AU2013200462C1

AU2013200462C1 - Top-Loadable Freight Vehicle

Info

Publication number: AU2013200462C1
Application number: AU2013200462A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Gregory Alan Brown
Original assignee: Transtech Research Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Australian Trailer Solutions Group Property Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2013-01-25
Filing date: 2013-01-25
Publication date: 2014-10-09
Anticipated expiration: 2033-01-25
Also published as: AU2013200462C9; AU2013200462B9; NZ616786A; AU2013200462B1

Abstract

A top loadable freight vehicle includes a chassis having ground or track engaging wheels, a floor over the chassis for supporting freight, front and rear end wall 5 structures and opposed side wall structures. The wall structures, with the floor, define an enclosLire for the freight. The vehicle further includes at least one location intermediate of the end walls at which there is a crossbeam member adjustably secured at a first end to the top of a first one of the side wall structures and movable between an engaged position in which its second end is releasably engaged with the 10 top of a second one of the side wall structures, and a disengaged position enabling top loading of the vehicle. SPEC-948423

Description

AUSTRALIA Patents Act COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (ORIGINAL) Class Int. Class Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority Related Art: Name of Applicant: Transtech Research Pty Ltd Actual Inventor(s): Gregory Alan Brown Address for Service and Correspondence: PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys 367 Collins Street Melbourne 3000 AUSTRALIA Invention Title: Top-Loadable Freight Vehicle Our Ref: 948423 POF Code: 487964/467763 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to applicant(s): 6-016- 2 Field of the Invention This invention relates to a top loadable vehicle, such as a truck or trailer. Background of the Invention 5 Freight carrying vehicles have evolved into a very wide variety of forms, developed to meet increasing needs of users. This is particularly so with road vehicles, such as freight carrying trucks and trailers. The present invention is directed to providing an improved form of top loadable freight vehicle, such as a truck or trailer. 10 Summary of the Invention A top loadable freight vehicle according to the invention includes a chassis having ground or track engaging wheels, a floor over the chassis for supporting freight, longitudinally spaced front and rear end wall structures, and opposed side wall structures, with the front, rear and opposed side wall structures and the floor defining 15 an enclosure for the freight; wherein the vehicle further includes, at each of a plurality of longitudinally spaced locations intermediate of the end walls, a respective crossbeam member adjustably secured at a first end to the top of one of the side wall structures and movable between an engaged position in which its second end is releasably engaged with the top of the other side wall structure, and a disengaged 20 position, enabling top loading of the vehicle, in which the crossbeam member extends along the one side wall structure; and wherein each crossbeam member is adjustably secured so as to swing or pivot around an upright axis between its engaged and disengaged positions under the action of a drive device. 25 The vehicle may have wall structures of a variety of forms. In one form, the front structure may be a permanent front wall, with the rear structure having doors, provided in a door surround, which enable rear loading and unloading. A vehicle having such front and rear structures may have fixed side walls, although at least one of these may have at least one door enabling side loading and unloading. 30 In another form, the vehicle may be a tipping trailer. The tipping trailer may be without doors. Alternatively, at least one of the side wall structures or the rear wall structure may comprise a door hinged to enable tipping for side or rear unloading. In 3 yet another highly preferred form, the vehicle is a curtain-sided truck or trailer. Thus, in that preferred form, at least one side wall structure includes a roller-mounted curtain able to be secured and vertically tensioned, when fully longitudinally extended and tensioned, or pulled to one or other of the front and rear wall structures. 5 The vehicle has a plurality of crossbeam members, each at a respective location intermediate of the end wall structures. In a truck or trailer of a usual length, there may for example be two, but preferably three, substantially uniformly spaced crossbeam members. In the case of two crossbeam members, each may be 10 adjustably secured at a location about one third the length of the vehicle floor from a respective one of the front and rear wall structures. Where there are three crossbeam members, a respective one may be adjustably secured at a respective location about one quarter of that length from each of the front and rear wall structures, with the third crossbeam member adjustably secured at a location substantially equally spaced 15 from each of the front and rear wall structures. Most conveniently, where there is a plurality of crossbeam members, each is adjustably secured to the same one of the side wall structures. However, this need not be the case. Thus, where there are two crossbeam members, they may be 20 adjustably secured at the same side of the vehicle, as is preferred, or at respective sides. Similarly, while it is preferred that, with three crossbeam members, each is adjustably secured at the same side of the vehicle, it is possible for any two of them to be secured at one side, with the third one adjustably secured at the other side, of the vehicle. 25 Each crossbeam member is adjustably secured so as to swing or pivot between its engaged and disengaged positions. To enable this, there may be a hinge coupling between the first end of the crossbeam member and the top of the first side wall structure, such as at the head rail or beam, to which the crossbeam member is 30 adjustably secured. The hinge coupling enables the crossbeam member to swing or pivot around an upright or preferably substantially vertical axis, in a horizontally extending plane. The movement between the engaged and disengaged positions preferably is by swinging or pivoting through an angle of up to at least 900. Thus, with 4 a vertical pivot axis, the crossbeam member may extend along first side wall structure, such as along the head rail or beam, to which it is adjustably secured. A respective drive device for each of at least two crossbeam members preferably 5 forms part of a drive system having a single controller. With such a system the drive devices can be operable in unison to move each crossbeam member simultaneously, to either the engaged position for each of them, or to their disengaged positions. In one form, the or each derive device may be a linear actuator, such as an hydraulic, but preferably a pneumatic, cylinder device, able to be extended and retracted to 10 cause the crossbeam member with which it is associated to swing or pivot between its positions. Alternatively the device, or each device, may be a linear actuator in the form of an electric cylinder device. In each case, the cylinder device may have one end of its cylinder pivotally connected to the first side wall structure, such as to head rail or beam, with the other end of a rod or the like, that is extendable from the 15 cylinder, pivotally connected to the crossbeam member at a location between the first and second ends of the crossbeam member, or the connections may be in the reverse of this arrangement. In an alternative form, the or each drive device may be a rotary actuator, such as a reversible electric or fluid power motor operable through a gear train, through which the motor acts on the crossbeam member, to swing or pivot 5 the crossbeam member with which it is associated between the engaged and disengaged positions. The second end of the or each crossbeam member may engage with the second side 5 wall structure, such as with the head rail or beam of the second wall structure, when the crossbeam member is in its engaged position, by the member engaging with a bracket structure mounted on the second side wall structure, such as on the head rail or beam. The bracket structure may have a form enabling it to receive and support the second end of the crossbeam member. Thus, the second end may be received 10 onto the bracket structure, such as onto an upwardly facing surface of the bracket structure. At least where the crossbeam member swings or pivots horizontally, it may move along an arcuate path over such upwardly facing surface in a final part of its movement to, and an initial part of its movement from, the engaged position. Preferably, in its movement along the arcuate path, over the upwardly facing surface 15 of the bracket structure, the second end of the crossbeam member is moved along at least one upstanding flange of the bracket structure. The crossbeam member may have a depending structure at its second end which sweeps along the at least one flange as the second end moves over the upwardly facing surface. Preferable the depending structure locates in and moves along a channel defined by the upwardly 20 facing surface and an opposed pair of upstanding flanges of the bracket structure, At least when in its engaged position, the second end of the crossbeam member may bear against a stop member defined by the bracket structure. The stop member may extend laterally of the flange, or laterally between the opposed pair of flanges, of the bracket structure. 25 The crossbeam member may have at least one engagement member at its second end by which it bears against and rides over the upwardly facing surface of the bracket structure. Also at its second end, the crossbeam member may have at least one engagement member by which it similarly engages the flange, or a respective 30 engagement member by which it engages each of an opposed pair of flanges. The engagement between the second end of the crossbeam member and the flange, or each flange of an opposed pair, may be such that the crossbeam member, when in its engaged position, secures the top of the side wall structures at a required lateral spacing. The, or each, engagement member may be a roller, roller bearing or wheel, SPEC-948423 6 or a block of low friction material such as Nylon or other suitable low friction plastics material. The crossbeam member may be retainable in its engaged position by being held by 5 the drive device. Thus, in the case of a drive device comprising a linear actuator, the actuator when retained in an extended condition, may be operable to hold the crossbeam member in its engaged position, such as against a stop member of the bracket structure. Alternatively, the bracket structure may define a detent device able to hold the crossbeam member in its engaged position until the drive device operates 10 to pull the crossbeam member out of engagement with the detent device. The crossbeam members can provide support for a tarp which is to cover over the top of the vehicle enclosure. The vehicle therefore may be provided with a tarp assembly including a tarp and a mechanism by which the tarp can be extended or retracted to 15 close or open access to the enclosure. Depending on the nature of the vehicle, the tarp can be of a variety of forms, such as a pull out tarp, a sliding bow tarp, a roll over tarp, a pivot arm tarp or a side tipper tarp. The mechanism of which the tarp forms a part may be manually operable, or have a power drive, for extending and retracting the tarp. 20 The crossbeam members may provide support for a tarp such that, when the tarp is extended, it is substantially flat. In that case, the crossbeam members may have a flat upper surface on which the tarp is able to be supported. However, the crossbeam members may have a curved or arched upper surface on which the tarp is supported. 25 Particularly with such curved or arched crossbeam members, the tarp preferably is a roll over tarp able to extend laterally from one side of the vehicle to the other, along the crossbeam members, and to retract laterally to the one side. In order that the invention may more readily be understood, reference now is made to 30 the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vehicle according to the invention; Figure 2 is a top plan view of the vehicle of Figure 1; SPEC-948423 7 Figure 3 is a rear end elevation of the truck of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a transverse cross-section of a vehicle similar to that of Figure 1; 5 Figures 5 to 8 show detail of a component of the vehicle of Figure 1; Figure 9 is a partial perspective view of a vehicle similar to that of Figure 1, and 10 Figure 10 is similar to Figure 9, but shows components thereof in a different position. With reference to Figures 1 to 3, there is shown a vehicle 10. In the form illustrated, the vehicle 10 is a trailer, although its features equally well could be those of a truck body. The vehicle 10 has a chassis 12 mounted on rear ground engaging wheels 14 15 and, in the absence of a lead vehicle, also supported on a retractable landing leg 16. The vehicle 10 has an enclosure 18 for carrying freight, with the enclosure 18 defined by a floor 20 supported over chassis 12, opposed side walls 22a and 22b, a front wall 24 and a rear wall 26. At each of a number of locations intermediate of walls 24 and 26, at two in the case of Figures 1 and 2, there is a respective elongate crossbeam 20 member 28 adjustably secured to the top of one of side walls 22a, such as to a head rail or beam along the top of wall 22a. Each crossbeam member 28, hereinafter referred to as a bow, has a curved or arched upper surface 28a which rises above the top of each of walls 22a,22b. That shape may be repeated by the upper edge of front and rear walls 24 and 26. 25 Each bow 28 is adjustably secured at a first one of its ends to side wall 22a by a hinge mounting 30. Also, each bow 28 has a length between its opposite ends such that its second end, that is the end remote from mounting 30, is able to engage with the top of side wall 22b. Each hinge mounting 30 enables the respective bow 28 to 30 pivot between a first position in which it is substantially perpendicular to each of walls 22a,22b, and a second position in which it is substantially parallel, and adjacent, to side wall 22a. That is, each bow is able to swing through an angle of substantially 90 degrees. When is the first position, each of bows 28 may act between side walls 22a,22b as a tie or strut, depending on forces to which walls 22a,22b are exposed, SPEC-945423 8 serving to retain a required spacing between the tops of the side walls 22a,22b. This is enabled by the first end of the each bow 28 being secured by the respective hinge mounting 30 and by appropriate engagement between the second of each bow 28 and the side wall 22b. However, the arrangement may be such that the bows 28 5 function neither as a tie nor as a strut. At each of appropriate locations along the top of side wall 22b, there is a respective bracket 32 by which the second end of each bow 28 is able to engage with side wall 22b. The brackets are secured to the top of wall 22b, and each has an upwardly 10 open channel. As can be seen from Figure 7, the second end of each bow 28 carries a roller 34 which is rotatable on a substantially horizontal axis, and by which the second end of the bow 28 rides over the upper surface of plate 32a. Also as shown in Figure 6, the open channel of each bracket 32 has an outer wall 32b and an inner wall 32c, each 15 upstanding from plate 32a and joined at one end of plate 32a by an abutment wall 32d. The roller 34 is able to pass between walls 32b, 32c in rolling over plates 32a. The walls 32b, 32c are spaced from each other in a direction inwardly from the side wall 22b, and the second end of bow 28 has a respective one of an adjacent pair of rollers 36, with each of rollers 36 rotatable on an upstanding axis and each able to roll 20 along a respective one of walls 32b and 32c. Each bow 28 is moveable between its first and second positions by a respective linear actuator 38. In the arrangement illustrated the actuators 38 comprise hydraulic, or preferably pneumatic cylinder devices. In the arrangement of Figure 2, each actuator 25 38 operates between wall 22a and the respective bow 28 via a lever arm 40 integral with the bow 28 adjacent to hinge mounting 30. In the arrangement of Figures 8 and 9, each actuator 38 connects directly to the respective bow 28 at a location spaced from each end of the bow 28. 30 In the arrangement as seen in Figure 2, the actuators 38 contact to bring the bows 28 to the first position shown. With extension of actuators 28, the bows 28 pivot anti clockwise in the view of Figure 2 to attain the second position. In the arrangement of Figures 8 and 9, the actuators 38 extend to pivot the bows 28 to the first position, and contract to pivot the bows 28 to their second positions. In each case, the actuators 38

Claims

1. A top loadable freight vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes a chassis having ground or track engaging wheels, a floor over the chassis for supporting freight, 5 longitudinally spaced front and rear end wall structures, and opposed side wall structures, with the front, rear and opposed side wall structures and the floor defining an enclosure for the freight; wherein the vehicle further includes, at each of a plurality of longitudinally spaced locations intermediate of the end walls, a respective crossbeam member adjustably secured at a first end to the top of one of the side wall 10 structures and movable between an engaged position in which its second end is releasably engaged with the top of the other side wall structure, and a disengaged position, enabling top loading of the vehicle, in which the crossbeam member extends along the one side wall structure; and wherein each crossbeam member is adjustably secured so as to swing or pivot around an upright axis between its engaged and 15 disengaged positions under the action of a drive device.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first end of each crossbeam member is secured to a head rail or beam along or defining the top of the one side wall structure, and the second end of the crossbeam member is able to be releasably engaged with 20 a head rail or beam along or defining the top of the other side wall structure.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the vehicle is a curtain-sided truck or trailer, with at least one side wall structure including a roller-mounted curtain able to be secured and vertically tensioned, when fully longitudinally extended and tensioned, 25 or pulled to one or other of the front and rear wall structures.

4. The vehicle of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein there are two or three substantially uniformly spaced crossbeam members. 30

5. The vehicle of claim 4 wherein each crossbeam member is adjustably secured to the same one of the side wall structures.

6. The vehicle of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the or each crossbeam member is adjustably secured so as to swing or pivot between its engaged and 11 disengaged positions by provision of a hinge coupling between the first end of the crossbeam member and the top of the first side wall structure.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 wherein the hinge coupling enables the crossbeam 5 member to swing or pivot around an upright, substantially vertical axis, in a horizontally extending plane.

8. The vehicle of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the movement between the engaged and disengaged positions is by swinging or pivoting through an angle of up 10 to at least 900.

9. The vehicle of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a respective drive device for each crossbeam member forms part of a drive system having a single controller whereby the drive devices can be operable in unison to move each crossbeam 15 member simultaneously, to either the engaged position for each of them, or to their disengaged positions.

10. The vehicle of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the or each drive device is a linear actuator able to be extended and retracted to cause the crossbeam member 20 with which it is associated to swing or pivot between its positions.

11. The vehicle of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the second end of the or each crossbeam member is able to engage with the second side wall structure, when the crossbeam member is in its engaged position, by the crossbeam member 25 engaging with a bracket structure mounted on the second side wall structure.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the bracket structure has a form enabling it to receive and support the second end of the crossbeam member, by the second end being received onto the bracket structure. 30

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the crossbeam member has at least one engagement member at its second end by which it bears against and rides over an upwardly facing surface of the bracket structure. 12

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein at its second end, the crossbeam member has at least one engagement member by which it engages a flange, or a respective roller by which it engages each of an opposed pair of flanges, of the bracket structure. 5

15. The vehicle of claim 13 or claim 14, wherein the or each engagement member is a roller, roller bearing or wheel.

16. The vehicle of claim 13 or claim 14, wherein the or each engagement member is a block of low friction material, such as of Nylon or other low friction plastics 10 material.