GB2355963A - An impact guard for protecting a platform from impact by a fork lift - Google Patents

An impact guard for protecting a platform from impact by a fork lift Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2355963A
GB2355963A GB9922679A GB9922679A GB2355963A GB 2355963 A GB2355963 A GB 2355963A GB 9922679 A GB9922679 A GB 9922679A GB 9922679 A GB9922679 A GB 9922679A GB 2355963 A GB2355963 A GB 2355963A
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United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
impact
vehicle
platform
bar
bracket
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB9922679A
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GB2355963B (en
GB9922679D0 (en
Inventor
Karl Anthony Algate
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Individual
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Individual
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to GB9922679A priority Critical patent/GB2355963B/en
Publication of GB9922679D0 publication Critical patent/GB9922679D0/en
Publication of GB2355963A publication Critical patent/GB2355963A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2355963B publication Critical patent/GB2355963B/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60R19/00—Wheel guards; Radiator guards, e.g. grilles; Obstruction removers; Fittings damping bouncing force in collisions
    • B60R19/02—Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60R19/00—Wheel guards; Radiator guards, e.g. grilles; Obstruction removers; Fittings damping bouncing force in collisions
    • B60R19/02—Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects
    • B60R19/24—Arrangements for mounting bumpers on vehicles
    • B60R19/38—Arrangements for mounting bumpers on vehicles adjustably or movably mounted, e.g. horizontally displaceable for securing a space between parked vehicles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60R19/00—Wheel guards; Radiator guards, e.g. grilles; Obstruction removers; Fittings damping bouncing force in collisions
    • B60R19/02—Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects
    • B60R19/42—Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects extending primarily along the sides of, or completely encircling, a vehicle
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
    • B60R2021/0065—Type of vehicles
    • B60R2021/0074—Utility vehicles

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Vibration Dampers (AREA)

Abstract

An impact guard (2) for protecting a platform (6) from impact by a fork lift (34) comprises a bracket (10) for mounting on the platform (6) and an impact bar (14) pivotally mounted on the bracket for movement between a raised and a lowered position. In the lowered position the bar (14) extends laterally from the platform (6) to prevent contact between the fork lift (34) and the platform (6) and in the raised position the bar (14) is within the confines of the platform (6). The platform may be the floor (6) of a vehicle such as a delivery van, the impact guard (2) being mounted on a step (8) below the floor level of the van.

Description

2355963 TITLE Fork lift impact guard
DESCRIPTION Technical field
The invention relates to an impact guard for protecting a vehicle or fixed platform from impact by a fork lift.
Background of the invention
Goods of many kinds are transported by road in vehicles such as lorries, trucks and. delivery vans or by rail. often, such goods are stacked on palettes and are lifted into and out of the vehicle by a fork lift. There exists a problem of frequent damage to the doors and other structures of such vehicles by impact from fork lifts. If the forks of the fork lift are inserted too far into the vehicle, upright parts of the fork lift - the cage or the main body - can come into contact with the side of the vehicle and if the fork lift is moving with excessive speed, damage can be caused. A similar problem may occur with fixed platforms, such as those in goods loading bays, and the use of the word "vehicle" in this specification is not intended to exclude the application of the invention to fixed platforms.
A further problem arises in vehicles having doors whether hinged or sliding - for access to the interior of the vehicle, whereby goods inside the vehicle can shift during transit and fall against the doors. This may make the goods liable to fall out when the doors are opened or, especially in the case of sliding doors, may prevent the doors from opening correctly.
Summary of the invention
The invention provides an impact guard for protecting a platform from impact by- a fork lift, comprising a bracket for mounting on the platform and an impact bar pivotally mounted on the bracket for movement between a raised and a lowered position, such that in the lowered position the bar extends laterally from the platform to prevent contact between the fork lift and the platform and in the raised position the bar is within the confines of the platform.
Preferably, the impact bar includes a resilient bumper along its outer face. The impact bar may be supported on the bracket by two or more arms, the arms being adjustable in length. In a preferred embodiment of the invention there are provided means for locking the impact bar in its raised position. Whe installed in a vehicle, the impact bar then acts as a rail to prevent goods falling against the door of the vehicle during transit.
The invention further provides a vehicle on which is mounted an impact guard according to any preceding claim, wherein the platform is a floor on which goods are to be placed in the interior of the vehicle. Preferably, where the vehicle comprises a door for Access to the interior of the vehicle and a step adjacent to the door, below the level of the f loor, the bracket of the impact guard is mounted on the step.
The drawings Fig. I is a perspective view of a delivery van, to which an impact guard according to the invention has been fitted.
Fig. 2 is a rear view of the delivery van of Fig. 1, partially cut away to show the interaction between a fork lift and the impact guard.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the delivery van and fork lift of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a front view of an impact guard according to the invention, with the impact bar in its lowered position.
Fig. 5 is a front view of the impact guard of Fig. 4, with the impact bar in its lowered position.
Fig. 6 is an end view of the impact guard of Fig. 4, with the impact bar in an intermediate position.
Description of a preferred embodiment
Fig. 1 illustrates a part of the side of a delivery van, which incorporates an impact guard 2 according to the invention. The van has a sliding door 4, which allows access to the interior of the van and in particular to a floor 6 on which goods are placed during transit. Adjacent to the inside of the door 4 is a step 8 below the level of the f loor 6. The impact guard 2 is mounted on the step 8.
The impact guard is illustrated in more detail in Figs. 4, 5 and G. A bracket 10 has a generally L-shaped cross section with a plurality of bolt holes 12 therethrough for mounting the bracket on the step 8. An impact bar 14 generally parallel to the bracket 10 is pivotally supported on the bracket 10 via a pair of arms 16. Along the outer surface of the impact bar 14 is affixed a resilient bumper 18. As seen in the end view of Fig. 6, the bumper 18 is preferably a hollow tube of stiff rubber or another material able to absorb the energy of an impact in a direction generally parallel to the arms 16.
Each arm 16 comprises a square inner tube 20 rigidly affixed to the impact bar 14 and slidable telescopically within a square outer tube 22. Each of the inner and outer tubes 20,22 has a plurality of through holes 24 spaced along its length. By sliding the inner tube 20 within the outer tube 22 the length of the arm 16 can be adjusted. When a pair of the respective through holes 24 in the inner and outer tubes 20,22 are aligned, a pin can be placed through the pair of holes 24 to lock the tubes 20,22 relative to one another and determine the length of the arm 16. For adjusting the length of the arms 16, it is not essential that both inner and outer tubes 20,22 have a plurality of through holes 24. Either the outer tube 22 may have a plurality of holes 24, with a single hole near the end of the inner tube 20; or the inner tube may have a plurality of holes, with a single hole near the end of the outer tube 22. It is of course possible to form each arm 16 from a single, rigid tube, in which case the length will not be adjustable but the invention will still work for most applications.
The bracket 12 further comprises two pairs of webs 26, which are vertical when the bracket is mounted on the step 8. Between each pair of webs 26 is located the square outer tube 22 of one of the arms 16. A hole in each of the webs 26 close to the angle of the bracket 10 is aligned with a hole near the end of the outer tube 22 and a pin 30 is passed through the holes to support the arm 16 for pivotal movement relative to the bracket 10. As seen in Fig. 6, the arms 16 may pivot through approximately 900 to move the impact bar 14 between a raised position and a lowered position.
In the illustrated embodiment, a further locking hole 32 is provided in each of the webs 26, adjacent to the vertical plate of the bracket 10, such that when the impact bar 14 is in its raised position, the locking hole 32 aligns with one of the through holes 24 in the outer tube 22. A locking pin (not shown) may then be passed through the locking hole 32 and the through hole 24 to lock the impact bar 14 in its raised position. Generally, the impact bar 14 does not need to be locked in its lowered position, where it will remain under the influence of gravity, but a similar locking arrangement could be employed if necessary.
Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate the operation of the invention. A fork lift 34 approaches the door 4 of the van with its forks 36 at an appropriate height to lift goods to or from the f loor 6 of the van. If the impact guard 2 of the invention were not present, the fork lift 34 could continue to move forwards until the cage 38 of the fork lift collided with the door 4 itself or with the top, bottom or side edge of the door opening. A simple bumper along the bottom edge of the door opening might interfere with the closing of the door and might not prevent damage to the upper edge of the door opening from the upper part of the cage 38 of the fork lift, which protrudes furthest forwards.
The impact guard 2 of the invention solves this problem by being pivoted to its lowered position before the approach of the fork lift 34. Then, as the fork lift 34 moves forwards as shown by the arrow 40, it first contacts the impact bar 14 and is prevented from colliding with the van itself, thus avoiding damage. The bumper 18 along the impact bar substantially absorbs the energy of the impact to reduce the shock to the van and its contents and to reduce the shear stresses on the locking and pivot pins of the impact guard 2 itself.
By suitably adjusting the length of the arms 1G, the fork lift 34 can be allowed to approach the side of the van as closely as possible without making contact, thereby allowing the forks 36 the maximum reach into the interior of the van.
When not in use, the impact bar 14 can be pivoted to its raised position to allow the door 4 to be closed. Preferably it is locked in the raised position using the locking pin and locking hole 32. Then the impact bar 14 performs a second useful function of acting as a rail to prevent objects inside the van from falling against the door 4 during transit.

Claims (7)

1. An impact guard for protecting a platform from impact by a fork lift, comprising a bracket for mounting on the platform and an impact bar pivotally mounted on the bracket for movement between a raised and a lowered position, such that in the lowered position the bar extends laterally from the platform to prevent contact between the fork lift and the platform and in the raised position the bar is within the confines of the platform.
2. An impact guard according to claim 1, wherein the impact bar includes a resilient bumper along its outer face.
3. An impact guard according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the impact bar is supported on the bracket by two or more arms, the arms being adjustable in length.
4. An impact guard according to claim 3, wherein each arm comprises a tubular outer portion, an inner portion sliding telescopically within the outer portion and means for locking the inner portion relative to the outer portion to determine the length of the adjustable arm.
S. An impact guard according to any preceding claim, further comprising means for locking the impact bar in its raised position.
6. A vehicle on which is mounted an impact guard according to any preceding claim, wherein the platform is a floor on which goods are to be placed in the interior of the vehicle.
7. An impact guard for protecting a vehicle from impact by a f ork lif t, substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.
7. A vehicle according to claim G, comprising a door for access to the interior of the vehicle and a step adjacent to the door, below the level of the floor, wherein the bracket of the impact guard is mounted on the step.
8. An impact guard for protecting a platform from impact by a fork lift, substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.
Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. An impact guard for protecting a vehicle from impact by a fork lift, the vehicle having a floor on which goods are to be placed in the interior of the vehicle and a door for access to the interior, the impact guard comprising: a bracket for mounting on the floor adjacent the door; and an impact bar pivotally mounted on the bracket for movement between a raised and a lowered position; such that in the lowered position the bar extends laterally from the floor through the open door to prevent contact between the fork lift and the vehicle, and in the raised position the bar is within the interior of the vehicle and acts as a rail to prevent goods from falling against the closed door.
2. An impact guard according to claim 1, wherein the impact bar includes a resilient bumper along its outer face.
3. An impact guard according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the impact bar is supported on the bracket by two or more arms, the arms being adjustable in length.
4. An impact guard according to claim 3, wherein each arm comprises a tubular outer portion, an inner portion sliding telescopically within the outer portion and means for locking the inner portion relative to the outer portion to determine the length of the adjustable arm.
5. An impact guard.. according to any preceding claim, further comprising means for locking the impact bar in its raised position.
6. An impact guard according to any preceding claim, wherein the vehicle has a step adjacent to the door, below -I- the level of the f loor, and wherein the bracket of the impact guard is mounted on the step.
GB9922679A 1999-09-25 1999-09-25 Fork lift impact guard Expired - Fee Related GB2355963B (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9922679A GB2355963B (en) 1999-09-25 1999-09-25 Fork lift impact guard

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9922679A GB2355963B (en) 1999-09-25 1999-09-25 Fork lift impact guard

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB9922679D0 GB9922679D0 (en) 1999-11-24
GB2355963A true GB2355963A (en) 2001-05-09
GB2355963B GB2355963B (en) 2001-09-26

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ID=10861575

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB9922679A Expired - Fee Related GB2355963B (en) 1999-09-25 1999-09-25 Fork lift impact guard

Country Status (1)

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GB (1) GB2355963B (en)

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB353708A (en) * 1930-07-31 1931-07-30 Claude Frederick Alder Smith A combined bumper, or fender, and jack for use on motor-cars and similar vehicles
US5673953A (en) * 1996-09-13 1997-10-07 Spease; Donald R. Breakaway ICC bumper
GB2314060A (en) * 1996-06-11 1997-12-17 Toyoda Automatic Loom Works Bumper guard device for vehicles

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB353708A (en) * 1930-07-31 1931-07-30 Claude Frederick Alder Smith A combined bumper, or fender, and jack for use on motor-cars and similar vehicles
GB2314060A (en) * 1996-06-11 1997-12-17 Toyoda Automatic Loom Works Bumper guard device for vehicles
US5673953A (en) * 1996-09-13 1997-10-07 Spease; Donald R. Breakaway ICC bumper

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2355963B (en) 2001-09-26
GB9922679D0 (en) 1999-11-24

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Date Code Title Description
PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 20040925