GB2400360A

GB2400360A - Goods container with movable lifting device

Info

Publication number: GB2400360A
Application number: GB0304930A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan John Cartwright
Original assignee: Cartwright & Sons S
Current assignee: Cartwright & Sons S
Priority date: 2003-03-05
Filing date: 2003-03-05
Publication date: 2004-10-13
Anticipated expiration: 2023-03-05
Also published as: GB0304930D0; GB2400360B

Abstract

A goods container such as a road haulage vehicle trailer has a floor (2), opposite side walls (3, 4) and a load lifting device (15) movable along the floor (2). The load lifting device (15) has a platform (27) movable up and down on an upright frame (16). This frame (16) is located alongside one side wall (3) and has an upper transverse extension (17) with wheels (26) at its free end which are urged into contact with the opposite side wall (4). The frame (16) has wheels (24) at its bottom end which run on a raised surface (13) along the side wall (3). The floor (1) may be stepped with a raised leading end region (12) and the raised surface (13) may be level with this.

Description

GOODS CONTAINER WITH MOVABLE LIFTING DEVICE

This invention relates to a movable lifting device for use within a goods container such as a road haulage vehicle trailer.

GB 2325914B describes a movable lifting device within a goods container having an upright side structure which supports a height adjustable load platform. The structure has wheels at its bottom end which run along the container floor and a transverse upper structure at its top end which supports further wheels which run along an upper part of the container side wall opposite to the lifting device side structure.

With this arrangement, the lifting device can be moved in a controlled manner along the length of the container without requiring incorporation of guide tracks or other structures within the container.

Moreover, the upright side and transverse upper structures which constitute the essential supporting and guiding structures of the lifting device need not intrude significantly into the load-carrying space of the container.

However, road haulage vehicle trailers commonly have stepped floors with a leading end-region which is raised to fit on top of the pivot mounting at the rear end of the traction unit used to haul the trailer.

The bottom end wheels of the above mentioned lifting device run along the trailer floor and cannot mount the step up to the raised leading endregion. The lifting device cannot therefore be used adequately for handling loads in this region. - 2

An object of the present invention is to provide a movable lifting device in a goods container which has the aforementioned benefits of the described known lifting device without being wholly dependent on engagement between the device and the container floor during movement along that floor.

According to the invention therefore there is provided a goods container having a load supporting floor and first and second opposite side walls, and a movable lifting device mountable within the container so as to be movable along the floor between the side walls, wherein the lifting device comprises an upright side structure arranged to be located alongside the first side wall, a height adjustable load-carrying device supported on the side structure, and a transverse upper structure projecting from an upper part of the side structure towards the second side wall, wherein the transverse upper structure is movably supported against the second side wall via at least one first support element mounted on the transverse upper structure in engagement with the second side wall, and the upright side structure is movably supported relative to at least part of the floor via at least one second support element mounted on the upright side structure in engagement with a raised surface alongside the first side wall.

With this arrangement, the use of the upright side and transverse upper structures with first and second support elements provides benefits of controlled movement without undue intrusion into the load carrying space of the container.

Also, due to the use of the raised surface for the (or each) second support element, movement of the lifting device need not be wholly dependent on engagement with the floor. Accordingly, there is the possibility of providing for movement of the lifting device beyond obstructions or elevated regions of the floor by appropriate disposition of the raised surface.

Thus, and in accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, where the floor is of the kind which is stepped with a lower part and a raised leading end-region part, the raised surface is at least substantially level with and adjacent to such leading part so that the lifting device can move from a position at which it is supported by engagement of the (or each) second support element with the raised surface over the lower floor part to a position at which it is supported by engagement of such element (or elements) with the raised leading end region part. Preferably therefore the raised surface and the raised leading end-region are contiguous.

The raised surface may be defined by a shelf or ledge integrated with the first side wall. In particular, the first side wall may be of stepped construction to define a ledge forming part of the side wall. Other arrangements are however also possible and thus, for example, the raised surfaces may be defined by a floor-mounted structure.

The raised surface is preferably a flat, continuous surface and - 4 conveniently may be strip-shaped with straight longitudinal edges.

With regard to the upright side structure this may terminate at or above the raised surface and the (or each) second support may be at the bottom end thereof. In this case, the load carrying device may be height adjustable down to a position or positions below the side structure to facilitate handling of loads below the level of the raised surface.

Alternatively, the side structure may be arranged to extend down, below the raised surface, with the (or each) second support above the bottom end of the side structure. In this case the side structure may be stepped or otherwise appropriately constructed.

The side structure, the transverse upper structure, the support elements and the load carrying device may be as described in GB 2325914B as appropriate.

Thus, the side and upper structures may be frame constructions, the loadcarrying device may comprise a load supporting platform which may be attached to an upright frame construction or to separate elongate supporting members, and the support elements may comprise rotatable elements such as wheels or rollers.

The load-carrying device may be height adjustable using any suitable manual and/or powered operating device in conjunction with any suitable guidance arrangement such as tracks and sliders respectively on the side structure and the load-carrying device.

Preferably there are multiple first support elements and also - 5 multiple second support elements, and the second support elements may be appropriately urged into contact with the opposite second side wall, by use of springs or otherwise, to ensure firm contact therewith. There may also be engagement of one or more further support element or elements being mounted at the top of the side structure or the adjacent end of the transverse structure.

The movable lifting device may be manually movable along the container e. g. simply by pushing the device. Alternatively or additionally however such movement may be powered and this may be achieved with a mechanism external to the lifting device e.g. which hauls the device, or by a mechanism on board or mounted on the lifting device, in either case power being derived from a source mounted on or external to the lifting device such as an electric, hydraulic or pneumatic source which may be provided specially for the lifting device, such as a battery mounted on the lifting device or which may be provided from an existing power source e.g. derived from a vehicle power source.

In one embodiment a powered drive mechanism is provided which comprises a wheel or roller which is rotatably driven and frictionally engages a roof of the container to effect movement of the lifting device therealong.

An appropriate braking or locking system may be provided to hold the lifting device in a desired stopping position within the container.

Where the load-carrying device has a platform, or other outwardly - 6 projecting load-carrying support, provision may be made for this to be retracted to clear the load space of the container when not in use. Thus, in the case of a platform provision may be made for hinging this upwardly to be stowed alongside the side structure.

A control system operable via controls mounted on the lifting device and/or remotely thereto may be provided for controlling height adjustment of the load-carrying device, and/or stowage of such device, and/or movement of the lifting device along the container.

The container is preferably a vehicle load container, particularly a trailer of a road haulage vehicle although the invention is also applicable in other contexts.

The invention will now be described further by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side view of one form of a container fitted with a movable lifting device according to the invention, one side wall being omitted to reveal the interior of the container; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic end view of the container and lifting device, seen from the left of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the lifting device.

Referring to Figure l, this shows a load container 1 in the form of a trailer of a road haulage vehicle.

The container 1 comprises a box body with a floor 2, opposite side walls 3, 4, roof 5 and front and end walls 6, 7, mounted on a chassis 8 - 7 with rear end road wheels 9.

The floor 2 and chassis 8 are stepped so that the front end region 10 is raised to sit on a rear pivot of a conventional traction unit having an engine and driver's cab (not shown). The floor 2 therefore has a rearward lower horizontal part 11 and a forward higher horizontal part 1 2. i As shown in Figure 2, one side wall 3 is stepped in the region of the lower floor part 11 to define a flat ledge 13. This ledge 13 extends horizontally along the entire length of the lower floor part 11 from the rear wall 7 up to the vertical wall 13 defined between the upper and lower floor parts 1 1, 1 2.

The ledge 13 has straight edges and is level with the upper floor part 12 thereby to define a continuous surface with such part 12.

The ledge 13 is formed by a rigidly supported structure 14 which is attached to or formed integrally with the side wall 3 and the floor. The ledge 13 projects from the side wall 3 only a short distance into the container 1, i.e. across a minor proportion of the width of the floor part 1 1.

A mobile lifting device 15 is fitted within the container l and this is a framework structure having an upright side structure 16, an upper transverse structure 17 and a load-carrying device 18.

The side structure 16 has vertical members 19 linked by top and bottom members 20, 21. The upper structure 17 has two horizontal members 22 which are fixed to the top ends of the vertical members 19 and extend at right angles thereto. The free ends of these horizontal members 22 are joined by a cross member 23.

As shown the vertical members 19 have respective wheels 24 freely rotatable about horizontal axes at their bottom ends, and the horizontal members 22 have respective wheels 25, 26, rotatable about vertical axes at their inner and outer ends. The wheels 26 at the outer ends are spring mounted so as to be urged away from the outer ends of the members 22.

The bottom wheels 24 sit on the ledge 13 with the side structure 16 closely parallel to the side wall 3. The length of the upper horizontal members 22 is such that the inner wheels 25 engage the side wall 3 and the outer wheels 26 are spring urged into engagement with the opposite side wall 4.

The load-carrying device comprises a rectangular platform 27 mounted at bottom ends of vertical elongate members 28 which fit slidably within tracks extending the length of the vertical members 19 of the side structu re 16.

The platform 27 with the members 28 can move vertically between an upper position as shown in Figures 1 and 2 and a lower position as shown in broken lines in Figure 2 below the level of the ledge 13 and close to the lower part 11 of the floor 2.

The platform 27 is hinged to the members 28 so that it can be - 9 - hinged upwardly when not in use to be stowed flat against the side structure 16.

The side structure 16 supports a housed drive unit 29 comprising an electric motor. This is linked via gears to an external wheel 30 mounted on a horizontal axis such that the wheel projects above the transverse structure 17 and engages the roof 5 of the container.

The motor is also linked via gears to a drive mechanism (not shown) comprising chains which run down the tracks in the members 19 and connect with the members 28 for use in lifting and lowering the platform 27.

The motor in the housing 29 is connected to a battery power source mounted on the lifting device 15. Alternatively the motor may be connected by a cable link to an external power source such as the usual vehicle power source.

A manually operable control with press buttons is provided at a convenient position on the lifting device 15 in reach of the platform 27 e.g. on a hand held trailing control device cable-linked to the housing.

By appropriate operation of this control device, the motor can be engaged with the wheel 30 to drivably rotate this to cause the lifting device 15 to be driven along the container 1. In the region of the lower floor part 1 1 the wheels 24 run along the ledge 13. The lifting device 15 can then be driven further causing the wheels 24 to run off the ledge 13 on to the surface of the upper floor part 12, as long as the platform 27 is raised above the upper floor part 12. The lifting device 15 can thereby be driven along the whole length of the container 1 over both the lower and upper floor sections 1 1, 1 2.

As shown in Figure 1, the platform 27 can be lifted and lowered to facilitate safe and easy loading and unloading of goods throughout the container 1.

The bottom wheels 24 and/or the top drive wheel 30 may be provided with breaks which are automatically actuated when the motor is stopped or which otherwise are automatically or under user control operated thereby to hold the lifting device securely in position when movement is not required.

With the embodiment described, the lifting device 15 provides a convenient means of unloading and loading goods along the entire length of the stepped floor 11, 12 of the container 1 without undue intrusion into the load space of the container and without requiring significant expensive modification to the container body.

When not in use the lifting device 15 can be readily stowed in a compact manner.

It is of course to be understood that the invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above embodiment which are described by way of example only. - 11

Claims

1. A goods container having a load supporting floor and first and second opposite side walls, and a movable lifting device mountable within the container so as to be movable along the floor between the side walls, wherein the lifting device comprises an upright side structure arranged to be located alongside the first side wall, a height adjustable loadcarrying device supported on the side structure, and a transverse upper structure projecting from an upper part of the side structure towards the second side wall, wherein the transverse upper structure is movably supported against the second side wall via at least one first support element mounted on the transverse upper structure in engagement with the second side wall, and the upright side structure is movably supported relative to at least part of the floor via at least one second support element mounted on the upright side structure in engagement with a raised surface alongside the first side wall.

2. A goods container according to claim 1 wherein the floor is stepped with a lower part and a raised leading end-region part, and the raised surface is at least substantially level with and adjacent to said leading part.

3. A goods container according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the raised surface is defined by a shelf or ledge integrated with the first side wall.

4. A goods container according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the raised surface is a flat continuous surface.

5. A goods container according to any one of claims 1 to 4 - 12 wherein the upright side structure terminates at or above the raised surface and the (or each) second support is at the bottom end thereof.

6. A goods container according to claim 5 wherein the load carrying device is height adjustable down to a position or positions below the side structure.

7. A goods container according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the load-carrying device comprises a load supporting platform which is attached to an upright frame construction, and the support elements comprise rotatable elements.

8. A goods container according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein there are multiple first support elements and also multiple second support elements, and the second support elements are urged into contact with the opposite second side 1 5 wall.

9. A goods container according to any one of claims 1 to 8 including a powered drive mechanism which comprises a wheel or roller which is rotatably driven and frictionally engages a roof of the container to effect movement of the lifting device therealong.

10. A goods container according to any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the load-carrying device has a platform which can be hinged upwardly.

l 1. A goods container according to any one of claims 1 to 10 which is a vehicle load container.

12. A goods container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.