EP0636091B1

EP0636091B1 - An arrangement pertaining to the transportation of goods

Info

Publication number: EP0636091B1
Application number: EP92911293A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Leif Sune Edgar Lindgren
Original assignee: Floatline AB
Current assignee: Floatline AB
Priority date: 1990-10-23
Filing date: 1992-04-23
Publication date: 1997-01-22
Anticipated expiration: 2012-04-23
Also published as: FI944951A; NO944009L; WO1993022205A1; EP0636091A1; FI944951A0; NO944009D0; CA2134081A1

Abstract

An arrangement for the transportation of goods, such as paper rolls, comprising a load carrier which includes a goods-carrying bottom plate. The arrangement is mainly characterized by a lifting post (4) which is upstanding centrally from the bottom plate (2) and by means of which a loaded load-carrier can be lifted.

Description

The present invention relates to an arrangement pertaining to the transportation of goods, such as paper rolls, comprising a load carrier which includes a carrying bottom plate, and a lifting post which is upstanding centrally from the bottom plate and includes a hoist fitting and preferably includes a lashing band for securing the load, the lifting post being free standing.
FR-A-1 416 891 disclose a carriage moveable on wheels having plates or the like on several different levels for the storage of small objects. These carrier plates are supported by a lifting post including a hoist fitting, the lifting post in turn being supported by a rod anchored to the chassis of the carriage. By lifting the lifting post the different carrier plates can be brought to a suitable level for a person to reach the objects carried thereon. Such a carrier anticipates the features of the introductory portion of Claim 1.
The transportation of large paper rolls from the paper machine to the final consumer is encumbered with problems in the form of a large number of handling and trans-shipment or reloading operations, among other things. These operations are time-consuming, risk intensive and relatively often result in damage to the rolls.
The present invention provides a solution to these problems.
In accordance with the invention, the solution consists in that the lifting post is anchored to the bottom plate and in that the arrangement comprises a cover plate which is arranged to protect the upper surfaces of paper rolls placed on the bottom plate, and includes an aperture such that the cover plate is slidable along and removable from the post.
The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to exemplifying embodiments thereof and also with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

Figure 1 is a schematic, perspective view of a first embodiment of an inventive unloaded load carrier;
Figure 2 illustrates the load carrier shown in Figure 1 carrying a load of four paper rolls;
Figure 3 illustrates handling of a load carrier with the aid of a fork-lift truck;
Figure 4 illustrates handling of the load carrier in accordance with the invention, with the aid of a crane arrangement;
Figure 5 illustrates handling of load carriers in accordance with the invention with the aid of a traverse hoist arrangement;
Figure 6 illustrates a combination of material handling situations;
Figure 7 illustrates schematically a warehouse in accordance with Figure 6; and
Figure 8 illustrates schematically a hoist fitting for an inventive lifting post.

Figure 1 illustrates a load carrier 1 which includes a bottom plate 2 intended to support paper rolls 3 for instance, and a lifting post 4 which extends centrally upwards from the bottom plate. Also shown in the Figure is a cover plate 5 which, according to one preferred embodiment, is intended to cover or generally cover the upper surfaces 6 of the rolls placed on the bottom plate 2 (Figure 2) and which includes an aperture 7 through which the lifting post 4 can be reached or project.
The bottom plate is provided with pockets 8 which accommodate the lifting forks of a fork-lift truck, said pockets preferably being provided on all sides 9 of the bottom plate.
It is preferred that the lifting post is removable from the bottom plate. In this regard, although not shown, the lifting post may be lockable to the bottom plate by means of a bayonet fitting or by some other suitable means. Subsequent to removing the lifting posts from respective bottom plates, the bottom plates can be stacked one upon the other for return to a depot, for instance. It is also preferred that the lifting posts can be extended and shortened, in order to be able to adapt the vertical extension of the post to differing heights/lengths of the paper rolls. For instance, the lifting post may have a telescopic construction in a suitable manner, although not shown.
Mounted on the upper free end 10 of the lifting post is a hoist fitting 11. The hoist fitting is preferably adapted for container handling, wherein according to a preferred embodiment the fitting is essentially of the kind that is disposed in the corners of the container and comprises a housing, Figure 8, having at least one upwardly facing elongated opening 12 through which a generally arrow-pointed lifting head 13 of a generally known kind can be inserted, wherein the head can be locked in engagement with the fitting by turning the head. Further turning of the head will bring it to a position in which it can be removed through said opening. The lifting head may be arranged generally in accordance with the teachings of Swedish Patent Specification No. 7904086-1, in which case the head is rotated or turned by being pressed against an internal bottom surface in the fitting. The load can be lifted by means of a truck or like machine provided with at least one horizontally and forwardly extending lifting head, with the aid of openings on the sides of the fitting.
The lifting post will preferably include a lashing 14 by means of which the load can be secured.
Figure 4 illustrates a lifting device 15 which is intended for coaction with a lifting arrangement 16, in the illustrated case a crane arrangement 16, and at least one load carrier, in the illustrated case four carriers. The Figure illustrates an embodiment in which the lifting device is provided with lifting heads 13 of the aforesaid kind. Shown in Figure 5 is a lifting device 15 of generally the same kind which is mounted, instead, on a lifting arrangement in the form of a traverse 17.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 illustrate different loading and unloading situations in which inventive arrangements are used.
The method in which the inventive arrangement works will be understood essentially from the aforegoing. The intention is that the paper rolls are placed on the load carriers already in the proximity of the paper machine and are not removed from the load carriers until they are used finally in a printing hall or some like place. All reloading, trans-shipment and transportation shall be effected with the load carriers and not with the rolls themselves. Lifting is effected with the aid of the lifting post. The rolls are protected by the cover plate or cover sheet, which also forms a friction-enhancing element when stacking several load carriers one on the other.
It will be evident from the aforegoing that the invention provides advantages in the form of eliminating risks and damage, in comparison with known techniques. The invention also enables loading/unloading operations, for example quay-side operations to be fully automated, thereby eliminating the need of separate stowing personnel.
Although the invention has been described in the aforegoing essentially with reference to an exemplifying embodiment thereof, it will be understood that other embodiments and minor modifications are conceivable without departing from the inventive concept.
With regard to the construction of the bottom plates and the material from which they are made, the plates are preferably of lightweight construction, such as a sandwich-type construction, made of steel, lightmetal, fibreglass glass material or some similar appropriate material.
It is conceivable to use some other device than the lifting post, for instance an eye or the like which coacts with a lifting hook. The described and illustrated system, however, enables operations to be automated.
According to one embodiment which is preferred in certain cases, the bottom plate for instance is provided with devices which enable at least two adjacent load carriers to be connected together for supporting, for instance, long goods, such as packaged wood.
The load carrier is also suitable for carrying bag-like containers, such as so-called jumbo bags (not shown) containing, for instance, granular products. According to one embodiment of such sack-like containers adapted to the load carrier, the container has a centrally located channel which is intended to be fitted over the lifting post and through which the lifting post is thus intended to extend, thereby holding the container to the load carrier.
The invention is thus not restricted to the aforedescribed and illustrated embodiments thereof since modifications are possible within the scope of the following Claims.

Claims

An arrangement pertaining to the transportation of goods, such as paper rolls, comprising a load carrier which includes a carrying bottom plate, and a lifting post (4) which is upstanding centrally from the bottom plate (2) and includes a hoist fitting (11) and preferably includes a lashing band for securing the load, the lifting post being free standing, characterized in that the lifting post (4) is anchored to the bottom plate, and in that the arrangement comprises a cover plate (5) which has an aperture (7) for the post such that the cover plate is slidable along and removable from said post, whereby the cover plate can be arranged to protect the upper surfaces (6) of paper rolls placed on the bottom plate.
An arrangement according to Claim 1, characterized in that the lifting post is removably mounted.
An arrangement according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the lifting post can be extended and shortened.
An arrangement according to anyone of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the lifting hoist (11) includes a housing which includes an upwardly facing, elongated opening (12) through which a preferably generally arrow-headed lifting head is intended to be inserted and locked by rotation and released by further rotation, said rotational movement preferably being effected by pressing the head against an internal bottom surface of the housing.
An arrangement according to anyone of claims 1 to 4, character-ized by a lifting device (15) for coaction with a crane arrangement (16), a traverse hoist (17) or some like lifting arrangement, and at least one load carrier (1).
An arrangement according to anyone of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the bottom plate is generally quadratic and is constructed to accommodate four paper rolls of essentially quadratic configuration.
An arrangement according to anyone of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the bottom plate is provided with pockets (8) for handling with a fork-lift truck (9).
An arrangement according to anyone of claims 1 to 7, characterized by means for connecting at least two mutually adjacent load carriers together for supporting, for instance, long goods, such as packaged wood.
An arrangement according to anyone of claims 1 to 8, 8, 9 or 10, characterized in that the load carrier is intended for use in combination with bag-like containers intended, for instance, for handling granular goods.
An arrangement according to Claim 9, characterized in that the container includes a centrally located channel which is intended to be inserted over the lifting post and in which the lifting post is intended to extend, therewith holding the container to the load carrier.