CA1258048A - Vehicle with loading device - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE INVENTION
VEHICLE WITH LOADING DEVICE
An elongated platform vehicle, such as an articulated trailer, has two gantries (14;15) spaced fore and aft within the length of a load-receiving platform (2,3,4), each gantry (14;15) having an L-shaped transverse main bearer (16,17) with one arm (16) lying, when in stowed position, level with or below the load-receiving platform (2,3,4), the other arm (17) extending upwardly at one side of the platform and carrying a jib arm (21) having a lifting cradle (24,Z5). The L-shaped main bearers (16,17) are raisable and lowerable in unison about longitudinal pivot axes (18) with respect to the platform, and the jib arms (21) are movable in unison about longitudinal axes (20) with respect to the L-shaped main bearers (16,17), such that a load (35) may be transferred between a position at one side of the platform, and a position on the platform. A removable pallet (4) may form an intermediate portion of the load-receiving platform. Laterally extendible stabiliser arms (10), provided with jacks (8,11), may be provided at spaced positions on the vehicle.

Description

5~

VEHICLE WITH LOADING DEVIC~
______ This invention relates to a vehlcle incor~oratl~g lts own means ~or li~ting and lowerlng a load and moYi~g the load late~ally o~ th~ veh:Lc~e, ~r loading 05 and unloading purpose6. Whilst not :re~ricted thereto, it is particul~rly ~ppli¢able to the loadin~
a~d u~load~ng of International Containe~s.
The obiect o~ the invention ls to provid~ an improved vehicle in ~hich the lo~dln~ mean~, when ln ~towsd condition, leaves the load-receiving sur~ace og the vehicle substantially unencumbered, 5uch that the load-re¢eiving sur~ace may ~ccommodate load8 ~Vhi¢h extend bQyond the lo~dlng means, in the longitudin~l direction o~ the load-recelving sur~acel and Inay ~hi~t euch load~ ~rom and onto the load-receiving ~ur~ace at one side of the vehicle.
Ac¢ording to the p~esent inv~ntion a vehicl~
compriæe~:
(a) ~ ch~ssls h~ving a lo~d-receiving sur~&Ge, (b) a pair o~ gQntries spaced longl~udi~ally on the chassis, each ~antry in¢luding:
(i) a ge~er~lly L-~h~ped two-arm craDked member having a ~ir~t arm pivoted by a ~ree end portion thereo~ to the chassls ~or movement about a~ a~l~
disposed longitudinally o~ the ch~ssis, and a second arm pro~ecting above the chassis, ~,~. ., ~i25~

(il) a jib arm pivoted by one end por~ion to a ~ree end portion o~ ~ald ~eco~d arm ~or movement about an a~.is di~posed longitudinally of th~
05 chassisl and (lii) connecting means on the ~ib arm ~or connecting to a load, ~he cranked me~bexs bein~ movable about their ~ivot into and betw~en a stowed cond~tion in which an upper ~ur~ace o~ the fir~t arm lie~ at or below the level o~ the lo~d-receiving surface aad ~ ralsed poei~ion in which the ~irst arm e~tend~ ~bove the level o~ the lo~d-recelving ~ur~ace, (c) powered drlve mean~ ~or shi~t~ng the cran~ed members relative to the chassis into the stowed and raised po6itions, and (d) powered drive means for moving each ~ib arm relatlve to the respective cranked msmber.
With such a con~truction, the length o~ the ~irst arm o~ the cranked member can be of the ~a~e order as th~ width o~ the load-receiving 6ur~ace, such that almo6t all o~ that width is clear o~ obstruction above the level of the surfaca, and the s~r~ace can thus receive lo~d~ which extend longltudlnally beyo~d the two ~antries.

~25~

In a pr~-ferred arrangement, each gantry h~s ~
respective powered drive means, and each jib arm ha~ a re6pective powered drive mean~, and ~11 o~ tha dri~e means ar~ arr~nged to act in unison, whereby a lo~d 05 may ~e lifted, moved laterally, and lowered, i~ a symmetrical manner.
Each drive means may convenient:Ly be a hydraulic rQmJ and all of the rame arr~n~ed in a hydraulic ~eed clrcuit havin~ tandem pumps each o~ which ~eed~ the drive mean~ o~ the cranked member and asso¢iated ~ib arm o~ a respective gantry.
The vehicle may ~urther comprise stabllisar beam means, ~or ex~mple two such bea~s dlsposed one to~ards the ~ront end and one towards the rear end o~ the vehlcle~ Th~ beam me~ns ~re extendlble and wlthdrawable laterally o~ the chas~is and have li~t~ble and lowerable jack means thereon. The beQms and the jack~ hav~ respective hydraulic drive rams include~ in the hydraulic feed circuit.
The cha~is ~ay include load pl~t~orms spaced longitudinally thereo~, e.g. to the ~ro~t o~ ~d to the rear o~ the respective gantries, and a removable palle~ adapted to be positioned b~tween the gantries, the plat~orm6 and the pallet having the load-receivinæ

2~ ~ur~ace thereon~

~5~

The connectlng means OI each ~ib arm may compr~8e a liXtin~ cradle on the jib arm, a~d mean~ on tha c~ad~e ~or connect~ng to ~ bulk transpo~t Co~ta~n@r andlor to the pallet.
0~ The chassis may have respective lo~king ~eanE on it ~o.r locking both the pallet and the cont~iner to the c~assisO
In a preIerred embodiment, the drive mean~ :~or the cranked members and the drive means ~or the ~ib arms are arranged ~uch that in all po~itions o~ the cranked members relative to the cha~sis, the ~ib arm remains in the same position o~ ~ngulari~y with respect to t~e load-recelving sur~ce, e ~ g. by appropriate regulat.ton o~ the e~tent o~ ~low o~ the respective ~eeds o~ hydraulic ~luld to the r~m~
operat~ng the cranked member a~d the as~ociated ~ib arm.
Conveniently, the cranked Inembers have their arms ¢ranked ~ubstantially at ~Oc, and in the ~towed ~0 condi~ion the ~lrst arm i6 substantially parallel to the load-recelving sur~ace whereas in the rai~ed position it is substantlally at ~0- to the load-recelving sur~ce.
An embodimen~ o~ trailsr vehicle incorporatln~
~S the invention is hereln~er p~r~icularl~ descrlbed by ~ay of non-limiting example wlth re~erence to the accompanying drawings~ wherein:
Fi~ure 1 i8 a perspective vlew o~ the trailer;
~ lgure 2 is a schematic ele~a~ion o~ one of a pair o~ gantries, to ~how stow~d, hal~-e~tende~, and 05 ~ully-ex~ended positl~ns thereof;
~ igure 3 is a diagram of ~ hydraulic sy~tem ~or operation o~ ram~ of ~he gantrie~, and ram~ o~ mea~æ
~or stabillsin~ the trailer.
The trailer comprises a rigid chas~i~ 1 which e~tend~ the entire length of the trailer. 0~ a ~orw~rd portlon ol' the cha~sis l there is a ~ront lo~d plati'orm 2, and on a rear portion there i8 a rear load pl~t~orm 3, thsre being bet~een the ~ront and rear plQt~orm~, a well whlch can be occupied by ~ removabl~
pallet 4 which then rests on ths chassi~ 1. When the pallet 4 i8 in position on the cha~ there ls ~ormed a ~ull-length level platl'orm which m~y r~ceive ~n ~longated load.
The chassis 1 is supported by a eonvsntional whealed suæpen~ion indicated generally ~t 5, and at the ~ront end by a conventional king-p~n 6 to engaga w~th the be~rer plate o~ a tractor vehlcle (not ~how~).
To stabilise the trailer when loadin~ and ~n-loadin8, and to support the front end when not coupledto the tractor vehicle, there are provided ~tabiliser :~5~

Jacks. The rear portion o~ the chas6is 1 lnclude~
cross beQm ~ hQvl~g at one end a Jack 8 with a vertic~lly shi~table ~te~ 0 carrying a foot ~a $o contact the ground~ The stem 0 ~ ta~le and ~5 lowerable by a double-action hydraulic ram. In the other end o~ the cro~s-beam 7 there is slldable an e~ten610n beam 10 which carries a jack 11 havlng a ~tem l~ with a ~oot 12a. The stsm 12 is li~table and ~owerable by ~n in~ernal double action hydraulic ram.
~0 An e~actly slmllar beam 7, with two jacks 8 aad 11 is prov~ded at the ~ront end o~ the chassis 1, but the ~c~ 8 i~ not vi~lble in Figure 1. The 61idable exten~io~ beam lO is arranged to be ext~ded and wikhdrawn by a double actio~ hydraulic ram 13 (~ee the ~ront end beam 7) which is connected at one end to the beam 7 and a~ the other end to the ra~ 11. To prevent tilting o~ the chassis, durin~ loa~i~g and unloQding, the e~tension beams lO ~re extended par$1y or ~ully, and the Jack~ 8,8 and 11,11 are extended to cau~e the ZO ~eet 0a and 12a to contact the ground. With the e~tension beams lO withdrawn to stowed po~ition, the lront end o~ the vehicle, or both end~ i~ de~ir~d, may be ~upported on the rams, which may be mech~nlc~lly ~oc~ed, e~g. as by a removable transverse pln, 1 2~ de~ired.

On the chas~is 1 there are m~unted a front end gantry indicated generally at 14, an~ a rear end gantry indlc~ted generally ~t 16. Each g~ntry comprise6 a rigid L-shaped main ~eArer having a ~irst 05 ~rm 1~ ~nd a ~econd arm 17 at a right angle thsreto~
I~ the stowed posltion, seen iD Figure 1, the ~irst ~rm 16 o~ e~ch gantry is hori ontal and lies in a well 8Q th~t the upper surface of the arm 16 is 61ightly balow the general plQne of the upper sur~ace of the pl~tforms 2 and 3. The free end ~f the arm 16 is coupled by ~ horizontal longitudinal pivot 18 to a pair of brackets 19 on the chassis 1~ At the free. end o~ th~ ar~ 17 there 1~ a horizontal lon~itudlnal plvot 20 to which is coupled a Jib arm 21 overlying the ~irst ~rm lB. ~t the ~ree end o~ the ~ib arm 21 there is a horizontal longitudinal pivot 22 carrying a connector 23 of a loading cradle having tie bars 24 ~upportlng a crossbar 25 provided at each end with chain~ or cable~ ~6 having a ¢oupling element 27 ~or ~0 engagement with a counterpart element (not shown) o~ a conventional bul~ tr~n~port container, or with an opening 2~ at the corners of the pallet 4.
For shiftin~ the L-shaped main bearer 14 or 15 there i~ provided a double acting hydraulic ram 2~
25 pivoted at one end on a cros~-6haft 30 secured in the ch~ 1, a~d ~upl~ t~ h~f~ gl ~t the elbow o~ the main bearer. For shifting of the jib arm 21 with respect to ~he arm 17 there 1~ provlde~. a double acting hydraullc r~m 32 pivoted ~t i~ lo~er end on a cross-sha~t 33 on the arm 17, and coupl~d at 05 lts upper e~d to a cross-sh~ft 34 at the elbow o~ the Jib arm 21.
Referring now to Fi~ure 2, the main bearer 1~ i6 sho~n in three posltions of pivoting about its pivot 18~ The action is ldentical ~o~ the m~in bearer 16.
Re~erences l~a, 17a indicate the position of ~he ~ain bearer in ~towe~ condition. Refere~ces 16b, l~b ~how it in an intermedlate po~ition of loading or unloading. References 16c, 17c show it in a position o~ iull lateral eztension :~or rai~ing or lowerlng a load with respect to the ground at one 3ide o~ the chassis 1~ The load ls here represented by a bulk tr~n~port container 35 indicated in broken line. In each poæition o~ the main bearer, the jib arm 21 is m~intained in the same position o~ angularity relative to the ch~ssis 1.
There are two hydraulic ram~ included in e~ch gan~ry, and three hydraulic rams included on each o~
the sta~iliser ~eams 7. All o~ these hydraulic rams are op~rated by ~ hydraulic pump systa~ driven by a diesel engine 36 mounted on one side of the chas~is 1 in a casing wlth hydraulic pumps and operator controls _ 9 _ .

descrlbed with re~erence to Figure 3. ~lternatively, the hydraulic system could be coupled to the usu~l hydr~ulic system of the tr~ctor vehicle ~not sho~
The hydraulic system is shown in detail in Figure ~)5 37 There is provi~ed a respec~ive meteriag pump 37a or 37b ~or each of the gantries 14 and 15. The pump6 have a common drlve shaft 38 driven by en~ne 3~. A
~irst spo~l valve assembly, enclosed within a broken-line ~rame 39, controls ~eed o~ hydraulic ~luld frompump 37a to ram 2ga ~or; say, gantry 14 a~d to ~lb arm ram 32a thereo~, and a second similar spool valvo a~embly, enclosed within the broken~line ~rame 40 controls ~ed o~ hydr~ulic ~luid ~r~m pump 37~ to ram 2~b and jib arm ram 32b o~ gantry 15. The pum~s 37a, 37b ~re ide~tical and have ~ common drive so ~ha~
li~ting rams 29a, 29b are opera~ed in unison, and rams 32a 9 32b ~re also operated in unison, thu6 en~uring that the li~tln~ and lowerlng o~ the load is &lways ~ymmetrical.
The ~low o~ ~luid to and Prom the jib rams 32~

3~b 1~ proportioned to en~u~e that the jib~ 21 remain hori~ontal. Line6 41,42 indicate that operator-actuated controls of corresponding first and ~econd spool~ o~ the two valve assemblies are me¢hani¢Ally g~nged ~or ~imul~a~eou~ and identical oper~tion.

Enclosed withln a broken~ e ~rame 43 is a third ~1Ye as~embly having spool valves 44,45,46,47 all ~ed ~rom pump 37b. Valves 44,45 ~eed the rams 8 and ll r~spectively o~ the ~ront ~nd re~r s1tabiliser Jacks, 05 ~nd valve~ 46,47 feed the rams 13 respectively o~ the ~ront ~nd rear stabiliser ex~ension beams 10. ~ach of the ~our valves is independently operable by mea~s o~
a control 50 ~ccessihle to the operator. The valve a~semblie~ 39,40,43 have been shown ~ith respect~ve ~luid return reservoirs 39a, 40a and 43a whlch would in pract$ce be common with the ~eed re~ervoir 48 o~
the pump~ 37a 37b.
Suitable hydraulic feed llnes are connected between the pumps, the operator controls and the ramsO
1~ Some o~ these Xeed lines a~e indicated at 54 on the chassis l, but these are only reprasentative and not all o~ the ~eed lines o~ Figure 3 h~ve been shown in ~i~ure 1, to avoid lack of clarity in that ~igure.
With the hydr~ulic system under power, operatio~
o~ the spool valves can be made to obtain li~tlng and lo~erin~ o~ the ~acks, and exten~ion and withdrawal o~
tho ~abiliser beams 10. Then, with the cha~Eis 1 suitably ~tabllised, a lo~d can be picked up ~rom the ground a~d placed onto the chassis 1, or vice ver6a, ~y ~imultaneous operation o~ the spool valves to cause plYoting o~ the L~shaped main bearers 14,15, and appropriate plvotlng of the jib arm~ 1 to m~int~in ~h~m in the position seen in Figure ~.
The loa~ may be ~ bulk ~ransport container provided with co~pling means o~ known kind ~or 05 engagement by the li~tlng cradle6, o:r ths load (such a~ a container) may be placed on the pallet 4 which ls then ~n~ag~d by the li~ting cradles. Where a conventional bulk transport container 35 i~ mounted on the pallet 4, both the p~llet 4 and the container 35 ~0 it~elf m~y be secured to the chassis 1 by a doubl~
twist-lock dev1ce 51 (see F~. 1) provided on the ch~sis 1 adjacent each corner o~ the space occupi.ed by the pallet 4, and con~isting o~ concentric shAi'ts e~ch h~ving a radial lQcking ton~ue to engage ono with the ~allet and one with the cont~iner, ea¢h ~h~t having a respective operating handle 52J53~
When the gantries 14,15 are in the stowod po~ition (see Fig. 2), the ~rms 16 do not lie abov~
the general level o~ the platforms 2 and 3, and the p~llet 4 i~ in position. Thu~, the trailer can then al~o be used for very long load~ which may even extend beyond the end~ oi the t~ailer itsel~, at le~st at the rear end. Loads such as tree trunks, steel girders or railway line lengths may ~e loaded and unloaded in Z5 si~ilar manner by use o~ the two gantrie~, with care being taken to po~ition the extendible stabilisor ~25~48 beam~ 10 at a shortened positlon o~ exten~ion 80 a8 not ~o inter~ere with the elongated load when bs~llg lowered to the ground~

Claims (9)

- 13 -

1. A vehicle comprising (a) a chassis (1) having a load-receiving surface, (b) a pair of gantries (14,15) spaced longitudinally on the chassis, each gantry including:
(i) a generally L-shaped two-arm cranked member (16,17) having a first arm (16) pivoted by a free end portion thereof to the chassis for movement about an axis disposed longitudinally of the chassis and a second arm (17) projecting above the chassis, (ii) a jib arm (21) pivoted by one end portion to a free end portion of said second arm (17) f or movement about an axis disposed longitudinally of the chassis, and (iii) connecting means (23,24,25,26) on the jib arm (21) for connecting to a load, the cranked members (16,17) being movable about their pivots (18) into and between a stowed condition in which an upper surface of the first arm lies at or below the level of the load-receiving surface and a raised position in which the first arm (16) extends above the level of the load-receiving surface, (c) powered drive means (29) for shifting the cranked members (16,17) relative to the chassis into the stowed and raised positions, and (d) powered drive means (32) for moving each jib arm (21) relative to the respective cranked member (16,17).

2. A vehicle, as claimed in Claim 1, wherein each gantry (14,15) has a respective powered drive means (29), and each jib arm (21) has a respective powered drive means (32), and all of said drive means (29,29;
21,21) are arranged to act in unison.

3. A vehicle, as claimed in Claim 2, wherein each drive means (29;21) is a hydraulic ram, and all of said rams Are arranged in a hydraulic feed circuit having tandem pumps (37a, 37b) each of which feeds the drive means (29) of the cranked member (16,17) and the drive means (32) of the associated jib arm (21) of a respective gantry (14;15).

4. A vehicle, as claimed in Claim 3, including stabiliser beam means (10) extendible and withdrawable laterally of the chassis (1), and liftable and lowerable jack means (8,11) on said beam means (10), said beam means (10) and said jack means (8,11) having respective hydraulic drive rams included in said hydraulic feed circuit.

5. A vehicle, as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said chassis (1) includes load platforms (2;3) spaced longitudinally thereof, and a removable pallet (4) adapted to be positioned between said gantries (14,15), said platforms (2;3) and said pallet (4) having said load-receiving surface.

6. A vehicle, as claimed in Claim 5, wherein said connecting means comprise a lifting cradle (23,24,25) on the jib arm (21), and means (26) on said cradle for connecting to a bulk transport container (35) and/or to said pallet (4).

7. A vehicle, as claimed in Claim 5, comprising respective locking means (51,52,53) on said chassis (1) for locking said pallet (4) and said container (35) to said chassis (1).

8. A vehicle, as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the drive means (29) for the cranked members (16,17) and the drive means (32) for the jib arms (21) are arranged such that in all positions of the cranked members (16,17) relative to the chassis (1), the jib arms (21) remain in the same position of angularity with respect to the load-receiving surface.

9. A vehicle, as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the cranked members (16 ,17) have their arms cranked substantially at 90°, and wherein in said stowed condition said first arm (16) is substantially parallel to said load-receiving surface, and in said raised position is substantially at 90° to said load-receiving surface.