FR2817216A1 - Loading device for trolley onto transport vehicle platform comprises adjustable length leg fixed to support part to form ground support leg - Google Patents

Abstract

The loading device is composed of an adjustable length leg (4) which comprises means for fixing to a support part of the trailer hitch (3) in order to constitute a ground support leg close to the longitudinal median axis of the vehicle platform (2).

Description

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The present invention relates to a device for assisting the loading of a load-carrying trolley that can be loaded with its load on the platform in elevation. of a transport vehicle in particular a utility vehicle as well as a transport vehicle, in particular a utility vehicle, comprising an elevated platform for receiving loads, equipped with such a loading aid device and / or when unloading loads.

été développés à ce jour comme l'illustrent par exemple les brevets DE-A-4337549, EP-A-0439812 ou DE-A-3007578. De tels chariots sont généralement munis d'un plateau support de charge mûni d'une part d'organes de glissement ou de roulement servant au déplacement du plateau sur la plateforme de réception en élévation du véhicule, d'autre part de deux jeux de pieds respectivement avant et arrière, réglables en hauteur et reliés au plateau pour occuper une position effacée et une position d'appui au sol lorsque le Numerous load-carrying trolleys that can be loaded with their load on the receiving platform for elevation of utility vehicles, such as station wagons, have

have been developed to date as illustrated for example by patents DE-A-4337549, EP-A-0439812 or DE-A-3007578. Such carriages are generally provided with a load support plate matured on the one hand with sliding or rolling members serving to move the plate on the receiving platform in elevation of the vehicle, on the other hand with two sets of feet front and rear respectively, adjustable in height and connected to the platform to occupy a cleared position and a ground support position when the

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 platform is at least partially removed from the vehicle so as to allow the carriage to move on the ground. The disadvantage of such carts is due to the height adjustment of the feet. When a set of feet is deployed to allow the carriage to exit the vehicle, it automatically locks at a height corresponding to its position on the ground. During the continuation of the exit of the carriage from the vehicle, the platform of the vehicle tends under the effect of the reduction in the weight which it supports to rise so that when the set of front feet deploys to come when resting on the ground, it automatically locks at a height greater than that of the rear set of feet. The carriage tray is then in an inclined position. The problem is similar when boarding the cart on the vehicle platform.

Such behavior of the vehicle platform limits the weight of the load that can be placed on the load-carrying carriage. On-board load-carrying carts are therefore limited today in terms of the weight of load that can be handled.

The object of the present invention is therefore to propose a device for assisting with loading and / or unloading of loads, the design of which allows the loading and unloading of a load-carrying trolley on the platform of a vehicle. by keeping the carriage plate horizontal during said operations regardless of the weight of the load supported by said carriage.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for assisting the loading of on-board load-carrying carts adaptable to any type of vehicle and the design of which makes it possible to load carts carrying a load of any weight into the vehicle without harming truck loading and unloading operations.

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To this end, the subject of the invention is a device for assisting with the loading and / or unloading of an embarkable load-carrying trolley with its load on the platform in elevation of a transport vehicle, characterized in that the loading aid device consists of at least one leg adjustable in length, this leg comprising means for fixing to a support member, such as a trailer hitch support plate, of the vehicle to constitute, in position work, one leg resting on the ground disposed in the vicinity of the median longitudinal axis of the vehicle platform in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the vehicle platform, the maximum length of the leg is at least equal to the empty height of the vehicle platform defined by the vehicle manufacturer, so as to be able to maintain the vehicle load receiving platform at a constant height HC when loading and / or unloading the load-carrying trolley e mbarquable.

Thanks to the presence of the support leg on the ground fixed to a support member such as the support plate devoid of the coupling member of the trailer hitch of the vehicle, the vehicle platform is kept at a constant height when loading and / or unloading an on-board load-carrying trolley so that the trolley can support heavy loads.

Another subject of the invention is a transport vehicle, in particular a utility vehicle such as a station wagon, of the type comprising an elevated platform for receiving loads and a trailer hitch generally formed of at least one plate- support fixed to the chassis of the vehicle and devoid of a coupling member, characterized in that the trailer hitch of the vehicle is arranged to be able to receive a device for assisting with the loading and / or unloading of a load-carrying trolley loadable with its load on the platform in elevation of the vehicle, this loading aid device being of the aforementioned type.

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 The invention will be clearly understood on reading the following description of exemplary embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 represents a schematic side view of a vehicle fitted with a loading aid device and / or when unloading a load-carrying trolley that can be loaded in the working position of the component leg; 2 shows a schematic side view of a vehicle equipped with a device for assisting with the loading and / or unloading of a load-carrying carriage in the transport position of the component leg of the device; FIG. 3 represents a schematic view of the support plate of a trailer hitch equipping the chassis of a vehicle and FIGS. 4 and 5 represent schematic front views of the device for assisting in the loading and / or unloading of load-carrying trolley in transport and work position respectively.

The invention applies to any transport vehicle 1 comprising on the one hand an elevated platform for receiving loads shown in 2 in the figures, on the other hand a support member positioned at the rear of the vehicle 1 to outside of the latter and in the vicinity of the longitudinal axis of the platform 2 of the vehicle. This support member can be an add-on member or fitted as original equipment on the vehicle. In the examples shown, this support member 3A takes the form of a plate of a trailer hitch 3, this plate normally being intended to receive a coupling member such as a ball joint. Obviously, this support plate will be here devoid of

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 coupling device.

This support plate 3A is generally provided with at least two holes 6 as shown in FIG. 3 to receive the coupling member generally formed by a ball joint.

The device which is the subject of the invention makes it possible to load and / or unload an embarkable load-carrying trolley with its load on the platform 2 in elevation of the vehicle. The design of the load carrier can be arbitrary. Such carriages generally consist of a load-carrying tray provided with height-adjustable feet.

The feet are deployable to allow the exit of the vehicle trolley and conversely erasable in the retracted position of the trolley inside the vehicle. A complete description of these trolleys is provided by way of example in patents DE-A-4337549, EP-A-0439812 or DE-A-3007578.

To avoid the problems mentioned in the introduction and in accordance with the invention, this device for assisting the loading and / or unloading of the carriage, coupled to the transport vehicle generally mechanically, consists of at least one leg 4 adjustable in length and extending in the working position as shown in FIG. 1 in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the platform 2 of the vehicle 1 in the vicinity of the median longitudinal axis of the platform of the vehicle 1 to come to rest on the ground . Thanks to its position relative to the median longitudinal axis of the platform 2 of the vehicle 1, only one leg is necessary to maintain the platform at the required height.

The maximum length of the leg 4 is at least equal to the empty height HC of the vehicle platform, this empty height being defined by the vehicle manufacturer, so as to be able to maintain the platform 2 for receiving vehicle load at constant height

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 when loading and / or unloading the on-board load-carrying trolley.

This leg 4 is mechanically coupled directly or via a connecting member to the vehicle support member and more particularly to the support plate 3A of the trailer hitch 3. In the examples shown a connection member is planned. This connecting member consists of a plate 5 extending parallel to the support plate 3A of the trailer hitch 3. This plate 5 is connected by a pivot pin to the support plate 3A of the trailer hitch 3 so as to allow a pivoting movement of the leg 4. This plate 5 on which the leg 4 is, for example, fixed by welding is more particularly shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

This plate 5 pivots about a pivot axis, not shown, housed in a hole 7A in the plate 5 and a corresponding hole 6A in the support plate 3A. This plate 5 also comprises two holes 7B, 7C arranged to cooperate with a corresponding hole 6B formed in the support plate 3A of the trailer hitch 3. This cooperation is obtained by means of at least one locking member such that 'a pin mounted on a spring coupled to the plate 5 and arranged to be received in the corresponding bore 6B of the support plate 3A of the trailer hitch in the locked position of the leg 4.

In practice, each bore 7B, 7C of the plate 5 is provided with a pin mounted on a spring capable of being housed in the bore 6B of the support plate 3A of the trailer attachment 3.

Thanks to the fact that the leg 4 or its connecting member 5 to the support plate 3A of the trailer hitch 3 are pivotally connected to the trailer hitch, the leg 4 is capable of occupying at least two positions, one called transport in which it extends in a plane parallel to the plane of the load receiving platform, as shown

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 Figure 2, the other called work in which it extends in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the load receiving platform 2 to come to rest on the ground as shown in Figure 1. The leg or its organ of connection and the trailer hitch therefore comprise complementary locking members as mentioned above to allow immobilization of the articulation of the pivoting connection in any of the two positions. Obviously the pivoting link could have been replaced by any other link allowing the leg 4 to be mounted in an orientable manner on the trailer attachment 3.

To allow its length adjustment, the leg 4 generally has a cylinder type design. This leg is preferably a telescopic leg consisting of two interlocking elements animated by an axial relative movement by means of an electrical or mechanical or hydraulic or pneumatic or oleopneumatic control device.

In the examples shown, the leg, which is a telescopic leg 4, is adjustable in length by means of a crank 9 constituting a mechanical control device. This crank is directly accessible to the operator. In this case, the elements of the telescopic leg 4 are provided with a screw nut device allowing the transformation of the rotational movement of the crank 9 into an alternating axial movement of the constituent elements of the leg 4. Obviously a pneumatic cylinder or oleopneumatic or electric or hydraulic could still have been used. This leg 4 is also provided with a foot 8 to improve the seat on the ground of said leg 4.

The device for assisting with the loading and / or unloading of an on-board load-carrying cart with its load on the platform 2 in elevation of a transport vehicle 1

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 thus constituted may be made adaptable to any type of vehicle thanks to an adapted design of its means of attachment to the vehicle. Although the use of the trailer attachment of the vehicle as a support member of the device appears to be a simple solution, another design of the support member cannot be excluded from the scope of the invention. Furthermore, the device for assisting with loading and / or unloading of the carriage can be delivered in the form of a ready-to-assemble assembly incorporating the support member intended to be fixed to the vehicle to allow the device to be coupled to the vehicle.

The operation of such a device is particularly simple. As soon as a transport vehicle is stationary and a load-carrying trolley must be taken on or off the platform 2 in elevation of the vehicle, the leg 4 positioned at the rear of the vehicle is brought by unlocking locking members of a transport position in which it extends substantially horizontally, parallel to the bumper of the vehicle to a working position in which it extends perpendicular to the latter and comes to rest on the ground.

This leg is then adjusted in length until it reaches a length corresponding to the height HC when empty of the platform 2 of the vehicle defined by the vehicle manufacturer.

The platform is then immobilized at a constant height which will be independent of the load which will be applied to the platform 2 in elevation of the vehicle.

The on-board load-carrying trolley can then be removed from the platform in a manner known per se or conversely on board the vehicle according to a succession of operations also known per se.

Once the unloading or loading operation

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 completed, leg 4 is retracted and returned to the transport position. The operation of such a device is therefore particularly easy.

Claims (9)

CLAIMS 1. Device for assisting with the loading and / or unloading of an embarkable load-carrying trolley with its load on the platform (2) in elevation of a transport vehicle (1), characterized in that the loading aid device consists of at least one leg (4) adjustable in length, this leg (4) comprising means for fixing to a support member (3A), such as a trailer hitch support plate (3), in order to constitute, in the working position, a ground support leg arranged in the vicinity of the median longitudinal axis of the platform (2) of the vehicle (1) in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the platform -form (2) of the vehicle, the maximum length of the leg (4) being at least equal to the empty height of the platform (2) of the vehicle (1) defined by the vehicle manufacturer, so as to be able keep the vehicle load receiving platform (2) at a constant HC height during loading and / or unloading of the on-board load-carrying trolley. 2. Device for assisting with the loading and / or unloading of a load-carrying trolley according to claim 1, characterized in that the leg (4), mechanically coupled directly or by means of a connecting member ( 5) to the vehicle support member (3A) is pivotally mounted on the vehicle support member (3A) in order to be able to occupy at least two positions, one called transport in which it extends in one plane parallel to the plane of the platform (2) for receiving loads from the vehicle, the other, known as a working platform, in which it extends in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the platform (2) for receiving loads to come resting on the ground. 3. Device for assisting with the loading and / or unloading of a load-carrying trolley according to claim 2, <Desc / Clms Page number 11>  characterized in that the leg (4) or its connecting member (5) to the support member (3A) of the vehicle are pivotally connected to the support member (3A) of the vehicle to allow the leg (4) to occupy at least two positions, one called transport in which it extends in a plane parallel to the plane of the load receiving platform (2), the other called work in which it extends in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the platform (2) for receiving loads to come to rest on the ground, the leg (4) or its connecting member (5) and the support member (3A) of the vehicle comprising complementary locking to allow immobilization of the articulation of the pivoting link in any one of the two positions of the leg (4). 4. Device for assisting with the loading and / or unloading of a load-carrying cart according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the support member (3A) of the vehicle is constituted by the support plate the trailer hitch (3) of the vehicle intended to receive a coupling member. 5. Device for assisting with the loading and / or unloading of a load-carrying cart according to claim 4, characterized in that the leg (4) is provided with a connecting plate (5) extending parallel to the support plate (3A) of the trailer hitch (3) of the vehicle, this plate (5) being connected by a pivot pin to the support plate (3A) of the trailer hitch (3) so as to allow a pivoting movement of the leg (4). 6. Device for assisting with the loading and / or unloading of a load-carrying carriage according to claim 5, characterized in that the locking members (3) of the pivoting connection between the support plate (3A) of the trailer hitch (3) and leg (4) or connecting member (5) of the leg (4) are constituted by at least one pin mounted on a spring coupled to the leg (4) or to its <Desc / Clms Page number 12>  connecting member (5), this pin being arranged to be received in a bore (6B) formed in the support plate (3A) of the trailer hitch (3). 7. Aid device for loading and / or unloading a load-carrying trolley according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the leg (4) is a telescopic leg consisting of two interlocking elements animated d 'an axial relative movement by means of an electrical or mechanical or hydraulic or pneumatic or oleopneumatic control device. 8. Device for assisting with the loading and / or unloading of a load-carrying trolley according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the leg (4) is provided with a foot (8). 9. Transport vehicle (1), in particular utility vehicle such as station wagon, of the type comprising a platform (2) in elevation for receiving loads and a trailer hitch (3) generally formed of at least one support plate (3A) fixed to the chassis of the vehicle and devoid of a coupling member, characterized in that the trailer hitch (3) of the vehicle is arranged to be able to receive a device for assisting with loading and / or unloading of an on-load load-carrying trolley with their load on the platform (2) in elevation of the vehicle (1), this loading aid device being in accordance with one of claims 1 to 7.