GB2245230A

GB2245230A - Improvements relating to load carrying vehicles

Info

Publication number: GB2245230A
Application number: GB9010217A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gary Edwards
Original assignee: A M E PRODUCTS Ltd
Current assignee: A M E PRODUCTS Ltd
Priority date: 1990-05-05
Filing date: 1990-05-05
Publication date: 1992-01-02
Also published as: GB9010217D0

Abstract

A liner (12; Figure 1) for an existing load space (11) of a load carrying vehicle (10) has a floor portion (14) on which a load may be received for transport, and the liner (12) is adapted to be movably mounted on the vehicle (10) for tilting movement, relative to said existing load space (11), between a first, load transport, portion, and a second, unloading. position. The liner (12) may be pivotally connected to a mounting member (22) itself adapted to be secured to the vehicle, and the tilting movement may be effected by winch means (W, C). <IMAGE>

Description

Title: "Improvements relating to load carrying vehicles" Description of the Invention This invention is concerned with improvements relating to load carrying vehicles.

The invention may be applied to vehicles which are self-propelled, for example "pick-up" trucks and/or to vehicles which are other than self-propelled e.g.

"trailers".

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liner for an existing load space of a load carrying vehicle, the liner having at least a floor portion on which a load may be received for transport, and the liner being adapted to be movably mounted on the vehicle for tilting movement, relative to said existing load space, between a first, load transport, position, and a second, unloading, position.

In this manner, unloading of the vehicle may be facilitated.

Preferably the liner is itself of at least substantially rigid form or construction.

Preferably the liner is adapted to be mounted on the vehicle such that said tilting is about an axis which is disposed generally horizontally and lies near or adjacent to a peripheral portion of the load space from which loads may be discharged, such as in a generally horizontal direction, such that movement of the liner from said transport position to said unloading position may be achieved by upward angular movement of the liner about-said axis.

Preferably the construction and arrangement is such that with the liner in the transport position, said floor portion of the liner lies above, but close to, an existing floor area of the load space.

Preferably the liner affords a load-receiving receptacle comprising said floor portion and one or more wall portions extending upwardly or generally upwardly therefrom, for example opposite lateral side wall portions and/or a wall portion at or near that extremity of the liner which lies furthest from a load discharge end of the liner.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a liner unit comprising, in combination, a liner in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, and a mounting member adapted to be secured to the vehicle, the liner being,or being adapted to be, pivotally connected to the mounting member such as to provide for said tilting movement of the liner.

Preferably the mounting member is adapted to be releasably secured to the vehicle.

Preferably the mounting member comprises a base member adapted to be mounted on an existing floor/load platform of the existing load space.

The liner unit may further comprise drive means, adapted to act between the liner and the mounting member, for effecting relative tilting movement between the liner unit and the mounting member.

Said drive means may be power-operated or manually operated.

Preferably the drive means comprises winch means.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided, in or for a load carrying vehicle, drive means in the form of winch means for effecting relative tilting movement between a load carrying portion of the vehicle and the remainder of the vehicle.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 is a perspective side view of a first liner unit incorporating a liner in accordance with the present invention, as fitted to a vehicle.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view (from the other side, compared with Figure 1) of an alternative such liner unit in accordance with the present invention; FIGURE 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the liner unit of Figure 2, on the line III - III of Figure 2; FIGURE 4 is a plan view from above of the liner of the liner unit of Figures 2 and 3, and FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view analogous to Figure 2 but showing three different positions of the liner.

Whilst the invention is applicable both to selfpropelled vehicles and vehicles which are other than selfpropelled, in the embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the load carrying vehicle to which the invention has been applied is a self-propelled vehicle of "pick-up" truck type, that is, having a chassis, typically that of a passenger car or van, on which there is fixedly mounted an essentially open-topped load platform, having a generally horizontal floor and low side walls, defining an existing load space of the vehicle, and the truck further having a drop-down tail board.

Typically the unladen weight of such a truck is from about 0.5 to about 1.5 tonnes.

Pick-up trucks of the above type, by virtue of their cost, size and carrying capacity, are particularly popular amongst small builders and similar tradespeople and local council services, both to bring tools and materials to a work site, and to remove unwanted materials from a work site for subsequent deposit at a waste disposal site.

The load platform of such a vehicle is sufficiently low to facilitate loading of rubble or other bulk material onto the load platform at a rate which generally cannot be improved upon, being determined by the rate at which such material can be lifted from its original location (such as on the ground) and deposited on the load platform.

However, the later task of unloading such material, such as at a waste disposal site by manual shovelling thereof can be equally, or more, time consuming and laborious, and in addition, can cause damage to the floor of the load platform.

An alternative to the use of a pick-up truck is the use of an essentially open-topped trailer not itself selfpropelled but which may conveniently be towed by a car or light goods vehicle, but again the same problem of slow and laborious unloading at a waste disposal site is encountered.

It is a principal object of the present invention to facilitate unloading of such vehicles.

The description which follows applies equally to each of the illustrated embodiments, unless otherwise stated.

In the pick-up truck 10 illustrated, the existing load space 11 of the truck is provided, in accordance with the present invention, with a liner 12 having a floor portion 14 on which a load may be received for transport, the liner 12 being movably mounted on the truck 10 for tilting movement, relative to said existing load space, between a first, load transportion, position P1, and a second, unloading, position P2 or P3.

In more detail, the liner 12 is of at least substantially rigid form, and is of sheet metal, namely sheet steel, construction, although alternatively it could be plastics moulded - e.g. fibre reinforced plastic - or of wooden construction. The liner 12 affords a load-receiving receptacle or hopper comprising said floor portion 14 and a plurality of wall portions extending upwardly or generally upwardly therefrom, in this example opposite lateral side wall portions 16 and a front wall portion 18.

The side walls are stepped to accommodate intrusions of the vehicle wheel arches into the basic load space of the vehicle. The underside of the floor portion is reinforced by a plurality of rectangular or channel cross-section pressed steel cross-members 20 welded thereto so as to extend in a transverse direction.

The liner is mounted on the vehicle through the intermediary of a mounting member 22, the liner 12 being pivotally connected to the mounting member 22 such as to provide for said tilting movement of the liner, and the mounting member being adapted to be secured, in this example releasably, to the existing load platform; in this example the mounting member is a base (or plinth) member 22 adapted to be secured to the floor of the existing load platform.

With the liner so mounted, the pivotal connection Y to the mounting member defines an axis A for said tilting, said axis A being disposed generally horizontally and lying near or adjacent to a peripheral portion, in this example a rear peripheral portion, of the load space from which loads may be discharged, when the vehicle tailboard has been lowered, in a generally horizontal and then downward direction.

In this example in said first position the floor portion 14 of the liner 12 lies generally horizontally, spaced above (by the cross-members 20) but close to, the floor of the basic load platform.

Drive means D is provided for effecting movement of the liner 12 between said first and second positions, relative to the remainder of the vehicle.

Movement of the liner 12 from said first position P1 to said second position P2 or P3, in which second position the floor portion 14 of the liner is inclined to the horizontal in a sense in which the floor portion extends upwardly from the rear of the vehicle, is achieved by upward angular movement of the liner about said axis A, under action of the drive means.

The drive means D in this example comprises winch means comprising a winch W and cable C (or alternatively, chain) arrangement, the cable being connected at one of its ends to the front of the liner 12 and passing over a pulley 24 at or near the upper end of a mast M and thence downwardly to a winding drum 26 of the winch, which drum may be rotated, in the appropriate sense, to effect raising or lowering of the liner as desired. A tangential worm drive is provided for the drum to ensure that rotation of the drum in either sense can only occur in response to the drive, and in particular to ensure that accidental lowering of the liner cannot occur, which is an important safety feature. The aforesaid mast and winding drum are mounted on the base/mounting member.

For relatively small vehicles, the mast M may comprise a single post rigidly welded to the mounting member 22.

For progressively larger vehicles, the mast M is preferably pivotally mounted as in the embodiment of Figures 2 to 5, not least so as to reduce stresses at the base of the mast. If desired the mast may be in the form of an "A" or "inverted V" or "inverted U" (Figure 1) frame construction, and where the mast is pivotally mounted, such a mast may be provided with coaxial pivotal connections to the mounting member for each of the "legs" of the least.

The liner may be provided (Figures 2 to 5) with a follower F which, during tilting of the liner, travels along a track provided in the mast, so that the mast, base member and liner at any stage have a well-defined triangular configuration.

In general terms, such winch means, e.g. including an electric winch motor, and suitable isolator switches, accommodated in a tamper resistant manner, is less expensive, and more suited to the vehicle size, than hydraulic drive means, but hydraulic drive means could none-the-less alternatively or additionally be used if desired.

The base member 22 in this example is in the form of a generally rectangular plinth of sheet metal construction, but other forms of base member e.g. of open framework construction may be employed if desired.

The winch means of this example is power-operated, being operated by an electric motor supplied with power from a conventional battery of the pick-up truck, but alternatively (and particularly where the invention is applied to unpowered vehicles such as trailers) the winch means could be manually operated, such as through use of a hand-operated crank handle, while remaining within the scope of the invention.

With the tailboard T lowered, and with the load carrying liner in its raised, tilted, second position, unloading of material from the vehicle in a direction rearwardly thereof, is greatly facilitated.

It will be appreciated that the "second position" may be determined and/or selected by a user, who may raise the liner to whatever extent is appropriate and/or permitted by the construction to suit disposal of a given load.

The winch means is operable to achieve -both controlled raising and controlled lowering of the liner.

An important feature is that the liner unit, comprising the liner and the base member, and in this example the winch means also, is completely detachable from the vehicle, the base member or plinth being releasably bolted onto the floor of the normal load space. Use of such a bolt-on base member enables the invention to be accommodated without tampering significantly with the underlying vehicle other than by provision of a small number of holes to receive the securing bolts.

Although in this embodiment the winch motor is mounted on the base member, the winch motor could alternatively be mounted on the liner itself or on the ordinary floor or the like of the normal load space.

It will be appreciated that the liner and mounting member may be supplied as a unit, for fitment to a vehicle, and that the principle of use of a winch to facilitate unloading may be applied widely in the field of load carrying vehicles.

It will be appreciated that the liners and liner units in accordance with the invention may be provided with any of a variety of different dimensions, to suit different vehicles.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A liner for an existing load space of a load carrying vehicle, the liner having at least a floor portion on which a load may be received for transport, and the liner being adapted to be movably mounted on the vehicle for tilting movement, relative to said existing load space, between a first, load transport, position, and a second, unloading, position.

2. A liner according to Claim 1 which is itself of at least substantially rigid form or construction.

3. A liner according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 adapted to be mounted on the vehicle such that said tilting is about an axis which is disposed generally horizontally and lies near or adjacent to a peripheral portion of the load space from which loads may be discharged, such as in a generally horizontal direction, such that movement of the liner from said transport position to said unloading position may be achieved by upward angular movement of the liner about said axis.

A A liner according to any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the construction and arrangement is such that with the liner in the transport position, said floor portion of the liner lies above, but close to, an existing floor area of the load space.

5. A liner according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein the liner affords a load-receiving receptacle comprising said floor portion and one or more wall portions extending upwardly or generally upwardly therefrom..

6. A liner according to Claim 5 wherein said one or more wall portions comprise opposite lateral side wall portions and/or a wall portion at or near that extremity of the liner which lies furthest from a load discharge end of the liner.

7. A liner unit comprising, in combination, a liner in accordance with any one of Claims 1 to 6 and a mounting member adapted to be secured to the vehicle, the liner being, or being adapted to be, pivotally connected to the mounting member such as to provide for said tilting movement of the liner.

8. A liner unit according to Claim 7 wherein the mounting member is adapted to be releasably secured to the vehicle.

9. A liner unit according to Claim 7 or Claim 8 wherein the mounting member comprises a base member adapted to be mounted on an existing floor/load platform of the existing load space.

10. A liner unit according to any one of Claims 7 to 9 further comprising drive means, adapted to act between the liner and the mounting member, for effecting relative tilting movement between the liner unit and the mounting member.

11. A liner unit according to Claim 10 wherein said drive means may be power-operated or manually operated.

12. A liner unit according to Claim 10 or Claim 11 wherein the drive means comprises winch means.

13. In or for a load carrying vehicle, drive means in the form of winch means for effecting relative tilting movement between a load carrying portion of the vehicle and the remainder of the vehicle.

14. A liner substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

15. A liner unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

16. In or for a load carrying vehicle, drive means substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

17. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or illustrated in the accompanying drawings.