ES2233463T3 - FORKLIFT. - Google Patents

Abstract

Transporter (1) for transport of goods between a goods carrier (32) and a destination, for example between a lorry and a shop which is situated in a narrow and difficult to access place, the transporter comprising: a frame part (2); a support platform (8) which is movable upwards and downwards on the frame part between a raised position and a lowered position; where the transporter is equipped with a releasable fixing means for fixing the transporter to a loading/unloading opening of a larger goods carrier, such as a lorry, in which fixed condition the transporter is transportable by the carrier.

Description

Forklift.

The present invention relates to a conveyor to transport materials between a carrier of material and a destination of material in a load carrier such as a truck, which comprises that type of conveyor, and a method to supply the goods in a very hectic destination of difficult access, such as a busy shopping street.

A currently growing problem is the supply of goods to stores that are located on streets commercials that are bustling and hard to reach with a truck and that are not provided with parking lots and cargo areas and enough download.

The US Patent Specification No. 4,613,272 describes a motorized floor forklift that It can work to place a load on a raised surface and raise herself to that raised surface. Together with a support mount this forklift is capable of lifting herself inside a carrier of material or truck. This allows that the motorized ground forklift be transported by the carrier of material or truck. An inconvenience of this configuration is that the floor forklift motorized and mounting bracket occupy space during the Freight transport in the truck.

An object of the present invention is to mitigate this problem.

A first aspect of the present invention provides a carrier of material that includes a conveyor for transporting material between said material carrier, such as a truck, and a destination of material such as a store located in a bustling place of difficult access, in which the conveyor comprises:

- a frame part

- a support platform that can be displaced up and down relative to the part of frame between a raised position and a lowered position, characterized because

- a floor of said material carrier is provides with a recess substantially accessible so vertical, and

- the support platform corresponds to a peripheral profile of the recess so that at least a part of the upper surface of the support platform serves as a part of the material carrier floor.

A device according to the present invention offers Optimized loading space of the material carrier.

A truck provided with a conveyor according to the present invention it therefore no longer needs to remain in front of the store door difficult to access during the loading and unloading which, in addition to the problems of reaching the shop and find parking space, often causes traffic jams traffic. The truck can now park in a parking area general, after which the conveyor can be loaded with goods and then disconnected from the truck and the goods can, be transferred to the final destination on the transporter itself.

The conveyor platform is provided preferably of one or more wheels, whose wheels are mounted on the conveyor so that they can be folded between a position of non-use or storage, and one of use.

As the platform is provided with wheels, it is Easy operation and operation.

The platform preferably has such a shape which can be mounted on a recess of a floor of a carrier of wider material such as a truck, in which the platform can serve as a part of the carrier's floor when fixed to the same.

Since the platform can serve as a part of the floor of a truck, it is very easy to deposit goods from truck on the platform.

The support platform can have a shape such that it can be fitted into, and removed from, an opening of the loading platform, so the loading and unloading of the Goods placed on the loading platform is provided.

More features of the present invention are set forth in claims 5 to 12.

A second aspect of the present invention is refers to a load carrier comprising the mentioned conveyor above, according to claims 13 to 15.

With that kind of cargo carrier they can be transported larger amounts of cargo to a space of parking, after which the cargo can be moved by conveyor means between the parking space and the store difficult to reach with a forklift.

A third aspect of the present invention is refers to a method of supplying goods that the carrier uses of cargo mentioned above, which includes the operations of drive the cargo carrier to a parking area that can be suitable for the purpose, place the goods to be be unloaded onto the conveyor platform, move the conveyor fork elements down until they are in contact with the ground, remove the conveyor from the opening of carrier, move the conveyor platform down and deploy the wheels of the same to their positions of use, after which the transporter and the goods can be moved to desired place

A further aspect of the present invention is refers to a transport method that involves a carrier of material such as a truck, a conveyor like the one described and a third means of transport, such as a wheelbarrow manual loading trays, in which the load is removed from the space of carrier load on the conveyor platform, after which the transporter with the cargo and the third means of transport are displaced, after which the cargo is removed from the platform with third means of transport, and vice versa.

The third means of transport and / or the conveyor may also be provided with means of security.

If provided with security means, the third means of transport can be used to enclose the load on the rear side of the platform, so that during the use of the conveyor the load cannot fall on the part rear

The present invention will be described in based on the description that follows reference to the figures, in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the conveyor according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a load carrier plus conveyor according to this invention;

Figure 3 shows a perspective view partially trimmed over the conveyor of figure 1;

Figures 4 and 5 show perspective views partially cut from the conveyor and the truck according to the present invention while downloading a platform load;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the conveyor attached to a truck;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a load carrier plus another embodiment of the conveyor according to the present invention;

Figures 8 and 9 show more views in partially cut perspective of the conveyor, in which the latter is locked in a truck;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the conveyor according to the present invention; Y

Figures 11 and 12 show views in perspective, partially cropped, of the mechanism of immobilization to immobilize the conveyor so that it can be released, for example, in a truck.

A conveyor according to figure 1 comprises a rack part 2, a housing 4 in which a motor (not shown), a carrier 6 that can be displaced erect, a support platform 8 that is mounted on the carrier, two forks 10 extending from the housing 4, whose Forks 10 are provided with rollers 12 at the front end thereof, two rear wheels 14 and a column 16 of address.

Platform 8 is provided at the end front of a flap 18 that can pivot. Platform 8 is also provided with two wheels 20 folded out that are mounted on wheel suspensions 22 which are in turn arranged so that they can pivot in two long profiles 24 under platform 8.

A hydraulic piston rod mechanism 26 is extends from under platform 8 and is arranged in a front end thereof under fin 18.

The carrier 6 is can be moved towards up and down in frame part 2 so the platform 8 can also be moved up and towards down.

In its lowered position platform 8 makes contact with the surface of the forks 10 (see figure 3). In this position the wheels 20 of the platform are folded towards outside. If the piston rod retracts as in Figure 3, the front end of fin 18 can touch the ground, to provide an easy transition between the terrain and the platform 8.

In its extended position the piston rod 26 guarantees that fin 18 is aligned with the platform (see Figure 1).

In a position not shown, the wheels 20 of the platform can come into contact with the ground in your deployed position when the platform is in its lowered position, in which wheels 20 serve as front wheels of the conveyor 1. In this situation the forks 12 of the forks 10 are no longer in contact with the ground.

Platform 8 and front flap 18 have a profile that fits into a recess 26 of the floor 28 of the space 30 of containment of a truck 32 (see figures 2 to 4).

The conveyor 1 can be fixed to the side rear of truck 32 by means of fixing (not shown). In this fixed position, platform 8 and forks 10 are apply to rear side 34 of truck 32. In this fixed state (figure 6) the conveyor 1 can be moved by means of the truck.

The opening of the storage space of the truck may be closed in this situation (see figure 6).

During use the truck and the Conveyor can be driven to a parking area.

The rear side of the truck can then be open, after which the forks 10, the rear wheels 14, accommodation 4, column 16 of the address and part 2 of conveyor frame are lowered so that the wheels rear 14 and the front wheels 12 of the forks 10 are in ground contact (see figure 4). A forklift 38 loading platform located in storage space 30 of truck 32 can then be driven on platform 8 of the conveyor.

The conveyor 1 can then maneuver out of truck 32 (see Figure 5), after which wheels 20 of platform 8 can be folded down, platform 8 it can be lowered and the conveyor plus the forklift 8 of cargo trays can be taken to their destination.

The embodiment shown in Figure 7 has two 50 forklifts that are separated. A loading tray It can be loaded directly with them. Swivel wheels are mounted here on forks 50, on which a platform is pushed over the fork parts (and hooked on or set differently) as if it were a loading platform.

It is possible then to use the platform and the conveyor separately.

The platform can be used to cover the recess in the loading floor of the truck at ground level, even if the conveyor is not being transported or if the conveyor supplies a loading platform directly over the forks

The conveyor with upper forks can be removed from the truck while the platform remains in the recharge of the cargo tank.

It is possible that the lower forks are more wide than the platform or upper forks (and therefore they are not located precisely under the platform).

It is possible that the lower forks have approximately a width equal to the outside width of the wheelbarrow.

It is possible that the platform has a width approximately equal to the inside width of the truck.

It is possible that one or more of the wheels that may pivot are directed transversely to the forks. During the truck disconnection, the conveyor can then move back on the rollers and sideways on the wheels that can pivot mounted on the platform.

The wheels that can pivot can be folded out or down while the platform is loaded. He object of folding the wheels is to save space in combination with providing the option of being able to transport the cargo over the platform closer to the ground with respect to loading and unloading, for example, a forklift of cargo trays manual.

It is also possible for all conveyor (which includes a rack part) to be fixed on a recess in the contour of the cargo space, so that the conveyor does not protrude anything outside the contour of the tank load. When the cargo space is closed the conveyor will extends completely within the cargo space in this realization and is protected against rain, theft and damage.

It is possible that the platform is provided with walls (side, removable).

It is possible that the ramp (18) may be immobilized in an upright position. This is done to limit the dimension during use as a conveyor and / or to enclose the load.

The recess in the loading floor of the truck can Be closed on the bottom side.

It is important that the upper face of the platform or upper forks preferably have a substantially level connection with the container surface of material carrier load.

The complete conveyor can fit in the load space recess (closed), even on the side of the cargo space of the truck (see figures 8 and 9).

In a second preferred embodiment of the conveyor 100 as shown in the figures 10-12, the lower forks 110 are movable up and down in frame part 112 by means of a piston rod mechanism 114, whose piston rod 114 is mounted on the underside of it on a cross beam bottom 115 of frame 112 and on the top side of the same envelope a transverse upper part 116 of the lower forks 110.

The upper forks 124, which are also provided with front wheels (not shown), they extend from a transverse beam 118 that can be displaced upwards and down.

The transverse beam 118 is provided on the ends of it from two erect sleeves 122 that can move up and down on both arms sides 126 of the frame 112.

A cross beam 128, transverse, is extends between the upper ends of the side arms 126.

A piston rod assembly 130 is fixed by an upper end thereof to the frame beam 128 and by a lower end thereof to transverse beam 118 of the upper forks 124. The upper forks 124 may be thus displaced up and down on the frame 112.

Two recesses 132 that correspond to the upper forks 124 can be found on the floor 136 of the truck.

The innermost end of the forks Upper 124 is provided with holes or grooves 140 (see also figure 11).

The locking mechanism 142 is mounted between two recesses 132 on the floor 136 of the truck.

The locking mechanism 142 has two arms Opposites 144 provided with protruding portions 146.

A spring 148 extends between the two arms 144.

The arms 144 are mounted so that they can pivot on a rectangular body 150 that is provided on the front of it with a bar 152, whose bar 152 is mounted from so that it can be moved in a fixed block 154. This block 154 It is fixed to the floor of the truck.

Each arm 144 is provided at the end. top of it of two wires 156, whose two wires 156 are guided through a triangular part 158 to go together like this a cable 160 at the top of triangle 158. If cable 160 it is attached, the two cables 156 are also attached and pulled the protruding portions 146 of the arms 144 inwardly, by what these projections 146 are no longer in the holes 140 of the upper forks 124, after which the forks Upper 124 can be disassembled.

When cables 156 are tensioned, the body 150 of the coupling mechanism 142 is pushed down by middle of the arms 144, whereby the bar 152 extends in a corresponding recess 162 of the truck floor.

When the conveyor 100 is mounted on the truck, upper forks 124 push projections 146 of the arms 144 inwards until the protrusions fall inside of the holes 140 of the upper forks 124, whereby the Conveyor is immobilized on the floor of the truck.

After immobilizing the conveyor in the floor of the truck, the body 150 of the locking mechanism 142 can be placed further forward in relation to the ground recess of truck, so you pull more of the conveyor on the ground to put it in good position.

The conveyor 100 can be immobilized in the truck and released from this as follows:

The conveyor can approach the space of truck storage, so that the front forks 124 are approximately aligned with the recesses 132 of the floor of the truck.

Although it is convenient for the forks front 124 can approach the recesses 132 aligned, it will be Obviously, if this is not the case, the conveyor can approach the "misaligned" truck and have the alignment align then the same

The conveyor's own weight helps to find the correct point of application in floor recesses 132.

When bar 117 of combination 114 of the piston rods be moved up, the forks lower 110 will be pushed out relative to the accommodation 4 in the direction of the land, so the Conveyor 100 will lean back as a set.

When the lower forks 110 are raised relative to housing 4 as shown in the figure 10, the conveyor will lean forward like a set.

Using this technical possibility, the point of Conveyor support can be displaced, during the coupling and loading on the truck, from the stand on the front end of the lower forks 110 to a point of support at the front ends of the upper forks 124. The support point at the front end of the forks lower 110 is therefore transferred during charging to the point of support at the front end of the upper forks 124. It is therefore impossible for the conveyor to become suspended of the truck when they are immobilized with each other.

The conveyor is then moved towards front until the front forks are immobilized in the floor of the truck in the manner described above.

Complete immobilization is achieved after raise the housing and the lower forks, according to the figure 6, after which the conveyor is ready to be moved by truck.

Conveyor release is possible with the reverse sequence The conveyor can only be released if body 150 of coupling mechanism 142 moves backward (as shown in Figure 12), and cables 156 and 160 are tight.

The present invention is not limited to the described preferred embodiment thereof, the rights are defined by the following claims, within the scope of which many modifications are contemplated.

Claims (19)

1. Carrier (32) of material that includes a conveyor (1) for transporting material between said carrier of material, such as a truck, and a material destination, for example, a store located in a bustling place that is difficult to access, in which the conveyor comprises: - a frame part (2); - a support platform (8) that can be displaced up and down relative to the part of frame between a raised position and a lowered position, characterized because - a floor (28) of said carrier is provided of material with a recess (26) substantially accessible vertical, and - the support platform corresponds to a peripheral profile of the recess so that at least a part of the upper surface of the support platform serves as a part of the material carrier floor. 2. Carrier according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor is provided with fixing means to fix the material conveyor when the support platform is mounted on the floor of the material carrier. 3. Carrier according to claims 1 or 2, in which the support platform is provided with at least one wheel (20, 22), whose wheel is mounted on the conveyor so that can be folded between a storage position, of not utilization, and a utilization position. 4. Carrier according to any of the previous claims, wherein the support platform (8) It has such a shape that it can be inserted into, and removed from, a loading platform opening. 5. Carrier according to any of the previous claims, further comprising an element (10) of fork type support arranged on the frame part, whose fork type element is arranged so that it extends forward under the support platform when uses. 6. Carrier according to claim 5, wherein the fork element is provided on the front side with one or more rollers (12). 7. Carrier according to any of the previous claims, further provided with a source of energy to scroll up and down the platform and / or forward / backward movement of the conveyor. 8. Carrier according to any of the previous claims, provided with steering means (16) to direct the conveyor between a cargo area and one of discharge. 9. Carrier according to any of the previous claims, wherein the fixing means they include the platform and the fork-type support, in which the fork type bracket can be fixed under an opening of the load carrier and in which the platform can be fixed to the floor of the same load carrier opening, so that the load carrier floor is sandwiched between the support of fork and platform. 10. Carrier according to any of the previous claims, further comprising means of transport, preferably a platform forklift of cargo, whose transport means can be coupled so releasable to the conveyor. 11. Carrier according to any of the previous claims, wherein the fork element can be moved up and down by means of a piston rod mechanism (114, 116) mounted between the element of fork and frame part. 12. Carrier according to any of the previous claims, wherein the support comprises two upper forks (124) that are provided with holes fixation. 13. Carrier according to any of the previous claims, comprising a mechanism (142) of immobilization comprising two protruding elements (140) of fixation that can pivot, opposite each other, which can pivot between a first immobilization position, in which the protruding elements extend into the holes of the upper forks of the conveyor, and a second position of release. 14. Carrier according to any of the claims 1 to 5, wherein said platform is provided in a front end of a fin (18) that can pivot to provide a flush connection between the upper surface of the support platform and the material carrier floor. 15. The use of a material carrier as claimed in claims 1 to 14 for transporting goods. 16. Method for transporting goods using a material carrier according to claims 1 to 14, which includes the operations of driving the material carrier to a parking area suitable for the purpose, place the goods to be unloaded on the platform of the conveyor, move the fork elements of the conveyor down until they come in contact with the ground, disassemble the carrier from the carrier opening and move the conveyor platform down, after which the transporter and the goods can be moved to desired place 17. Method for transporting goods using a material carrier according to any of claims 1 to 14, which includes the operations of: - load a cargo space of the carrier of material on the conveyor whose upper side of a loading platform is easily accessed from the floor of the cargo spaces; - move the conveyor down; Y - drive out the means of transport, by example a forklift for trays, coupled to the conveyor so that it can be released. 18. Method for transporting goods using a carrier (32) of material that includes a conveyor (1), for transporting material between said carrier (32) of material and a destination of material, in which the conveyor comprises a part (2) rack, a support platform (8) that can be shifted up and down on the frame part between an elevated position and a lowered position, in which a floor of said material carrier is provided with a recess (26) substantially vertically accessible, and the platform of support corresponds to a peripheral profile of the recess so that at minus a part of the upper surface of the platform support serves as a part of the material carrier floor in which, when lowered in an intermediate position, the platform of support comprises on a front end a fin (18) which can pivot that provides a substantially level connection, with the surface of the merchandise warehouse of the bearer of material, which comprises the operations of driving the bearer of material to a parking area suitable for the purpose, place the goods to be unloaded on the conveyor platform on said level connection, remove the carrier of the material carrier and move the platform from conveyor down, after which the conveyor and the goods can be moved to the desired place. 19. Method according to claim 18, which it also includes the operations necessary to place the conveyor support platform in said recess (26) substantially vertical accessible of a floor of the area of material carrier load.