FR2750088A1 - Vehicle equipped with hydraulic lifting arm - Google Patents

Abstract

The vehicle which is equipped with a hydraulic lifting arm has a support (10) located vertically and transversely at the front end of the handling arm. The support stocks a structure (21) which serves as an interface between the end of an ISO container and the gripping hook (6). The support is fixed by a mounting (20) enabling rotation about a longitudinal axis. The hook can be displaced horizontally near to its transport position. The interface structure has forward projecting hooks (36,39). The support has laterally projecting stops (13,15) located such that the structure is led against the support by the handling system. The hooks are placed opposite the stops.

Description

The invention relates to vehicles equipped with a handling device with hydraulic lifting arm of the type described for example in
FR -A-2. 109.109 or FR-A-2. 185.520.

 We know that these handling devices are designed to cooperate with a very specific type of cradle, for example the subject of Standard DIN 30.772, the cradles in question being provided on their front face with a gripping axis for the hook handling device while rails are provided on their underside to cooperate with the rollers disposed at the rear of the handling device.

It has already been proposed (see for example EP-A-0.319.627) to use this type of handling device to load so-called containers
ISO, that is to say in accordance with ISO Standard 668, thanks to an interface structure between the end of the ISO container, (the structure is taken on the corner fittings (corner fitting) of this end thanks to twist-locks) and thanks to rolling or sliding pads provided at the rear of the handling device to cooperate with the edges of the container.

 The invention aims to enable the handling device of a vehicle to be used without difficulty either for a conventional cradle load or for an ISO container provided with an interface structure.

 To this end, it offers a vehicle equipped with a handling device with hydraulic lifting arm, characterized in that it comprises a support arranged vertically and transversely at the front end of the handling device, for storing a structure intended to serve interface between the end of an ISO container and the gripping hook of the handling device.

 It is thus possible to permanently keep the interface structure on the vehicle, at a location where it does not interfere with the conventional operation of the handling device, that is to say that one can both have on it ci the interface device in place on the storage medium, and a conventional cradle load in the transport position.

 This allows for example to go to a point where we must unload the conventional cradle load, and to pick up at this same point an iSO container thanks to the interface structure.

 According to preferred characteristics, said support is fixed by means of mounting means allowing rotation about a longitudinal axis.

 This avoids introducing with the vertical storage support, a stiffening which would no longer allow the chassis of the vehicle and the frame of the handling device to work on the road in the best conditions, where certain elastic deformations must occur.

 According to other preferred characteristics - said handling device is adapted to move its hook substantially horizontally in the vicinity of the transport position; - Said interface structure comprises hooks projecting forward and - said support comprises abutment means projecting laterally, and arranged so that when said structure is brought against said support by said handling device, said hooks come place themselves opposite said abutment means.

 Thanks to these characteristics, the hooks and the stops can both serve to lock the interface structure when it is to be stored on the support, but also when the interface structure is mounted on a container being transported, in order to limit the clearance of the container vis-à-vis the truck, which is particularly useful when the latter has to travel on very winding roads or on bad roads.

 According to other preferred characteristics - said hooks are adapted to engage on said abutment means when the interface structure is raised by means of the handling device when it has been brought by the latter against said support; and - said support comprises locking means for holding said structure in the position where said hooks are engaged on said stop means.

 This makes it particularly simple, convenient and economical, locking the interface structure on the storage medium.

 Preferably, said hooks each comprise a notch for receiving a said stop means.

 The engagement between the hooks and the stop means is thus particularly safe.

 According to other preferred characteristics, for their convenience and reliability, said locking means that comprises said support, are provided with at least one pin adapted to engage in a notch of at least one said hook.

 According to other preferred characteristics, said abutment means of said support comprise at least one element providing an opening with a closed contour in which one of said hooks of said structure engages.

 The cooperation between the hook engaged in the element providing an opening makes it possible to benefit from a limitation of the play of the container in all the directions contained in the plane of the element, that is to say in a plane oriented transversely.

 According to other preferred characteristics, said interface structure has a general H-shape, with two telescopic uprights in a vertical direction, carrying at their top a hooking device on an upper corner piece of an ISO container, each of these devices comprising a pin adapted to engage in the orifice made in the upper face of the corner piece, and carrying at their foot an attachment element on a lower corner piece of an ISO container, suitable for slide laterally, fitted with a hooking finger adapted to engage in the orifice provided in the lateral face of the corner piece.

 Thanks to these characteristics, the installation of the interface structure on the container is particularly simple and convenient, while the interface structure is easy and economical to manufacture.

 It will be observed that such an interface structure is perfectly usable independently of the presence of a storage medium on a vehicle.

 According to other preferred characteristics, said interface structure comprises a removable grasping axis, in order to allow the hook to be removed from the handling device after the structure has been locked on the support.

 It is thus possible to complete the operation of storing the interface structure on the support in a particularly safe manner, and not requiring any particular skill on the part of the operator.

 Preferably, to prevent the operator from having to climb to the level of the top of the crane of the handling device, said interface structure comprises a linkage for removing or positioning said gripping axis.

According to other preferred characteristics, said handling device comprises pads for supporting the edges of the container edge
ISO, which are adapted to adopt a locking position where they are set back from the path of the lower rails of a conventional cradle for a handling device with hydraulic lifting arm and which are adapted to adjust to the width of the container ISO to handle.

 The pads can thus remain permanently on the vehicle, where they do not cause any discomfort when a load provided with a conventional cradle is used, which is much simpler and more convenient than the removable pads known to date.

The description of the invention will now be continued with the description of an exemplary embodiment, given below by way of illustration and not limitation, with reference to the appended drawings. On these
- Figure 1 is an elevational view of the front part of a truck, taken from the left side thereof, equipped with a handling device with hydraulic lifting arm, provided according to the invention with vertical support, with an interface structure for ISO container according to the invention which is locked on this support;
- Figure 2 is a side view of the vertical support shown in Figure 1;
- Figure 3 is a rear view of this support;
- Figure 4 is a side view of the interface structure shown in Figure 1, in a configuration where it is placed on the ground with its support stand unfolded;
- Figure 5 is a rear view showing the support and the interface structure of the previous figures in the configuration of Figure 1 where they are locked to each other
- Figures 6 to 9 are views similar to Figure 1, showing how the interface structure is put in place and locked on the vertical support;
- Figures 10 to 13 are elevation views taken from the left side of the truck, showing how the interface structure is put in place on one end of an ISO container, and how this container is loaded on the truck; and
- Figures 14 and 15 are similar views showing how to load a conventional cradle, while an interface structure is stored on the vertical support.

 The truck 1 shown in FIG. 1 comprises at the front a cabin 2, behind which is a horizontal carrying frame 3 on which is mounted a handling device with hydraulic lifting arm of the type described in FR-A-2.185.520 , but with a telescopic bracket as described in FR-A-2.109.109, documents to which one can refer if one wishes more details than those given below.

 The handling device with which the truck 1 is equipped has a bracket 4 whose vertical section 5 in the transport position, has a hook 6 at its top, and whose horizontal section 7 in the transport position, is telescopic (see in particular the figures 6 and 7). The rear of the bracket 4, and more precisely the rear of its section 7, is articulated on a subframe 8 (see FIG. 10) which is itself articulated towards the rear of a frame 9 attached to the chassis 3 of the truck 1.

 On the front of the frame 9, that is to say just behind the cabin 2, is fixed a vertical support 10 shown more particularly in FIGS. 2 and 3.

 This support has the general shape of a rectangular frame, with a left upright 11A, a right upright 11B, an upper cross member 12A and a lower cross member 12B.

 At the top of the external side of each of the uprights 11A and 11B, is welded a lug 13 which projects outwards, each lug 13 being formed by a piece of rectangular steel disposed transversely to the external face of the upright 11A or II B about halfway between the front and the back of it.

 Also on the external face of each of the uprights 11A and 11B, but in the lower part, there is added a plate 14 welded on the external face of the upright parallel to this face, the plate 14 being slightly wider than the uprights. On the external side of each plate 14 is welded a cut sheet metal element 15 having a general U-shape, which is oriented transversely to the external face of the plate 14, along the same plane as the tab 13, the opening 16 delimited by the plate 14 and by the element 15 having a rectangular outline. A horizontal reinforcement 17, the length of which corresponds to the width of the plate 14, is welded to the latter and to the element 15, just below the latter. A horizontal tab 18 having approximately the same width as the reinforcement 17 is welded to the plate 14 and to the element 15, roughly halfway between the opening 16 and the top of this element, the horizontal tab 18 projecting rearwards beyond the plate 14.

 On the rear face of the lower cross member 12B, two vertical brackets 19A and 19B are provided. On the internal side of each console 19A and 19B, and under the cross member 12B, are welded tubular elements 20 oriented longitudinally. These elements are used for fixing the support 10 on the frame 9 (see Figure 1), by means of a hinge axis oriented longitudinally. Thanks to this arrangement, the side members of the frame 9 retain a certain freedom of movement which is favorable to the mechanical strength of the assembly over time.

 The interface structure 21 intended to be stored on the support 10 is shown more particularly in FIGS. 4 and 5.

 This structure has a general H shape, with on each side a telescopic upright, respectively 22A (left upright) and 22B (showing right), these uprights being joined by a cross member 23.

 We will now describe in detail the amount 22A.

 In general, it is formed by three tubular profiles with rectangular section arranged vertically: a profile 24 disposed on the external side, extending from the bottom of the structure 21 to the cross member 23, a profile 25 carrying its top a device 26 for hooking on an upper corner piece of an ISO container, the profile 25 being able to slide opposite the profile 24 to cause the upright 22A to take a length greater than the minimum length shown in particular on the FIGS. 4 and 5 (see in this respect FIG. 11), and a profile 27 extending from the bottom of the structure 21 to half the height of the cross-member 23, and attached to the internal side of the profile 24.

 On the bottom of the sections 24 and 27, on the rear side of the structure 21, is welded a horizontal tubular element 28, to receive a device 29 for hooking onto a lower corner piece of an ISO container. The device 29 comprises a tubular element 30 engaged in the element 28 and capable of sliding relative to the latter, a console 31 welded to one of the ends of the element 30, and a pin 32 adapted to engage in the side hole of the corner piece of the ISO container. A locking finger 33, passing transversely in the elements 28 and 30, makes it possible to immobilize the element 29 in the position shown in particular in FIGS. 4 and 5, position in which the pin 32 is engaged in the corner piece of the container ISO when structure 21 is in place on it.

 By removing the finger 33, it is possible to slide the element 29 horizontally outwards, which can be grasped by the handle 35. The fact of being able to move the element 29 outwards is useful when the establishment of the structure 21 on a container, as will be explained later. It is possible to completely disengage the element 30 from the element 28, put the device 29 upside down, then re-engage the element 30 in the element 28 before replacing the locking finger 33. The device 29 is then in its storage position shown for example in FIG. 1, storage position in which it does not protrude rearward relative to the element 28.

 At the foot of the internal face of the profile 27, is welded a hook 36 formed by a piece of steel arranged parallel to this face, that is to say oriented longitudinally. The hook 36 has two notches, respectively an upper notch 37 which is located in front of the sections 24 and 27, and a lower notch 38 which is located below these sections.

 About halfway up the profiles 24 and 27, there is provided a hook 39 made and fixed in a similar manner to the hook 36, but comprising a single upper notch 40, in front of the profiles 25 and 27.

 The amount 22B is the symmetrical amount 22A, that is to say that it has exactly the same elements, but reversed as in the image of the amount 22A that would give a mirror.

 In addition to the same elements as the upright 22A, the upright 22B carries a stand 41 which, when it is in the unfolded position shown in FIG. 4, where it makes an angle with respect to the uprights 24 and 27, allows the structure 21 to stand on the ground. Of course, to use the structure 21, the stand is put in the folded position shown for example in Figure 1, where it is against the profiles 24 and 27 of the upright 22B.

 The cross member 23 is formed by two sections of sections with hexagonal section, respectively a left section 42A and a right section 42B separated at the center of the structure 21 by a space 43 limited laterally by a right console 44A and a left console 44B respectively. The sections 42A and 42B are joined by a central section 45 which is taken on the upper rear inclined face of these sections.

 The brackets 44A and 44B are used for mounting a gripping pin 46 designed to cooperate with the hook 6 of the vehicle handling device 1, the pin 46 also being carried by two other brackets 47A and 47B, fixed respectively to the profile 42A and to section 42B.

The axis 46 can be removed from the consoles 44A, 44B, 47B, by sliding it parallel to itself to the left of FIG. 5.

To control the sliding movement of the axis 46 from the side and the bottom of the structure 21, that is to say from a place accessible to an operator when the assembly is in the position shown in FIG. 1, a linkage is provided comprising a lever 48 articulated at one end on the axis 46 and at the other on an elbow lever 49 which is articulated at an intermediate point on a pin 50 carried by the internal face of the profile 27 of the upright 22A, the lower end of the lever 49 comprising a sheath 51 intended to be engaged on a finger 52 carried by the rear face of the profile 27
The engagement of the sheath 51 in the finger 52 allowing the pin 46 to be locked in position.

 As explained above, the devices 26 are provided for locking the structure 21 on one of the upper corner pieces of an ISO container. They comprise an elongated pin 53 provided for entering the corner part through the upper orifice thereof. As can be seen in FIG. 9, the devices 26 are articulated with respect to the profile 25 around an axis which is situated approximately perpendicular to the rear face of the profile 25, stops being provided so that they cannot pivot, in the direction in which the pins 53 rise, more than in the position illustrated in particular in FIGS. 4 and 5, while they can pivot down, in order to reduce the bulk of the structure 21 when it is stored on the support 10.

 As can be seen in FIG. 5, the support 10 is provided at the foot of each upright 11A and 11B, with a latch 54 (not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3) comprising a handle 55 for operating a spindle 56.

 We will now describe with the support of FIGS. 6 to 9, how one can set up and lock the structure 21 on the storage support 10 of the truck 1.

 The structure 21 being for example placed on the ground as shown in FIG. 4, we will search for it with the handling device which is made to assume approximately the same position as in FIG. 11, we then engage the hook 6 in the axis 46, and the stem is tilted forward, tilting movement at the end of which we are in the position illustrated in FIG. 6.

 Then acts on the telescoping control of the bracket 4 in the direction of the elongation of its horizontal section 7, so that the structure 21 approaches the support 10 while remaining parallel to itself, the translational movement continuing until the front face of the uprights 22A and 22B of the structure 21 come at the rear face of the uprights 11A and 11B of the support 10, as shown in FIG. 7. The positioning of the lugs 13 and of the orifice 16 of the support 10 as well as hooks 36 and 39 of the structure 21 are such that the notch 40 of each hook 39 is then located exactly below one of the lugs 13 and that the notch 37 of the hook 36 is located exactly in the hole 16, as shown in the enlarged details of Figure 7.

 One then acts on the tilting cylinder of the handling device in order to raise the structure 21. The notch 40 of the hook 39 then engages on the tab 13 until a stop occurs, and likewise for the notch 37 of the hook 36 with respect to the part of the element 15 which overhangs the opening 16.

 The handle 55 of each of the latches 54 is then operated to bring their pin 56 into the notch 38 of the hook 36. The structure 21 is then locked on the support 10.

 To release the hook 6 from the bracket 4, the axis 46 is made to slide parallel to itself until it is no longer in the space 43, the presence of the latter then allowing the hook 6 d 'be released from the structure 21, by shortening the horizontal section 7 of the bracket 4, as shown in Figure 9. In order to limit the size of the structure 21 to the rear, we return as previously explained the elements of lower locking 29 while the upper locking devices 26 are tilted.

 In a variant not illustrated, the hook 6 is released from the axis 46 without unhooking it from the yokes which carries it, simply by positioning the hook 6 at the appropriate height, then lowering its latch 57 (see FIG. 1), for example by acting on the pneumatic control of this latch, then by rolling back the vertical part of the bracket 4.

 We will now explain in support of FIGS. 10 to 13 how an ISO container can be loaded using the vehicle handling device 1.

 After taking the structure 21 with the hook 6, for example from the ground where it was placed in the position shown in FIG. 4, or by unlocking it from the support 10 by carrying out in the opposite direction the operations shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, the structure 21 is brought into the position shown in FIG. 10, where the devices 26 are each opposite the upper face of one of the upper corner pieces of the ISO 60 container placed on the ground behind the vehicle 1, and with the locking elements 29 which are not locked by the finger 33, and which have been pulled outwards relative to the position shown in FIG. 5.

 The handling device is then maneuvered in the direction in which the hook descends, the devices 26 engage on the corner pieces of the container 60 opposite which they were placed, the profiles 25 slide relative to the profiles 27 until that the structure 21 rests on the ground. We are then in the position illustrated in FIG. 11, and the attachment fingers 32 of the elements 29 are then each exactly opposite the lateral orifice of the lower corner piece of the container 60 which corresponds to them.

 The operator then brings each of the elements 29 back to the position shown in FIG. 5, that is to say makes each of the fingers 32 penetrate into the corresponding corner piece, then puts the fingers 33 in place to lock the elements 29 .

 The establishment of the structure 21 on the container 60 is then completed.

 The container is then loaded in a conventional manner using the handling device, which is specially provided with rear pivoting pads 61 on which the respective edge edges of the container 60 will slide or roll during loading, as well as the sign EP- A0.319.627 to which one can refer if one wishes more details.

 In the example illustrated, the pads 61 are of adjustable width so that they can be precisely adjusted to the width of the container to be handled.

 It will be observed that at the end of the loading movement, the interface structure 21 is positioned relative to the support 10 exactly as shown in FIG. 7. When the vehicle 1 is running, the cooperation between the hooks 39 and the legs 13, on the one hand, and between the hooks 36 and the elements 15, on the other hand, makes it possible to benefit from stops which limit the relative movements of the container 60 with respect to the vehicle 10, which is particularly advantageous when this one travels on winding roads, and even more on bad roads or off-road.

 We will now refer to FIGS. 14 and 15, which show how the loading of a conventional cradle takes place on the vehicle 1 while the structure 21 is stored on the support 10.

 It will first be noted that when such a cradle is loaded, the pads 61 are brought back to a storage position where they are locked on the frame 9, and much more forward than when a container is loaded directly, so that the lower rails 62 of the cradle 70 can cooperate with the rear rollers 63 of the handling device.

 It can be seen that the maneuver takes place in the usual way, and that the presence of the structure 21 on the support 10 in no way prevents the handling device from bringing the cradle 70 to the transport position.

 It will be recalled that the invention is not limited to the examples described and shown.

Claims (12)

 1. Vehicle equipped with a handling device with hydraulic lifting arm, characterized in that it comprises a support (10) disposed vertically and transversely at the front end of the handling device, for storing a structure (21) provided to serve as an interface between the end of an ISO container (60) and the gripping hook (6) of the handling device.  2. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that said support (10) is fixed by means of mounting means (20) allowing rotation about a longitudinal axis.  3. Vehicle according to any one of claims I or 2, characterized in that:  - Said handling device is adapted to move its hook (6) substantially horizontally in the vicinity of the transport position  - Said interface structure (21) comprises hooks (36, 39) projecting forward; and  - said support (10) comprises stop means (13, 15) projecting laterally, and arranged so that when said structure (21) is brought against said support (10) by said handling device, said hooks (36, 39) are placed opposite said abutment means (13, 15).  4. Vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that:  - Said hooks (36, 39) are adapted to engage on said abutment means when the interface structure (21) is raised by means of the handling device when it has been brought by the latter against said support (10); and  - Said support (10) comprises locking means (54) to maintain said structure (21) in the position where said hooks (36, 39) are engaged on said stop means (13, 15).  5. Vehicle according to claim 4, characterized in that said hooks (36, 39) each comprise a notch (37, 40) for receiving a said stop means (15, 13).  6. Vehicle according to any one of claims 4 or 5 characterized in that said locking means (54) that comprises said support (10), are provided with at least one pin (56) adapted to engage in a notch (38) of at least one said hook (36, 39).  7. Vehicle according to any one of claims 3 to 6 characterized in that said abutment means of said support (10) comprise at least one element (15) providing an opening (16) with closed outline in which engages the one of said hooks (36, 39) of said structure (21).  8. Vehicle according to any one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that said support (10) has the general shape of a rectangular frame, with said stop means (13, 15) which extend laterally projecting from an external face of each of the two uprights (1 lA, 11B).  9. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 8 characterized in that said interface structure has a general H-shape, with two uprights (22A, 22B) telescopic in a vertical direction carrying at their top a device (26 ) for attachment to an upper corner piece of an ISO container, each of these devices (26) comprising a pin (53) adapted to engage in the orifice provided in the upper face of the corner piece, and carrying at their foot an element (29) for hooking on a lower corner piece of an ISO container (60), adapted to slide laterally, provided with a hooking finger (32) adapted to engage in the orifice formed in the lateral face of the corner piece.  10. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 9 characterized in that said interface structure comprises a gripping axis (46) removable, in order to allow the withdrawal of the hook (6) from the handling device after the locking of the structure (21) on the support (10).  11. Vehicle according to claim 10, characterized in that said interface structure (21) comprises a linkage (48, 49) for removing or positioning said gripping axis (46).  12. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that said handling device comprises pads (61) for supporting the edges of the edge of the ISO container (60), which are adapted to adopt a locking position (Figures 14 and 15) where they are set back relative to the path of the lower rails (62) of a conventional cradle (70) for a handling device with hydraulic lifting arm, and which are adapted to adjust to the width ISO container (60) to be handled.