GB2091208A

GB2091208A - Wheeled road vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2091208A
Application number: GB8201294A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1981-01-17
Filing date: 1982-01-18
Publication date: 1982-07-28

Abstract

A wheeled road vehicle 1 comprises a loading platform 2 adapted to receive a plurality of skips 3, a skip handling means 4 comprising a pair of spaced apart arms 6 pivotable between inboard and outboard positions, for skip off-loading/on-loading purposes, under the control of an arm rotation means, such as rams 10, the arms 6 or skips 3 being displaceable along a track 15 extending longitudinally of the loading platform 2. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Wheeled road vehicle This invention relates to a wheeled road vehicle, whether of a trailer or self-propelled kind.

A known self-propelled vehicle employed primari lyforwaste disposal purposes comprises a lifting frame pivotable under the control hydraulic rams between inboard and outboard positions for the purpose of off-loading or on loading a skip. Whilst this sytem has proved acceptable over many years, one disadvantage is that the vehicle can only deliver or collect one skip at a time.

According to the present invention, a wheeled road vehicle comprises a loading platform adapted to receive a plurality of skips, a skip handling means comprising a pair of spaced apart arms pivotable between inboard and outboard positions, for skip off-loading/on-ioading purposes, under the control of an an arm rotation means, the arms or skips being displaceable along a track extending longitudinally of the loading platform.

Thus, in the embodiment when the arms are longitudinally displaceable, the arms are positioned at a first location along the track and a first skip is on-loaded or off-loaded and thereafter the arms are displaced to a second location along the track for on-loading or off-loading a second skip. In the embodiment where the skips are longitudinally displaceable, then to on-load, the vehicle is positioned with its arms adjacent the first skip and the latter is on-loaded and then pushed along the track so that space is provided for on-loading the second skip. Off-loading follows the reverse of this procedure. It will be appreciated that two, three, or four skips can be carried by a loading platform of suitable length.Furthermore, the vehicle need not return to a depot after a single skip has been on or off-loaded but may proceed immediately to its next point of skip delivery or collection.

The two arms may be joined at their outer ends by a connecting beam to form a frame generally of inverted "U"-shape. Preferably, the arm rotation means comprises a pair of double-acting hydraulic rams, one attached to each arm and to the loading platform. It is also preferred for the track to be set into, or located beneath, an upper surface of the loading platform. Furthermore, the track may be located either at one side of the loading platform or centrally of the platform. With the former arrangement, two or more outrigger stabilizing legs may be carried either by the loading platform or, in the embodiment where the arms are displaceable along a track, by support structure of the arms. With either version, the legs are swingable between an inboard, storage position and an outboard, operative position.

It is also preferred for the arms to impart initially vertical movement to a skip before lifting from, or deposition onto, the surface of the loading platform, this being to ensure accurate location. This may be achieved by attaching the end of each ram remote from the chassis to a pivotable link extending radially from the outer end of each arm, so that upon extension of the rams, firstly the link pivots and the arm remains stationary, to achieve the desired vertical movement, and after link pivoting over a prescribed arc has occurred, the link abuts a stop and arm pivoting occurs, the reverse operation being achieved upon retraction of the rams.

The arms or skips may be displaceable by power means such as a hydraulic ram, e.g. of the multistage telescopic type, a screw arrangement, a chain and sprocket arrangement etc.

In the first embodiment, the arms may be mounted on a trolley, itself displaceable along the track, and the trolley may carry the stabilizing legs. In detail, the trolley may comprise four wheels freely rotatable about horizontal axes and located in spaced apart and mutually facing channels, e.g. of rolled steel, to provide upper and lower trapping for the wheels. The latter may be grooved for additional guidance purposes. The trolley is conveniently displaceable by a drive mechanism comprising an endless chain having a chain drive sprocket powered e.g. by a hydraulic motor of the vehicle. It may readily be arranged forthe trolley to be indexed by the drive mechanism to the various skip on-loadingl off-loading stations.

Additionally, the vehicle may incorporate a skip tipping facility whereby the contents of any particular skip, e.g. ready mixed concrete, waste paper, scrap metal, refuse, may be tipped at an appropriate location. Tipping may be achieved by latching the skip with respect to the vehicle or the pivotable arms, e.g. removable pins may be passed through a hole in each arm when aligned with a recess in a skip side or alternatively erectable claws of the vehicle may engage an edge of the skip to achieve the pivoting effect.

If the vehicle is a trailer, this conveniently carries its own power pack comprising either an internal combustion engine or electric batteries to drive a hydraulic pump.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a self-propelled vehicle in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a section on the line ll-ll of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a front elevation of the arms of Figures 1 and 2; and Figure 4 is a side elevation of Figure 3.

In the drawings, a wheeled road vehicle 1 in the form of a lorry comprises a loading platform 2 adapted to receive a maximum of four skips 3, with the skips 3 either off-loaded or on-loaded by means of a skip handling means 4 located at one lateral side 5 of the loading platform 2.

The skip handling means 4 comprises a pair of spaced apart arms 6 joined at their outer ends by a connecting beam 7 to form a frame of generally inverted "U"-shape, with the inner ends of the arms 6 pivotally mounted on a trolley 8 for movement about co-axial axes 9 under the control of a pair of double acting hydraulic rams 10, one of each being associated with each arm 6. In detail, each ram 10 is pivotally attached to the trolley 8 about an axis 11 and pivotally attached to its adjacent arm 6 about an axis 12 supported by brackets 13 attached to the arms 6.

The trolley 8 comprises four freely rotatable, grooved wheels 14 located in channels 15 carried by the loading platform 2. The trolley 8 is displaceable along the loading platform 2 by means of a drive mechanism 16 comprising an endless chain 17, a drive sprocket 18 powered by a hydraulic motor and a return sprocket 19.

In use, the trolley 8 is indexed along the loading platform 2 until it arrives at the required on-loadingl off-loading station for the particular skip involved whereupon stabilizing legs (not shown) carried by the trolley 8 are engaged with the ground, the conventional chains of the skip handling means 4 are engaged with the particular skip 3 involved and the rams 10 are then actuated to displace the arms 6 between the inboard and outboard position illustrated in Figure 2.

Claims

1. Awheeled road vehicle comprising a loading platform adapted to receive a plurality of skips, a skip handling means comprising a pair of spaced apart arms pivotable between inboard and outboard positions,forskip off-loading/on-loading purposes, under the control of an arm rotation means, the arms or skips being dispaceable along a track extending longitudinally of the loading platform.

2. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the two arms are joined at their outer ends by a connecting beam to form a frame generally of inverted"U"-shape.

3. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the arm rotation means comprises a pair of double-acting hydraulic rams, one attached to each arm and to the loading platform.

4. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the track is set into, or located beneath, an upper surface of the loading platform.

5. Avehicle as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the track is located at one side of the loading platform.

6. Avehicle as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the track is located centrally of the loading platform.

7. A vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein two or more outrigger stabilizing legs are carried by the loading platform, which legs are swingable between an inboard, storage position and an outboard, operative position.

8. Avehicle in claimed in Claim 5 in the embodiment where the arms are displaceable along a track, wherein two or more outrigger stabilizing legs are carried by support structure of the arms, which legs are swingable between an inboard, storage position and an outboard, operative position.

9. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the arms impart initially vertical movement to a skip before lifting from, or deposition onto, the surface ofthe loading platform.

10. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 9 wherein the end of each ram remote from the chassis is attached to a pivotable link extending radially from the outer end of each arm.

11. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding Claim, in the embodiment wherein the arms are longitudinally displaceable of the loading platform, wherein the arms are mounted on a trolley, itself displaceable along the track.

12. Avehicle as claimed in Claim 11 when appendantto Claim 8, wherein the trolley carries the stabilizing legs.

13. Avehicle as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the arms or skips are displaceable by power means.

14. Avehicle as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the ram is of the multi-stage telescopic type.

15. Avehicle as claimed in Claim 14, wherein the ram is of the multi-stage telescopic type.

16. Avehicle as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the power means is a screw arrangement.

17. Avehicle as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the power means is a chain and sprocket arrangement.

18. Avehicle as claimed in Claim 11, wherein the trolley comprises four wheels freely rotatable about horizontal axes and located in spaced apart and mutually facing channels to provide upper and lower trapping for the wheels.

19. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 18, wherein the wheels are grooved for additional guidance purposes.

20. Avehicle as claimed in Claim 11 and any Claim appendant thereto, wherein the trolley is displaceable by a drive mechanism comprising an endless chain having a chain drive sprocket.

21. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 20, wherein the sprocket is powered by a hydraulic motor of the vehicle.

22. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 20 or Claim 21, wherein the trolley is indexed by the drive mechanism to the various skip on-loading/off-loading stations.

23. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the vehicle incorporates a skip tipping facility whereby the contents of any particular skip may be tipped at an appropriate location.

24. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 23, wherein tipping is achieved by latching the skip with respect to the vehicle orthe pivotable arms.

25. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 24, wherein latching is effected by removable pins passed through a hole in each arm when aligned with a recess in a skip side.

26. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 24, wherein latching is effected by erectable claws of the vehicle engaging an edge of the skip to achieve the pivoting effect.

27. Awheeled road vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.