GB2372481A

GB2372481A - Vehicle having a sliding cover

Info

Publication number: GB2372481A
Application number: GB0104520A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Arthur Charles Chown
Original assignee: SOUTHFIELDS COACHWORKS Ltd
Current assignee: SOUTHFIELDS COACHWORKS Ltd
Priority date: 2001-02-23
Filing date: 2001-02-23
Publication date: 2002-08-28
Also published as: GB0104520D0

Abstract

A vehicle (2) for carrying goods on roads has wheels (4) and a body (6). The body (6) comprises a base (8) for receiving the goods, a canopy (10), and a frame (12) which upstands from the base (8) and which supports the canopy (10) such as to define a roof (14) and a pair of longitudinally extending sides (16) of the body (6). The canopy (10) is formed of sheet material (18) which is able to be pulled downwards on either side (16) of the vehicle such that the sheet material (18) slides vertically to and fro over the frame (12) to open and close at least one of the sides (16). A motorised (22, fig 7) or manual drive (24, fig 7) are used to rotate a roller (34, fig 7) which slides the sheet material (18) to and fro.

Description

A VEHICLE FOR CARRYING GOODS ON ROADS This invention relates to a vehicle for carrying vehicles on roads Vehicles for carrying goods on roads have wheels and a body. The body may be a solid body having a rear opening door. Alternatively, the body may have sides which are formed by curtains, the curtains being such that they slide longitudinally and horizontally to and fro in order to open and close the sides. The curtains are fixed by means of strapping which is connected to straps tensioners. The strap tensioners have to be hooked manually by hooks under a metal part of the body of the base. This is a time consuming and dirty job for an operator of a vehicle. In addition, the curtain at each side of the body can only be opened at either end and thus a clear opening is not able to be obtained along the entire side of the vehicle, since the curtain has to be moved to either end of the opening in order to allow for loading and unloading.

The curtain is normally fully opened. This means that, in inclement weather, substantially the entire side of the body is open for allowing wind and rain to blow in. The curtain has to be tensioned by means of a manually operated roller ratchet bar, which is attached to the curtain at either end.

This tensioning of the curtain can also be a time consuming and dirty job. In addition, tensioning poles are used which are made of steel. These tensioning poles have a tendency to swing violently in windy conditions and therefore to be dangerous.

The tensioning straps for the curtain are fitted at approximately 18 inch (45cm) intervals. The tensioning straps are exposed on the outside of the curtain and this causes drag on the vehicle, thereby reducing the aerodynamics of the vehicle, which in turn reduces fuel efficiency. Still further, due to the time taken to open and close the curtains, operators making on-site deliveries tend to leave the curtains open whilst they are going to and fro making their deliveries at each delivery place. Often the operator is out of sight of the vehicle for a substantial period of time and thus security of goods remaining on the vehicle is compromised.

Separate curtains are manufactured for either side of the vehicle and they are attached to hooks and running gear in order to allow the curtains to be moved longitudinally and horizontally as mentioned above. The running gear is usually supported by a beam support. The beam support has to be substantial in order to carry the weight of the running gear, and the pull of the tension when the curtain is in the closed position. The hooks, running gear and the beam support increase the overall cost of the vehicle. They also increase the overall weight of the vehicle which can in turn reduce fuel efficiency.

It is an aim of the present invention to reduce the above mentioned problems.

Accordingly, in one-limiting embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle for carrying goods on roads, which vehicle comprises wheels and a body, the body comprising a base for receiving the goods, a canopy, and a frame which upstands from the base and which supports the canopy such as to define a roof and a pair of longitudinally extending sides of the body, the canopy being such that it is formed of sheet material which is able to be pulled downwards on either side of the vehicle such that the sheet material is caused to slide vertically to and fro over the frame in order to open and close at least one of the sides.

As compared with the above mentioned vehicles having curtains, the vehicle of the present invention is able to reduce production costs, reduce the time to load and unload, reduce the possibility to other goods being damaged by inclement weather when loading and unloading, increase on security of the vehicle whilst loading and unloading, and prevent accidents caused by tensioning poles swinging violently in windy conditions.

Preferably, the vehicle is one in which the sheet material is caused to slide to and fro over the frame in order to open and close both of the sides. Also preferably, the vehicle is one in which the sheet material is caused to slide to and fro over the frame in order to open and close the roof.

The vehicle may include roller means on either side of the vehicle for pulling the sheet material downwardly in an alternate manner in order to cause the to and fro movement.

The roller means may be driven by a motorized drive and/or a manual drive. The motorized drive may be an electric, hydraulic or pneumatic motorized drive. The manual drive may be a rotatable handle manual drive.

Any suitable and appropriate drive means may be employed in order to drive the roller means.

Advantageously, the vehicle is one in which the sheet material is attached to flexible strip members, and in which the flexible strip members wind and unwind around the roller means.

The sheet material may be attached to the flexible strip members by fixing means. The fixing means may be any suitable and appropriate type of fixing means including stitching, an adhesive or rivets.

Advantageously, the flexible strip members run in guide channels which form part of the frame, the guide channels being such that they each have an open mouth through which the sheet material is attached to the flexible strip members.

Preferably, the vehicle is one in which the guide channels have cover portions, and in which the sheet material slides between the cover portions and the open mouths.

The flexible strip members will usually extend a substantial distance beyond the lowermost edges of the sheet material, thereby to allow the sheet material to move such as to open fully both of the sides.

The flexible strip members may be made of webbing, a plastics material, or a strip metal. Any suitable and appropriate type of material may be used for the flexible strip members.

The vehicle may be one which includes an engine and a cab. In this case, the vehicle will be a drivable vehicle such as a lorry. The lorry may be of various sizes. Alternatively, the vehicle may be a simple trailer for being towed behind a lorry and, in this case, the vehicle will not include an engine and a cab.

The vehicle may be one in which the body has a fixed rear wall extending between the base and the roof.

Advantageously, the frame is a telescopic frame, whereby the roof can be raised and lowered. The height of the body can thus be reduced when the body is empty or only partially full. Reducing the height of the body reduces on wind distance as the vehicle is travelling.

The sheet material may include reinforcing material for use in helping to prevent the sheet material being cut by thieves and vandals. This helps to increase the security of the goods contained in the body of the vehicle.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a vehicle for carrying goods, the body having a canopy which is shown in a closed condition; Figure 2 is an end view of the vehicle shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a top left hand corner part of the body of the vehicle as shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 is an enlarged view of a bottom right hand corner part of the body of the vehicle as shown in Figure 1; Figure 5 is a view like Figure 3 but with part of a frame shown in dotted lines in order to illustrate the construction of the frame; Figure 6 is a front view of the part of the vehicle shown in Figure 5, and illustrates how sheet material forming the canopy is connected to a flexible strip member; Figure 7 is a view like Figure 1 except that the dotted parts shown in Figure 5 are removed for ease of understanding, and also except that roller means and drive means are shown for pulling the sheet material down on the illustrated side of the vehicle; Figure 8 is a view like Figure 5 and illustrates the sheet material being pulled down; Figure 9 is a view like Figure 7 and illustrates the sheet material having been pulled down but still leaving a small opening at the bottom of the side of the vehicle ; Figure 10 is a view like Figure 4 but with the sheet material in the position shown in Figure 9; Figure 11 is a view like Figure 5 but with the sheet material removed for giving a good understanding of the illustrated components; Figure 12 is a view like Figure 10 but with the sheet material removed in order to give a good understanding of the illustrated components; Figure 13 is a view like Figure 9 but with the sheet material having been pulled over the far side of the vehicle in order to open the illustrated side of the vehicle ; Figure 14 is a view like Figure 11 but without the flexible strip material, and with the dotted line part of Figure 11 shown in full ; Figure 15 is a view like Figure 13 but with the dotted line part of the frame of Figure 11 being shown in full ; and Figure 16 is a view like Figure 12 but shows the dotted line part of Figure 11 in full.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a vehicle 2 for carrying goods on roads. The vehicle 2 comprises wheels 4 and a body 6. The body 6 comprises a base 8 for receiving the goods, a canopy 10 and a frame 12.

The frame 12 upstands from the base 8 and supports the canopy 10 such as to define a roof 14 and a pair of longitudinally extending sides 16 of the body 6. The canopy 10 is such that it is formed of sheet material 18 which is able to be pulled downwardly on either side 16 of the vehicle such that the sheet material 18 is caused to slide vertically to and fro over the frame 12 in order to open and close at least one of the sides 16. More specifically, and as shown in the drawings, the sheet material 18 is caused to slide to and fro over the frame 12 in order to open and close both of the sides 16 and also the roof 14.

The vehicle 2 includes roller means 20 on either side 16 of the vehicle 2 for pulling the sheet material 18 downwardly in an alternate manner in order to cause the to and fro movement of the sheet material 18. The roller means 20 is driven by a motorized drive 22 and/or a manual drive 24. The motorized drive 22 includes meshing gears 26,28 which may be driven from an engine (not shown) in a cab 30 of the vehicle 2. The manual drive 24 includes a handle 32. The motorized drive 22 and the manual drive 24 rotate a roller 34 forming part of the roller means 20. The roller 24 rotates in appropriate bearings (not shown).

As best seen in Figures 5 and 6, the sheet material 18 attached to flexible strip members 36 by fixing means in the form of stitching 38. The flexible strip members 36 wind and unwind around the roller means 20. This winding and unwinding is best seen in Figures 10 and 16. It will be seen that each flexible strip member 36 is located on a reduced diameter portion 40 of the roller 34. This enables the flexible strip member 36 to stay in a straight line and to run in a guide channel 42. The guide channels 42 form part of the frame 12. Each guide channel 42 is such that it has an open mouth 44 through which the sheet material 18 is attached to the flexible strip member 36 by the stitching 38 as best shown in Figure 6.

The guide channels 44 have cover portions 46. The sheet material 18 slides between the cover portions 46 and the open mouths 44 as shown in Figures 3,5, 6 and 8.

The flexible strip members 36 extend a substantial distance beyond the lowermost edges of the sheet material 18, thereby to allow the sheet material 18 to be moved such as to open fully both of the sides 16. As the flexible strip members 36 are wound around the roller means 20, then the sheet material 18 eventually winds around the roller 34 in order to close a side 16. In order to open a side 16, the sheet material 18 on that side 16 first unrolls from the roller means 20, followed by the portions of the flexible strip members 36 that extend beyond the lowermost edge of the sheet material 18.

The flexible strip members 36 may be made of any suitable and appropriate material including webbing, a plastics material, or strip metal.

The plastics material may be nylon 66.

As shown in Figure 2, the body 6 includes a fixed rear wall 48. This rear wall 48 extends between the base 8 and the roof 14. The fixed rear wall 48 also extends between the two sides 16 of the body 6.

It will be seen from the drawings that the canopy 10 is manufactured all in one piece and it goes all over the body 6 of the vehicle 2 in order to provide a closure for the roof 14 and the sides 16.

The frame 14 may be manufactured in aluminium or appropriate plastics materials. The use of the cover portions 46 enables the roof 14 to be sealed against inclement weather. This provides an advantage over existing vehicles 2 with their curtains, where a separate roof has to be fitted which requires to be weatherproofed. A sealant has to be used in manufacture, which is time consuming and increases the cost of manufacture. The cover portions 46 give a weather-tight seal both at the top and bottom of the canopy 10. The canopy 10 is such that it is always able to remain taut due to the way in which the sheet material 18 is located in the guide channels 42. In this connection, the provision of the reduced diameter portion 40 ensures that the flexible strip members 36 extend in a substantially straight line, which helps to ensure the sheet material 18 remains in position in its part of the frame 12.

The motorized drive 22 and the manual drive 24 are such that only the roller 34 on one of the sides 16 can be operated at one time. This enables the sheet material 18 to be pulled up or down as required, and it avoids the sheet material on both sides 18 being pulled down at the same time and possibly over-straining the canopy 10.

With one side 16 open, a cargo bay is effectively formed. When one side 16 is required to be opened, the motorized drive 22 or the manual drive 24 on the opposite side 16 will be operated. The roller 34 on the opposite side will rotate, winding up the flexible strip members 36 and then the sheet material 18. The operator can stop the winding up at any point, in order to leave a side 16 partially open rather than fully open, for example in order to reduce the amount of wind and rain entering the formed cargo bay. The open side 16 is able to be closed by operating the motorized drive 22 or the manual drive 24 on the same side 16. The roller 34 will rotate to wind up the flexible strip members 36 and the sheet material 18 and thereby pull the sheet material 18 down to close the side 16.

The vehicle 2 may include stop means for automatically causing the motorized drive 22 to stop when the side 16 has been correctly closed. The stop means may be a timer, or it may be a magnetic strip fitted to the curtain and which operates a proximity switch or a photo-electric cell.

When the sheet material 18 is fully closing a side 16, then the sheet material 18 will be wrapped around the full extent of the roller 34. The sheet material will be pulled taut so that the canopy 18 will be well formed and not flapping about.

When the motorized drive 22 is in position, it may be locked by a clutch brake unit which prevents the rollers 34 from rotating when both sides 16 are closed. Release of the clutch brake unit can be made when one of the sides 16 needs to be opened.

Referring to Figure 10, one of the sides 16 is shown partially open. In this position, the flexible strip member 36 has wound so far round the reduced diameter portion 40 that the flexible strip member 36 is substantially level with the circumference of the roller 34. If the sheet material 18 needs to be wound around the roller 34, the sheet material 18 extending over the flexible strip members 36 is in line with the sheet material 18 extending over the roller 34, and thus the sheet material 18 smoothly winds around the roller means 20.

The sheet material 18 may include reinforcing means in the form of an inner mesh, not laminated within the sheet material 18 but attached only to the stitched area of the flexible strip members 36 and also to the horizontal section of the canopy 10. This is to deter the cutting of the canopy 10 by means of a knife, and thus to act as a security barrier to provide increased security for goods in the body 6. Any suitable and appropriate reinforcing material may be employed including woven carbon fibres and stainless steel mesh.

The vehicle 2 is advantageous in that manufacturing costs can be substantially reduced over known vehicles with curtain systems. Loading and unloading can be quicker and less dangerous than with curtain type vehicles. Damage to goods in the body 6 during inclement weather conditions is able to be minimised. Upper horizontal rollers 50 which form part of frame 12 and over which the sheet material 18 runs, can be manufactured in a relatively light weight material thereby reducing overall weight and cost. The canopy 10 can be fully water-tight in inclement weather conditions. No roof material or sealant is required in order to keep out water, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and maintenance costs.

The roof can be opened for loading, which is a big advantage with difficult loads. This can be done very easily without the need to remove bolted sections of a roof or to make other awkward operations. Aerodynamics of the vehicle 2 can be improved because buckles will not be required.

Canopy manufacturing costs can be reduced as the buckles and also top hangers will not be required. Safety for the operator may be increased.

More security for goods in the body 6 may be obtained with the drive means being arranged as a motorized drive 22 which can only be operated with a security key.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings has been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the frame 12 may be made such that it includes four corner upright sections which can be telescopic. This then allows the height of the body 6 to be reduced if the body 6 is empty or partially empty. The reduced height reduces wind resistance. The body 6 is reduced in height by operating the roller means 20 on both of the sides 16 simultaneously. This pulls down the roof 14 which causes the four corner upright sections of the frame 12 to telescope into each other. The four corner upright sections may be spring loaded to return to their normal extended condition when the restraining force, caused by the roller means 22 pulling down the two sides 16, is removed. In the fully extended condition of the four corner upright sections, locking pins may be employed to maintain the four corner upright sections in their required extended condition. The locking pins will then be removed when reducing the height of the body 6. The locking pins can be reemployed in the four corner upright sections at the chosen reduced height of the body 6. The clutch brake units can be tensioned in the clutch position in order to prevent damage being done to the canopy 10 if goods are protruding out of the cargo area in the body 6, or if a body or hand of an operator is in the way of the sheet material 18 as it is being pulled downwards.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A vehicle for carrying goods on roads, which vehicle comprises wheels and a body, the body comprising a base for receiving the goods, a canopy, and a frame which upstands from the base and which supports the canopy such as to define a roof and a pair of longitudinally extending sides of the body, the canopy being such that it is formed of sheet material which is able to be pulled downwards on either side of the vehicle such that the sheet material is caused to slide vertically to and fro over the frame in order to open and close at least one of the sides.
2. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sheet material is caused to slide to and fro over the frame in order to open and close both of the sides.
3. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the sheet material is caused to slide to and fro over the frame in order to open and close the roof.
4. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1,2 or 3, wherein roller means are provided on either side of the vehicle for pulling the sheet material downwardly in an alternate manner in order to cause the to and fro movement.
5. A vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the roller means is driven by a motorized drive.
6. A vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein the motorized drive is an electric, hydraulic or pneumatic motorized drive.
7. A vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the roller means is driven by a manual drive.
8. A vehicle as claimed in claim 7, wherein the manual drive is a rotatable handle manual drive.
9. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the sheet material is attached by fixing means to flexible strip members.
10. A vehicle as claimed in claim 9, wherein the fixing means are in the form of stitching, adhesion or rivets.
11. A vehicle as claimed in claim 9 or 10 when dependent on claim 4 or any claim dependent thereon, wherein the flexible strip members wind and unwind around the roller means.
12. A vehicle as claimed in claim 9, 10 or 11, wherein the flexible strip members run in open mouthed guide channels which form part of the frame.
13. A vehicle as claimed in claim 12, wherein the sheet material is attached to the flexible strip members through the open mouths of the guide channels.
14. A vehicle as claimed in claim 12 or 13, wherein each guide channel has a cover portion.
15. A vehicle as claimed in claim 14, wherein the sheet me -1, wiiere-Ln the sheet material slides between the cover portions and the open mouths of the guide channels.
16. A vehicle as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 15, wherein the flexible strip members extend a substantial distance beyond the lowermost edges of the sheet material, in order to allow the sheet material to move so as to open fully both sides of the vehicle.
17. A vehicle as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 16, wherein the flexible strip members are made of webbing, a plastics material, or a strip metal.
18. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the body has a fixed rear wall extending between the base and the roof.
19. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the frame is a telescopic frame, whereby the roof can be raised or lowered.
20. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the sheet material includes a reinforcing material.
21. A vehicle as claimed in claim 20, wherein the reinforcing material is chosen to prevent the sheet material being cut.
22. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the vehicle includes an engine and a cab and is drivable.
23. A vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.