GB2138783A - Vehicle construction - Google Patents

Abstract

A demountable vehicle body system comprises a chassis part (2) and a body part (3). The chassis part (2) has a pair of tracks (4) which slope downwardly from either end of a horizontal central region (5). When the body is demounted and standing on its legs (11, 12) the chassis part may be reversed under the body, whereupon rollers (15) on the body run up the sloping tracks (6) and lift the front legs clear of the ground so that they can be stored. A hydraulic ram (8) is used to lift the rear of the body to allow for storage of the rear legs (12). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Vehicle construction This invention relates to a vehicle construc tion, and more particularly to a vehicle having a demountable body.

Vehicles having demountable bodies are well known within the commercial vehicle art, such vehicles comprising a chassis part hav ing ground engaging wheels, and a body part which can readily be removed from and loaded onto the chassis part without the use of auxiliary lifting equipment, i.e. the body part can be mounted and demounted using only equipment carried on the vehicle.

According to one feature of the present invention a vehicle comprises: a chassis part having ground engaging wheels; track means mounted on the chassis part, the track means extending from a rearwardly downwardly slop ing rear end portion thereof to a point adjacent the front of the chassis part; a body part having track engaging means at the front thereof and ground engaging front and rear support legs for supporting the body part on the ground with the track engaging means at a height to engage the rear end portion of the track means whereby the chassis part may be reversed under the body part to cause the track engaging means to engage and run up the rear end portion of the track means and thereby lift the front support legs clear of the ground; and lifting means for lifting the rear end of the body part when located above the rear end of the chassis part to relieve the load on the rear support legs and thereby permit the rear support legs to me moved to a storage position.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the track means includes a generally horizontal central portion which extends forwardly from the upper end of the rear end portion, and a front end portion which extends forwardly downwardly from the front end of the central portion to the front end of the track means. Preferably means are provided for automatically locking the front end of the body part against upwards movement relative to the chassis part. Such means may be combined with a stop for limiting forward movement of the body part relative to the chassis part, and in the preferred embodiment are provided by rearwardly open jaws mounted on the chassis part which receive pins mounted on the body part.In a particularly preferred arrangement the rearwardly open jaws are mounted at the front end of the track means and the pins mounted on the body part are constituted by extensions of spindles upon which rollers are mounted, the rollers constituting the track engaging means of the body part.

The lifting means preferably comprises hydraulic ram means mounted on the chassis adjacent the rear end thereof for engagining and lifting the rear end of the body part. In a particularly preferred embodiment a single hy draulic ram is mounted substantially on the longitudinal centre-line of the chassis part and engages a tappering support provided on the underside of the body part. Thus, when the ram is extended to lift the body part, the lifting operation automatically centres the rear end of the body part on the chassis part. The rear support legs may then be moved to a storage position and the ram retracted to lower the body part to a generally horizontal position on the chassis part.

The above and further features of the invention will become clear from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, given by way of example only, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of the invention in a road travel configuration; Figures 2-6 illustrate de-mounting of the body part of the vehicle shown in Fig. 1; and Figures 7 and 8 show construction details.

Referring firstly to Fig. 1 a demountable body commercial vehicle 1 includes a wheeled chassis part 2 and a demountable body part 3. The chassis part includes a pair of longitudinally extending track members 4 each including a generally horizontal central portion 5, a rearwardly downwardly sloping rear end portion 6 and a frontwardly downwardly extending front end portion 7.

A single hydraulic ram 8.is secured to the rear end of the chassis part on the longitudinal centre line thereof and includes a piston rod 9 (Fig. 8) having a part-spherical upper end. Rearwardly open jaws 10 (shown in more detail in Fgiure 7) are secured to the track members 4 adjacent the front end thereof.

The body part 3 comprises a conventional box-like body having suitable entrance doors (not shown). Two front support legs 11 are provided one on each side of the body part adjacent the front end thereof, and two rear support legs 1 2 are provided one on each side of the body adjacent the rear end thereof.

The front support legs may be locked in the storage configuration shown in Figs. 1-4 and in a use configuration as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The rear support legs 12 include a fixed upper portion 1 3 and a telescopically mounted lower portion 1 4. A pair of track engaging rollers 15, one for engaging each chassis track member 4, are provided at the front end of the body part.

When the vehicle is in the road travel configuration shown in Fig. 1 the front support legs 11 are in their stowed configuration and the lower portion 1 4 of each rear leg is fully retracted and locked in position by a locking pin. The body part rests on suitable supports on the chassis part and is locked in position at the front end by means of the jaws 10 (and described in more detail hereinafter) and at the rear end by means of conventional twistlock fasteners 1 6.

In order to demount the body part 3 the twistlock fasteners 16 are released and the ram 8 is extended to lift the rear end of the body part to the position illustrated in Fig. 2.

The lower portions 14 of the rear support legs 1 2 are then lowered and locked in position and the ram 8 retracted to leave the rear end of the body part supported on the rear support legs as illustrated in Fgiure 3. The chassis part is then driven forward and the rollers 1 5 run up the front end part 7 of the track members 4 and along the generally horizontal central portion 5. The chassis part is stopped when the rollers are adjacent the rear axle of the chassis part and the front support legs 11 are lowered to their use position. The body part and chassis part are then in the configuration shown in Fig. 5.The chassis part may then be driven forward thereby allowing the rollers 1 5 to run down the rear end portion 6 of the track members 4 until the front end of the body part is supported on the front support legs 11. De-mounting is then complete.

Re-mounting of the body on the chassis is the reverse of the above described demounting procedure and is commenced by reversing the chassis part under the body part thereby causing the rollers 1 5 to engage and run up the rear end portion 6 of the track members 4, thereby lifting the front support legs 11 clear of the ground so that they can be moved to the storage position.

Referring now to Fig. 7 it will be seen that the spindle 1 7 of each roller 1 5 is extended to form a pin which enters jaws 10 as the body part moves forwardly onto the chassis part during re-mounting. The closed end of the jaws constitute a stop limiting forward movement of the body part onto the chassis prt, and the upper part of each jaw prevents upward movement of the body part relative to the chassis part. Thus, the front end of the body part is automaticaly locked onto the chassis part during re-mounting.

Finally, referring to Fig. 8 a tappering, preferably concical member 1 8 is secured to the underside of the body part whereby, as the ram 8 is extended during re-mounting the body part automaticaly centralizes on the chassis part. Thus, when the ram 8 is subsequently retracted the body part is correctly located on the chassis part for engagement by the twistlocks 16.

It will be appreciated that Fig. 8 includes two views of the ram assembly, the left-hand view showing the ram as the piston rod advances towards the conical member 18, and the right-hand view showing the piston rod seated in the apex of the conical member after centralization of the body part.

Claims (10)

1. A vehicle comprising: a chassis part having ground engaging wheels; track means mounted on the chassis part, the track means extending from a rearwardly downwardly sloping rear end portion thereof to a point adjacent the front of the chassis part; a body part having track engaging means at the front thereof and ground engaging front and rear support legs for supporting the body part on the ground with the track engaging means at a height to engage the rear end portion of the track means whereby the chassis part may be reversed under the body part to cause the track engaging means to engage and run up the rear end portion of the track means and thereby lift the front support legs clear of the ground; and lifting means for lifting the rear end of the body part when located above the rear end of the chassis part to relieve the load on the rear support legs and thereby permit the rear support legs to be moved to a storage position.

2. A vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the track means includes a generally horizontal central portion which extends forwardly from the upper end of the rear end portion, and a front end portion which extends forwardly downwardly from the front end of the central portion to the front end of the track means.

3. A vehicle according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein means are provided for automatically locking the front end of the body part against upward movement relative to the chassis part when the body part is mounted on the chassis part.

4. A vehicle according to claim 3 wherein said locking means also automatically limits forward movement of the body part relative to the chassis part during mounting of the body part, and lock the body part against forward movement relative to the chassis part when the body part is mounted on the chassis part.

5. A vehicle according to claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the locking means comprises rearwardly open jaws mounted on the chassis part for receiving pins mounted on the body part.

6. A vehicle according to claim 5 wherein the track means comprises a pair of longitudinally extending tracks mounted on the chassis part, and a respective said locking means is provided at the forward end of each track.

7. A vehicle according to claim 6 wherein the track engaging means comprises a pair of track engaging rollers, and the pins comprise extensions of the roller mounting spindles.

8. A vehicle according to any preceding claim wherein the lifting means comprises a hydraulic ram mounted on the chassis part substantially on the longitudinal centre line thereof.

9. A vehicle according to claim 8 wherein the body part is provided with an upwardly and inwardly tapering support for engagement by the upper end of the ram, the mouth of the support being large relative to the size of the upper end of the ram whereby the ram can enter the mouth of the cone when the body is slightly offset relative to its desired final position.

10. A vehicle, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.