GB2220171A

GB2220171A - Transporting system for portable units eg buildings

Info

Publication number: GB2220171A
Application number: GB8810729A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David John Lowe
Original assignee: CONWAY PRODUCTS Ltd
Current assignee: CONWAY PRODUCTS Ltd
Priority date: 1988-05-06
Filing date: 1988-05-06
Publication date: 1990-01-04
Also published as: GB8810729D0

Abstract

The system comprises a trailer adapted to be towed by a road vehicle and a portable unit 3 adapted to be secured to the trailer. A plurality of demountable extensible legs 7 may be mounted on the unit on either side of the trailer, and a demountable jack 8 used to engage each of the legs in turn to control the leg length thereof. After locking of the logs in the raised position the tractor/trailer may be driven away to leave the portable unit in position. The unit may be a stores, toilet, mess room, office, cafe etc. The trailer itself may have a low loading platform so that the legs may be of lightweight construction. Instead of a separate jack, jacking means within the leg may be used for height adjustment. <IMAGE>

Description

PORTABLE UNIT TRANSPORTING SYSTEM The present invention relates to a portable unit transporting system, and in particular to such a system which can be used to deliver small portable buildings and the like to sites on which they are required on a temporary or semi-permanent basis.

Different types of portable units are required on for example building sites for short, medium and long term periods. Such units are for example stores, offices, mess rooms, toilets, roadside cafes, food booths, rest rooms and recording booths. It is highly desirable for the systems used for delivering the units not to be left with them on site, both with a view to reducing capital costs and also with a view to making it difficult for an unauthorised person to remove the unit from the site.

A number of different approaches have been used in the past to transport portable units to and from the sites on which they are required. For example the units have been provided with jack legs typically of 2 metres in length which enable the unit to be delivered on the back of a flat bed truck, jacked up on the legs, and then lowered onto permanent supports after the truck has been driven away. Because of the height of a typical flat bed truck the jacks must be of considerable length and cross section. As a result they are very heavy and are generally left on the unit on site. This approach requires the use of a flat bed truck which in itself is a very expensive item.

An alternative approach has been to use a flat bed truck but to dispense with the jack legs, the unit being lifted on and off the flat bed truck using a hydraulic crane lift permanently mounted on the vehicle. This approach is perfectly satisfactory but adds still further to the expense of the basic vehicle required.

A still further approach has been to use a purpose build vehicle of the type designed for skip handling and transportation. Such vehicles are however very expensive indeed and this approach can only be contemplated if a vehicle of this type is available as a result of other activities.

Because of the high capital cost of the transport systems used the end users of the portable units which are generally hired out has had to face relatively high charges, particularly for relatively small units of the type which are becoming particularly popular. Furthermore competition has been stifled to some extent as a result of the high entry costs to the business.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable unit transporting system which obviates or mitigates the problems outlined above.

According to the present invention there is provided a portable unit transporting system, comprising a trailer adapted to be towed by a road vehicle, a portable unit adapted to be secured to the trailer, a plurality of demountable extensible legs each adapted to be mounted on the unit on either side of the trailer, and a demountable jack adapted to engage each of the legs in turn to control the length thereof.

The trailer can be dimensioned so that it is of a size appropriate for towing by a conventional road vehicle such as a Landrover or a large saloon car.

The trailer can be relatively lightweight so as to be manually manoeuvrable and can have a low loading platform so that the legs can be short and relatively lightweight. One individual can tow the trailer to the position in which the unit is to be used, carrying the legs and the jack in for example the boot of a towing vehicle. The legs are then fitted to the unit and the unit is jacked up above the trailer. The trailer can then be either towed out or pulled out manually and the unit can then be lowered onto for example buidling blocks or simple stands. When the unit is to be removed from the site, again a single person can drive the trailer to the site, jack the unit up, push the trailer manually beneath the unit, lower the unit onto the trailer, lock the unit on the trailer, remove the jacks and drive away.The total system is thus extremely cheap to fabricate as compared with the alternative known systems outlined above and can be easily operated by a single person using a conventional vehicle of the type available to most individuals interested in this sort of business. Thus capital and operating costs are both dramatically reduced.

Preferably the trailer comprises twin axles supporting wheels of relatively- small diameter that are positioned under the body of the unit when the unit is mounted on the trailer. The maximum permissible width for trailers of this type can thus correspond to the width of the unit to be placed on the trailer.

The legs may comprise simple telescopic structures adapted to be hooked into engagement with brackets supported by the unit. The brackets are preferably located on the front and rear faces of the unit so as not to contribute to the width of the unit. The brackets may be simple box sections into which corresponding box sections supported by the legs can be locked when the unit is to be lifted.

The legs may comprise two telescopically engaged components each supporting a respective collar, the jack engaging between the two collars. One of the collars may be slidable along the leg so that its position can be adjusted to suit particular site conditions.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 illustrate the sequential steps which are followed during the delivery of a unit to its intended site of use by a transport system in accordance with the present invention; and Fig. 5 is a more detailed illustration of the inter-engagement between the unit to be transported, an extensible leg which can be engaged with the unit, and a jack which can be used to extend the leg.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, the illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a simple trailer 1 having twin axles each supporting a pair of relatively small wheels 2. The trailer supports a portable unit 3 that is secured to the trailer by locking pins 4 (Fig. 2). The portable unit supports four pairs of brackets 5 adjacent each of its four corners. The brackets are arranged on the two end faces of the unit so that they do not project sideways relative to the trailer. Thus, the usable width of the portable unit can correspond to the maximum permissable width of trailer allowed by relevant regulations. This is important for example in the United Kingdom where the maximum trailer width is 2300 millimetres.

Each of the pairs of brackets 5 is intended to be engaged by mating brackets 6 supported by an extensible leg 7 the length of which is controlled by a small bottle jack 8.

The unit is towed on the trailer in the condition shown in Fig. 1 to the position on site at which it is required. The securing pins 4 are then removed and the extensible legs 7 are engaged with the brackets 5. The jack 8 is then used to extend each of the legs in turn until the unit 3 has been lifted off the trailer. The system is then in the condition illustrated in Fig. 3. The trailer can then be pulled out by the towing vehicle or manually so as to leave the system in the condition shown in Fig. 4. The unit can then be lowered again using the jack 8 onto appropriate supports (not shown). When the unit is to be removed from site the above outlined procedure is simply reversed. Because of the relatively light construction of the trailer it is an easy matter for one person to manoeuvre the trailer beneath the unit either manually or using the towing vehicle.

Referring now to Fig. 5, this illustrates the inter-engagement between the extensible legs and the unit. The same reference numerals are used in Fig. 5 as in Figs. 1 to 4. The brackets 5 may be simple 50 millimetres square steel box sections welded to the body of the unit. The components 6 may also be steel box sections dimensioned so that they can be slipped inside the box sections 5. Thus the components 6 may be of 40 millimetres square box sections. The brackets 5 and components 6 define apertures indicated by dotted lines through which locking pins 9 may be dropped so as to lock the legs to the portable unit before the unit is lifted off the trailer.

The extensible leg itself comprises a lower apertured portion 10 which is slidably received in a box section upper portion. A fixed collar 11 is secured to the upper portion and a sliding collar 12 is mounted on lower portions. A pin 13 is provided to enable the position of the sliding collar 12 to be adjusted and a pin 14 is provided to enable the leg 7 to be locked in an extended position.

The illustrated arrangement comprises legs which are extended and contracted using a separate hydraulic jacking unit acting on collars, the jacking unit being moved from leg to leg. A jacking unit could be provided for each leg however, and could be incorporated within the leg structure itself. For example, a hydraulic cylinder could be positioned inside the top half of the illustrated leg structure and arranged to control the extension of a piston supported in the cylinder and connected to the inside of the lower half of the leg structure. Preferably a pin would still be provided to lock the leg structure in an extended condition. Such an arrangement would not require sideway extending collars and the legs would therefore be more compact.

The illustrated arrangement enables portable units to be located on site easily and quickly by one person. In most circumstances, a single transporting trailer can be used to service up to twenty portable units. This means that the capital and operating costs of the system are far lower than those associated with the systems previously used.

Where the portable unit is to be on site for only a short period, it would be possible to leave it on the transporting trailer but it would be necessary to lock the trailers to prevent it unauthorised removal.

The trailer may be designed to accept a specific size of unit, or where a range of units is to be made available the trailer can be designed to accommodate the unit of maximum length from the range and fitted with locking devices to secure in position units of any size within the range.

The trailer may be designed to have a gross weight capacity of 2.4 metric tonnes.

Claims

1. A portable unit transporting system, comprising a trailer adapted to be towed by a road vehicle, a portable unit adapted to be secured to the trailer, a plurality of demountable extensible legs each adapted to be mounted on the unit on either side of the trailer, and a demountable jack adapted to engage each of the legs in turn to control the length thereof.

2. A transporting system according to claim 1, wherein the trailer comprises twin axles supporting wheels that are positioned under the body of the unit when the unit is mounted on the trailer.

3. A transporting system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the legs comprise telescopic structures adapted to be hooked into engagement with brackets supported by the units.

4. A transporting system according to claim 3, wherein the brackets are located on front and rear faces of the unit so as not to contribute to the width of the unit.

5. A transporting system according to claim 4, wherein the brackets are box sections into which corresponding box sections supported by the legs can be locked when the unit is to be lifted.

6. A transporting system according to claim 3, 4 or 5, wherein the legs comprise two telescopically engaged components each supporting a respective collar, the jack engaging between the two collars.

7. A transporting system according to claim 6, wherein one of the collars is slidable along the leg so that its position can be adjusted to suit particular site conditions.

8. A portable unit transporting system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.