GB2082982A

GB2082982A - Drum Transporting Trailer

Info

Publication number: GB2082982A
Application number: GB8124069A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: MOORLAND TRAILERS Ltd
Current assignee: MOORLAND TRAILERS Ltd
Priority date: 1980-08-06
Filing date: 1981-08-06
Publication date: 1982-03-17
Also published as: GB2082982B

Abstract

A drum of gas pipe is loaded onto a trailer for transport and from which the pipe can be unreeled. The trailer has a support 20 in the form of a flat strip having upturned ends for a drum axle 26. When the trailer is tilted from the horizontal about the axis of its road wheels 12 the support is lowered and can be located under the axle 26. When the trailer is returned to the horizontal the support is raised so that the drum is lifted from the ground and rests rotatably on said support. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Trailer This invention relates to a trailer and more particularly a trailer adapted for a load such as a drum of pipe or cable.

Plastic pipe such as is now used for domestic gas supply is commonly wound onto a drum in much the same way as cable. It has been found desirable when laying such pipe to be able to transport the drum to the site where the pipe can then be unreeled as required. No simple device for doing that is currently available.

According to the present invention there is provided a trailer for a drum or like load having an axle comprising a chassis, an axle support member being arranged and disposed so that upon tilting the chassis of the trailer about the axis of the trailer road wheels from a substantially horizontal position the axle support member is lowered to locate it under the axle of a drum resting on the ground and so that upon returning the chassis to a substantially horizontal position the axle support member is raised thereby lifting the drum off the ground and rotatably supporting the drum thereon.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a plan view of a trailer; Fig. 2 shows the trailer of Fig. 1 inside elevation and tilted to pick up a drum; Fig. 3 shows the trailer of Fig. 2 with the drum loaded thereon; and Fig. 4 shows a modified form oi axle support member.

Referring to the drawings the trailer comprises a chassis 10 supported by a pair of road wheels 1 2. The chassis has the general form of a yoke having rearwardly projecting arms 14 defining a space 1 6 therebetween.

An A-shaped bracket 1 8 is fixed to each arm of the yoke at the upper end of which an axle support member 20 is fixed. Each axle support member is in the form of a flat strip extending parallel to the longitudinal trailer axis, the rear and front ends 22 and 23 of which are upturned. The axle support members extend rearwardly of the brackets and are inclined slightly upwardly relative to the general plane of the chassis. In the embodiment shown the axle support members are fixed adjacent their forward ends to the apex of the A-shaped bracket. The rearward ends of the axle support members are supported by an arm 1 9 extending from the rearward side of bracket 18.To obtain the required movement of the rear end 22 of the axle support member on tilting of the chassis about the axis of the chassis wheels, the said rear end 22 should extend rearwardly beyond a vertical plane passing through the said axis of the chassis wheels. The greater the distance that said rearward end 22 extends beyond the said vertical plane the greater the movement of said rearward end 22 will be upon tilting of the chassis.

The trailer is intended to be used as follows. To pick up a drum 24 the trailer is manoeuvred so that the arms of the yoke are located one on each side of the drum and the drum disposed in space 1 6. During this positioning the trailer chassis is tilted about the wheel axis so that the rearward ends of the axle support members will pass under the drum axle 26. The trailer is then returned to the position shown in Fig. 3 with the chassis substantially horizontal, where the axle support members are inclined downwardly in the forward direction. This causes the axle support member to be lifted and rotated clockwise (as viewed in Figs.

2 and 3) so that the drum is lifted and rolls down the axle support members and into the end 23 thereof. A locking bar (not shown) is then placed across the end 28 of the trailer closing the open end of space 1 6. Once loaded the drum can be rotated to unreel pipe or cable therefrom. To unload the drum the above sequence of steps is reversed.

The invention is not confined to the above described specific embodiment and many variations can be made. For example, if the drum to be loaded does not have solid side panels but has radially extending spokes which extend beyond the cable or tube wound onto the drum, then the end 28 need not be detachable since it will be received when loading the drum into the space by which the spokes lift the cable or tube off the ground. It may also be desirable to provide means by which the drum can be locked against rotation this being of importance when the loaded trailer is in transit.

The axle suDDort members can be modified as illustrated in Fig. 4 which shows the front end 23 thereof bent round to form a U-shape for receiving the drum axle 26. A pin 30 can be inserted through a hole adjacent the free end of the Ushaped end 23 to close the said U-shaped end and hold the drum axle at the forward end of the U-shaped member.

Claims

1. A trailer for a drum or like load having an axle comprising a chassis, an axle support member being arranged and disposed so that upon tilting the chassis of the trailer about the axis of the trailer road wheels from a substantially horizontal position the axle support member is lowered to locate it under the axle of a drum resting on the ground and so that upon returning the chassis to a substantially horizontal position the axle support member is raised thereby lifting the drum off the ground and rotatably supporting the drum thereon.

2. A trailer as claimed in Claim 1 , wherein the axle support member comprises a flat strip arranged to extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal trailer axis.

3. A trailer as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the ends of the strip are upturned.

4. A trailer as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the strip is inclined downwardly in the

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Trailer This invention relates to a trailer and more particularly a trailer adapted for a load such as a drum of pipe or cable. Plastic pipe such as is now used for domestic gas supply is commonly wound onto a drum in much the same way as cable. It has been found desirable when laying such pipe to be able to transport the drum to the site where the pipe can then be unreeled as required. No simple device for doing that is currently available. According to the present invention there is provided a trailer for a drum or like load having an axle comprising a chassis, an axle support member being arranged and disposed so that upon tilting the chassis of the trailer about the axis of the trailer road wheels from a substantially horizontal position the axle support member is lowered to locate it under the axle of a drum resting on the ground and so that upon returning the chassis to a substantially horizontal position the axle support member is raised thereby lifting the drum off the ground and rotatably supporting the drum thereon. A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a plan view of a trailer; Fig. 2 shows the trailer of Fig. 1 inside elevation and tilted to pick up a drum; Fig. 3 shows the trailer of Fig. 2 with the drum loaded thereon; and Fig. 4 shows a modified form oi axle support member. Referring to the drawings the trailer comprises a chassis 10 supported by a pair of road wheels 1 2. The chassis has the general form of a yoke having rearwardly projecting arms 14 defining a space 1 6 therebetween. An A-shaped bracket 1 8 is fixed to each arm of the yoke at the upper end of which an axle support member 20 is fixed. Each axle support member is in the form of a flat strip extending parallel to the longitudinal trailer axis, the rear and front ends 22 and 23 of which are upturned. The axle support members extend rearwardly of the brackets and are inclined slightly upwardly relative to the general plane of the chassis. In the embodiment shown the axle support members are fixed adjacent their forward ends to the apex of the A-shaped bracket. The rearward ends of the axle support members are supported by an arm 1 9 extending from the rearward side of bracket 18.To obtain the required movement of the rear end 22 of the axle support member on tilting of the chassis about the axis of the chassis wheels, the said rear end 22 should extend rearwardly beyond a vertical plane passing through the said axis of the chassis wheels. The greater the distance that said rearward end 22 extends beyond the said vertical plane the greater the movement of said rearward end 22 will be upon tilting of the chassis. The trailer is intended to be used as follows. To pick up a drum 24 the trailer is manoeuvred so that the arms of the yoke are located one on each side of the drum and the drum disposed in space 1 6. During this positioning the trailer chassis is tilted about the wheel axis so that the rearward ends of the axle support members will pass under the drum axle 26. The trailer is then returned to the position shown in Fig. 3 with the chassis substantially horizontal, where the axle support members are inclined downwardly in the forward direction. This causes the axle support member to be lifted and rotated clockwise (as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3) so that the drum is lifted and rolls down the axle support members and into the end 23 thereof. A locking bar (not shown) is then placed across the end 28 of the trailer closing the open end of space 1 6. Once loaded the drum can be rotated to unreel pipe or cable therefrom. To unload the drum the above sequence of steps is reversed. The invention is not confined to the above described specific embodiment and many variations can be made. For example, if the drum to be loaded does not have solid side panels but has radially extending spokes which extend beyond the cable or tube wound onto the drum, then the end 28 need not be detachable since it will be received when loading the drum into the space by which the spokes lift the cable or tube off the ground. It may also be desirable to provide means by which the drum can be locked against rotation this being of importance when the loaded trailer is in transit. The axle suDDort members can be modified as illustrated in Fig. 4 which shows the front end 23 thereof bent round to form a U-shape for receiving the drum axle 26. A pin 30 can be inserted through a hole adjacent the free end of the Ushaped end 23 to close the said U-shaped end and hold the drum axle at the forward end of the U-shaped member. Claims

3. A trailer as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the ends of the strip are upturned.

4. A trailer as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the strip is inclined downwardly in the forward direction relative to the plane of the trailer chassis.

5. A trailer as claimed in any preceding claim wherein means are provided for securing the drum on the trailer.

6. A trailer as claimed in Claim 5, wherein said means for securing the drum on the trailer are provided on the axle support member.

7. A trailer as claimed in Claim 5 wherein the means for securing the drum on the trailer comprises a locking bar removably mountable at the rear of the chassis.

8. A trailer as claimed in any preceding claim wherein means are provided for restraining rotation of the drum on the axle support member.

9. A trailer as claimed in Claim 2 or any of Claims 2 to 8 as appendent to Claim 2, wherein the rearward end of the strip extends rearwardly beyond a vertical plane including the said axis of the trailer road wheels.

10. A trailer substantially as described herein with reference to Figs. 1 to 3 or Figs. 1 to 3 as modified by Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.