AU2014100181B4

AU2014100181B4 - Hydraulic Platform

Info

Publication number: AU2014100181B4
Application number: AU2014100181A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Ken Ainsworth; Matthew YAPP
Original assignee: NQ GROUP Pty Ltd
Current assignee: NQ GROUP Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2013-12-16
Filing date: 2014-02-26
Publication date: 2014-11-20
Anticipated expiration: 2022-02-26
Also published as: AU2014100181A4; WO2015089552A1

Abstract

A roll trailer comprising a frame structure and at least one support surface for supporting the load thereon. The at least one support surface comprises at least one actuator arranged with respect to the frame structure to move the at least one support surface relative to the frame structure in use and thereby lift the load. 5084744_2 (GHMatters) P95030.AU.1

Description

- 1 HYDRAULIC PLATFORM TECHNICAL FIELD A roll trailer and methods of loading and unloading the roll trailer are disclosed. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 5 Roll trailers are known in the art for transporting large loads such as, for example, containers, mining trucks, excavators etc. A known process for unloading such equipment from e.g. a roll-on roll-off cargo ship includes rolling the roll trailer off the ship (i.e. with the load thereon) and using a crane to lift the load from the roll trailer and position it on the ground or some other surface (e.g. o cribbing). In order to utilise a crane, it must first be positioned adjacent to the roll trailer, coupled to the load, and then uncoupled once the load has been suitably positioned. Such a process can be time-consuming, especially when many roll trailers require unloading at the same time. It can be the case that a limited number of cranes are available, which restricts the 5 number of roll trailers that can be simultaneously unloaded and reduces the rate at which equipment may be unloaded from e.g. a cargo ship. Moreover, cranes can be expensive to purchase and/or rent, whilst the manual labour to operate the cranes (i.e. including the labour required to couple and uncouple the crane to the load) incurs further expense. This may especially be the case when large cargo is 20 involved (e.g. mining vehicles), which can require larger, more specialised, cranes for handling. The above references to the background art do not constitute an admission that the art forms part of the common general knowledge of a person of ordinary skill in the art. The above references are also not intended to limit the application of the roll trailer and methods 25 of loading and unloading a roll trailer as disclosed herein. SUMMARY Disclosed herein is a roll trailer for a load. Also disclosed are methods for loading and unloading the roll trailer. The roll trailer and methods find particular, though not -2 exclusive, application in the loading and unloading of large scale cargo from ships and other forms of transportation. In a first aspect, a roll trailer for a load is disclosed. The roll trailer comprises a frame structure and at least one support surface for supporting the load thereon. The at least one 5 support surface comprises at least one hydraulic actuator arranged with respect to the frame structure to move the at least one support surface relative to the frame structure in use and thereby lift the load. Such a roll trailer can, for example, be operated without requiring the use of a crane. In this regard, crane purchase, rental and maintenance expenses may be eliminated or reduced 0 (i.e. in comparison to use of a known roll trailer). Similarly, less manual labour and time may be required to unload and load the roll trailer. In one embodiment the at least one support surface may be a platform. The platform may be in the form of a flat surface for receipt of a load. The roll trailer, for example, may comprise two spaced-apart platforms. In other forms, the roll trailer may comprise more 5 spaced-apart, or adjacent, platforms, or just a single platform. It would be understood by a person skilled in the art that other configurations of platforms may be suitable and that such configurations may be customised to suit a particular cargo. In one embodiment the platforms may be configured such that they can move independently of one another. In this respect, the load may be separated into several parts, 0 each being located on a separate platform such that they may be moved independently of one another for loading and unloading of the roll trailer. Similarly, the lower surface of the load (which is supported by the platforms) may be uneven. In this case, the process of loading the load onto the roll trailer may involve raising the separate platforms independently of each other until they are each in contact with their respective portion of the lower surface of the 25 load. The load may then be raised evenly by synchronous actuation of the platforms. In one embodiment each platform may comprise four actuators for moving the platform relative to the frame structure. The actuators of a respective platform may be configured to move synchronously. This may ensure that the platform remains level when it is being moved relative to the frame structure. The actuators may be hydraulic cylinders, 30 which may be linked mechanically and/or electronically by a control system in order to enable them to move synchronously. 5926490 1 (GHMatters) P95030.AU.1 BENB -3 In one embodiment each platform may be rectangular. The actuators may be located in the far corner regions of their respective platform. This may spread the load evenly between the actuators and facilitate even raising and lowering of the load. In one embodiment, the frame structure may comprise two parallel beams having a 5 plurality of spaced transverse beams extending therebetween. The cross section of the beams may, for example, be "I" shaped, "C" shaped, hollow rectangular, hollow circular, etc. The transverse beams may be formed such that the space formed between them and the side beams is approximately the shape and dimension of one or more of the platforms. In one embodiment, the platform(s) may further comprise a guide arranged to delimit 0 movement of the platform along a single axis. This axis may be in the vertical direction, such that further support may be provided to the platform to prevent lateral deflection, deformation and/or buckling of the platform or actuators. This may also increase the precision in the movement of the platform and the load relative to the frame structure. The guide may be in the form of a skirt extending downwardly and substantially 5 around the perimeter of the platform, such that in use, the skirt member may slidably engage adjacent transverse and side beams of the frame structure to delimit the movement of the platform to a single axis. The skirt may, for example, comprise rails that engage with corresponding grooves on the frame structure. This may further facilitate the delimiting of the movement of the platform to e.g. the vertical axis. The skirt member may be arranged 0 such that when the platform is in its raised position, the skirt covers the gap between the platform and the frame structure. In this way, the skirt may provide protection (i.e. from the external environment) to the actuators and other components that may be located below the platform. In one embodiment, the roll trailer may comprise a plurality of wheels for the trailer, 25 which may facilitate its transportation. The wheels may be located in proximity to an end of the frame structure. For example, the distance between the wheels and the end of the frame structure may be less than two metres. This may prevent tipping of the roll trailer if a load is placed at the end of the trailer. In known roll trailers, the distance between the wheels and the end of the roll trailers is longer than this, such that there is a risk that an operator may 30 position the load on this portion of the roll trailer so as to cause the roll trailer to tip (and thereby potentially causing damage to the load and/or roll trailer). - -A"7A- - 11L-l - -- \ 1 A C Al- l. I -4 In one embodiment, at least one supporting surface may be located above the wheels. With such an arrangement, the load path/direction may pass directly from the support surface to the ground via the wheels (i.e. rather than having to pass along the frame structure, as is the case when the support surface is not located directly above the wheels or some other 5 support feature in contact with the ground). In one embodiment the roll trailer comprises one or more fixed platforms arranged such that, when the at least one actuated platform is in its lowered position, the one or more fixed platforms and the at least one actuated platform form a continuous upper surface of the frame structure. Thus, the roll trailer may be used in the same manner as a known roll trailer 0 if the operator chooses to do so. This may be desirable if one or more actuators have malfunctioned, or the moveable platforms are not required for a particular load. In a second aspect, a method for unloading a load from a roll trailer is disclosed. The load may be, for example, general cargo, heavy machinery, vehicles etc. The roll trailer is as set forth above with respect to the first aspect. The method comprises the step of actuating 5 the at least one actuator to raise the at least one support surface relative to the frame structure, thereby raising the load. The method further comprises the step of supporting the load on either side of the roll trailer and actuating the at least one actuator to lower the at least one support surface relative to the frame structure whereby the load remains supported independently of the roll trailer. 0 In one embodiment the load may be supported on either side of the roll trailer by cribbing. The cribbing may be in the form of plates, mats, blocks etc. It would be understood by a person skilled in the art that cribbing may be in other forms suitable for supporting the load above the ground. In one embodiment, when the roll trailer comprises two spaced-apart platforms as set 25 forth above, the platforms may be moved independently of one another when raising and/or lowering the load. When the load is made up of several independent parts, this may allow independent raising and lowering of these parts. Similarly, this may allow re-orientation of the load, for example, if one platform is raised to a higher or lower level with respect to the other platform.

-5 In one embodiment the actuators for each platform may be moved synchronously when raising and/or lowering the load. This may help to ensure that the load, or portion of the load, supported on each platform is raised and/or lowered evenly. In one embodiment the method may further comprise the step of relocating the roll 5 trailer away from the load once the load is supported independently of the trailer. This provides a space underneath the load that may (in the case that the load is machinery or a vehicle) allow for further or final assembly of the load (e.g. coupling wheels to a vehicle). In one embodiment the relocation of the roll trailer may be facilitated by a vehicle that is coupled to the roll trailer. For example, the roll trailer may be configured for attachment to 0 a vehicle, which could be utilised to tow the roll trailer in order to relocate it. In a third aspect, a method for loading a load on to a roll trailer is disclosed. The roll trailer is as set forth above with respect to the first aspect. The method comprises the steps of supporting the load independently of the roll trailer and positioning the roll trailer beneath the independently supported load. The method further comprises the step of actuating the at least 5 one actuator to raise the at least one support surface of the roll trailer relative to the frame structure of the roll trailer, until the load is fully supported by the at least one support surface. In one embodiment, the load may be independently supported by cribbing. The cribbing may be in the form of plates, mats, blocks etc. It would be understood by a person skilled in the art that cribbing may be in other forms suitable for supporting the load above 0 the ground. In one embodiment, the method may further comprise the step of removing the cribbing from beneath the load (i.e. after the at least one support surface is supporting the load). The at least one support surface may then be lowered. The trailer may then be moved away from the cribbing and may, for example, be loaded on to a truck, ship etc. 25 In one embodiment the platforms may be moved independently of one another when raising or lowering the load. In one embodiment the step of raising the at least one support surface may comprise raising a first platform until it comes into contact with a lower surface of the load, and raising a second platform until it comes into contact with a lower surface of the load. The step may 30 further comprise raising both platforms synchronously, in order to raise the load relative to - -A"7A- - 11L-l - -- \ 1 A C Al- l. I -6 the frame structure of the roll trailer. In some cases the lower surface of the load may be uneven, and thus a portion of the surface may be positioned higher above one platform compared to one or more other platforms. Thus the initial raising of the platforms, to be in contact with their respective portions of the lower surface of the load, may help to ensure that 5 the load is thereafter raised evenly (i.e. without tipping). In one embodiment the actuators for each platform may be configured to move synchronously. As set forth above, this may help to ensure that the load, or portion of the load, supported on each platform is raised and/or lowered evenly (so as to avoid tilting and/or rolling of the load). 0 In one embodiment, where the roll trailer comprises wheels, positioning of the roll trailer beneath the independently supported load may be facilitated by the wheels. The positioning of the roll trailer may be further facilitated by a vehicle that is coupled to the roll trailer (e.g. for towing). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 5 Notwithstanding any other forms which may fall within the scope of the roll trailer and methods as set forth in the Summary, specific embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures 1A, B and C show an embodiment of the roll trailer. Figures 2A and B are a perspective and section view of a variation of the 20 embodiment shown in Figures 1A, B and C. Figures 3A, B and C are side views of an embodiment of the roll trailer in various stages of unloading a load. Figures 4A, B, C and D are side views of an embodiment of the roll trailer in various stages of loading a load. 25 DETAILED DESCRIPTION In the following detailed description, reference is made to accompanying drawings which form a part of the detailed description. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, depicted in the drawings and defined in the claims, are not intended to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilised and other changes may be made without - -A"7A- - 11 - -- n-\ 1 A C Al- l. I -7 departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure, as generally described herein and illustrated in the drawings can be arranged, substituted, combined, separated and designed in a wide variety of different configurations, all of which are contemplated in this disclosure. 5 Referring to Figures 1A, B and C, a roll trailer 110 for a load is shown. In the illustrated form, the trailer comprises two support surfaces in the form of spaced apart platforms 112a and b. In other forms the roll trailer may comprise more or less platforms 112a and b; for example 1, 3 or 4 platforms. The platforms 112a and b are flat and rectangular in shape, although in other forms they may have a configuration that is adapted to 0 suit a specific type of load (e.g. formed so as to complement the underside of a vehicle). It would be understood by a person skilled in the art that the platforms 112a and b could comprise other forms suitable for supporting a load. In the illustrated form, the platforms 112a and b, are of a different size (i.e. when viewed from above). A frame structure 114 supports the platforms 112a and b. The frame structure 114 5 comprises two longitudinal beams 116 that extend the length of, and either side of, the trailer 110. These beams 116 are interconnected by a plurality of transverse beams 118 that span the gap formed between the longitudinal beams 116. In the illustrated form all of the beams (i.e. transverse 118 and longitudinal 116) have C-shaped cross sections, however in other forms one or more of the beams may have I-shaped cross section (I-beams), hollow cross 0 section etc. Each of the platforms 1 12a and b is supported by four actuators 120 in the form of hydraulic cylinders, which are located at the corners of their respective platform 112a or b. Such an arrangement means that, in general, the load is spread evenly between the actuators 120. The actuators 120 are themselves supported by a transverse beam 118 of the frame 25 structure 114. Figure 1A shows the platforms 112a and b in their raised position, with the hydraulic cylinders 120 extending upwardly. The hydraulic cylinders 120 are configured such that they move synchronously. In this way, the platforms 112a and b remain level as they are raised and lowered. This can reduce tilting and potential slipping of a load. The platforms 112a and b are configured such 30 that they may be raised and lowered independently of one another. In this way, the platforms may be individually raised and lowered to meet the various requirements for loads having a range of shapes and weight distributions.

-8 The roll trailer 110 of the illustrated embodiment further comprises two sets of four wheels 122, which are located at a rear end of the trailer 110. The wheels 122 are located adjacent the end of the trailer 110, such that the length of frame structure 114 between the wheels 122 and the end of the trailer 110 is minimal. This is in contrast to a conventional roll 5 trailer design, where this distance (between the end of the trailer 110 and the wheels 122) is much larger, such that the end of the conventional roll trailer cantilevers from the wheels by a relatively larger distance (i.e. when compared with the roll trailer as disclosed herein). In the conventional design, such an arrangement can increase the risk of the roll trailer tipping when a load is placed at its rear end, thereby potentially causing damage to the load and/or the 0 trailer itself. However, in the present embodiment, this distance may, for example, be less than 2m. The rear platform 1 12b (i.e. that being closest to the rear end of the roll trailer 110) is located directly above the wheels 122. With such an arrangement, the load path passes directly from the support surface to the ground via the wheels 122 (i.e. rather than having to 5 pass along the frame structure 114, as is the case when the platform 112 is not located directly above the wheels 122 or some other feature in contact with the ground). Figure 1B, in particular, shows the platforms 112 in their lowered (i.e. flush) position. The roll trailer 110 comprises fixed platforms 124 arranged on top of the frame structure 214 to form a continuous upper surface when the platforms 112 are in this lowered position. In 0 this way, the roll trailer may be used in the same manner as a conventional roll trailer. Figures 2A and B show a further embodiment of a roll trailer 210. In this embodiment each platform 212a or b further comprises a guide member in the form of a skirt 226a or b. Each skirt 226a or b extends downwardly from and around the perimeter of its respective platform 212a or b. In the illustrated form each skirt 226a or b acts as a guide for 25 its platform 212a or b whereby it helps to restrict movement of the platform 212a or b to the vertical axis. The restriction of lateral movement may help to support the hydraulic cylinders 220, thereby helping to prevent buckling of the hydraulic cylinders (e.g. when supporting a load having an offset centre of gravity). The skirts 226a and b cover the gap between their respective platforms 212a or b and the frame structure 214. In this way, the skirts 226a and b 30 may also provide protection (i.e. from the external environment) to the actuators 220 and other components that may be located below the platform 212. - -A"7A- - 11L-l - -- \ 1 A C Al- l. I -9 Figure 2B, in particular, shows a sectional view through a portion of the roll trailer comprising one of the platforms 212a or b. As illustrated, each actuator (in the form of hydraulic cylinders 220) is connected at one end to the underside of the platform 212a or b and at the other end is supported by a transverse beam in the form of a U-shaped channel 228. 5 The U-shaped channels 228 are arranged such that they lie below the longitudinal beams 216. This provides a larger space between the channels 228 and platforms 212a and b, such that larger hydraulic cylinders (i.e. having a larger stroke) may be fitted in this space. Figures 3A, B and C depict a method of unloading a load 330 roll trailer 310 having moveable support surfaces (in the form of platforms 312) as set forth above. Figure 3A 0 shows a roll trailer 310 positioned such that it is ready to be unloaded. It comprises platforms 312a and b that are raised so as to support a load 330 above the roll trailer 310. In Figure 3B, cribbing 332a and b has been introduced beneath the load to support the load 330. The cribbing 332a and b may be in the form of plates, mats, blocks etc. It would be understood by a person skilled in the art that cribbing 332a and b may be in other forms 5 suitable for supporting the load above the ground. In the illustrated form, the cribbing 332a and b is positioned either side of the roll trailer 310 so as not to interfere with removal of the roll trailer 310 after the unloading process. Subsequently, the platforms 312a and b are lowered by actuation of their respective actuators (in the form of hydraulic cylinders 320). In this way, the load 330 becomes fully supported above the ground solely by the cribbing 332a 0 and b. The roll trailer 310 is then moved (e.g. towed) away from the load, as shown in Figure 3C, such that a space is left under the load 330 (i.e. between the ground and the load 330). This space may (in the case that the load is machinery or a vehicle) allow for further or final assembly of the load (e.g. by coupling wheels to a vehicle). The roll trailer 310 may be 25 moved by a vehicle that can be coupled to the roll trailer via a standard roll trailer goose neck 334. A method of loading a load 430 onto a roll trailer 410 is shown in Figures 4A, B, C and D. In Figure 4A, a load 430 is shown supported above the ground by cribbing 432. This may be the regular storage position of the load 430, or the load 430 may be arranged in such a 30 manner so as to facilitate its loading on to a roll trailer 410.

- 10 In Figure 4B the roll trailer 410 is positioned (i.e. manoeuvred by a vehicle) beneath the load 430. Subsequently, the platforms 412a and b are raised. The lower surface of the load 430 is not even. In other words, the portions of the lower surface lying above the platforms 412a and b do not lie on the same plane. Thus, if the platforms were raised 5 synchronously, the rear platform 432b would engage the load first and begin to tilt the load (potentially causing damage to the load and/or trailer). Thus, in order to engage the load 430, the platforms 412a and b are raised independently. Each platform 412a or b is individually raised until it comes into contact with a respective portion of the lower surface of the load 430. Subsequent to this, the platforms 412a and b may be raised synchronously in order to 0 raise the load 430 above the cribbing (such that the load remains level and does not tilt). By doing so, the load 430 becomes fully supported by the roll trailer 410. In Figure 4C, the cribbing 432a and b has been removed from beneath the load. In Figure 4D the load 430 has been lowered by synchronous lowering of the platforms (i.e. via actuation of the hydraulic cylinders 420. In this position the load 430 may be more secure 5 (i.e. in comparison to it being maintained raised above the roll trailer 410). The raising and lowering of loads, and synchronous and asynchronous control of the hydraulic cylinders, may be programmed into suitable controllers, such that loading and unloading sequences can at least be partially automated, and errors can be minimised. In this respect, suitable fail-safe control procedures can be pre-programmed. 0 In the claims which follow and in the preceding summary except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprising" is used in the sense of "including", that is, the features as above may be associated with further features in various embodiments. Variations and modifications may be made to the parts previously described without 25 departing from the spirit or ambit of the disclosure. For example, whilst two platforms a and b have been shown, a roll trailer with a single platform for smaller loads can be provided. Also, for loads with more complex configurations, roll trailers with multiple platforms, such as three or more linearly and/or transversely (side-by-side) platforms can be provided. 30 - 11 Also, for non-rectangular platforms, different and suitable arrangements of the actuators can be provided (e.g. up to six to eight actuators for a circular platform, etc).

Claims

1. A roll trailer for a load, the roll trailer comprising: a frame structure; at least one support surface for supporting the load thereon, the at least one support surface comprising at least one hydraulic actuator arranged with respect to the frame structure to move the at least one support surface relative to the frame structure in use and thereby lift the load.

2. A roll trailer as claimed in claim 1 comprising at least two spaced-apart support surfaces in the form of platforms, which are optionally configured such that they can move independently of one another.

3. A roll trailer as claimed in any one of the preceding claims comprising a plurality of wheels for the trailer, wherein the wheels are optionally located in proximity to an end of the frame structure and wherein at least one supporting surface is optionally located above the wheels.

4. A method for unloading a load from a roll trailer as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the method comprising the steps of: actuating the at least one actuator to raise the at least one support surface relative to the frame structure, thereby raising the load; supporting the load on either side of the roll trailer; actuating the at least one actuator to lower the at least one support surface relative to the frame structure, whereby the load remains supported independently of the roll trailer.

5. A method for loading a load on to a roll trailer as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, the method comprising the steps of: supporting the load independently of the roll trailer; positioning the roll trailer beneath the independently supported load; actuating the at least one actuator to raise the at least one support surface of the roll trailer relative to the frame structure of the roll trailer, until the load is fully supported by the at least one support surface. 5926490_1 (GHMatters) P95030.AU.1 BENB