GB2361732A

GB2361732A - Fastening arrangement for a curtain-sided vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2361732A
Application number: GB0005666A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Michael Moffitt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-03-10
Filing date: 2000-03-10
Publication date: 2001-10-31
Also published as: GB0005666D0

Abstract

The lower end of a curtain 10 of a curtain sided vehicle 1 is provided with inwardly facing attachment means engageable with one or more levers 7 moveable between a first position (figure 2) in which the attachment means may be engaged with the lever(s) and a second position (figure 3) in which the curtain is held under tension against the side of the vehicle. The attachment means may be hooks 13 looped through the ends of reinforced strips 11 mounted on the inner face of the curtain, or may be a bar extending along the length of the curtain. Preferably, the levers are of the over-centre type and may be latched and locked in the closed position. Further attachment means 17, 18, such as hook-and-loop strips, magnetic tabs or elastic cord, may retain the lowermost edge of the curtain against the vehicle side 16. The levers may be operated by pneumatic cylinders and the tension applied to the curtain may be varied.

Description

1 1 2361732

CURTAINED VEHICLE Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a vehicle having side or rear curtains closing at least on side of a goods-carrying space. 5 Background to the Invention

There are two general types of enclosed goods vehicle in use, the solid box type and the curtain-sided. Curtain-sided vehicles typically have flexible curtains of plastics or fabric-reinforced plastics materials, incorporating strengthening straps extending vertically at intervals. The straps carry buckles on the outside of the vehicle which attach to the deck of the vehicle, either at the side or underneath, and include tensioners to pull the sides flat and anchor the curtains.

While this arrangement is generally satisfactory, and is almost universally applied, there are problems with it. Firstly, the placement of the buckles and straps on the outside of the vehicle tend to spoil the airflow along the sides of the vehicle, with an ad- verse affect on fuel consumption. Since fuel costs are a very significant part of operating costs of a vehicle, any savings which can be achieved are important. Secondly, the attachment and tightening of the buckles is a time-consuming job, again adding to the operating costs. Thirdly, the provision of anti-theft devices preventing opening of the curtains is difficult with the conventional buckles and straps, and fourthly, the appearance of the vehicle is less attractive with straps and buckles along its side. Summary of the Invention

According to the invention, there is provided a vehicle having a goodscarrying space with a flexible curtain closing at least one side thereof, the curtain being provided adjacent to the lower part thereof with inwardly-facing attachment means engageable with a lever on the vehicle, the lever being movable between a first position, wherein the attachment means can be engaged with or released therefrom, and a second position, wherein the curtain is held by the lever under tension against the side of the vehicle.

The attachment means may comprise hooks, preferably secured to vertical rein- forcing tapes attached to the inside face of the curtains. Each hook may have a corresponding lever, or one lever may serve to capture a number of hooks. Alternatively, the inner face of the curtain may be provided with a generally horizontal bar engageable with the lever or a number of levers to tension and secure the curtain.

The or each lever and its associated attachment means may be manufactured from metal, for example steel, from a plastics material such as a polycarbonate, or from combinations of such materials.

Locking means may be provided to secure the lever or levers in the second posi tion thereof. The locking means may comprise a latch to engage the lever in the sec ond position thereof. The latch may be spring-loaded and a common locking arrange ment may be provided to secure a number of the latches in position, thereby preventing release of the levers.

The attachment means are conveniently provided on the curtains at a short dis tance from the lowermost edge thereof, and the lowermost edge may therefore be provided with securing means such as hook and loop connector strips (for example that sold under the Registered Trade Mark Velcro) to hold it against the side of the vehicle.

Alternative securing means may comprise magnetic tabs attached to the lower edge of the curtain, or an elastic cord running along the edge and attached thereto at intervals, the cord being engageable with hooks on the side of the vehicle deck or beneath the deck. This ensures a tidy appearance, prevents fraying and other damage through movement in the vehicle slipstream, and protects the lever and, where used, the locking mechanism against ingress of water in use.

The levers are more preferably of the "over-centre" double-pivoted type which snap into and out of the second position. The levers may be operable by actuating means mounted on the vehicle, for example pneumatic cylinders. In this way, the cur tains can be secured and released in one simultaneous action and may not be released when the vehicle is not supplied with air pressure, for example when the vehicle's en gine is not running, or when a trailer vehicle is detached from the tractor.

The position of engagement of the attachment means with the lever may be ad justable so as to adjust the tension applied to the curtain. For example, where the lever carries a means engageable by a hook on the curtain, the position of said means may be adjustable relative to the lever by a variable screw fixing or the like.

Securing the curtains of the vehicle of the invention involves a simple action of pressing the curtains with their attachment means into engagement with the levers and then pressing the lower edge of the curtains with the levers into the second position. The external surface of the curtains is uninterrupted by reinforcing straps or webs and the associated buckles and therefore presents a smooth appearance which is aerodynamically more efficient than conventional arrangements, leading to reduced drag and therefore lower operating costs in use. The curtains may be readily locked in position, and in combination with the use of steel mesh reinforced materials this greatly increases security against unauthorised access to and theft from the load.

It will be understood that, in the present invention, "vehicle" includes lorries, trucks and vans, articulated vehicles, trailer vehicles and rail vehicles, and that the invention is equally applicable to demountable bodies for use on such vehicles. Brief Description of the Drawings

In the drawings, which illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a short section of a vehicle side in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, but omitting the curtain for clarity; Figures 2 and 3 are enlarged end elevations of the section shown in Figure 1 at successive stages in securing of the curtain; Figure 4 is a simplified side view of the lever and curtain according to another embodiment of the invention; Figure 5 is a view of an alternative construction of lever; and Figures 6 and 7 are views showing yet another arrangement of lever, before and during locking into the second position thereof.

Detailed Description of the Illustrated Embodiments

Referring first to Figures 1 to 3, the vehicle's cargo deck 1 consists of longitudi nal side rails 2 supporting decking 3. The side rail 2 has the general form of a side facing channel, in which is mounted the lever arrangement 4, comprising an elongate hinge having a first leaf 5 attached to the upper wall 6 of the channel and a second leaf 7 downwardly depending within the channel. The lower end of the second leaf 7 has a hook formation 8 extending therefrom. In the view shown in Figure 1, the levers 4 are separated by fixed spacers 9 of similar shape.

The curtain 10 (Figures 2 and 3) is formed from a plastics sheet material such as poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), having vertical reinforcing straps 11 welded to the inner face thereof at intervals therealong corresponding to the positions of the levers. The straps are suitably of a plastics textile webbing, and are formed into a loop 12 at the lower end thereof to receive an eye in a hook 13. The hooks 13 are engageable with the hook formations 8 on the levers 4.

Figure 2 shows the first stage in securing the side curtain. The levers 4 are piv oted upwardly and outwardly to permit the hooks 13 to be engaged therewith easily.

By then pushing the lower part of the curtain 10 inwards towards the side of the vehi cle, the hooks 13 are drawn inwardly and downwardly by a distance sufficient to ten sion the curtain to the desired degree to hold it flat against the side of the vehicle. The lower wall 14 of the channel mounts a spring-loaded latch 15 which retracts on impact by the second leaf to permit the leaf to be pushed fully home in the channel. It then springs out again to hold the leaf in position within the channel. The spring-loading and shape of the latch 15 may be arranged to prevent the curtain from being released until a separate means is operated to withdraw all the latches simultaneously, for example, thereby effectively forming a locking arrangement for the curtains, or they may simply be arranged to require a greater force to release the curtain by pulling on it outwardly than is required to displace the latch in pushing the lever into its second position illus trated in Figure 3.

To hold the lower edge of the curtain in position after latching, a lower surface 16 of the vehicle side may be provided with one part 17 of a length of hook-and-loop connector material such as Velcro V, the other part 18 of the strip being provided along the lower edge of the curtain, so that the strips will engage when the curtain is pushed into place. This ensures that the curtain lies completely flat during use of the vehicle, ensuring that the curtain edge does not flap in the vehicle slipstream.

Alternative locking arrangements for the lever are illustrated in Figures 4 to 7.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the hook 13 on the curtain 10 engages in a sim ple loop projecting outwardly from the second leaf of the hinge, and the lower part of the leaf is provided with a barrel lock 20 having, for example, a T- shaped member 21 projecting therefrom, engageable in a correspondingly-sh aped slot formed in the base of I I the channel. Rotation of a key 22 in the lock 20 causes the T-shaped member 21 to rotate to a position where it cannot pass through the slot, locking the lever in place.

Figure 5 illustrates an arrangement in which the lever 25 is pivotally connected to a support member 26 which is secured to the base of the channel (not shown). The support member 26 has at its lower end a slot 27, while the lever carries a spring detent 28 which engages in the slot 27 when the lever is in the second position thereof, releasably holding the lever in position.

Figures 6 and 7 show another arrangement in which the lever 30 is pivotally mounted within a frame 31 mounted within the channel (not shown). The frame car- ries a spring-biased arm 32 which is displaced downwardly as the lever 30 is moved into the second position thereof, as shown in Figure 7. When the lever is fully home, the arm 32 is urged back to its start position by the coil spring 33 mounted thereon, and so retains the lever 30 in the second position thereof until the arm is pressed downwards to release it.

It will be appreciated that the locking arrangements illustrated in the Figures are examples of many different ways of locking the lever in its second position, and the invention is not limited either to the lever being lockable or to any particular way of locking.

Claims

Claims

A vehicle having a goods-carrying space with a flexible curtain adapted to close at least one side thereof, the curtain being provided adjacent to the lower part thereof with inwardly-facing attachment means engageable with a lever on the vehicle, the lever being movable between a first position, wherein the attachment means can be engaged with or released therefrom, and a second position, wherein the curtain is held by the lever under tension against the side of the vehicle.
2. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the attachment means comprise hooks secured to vertical reinforcing tapes attached to the inside face of the curtain.
3. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 2, wherein one lever is provided on the vehicle for each respective hook.
4. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 2, wherein one lever is provided on the vehicle to capture a plurality of hooks.
5. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the inner face of the curtain is provided with a generally horizontal bar adapted to engage with the lever or a plurality of levers to tension and secure the curtain.
6. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the or each lever and its associated attachment means is manufactured from metal, for example steel, from a plastics material such as a polycarbonate, or from combinations thereof.
7. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein locking means are provided to secure the lever or levers in the second position thereof.
8. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the locking means comprise a latch to engage the lever in the second position thereof.
9. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the latch is spring-loaded and a common locking arrangement is provided to secure a plurality of the latches in position, thereby preventing release of the levers.
10. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the attachment means are provided on the curtains at a short distance from the lowermost edge thereof, and the lowermost edge is provided with securing means to hold it against the side of the vehicle.
11. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the securing means comprise as hook and loop connector strips.
12. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the securing means comprise magnetic tabs attached to the lower edge of the curtain.
13. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the securing means comprise an elastic cord running along the edge and attached to the curtain at intervals, the cord being engageable with hooks on the side of the vehicle deck or beneath the deck.
14. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the levers are of the "over-centre" double-pivoted type which snap into and out of the second position.
15. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the levers are oper able by actuating means, such as pneumatic cylinders, mounted on the vehicle.
16. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the position of en gagement of the attachment means with the lever or levers is adjustable so as to permit adjustment of the tension applied to the curtain.
17. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 16, wherein the lever carries means en gageable by a hook on the curtain, the position of said means being adjustable relative to the lever by a variable screw fixing or the like, whereby to permit the said adjust ment to the tension applied to the curtain.