GB2106046A - Transporting vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

A tractor or similar vehicle having a waisted portion between the front and rear wheels can be transported in a nose down attitude by rolling the front wheels on to a lower runway 9 on a transporting vehicle and the rear wheels on to an upper runway 10. The attitude of the tractor enables overlapping of several of them so that the space available for transportation can be more efficiently employed as compared with simple nose to tail positioning. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Tractor transportation system This invention relates to the transportation and storage of agricultural tractors or like vehicles having a waisted portion between two sets of wheels.

At present tractors, by which term it is intended to include all vehicles which have a narrow structure extending between front and rear sets of wheels, are transported large distances overland by means of flat bed road or rail vehicles on to which the tractors are driven or lifted. The tractors may be rolled or driven on to the flat bed vehicles nose to tail.

Alternatively if the tractors are suitably short they may be lifted and placed crosswise on the flat bed. In the case of nose to tail loading the weight of the tractors loaded never reaches the full carrying capacity of the flat bed vehicle so that full economical carrying power of the latter is not realised. In the case of cross-wise loading cranes or other high cost lifting apparatus has to be provided at the loading and unloading points thus resulting in added expense for transportation.

Various attempts have been made to position tractors and non-waisted vehicles on complicated ramps so that the attitude of the tractors contributes to better usage of the cubic space available. These solutions have the disadvantage that complicated ramps have to be fabricated and the tractors may still have to be lifted into position.

Solutions which employ double decks have also been employed but in this case the capital cost of the support structure is very large unless very high numbers of tractors need to be transported.

A further drawback is that specialist vehicles cannot be used for general cargo.

The present invention seeks to overcome the foregoing disadvantages.

According to the present invention a method of transporting a tractor comprises rolling one set of wheels onto a lower runway and the other set of wheels onto an upper runway at one station and thereafter rolling said other set of wheels off said upper runway and said one set of wheels off said lower runway at a second station.

Preferably the first station is at the level of the upper runway and the second station is at the level of the lower runway.

According also to the present invention a tractor transportation system consists of an upper runway and a lower runway supported on a movable structure itself mounted, optionally removably, on a transporting vehicle, a loading station consisting of two vertically spaced levels corresponding to the spacing between the upper and lower runways, a first ramp pivotable to a level connecting attitude to iead from the upper of the two levels to the lower, a second or drawbridge ramp pivotable between a lowered position in which it connects the upper level to the upper runway and a raised position in which it allows access to the first ramp by one set of wheels of a tractor, interconnecting means between the two ramps to depress the drawbridge ramp to its low position as the said one set of tractor wheels depresses the first ramp, to enable the second set of tractor wheels to mount the drawbridge ramp and biasing means for raising the drawbridge ramp, the arrangement being such that the second set of wheels mount the drawbridge ramp before the first set of wheels leave the first ramp.

In the case where the tractor has two wheels in the first set the first ramp and the first runway will be wide enough to accommodate both wheels. In the case where the tractor has two wheels in the second set the drawbridge ramp and upper runway will each consist of two spaced surfaces to allow the passage of the tractor body between them.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of which Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a tractor loading operations and Figure 3 and 4 illustrate a tractor unloading operation.

Figure 5 illustrates the disposition of a full load of tractors on a transport vehicle.

Figure 1 illustrates a tractor loading station 1 with a transporting vehicle 2 in position to receive tractors. A tractor 3 is shown standing on an upper level 4 with its front wheels 5 about to move on to a first ramp 6 under a drawbridge ramp 7 which is biased for example by a counterweight 8 to the raised position. The transporting vehicle 2 has a lower runway 9 and an upper runway 10.

Figure 2 shows tractor 3 with its front wheels 5 part way down the first ramp 6 and interconnecting means 11 is operating to pull the drawbridge ramp 7 down over the front wheels 5 to a position where the rear wheels 12 of the tractor way mount the drawbridge ramp 7. Continued forward movement of the tractor 3 would enable the front wheels 4 to roll from the lowered ramp 5 on to a lower level 13 and thence to the lower runway 9 of the transporting vehicle whilst the rear wheels 12 remain at the upper level 4 and roll along the drawbridge ramp 7 on to the upper level and thence on to the upper runway 10.

Figure 2 shows at 3A the position of the fully loaded tractor on the transporting vehicle 2. Figure 3 shows the transporting vehicle 2 at an unloading station 14 and tractor 3 in the process of being unloaded by having its rear wheels 12 rolled down hinged unloading ramps 16 to a lower level at unloading station 14. Referring to Figure 4, when the rear wheels 12 reach the platform 15the ramps 16 ride up over the front wheels 5 by pivotting about hinge 20 and again drop on to the platform 15 when they have passed.

Figure 5 shows the arrangement of five tractors on a loaded transport vehicle 2 which would only be able to accommodate four tractors disposed nose to tail.

The construction of the tractor support structure on the transport vehicle is such that it may be fixed to the latter as a permanency or it may be removably attached thereby enabling the transport vehicle to operate in a flat bed mode. If the front and rear wheels of the tractor have the same track width the upper runway has to overhang the inner runway and be supported by gusset plates and like strong structure from the outside of the runways so that the inside remains clear of structural obstruction to free rolling movement of the tractor.

CLAIMS (Filed on 22.7.82) 1. A method of transporting a tractor comprises rolling one set of wheels onto a lower runway and the other set of wheels onto an upper runway at one station and thereafter rolling said other set of wheels off said upper runway and said one set of wheels off said lower runway at a second station.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the first station is at the level of the upper runway and the second station is at the level of the lower runway.

3. A tractor transportation system consisting of an upper runway and a lower runway supported on a movable structure itself mounted, optionally removably, on a transporting vehicle, a loading station consisting of two vertically spaced levels corresponding to the spacing between the upper and lower runways, a first ramp pivotable to as level connecting attitude to lead from the upper of the two levels to the lower, a second or drawbridge ramp pivotable between a lowered position in which it connects the upper level to the upper runway and a raised position in which it allows access to the first ramp by one set of wheels of the tractor, interconnecting means between the two ramps to depress the drawbridge ramp to its low position as the said one set of tractor wheels depresses the first ramp, to enable the second set of tractor wheels to mount the drawbridge ramp and biasing means for raising the drawbridge ramp, the arrangement being such that the second set of wheels mount the drawbridge ramp before the first set of wheels leave the first ramp.

4. A tractor transportation system according to claim 3 and in the case where the tractor has two wheels in the first set the first ramp and the first runway will be wide enough to accommodate both wheels. In the case where the tractor has two wheels in the second set the drawbridge ramp and upper ramp will each consist of two spaced surfaces to allow the passage of the tractor body between them.

New claims or amendments to claims filed on 11.11.82 SuDerseded claims 4 New or amended claims: 4. A tractor transportation system according to claim 3 and in the case where the tractor has two wheels in the first set the first ramp and the first runway will be wide enought to accommodate both wheels.

5. A tractor transportation system according to claim 3 and in the case where the tractor has two wheels in the second set the drawbridge ramp and upper runway will each consist of two spaced surfaces to allow the passage of the tractor body between them.

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

Claims (5)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. structure from the outside of the runways so that the inside remains clear of structural obstruction to free rolling movement of the tractor. CLAIMS (Filed on 22.7.82)

1. A method of transporting a tractor comprises rolling one set of wheels onto a lower runway and the other set of wheels onto an upper runway at one station and thereafter rolling said other set of wheels off said upper runway and said one set of wheels off said lower runway at a second station.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the first station is at the level of the upper runway and the second station is at the level of the lower runway.

3. A tractor transportation system consisting of an upper runway and a lower runway supported on a movable structure itself mounted, optionally removably, on a transporting vehicle, a loading station consisting of two vertically spaced levels corresponding to the spacing between the upper and lower runways, a first ramp pivotable to as level connecting attitude to lead from the upper of the two levels to the lower, a second or drawbridge ramp pivotable between a lowered position in which it connects the upper level to the upper runway and a raised position in which it allows access to the first ramp by one set of wheels of the tractor, interconnecting means between the two ramps to depress the drawbridge ramp to its low position as the said one set of tractor wheels depresses the first ramp, to enable the second set of tractor wheels to mount the drawbridge ramp and biasing means for raising the drawbridge ramp, the arrangement being such that the second set of wheels mount the drawbridge ramp before the first set of wheels leave the first ramp.

4. A tractor transportation system according to claim 3 and in the case where the tractor has two wheels in the first set the first ramp and the first runway will be wide enough to accommodate both wheels. In the case where the tractor has two wheels in the second set the drawbridge ramp and upper ramp will each consist of two spaced surfaces to allow the passage of the tractor body between them.

New claims or amendments to claims filed on 11.11.82 SuDerseded claims 4 New or amended claims:

4. A tractor transportation system according to claim 3 and in the case where the tractor has two wheels in the first set the first ramp and the first runway will be wide enought to accommodate both wheels.

5. A tractor transportation system according to claim 3 and in the case where the tractor has two wheels in the second set the drawbridge ramp and upper runway will each consist of two spaced surfaces to allow the passage of the tractor body between them.