GB2166789A

GB2166789A - Curtain sided vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2166789A
Application number: GB08526509A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bernard Charles Lamb; William Stanley Higham
Original assignee: British Alcan Aluminium Ltd
Current assignee: British Alcan Aluminium Ltd
Priority date: 1984-11-09
Filing date: 1985-10-28
Publication date: 1986-05-14
Also published as: GB8526509D0

Abstract

A curtain sided vehicle of the type described, is provided with two upper tracks (14,15). A curtain insert (6) is suspended by means of rollers (18,19) running in the tracks. The outermost track (14) serves to take most of the weight of the curtain, while the inner track (15) serves to maintain the curtain steady, especially in the region of its ends, where it may be reinforced by rigid panels. A lower track (16) is optionally provided to guide rollers (17) attached to the lower edge of the curtain insert (6). This lower track (16) may be attached to the vehicle chassis to give it additional strength. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Curtain sided vehicle This invention relates to a curtain sided vehicle i.e. a vehicle in which at least part of at least one wall is provided by flexible curtain material which can be moved to one side to provide access to the interior of the vehicle.

Such a vehicle can be conveniently referred to as a curtain sided vehicle of the type described.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a curtain sided vehicle of the type described comprising a first upper track extending above the openable part of the curtain side to accommodate roller means from which the curtain is suspended, and a second upper track extending substantially parallel to the first mentioned track and adapted to accommodate additional roller means of the curtain.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a curtain sided vehicle, of the type described, comprising upper and lower track means each to accommodate respective roller means of the or each curtain, the lower track means being integral with a rail extending along the side of the chassis of the vehicle.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a curtain sided vehicle of the type described, at least one side wall thereof comprising at least one rigid end panel slidable along the vehicle side, the curtain being attached to said panel at an edge thereof adjacent the end of the side wall and passing over the external face of the panel, whereby the side wall in closed condition presents a smooth uniform appearance.

The invention will be better understood 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 curtain assembly for a curtain sided vehicle; Figure 2 is a section on the line A-A of Fig.

1; Figures 3 and 4 are transverse cross-sections of the side wall of a curtain sided vehicle taken at different points along the side wall; and Figure 5 shows in more detail the bottom rail which is shown in situ in Figs. 3 and 4.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention a vehicle is provided with a curtain side wall assembly 1 which, when in a closed configuration, extends from the front to the rear of one edge of the vehicle. Preferably a corresponding side wall assembly is provided on the other side of the vehicle. The side wall assembly comprises end regions 2,3 and a central region 4 which interconnects the end regions. In the central region 4 the flexible curtain material 5 is supported on aluminium inserts 6 which are located in pockets 7 provided in the curtain material. Curtain folders 8 are also preferably secured to the curtain material to bias the curtain material outwardly of the vehicle so that as the curtain wall is drawn open the material of the curtain tends to form outward bulges between the inserts 6.The folders 8 may be weights, stiffening strips, or vertical rods as described respectively in our copending applications nos.

8508457, 8518958 and 8522839.

In the front region 2 the curtain material 5 is secured to a front panel 9, and in the rear region 3 the curtain material is secured to a corresponding rear panel 10. The panels 9,10 are provided with suitable latch mechanisms 11 which facilitate securing the panels in position, and tensioning the curtain material. Each panel consists of a rigid frame 11 surrounding a central portion 12. The curtain material covers the exposed face of the central portion 12, and is secured to the lateral extremity of the respective panel, e.g. by being wrapped between the frame 11 and the edge of the central portion 12 and secured in place by a packing piece 13. When the curtain side is closed a smooth and uniform sheet of curtain material 5 extends the full length of the vehicle.However, the provision of the end panels 9,10 greatly assists the opening and closing of the curtain as will be described in more detail hereinafter.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, the panels and curtain are mounted for sliding movement along the length of the vehicle by means of three channel members which form respectively a curtain track 14, a steady track 15, and a bottom track 16. Each insert 6 carries at the upper end thereof a roller assembly by which the insert is suspended for movement along the curtain track 14, and carries at its bottom end a guide roller 17 which is constrained to move along the bottom track 16.

It should be noted that the weight of the inserts 6 and of the curtain material secured to them is supported by the curtain track 14, and the purpose of the bottom track 16 is to guide and locate the bottom of the insert 6 rather than to support the weight of the curtain assembly.

Each panel carries a pair of roller assemblies 18,19 which are offset from each other when viewed in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Rollers 18 are mounted to run along curtain track 14 and carry part of the weight of the panel. Rollers 19 are mounted to roll along the steady track 15. In the preferred embodiment the rollers 18 are mounted at one lateral extremity of the upper edge of the panel, and the rollers 19 are mounted at the end of a steady arm which is rigidly secured to the frame 11 and extends outwardly from the opposite lateral extremity of each panel. Thus, each panel car ries two roller assemblies, one secured to one upper corner of the panel, and the other secured to an arm extending from the other upper corner of the panel.This arrangement is effective to locate the roller assemblies 18,19 further apart than the actual width of the panel, thereby improving stability and reducing any tendency of the panel to cant and jam in use. Each panel also preferably carries a bottom roller assembly which runs along bottom track 16 and generally corresponds to the roller assembly 17 secured to each insert 6.

The bottom track 16 is formed by part of a bottom rail member 20, the transverse crosssection of which is shown in Fig. 5. The bottom rail 20 is particularly preferred since, in addition to providing the bottom track 16 it fulfils a number of other useful functions. The bottom rail 20 is secured to the ends of load bearing out-riggers 21 which are in turn supported on the main vehicle chassis. Thus, the bottom rail 20, by interconnecting the free ends of the out-riggers 21, adds rigidity to the body and is itself capable of a substantial load bearing function. For example, at any point on the body work (such as illustrated in Fig. 4) where the vehicle floor 22 is mounted directly on the chassis out-riggers 21, the bottom rail 20 can conveniently support the free edge of the floor 22 at points between the out-riggers 21.Further by securing an angle capping strip 23 to the bottom rail 20 the free edge of the floor 22 is fully protected against damage. Further, at points on the body where the vehicle floor is not supported direct on the main out-riggers 21 (for example over wheel arches or at points where a raised floor is required for some reason) the bottom rail 20 can conveniently be used as a means for transferring the floor load to the main chassis out-riggers 21. This arrangement is shown in Fig. 3 where the vehicle floor 22A is supported on an aluminium bearer 24 which is in turn supported by a suitable section 25 secured to the bottom rail 20. Similarly, the bottom rail 20 functions to provide a convenient mounting for any structural member which cannot conveniently be secured direct to a chassis out-rigger 21. This arrangement is again shown in Fig. 3 where a vertical frame member 26 is shown secured to and mounted on the bottom rail 20. Finally, it will be noted that the bottom rail 20 can readily be made to a robust cross-section and can thus readily resist damage which is potentially caused to the edge of any vehicle by fork lift truck loading and similar operations. The bottom rail 20 is preferably an aluminium alloy extrusion.

Claims

1. A curtain sided vehicle of the type described comprising a first upper track extending above the openable part of the curtain side to accommodate roller means from which the curtain is suspended, and a second upper track extending substantially parallel to the first mentioned track and adapted to accommodate additional roller means of the curtain.

2. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the curtain comprises, at at least one region thereof, a rigid panel, said panel being provided with roller means associated with each upper edge, the roller means associated with one edge cooperating with said first upper track and those associated with the other edge cooperating with said second upper track.

3. A vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the roller means associated with one of the edges are mounted to an extension arm to be spaced from that edge.

4. A vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the arm mounted roller means cooperate with said second upper track.

5. A vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second upper track is located inboardly of the first upper track.

6. A vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a lower track extending beneath the openable part of the curtain side to accommodate lower roller means of the curtain, said lower track being integral with a rail extending along the side of the chassis of the vehicle.

7. A vehicle as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the curtain is attached to said at least one panel at an edge thereof adjacent the end and passes over the external face of the panel.

8. A curtain sided vehicle, of the type described, comprising upper and lower track means each to accommodate respective rollers means of the or each curtain, the lower track means being integral with the rail extending along the side of the chassis of a vehicle.

9. A vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein the rail is secured to the ends of load bearing out-riggers extending from the main vehicle chassis.

10. A vehicle as claimed in either claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the rail is a metal extrusion.

11. A curtain sided vehicle of the type described, at least one side wall thereof comprising at least one rigid end panel slidable along the vehicle side, the curtain being attached to said panel at an edge thereof adjacent the end of the side wall and passing over the external face of the panel, whereby the side wall in closed condition presents a smooth uniform appearance.

12. A vehicle as claimed in claim 11, wherein the panel comprises a rigid external frame, and the curtain is attached by wrapping around the edge of the panel within and held in place by the frame.

13. A vehicle as claimed in either claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the side wall comprises a rigid panel at each end.

14. A curtain sided vehicle substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.