EP1199259A1

EP1199259A1 - Self loading device for container or similar, and container thereof

Info

Publication number: EP1199259A1
Application number: EP00830686A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Riccardo c/o Garofoli S.p.A. Bianchi
Original assignee: Garofoli SpA
Current assignee: Garofoli SpA
Priority date: 2000-10-20
Filing date: 2000-10-20
Publication date: 2002-04-24

Abstract

A self-loading device for container (1) or the like is provided characterized by the fact of comprising lifting means (3) mounted in a hinged way onto said container (1), and power supply means of said lifting means (3).

Description

The present invention refers to a container self-loading device for loading a container and the like onto transportation means, and to a container incorporating this device.
The so-called "containers" widely utilized to transport goods or material are already known, which are parallelepiped-shaped and are typically manufactured with metallic material. In order to enter the inner thereof, at least a mobile wall is provided. The sizes and overall dimensions of said containers are subject to rules, in particular to ISO-standard rules, and so as to make the transport and the handling thereof standardized.
Typically, for their handling, lifting trolleys or cranes are necessary, apt to place said containers onto the transporting vehicle or to store the same in a stacked manner. Therefore, there is a disadvantage linked to the fact that it is necessary to provide a helping structure to lift and position the container both in the place where it has to be loaded on the transporting vehicle and in the place where it is unloaded from the vehicle once it has reached the destination.
Furthermore, the so-called "shelters" are already known as well, as structures directly derived from said container and for the deployment under extreme climatic conditions. Such types of "shelters" are mainly used for military purposes and one of their fundamental requirements is the trasportability thereof on aircrafts.
Typically, similarly to the containers, there is a disadvantage of to provide lifting and handling means for moving the "shelters" from the land vehicle towards the aircraft. In fact, this occurs by means of a lifting trolley and a roller platform, the last for positioning and inserting the "shelter" inside the aircraft and be blocked therein.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to solve the above mentioned disadvantages by providing a self-loading system for containers or shelters and the like which render the same self-portable.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a self-loading system for containers or shelters which provides a perfect integration of the same with the relevant container and without varying the outer overall dimensions thereof, therefore maintaining the compatibility thereof with the already existing structures.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a container or shelter which incorporates the subject self-loading system.
Therefore, according to the present invention a self-loading device for container or the like is provided, characterized in that it comprises: lifting means mounted in a hinged way onto said container;. and means of said lifting means.
A detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be now provided, given by way of example and not for limitative purposes, by referring to the enclosed drawings wherein:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view, from the top, of a shelter incorporating the device of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view, from the top, of the shelter of Fig. 1 in an operating condition;
Figs. 3-8 are schematic illustrations of the loading and unloading procedures of the shelter of Fig. 1 both from a land vehicle and from an aircraft.
By now referring to the Fig. 1, according to the present invention a shelter 1 is provided, showing a parallelepiped structure according to the per se already known rules. At each of the four end regions, respective hollow regions 2 towards the inside are obtained, each of them housing a telescopic lifting device 3 (only two of them are illustrated in the Figure). In this way, the outer overall dimensions pursuant to rules are kept constant. Each lifting device 3 is mounted in the hollow regions 2 in a hinged way on respective revolving supports 4 integral with the shelter 1 (better illustrated hereinafter).
On the other hand, each lifting device 3 has, at its own free end, a pair of driving wheels 5 driven by hydraulic motor (better illustrated hereinafter).
By now referring to Figure 2, the shelter in operating condition is illustrated therein.
As it can be understood from the figure, the lifting device 3 may be extracted from the hollow region 2 wherein it is housed by rotating the same on said revolving supports 4 by performing a rotation of about 90°. In this condition the former is apt to perform a telescopic excursion when powered. To this purpose, a source of hydraulic energy inside the shelter is provided, so as to supply power to the four devices in an indipendent and remotely-controlled way (not illustrated in Figure). It has now to be precised that according to the provided shelter of the present invention, it is possible to supply power to the telescopic actuator 3 both from the inside of the shelter 1 and from the outside by means of a remote unit, both as hydraulic energy and electric energy source (not illustrated).
On the other hand, the driving wheels 5 too are made integral with the telescopic actuator 3 by means of a removable connection in order to satisfy all requirements. Each wheel is mounted on the output shaft of a motor, which can be both hydraulic and electric, the last is then rendered integral with the actuator 3 when it is necessary to move the shelter 1 (better illustrated hereinafter).
Similarly to the telescopic actuator 3, the motor of the driving wheels 5 too may be powered by a power supply being inside the shelter 1 or outside it by means of a remote unit, both as hydraulic energy and electric energy source.
Obviously, in an alternative embodiment may be provided that the wheels 5 be freely-rotatable mounted on the actuator 3 and therefore with no engine. Alternatively, it is possible to provide that each pair of wheels 5 be mounted in a freely-oscillating manner onto each device 3 so as to guarantee a constant grip on the ground.
By now referring to the figures 3 to 8 the functioning of the self-loading device of the present invention is illustrated therein.
According to the invention, for the self-loading of the shelter 1, at first the four lifting devices 3 are extracted from their seats 2 to be then driven so as to lift the shelter from the ground to a pre-established height. Then, it is possible to make the loading platform of a motor vehicle 6 to pass under the shelter and between the so-extracted lifting devices.
At this point, it is possible to activate again the devices 3 to allow the shelter 1 to position onto the motor vehicle 6 and, therefore, to be locked thereon. The shelter 1 may be in this way transported by the motor vehicle 6.
By referring to figures 5 and 6, to unload the shelter 1 from the motor vehicle 6, firstly the devices 3 are extracted from their seats 2 and then driven until lifting the shelter 1 from the loading platform of the motor vehicle 6. At this point, the motor vehicle 6 is free to move away from the shelter 1 placed in this way on the ground.
By referring to figures 7 and 8, the various steps for loading the shelter 1 on an aircraft 7 suitable for shelters' transportation are illustrated. For loading the shelter 1 on the aircraft, firstly it is brought (in a self-or helped way) near the loading ramp of the aircraft 7. At this point, the shelter 1 may board on its own onto the loading ramp of the aircraft by means of the mobility of the wheels 5 and by controlling the excursion of the lifting devices 3 so as to enable entering the aircraft 7. Once reached the inner area of the aircraft 7 wherein the shelter 1 has to be positioned, the lifting devices 3 are actuated again until the same are fully retracted inside their seats 2 in the shelter 1, in order to enable to block the last on the specific blocking devices provided inside the aircraft 7.
To unload the shelter 1 from the aircraft 7, the procedure opposite to the one described for loading the same on the aircraft 7 will be followed.
It has now to be noted that the present invention has several advantages.
A first advantage results from the fact that the present invention provides a shelter, container or the likes equipped with hollow regions or seats apt to house the lifting devices 3 while maintaining the ISO standards unlike the already existing lifters.
A second advantage results from the fact of providing a lifting and self-load device for containers, shelters or the likes equipped with driving wheels or free wheels or freely-oscillating wheels.
A third advantage results from the fact that the device of the present invention does not interphere with the standards' typical interface features of the container or shelter whereon it is mounted. Therefore, the container or shelter of the present invention may be handled with the modes and equipment provided in the international field without any limitation and for all transport modes and that is, ships, railway, transport civil aircrafts, transport military aircrafts.

Claims

A self-loading device for container (1) or the like characterized in that it comprises:

lifting means (3) mounted in a hinged way onto said container (1); and

power supply means of said lifting means (3).
The self-loading device for container (1) or the like according to claim 1, wherein said lifting means comprises four telescopic actuators (3) each of them is respectively placed on said container (1) in a hinged way and at an end region of said container (1).
The self-loading device for container (1) or the like according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said power supply means is an electric or hydraulic energy source.
The self-loading device for container (1) or the like according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said telescopic actuators (3) are hydraulically or pneumatically driven.
The self-loading device for container (1) or the like according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said telescopic actuator (3) are electrically driven.
The self-loading device for container (1) or the like according to any of the claims 2-5, wherein said telescopic actuators further comprise handling means (5).
The self-loading device for container (1) or the like according to the preceding claim, wherein said handling means comprises a pair of wheels (5) mounted at the free end of each actuator (3).
The self-loading device for container (1) or the like according to the preceding claim, wherein said pair of wheels (5) further comprises a motor mounted on the respective end of the actuator (3) thereto it is associated.
The self-loading device for container (1) or the like according to the preceding claim, wherein said motor is a hydraulical motor.
The self-loading device for container (1) or the like according to claim 8, wherein said motor is an electric motor.
The container (1) or the like characterized in that it incorporates the self-loading device according the preceding claims.