GB1570673A - Vehicle or trolley - Google Patents

Abstract

To improve the steerability of this container (1) during movement in the longitudinal and transverse directions, and in order to allow a means of transport to move below the container, a fifth steering roller (10) which is arranged in the centre of one side of the container bottom is provided in addition to the steering rollers (4, 5, 6, 7) fixed at the four corners of the container bottom (3). The fifth steering roller (10) has a steering block which can be engaged and disengaged and by means of which it can be fixed depending on the direction of movement. A gap (11) is provided between the floor (2) and the steering rollers (4, 5) located at the corners on the same side as the fifth steering roller (10), thus improving the stability of the container. <IMAGE>

Description

(54) VEHICLE OR TROLLEY (71) We, INVENTIO AG, of 6052 Hergiswil NW, Switzerland, a joint stock company organised under the laws of Switzerland, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: - The present invention relates to a vehicle or trolley.

Vehicles are known which comprise four conveying wheels each disposed at least approximately at a respective corner of a notional rectangle such as an oblong.

Such vehicles have the disadvantage that they are difficult to steer and that keeping to the driving track presents difficulties.

To improve steering, two rollers constructed as chock wheels or castor wheels lockable in the steering direction have been disposed at one end side of the rectangle.

Thereby, steerability and trueness of track is improved in only one direction of travel; movement of the vehicle transversely to this direction of travel is not possible.

A further improvement in steerability and manoeuvrability has been attained by arranging the two chock wheels in the centre of the long sides of the oblong and the two castor wheels in the centre of the short sides of the oblong. However, transverse movement of the vehicle is not possible even with this arrangement. Further, vehicles with such a roller arrangement do not have good standing stability and cannot be driven under by conveyor means, for example a transport carriage.

According to the present invention there is provided a vehicle or trolley comprising four conveying wheels each disposed at least approximately at a respective corner of a notional rectangle and a further wheel disposed along one side of the notional rectangle and approximately midway between two wheels at the one side, the further wheel being selectably lockable in any one of a plurality of angular positions relative to the one side and the two wheels each being so mounted to the vehicle or trolley that at most one of the two wheels is capable of rigidly abutting a flat conveying surface at any one time.

Each wheel may be a castor wheel.

The further wheel may be rotatable about an axis extending parallel to and being spaced from a plane containing the axis of rotation of the two wheels.

The present invention also extends to a transport container when constructed as a vehicle defined above and to a transport container when fitted with a trolley defined above.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Fig 1 shows a side elevation of a vehicle or trolley, and Fig. 2 shows a view of the vehicle or trolley from below.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, there is shown a vehicle or trolley 1 which is rectangular in plan and which is disposed on a conveying surface 2. Four castor wheels 4, 5, 6 and 7 are each disposed at a respective corner of a notional rectangle at the vehicle base 3. Fastened approximately mid-way between the castor wheels 4 and 5 is a further castor wheel 10, which is selectably lockable in any one of a plurality of angular positions relative to the side of the rectangle extending between wheels 4 and 5. The castor wheels 4 and 5 are higher than the castor wheels 6, 7 and 10 so that when the vehicle is on the conveying surface 2 a gap 11 is present between the castor wheel 4 and the conveying surface 2 as well as between the castor wheel 5 and the conveying surface 2.

During movement of the vehicle 1 in its longitudinal direction, the further castor wheel 10 assumes the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 when the steering angle of the wheel is locked. During movement of the vehicle in its transverse direction, the further castor wheel 10 is locked at right angles to the position shown in the drawing.

The castor wheel arrangement may also be used with vehicles which have square or other plan forms. It lies within the scope of the present invention that the supporting rollers 4 and 5 have a build-up deviating from the castor wheels 6 and 7.

Advantages of the above described exemplary embodiment are that the vehicle 1 is displaceable in its longitudinal and transverse directions with high trueness of track and is drivable under by conveying means, for example a transport carriage with a lifting device.

A further advantage is the improved standing stability of the vehicle 1 provided by the castor wheels 4 and 5 which serve as supporting rollers during tilting of the vehicle 1 caused by, for example, an unevenly distributed load.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A vehicle or trolley comprising four conveying wheels each disposed at least approximately at a respective corner of a notional rectangle and a further wheel disposed along one side of the notional rectangle and approximately mid-way between two wheels at the one side, the further wheel being selectably lockable in any one of a plurality of angular positions relative to the one side and the two wheels each being so mounted to the vehicle or trolley that at most one of the two wheels is capable of rigidly abutting a flat conveying surface at any one time.

2. A vehicle or trolley as claimed in claim 1, wherein the further wheel is rotatable about an axis extending parallel to and being spaced from a plane containing the axes of rotation of the two wheels.

3. A vehicle or trolley as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein each wheel is a castor wheel.

4. A vehicle or trolley substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

5. A transport container when constructed as a vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

6. A transport container when fitted with a trolley as claimed in any one of

Claims (1)

1. claims 1 to 4.