CA1265121A - Lifting and depositing device for transportable large containers, e.g., compartments or the like - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract of the Disclosure The lifting and depositing device for a large container has four rack and pinion jacks attached to its corners at a low point by means of overhang beams. The racks are fastened to uprights, along which the rack and pinion jacks can be raised and lowered by suitable operation.
In order to move the large containers by means of the lifting and depositing device, the bottom ends of the uprights can be connected by wheel supports with wheels, Thus, when large container is resting on the ground it is possible to roll the wheel supports and to arrange the base plate support surface of the wheel support lowered for the bottom ends of the uprights. When uprights are mounted on the base surfaces of the wheel support, a guide engages on the wheel support in an axial borehole on the bottom end of uprights, and the wheels can be operated relative to the uprights, when the large container is raised a certain distance for travel, so the wheels are a certain distance from the bottom of the winch housing.

Description

~265:~2~ -LIFTING AND DEPOSITING DE'VICE FOR TRANSPORTABLE
LARGE CONTAINERS, e . ~ . COMPARTMENTS ~R ~HE LIKE:

~ackground of the Invention The~present`invention relates to a device fG~
lifting and depositing transportable large cont~iners, e,g.
compartments-or the like, with rack and pinion jacks t~ be fastened to-ithe container corners by means of o~erhang beams of which~raoks are provided on uprights for those large containers'and which can be raised and lowerçd along each upright, and the uprights can be provided with wheels for movement of the lifting and depositing device and the large containers with it.
- A l-ifting and depositing device of this type has been disclosed in German DE-PS No. 32 26 882. In order to lift a container from the ground or to place it on the ground, an open space is provided beneath the rack and Pinion jack of this device to receive the wheels at the bottom e~ds o the uprights. The uprights with the attached ~heels, with the hoist gearing moved aside, can then be introduced into the opened winch housing from the outside from the side, which however is complicated because of the great weight of the uprights with wheels to be dealt with. Furthermore, during lifting of a container into a higher position, in order also to sufficiently guide the uprights beneath the rack and pinion jack, this known device requires the provision of hinged auxiliary support guides, which can be coupled with the pivota~le gearings of the rack and pinion jack.
This device is structurally costly and its operation requires great supérvision.

Summary of the Invention The object of the prese~t invention is to provide a lifting and depositing device for large containe~s which ~2Ç~S121 is structurally simple and easy to operate, in which the rack and pinion jacks to be attached to the corne~s o~ the containers ~y means of overhang beams can b~ arr~ged wi~h their guide members for the uprights lyin~ ~r down ~el~tiYe to the container (i.e. near the bottom) ~n~ the uprights and the wheels associated wi~h the~ ~n ~ a~t~5h~d, when the container to be handled'is resting on the g~qund.
Thus, a~separate attachment of the uprighta ~Pd wheels is made possib`le`to facilitate of the assembly o~ the d~vice;
' According to the present invention, this i~
accomplished by mounting the wheels on a wheel support, which has -a base plate~surface for the bottom end of the upright, which is arranged lower than the wheel axle, so that when the large container'is deposited on the ground, the wheel support with t~e base plate surface can be driven f~o~ the slde upder the rack and pinion ~ack, in order to place the botto~
end of that upright to the base plate surface and t~ couple them together,' and for-control of the device, the wheel support can be rotated relative to the uprights o~ to the wheels on the wheel support. Such a movable llfting and depositing devïce is structurally quite simple and o~
correspondingly low cost in its manufacture. Also, its assembly is quite simple) because one need only fasten the rack and pinion jack with its overhand beams to roll to the cont~iner corners in order to lift a c'ontainer which is on the ground, and then to roll the wheels with their'wheel support beneath the rack and pinion jacks or the winch housing, and introduce the supports into the winch housin~
and to superpose their bottom ends on the base plate support surface of the wheel support and to couple these together.
'~since a separate attachment of the supports and wheels is possible, the assembly is greatly simplified in comparison with the present state of the art~ Furthermore, since the base plate support surfaces on the wheel supports can be positioned very low, i.e. only a slight dis~ance above the ground, the winch housing with its support guides can .

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also be positi'oned correspondingly far down on the con-tainer corners. For the d~ive and control of the device, one ne`ed only lift the container slightly by operation af the rack and pinion jack, so that there is sqme play present between the whePls and the bottom a~ the ~açk and pinion jack or the winch housing with the s~pport guid~s, i.e., thère are only very short'lengths of the supports to the sides beneath the winch housing which are unsupported, so that ~here is no longer any instability of the deYice.' If, for instance, twin wheels are de5ired ~x required~ according to a further development of the inv~ntion, the wheel support has'a U shaped section, and has one wheel on each ar~rsuppbrt on the same axis, and`it is provided withra base plate support surface for an upri~ht ~n it~
horizontal'crossbar. For the attachment of ~uch a pair of wheels, the-wheel support is rolled under the winch hou~lng or''the uprigh't guide so that both of its arms engage'under these parts with some play at ~he sides.
In another configuration of the invention, if the wheel support has an impact plate attached to the front/ its attachment to a winch housing or an upright bas~ or to an upright itself is simplified. During the ro~ling mo~ement or t~e wheel support, if the impact plate cantacts the winch housing or the upright guide or support, the guide or support is aligned on the base place support surface of the wheel support, so that when the upright then is introduced, it ~an be brought into position'and coupled ~ith this member.
It could be advantageous to have connection elements for traction and/or steering members attached to the outside of the impac~ plate, these members being required for movement of the lifted up container inta a travel position.
In still another configuration of the in~ention, the wheel support has a U-shaped lengthwise section, and its arms carry top horizontal arms extending outward in ~oth ~S~L21 directions to which are suspended the wheel~ which can rotate around a vertical axis, w~ile the base plate support surface is provided for an upright on the h~rizontal ç~os~-bar of the wheel support. In this ver$ion, th~ wheel~ run one after the other on each suppor~ during "f~rward ~qve~
ment~ of a large container.
- Another configuration of the invention is ~ha~aF-tèrized in that the base plate support surface on each wheel support can be connected rota ably with the bottom end of the upright ~y a guide. This guide allows a s'imple rotary coupling bf the uprights with their wheel supports.
The guide can be attached to the base plate surface of the'wheel support and can be brought into engagement with an axial borehole in the bottom end of the upright, or the guide~can be attached to the bottom end of the upright and be brought into engagement with a borehole in the ba~e plate surface on the wheel support.
It is preferable that the guide be held in its relevant receiver borehole and, e.g., the wheels which are following behind during movement of a large container c~n be held parallel to the direction of traYel.
According to still another developmen~ o~ the invention, if the guide is arranged axially a~justable ~n the base plate surface of the wheel suppor~s and can be stopped in both of its end positions, then the assembly of ~he uprights with the wheel supports is further si~plified.
Furthermore, accoxding to still another de~elopment of the invention, if the base plate support surface for an upright is provided on a rocker which is mounted pi~otally around a horizontal axis on the wheel support, then anY
unevenness of the ground is compensated for during movement.
It is especially advantageous to use the features of the invention with a rack and pinion jack, of which the winch housing can be opened in a known manner for intro-duction for an upright. The mounting and coupling of the bottom end of an upright on or with the base plate surface on the wheel support is thus further simplified. A winch housing to be opened for side introduction of an upright is known, e.g., from German DE-GM No. 35 609.

Brief Description of the Drawings The invention will be explained relative to the drawings of exemplary embodiments, which show:
Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a ~ack and pinion.jack attached to a container co~ner by ~eAns of an overhang beam, with a part of an upright with rack and a pair of wheels, which is mounted on a wheel support according to the invention, partially in cross section and with parts broken away; ..
~ Fig. 2 is a-plan view of two large containers shown-.partially-in broken lines, at the corners of which are found a..pair of wheels which correspond to thos~ of F.ig. 1-;. ~ . .
Fig. 3 is a plan view of one half of the ar~angement shown in Fig. 2, ~ut with the individual elements of the attachment of a pair of wheels and ~he overhang beam ~or the rack and pinion jack on the corners of the containex;
. Fig. 4a is another plan view of a corner of the container with a dif.ferent version of the wheel arrangement;
Fig. 4b is a front elevational view of the wheel arrangeme~t of Fig~ 4a, with a large container resting on the ground;
Fig. 5 is a side elevational viçw of a wheel arrangement on a container corner in the direction of arrow A of Fig. 3, with the ra~k and pinion jack and the~ewith the large container being raised into travel position (ls~ stage);
Fig. 6 is an elevational view of a container corner with attached rack and pinion jack and a pair of wheel in the direction of arrow B of Fig. 3, wherein the lar~e container is raised to a second stage fo~ placement on a loading ramp;

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` Fig. 7 i~ a side elevational view of a container corner wi-th attached rack a'nd pinion jack and a second embodiment~of a wheel support for a pair O~ w~eels; and Fig. 8 is a plan view of two large ~ont~inç~s shown partially in broken lines, which.are ~o~nted on ~h~el supports as shown in Fig. 7.
.. . .
Description of the Preferred Embodiments The movable lifting and depositing device as in Figs. 1'~6 o~ 7 and B is fo~ a large container lO (e~g. ~
container, compartment or the like) of'a recta~gul~r hape which, e.~.,'-is to be lifted from the ground ~o a cargo plane,~ a~truck or the l~ke, and over an oblique ra~p into its cargo space and then deposited. If only a l~ading ramp, a plank bed or the like ~with rollers) iS preSent instead of an oblique entrance ramp, at the level of the loading base and/or the-transfer plane, then l~rge cqnt~iner lO must be lifted by the lifting and depositing deYice insofar as it can also be deposited on this horizontal loading ramp.
The work steps can also be carried out in reve~se ordex, if a large container is to be removed from a cargo plane ox from a truck. Furthermore, the lifting and depositing device must be constructed so that the large container can also be moved into ~he cargo space of the aircraft or other transport means, if no rollers are present on the flo~r of the cargo space.
The lifting and deposi~ing device for this purpose .
has four detachably fastened overhand beams ll of identical structure far down at the corners of large container 10, each of which supports a rack and pinion jack 12, which can be operated by a hand crank 13. Each overhang beam ll consists o.f a structure disclosed in ~erman Utility Patent No. 82 35 609.2, which has two plates 14 with U-shaped profile which is open at the top. Plates 14 are connected in the space of the wid~h B l (Fig. l) of an upright 15,

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which~consists of a rectangular hollow pipe, with the aid of one o~ more spacers 16.' Several spacer~ 16 are connected to each overhang beam 11. Each overhang beam,~l is associated with an upright 15 in a manner whi~h will ~e explained hereinafter. Plates 14 are welded tQ sp~ce~s 16 by their flat-surfaced sides, in such a manne~ that one end of overhang beam 11 includes the attachme~t-area 17 and the opposite end winch 12 has a vertical guide ~p~ce 18 fo~
upright 15.
The detachable connection of overhang ~eam 11 with the corners of large container 10 can for instance be effected by means of a U-shaped bracket 19 A (Fig. 5), of which only the ends of its two horizontal ar~s 19 can be seen in Fig. 1. Metal corner fittings are found at each corner of container 10 at the top and bottom (~i~s. 3-6), to each of which is attached a connecting part 2~ (Fig3. 3-6~, in the customary manner by means ~f lugs 22 and scre~ 23.
$his connecto,x 20 has overhang beams 24, ~5, at the top and bottom, which support a rectangular pipe ~ember 26 arranged perpendicular to and approximately the height.of the container. At the bottom, another retan~ula~ pipe 27 iS
attached at the side at some distance and perpendicular thereto, In Fig. 1, only the top view of rectangular pipe 26 is shown.
T~he edge dimensions B 2 (Fig. 1) of rectangular pipes 26 and 27 correspond to the width B 1 of upright 15.
The extent of attachment space 16 is identical to the edg~
dimensions B 2, so that the attachment of overhang beam 11 to a corner of a container causes rectangular pipe 26 (or 27) to be introduced into chamber 16 and fills its U-shaped section.
On rectangular pipes 26 and 27 on the four corners of large container 10 are found horizontal boreholes for the passage of both arms 19 of U-shaped bracket 19 A that are wor~ed in at corresponding vertical spacing. Plates 14 likewise have boreholes 28 aligned with correspond'ing vertical spacing to the side for the passage of side pieces 19 or the,U-shaped fitting 19 A. Following fitting of an overhang beam 11 on ~L26~

one of the rectangular pipes 26 or 27, and alignmen~ of the aforementioned boreholes i~ the relevant rectangular pipe and in plates 14, the U-shaped bracket 19 A passes f~om the ~ide with its arms 19 through these boreholes, where~p~n overhang beam 11 is fa~tened detachably ~o that contal~ex corner.`
Assuming that the large container 1~ is placed on the grnund tas shown in Fig. 4) and is then to be placed in a cargo plane some distance away, overhan~ beams ll are mounted~at the four container corners, beneath guide spaces 18 for uprights 15 of wheels ~0.
In the exemplary embodiment of Pigs . 1-6~ each two wheels 30 of the same axle are mounted on the ~rms 31 of a whéel support 32 of U-shaped section. A rocke~ 3S i~
arranyed on the crossbar 33 ~Fig~ 4b) of each wheel support 32j where it is pivotable around a horizontal axis ~4 running parallel to arm 31, which bears a base plate surface 36 for the bottom end of an upright 15. A guide 37 is attached on base p~ate support surface 36, which is intended to engage in an axial borehole 38 (Fig. 1) in the bottom of each upright 15.
~ etween arms 31 of wheel support 32 is attached an impact plate 39, on the front of wheel support 32.
Connectors 40 are found on the outside of impact plate 39 for traction and control bars 41 (Fig. 2). Two traction and control bars 41 of this type, which are associated with two pairs of wheels, can be connected with a pole 42, which can be coupled with a traction engine.
The distance to the side of arm 31 from wheel support 32 is such and the base plate support surface 36 lies so low on rocker 35 that a wheel support 32 with support surface 36 can be positioned under an overhang beam 11 or rolled (in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1), until impact plate 39 engages the front edges of plates 14 vf overhang beam 11. When the wheel support is in this position, upright 16, introduced from the front into open guide space 18, can be aligned with its bottom end on base plate 36 of 5~ 2~

roc~er 35, and guide 37 in borehole 38 engages the bottom end o~ upright 15. Then,~for holding ~pright 15 in guide space 18, a bracket 19 B corresponding to the aforemen~ioned U-shaped bracket 19 A with its arms 19' can be $i~ted ~m the side through aligned boreholes 28' into pla~e~
projecting into assembled position by a split pin (not shown) or the like. A winch 44 is attached to each up~ight lS, where it remains in engagement with.a driving pinion (not shown) of rack and pinion jack 12, if upright 15 is introduced int~guide space 18.
~ When uprights 15 and wheels 30 are attached to all four overhang beams 11 in the described manner, the rack-and pinion-jacks 12 are operated by rotation of hand cranks 13,-~in order to:lift the four overhang beams 11 and thereby lift large containers 10 on uprights 15 in~o travel.position ~ls~ stage~, which is shown in Fig. 4, and wherein.a ce-rtain ~amount of play is pres~nt between wheels 30 and the bottoms of overhang beams 11 or winches 12, which allows.rotation of wheels 30 around an axis o~ uprights lS or boreholes 38 in the bottom ends of uprights 15; In order to be able to operate only two rack and pinion jacks 12 for lifting large container 10, each two rack and pinion jacks 12 which are side by.side are drive-connected with e~ch other by sh~fts 45.
The front pairs of wheels in Fig~. 2 and 3 and the rear pairs (not shown) of wheels are already aligned in the travel direction following the assembly of their wheel support 32. The rear two pairs of wheels in Figs. 2 and 3 and in a corresponding manner the front pair (not shown) of wheels on the co,ntrary must not.be brought into a li~t state until followingrassembly and atta-chment to their wheel support 32, and then are lifted into the travel direction shown in Figs. 2 and 3. For this purpose, a lever 46 is attached to the hub of one of the wheels 30, whereby the wheel can be rotated in the travel direction. Wheel supports 32 of the _ g _ .

~ 2 6 S~L21 ~wo rear-pai~s of wheels are then prevented from rotating.
~his is acco~plished by a safety bolt 47 (Fig 1) inserted through borehole 48 in the bottom end of Up~i~ht 15 ~n~
into a borehole 49)of the-releYant guide 37. The ~ota~
movement of'both front pairs of wheels eaçh arounq a ~ti~al ax~s on the contrary must be held for the ste~ring PX~esse5~
According to requirements, the front and rea~ pairs of wheels are arranged at the same diqtances, so that a wide or a narrow gauge is obtained. This is selected depending upon'whethe'~ larger container 10, for instanCe, can be ~riven''over an oblique ramp (without further lifting into the 2d stage) feeding directly into the cargo space, e.g., of a cargo'~plane or some other transport ~ehicle. The wide gauge on the contrary is~used if large container 10 i~ to be deposited on a raised up horizontal loadin~ ramp ~0 of ~he cargo plane'or~some other transport vehicle, as sho~n in Fig.~ 6. "Here it is also required that rack and pinio~ jack 12 be used once again, in order to lift lar~e cont~i~er 10 to a second stage, which allows transfer to horizontal l'oading ramp 490. Following placement of large container 10 on loading ramp 490, the lifting and depositin~ device is fastened on and the container is rolled into the cargo space~
Loading ramp and cargo space in this case have rollçrs on the bottom.
Figs. 7 and 8 show a second exemplary embadiment, wherein the same parts are indicated with the same reference numerals as in Figs. 1-6. Wheel support 51 here has a U-shaped lengthwise section. Rocker 35 is supported on the horizontal crossbar 52 of wheel sUpport 51, and upright 15 is mounted on surface 50. Two arms 53 extend perpendlcul~r~y upward from crossbar 52, at the top of which are found horizontal arms 54 extending in opposite directions. These arms 54 carry reinforcement plates 55 at the top. One wheel 56 is suspended on each arm by means of a forked support 57.
- Forked wheel supports 57 are mounted rotatable around vertical axes 58 on arms 54~ and these rotary axes 58 are aiigned in lengthwise direction on wheel support 51 relative to each other.

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The arrangement of this wheel support 51 on the container corners, as shown-in Fig. 8, can ~e as in the ~irst exemplary embodiment. Therefore the arrangem~nt of the f our pairs of wheels in "narrow gauge" or ~ide g~uge'l 1 possible, dependent upon the relevant re~ui~ementS. T~e traction and steering bars 41 are connected at the ~ar with forked connectors 59, whirh in turn can be piYoted ~rouPd a horizontal axis with one arm 5~ each, and coupled with wheel support 51. Also in this emplary embodi~ent, base plate support surfaces 50 for the bottom çnds of upright~ 15 ~re so low that wheel supports 51 can be driven under oyerh~g beams 11 or rack and pinion jacks 12, if laFge ~ntaine~ 10 is on the ground, as is shown in Fig. 7.

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Claims (9)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclu-sive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. Lifting and depositing device for transportable large containers, comprising rack and pinion jacks to be attached to the container corners by means of overhang beams, the jacks having winches provided on uprights so that they can be raised and lowered along each upright, the uprights having wheels for moving the lifting and depositing device and therewith moving a large container, the wheels being mounted on a wheel swiveling mechanism, which has a support surface for a bottom end of the upright associated therewith, and the wheel swiveling mechanism being rotatable relative to said upright for controllability of the device, characterized in that the support surface for said upright is provided on a rocker mounted on the wheel swiveling mechanism for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, the support surface is rotatably connected to the bottom end of the upright by a guide means, and that the support surface is arranged lower in relation to an axis of the wheels, that the wheel swivel-ing mechanism can be moved when the large containers are placed on the ground to the side beneath the rack and pinion jack associated therewith, to position the bottom end of the upright on the support surface to support and couple them.

2. Device as in Claim 1, characterized in that the guide means is a guide pin.

3. Device as in Claim 2, characterized in that the guide pin is fastened to the support surface of the rocker and can be brought into fitted engagement with an axial bore in the bottom end of the upright.

4. Device as in Claim 2, characterized in that the guide pin is fastened at the bottom end of the upright and can be brought into fitted engagement with a bore in the support surface.

5. Device as in Claim 3 or 4, characterized in that means are provided for stopping the guide pin in the relevant receiving bore thereof.

6. Device as in Claim 4, characterized in that the guide pin is arranged axially adjustable at the bottom end of the upright, and that means are provided for stopping the guide pin in both end positions thereof.

7. Device as in Claim 3, characterized in that the guide pin is arranged axially adjustable on the support sur-face, and that means are provided for stopping the guide pin in both end positions thereof.

8. Device as in Claim 4, characterized in that the wheel swiveling mechanism has a U-shaped lengthwise cross section and side pieces thereof support top, horizontal arms extending outwardly in opposite directions, to which the wheels are suspended, each of said wheels being rotatable around a vertical axis, and that the support surface for the upright is provided on a horizontal crosspiece segment of the wheel swiveling mechanism.

9. Device as in Claim 1, characterized by its use with the rack and pinion jack having a winch housing which can be opened for the introduction of the upright from the side.