GB2196307A

GB2196307A - Trailer goods vehicles

Info

Publication number: GB2196307A
Application number: GB08624954A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan Victor Short
Original assignee: FRUEHAUF CRANE Ltd
Current assignee: FRUEHAUF CRANE Ltd
Priority date: 1986-10-17
Filing date: 1986-10-17
Publication date: 1988-04-27
Also published as: GB8624954D0

Abstract

A trailer or semi-trailer goods vehicle has interfitting relatively slideable forward and rear sections (10, 23) of a skeletal chassis. Twistlocks (120) permit attachment of a forward end of an eventual shipping container to be supported by the vehicle. Longitudinal tracks (35) are provided in the rear section of the vehicle (23), with roller carriages (46) running on the tracks and twistlocks (44) supported by the roller carriages (46) for attachment of a rear end of an eventual shipping container. Links (54) connect the roller carriages (46) to the forward section( 10) of the chassis so that a constant spacing is maintained between the forward and rear twistlocks (20, 44) on the movement of the twistlocks (20, 44) relative to the chassis to adjust the load distribution of the vehicle. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Trailer goods vehicles This invention relates to a vehicle for carrying a shipping container having a so-called skeletal chassis, the vehicle being either a drawbar trailer vehicle or more commonly a semi-trailer vehicle.

In such vehicles the operator may wish to load or unload the container without demounting it from the vehicle and this is only feasible when the rear of the container is flush with the rear of the vehicle (Fig. 6 below). However, that container position may impose too high an axle load to comply with weight regulations and the vehicle may comply with regulations only when the container (as indicated by its twistlocks) is in the intermediate (32 tonne gross weight, Fig. 7 below) or forward (38 tonne gross weight, Fig. 7 below) positions relative to the suspension unit. There is therefore a requirement to be able to move a container relative to the suspension unit whilst the container is on the vehicle, and hitherto this requirement has been met by having the main beams of the trailer including both sets of bolsters sliding on top of a suspension bogey.However, this arrangement has a serious drawback that in the rear loading position (Fig.

6) there- is little reaction on the tractor and almost the full weight of the container is on the sliding pads of the bogey. It is difficult for the tractor to have enough traction to move the slider in this position.

This problem is solved, according to the invention, by a new arrangement in which a sliding section is provided in the middle of the trailer so that loads on the pads are relatively low and sliding takes place relatively easily. In order to achieve this it is necessary for the rear bolster also to move relative to the trailer and this is achieved by providing rollers on a rear twist lock assembly so that it can roll in channels on the edges of the trailer. The twist lock assembly is attached to a front bolster by means of tie bars in order to maintain the constant dimensions required for attaching a container.

Thus the invention provides a trailer or semi-trailer goods vheicle having interfitting relatively slideable forward and rear sections of a skeletal chassis, twistlocks for attachment of a forward end of an eventual shipping container to be supported by the vehicle, longitudinal tracks in the rear section of the vehicle, roller carriages running on the tracks and twistlocks supported by the roller carriages for attachment of a rear end of an eventual shipping container and links connecting the roller carriages to the forward section of the chassis the arrangement being such that the links maintain a constant spacing between the forward and rear twistlocks on movement of the relative positions of the for ward and rear twistlocks to adjust the load distribution of the vehicle.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 and 2 are a plan and longitudinal centre-line section of a front frame assembly forming part of a semi-trailer chassis according to the invention; Figures 3, 4 and 5 are a plan, longitudinal centre-line section and transverse section of a main frame assembly forming the remainder of a semi-trailer chassis according to the invention; Figures 6 to 8 are side views of a semitrailer vehicle according to the invention in its closed, intermediate and fully extended position; Figure 9 is a fragmentary side section of the chassis showing the way in which longitudinal members of the front and main frames interfit; and Figure 10 is a side view of a rear bolster carriage that travels on the vehicle chassis.

In Fig. 1, a front frame assembly 10 of a semi-trailer vehicle comprises a pair of longitudinal members 12 of I-section interconnected by cross-members 14 of box section. The assembly 10 includes a king-pin sub-assembly 16 at its front end for attachment of the chassis to a fifth-wheel coupling of a tractor vehicle and a front bolster 18 extending to either side of the members 12 and terminating in twistlocks 20. To the rear of the bolster 18 the longitudinal members 12 are downwardly stepped at 22.

The rear frame 23 comprises a pair of longitudinal members 25 also of I-section at a spacing from the centre line slightly greater than that of the members 12 of the front frame. It has a front cross-member 27 of box section that extends beyond the members 25 as shown and terminates in tie rod guides 29 open to the front and rear. Intermediate and rear cross-members 31, 33 of I-section also extend beyond the longitudinal members 25 and longitudinal tracks 35 of channel section are attached thereto, the side flanges of each track 35 having inturned flanges 37 that restrict the top opening thereof. The crossmembers 27, 31, 33 are located towards the tops of the longitudinal members 25 as shown and the members 25 are deeper than the members 12 of the front frame.The rear end of the front frame 10 is male and enters the female front end of the main frame 12 in which it is slideably captive between the cross-members 27, 31 and the base flanges 39 of members 25, as best seen in Fig. 9.

Support legs 40 are rigidly attached to the front frame 10 adjacent the stepped region 22 thereof and a tandem-axle suspension generally indicated by the reference numeral 42 is fixed to the main frame 12.

For attachment of a shipping container to the trailer the front corners are attached to the twistlocks 20 of the front frame 10 and the rear corners are attached to twistlocks 44 in carriages 46 that are captive in and roll along the tracks 35. As seen in Fig. 10 a rolling carriage 46 has a body 48 carrying the twistlock 44 and supported on leading and trailing wheels 50, 52; A link rod 54 pinned at 56 to the front end of the body 48 extends through the respective guide 29 to the front bolster 18 to which it is pinned at 58.

Accordingly as the front and main frames move between the closed position of Fig. 6 and the open position of Fig. 8 the carriage 46 is moved from the rear to the front ends of the tracks 35 by the link rods 54. Accordingly the front and rear parts 10, 12 of the chassis can be moved to an appropriate relative position to adjust the position of an intended shipping container relative to the suspension unit 42 by means of a tractor coupled thereto, and the parts can be secured at the required relative position by pins inserted in through holes- 60, -62 in the flanges of members 12, 25. Even when the container is in place the load on the interfitting sliding parts of frames 10, 12 is relatively low because these parts are located towards the middle of the trailer and sliding takes place relatively easily, the carriages 46 rolling along the tracks 35.

Claims

1. A trailer or semi-trailer goods vheicle having interfitting relatively slideable forward and rear sections of a skeletal chassis, twistlocks for attachment of a forward end of an eventual shipping container to be supported by the vehicle, longitudinal tracks in the rear section of the vehicle, roller carriages running on the tracks and twistlocks supported by the roller carriages for attachment of a rear end of an eventual shipping container and links connecting the roller carriages to the forward section of the chassis the arrangement being such that the links maintain a constant spacing between the forward and rear twistlocks on movement of the relative positions of the forward and rear twistlocks to adjust the load distribution of the vehicle.

2. A vehicle according to Claim 1, wherein longitudinal members of the forward frame section slidingly fit between longitudinal members of the rear frame section.

3. A vehicle according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein a suspension is attached in one fixed position to the rear section.

4. A vehicle according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the roller carriages have a body provided with leading and trailing wheels, a respective twistlock being attached to the body.

5. A vehicle according to Claim 4, wherein a link is pinned between a twistlock-carrying bolster of the front section and the roller carriage body.

6. A vehicle according to Claim 5, wherein each track is of channel section open at the top with inturned flanges on its side limbs retaining a respective roller carriage.

7. A trailer or semi-trailer goods vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.