AU681377B2 - Improvements to vehicles - Google Patents

Description

P/:00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

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0* S 0 TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: MUVIT INTERNATIONAL PTY. LTD.

Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: JOHN R.G. GARDNER PO BOX 443 MUDGEERABA QLD 4213

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Invention title: IMPROVEMENTS TO VEHICLES Details of Associated Provisional Application Nos: PL 8421 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it know to me:- THIS INVENTION relates to improvements to vehicles and in particular to a vehicle for moving or conveying loads, such as mobile loads.

Moving of heavy loads by hand in work place situations has become an increasingly common problem and many injuries, particularly back injuries are caused from lifting and/or moving heavy objects. Load shifting is a problem particularly encountered in hospitals where loads such as heavy wheeled trolleys, waste bins, beds and wheel chairs are often required to be moved between hospital locations. Generally movement of such loads is undertaken by hand creating the risk of injury to staff and possible loss of staff. The requirements of government legislation make it important for administrators to improve work place conditions in an effort to reduce such injuries.

The present invention aims to provide a vehicle particularly suited for moving mobile loads in a reliable and efficient manner. The vehicle of the present invention is particularly suited to hospital applications but may also be used in other situations where heavy mobile loads ••co are required to be conveyed from one location to the other.

Other objaects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description.

The present invention thus provides a vehicle for 25 conveying mobile loads, said vehicle including a mobile chassis having at least one drive wheel, a drive motor for driving said drive wheel, means for selectively controlling the application of driving force from said drive motor to said drive wheel, and means for engaging and at least partially elevating a mobile load whereby said vehicle may convey said load.

The motor is an electric drive motor wh.,oh is controlled by a controller which may be operated remotely from the vehicle. The controller may be used to cause the vehicle to move in a forward or reverse direction.

The load engaging means is such as to elevate Jie end of the mobile load to permit it to be conveyed.

The load engaging means includes one or more jaws adapted to be elevated to raise a load or lowered to deposit the load back onto the ground or floor. The or each jaw is supported for pivotal movement between its or their raised and lowered positions. Hydraulic means are provided for raising and lowering the jaws. The hydraulic means comprises a hand operated hydraulic jack supported on the vehicle.

The or each jaw is supported on a transverse arm adapted to be raised and lowered by the hydraulic jack.

The jaws are supported for movement along the transverse arm to enable adjustment of the jaw spacing for different loads.

The vehicle may also include a grab which may engage a load so as to hold the load onto the jaws. Such a grab may be winch operated by the user.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a O'. 20 preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein:- Fig. 1 is a perspective of a vehicle according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the vehicle jaw assembly; 25 Figs. 3a and 3b illustrate an alternative jaw of S. the jaw assembly; Fig. 4 illustrates yet an alternative jaw of the jaw assembly; and Ss" sFig. 5 illustrates the manner in which the vehicle of the invention may be used.

Referring to the drawings and firstly to Fig. 1, there is illustrated a vehicle 10 according to the present invention including a chassis assembly 11 supporting a pair of front wheels 12 which are preferably castor wheels and a pair of opposite rear wheels 13 which comprise drive wheels and which are adapted to be coupled to a drive motor (not shown) supported on the vehicle chassis assembly 11. The I cu drive motor is preferably coupled to the wheels 13 via a reduction assembly such as a gear box or chain and sprocket drive. Also supported on the chassis assembly II are one or more batteries (not shown) for supplying current to the drive motor. A removable cowling 14 is provided over the chassis assembly 11 to enclose the drive motor and battery or batteries.

The vehicle 10 also incorporates a rearwardly extending U-shaped handle 15 to enable an operator to readily steer the vehicle 10. A controller 16 is releasably supported on the handle 15 and is connected via a cable 16 to a control circuit for controlling application of current from the battery to the drive motor. The controller 16 is adapted to be detached from the handle whilst remaining connected to the control circuit via the cable 16' so that application of current from the battery to. or batteries to the drive motor can be remotely controlled.

The controller 16 suitably includes a control arm 17, movement of which in opposite directions varies the direction of current flow to the drive motor and therefore the direction of drive applied to the drive wheels 13 so that the vehicle 10 may be driven both forwardly and in •co reverse. The controller 17 and/or associated control circuit may also be such as to operate to cause variations in flow of current to the drive motor so as to enable the .i variation in speed and direction of operation of the vehicle The vehicle 10 additionally incorporates a lifting jaw assembly 18 which as more clearly shown in Fig.

2 includes a pair of side lifting links 19 pivotally connected at 20 to the chassis assembly 11 at one end and being provided at their other end with a transverse lifting arm 21. Supported on the lifting arm 21 are a pair of jaws 22 which may be slid longitudinally along the lifting arm 21 so as to vary their spacing. The lifting arm 21 may be provided with a plurality of locating holes 23 and the jaws 22 with locating pins 24 which may be aligned with respective holes 23 so that the jaws 24 may be positively

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held in a selected position along the arm 21. The arm 21 additionally includes a pair of rearwardly extending lugs between which is pivotally supported a U-shaped bracket 26. An hydraulic jack 27 is positioned within the bracket 26 and supported on a mounting bracket 28 fixed to the vehicle chassis assembly 11. The hydraulic jack 27 includes an actuating memborr 29 engaged with the bracket 26 so that when the jack 27 is operated the member 29 will cause upward movement of the jaw assembly 18 and pivotal movement of the links 19 about their pivot axes 20. The hydraulic jack 27 is preferably controlled by a hand operated lever arm 30 which when reciprocated in the manner indicated in Fig. 1, causes extension of the member 29.

Hydraulic pressure to the jack 27 may be released in any 15 known manner to permit lowering of the member 29 and thus e jaws 22.

The vehicle 10 may additionally include a grab 31 comprising a pair of grab hooks 32 pivotally mounted to a support bracket 33, the latter being connected via a 20 cable or rope 34 to a hand operated winch 35 located on the vehicle 10 adjacent to the vehicle handle 15. The winch may be operated to wind up the cable 34 and cause a load engaged by the hooks 32 to be drawn towards the vehicle for a purpose which will hereinafter become apparent.

The jaws 22 are of generally C-shaped configuration and provided with a number of steps 36 which define different support surfaces for a load. In the embodiment of Fig. 3 the jaws 22 are provided with pivotal brackets 37 on their underside which may be swung out laterally from the position of Fig. 3a to that of Fig. 3b to facilitate engagement with loads of particular configuration for example some wheelchairs.

In the alternative arrangement of Fig. 4, the jaws 22 are replaced by hollow socket-like members 38 which can receive rearwardly projecting parts of a load to be conveyed.

Fig. 5 illustrates the application of a vehicle for conveying a load 39 which may for example comprise a -e -Y -Y C hospital bed having fixed wheels 40 at one end. The load 39 includes a transverse member 41 which may be aligned with the jaws 22 in the manner illustrated, the latter when elevated by the jack 27 engaging the member 41 and lifting one end of the load 39 and thus the fixed wheels 40 from the floor. If desired the grab 31 may be used to securely hold the load 39 to the vehicle 10 in the manner illustrated, the grab hooks 32 engaging about uprights 42 of the load 39 and the winch 35 being operated to draw the load 39 towards the vehicle 10 and hold it securely. The controller 16 may then be used to cause drive to be transmitted to the wheels 13 to cause the load 39 to be conveyed. The operator may walk to the front of the load S39 and hold the load with one hand whilst operating the controller 16 remotely from the vehicle to facilitate steering of the load 39 as it is conveyed.

to Whilst the vehicle 10 is particularly suited to use in hospital applications it may be applied to move any kind of wheel device such as caravans, boat and car 20 trailers, light aircraft and pallet trucks. For this purpose the vehicle 10 may include a rear end towing bracket 43. Of course in some situations the lifting jaw assembly 18 is not employed.

It will be appreciated that many variations may 25 be made to the design of the vehicle 10. For example the links 18 may be eliminated and the jaws 22 directly raised and lowered by actuating means in the form of hydraulic cylinders or rams. Alternatively, each jaw 22 may be provided with its own actuating means. Whilst the preferred actuating means is in the form of a hand operated jack 27, other hydraulic actuators may be employed being supplied in some situations by a pump driven from the battery within the vehicle 10. Supply of fluid to the hydraulic actuators may then be controlled by any suitable valving.

Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative embodiment of the invention, all such modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent 1 -I to perso,.I skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein defined in the appended claims.

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Claims (4)

1. A vehicle for carrying a mobile load, said vehicle comprising: a mobile chassis having at least one drive wheel; an electric drive motor for driving said drive wheel; control means for controlling an application of a driving force from said drive motor to said drive wheel, said control means adapted to operate said 10 drive motor remotely from said vehicle; o a transverse arm pivotally connected to said vehicle; at least one jaw supported on said transverse arm, said transverse arm and said at least one jaw being' adapted to engage and elevate and s. 'sequently lower an end of said load whereby said vehicle may convey said load; and a manually operated hydraulic jack supported on said vehicle for raising and lowering said transverse arm. r I I

2. A vehicle as defined in claim 2, wherein eac i of said at least one jaw is adapted for movement along said transverse arm.

3. A vehicle as defined in claim 1 or c'iaim 2 which includes a grab which engages said load to hold said load onto said at least one jaw.

4. A vehicle as defined in claim 1 substantially as hereindescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings. 9* 9 9 9 9 *999 .9 .4 9 9 9 9**9 9**e 9 9 0e S 9 99 9 o 9 .9. 9 99 99 .9 99 9 4 9 DATED TH~IS stxth DAY OF June 1997 MUVIT INTERNATIONAL PTY LTD By its Patent Attorneys PIZZEYS ABSTRACT A vehicle (10) for conveying mobile loads such as hospital beds, the vehicle (10) including a chassis (11)n having at ~:least one drive wiheel (13) and a drive motor for driving *the d::ive wheel (13) and je-ws (22) which wnay be engaged *e*under the load to elevate same under the influence of an hydraulic jack The vehiicle (10) also includes a grab *44 (31) for engaging the load to retain it to the vehicle o. 0 00*0 of0