GB1601391A - Tanker vehicles - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO TANKER VEHICLES (71) I, GERALD PRIDAY EVANS, a British Subject, of Dunderhole Farm, Bishopswood, Ross-On-Wye, Herefordshire, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention is concerned with tanker vehicles having a power operated mechanism for controlling a swinging arm which is particularly though not exclusively applicable to a control for a loader arm.

In many instances it is required to move a swinging arm on a vehicle through an arc exceeding 90 and sometimes approaching or exceeding 180". If the arm carries a heavy load or meets heavy resistance it is difficult to arrange an adequate actuating force from a linear motor such as a hydraulic ram. Particular difficulties are experienced in agricultural vehicles where it is undesirable to have the actuating mechanism positioned low down on the vehicle.

In one aspect the invention consists in a tanker vehicle including a tank, a swinging arm pivotally mounted on the vehicle and carrying at its outer end a device or implement, and a power operated mechanism for causing pivotal movements of the swinging arm, including a reciprocating hydraulic ram having one element connected to an anchorage and the other element connected via a pivotal linkage to a second pivot on the swinging arm displaced from its pivot, and including means for guiding a part of the pivotal linkage to move in a path remote from the swinging arm pivot.

Conveniently the guide means comprises a pivoted control arm with its pivot axis located near but displaced from the pivot axis of the swinging arm. In a particular preferred construction the pivot axis of the control arm is displaced towards the hydraulic ram in relation to the pivot of the swinging arm, and the effective length of the control arm is greater than the effective distance between the axes of the swinging arm pivot and the second pivot.

The power operated mechanism may be arranged for swinging the swinging arm through an arc greater than 90 and comprises a four-bar drag-link mechanism whose links are, in increasing length order, a frame, a first lever, the linkage, and the control arm, the first lever being extended to form the arm, and the reciprocating fluid-actuated ram may be coupled between the control arm and an extension of the frame outside the linkage.

In any of the above cases the vehicle may have a chassis and the power operated mechanism may move the swinging arm between a rearwardly depressed position below the chassis and a generally vertical position above the chassis.

The power operated mechanism may depress the outer end of the swinging arm below the ground engagement level of the vehicle.

The device or implement may be a load carrying device or implement for loading the tank.

The invention may be performed in various ways and one specific embodiment will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a slurry tank vehicle trailer; Figure 2 is a rear view of the trailer; Figure 3 is a plan view with the tank removed to show the chassis; Figure 4 is a somewhat diagrammatic side elevation on an enlarged scale illustrating the control mechanism and linkage with the arms in a lowered position; and Figure 5 is a similar view illustrating the mechanism with the arms raised.

In this example the trailer comprises a chassis 10 supporting a long cylindrical tank 11 intended to hold liquid manure or slurry.

The chassis consists of a main central spin 12 with a rear sub-frame 13 on which the two ground wheels 14 are mounted. The tank 11 has an inlet opening 15 at its rear end and a suitable discharge device at the bottom of the rear wall. To load slurry into the tank pair of swinging loader arms 16 are pivotally mounted on the rear of the chassis on a hinge pivot 17. The two arms being pivotally connected at their free ends 18 to a swinging scoop or bucket 19 which is automatically tipped over to discharge into entrance 15 when the bucket strikes a stationary arm or abutment on the tank.

The mechanism for actuating the loader arms 16 comprises a pair of double-acting hydraulic ram 22, one on each side of the chassis, pivotally mounted at their forward ends 23 to an anchorage on the chassis and having a rearwardly directed piston rod 24.

This is pivotally connected at 25 to the cross piece 26 of a T-link 27 which is pivotally mounted on the chassis at its lower end 28. A further connecting link 29 is pivotally attached at 30 to the other end of the cross piece 26 and this link 29 is further connected at a hinge pin 31 to a bracket 32 secured to the loader arm 16 to project beyond the upper side of arm 16 as shown in Figure 4.

In this particular example the length of the T-link 27 is fifteen inches, the length of the link 29 is thirteen inches, the distance between the axes of the pivots 17 and 31 is eleven inches and the distance between the axes of the hinge pivots 28 and 17 is approximately eight inches, the axis of the pivot 28 being approximately three inches lower than the axis of the pivot 17.

With the geometry the hydraulic rams 22 can raise and lower the swinging load arms from the depressed position of Figure 4 to the fully raised position of Figure 5, which is through an arc of approximately 130 . Even further movement in excess of 180 is possible. Moreover it will be seen that the mechanism provides a substantial force on the loader arms in the initial stages of the lifting movement particularly when the arms are horizontal and therefore the resistance is greatest.

Instead of the swinging control arms 27 other guides may be provided to control the linkage particularly the path of the hinge connection 30. However in agricultural equipment a linkage guide is preferred since it is likely to be affected by dirt. The two hinge pivots 25 and 30 may be combined and some benefit will be obtained even if the arm 27 is of the same length as the distance between the axes of the pivots 17 and 31 though the full possible benefit will be missed.

Instead of arranging the rams to pull the arms up on their retraction strokes, the mechanism can be reversed so that they raise the arms as they extend. But this is not preferred, as the rams and the linkage would have to be mounted lower down on the vehicle and the piston rods would mostly be left exposed.

Each linkage is, in effect, a four bar draglink mechanism whose links are, in increasing length order, a frame (sub-frame 13), a first lever (arm 16), a coupler (link 29) and a second lever (T-link 27), the first lever being extended to form the complete arm 16. The associated ram is coupled between the second lever and an extension of the frame outside the linkage.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A tanker vehicle including a tank, a swinging arm pivotally mounted on the vehicle and carrying at its outer end a device or implement, and a power operated mechanism for causing pivotal movements of the swinging arm, including a reciprocating hydraulic ram having one element connected to an anchorage and the other element connected via a pivotal linkage to a second pivot on the swinging arm displaced from its pivot, and including means for guiding a part of the pivotal linkage to move in a path remote from the swinging arm pivot.

2. A vehicle according to claim 1, in which the guide means comprises a pivoted control arm with its pivot axis located near but displaced from the pivot axis of the swinging arm.

3. A vehicle according to claim 2, in which the pivot axis of the control arm is displaced towards the hydraulic ram in relation to the pivot of the swinging arm.

4. A vehicle according to claim 2 or claim 3, in which the effective length of the control arm is greater than the effective distance between the axes of the swinging arm pivot and the second pivot.

5. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 in which the power operated mechanism is arranged for swinging the arm through an arc of greater than 90 and comprises a fourbar drag-link mechanism whose links are, in increasing length order, a frame, a first lever, the linkage, and the control arm, the first lever being extended to form the arm, and in which the reciprocating fluid-actuated ram is coupled between the control arm and an extension of the frame outside the linkage.

6. A tanker vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the vehicle has a chassis and the power operated mechanism moves the swinging arm between a rearwardly depressed position below the chassis and a generally vertical position above the chassis.

7. A tanker vehicle as claimed in any'one of the preceding claims wherein the power operated mechanism can depress the outer end of the swinging arm below the ground engagement level of the vehicle.

8. A tanker vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the device or implement is a load carrying device or implement for loading the tank.

9. A tanker vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the tank is for holding liquid manure or slurry and

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (10)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. pivot 17. The two arms being pivotally connected at their free ends 18 to a swinging scoop or bucket 19 which is automatically tipped over to discharge into entrance 15 when the bucket strikes a stationary arm or abutment on the tank. The mechanism for actuating the loader arms 16 comprises a pair of double-acting hydraulic ram 22, one on each side of the chassis, pivotally mounted at their forward ends 23 to an anchorage on the chassis and having a rearwardly directed piston rod 24. This is pivotally connected at 25 to the cross piece 26 of a T-link 27 which is pivotally mounted on the chassis at its lower end 28. A further connecting link 29 is pivotally attached at 30 to the other end of the cross piece 26 and this link 29 is further connected at a hinge pin 31 to a bracket 32 secured to the loader arm 16 to project beyond the upper side of arm 16 as shown in Figure 4. In this particular example the length of the T-link 27 is fifteen inches, the length of the link 29 is thirteen inches, the distance between the axes of the pivots 17 and 31 is eleven inches and the distance between the axes of the hinge pivots 28 and 17 is approximately eight inches, the axis of the pivot 28 being approximately three inches lower than the axis of the pivot 17. With the geometry the hydraulic rams 22 can raise and lower the swinging load arms from the depressed position of Figure 4 to the fully raised position of Figure 5, which is through an arc of approximately 130 . Even further movement in excess of 180 is possible. Moreover it will be seen that the mechanism provides a substantial force on the loader arms in the initial stages of the lifting movement particularly when the arms are horizontal and therefore the resistance is greatest. Instead of the swinging control arms 27 other guides may be provided to control the linkage particularly the path of the hinge connection 30. However in agricultural equipment a linkage guide is preferred since it is likely to be affected by dirt. The two hinge pivots 25 and 30 may be combined and some benefit will be obtained even if the arm 27 is of the same length as the distance between the axes of the pivots 17 and 31 though the full possible benefit will be missed. Instead of arranging the rams to pull the arms up on their retraction strokes, the mechanism can be reversed so that they raise the arms as they extend. But this is not preferred, as the rams and the linkage would have to be mounted lower down on the vehicle and the piston rods would mostly be left exposed. Each linkage is, in effect, a four bar draglink mechanism whose links are, in increasing length order, a frame (sub-frame 13), a first lever (arm 16), a coupler (link 29) and a second lever (T-link 27), the first lever being extended to form the complete arm 16. The associated ram is coupled between the second lever and an extension of the frame outside the linkage. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A tanker vehicle including a tank, a swinging arm pivotally mounted on the vehicle and carrying at its outer end a device or implement, and a power operated mechanism for causing pivotal movements of the swinging arm, including a reciprocating hydraulic ram having one element connected to an anchorage and the other element connected via a pivotal linkage to a second pivot on the swinging arm displaced from its pivot, and including means for guiding a part of the pivotal linkage to move in a path remote from the swinging arm pivot.

2. A vehicle according to claim 1, in which the guide means comprises a pivoted control arm with its pivot axis located near but displaced from the pivot axis of the swinging arm.

3. A vehicle according to claim 2, in which the pivot axis of the control arm is displaced towards the hydraulic ram in relation to the pivot of the swinging arm.

4. A vehicle according to claim 2 or claim 3, in which the effective length of the control arm is greater than the effective distance between the axes of the swinging arm pivot and the second pivot.

5. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 in which the power operated mechanism is arranged for swinging the arm through an arc of greater than 90 and comprises a fourbar drag-link mechanism whose links are, in increasing length order, a frame, a first lever, the linkage, and the control arm, the first lever being extended to form the arm, and in which the reciprocating fluid-actuated ram is coupled between the control arm and an extension of the frame outside the linkage.

6. A tanker vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the vehicle has a chassis and the power operated mechanism moves the swinging arm between a rearwardly depressed position below the chassis and a generally vertical position above the chassis.

7. A tanker vehicle as claimed in any'one of the preceding claims wherein the power operated mechanism can depress the outer end of the swinging arm below the ground engagement level of the vehicle.

8. A tanker vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the device or implement is a load carrying device or implement for loading the tank.

9. A tanker vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the tank is for holding liquid manure or slurry and

further comprises a slurry discharge device.

10. A tanker vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.