GB2065594A - Tipping equipment for containers and trucks - Google Patents

Abstract

Tipping equipment that can handle either containers or trucks comprising a supporting girder (2) running centrally over the transport container (1) and suspension means for a supporting frame for reception of the transport container, in which the tilting devices are constructed as rotary drives (7) and operate at the two end faces of the container (1) each on a transverse beam (8) on both the upper and lower sides of which are articulated piston-cylinder devices (9) lying transversely to the direction of length of the container, with piston rods that can move outwards on both sides, the support crossbeams (6) being articulated to the piston rods and the lower support crossbeams (6a) having holding cams (12a) that grip into holding recesses (11) near to the base of the transport container (1) and the upper support cross- beams (6b) having holding cams (12b) that brace against the sides of the transport container (1) whilst the holding cams (12b) on are formed to grip under a truck and the holding cams (12a) are formed to brace against the sides of the truck after a 180 DEG rotation of the transverse beams (8) with piston- cylinder devices (9) and crossbeams (6) by means of the rotary drives (7). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Tipping equipment for containers and trucks This invention relates to tipping equipment for a transport container with a supporting girder running centrally over the transport container and suspension means located at the ends of the supporting girder with tilting drives for a supporting frame for reception of the transport container, in which the supporting frame possesses manipulating mechanisms at the container ends and support crossbeams at the longitudinal sides of the container.

A tipping equipment for transport containers is known in which the transport container, provided with trunnions on its end faces, is mounted by bearings on lifting elements that can be engaged at the front and the rear, and is tiltable about its longitudinal axis, a means for carrying the load being incorporated. The means of carrying the load is constructed as a supporting frame enclosing the transport container on all sides in the supported position, its longitudinal and transverse portions being adjustable in length for coupling purposes.

The transverse portions have internal recesses for the projecting trunnions of the transport container and carry entrainment means for projections on the end faces of the transport container whilst at least one roller asociates with each of the lifting elements is externally attached to the transverse portions coaxially with the axis of rotation of the container, which serves to tip of contrary lifting and lowering movements of the lifting elements which hang from a motorized hoisting unit located on a travelling overhead gantry. This known tipping equipment is only suitable to tip transport containers having specially-constructed coupling mechanisms on their end faces and can therefore only be employed to a limited extent. It is the intention of the invention to offer help in this connection.

The object of the present invention is to create a tipping equipment of the abovedescribed kind which is capable of tipping transport containers without coupling mechanisms and is suitable for the tipping of trucks.

According to the present invention, tipping equipment for a transport container comprises a supporting girder running centrally over the transport container and suspension means located at the ends of the supporting girder with tilting drives for a supporting frame for reception of the transport container, the supporting frame having manipulating mechanisms at the container ends and support crossbeams at the longitudinal sides of the container, and in which the tilting devices are constructed as rotary drives and operate at the two end faces of the container each on a transverse beam, on both the upper and lower sides of which are articulated piston-cylinder devices lying transversely to the direction of length of the container, with piston rods that can move outwards on both sides, the support crossbeams being articulated to the piston rods and the lower support cross-beams having holding cams that grip into holding recesses near to the base of the transport container, and the upper support crossbeams having holding cams that brace against the sides of the transport container whilst at the same time the holding cams on the upper support crossbeams are formed to grip under a truck between its sloping base and truck wheels, and the holding cams on the lower support crossbeams are formed to brace against the sides of the truck after a 180 rotation of the transverse beams, with pistoncylinder devices and crossbeams, by means of the rotary drives. The invention therefore provides a tilting arrangement both for transport containers and for trucks.

The transverse beams, with the piston-cylinder devices and the crossbeams, can be rotated through 360 by means of the rotary drives. In the initial position the tipping equipment according to the invention is suitable for the accommodation and tipping of a normal transport container without coupling devices on its end faces. After the transverse beams, with the piston-cylinder devices and the crossbeams, have been rotated by 180 the tipping equipment according to the invention is suitable for the accommodation and tipping of normal trucks.The holding cams on the support cross-beams can be so constructed and braced against transport containers and trucks that they are in a position to provide both the support function and the suspension function, for a transport container that has been rotated through 180 and is therefore in the tipping position is suspended from the holding cams gripping into the holding recesses near its base, whilst suspension of a truck rotated through 180 and in the tipping position takes place by means of the holding cams gripping between the V-shaped base of the truck and its truck wheels which are as it were suspended on the holding cams.

The suspension means may have at their lower ends a fork-shaped mounting for central suspension of the rotary drives and in addition to be constructed as rigid vertical beam sections, adjustable for height. By this is achieved a stable bearing support for the rotary drives and thereby a satisfactory mounting for the supporting frame as a whole.

According to a preferred form of construction of the invention, the transverse beams have bearing blocks on their upper and lower faces on both sides of the axis of rotation of the container, and bell-crank-like steering lever drives are articulated to these bearing blocks and to the free ends of the piston rods of the piston-cylinder devices, in which the articulation of the steering lever drives for the lower piston-cylinder devices is to the upper bearing blocks, and the articulation for the upper piston-cylinder devices is to the lower bearing blocks, and the steering lever drives thereby overlap one another like a pair of shears, and that the piston-cylinder devices are located in cylinder mountings attached to the transverse beams at a specified vertical distance from one another, in mirror symmetry to the suspension means and the axis of rotation of the container.Thus, the pistons of the piston-cylinder devices move in and out and the steering drives always work purely sideways, and consequently when the piston rods are moved outwards the support crossbeams are at their maximum spacing from one another to receive the transport container or truck, and as the piston rods move inwards they are drawn together against the upper and lower levels of the transport container or truck, reducing their own separation until the holding cams press against the container walls, and in the case of the transport container grip into the holding recesses near its base, and in the case of the truck grip between the sloping base and the truck wheels.

In order to obtain steering movements of the steering lever drives that are always satisfactory, the points of articulation for the steering lever drives on the bearing blocks are placed nearer than those at the ends of the piston rods two the axis of rotation of the container, and when the piston rods have travelled inwards the steering levers articulated to the bearing blocks are found to be in approximately vertical positions. This vertical position is also the commencement position for the alignment of the holding cams. The holding cams that grip under the transport container are preferably shaped as projecting lugs, whilst the holding cams that grip under the truck possess oblique support surfaces and are located in pairs on the support crossbeams.By arrangement in pairs satisfactory support or suspension of the truck wheels, and with them the truck, is obtained. The supporting girder and the support crossbeams can be constructed to be longitudinally extendable, in a way which is in itself known, in order to obtain adjustment to any desired size of transport container or truck.

The advantages achieved by the invention are essentially to be seen in that a tipping equipment for a transport container is provided which is also suitable for the tipping of trucks. For this purpose the tipping equipment according to the invention is constructed as a rotary tipping equipment. The supporting frame in the commencement position for the reception of a transport container merely needs to be rotated through 180 to make possible the reception of a truck.Just as with the transport container, so also the truck can by means of the equipment according to the invention be tipped and for this purpose be rotated through 180 . Consequently complete emptying is ensured both for transport containers and for trucks that are loaded on to the equipment, and the transport containers or trucks do not need coupling devices on their end faces for suspension.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of tipping equipment according to the invention, carrying a transport container; Figure 2 is an end elevation of Fig. 1; Figure 3 corresponds to Fig. 2 but shows the arrangement before admission of the container; Figure 4 corresponds to Fig. 1 but shows a truck being carried; Figure 5 is an end elevation of Fig. 4; Figure 6 corresponds to Fig. 5 but shows the arrangement before reception of the truck; Figure 7 is a part axial section of a rotary drive for the construction of Fig. 1; and Figure 8 is a front elevation in the direction of arrow yof Fig. 7.

In the drawings a tipping equipment for transport containers 1, has a supporting girder 2 running centrally over the transport container 1 in the direction of container length, and suspension means 3 located at the ends of the supporting girder 2 with tilting drives for a supporting frame 4 for reception of the transport container 1, in which the supporting frame 4 has manipulating mechanisms 5 at the container ends and support crossbeams 6 at the longitudinal sides of the container. The tilting drives are constructed as hydraulic or pneumatic rotary drives 7 and operate at the two end faces of the container each on a transverse beam 8 on both the upper and lower sides of which are articulated pistoncylinder devices 9 lying transversely to the direction of length of the container, with piston rods 10 on both sides that can move outwards to an equal extent.Thus, double piston-cylinder devices with opposite operating directions are created. The support crossbeams 6a have holding cams 12a that grip into holding recesses 11 near to the base of transport container 1 and the upper support crossbeams 6b have holding cams 1 2b that brace against the sides of transport container 1, whilst the holding cams 1 2b on the upper support crossbeams are also formed so as to grip under the truck 1 3 between its V-shaped sloping base 14 and the truck wheels 15, and holding cams 1 2b on the lower support crossbeams 6a are also formed so as to brace against truck 1 3 after a 180 rotation of transverse beams 8 with the piston-cylinder devices 9 and crossbeams 6 by means of the rotary drives 7. Consequently a tilting mechanism is provided which is capable of accommodating and tipping either a transport con tainer 1 or a truck 13.

The suspension means 3 have at their lower ends a fork-shaped mounting 1 6 for central suspension of rotary drives 7 and are constructed as vertical beam sections, adjustable for height but otherwise rigid. Transverse beams 8 have bearing blocks 1 8 on their upper and lower sides, on both sides of the axis of rotation 1 7 of the container. Bellcrank-like steering lever drives 1 9 are articulated to these bearing blocks 1 8 and to the free ends of piston rods 10 of piston-cylinder devices 9. Provision is made for steering lever drives 1 9 for the lower piston-cylinder devices 9a to be articulated to the upper bearing blocks 18b, and those for the upper pistoncylinder devices 9b to be articulated to the lower bearing blocks 18a.Thereby the steering lever drives 1 9 overlap one another like a pair of shears. Piston-cylinder devices 9 are located in cylinder mountings 20 attached to transverse beams 8 at a specified vertical distance from one another, in mirror symmetry to the suspension means 3 and the axis of rotation 1 7 of the container. The points of articulation for steering lever drives 1 9 on the bearing blocks 1 8 are placed nearer than those at the ends of the piston rods to the axis of rotation 1 7 of the container. When the piston rods 10 have travelled inwards the steering levers 21 directly articulated to the bearing blocks 1 8 are found to be in approximately vertical positions.The holding cams 1 2a that grip under transport container 1 are shaped as projecting lugs located on support crossbeams 6a, whilst the holding cams 1 2b that grip under truck 1 3 possess oblique support surfaces 22 and are located in pairs on support cross-beams 6b. By arrangement in pairs, the holding cams 1 2b form satisfactory supports for the truck wheels 1 5. The supporting girder 2 and the support crossbeams 6 can be constructed so as to be longitudinally extendable, which has not been shown.

According to a preferred form of construction of the invention, the rotary drives 7 have a central drive shaft 23 with supply ducts 24 for the piston-cylinder devices running parallel to the axis of rotation 1 7 of the container. At one end flexible or rigid connections 25 lead from supply ducts 24 to the piston-cylinder devices 9, at the other end a distributor head 26 is attached to the front of the supply ducts 24. As the piston-cylinder devices 9 rotate or are swivelled with the drive shaft 23 of rotary drive 7, it is impossible for the connections 25 between piston-cylinder devices 9 and rotary drives 7 to become twisted. Hence these connections 25 can be flexible or rigid.

Claims (8)

1. Tipping equipment for a transport container comprising a supporting girder running centrally over the transport container and suspension means located at the ends of the supporting girder with tilting drives for a supporting frame for reception of the transport container, the supporting frame having manipulating mechanisms at the container ends and support crossbeams at the longitudinal sides of the container, and in which the tilting devices are constructed as rotary drives and operate at the two end faces of the container each on a transverse beam, on both the upper and lower sides of which are articulated piston-cylinder devices lying transversely to the direction of length of the container, with piston rods that can move outwards on both side, the support crossbeams being articulated to the piston rods and the lower support crossbeams having holding cams that grip into holding recesses near to the base of the transport container, and the upper support crossbeams having holding cams that brace against the sides of the transport container whilst at the same time the holding cams on the upper support crossbeams are formed to grip under a truck between its sloping base and truck wheels, and the holding cams on the lower support crossbeams are formed to brace against the sides of the truck after a 180 rotation of the transverse beams with piston-cylinder devices and crossbeams by means of the rotary drives.

2. Tipping equipment as in Claim 1, wherein the suspension means have at their lower ends a fork-shaped mounting for central suspension of the rotary drives, and are constructed as rigid vertical beam sections, adjustable for height.

3. Tipping equipment as in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the transverse beams have bearing blocks on their upper and lower sides on both sides of the axis of rotation of the container, and bell-crank-like steering lever drives are articulated to the bearing blocks and to the free ends of the piston rods of the piston-cylinder devices, the articulation of the steering lever drives for the lower pistoncylinder devices being to the upper bearing blocks, and the articulation for the upper piston-cylinder devices being to the lower bearing blocks, the steering lever drives thereby overlapping one another, the pistoncylinder devices being located in cylinder mountings attached to the transverse beams at a specified vertical distance from one another, in mirror symmetry to the suspension means and the axis of rotation of the container.

4. Tipping equipment as in any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the points of articulation for the steering lever drives on the bearing blocks are placed nearer than those at the ends of the piston rods to the axis of rotation of the container, and when the piston rods have travelled inwards the steering levers directly articulated to the bearing blocks are found to be in approximately vertical positions.

5. Tipping equipment as in any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the holding cams that grip under the transport container are shaped as projecting lugs, and the holding cams that grip under the truck possess oblique support surfaces and are located in pairs on the support crossbeams.

6. Tipping equipment as in any of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the supporting girder and the support crossbeams are longitudinally adjustable.

7. Tipping equipment as in any of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the rotary drives have a central drive shaft with supply ducts for the piston-cylinder devices running parallel to the axis of rotation of the container, and, at one end, connections lead from the supply ducts to the piston-cylinder devices and at the other end a distributor head is attached to the front of the supply ducts.

8. Tipping equipment for a transport container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.