AU686739B2

AU686739B2 - Transport apparatus

Info

Publication number: AU686739B2
Application number: AU16546/95A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Anthony Leslie Miller
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-04-16
Filing date: 1995-04-20
Publication date: 1998-02-12
Anticipated expiration: 2012-04-16
Also published as: AU1654695A

Description

-1- "TRANSPORT APPARATUS" This invention relates to a transport apparatus.

This invention had particular but not exclusive application to transport apparatus for transporting field produce such as cotton and for illustrative purposes reference will be made to such application. However it is to be understood that this invention could be used in other applications where material is to be discharged at an elevated level.

Conventional in-field cotton transporters, commonly known as boll buggies, comprise a bin mounted on a frame or carriage so that the bin can be tipped to the side and partially inverted to empty its load. These transporters are usually used in conjunction with a baling device known as a module builder which presses the cotton into a removable formwork to forma bale. These known boll buggies suffer from a number of disadvantages, such as being unsafe in high wind conditions S and not catering for variation in discharge height. As module barriers vary in height, cotton can be blown about during the S discharge process. Additionally, since they tip according to a set geometry and to one side of the bin or carriage, care must be taken to position the buggy properly next to the module builder for proper unloading and this creates inefficiencies due to the time involved in positioning and unloading.

Furthermore, with such known transporters, the entire load can fall out as a ball, and when the module builder is nearly full, this uncontrolled discharge can result in serious spillage as well as damage to operators or other persons present. These and other disadvantages will be well known to persons familiar with the systems used in harvesting and transporting cotton, arising from the paddock arrangements normally employed and the unstable ground locations occupied by the transporters and other equipment.

The present invention aims to alleviate at least one of the aforementioned disadvantages and to provide transport apparatus which will be reliable and efficient in use.

With the foregoing in view this invention in one aspect resides broadly in a transport vehicle adapted to be towed across the ground for transporting agricultural produce, including: a frame assembly operatively connected to and supported above the ground by spaced apart wheel assemblies arranged on the opposite sides of the frame assembly; produce storage means operatively connected to said frame assembly, said storage means having a front end wall and two opposed spaced apart side walls, one or both of said side walls having a discharge opening; conveyor means in or adjacent said discharge opening or openings for discharging produce from said produce storage means through said opening or openings sidewardly of the intended direction of travel of said vehicle, and a lift assembly for raising and lowering said produce storage means relative to said frame assembly for discharging said produce at a predetermined desired height, said lift assembly being hydraulically operated and having a pair of spaced apart arm assemblies arranged one on either side of S said frame assembly, each arm assembly having two arms pivotally connected at approximately their mid-points, one end of each arm being mounted to said frame assembly for sliding movement relative thereto forward and backward in the intended direction of travel and the other end of each arm assembly being mounted to said produce storage means for sliding movement relative thereto coincidentally with said one end's in a scissor-like action to raise and lower said produce storage means; at*- levelling means for levelling said frame assembly relative to the ground on which said vehicle is to be driven or towed, said levelling means including hydraulic rams operatively connected to said wheel assemblies respectively and said frame assembly and arranged to selectively move said frame assembly relative to said wheel assembly to change the height of said frame assembly.

Preferably, said wheel assemblies include a pair of wheels arranged in tandem with each wheel mounted on a wheel support arm which in turn is pivotally mounted to said frame assembly for movement about substantially horizontal pivot axes lateral to the intended direction of travel and the respective hydraulic rams are operatively connected to both said wheel support arms and arranged to pivot said arm members about said pivot axes. It is also preferred that said wheel support arms be mounted for pivoting movement about the same pivot axis.

Preferably, said discharge means includes a belt or chain conveyor which is positioned in or under said discharge opening for conveying produce laterally of the intended direction of travel from said produce storage means to a desired location adjacent said transport apparatus. It is also preferred that said discharge means be adapted for movement in a forward or reverse direction for discharge from respective opposed sides of said produce storage means.

In such form of the invention it is preferred that the forward run of said belt or chain conveyor be arranged at least in part for movement from a first or travelling disposition in which it forms a closure for said discharge opening and a second or discharging disposition in which it forms at least a part of the floor of said produce storage means. It is also preferred that said conveyor means includes conveyor extension means adapted to discharge produce from said produce storage means to a location laterally spaced from said produce storage means.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:- Fig.s 1 and 2 are respective side and end views illustrating a transporter according to the present invention arranged in a transport position; Fig.s 3 and 4 are respective end and side views illustrating the transporter of Figures 1 and 2 in an unloading position; and Fig. 5 is a side view illustrating an alternative

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-4embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one form of transporter in accordance with the invention, in its normal transport disposition and viewed from the front and one side of the transporter; Fig. 7 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 1 but showing an elevated position of the bin and with the conveyor means extending through the discharge openings at the lower ends of the side walls for discharging purposes, and Fig. 8 shows diagrammatically in side elevation the appara-us of Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, in raised disposition and fitted additionally with a vertical control hydraulic raising and lowering cylinder, Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a transport apparatus 10 for filed produce and typically in this case cotton balls. The transport apparatus includes a carriage 11 having a wheel assembly 12 carrying a frame 13, a bin 14 is mounted on the frame 13 and a lift means in the form of a hydraulically driven scissor assembly 15 is employed between oe the bin and the frame to elevate and lower the bin relative to .the frame. The bin includes a floor 16 bridging between retractable side walls 17 and 18 which form respective gates below upper side wall portions 19 and 20 respectively. Each side wall is movable from a transport position as illustrated if Fig. 2 to an unloading position as illustrated if Fig. 3 ro a and a conveyor means, in this case, two chain belt conveyors 0: 21 and 22 are employed to convey produce across the floor and over one the side walls when the side wall is in the unloading position, thus unloading the bin.

.oo The two chain belt conveyors 21 and 22 have respective edges and the bin is equipped with adjacent guards 24 which extend across the bin so that produce does not interfere with the operation of the conveyors. Each conveyor includes spaced slats 25 which assist in moving bindable material such as cotton. Suitable hydraulics (omitted for clarity of description) are employed to extend and retract the retractable side wall 17 and 18. A hydraulic motor (not shown) is used to drive the conveyors.

The apparatus can be advantageously utilised in situations where it is desirable to adjust the height of the bin such as for discharging into cotton module builders. The discharge height is easily variable by adjusting the extent of which the bin is raised using the scissor assembly controlled by hydraulic cylinder assembly 26. Likewise, the bin can be unloaded from either side by virtue of the bin having opposed retractable side walls 17 and 18. It is a simple matter to tow the transporter toa position adjacent say a module builder and the transporter can be unloaded from either side at any height. Typically, the bin is raised to the position illustrated in Fig. 4 and the appropriate side wall 17 and 18 lowered to the unloading position as illustrated in Fig. 2. Both side walls are shown lowered in Fig. 3 which results in the conveyor belt being automatically tensioned. In order to prevent inadvertent discharge of cotton, each opening, created by the lowering of the retractable side wall, includes a flexible curtain 17a and 18a which hangs vertically down towards the conveyor. As the conveyor operates, cotton is S moved through or under the curtain which can be solid sheet or can be a plurality of flexible leaves or slats. The conveyor S can then be operated in a forward or reverse direction depending on which side wall has been lowered to discharge the contents of the bin into the module builder. The length of the extended side wall 17 and conveyor extension is preferably' selected so that the contents of the bin is delivered substantially to the centre of the module builder. However the side wall can extend the full height of the bin or can extend to varying heights depending upon requirements.

Referring to Fig. 5, there is illustrated an alternative embodiment of the present invention and where appropriate, like numerals illustrate like features. As can be seen, there is illustrated a transport apparatus 20 including a bin 21 shown in its elevated position relative to frame A scissor assembly 15 is employed between the frame 13 and the bin 21.

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The difference between this embodiment and the previously described embodiment is that a centrally located hydraulic cylinder assembly 22 is employed to raise the bin 21 while the ends 23, 24, 25 and 26 of the scissor assembly 15 travel in Cchannel guides 27 and 28 as before. The bin includes a centrally located cylinder well 29 in which the cylinder assembly 22 operates.

It will of course be realised that the above has been given only by way of illustrative example of the inventioni and that all such modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art and are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as is claimed in the appended claims.

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Claims

2. A transport vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said wheel assemblies include a pair of wheels arranged in tandem Y.I) -8- with each wheel mounted on a wheel support arm which in turn is pivotally mounted to said frame assembly for movement about substantially horizontal pivot axes lateral to the intended direction of travel and the respective hydraulic rams are operatively connected to both said wheel support arms and arranged to pivot said arm members about said pivot axes.
3. A transport vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said wheel support arms are mounted for pivoting movement about the same pivot axis.
4. Transport apparatus according to claim i, wherein said discharge means includes a belt or chain conveyor which is positioned in or under said discharge opening for conveying produce laterally of the intended direction of travel from said produce storage means to a desired location adjacent said transport apparatus. Transport apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said discharge means is adapted for movement in a forward or reverse direction for discharge from respective opposed sides #e I of said produce storage means.
6. Transport apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the forward run of said belt or chain conveyor is arranged at least in part for movement from a first or travelling disposition in which it forms a closure for said discharge' opening and a second or discharging disposition in which it forms at least a part of the floor of said produce storage i means.
7. Transport apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the said corveyor means includes conveyor extension means adapted to discharge produce from said produce storage means to a location laterally spaced from said produce storage means. II MMMMW I -9-
8. Transport apparatus as hereinbef ore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 27th day of August, 1997 ANTHONY LESLIE MILLER By his Patent Attorneys AHEARN S 4800 .4 OS'S S I 04 0 0 0*S4 *4 I *1 2. flrr'f~7