GB2242872A

GB2242872A - Goods vehicle covers

Info

Publication number: GB2242872A
Application number: GB9103455A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Philip Peter Davis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-03-14
Filing date: 1991-02-19
Publication date: 1991-10-16
Anticipated expiration: 2011-02-19
Also published as: GB9008693D0; GB9005765D0; GB9103455D0; GB2242872B

Abstract

A retractable cover for covering the load on a vehicle platform, comprises two half structures separately retractable on opposite sides of the platform, each half structure comprising a plurality of framework members 14A or 14B carried on lower and upper wheeled trolleys which engage lower rails 28 extending along the side edges of the platform and an overhead rail 24 above the longitudinal centre line of the vehicle. The overhead rail 24 comprises a prestressed spine with outward flanges (31, Figure 3) for supporting guide rails. Further flanges prevent the trolleys from lifting off. Each framework member includes an upright component 20A, 20B and a roof component 22A, 22B, the roof component being inclined for drainage and being connected to its upper trolley through a pivot (34, Figure 3). The upright component is connected to its lower trolley through a folding link 36A, 36B for ease of retraction of the cover past a displaced load. The lower trolleys engage rails carried by lower outwardly extending flanges of the vehicle side rails (28, Figure 4A), upper flanges preventing the trolleys from lifting off. <IMAGE>

Description

Improvements in Goods Vehicle Covers This invention relates to a retractable cover for a goods vehicle, for example a railway wagon but more especially a road vehicle trailer.

Known is a retractable cover for a goods vehicle in which quide rails are provided along the sides of the vehicle goods carrying platform and an arched framework structure equipped at opposite sides with wheeled trolleys and carrying a flexible cover is collapsible and extensible along the length of the platform for uncovering and covering the load. The framework structure comprises a plurality of independent arched framework sections provided at the bottom of each side with wheeled trolleys which so cooperate with the guide rails as to maintain vertical stability of the framework sections individually.

A general aim of the present invention is to provide an alternative cover arrangement for a goods vehicle platform.

According to the invention, a collapsible framework arrangement, including framework members, for supporting a retractable cover for the load on a vehicle platform, comprises guide rai structures at opposite side edges of the vehicle platform and a third guide rail structure supported centrally above the longitudinal centre line of the vehicle platform at roof level, and two sets of framework members each equipped with lower and upper wheeled trolleys, the trolleys of one set of framework members engaging with one platform edge guide rail structure and the roof level guide rail structure, and the trolleys of the other set of framework members engaging with the other platform edge guide rail structure and the roof level guide rail structure.

The collapsible framework arrangement of this invention thus provides sets of framework members for carrying two half covers, independently retractable for uncovering the load on either one longitudinal half of the vehicle goods platform.

Preferably, either one of and preferably both the lower and upper trolleys of each framework member respectively cooperate with the upper and lower guide rail structures in a manner which maintains vertical orientation of the framework member.

Each trolley therefore preferably includes wheels cooperating with the corresponding guide rail structure at longitudinally spaced points of said structure.

The roof level guide rail structure may comprise a beam, such as an H-section beam on its side, or more preferably a beam of rolled hollow section, carrying guide rails on opposite sides of the longitudinal, vertical centre plane. The beam may be pre-stressed so that, when subject to the loading of the framework members and half covers thereon, it assumes a substantially straight horizontal position without requirement for intermediate support between the front and rear ends of the vehicle platform. Each trolley may have four wheels, two for cooperating with the top of the corresponding rail and two for cooperating with the underside of the rail.

Preferably, however, each trolley has two wheels for cooperating with the top of the rail and the beam and/or trolley have stop means to prevent the trolley lifting off the rail. The wheels may be peripherally V-grooved for cooperation with a box-section rail, or more preferably peripherally concavely radiused for cooperation with a rail of round cross-section. Alternatively, the trolleys may have flat wheels laterally restrained by upturned lips along the longitudinal edges of an otherwise flat rail.

The platform edge guide rail structures and the framework member trolleys cooperating therewith may be arranged in any one of a variety of ways. In one arrangement convenient for the present invention, the vehicle rave provides vertically spaced, outwardly directed flanges along the longitudinal sides of the goods carrying platform, the lower flange carries a guide rail on its upper side, and the trolley cooperating with said rail is accommodated between the flanges. The upper flange then prevents the trolley lifting off the rail.

According to another feature of the present invention, each framework member is pivotally attached to a trolley wheel support at the trolley which cooperates with the roof level guide rail structure, whilst being connected to each trolley which cooperates with the platform level guide rail structure through a folding linkage, thereby to enable the bottom end of the framework member to be pulled outwardly from the side edge of the vehicle platform to the extent permitted by the folding linkage. This enables the framework members and cover to be pulled clear of a displaced load and prevent jamming when the cover is retracted.

A cover structure arrangement in accordance with the invention is now described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows the arrangement diagrammatically in side elevation, when applied to a road vehicle trailer; Figure 2 shows a framework member, seen looking in the longitudinal direction of the trailer; Figure 3 shows an upper guide rail structure and trolley arrangement; and Figures 4A and 4B show a lower guide rail structure, trolley and folding link arrangement.

Referring first to Figure 1, a road vehicle trailer has a goods carrying platform 10 and a retractable hood arrangement 12 for covering the load. The hood arrangement, as will be apparent from later description, is constituted by two longitudinal half cover structures, one on each side of the vehicle, and only one such half cover structure is visible in Figure 1.Each half cover structure comprises a flexible outer cover carried by a framework structure consisting of a plurality of framework members 14 slidable in the direction of the length of the vehicle by means of lower trolleys 16, which run on a guide rail extending along the longitudinal edge of the goods carrying platform, and upper trolleys (not visible in Figure 1) which run along a guide rail carried by a longitudinal spine extending along the longitudinal centre line of the vehicle at roof level, for example mounted between a front bulk-head and a centre pillar at the rear of the vehicle platform, which may be equipped with so-called barn doors.

Figure 2 shows two framework members 14A, 14B respectively appertaining to the half cover structures on opposite sides of the vehicle. Each such member has an upright 20A (20B) and a roof component 22A (22B), the latter slightly inclined to provide for drainage. The roof level centre spine is referenced 24. This spine is pre-stressed to assume a straight horizontal line under the loading of the cover arrangement. The upright 20 of each framework member 14 is connected at its lower end to a lower trolley 16 running on a guide rail 26 carried by the vehicle rave 28, as shown in Figures 4A and 4B, whilst the inner end of each roof component 22 is connected to an upper trolley 30 running on a guide rail 32A or 32B carried by the centre spine 2, as shown in Figure 3.

More particularly, each roof component 22 is connected to its upper trolley 30 through a pivot 34, whilst each upright is hingedly connected to its lower trolley 16 through a folding link 36A (36B). This enables the lower end of the upright 20B to be pulled outwardly from the side of the vehicle, to the extent permitted by the folding link 36B and, as indicated on the right-hand side of Figure 2, thereby to clear the upright (and cover thereon) of a load which may have slipped in position during transport, so that the cover can more readily be retracted past this displaced load.

The left-hand side of Figure 2 shows the upright 20A in its normal position, with the folding link 36A closed.

Referring to Figure 3, the centre spine 24 is of rolled hollow section, with two outwardly facing flanges 31 fixedly supporting the guide rails 32A, 32B, which are of round section bar. The trolley 30A (or 30B) has two wheels 38, peripherally concavely radiused for engagement with the rail, which are spaced in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, only one such wheel of each trolley 30A and 30B being visible in Figure 3. The trolley 30A (or 30B) also includes a lipped flange 40 which engages beneath the flange 31 to prevent the trolley from lifting off the rail. Reference 42 denotes a lashing bar used for fixing load restraints, which are conveniently fixed between the centre spine and the edge of the vehicle platform inside the cover.

Referring to Figures 4A and 4B, the construction of the folding link 36 is shown, as well as the construction of a lower trolley 16. The vehicle rave 28, of sideways Usection, fixedly carries the guide rail 26 on its lower limb. The trolley 16 again has two longitudinally spaced wheels 46, of which only one is visible, and these are accommodated within the U-shaped cross-section of the vehicle rave 28. The lower trolley arrangement is identical along both longitudinal edges of the vehicle platform, one arrangement being a left to right mirror image of the other.

In use, the half cover structure on either one side of the vehicle can be extended to cover the load or retracted to uncover the load, independently of the half cover structure on the other side. Tensioning means (not shown) are provided at the front and rear of the vehicle platform for fixing the cover in its load covering position.

Various modifications of the above-described and illustrated arrangement are possible within the scope of the invention hereinbefore defined.

Claims

1. A collapsible framework arrangement, including framework members, for supporting a retractable cover for the load on a vehicle platform, comprising guide rail structures at opposite side edges of the vehicle platform and a third guide rail structure supported centrally above the longitudinal centre line of the vehicle platform at roof level, and two sets of framework members each equipped with lower and upper wheeled trolleys, the trolleys of one set of framework members engaging with one platform edge guide rail structure and the roof level guide rail structure, and the trolleys of the other set of framework members engaging with the other platform edge guide rail structure and the roof level guide rail structure.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least one of and preferably both the lower and upper trolleys of each framework member respectively cooperate with the upper and lower guide rail structures in a manner which maintains vertical orientation of the framework member.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2, wherein each trolley includes wheels cooperating with the corresponding guide rail structure at longitudinally spaced points of said structure.

4. An arrangement according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the roof level guide rail structure comprises a beam carrying guide rails on opposite sides of the longitudinal, vertical centre plane.

5. An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the beam is an H-beam.

6. An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the beam is of rolled hollow section.

7. An arrangement according to claim 4 or claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the beam is pre-stressed so that, when subject to the loading of the framework members and half covers thereon, it assumes a substantially straight horizontal position without requirement for intermediate support between the front and rear ends of the vehicle platform.

8. An arrangement according to any cf claims 1 te 7, wherein each trolley has two wheels for cooperating with the top of the rail and the beam and/or trolley have stop means to prevent the trolley lifting off the rail.

9. An arrangement according to claim 8,wherein the wheels are peripherally concavely radiused for cooperation with a rail of round cross-section.

10. An arrangement according to claim 8 or claim 9, in which the vehicle rave provides vertically spaced, outwardly directed flanges along the longitudinal sides of the goods carrying platform, the lower flange carries a guide rail on its upper side, and the trolley cooperating with said rail is accommodated between the flanges.

11. An arrangement according to any of claims 1 to 10, wherein each framework member is pivotally attached to a trolley wheel support at the trolley which cooperates with the roof level guide rail structure, whilst being connected to each trolley which cooperates with the platform level guide rail structure through a folding linkage, thereby to enable the bottom end of the framework member to be pulled outwardly from the side edge of the vehicle platform to the extent permitted by the folding linkage.

12. A collapsible framework arrangement for supporting a retractable cover on a vehicle platform, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.