GB2219258A

GB2219258A - Dropsided body

Info

Publication number: GB2219258A
Application number: GB8809022A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrea Mario D
Original assignee: GLOBAL DOOR
Current assignee: GLOBAL DOOR
Priority date: 1988-04-16
Filing date: 1988-04-16
Publication date: 1989-12-06
Anticipated expiration: 2008-04-16
Also published as: GB8809022D0; GB2219258B

Abstract

A walled flat-bed for the load containment area of lorries and similar load-carrying vehicles has walls (3, 3a) that are raised or lowered by a hydraulic (or other powered) system (5). The arrangement is one wherein the moveable walls (3, 3a) are mounted by spaced, parallel arms (4, 4a) at either end, each pair of arms being drivable between the desired wall-raised and wall-lowered positions. <IMAGE>

Description

Dropsided Body This invention relates to bodies for lorries and trucks, and concerns in particular dropsided bodies.

The load containment area of lorries and similar load-carrying vehicles may take a number of forms. One common form is that referred to as a "flat-bed", where the load-carrying area is merely a flat surface with, usually, front, back and side "walls" that can be moved (usually by pivotting on hinges at their bottom edge) out of the way to allow relatively unrestricted access to the flat-bed area for loading and unloading. These hinged walls are generally raised and lowered by hand, and - especially with the larger flat-beds - this can be a hard and time-consuming task.

The invention sees to deal with this problem by proposing a different type of wailed flat-bed - one wherein those walls that are to be raised or lowered can be not by hand but by a hydraulic (or other powered) system. This proposed dropsided flat-bed type is one wherein those walls that are to be moveable are mounted not by bottom edge hinges but by spaced, parallel arms at either end, each pair of arms being driveable (by a hydraulic, pneumatic, electric or other powered system) between the desired wall-raised and wall-lowered positions.

In one aspect, therefore, the invention provides a load-carrying and -containment apparatus comprising a load-carrying area bounded by walls at least one of which can be moved between a raised position where access to and from the area is restricted and a lowered position where that access is enabled, which wall is mounted at each end relative to the load-carrying area by way a pair of spaced, parallel arms pivotally attached at their ends to the wall and relative to the load-carrying area, there being drive means by which at least one of which arms is driveable between what constitutes a wall-raised and a wall-lowered position.

The invention is a load-carrying and -containment apparatus. More specifically, it is a dropsided body, especially a flat-bed, which may have its own integral cab etc, (as in a lorry) or may be a trailer intended to be drawn by a tractor unit (as in an articulated truck).

The apparatus has a load-carrying area (the end of the flat-bed, say) bounded by walls at least one of which is moveable. Generally, the two side walls will be moveable, as will the rear wall (the tailgate), whilst the front wall will be fixed. At least one of the moveable walls is so moveable in accordance with the invention (whilst the others need not be), but it may be that both side walls are so moveable whilst the tail gate hinges in the normal fashion (or, even, is fixed, like the front wall).

The wall moveable according to the invention moves between a raised position blocking access and a lowered position enabling access. Obviously, the raised position is the conventional "wall up" one, whilst the lowered position is equivalent to the conventional Uwall down" one (completely clear of the load area).

The moveable wall is mounted (at each end) via a pair of spaced, parallel arms. Each pair forms with the wall a standard parallelogram linkage, so that as the wall is moved it remains parallel to either end position - that is to say, its plane's orientation does not change). This is shown in the Drawings discussed further hereinafter.

The "outboard" ends of the arms are pivotally attached to their wall, whilst the "inboard" ends are attached relative to the load area. Conveniently, for each moveable wall the load area has a post (or similar member) upstanding from each end, and the inboard arm ends are pivotally secured to the relevant post.

Each wall has two arms at each end, making four in ail, and at least one of these arms is driveable (by drive means) between the positions that correspond to the wall-raised and wall-lowered positions. Preferably, however, one arm in each pair of arms is so driveable.

The driving means by which each driveable arm is to be driven between its up and down positions may be of any convenient kind. Thus, it may be an electric motor, a pneumatic piston/cylinder system, or even a manuallypowered winding gear. More preferably, however, it is a hydraulic piston/cylinder system, and very conveniently this is powered from the hydraulics of the apparatus' own cab/tractor unit prime mover.

The invention extends, of course, to a lorry (or the trailer of a trailer/tractor combination) whenever having a dropsided body of the invention.

An embodiment of the invention is now described, though by way of illustration only, with reference to the accompanying Drawings in which Figure 1 shows a pictorial, perspective view of a chassis cab arrangement with hydraulically operated dropsides according to the invention in the raised position.

Figure 2 is an end view of the arrangement of Figure i illustrating the operation of the dropside wall from its raised position through a mid position to its lowered position.

Figure 3 shows the parallel arm linkage of Figures 1 and 2, but in greater detail.

As can best be seen from Figure 1 the dropside body comprises a standard under-frame and deck area with a fixed headboard (1) and fixed tailgate (2), with a pair of left and right dropsides (3) and (3a) operated by means of spaced, parallel linkage arms (4) and (4a) powered by a pivotted hydraulic ram (5). The arms and ram are best seen in Figure 2.

The lever arm 4e is extended to have an L shspe pivotted at the Junction of the two parts of the L, with the hydraulic piston attached to the free end of this extension. The dropside doors are secured in the raised position for safety liA shoot bolts, catches, or similar means (not detailed). In this case the hydraulic system control lever (not shown) is mounted between the cab and body.

In order to lower either dropside 3 or 3a the safety pins (not shown) are first disengaged to free the door. The control lever is then moved from the central (neutral) position downwards, whereupon the dropside will move away from the raised position and describe an arc (as shown in Figures 2 and 3) down to the lowered position. During operation the vehicle engine or separate power pack is kept running to maintain hydraulic pressure.

To raise the dropside the steps described above are carried out in reverse sequence, the central lever being moved upwards.

Claims

1. A load-carrying and -containment apparatus comprising a load-carrying area bounded by walls at least one of which can be moved between a raised position where access to and from the area is restricted and a lowered position where that access is enabled, which wall is mounted at each end relative to the loadcarrying area by way a pair of vertically spaced, parallel arms pivotally attached at their one ends to the wall and at their other ends relative to the loadcarrying area, there being drive means by which at least one of the arms is drivable between what constitutes a wall-raised and a wall-lowered position.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 which is a wheeled dropsided flat-bed.

3. Apparatus as claimed in either of the preceding Claims, wherein the load-carrying area's two side walls are moveable in the defined manner.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, wherein for each moveable wall the load area has a post (or similar member) upstanding from each end, and the inboard arm ends are pivotally secured to the relevant post.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, wherein for each wall one arm in each pair of arms is so drivable.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, wherein the driving means by which each drivable arm is to be driven between its up and down positions is a hydraulic piston/cylinder system powered from the hydraulics of the apparatus' own cab/tractor unit prime mover.

9. Apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding Claims and substantially as described hereinbefore.

10. A lorry (or the trailer of a trailer/tractor combination) whenever having a dropsided body as claimed in any of the preceding Claims.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A wheeled dropsided flat-bed load-carrying and containment apparatus having its load-carrying area bounded by walls at least one of which can be moved between a raised position where access to and from the area is restricted and a lowered position where that access is enabled, which wall is mounted at each end relative to the load-carrying area by way a pair of vertically spaced, parallel arms pivotally attached at their one ends to the wall and at their other ends relative to the load-carrying area, there being drive means by which at least one of the arms is drivable between what constitutes a wall-raised and a walllowered position.

2 Apparatus as claimed in the preceding Claim, wherein the load-carrying area's two side walls are moveable in the defined manner.

3. Apparatus as claimed in either of the preceding Claims, wherein for each moveable wall the load area has a post Cor similar member) upstanding from each end, and the inboard arm ends are pivot ally secured to the relevant post.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, wherein for each wall one arm in each pair of arms is so drivable.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, wherein the driving means by which each drivable arm is to be driven between its up and down positions is a hydraulic piston/cylinder system powered from the hydraulics of the apparatus' own cab/tractor unit prime mover.

Apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding Claims and substantially as described hereinbefore.

7. A lorry (or the trailer of a trailer/tractor combination) whenever having a wheeled dropsided flatbed body as claimed in any of the preceding Claims.