GB1602470A - Container handling vehicles - Google Patents

Description

(54) CONTAINER HANDLING VEHICLES (71) We, LANCER Boss LIMITED, a British Company, of Grovebury Road, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, England, 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 vehicles adapted for handling, and particularly lifting, containers of the kind used in orthodox containerisation practice, i.e. rectangular structures having apertures at least at the four upper corners thereof for engaging lock units on the container handling vehicle.

Mobile cranes with jibs are known in which cables from a driven winch pass over pulleys at the free end of the jib and which are provided with a hook or other means for engaging the load.

Such cranes have proved unsatisfactory in certain respects for lifting the containers used in orthodox containerisation practice. For example, due to the lack of torsional rigidity of the jib, uncontrollable swinging motions of the load can take place during a lifting operation, particularly in the case where the container is badly packed and is heavier at one end than the other.

This problem can be overcome by using fork lift trucks with container-handling frames supported on the forks or the fork carriages, the frames being rectangular lifting frames each provided with a conventional twist lock unit at each corner. In some container handling vehicles ajib is pivoted at one end to the vehicle chassis, its free end carrying a load lifting means, and hydraulic rams are mounted between the chassis and the jib for raising and lowering the jib. Such known arrangements have the disadvantage that the jib is liable to twist about its longitudinal axis so that the apparatus is unstable as may be the load.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved container handling vehicle which is substantially free of torsional deflection during a lifting operation, thereby providing a stable support for the container.

According to the present invention there is provided a container handling vehicle, for handling containers of the kind hereinbefore defined comprising a chassis, a cantilever structure pivotally mounted at one end to the chassis, container engaging means at the free end of the cantilever structure and adapted to releasably secure a container to the free end of the structure, and power operated means mounted to act between the chassis and the cantilever structure for pivoting the cantilever structure about its mounting on the chassis to raise and lower the free end of the structure and a container engaged thereon, the cantilever structure comprising at least two substantially parallel and torsionallyresistant longitudinal members interconnected by bracing members.

The longitudinal members may be flanged or tubular beams interconnected by similar transverse beams in a ladder formation, but preferably the longitudinal and transverse members are of hollow or box section.

The power-operated means may comprise any suitable devices such as one or more hydraulic rams or rack and pinion or chain and pulley arrangement, but in the preferred construction a pair of hydraulic rams are located between the cantilever structure and the chassis, one ram being associated with each longitudinal member. This arrangement gives maximum support for the structure.

The cantilever structure is preferably mounted to extend beyond the chassis by a sufficient distance to enable the container to be freely lifted thereby.

The container engaging means is suitably in the form of a rectangular frame having at spaced positions thereon twist lock units for engaging the edge and corner fittings of a container.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing, which is a perspective view of a container handling vehicle according to the invention.

Referring to the drawing, this shows part of the chassis 1 of a truck, which truck may be either self-propelled or towable. on nvhich is mounted a bracket 2 in which is jounalled a shaft 3. One end of a cantilever member 4 is pivotally mounted about th1s shaft 3.

cantilever member 4 comprises L - longXiu- dinal members 5. (more than tWvo e cc three or four may be employed if desired3 which are of I-beam, angle section, or bUx c-on construction. and which are crows braced by members 6, which in turn may be of I-eam, angle section or box section construction so as to render the cantilever structure rigid.

stable and, for the size of load to be lifted, capable of withstanding torsional or bending movements when a load is lifted. in this example the member 4 is of twin box construction.

Mounted on the chassis are brackets 7 to which are pivoted one or more, preferably two, lifting means shown as hydrauiZ,c acks 8, the piston rods 9 of which are pivoted to the cantilever structure at points spaced from the shaft 3. Thus by operation of the jacks by any conventional means such as hydraulic controls in the driver's cab of the truck, the cantilever structure may be raised and lowered. The jacks may be single acting so as to raise the structure which can thercafier fall by gravity against the hydraulic pressure in the jacks, or the jacks may be double acting to raise and lower the structure under power.

At the free end of the cantilever structure are located container engaging means.

Where the load is a conventional rectangu lar container with apertures at its Upp'I four corners. the cantilever structure is connected to a rectangular frame having twist lock units of conventional construction at each corner for engagement in apertures in xSe container.

Thus the present invention provides a container handling vehicle, which by a siniple cantilever lifting construction, can raise, lower and/or transport a container from one location to another without handling problems arising resulting from torsional deflection of the cantilever structure.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A container handling vehicle, for handling containers of the kind hereinbefore defined, comprising a chassis, a cantilever structure pivotally mounted at one end to the chassis, container engaging means at the free end of the cantilever structure and adapted to releasably secure a container to the free end of the structure, and power operated means mounted to act between the chassis and the cantilever structure for pivoting the cantilever structure about its mounting on the chassis to raise and lower the free end of the structure and a container engaged thereon, the cantilever structure comprising at least two substantially parallel and torsionallyresistant longitudinal members interconnected by bracing members.

2. p container Elanrhiing, vehicle as claimed in Claim 1 . Wherein the longitudinal members comprise flanged or tubular beams interconnected by såmilar transverse beams in a ladder formation.

3. A container handling vehicle as claimed in Claim 1 or or 2, wherein the longitudinal members are of hollow or box section.

4. A container handling vehicle as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the power operated means comprise at least one hydraulic ram.

5. A container handling vehicle as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the power operated means comprises a pair of hydrau lic rams located between the cantilever structure and the chassis, one ram being associated with each longitudinal member.

6. A container handling vehicle as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the power operated means comprise a power operated chain and pulley system.

7. A container handling vehicle substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

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

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. be either self-propelled or towable. on nvhich is mounted a bracket 2 in which is jounalled a shaft 3. One end of a cantilever member 4 is pivotally mounted about th1s shaft 3. cantilever member 4 comprises L - longXiu- dinal members 5. (more than tWvo e cc three or four may be employed if desired3 which are of I-beam, angle section, or bUx c-on construction. and which are crows braced by members 6, which in turn may be of I-eam, angle section or box section construction so as to render the cantilever structure rigid. stable and, for the size of load to be lifted, capable of withstanding torsional or bending movements when a load is lifted. in this example the member 4 is of twin box construction. Mounted on the chassis are brackets 7 to which are pivoted one or more, preferably two, lifting means shown as hydrauiZ,c acks 8, the piston rods 9 of which are pivoted to the cantilever structure at points spaced from the shaft 3. Thus by operation of the jacks by any conventional means such as hydraulic controls in the driver's cab of the truck, the cantilever structure may be raised and lowered. The jacks may be single acting so as to raise the structure which can thercafier fall by gravity against the hydraulic pressure in the jacks, or the jacks may be double acting to raise and lower the structure under power. At the free end of the cantilever structure are located container engaging means. Where the load is a conventional rectangu lar container with apertures at its Upp'I four corners. the cantilever structure is connected to a rectangular frame having twist lock units of conventional construction at each corner for engagement in apertures in xSe container. Thus the present invention provides a container handling vehicle, which by a siniple cantilever lifting construction, can raise, lower and/or transport a container from one location to another without handling problems arising resulting from torsional deflection of the cantilever structure. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A container handling vehicle, for handling containers of the kind hereinbefore defined, comprising a chassis, a cantilever structure pivotally mounted at one end to the chassis, container engaging means at the free end of the cantilever structure and adapted to releasably secure a container to the free end of the structure, and power operated means mounted to act between the chassis and the cantilever structure for pivoting the cantilever structure about its mounting on the chassis to raise and lower the free end of the structure and a container engaged thereon, the cantilever structure comprising at least two substantially parallel and torsionallyresistant longitudinal members interconnected by bracing members.

2. p container Elanrhiing, vehicle as claimed in Claim 1 . Wherein the longitudinal members comprise flanged or tubular beams interconnected by såmilar transverse beams in a ladder formation.

3. A container handling vehicle as claimed in Claim 1 or or 2, wherein the longitudinal members are of hollow or box section.

4. A container handling vehicle as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the power operated means comprise at least one hydraulic ram.

5. A container handling vehicle as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the power operated means comprises a pair of hydrau lic rams located between the cantilever structure and the chassis, one ram being associated with each longitudinal member.

6. A container handling vehicle as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the power operated means comprise a power operated chain and pulley system.

7. A container handling vehicle substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.