, the gussets 61, 63 are formed of strong steel and welded to respective members 32b, 34b.

The extendable ram member 60 is pivotally connected at each respective end 62, 64 of the extendable ram member 60 to the gussets 61, 63. Preferably, the end 62 is pivotally connected to the gusset 61 of the second upright support member 32b adjacent to pivot point 36. Preferably, the end 64 is pivotally connected to the gusset 63 remote from the free end 33b of the movable portion 34b.

Preferably, the extendable ram member 60 is a hydraulic ram that can be operated by switch control or remote control. In use, actuation of the extendable ram member facilitates the movable portion 34b to pivot in a vertical plane about pivot point 36 between a stowed configuration as shown in Figures 1, 3, 5 and 8 and any one of a plurality of operative configurations as shown in Figures 2, 4, 6 and 7. The movable portion 34b pivots in an angular range of up to 50' below the horizontal and up to 450 above the horizontal.

The second upright support member 32b is provided with a bearing 37 or bush to facilitate the upper portion of the second upright support member 32b and the movable portion 34b to pivot or slew about a central longitudinal axis of the second upright support member 32b, as shown in Figures 2 and 4. It is envisaged that the resultant slewing action may occur over an angular range of up to 200'. In use, the slewing action is operated manually, although it will be understood that means could be readily provided to mechanically control and operate the swivel bearing 37.

The gusset 63 is provided with a plurality of lifting points 17 equidistantly spaced along the length of the gusset 63 for lifting of different weight loads. Each lifting point 17 comprises an aperture 65 disposed in the gusset 63, the aperture 65 being arranged to receive respective D-shackle and hook to engage a load.

As shown in Figure 1, respective free ends 3 1b, 33b of the fixed and movable portions 34a, 34b of the horizontal rail member 34 abut one another such that the fixed and movable portions 34a, 34b are in horizontal longitudinal alignment when the movable portion 34b is in the stowed configuration. In this way, the rope rail 30 can be used in a conventional manner when the movable portion 34b is in the stowed configuration.

The upright support member 32b is optionally further provided with a detachable stabilising leg member 50 for stabilising the vehicle tray 20 against overturning when the jib 10 is used to lift heavy loads. The stabilising leg member 50 is substantially Lshaped, comprising an upright support member 52, a substantially horizontal member 54, and an obliquely inclined web member 56 endwise interconnected with the upright support member 52 and the substantially horizontal member 54. In use, a free end 58 of the horizontal member 54 is arranged to be engagingly received in a corresponding socket 51 disposed below the bearing 37 in the upright support member 32b. The socket 51 is located in the upright support member 32b such that when the free end 58 is engagingly received in the socket 51, the substantially horizontal member 54 outwardly extends at a substantially perpendicular angle from the vehicle tray 20 and the upright support member 52 is spaced apart from an edge of the vehicle tray by a distance corresponding to an effective combined length of the horizontal member 54 and the web member 56. When not in use, the stabilising leg member 50 may be readily detached and disengaged from the socket 51 and conveniently stowed in the vehicle tray.

Preferably, the rope rail 30 and portions thereof forming the jib 10 are formed from heavy duty steel pipe with either circular, square or rectangular cross section.

Preferably the steel pipe is circular in cross section having an external pipe diameter of between 60 90 mm and a wall thickness of between 4.5 6 mm, thereby providing a maximum load bearing capacity of about 700 kg. It is also preferable that the extendable ram member 60 is not larger in diameter than the diameter of the rope rail and portions thereof forming the jib m For the purposes of this description the rope rail 30 is illustrated as a front rail, in other words, it is located on the vehicle tray 20 immediately behind a cab of a vehicle.

However, it will be understood, that the rope rail 30 may be located at the rear of the vehicle tray 20 or on either side of the vehicle tray 20. Further, the support member 12 of the jib 10 may be located on the left or right side of the vehicle tray 20 to facilitate the boom member 14 to slew in the desired direction.

It will also be understood that the dimensions of the jib 10 will vary according to the dimensions of the rope rail 30 and the vehicle tray 20. In this way, the jib 10 can be custom fitted onto the vehicle tray 20 of a small utility vehicle or a large truck.

Further, as the jib 10 is an integral part of the rope rail 30 of the vehicle tray 20 it can not be readily removed, thereby decreasing the risk of theft of the jib 10 from the vehicle tray Modifications and variations as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention

Claims

2. A vehicle tray according to claim 1, wherein means to enable the one substantially vertical support member and the moveable portion of the generally horizontal rail member to pivot together about a vertical axis comprises a swivel bearing or brush.
3. A vehicle tray according to claim 1 or 2, wherein there is provided a detachable stabilizing leg member for stabilizing the vehicle tray against overturning when the jib is used to life heavy loads, the leg member being arranged to extend between the vehicle tray and adjacent ground in use. r- 4. A vehicle tray according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the means for O C moving pivotally the moveable portion comprises an extendable ram member O interconnecting the moveable portion and the one substantially vertical c support member to which the moveable member is connected. A vehicle tray substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the 00 0accompanying drawings. 0',