AU2006200964A1 - Method and apparatus for loading containers - Google Patents

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: ROBERT TREVOR O'KEEFE Actual Inventor: ROBERT TREVOR O'KEEFE Address for Service: JOHN R.G. GARDNER Invention title: METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING CONTAINERS Details of Associated Provisional Applications No: 2006900175 filed 16 January 2006 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it know to me:- METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING CONTAINERS Technical Field This invention relates to method and apparatus for loading containers, in particular sea or cargo containers, onto the tray of a vehicle, typically a road vehicle.

Background Art Cargo or sea containers are used commonly for transporting of goods either on land or at sea on ships. Such containers are generally of a rectangular parallelepiped configuration so as to enable the containers to be stacked one on top of the other or to enable the containers to be supported on a flat deck of a ship or flat tray of a transport vehicle such as a railway car or truck tray. Containers are usually provided with doors at at least one end to provide access to the interior of the container and corner fittings or sockets are provided at each corner of the container for engagement by connecting devices to secure the container to the deck of a ship or tray of a transport vehicle or to secure containers together. The connecting device include elongated apertures on the lower side of the container for receipt of rotatable cleats or lugs of the connecting devices which are receivable within the apertures and which are rotatable to lock the containers in position. Apertures are also provided in the corner fittings on the top, sides and ends of the container so that containers stacked upon each other can be locked together or adjacent containers locked together by similar connecting devices in an endto-end or side-by-side position.

A particularly difficulty occurs when a container which is on the ground is to be loaded onto a road vehicle having a flat bed or tray. Usually the vehicle bed or tray (which is often slidably mounted to the vehicle chassis) is tilted to an inclined position and moved into longitudinal alignment with the container and adjacent to an end of the container and a winch cable from a winch arranged centrally and forwardly of the tray is coupled to the container. Sometimes a chain, although not authorised, is used with or instead of the cable. When the winch is operated, the container is intended to be drawn onto the tray. It is not uncommon however for the end of the container to abut the end of the tray which thereby prevents the container from being winched onto the tray of the vehicle. The result of this occurring is that a substantial load is then placed onto the winch cable and/or chain. If this tension is not released rapidly for example by stopping winch operation, breakage of the cable and/or chain can occur. Breakage of the chain and/or cable is extremely dangerous and can result in severe injuries and even death in the event that the chin or cable strikes a person in the region of the tray.

Summary of the Invention The present invention aims to provide an improved method and apparatus for loading containers typically cargo or shipping containers onto a tray of a vehicle. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description.

The present invention thus provides in a first preferred aspect a method of loading a container onto the tray of vehicle, said method including the steps of providing an elongated draw bar assembly, securing said draw bar assembly to the leading end of said container adjacent a lower edge thereof such that said draw bar assembly extends transversely of said container, inclining said tray and positioning the trailing end of said tray adjacent the leading end of said container, and applying a pulling force to said draw bar assembly to pull said container onto said tray.

Preferably the step of securing the draw bar assembly to the container comprises the step or releasably attaching the draw bar assembly to comer connectors or fittings at the opposite leading lower comers of the container.

The present invention in a further preferred aspect provides apparatus for loading a container onto the inclined tray of a vehicle, said apparatus including a drawbar assembly, means for releasably securing said draw bar assembly to the leading end of said container such that said draw bar assembly in use extends transversely of said container and is positioned adjacent a lower edge of said container, and means for applying a pulling force to said draw bar assembly to cause in use said drawbar assembly and container secured thereto to be pulled onto said inclined tray.

The container typically is of the type used for containing goods for transport on ships, vehicles or railways being of rectangular parallelepiped configuration and includes at least at its opposite lower leading comers and suitably at all comers, comer connectors or fittings which facilitate securing of the container in position or interconnection of adjacent containers either one above the other or in end-to -end or side-to-side relationship. Such comer fittings usually have elongated openings positioned at the front and rear and opposite sides of the container and also at the top and bottom of the container at each comer.

The draw bar assembly suitably comprises an elongated draw bar and the means for releasably securing the draw bar assembly to the container suitably includes means at opposite ends of the draw bar adapted for connection to respective corner fittings or connectors at the opposite lower corners of the container. Such means suitably includes a locking member receivable in an opening in a corner fitting or connector. Means are suitably provided for causing the locking member to engage the corner fitting or connector through the opening. Such means may comprise means for selectively rotating or pivoting the locking member to connect and lock the locking member and thus draw bar to the container.

The locking member is suitably mounted for rotation to the draw bar and the means for selectively rotating the locking member may comprise a manually operable member rotatable with the locking member. The manually operable member may comprise a handle. Preferably the locking member is rotatable 90 degrees in opposite directions between an engaged position in which the locking member is engaged with a corner fitting via an opening therein and a disengaged position in which the locking member may be inserted into or withdrawn from the opening in the corner fitting.

Preferably the locking member is mounted at one end of a shaft or rod mounted for rotation to the draw bar. The manually operable means is suitably connected to the opposite end of the shaft or rod. Suitably detent means are provided to define the engaged and disengaged position of the locking member. The detent means is suitably cooperable with the shaft or rod. Preferably the detent means comprises a spring-loaded ball and the shaft or rod is provided with recesses to receive the spring-loaded ball in the engaged and disengaged positions of the locking member. Preferably the recesses are located at 90 degrees from each other.

Preferably means at opposite ends of the draw bar are adapted to with opposite guides on the tray to guide the container centrally onto the tray. Preferably the opposite ends of the draw bar are beveled and converge towards each other from the normally trailing end to the normally leading end of the draw bar. Preferably the ends of the draw bar are provided with converging end plates which are adapted to cooperate with the guides on the tray. Guide flanges suitably extend from the ends plates, the guide flanges suitably extending beyond the normally leading end of the draw bar and converging towards each other. Preferably the angle of convergence between the guide flanges is greater than the angle of convergence between the beveled ends of the draw bar.

Preferably the draw bar assembly includes a central attachment device. The central attachment device suitably comprises an apertured plate arranged centrally of and at the leading end of the draw bar.

The means for applying a pulling force to the draw bar assembly suitably comprises means to move the draw bar assembly and container onto the tray. Such means may comprise a winch. The winch may include a cable and/or chain adapted to be coupled to the draw bar assembly. The cable and/or chain is suitably adapted to be attached to the central attachment device through any form of connection such as a shackle.

The present invention in yet a further aspect provides a draw bar assembly adapted to be attached to a container for use in moving a container onto the tray of a vehicle, said draw bar assembly including an elongated draw bar, and means for releasably securing said draw bar to the leading end of said container such that said draw bar assembly in use extends transversely of said container and is positioned adjacent the lower edge of said container.

The container suitably has corner fittings at least at the lower leading corners of the container and the means for releasably securing the draw bar to the container includes means for releasable securing the draw bar to the corner fittings.

Brief Description of the Drawings Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate in side elevation and plan view a drawbar assembly according to an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view along line A-A of Fig. 1 showing a locking mechanism of the draw bar assembly; Fig. 4 illustrates in elevation the draw plate of the draw bar assembly; Fig. 5 illustrates a container in position in relation to the draw bar assembly and tray of a road vehicle prior to loading onto the vehicle tray; Fig. 6 illustrates the position of the tray of a road vehicle relative to a container with the draw bar assembly attached to the container for loading the container on to the tray; Figs. 7 to 9 illustrates the steps in loading the container onto the vehicle tray.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment Referring to the drawings and firstly to Figs. 1 to 3, there is illustrated a draw bar assembly 10 according to and embodiment of the present invention adapted to be coupled to a container for facilitating the loading of the container onto a vehicle tray typically a road vehicle tray. The draw bar assembly 10 includes an elongated hollow beam 11 which is typically fabricated of bisalloy but which may be formed of other materials. Opposite ends 12 of the beam 11 are correspondingly beveled such that the beam 11 has a shorter length at its normally leading end 13 relative to its trailing end 14.

The beveled ends 12 of the beam are provided with end guide members in the form of end plates 15 secured to the ends 12 by welding. The end plates 13 thus converge towards each other. Flanges 16 extend from the end plates 15, the flanges 16 extending forwardly of the leading end 13 of the beam 11 and also converging towards each other at a greater extent than the convergence of the end plates 13. Thus the included angle between the flanges 16 is greater than the angle between the ends 12 and thus the plates Container attachment devices 17 are provided at opposite ends of the beam 11, each attachment device 17 as shown also in Fig. 3 including a locking bar 18 in the form of a solid cylindrical rod received rotatably in a bearing-like manner in a locking bar housing 19 fixed within the hollow beam 11 and extending between and opening to the leading and trailing ends 13 and 14 of the beam 11. The locking bar housing 19 is of a hollow cylindrical configuration to neatly and rotatably receive the locking bar 18 and is welded in position to the beam 11. A radially extending handle 20 is fixed to one end of the locking bar 18 at the leading end 13 of the beam 11 whilst the opposite end of the locking bar 18 is provided with a cam-like off-centre engagement lug 21 fixed for rotation with the bar 18.

A detent mechanism 23 is associated with the locking bar 18 on the trailing side 14 of the beam 11 to positively locate the locking bar 16 in two rotational positions. The detent mechanism 23 comprises a detent housing 24 fixed to trailing side 14 of the beam 11, the housing 24 having radially extending passages 25, each passage carrying a detent ball 26 and spring 27 held in position by a grub screw 28. The locking bar 16 has recesses 29 in its outer surface adapted to received the detent balls 26 positioned at ninety degrees to each other so that a detent is provided to the locking bar 16 in two positions at ninety degrees to each other corresponding to engaged and disengaged positions of the locking bar 18 and corner attachment devices 17.

A draw plate 30 shown more clearly in Fig. 4 is fixed to the leading end 13 of the beam 11 through a stiffening plate 31 by welding at a position centrally of the beam 11.

The draw plate 30 includes a coupling opening 32 which is chamfered at 33 around its edges. The opening 32 is of a somewhat diamond shape in form with the apex 34 of the opening 30 being positioned centrally of the draw plate 30 so as to provide for selfcentering of an attachment device such as a shackle coupled to the draw plate 30 through the opening 32.

The draw bar assembly 10 is adapted to be coupled to a container 35 shown in Fig. 5 of the type having corner connectors, fittings or sockets 36 (which may be in the form of castings) at its respective corners, each of which has three elongated openings 37 which are positioned on the side and end and top or bottom of the container 35. The openings 37 are normally used for fixing the container 35 to a vehicle tray or ship deck or for interconnecting containers in end-to-end, side to side or top to bottom relationship using suitably connecting device.

The container attachment devices 17 of the draw bar assembly 10 are spaced apart the same distance as the distance between corner fittings 36 at opposite sides of the container 35 so that the engagement lugs 21 can be aligned with the spaced openings 37 at the lower forward end of the container The draw bar assembly 10 is designed for use with a vehicle 38 of the type having a tiltable flat-bed tray 39 mounted for tilting and/or tilt-slide movement relative to the chassis of the vehicle 38, the tray 39 as shown in Fig. 6 being provided with a winch 40 arranged centrally of and at the leading end of the tray 39. The tray 39 additionally is provided with longitudinally extending upstanding guides 41 along opposite side edges of the tray 39. The tray 39 additionally includes at its trailing end 42, a ramp 43 to assist in guiding a load such as the container 35 onto the tray 39.

To load a container 35 on the ground onto the tray 39 using the draw bar assembly 10, the vehicle 38 is operated to tilt and move the tray 39 rearwardly and such that the tray 39 is aligned longitudinally with the container 35 with the trailing end 42 of the tray 39 positioned adjacent the leading end of the container 35 as in Figs. 6. The draw bar assembly 10 then has its draw plate 30 connected through a coupling such as a shackle 44 to the winch cable 45 and is positioned so as to extend substantially normal to the container 35. The respective attachment devices 17 are then engaged with the corner fittings 36 at the leading lower end and at opposite sides of the container 36. For this purpose, the handles 20 are rotated ninety degrees as determined by the detent mechanisms 23 to the position shown in dotted outline in Fig. 3 so that the locking lugs 21 on the locking bars are aligned with and can be inserted into the elongated openings 37. When the handles 20 are rotated back ninety degrees, the lugs 21 will locate behind the openings 37 so that the draw bar assembly 10 becomes attached to the container The winch 40 may then be operated to apply a tension to the cable 45 so as to drag the draw bar assembly 10 and attached container 35 towards the tray 39. The draw bar assembly 10 being at the leading lower end of the container 35 will firstly engage the ramp 43 and as it is pulled up the ramp 43 will elevate the leading end of the container as shown in Fig 7. This will thus provide a smooth transition of the leading end of the container 35 onto the tray 39. In addition in this movement, the flanges 16 and then the end plates 15 on the opposite ends of the beam 11 will engage and cooperate with the guides 41 along opposite sides of the tray 39 and guide the container 35 centrally onto the tray 39. Any misalignment between the container 35 and tray 39 during loading will be corrected by cooperation between the guides 41 on opposite sides of the tray 39 and the angled guide plates 15 and/or flanges which serve to centralise the draw bar 10 and container 35 relative to the tray 39.

Continued operation of the winch 40 will cause the drawbar assembly 10 and attached container 35 to be pulled further onto the tray 39 as shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

When the container 35 is positioned as required on the tray 39 (such as when the container corner fittings 36 are aligned with corresponding fittings on the tray 39), the tray 39 can be pivoted back to a horizontal position. The draw bar assembly 10 can then be detached from the container 35 by rotating the handles 20 back to a position where they extend at right angles to the beam 11. This allows detachment of the lugs 21 from the openings 37. The container 35 can then be transported as required by the vehicle 38.

The draw bar assembly 10 thus prevents direct contact between the end of the container 35 and trailing end 42 of the tray 39 and furthermore by initially contacting the ramp 43 will elevate the leading end of the container 35 to facilitate its transfer onto the tray 39.

The draw bar assembly 10 may be constructed in an alternative manner to that described in the embodiment above and furthermore the container attachment devices 17 may be in configurations other than that described. Any attachment device which can releasably engage with the opposite corner fittings or connectors 36 of the container will be suitable for this purpose.

Whilst it is preferred that the container 35 be pulled onto the tray via a winching arrangement, other means such as hydraulic means may be used for this purpose.

The draw bar assembly 11 may be used with any form of vehicle having a tipping and or a slide/tipping tray.

The terms "comprising" or "comprises" as used throughout the specification and claims are taken to specify the presence of the stated features, integers and components referred to but not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other feature/s, integer/s, component/s or group thereof.

Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative embodiment of the invention, all such variations and modifications thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein defined in the appended claims.

Claims (21)

1. A method of loading a container onto the tray of vehicle, said method including the steps of providing an elongated draw bar assembly, securing said draw bar assembly to the leading end of said container adjacent a lower edge thereof such that said draw bar assembly extends transversely of said container, inclining said tray and positioning the trailing end of said tray adjacent the leading end of said container, and applying a pulling force to said draw bar assembly to pull said container onto said tray.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said step of securing the draw bar assembly to the container comprises the step or releasably attaching the draw bar assembly to comer connectors or fittings at the opposite leading lower comers of the container.

3. Apparatus for loading a container onto the inclined tray of a vehicle, said apparatus including a drawbar assembly, means for releasably securing said draw bar assembly to the leading end of said container such that said draw bar assembly in use extends transversely of said container and is positioned adjacent a lower edge of said container, and means for applying a pulling force to said draw bar assembly to cause in use said drawbar assembly and container secured thereto to be pulled onto said inclined tray.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said container is of rectangular parallelepiped configuration and includes comer fittings or connectors at least at its opposite lower leading corners, said draw bar assembly comprising an elongated draw bar and wherein the means for releasably securing the draw bar assembly to a container includes means at opposite ends of the draw bar adapted for connection to said comer fittings or connectors.

Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said container corner fittings or connectors include elongated openings and wherein said means adapted for connection to a comer fitting or opening comprise a locking member receivable in a said opening in a comer fitting or connector. 11

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 and including means for selectively rotating or pivoting the locking member to engage the locking member with said fitting or connector and thus connect the draw bar to the container.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein each said locking member is mounted to the draw bar for rotation through 90 degrees in opposite directions between an engaged position in which said locking member is engaged with an opening in a corner fitting or connector and a disengaged position in which the locking member may be inserted into or withdrawn from the opening in the corner fitting or container.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said locking member is provided at one end of a shaft or rod mounted for rotation to the draw bar and including manually operable means for rotating the shaft or rod at the end of the shaft or rod opposite said locking member.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 and including detent means cooperable with the shaft or rod for defining the engaged and disengaged positions of the locking member.

Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said detent means comprises a spring- loaded ball and wherein said shaft or rod is provided with recesses to receive the spring- loaded ball in the engaged and disengaged positions of the locking member.

11. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 10 and including means at opposite ends of said draw bar adapted for cooperation in use with guides on opposite sides of the tray to guide the container centrally onto the tray.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein said opposite ends of the draw bar are beveled and converge towards each other from the normally trailing end to the normally leading end of the draw bar.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12 wherein said opposite ends of said draw bar are provided with converging end plates which are adapted to cooperate in use with the guides on the tray. 12

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 and including guide flanges extending from the end plates and beyond the normally leading end of the draw bar, said guide flanges converging towards each other.

15. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 14 wherein said means for applying a pulling force to the draw bar assembly comprises means to move the draw bar assembly and container onto the tray.

16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein said the draw bar assembly includes a central attachment device and wherein in said means for applying a pulling force to the draw bar assembly comprises a winch having a cable and/or chain adapted to be coupled to the draw bar assembly via said central attachment device.

17. A draw bar assembly adapted to be attached to a container for use in moving a container onto the tray of a vehicle, said draw bar assembly including an elongated draw bar, and means for releasably securing said draw bar to the leading end of said container such that said draw bar assembly in use extends transversely of said container and is positioned adjacent the lower edge of said container.

18. A draw bar assembly as claimed in claim 17 wherein said container has corner fittings or connectors at least at the lower leading corners thereof and wherein the means for releasably securing the draw bar to the container includes means for releasably securing the draw bar to the corner fittings or connectors.

19. A method of loading a container onto the tray of vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Apparatus for loading a container onto the inclined tray of a vehicle, said apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

21. A draw bar assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the 13 accompanying drawings. Dated this seventh day of March 2006 ROBERT TREVOR O'KEEFE By His Patent Attorney JOHN R G GARDNER JOHN R G GARDNER