GB1602451A

GB1602451A - Load lifting apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB1602451A
Application number: GB799777A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: PARKWOOD ENG CO Ltd
Current assignee: PARKWOOD ENG CO Ltd
Priority date: 1977-02-25
Filing date: 1977-02-25
Publication date: 1981-11-11
Also published as: DE2808023A1

Description

(54) LOAD LIFTING APPARATUS (71) We, PARKWOOD ENGINEERING COMPANY LIMITED, a British Company, of Brooklands Close, Windmill Road, Sunburyon-Thames, Middlesex, 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: This invention relates to load lifting apparatus for vehicles. Such apparatus is usually attached to the rear opening of a van or truck.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings diagrammatically illustrates a known load lifting apparatus. The apparatus comprises a frame consisting of upper beam housing 6 and a load beam 10. The load beam is secured to the chassis of the vehicle by drop arms 12. Toe guards 13 are provided so as to prevent objects carried on a platform (not shown) being crushed between the vehicle floor and the platform as the platform is raised.

This apparatus suffers from the disadvantage that it has to be tailored to correspond to the dimensions of the chassis of the vehicle to which it is to be fitted.

According to the invention, there is provided a load lifting apparatus for a vehicle comprising two upright guide members slides movable along said guide members and pivotally mounting between their lower extremities a load lifting platform, the slides each being secured to a cable, and the upright guide members being interconnected by a lower load beam and an upper beam housing containing a ram to act on said cables so as to raise or lower the platform, the load beam being adapted to be located above the chassis of a vehicle so that loads are transmitted by the beam downwardly to the vehicle chassis.

Co-pending applications Nos. 7518/78, 7519/78 and 7520/78 (Serial Nos. 1602452, 1602453 and 1602454) relate to other aspects, of the load lifting apparatus. Features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, given by way of example, with reference to the accorn- panying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a frame structure of the prior art apparatus, Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 of a frame structure of the apparatus in accordance with the invention, Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the apparatus in accordance with the invention located on the rear of a van, and Figure 4 is a side view of the apparatus shown in Figure 3.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, an embodiment of a load lifting apparatus according to the invention comprises two upright guide members 61, normally disposed one on each side of the rear frame of a vehicle body (not shown). The guide members 61 are interconnected by an upper beam housing 31 and a lower load beam 41 to form a frame structure.

Each guide 61 carries a slide 62 which is arranged to span the gap between the lower end of the guide 61 and the ground in the lowermost portion of the slide, whilst retaining a considerable overlap between the guide and the slide. The slides 62 have a load lifting platform 63 pivotally mounted thereon at the lower extremities thereof, the platform extending between the two slides.

The platform is restricted in its pivotal rnove- ment between a vertical position in which the platform is in contact with the guides 61 and a horizontal position in which the platform is supported on load bearing projections (not shown) arranged in the proximity of the pivotal mounting of the platform.

The slides are secured at their top ends to respective cables 65 which pass inside the guides 61 and into the beam housing 31.

The beam housing 31 houses a ram and a pulley arrangement for raising and lowering the platform, the ram and pulley arrangement being described in detail in co-pending application No. 7520/78 (Serial No. 1602454).

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the load beam 41 is located above the vehicle chassis 11. In this manner, loads on the load lifting apparatus are transmitted by the load beam downwardly to the vehicle chassis. The load beam 41 has a face 12, as most clearly shown in Figure 4 which is inclined downwardly and inwardly towards the front of the vehicle, so that the load beam acts as a toe guard, whereby any objects which overhang the platform at the front thereof are not crushed, but are pushed onto the platform as the platform is raised. In addition, the load beam 41 is arranged above the floor of the vehicle, so that loads are transmitted from the beam 41 to the chassis 11 through the vehicle floor end section.

It will be seen from Figures 2 and 3 that the guides 61 of the preferred embodiment of the invention have their lower ends further from the ground than in the prior art apparatus, the slides 62 being correspondingly longer, so that the guides 61 are less vulnerable and end above the rear lights of the vehicle so that they do not obscure these lights, as was possible in the prior art apparatus. The drop arms of the prior art are not repaired and better access to the vehicle spare wheel, which is normally stored beneath the vehicle floor, at the rear, is obtained.

Furthermore, since drop arms are not required the frame structure comprising the beam housing 31, guides 61 and load beam 41 is dependent on fewer vehicle dimensions than the prior art apparatus so that there is less chance of error when attaching the apparatus to the vehicle.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A load lifting apparatus for a vehicle comprising two upright guide members, slides movable along said guide members and pivotally mounting between their lower extremities a load lifting platform, the slides each being secured to a cable, and the upright guide members being interconnected by a lower load beam and an upper beam housing containing a ram to act on said cables so as to raise or lower the platform, the load beam being adapted to be located above the chassis of a vehicle so that loads are transmitted by the beam downwardly to the vehicle chassis.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the load beam is shaped so as to present a sloping face to any object overhanging the platform edge.

3. A vehicle comprising a load lifting apparatus as claimed in either preceding claim, wherein the load beam is arranged above the floor of the vehicle so that in use, a load is transmitted from the load beam to the chassis through the vehicle floor end section.

4. Aloadliftingapparatus having a load beam, guide members and slides arranged substantially as described herein with reÍèr- ence to the accompanying drawings.

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. load beam 41 has a face 12, as most clearly shown in Figure 4 which is inclined downwardly and inwardly towards the front of the vehicle, so that the load beam acts as a toe guard, whereby any objects which overhang the platform at the front thereof are not crushed, but are pushed onto the platform as the platform is raised. In addition, the load beam 41 is arranged above the floor of the vehicle, so that loads are transmitted from the beam 41 to the chassis 11 through the vehicle floor end section. It will be seen from Figures 2 and 3 that the guides 61 of the preferred embodiment of the invention have their lower ends further from the ground than in the prior art apparatus, the slides 62 being correspondingly longer, so that the guides 61 are less vulnerable and end above the rear lights of the vehicle so that they do not obscure these lights, as was possible in the prior art apparatus. The drop arms of the prior art are not repaired and better access to the vehicle spare wheel, which is normally stored beneath the vehicle floor, at the rear, is obtained. Furthermore, since drop arms are not required the frame structure comprising the beam housing 31, guides 61 and load beam 41 is dependent on fewer vehicle dimensions than the prior art apparatus so that there is less chance of error when attaching the apparatus to the vehicle. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A load lifting apparatus for a vehicle comprising two upright guide members, slides movable along said guide members and pivotally mounting between their lower extremities a load lifting platform, the slides each being secured to a cable, and the upright guide members being interconnected by a lower load beam and an upper beam housing containing a ram to act on said cables so as to raise or lower the platform, the load beam being adapted to be located above the chassis of a vehicle so that loads are transmitted by the beam downwardly to the vehicle chassis.