AU658208B2 - Extendible height gate - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA Re8Zgulation l Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: ET.B1..3RMa J. Th folwn sttmn safl ecito fti netoicuigtebs meho ofpromn.t.nw om: followng.stteen I full desripio I nin uding.. the m ethod.........of....perform 9. 1. 4. .I -1- This invention relates to removable gates for trucks and semi-trailers and relates in particular to extension gates for tautliners, rigid trays of trucks which are stackable or extendible in height.

According to the invention there is provided an extendible height gate for truck platforms, semitrailer trays and the like which comprises a gate frame of telescoping first and second gate-frame segments, each segment being frmed by a plurality of inner and outer vertical frame members joined by a ;ransverse frame member, said first gate-frame segment having a plurality of inner and outer vertical frame members adapted to be attached to a combing rail of a truck, semi-trailer or the like, each vertical frame member of is the second gate-frame segment having one end which is hollow and adapted to be slidably received over a respective end of vertical frame members of the first gate-frame segment which has vertical frame members of narrower diameter than the vertical frame members of the second gate-frame segment, the second gate-frame segment having vertical frame members of wider diameter than the first gate-frame segment vertical frame members, locking means being wounted upon at least one of the widerdiameter vertical frame members of the said second gatefra:e cegment and being adapted to extend therethr-ci and to selectively engage one of a plurality of vertically spaced means on a vertical frame member of the ,ALU" first gate-frame segment for locking the second gate- S w frame segment to te first gate-frame segment.

la- Preferably, the first telescoping gate-frame segmuent is a lower gate frame segment adapted to be mounted upon a combing rail of a semi-trailer or the like vehicle and the second telescoping gate-frame segment is an upper gate-frame 0.

segment and has tubular frame memberswith lower hollow ends adapted to be slidably mounted upon frame members of the lower gate-frame segment.

More particularly the locking means is mounted upon the lower end of at least one vertical, widerdiameter and tubular, inner vertical gate-frame member of the second and upper gate-frame segment and more preferably the locking means are mounted upon two vertical, wider-diameter, tubular vertical inner gate frame members of the second\gate frame segment.

Preferably, the looking means comprises at least IS one pin-locking assembly mounted at the lower end of at least one wider-diameter, inner vertical frame member of the second and upper telescoping gate-frame segment and more preferably there are two pin-locking assemblies, one assembly being mounted at the lower end of each of 20 two of the vertical wide-diameter tubular vertical inner gate-frame members of the second telescoping frame segment.

Preferably, the pin-locking assembly includes a locking pin adapted to be passed through and removed 29 from aligned transverse holes in the inner frame member of the telescoping second and upper gate frame segment and the locking pin is also adapted to be passed through aligned transverse holes in two opposed guide blocks fixed to the outside of the said inner frame member and the said guide block holes are aligned with the holes of the inner frame member of the second and upper gateframe segment all of said holes being adapted to be aligned with any one of a number of vertically-spaced J transverse holes extending through the corresponding, narrower-diameter lower and inner frame member of the first and lower gate-frame segment.

Preferably, the locking pin is attached by a moving pivot to a pin-unlocking lever handle mounted upon a fixed bracket by a pivot pin in a fixed pivot arrangement, the lever handle being constrained outwards S* into a fully locked position of the locking pin by a spring, the bracket and spring being mounted upon the inner vertical frame member, the locking pin being I adapted to be selectively moved into and out of any one of the vertically-spaced, transverse holes extending through the narrower-diameter inner frame member of the first and lower telescoping gate-frame segment in correspondence with aligned holes in the guide blocks 20 and holes of the corresponding wider-diameter, inner frame member of the second and upper telescoping gate-frame segment.

Preferably, a different an; eiarate handle is fixedly mounted upon the tnner frame member of 2~ the second and upper telescoping gate frame segment and opposite to the lever handle to prevent a user's hand slipping down the inner frame member of the second and SAIU1,v upper telescoping gate frame segment upon which the J pin-locking assembly is mounted.

0,.

into a fully locked position of the looking pin by a spring, the looking pin being adapted to be sel ively moved into and out of any one of the vertic ly-spaced, transverse holes extending through the arrower-diameter inner frame members of first and wermost telescoping frame segment, Preferably, anot r handle is fixed to the inner frame member of the econd telescoping gate frame segment and op ite to the lever handle to prevent a 10 user's han slipping down the inner frame member of the secon elescoping gate frame segment upon which the -locni assembly is mounted.

*A non-limiting example of a practical arrangement of the extendible height truck or 15 semi-trailer gate of invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an elevational view of an o* extendible-height gate in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is an elevational and part sectional 20 diagrammatic and fragmentary view on an enlarged scale of the encircled portion of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings and first of all to Figure 1 there is shown an extendible height gate unit for trucks or semi-trailers and which comprises a telescoping gate frame 10 in the form of two telescoping segments with frame member in the form of square or round tubular steel pipe comprising a lower gate frame segment 11 and an upper gate frame segment 12. The Si,/V\ upper segment has sockets in the lower part of the -4tubular frame or which are formed by the bottom ends of tubular gate frame members- in this example nine and wider-diameter, tubular frame members such as the three abelled 13, 14, 15 which are adapte& be slid up and down inner and correspondingly narrower diameter frame members in this example also tubular frame members although they could be solid) such as the three labelled 16, 17, 18. A fr-' member 19, 20, 21 depends from the centre and from each lower corner of the gate 10 respectively and each foot member is adapted to fit into •a socket (not shown) in a combing rail of a truck or semi-trailer as shown in relation to the Swing Gate 0.0 invention in th specificatio-a my co-pending patent applications PK 7668 of 9th August, 1991 and Pk 9553 of 15 19th November, 1991 now cognated as complete specification No.

Referring to the enlarged view shown in Figure 2 of the drawings there is shown means for releasably locking together vertically-stacked, lower and upper frame members and in the form of one of the two pinlock assemblies 22, 23 shown in Figure 1. The pinlock assembly 23 comprises a locking pin 24 pivotally mounted at the lower end of the frame member 13 of the upper telescoping gate frame segment 12, the locking pin 24 passes through twin, opposed guide blocks 24a and 24b which are fixedly mounted upon the outside of the lower end of each of the two inner frame members of the upper telescoping gate frame segment and also passes through aligned tranrserse holes, such as the one labelled in the upper inner telescoping gate frame member 13 and these holes can be selectively aligned, during stacking of telescoping segments, with (when in the erected position) any one of a number of vertically spaced transverse holes such as the one labelled 26 in the inner frame member 16 of the narrower diameter lowermost telescoping gate frame segment 11. The locking pin 24 is attached by a moving pivot 27 to a pin-unlocking lever handle 28 mounted upon fixed bracket 29 by pivot 10 pin 30 in a fixed p'.ve-t arrangement. The bracket 29 is fixedly mounted upon the outside of the inner frame member 13 of the upper telescoping gate frame segment.

The lever handle 28 is constrained outwards into a fully locked position of the locking pin 24 by a spring 31 15 mounted between pins 31a and 31b respectively, the locking pin 24 is adapted to be selectively moved into and out of any one of a series of the previously- 'mentioned vertically spaced holes such as the one 26 in S the narrower-diameter and inner frame members 16 and 18 20 of the telescoping lower gate frame segment. Another handle 32 (and of different function to the springloaded pivotal pin- unlocking lever handle 28) is fixed to the upper telescoping segmient inner frame member 16 and opposite to the lever handle 28 to prevent a user's hand from slipping down the gate frame inner members 16 and 18 upon which the pinlock assembly is mounted and to enable better purchase or grip on the pin-unlocking lever handle 28.

By using the invention, gates can be adjusted to -6any height within Practioal limrits for excample from 1,2 mnetres (four feet) to 2. 1 metres (seven feet, by way of example or 1.5 metres (five feet) to 2.4 metres eight feet) in 15 centimeter variations by releasing the two pin looks and then adjusting each gate to a desired height and then re-locking the pins so that the gates hold freight to as maximum height.

It will be understood that although in this example the lower telescoping members are narrower in *diameter than the upper telescoping members, this could 10 be vice versa.

*teee -~'-io~ural components of the invention a. can be made of any suitable material such as steel, alumiz~ium, or strong synthetic polymeric material such :as KEVLAR and the f rame members can be of any 15 cross-sectional configuration such as round pipe or square tubular or solid section.

Claims (9)

1. An extendible height gate for truck platforms, semi-trailer trays and the like which comprises a gate frame of telescoping first and second gate-frame segments, each segment being~ formed by a plurality of inner and outer vertical frame members Joined by a transverse frame member, said first gate-frame segment having a plurality of inner and outer verti~cal frame members adapted to be attached to a combing rail of a truck, semi-trailer or the like, each vertical frame member of tbe second gate-frame segment having one end which is hollow and adapted to be slidably received over a respective end of ve,-tical frame =embers of the first gate-frame segment which has vertical frame members of narrower diameter than the vertical frame members of the second gate-frame segment, the second gate-frame segment having vert'ical frame members of wider diameter than the first gate-frame segment vertical frame members, locking *:means being mounted upon at ieast one of the wider- diameter vertical frame members of the said second gate- frame segment and being adapted to extend therethrough and to selectively engage one of a plurality of vertic-' ally spaced means on a vertical frame member of the .**first gate-frame segment for locking the second gate- frame segment to the first gate-frame segment.

2. The gate according to claim I wherein the first telescoping gate frame segment is a lower gate frame ~VuL%,segment adapted to be mounted upon a combi.ng rail of a ~4(wsemi-trailer or the like vehicle and the second teles- -1 copin; g~te-fr~me segment is ~n upper g~,te-fr~.me segment with tubular vertical fraine members having lowear hollow ends of whicn. are ;7danted to be slidably mounted upon frame members of the lower gate segment.

3, The gate according to claim I or 2 wherein the locking means mounted upon the lower end of at least one vertical, wider-diameter and tubular, Inner vertical gate-frame member of the second and upper gate frame segment,

4. The gate according to claim 3 wherein the locking means is mou: ,ted upon two adjacent vertical, wider-diameter, tubular vertical Inner gate frame members of the second and upp..er gate frame segment. so

5. The gate according to any preceding claim ::wherein the locking means comprises at least one pin- :locking assembly mnounted at the lower end of at lecast one Inner vertical frame member of the second and upper 9**9telescoping frame segmernt.

6. The gate according to claim 5 wherein the %$goopin-locking assembly includes a locking pin adapted to 9 be passed thro-ugh and removed from aligned transverse holes i the i .ner vertioal frame rnemb'?r of the tele,:- coping secord and upper ga'le fraino see-mnnt and the locking pin Is also adapted to be passied through aligned transverse holes in two opposed guide b~ocks fixed to the outside of the said inner vertical frame member and the said guide block' holes are aligned with the holes of the inner vertical frame mer~ber of thQ s-2con'd and uppei gate-frame segment all of said holes be-:ing adapted to be aligned with any one of a number of veritinally-spacstd transverse holes extending through -the corresponding, narrower-diameter, lower and inner member of the first and lower Sate-frame segment.

The gatcA according to claim 6 wherein the locking pin is attached by a moving pivot to a pin- unlocking lever handle mounted upon a fixed bracket by a pivot pin in a fixed pivot arrangement, the lever handle being constrained outwards into a fully locked position o~t the locking pin by a spring, the bracket and spring being mounted upon the inner vertical frame member, the locking pin being adapted to be selectively moved into and out of any one of the vertically-spaced, transverse holes extending through the narrower-diameter inner frame member of the first and lower telescoping gate-framae segment in correspondence with aligned holes In thie guide blocks aiid ho?.es of the corresponding wider-diameter, inner frame member of the second and upper telescoping gate-frame segment.

8. The gate according to claim '7 wherein a different arnd separate handle is fixedly mounted upon, aft..the inner frame member of the second and upper ft ft telescoping gate frame segment and opposite "to the lever handle to prevent a user''s hand slipping down the inner frame member of the second and upper telescoping gate frame segment upon which the pin-locking assembly is mounted,

9. An extendible-height gate for truck platforms, semi-trailer trays and the like substantially a.e hereini (O before described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 2nd day of May, 1994 RAYMOND JOHN PIGGOTT By My Patent Attorney JOHN L. DAVIES CO. e• *o* *o o III oooo* ABSTRACT An extendible height gate (10) for semi-trailer and truck platforms is formed by two mutually vertically telescoping frame segments, a lower gate frame segment (11) of parallel vertical members has feet (19,20,21) which project from a bottom horizontal frame member and are placed into sockets of combing; the lower gate frame frame segment (11) is releasably locked to an upper gate frame segment (12) formed by a top horizontal frame member and by parallel vertical tubular members carrying a pair of locking mechanisms each of which has a locking pin (24) passable through aligned transverse holes in a wider-diameter, inner, tubular, vertical gate frame member (13) of an upper gate frame segment; the pin is selectively passable into each one of a series of vertically-spaced, transverse holes (25> extending respectively completely through two adjacent parallel vertical frame members (16,13) of a lower gate frame segment, each pin (24) is operated by a handle (28) pivoting on a bracket (29) and biased into a closed pin-locking and gate-locking gate-extension position by a spring (31) and the pin is removed from the holes by operating the handle and the gate frame segments can be then be raised up or lowered and re-locked in any pre-selected position.