GB2235420A

GB2235420A - Improvements in retractable vehicle hoods

Info

Publication number: GB2235420A
Application number: GB9006286A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Philip Peter Davis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-09-02
Filing date: 1990-03-21
Publication date: 1991-03-06
Anticipated expiration: 2010-03-21
Also published as: GB9006286D0; GB8919867D0; GB2235420B

Abstract

A retractable hood arrangement for a road vehicle of the kind having a stepped load carrying platform, wherein, over the stepped down length of the platform, rails (14) on which the hood can slide are carried by drop down wall members (22) and pillars (26), so as to form a continuous rail along the entire length of the platform when the wall members and pillars are locked in their upright positions. <IMAGE>

Description

Improvements in Vehicle Hoods This invention relates generally to a retractable hood arrangement for a road vehicle, e.g. G road trailer, of the kind having a load carrying platform provided with a collapsible hood structure which is movable between a retracted and collapsed open position, whereby the platform is at least mainly uncovered for loading purposes, and an extended closed position in which the hood covers the platform from end te end.

Vehicles with load carrying platforms are known in which the platform is stepped downwardly rearwardly of -the front end region of the platform where the trailer couples to the tractor, whereby to provide an increased useful height over a substantial portion of the length of the platform, and thus increase load capacity.

According to the invention, in a road vehicle hood arrangement of the kind described, and having a stepped load carrying platform, said platform is provided with rails at its longitudinal side edges along which the hood is openable and closable, said rails, over the length of the stepped down portion of the platform, being carried by support means movable between raised and lowered positions so that, in the raised position of the support means, the rails are continuous from front to back of the entire platform to enable the hood to be closed, whilst when the hood is retracted from the stepped down position, the support means are lowerable to provide ease of access to the stepped down portion of the platform for loading purposes.

The invention is exemplified in the following drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a stepped vehicle platform supporting a framework for a hood structure; Figures 2 and 3 show details of a drop down wall member; Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 show details of a drop down pillar; and Figures 8 to 10 show further details of the arrangement.

Referring to the drawings, a road trailer has a stepped load carrying platform 10, the stepped down portion being referenced 12.

Rails 14 extend along the edges of the platform to support the framework members 16 of a hood structure, each framework member being supported on a trolley 18 having wheels 20 which run along the rails (see also Figure 8).

At the stepped down portion 12, the rails 14 are formed integrallv with drop do wall members 22 hinged at 2 te the stepped down portion of the vehicle rave. Drop do pillars 26 also with rail portions 14 are positioned between the wall members 22 and are analogously hinged to the vehicle rave at 25. Figures 2 and 3 show the wall member 22 in side view and vertical cross-sectional vie, the hinging piece being omitted in Figure 3. It will be seen that the rail portion 14 is formed as an integral part of the wall member. Figures 4 and 5 are analogous views of a pillar member 26, whilst Figure 6 is a transverse crosssectional view. Again, it will be seen that the rail portion 14 is formed as an integral part of the pillar member.Figure 7 is e view similar to that of Figure 5, but with the hinging piece attached. Spring loaded bolts for locking the pillars in the raised upright condition are indicated at 28 in Figure 7, and also in Figure 9, which is a view analogous te that of Figure 6 but with the spring loaded bolt included. The wall members 22 have sliding or shoot bolts 30 which lock into the upright pillars (see Figure 2). With the wall members 22 and posts 26 locked in their raised upright positions, the rails 14 are continuous along the entire length of the platform, as shown in Figure 1, te enable the hood to be closed. For completeness, Figure 10 is a transverse cross-sectional view of a fixed pillar 29 at the rear end of the platform.

When the hood is retracted on to the raised front part of the platform, the wall members and then the pillars can be unlocked and dropped down around their pivotal supports te make the stepped down portion of the platform freely available for side loading.

Moreover, optionally, and as indicated in Figure 1, front end pillars 32 on the platform can be swung down around pivot 34 te provide front end extensions 14A of the rails on te which the hood can be retracted to expose the entire length of the platform-for loading and unloading purposes.

It is practicable also to form the rear pillars 29 in this way, if desired.

Various modifications of the above-described and illustrated arrangement are possible within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

ClaimE

1. A road vehicle hood arrangement of the kind described, and having a stepped load carrying platform, wherein said platform is provided with rails at its longitudinal side edges along which the hood is openable and closable, said rails, over the length of the stepped down portion of the platform, being carried by support means movable between raised and lowered positions so that, in the raised position of the support means, the rails are continuous from front to back of the entire platform te enable the hood to be closed, whilst when the hood is retracted from the stepped down position, the support means are lowerable to provide ease of access to the stepped down portion of the platform for loading purposes.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the support means are movable between their raised and lowered positions on hinges with generally horizontal pivot axes.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the support means comprise a plurality of wall members on each side of the vehicle platform.

4. An arrangement according to claims. 3, wherein the wall members are independently hingeable between posts also hingeable about horizontal pivot axes between raised and lowered positions.

5. An arrangement according to any of claims 1 te 4, including means for locking the support means in the raised position.

6. An arrangement according to claim 5 when appendant te claim 4, wherein the posts lock to the vehicle chassis and the wall members lock to the locked posts.

7. An arrangement according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the rails are formed as an integral part of the support means.

8. An arrangement according to claim 7 when appendant to claim 3, wherein the rails are formed as shaped sections of the wall members at the edges thereof remote from the hinges.

9. An arrangement according to claim 8 when appendant to claim 4, wherein the shaped sections are continuous through the posts in the raised position of the wall means.

10. A road vehicle hood arrangement of t,he kind described and substantially as hereinbefore described and shown in the accompanying drawings.