GB2462919A

GB2462919A - An extendable load carrying vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2462919A
Application number: GB0914853A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Kelly
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-08-26
Filing date: 2009-08-26
Publication date: 2010-03-03
Also published as: GB0914853D0; IE20090650A1; IES20090649A2

Abstract

A load carrying vehicle 1 comprises a wheeled chassis having a front part 20 and a complementary rear part 22 telescopically slidable between a collapsed position and an extended position. A hook loader 3 is mounted thereon, preferably on the front part of the chassis. Preferably the hook loader is nested in a recess in the chassis (2, figure 7) formed between a pair of spaced-apart parallel longitudinal chassis members of the front part of the chassis. The hook loader also allows a load carrier to be tipped about an axis at the rear of the vehicle (figure 6), said load carrier possibly comprising a container, an L-shaped frame or a cement mixing bottle.

Description

"A Load Carrying Vehicle"

Introduction

This invention relates to a load carrying vehicle.

The invention particularly relates to load carrying vehicles of the type incorporating a hook loader. Such vehicles are widely used for example for transporting skips and the like. They essentially comprise a hook arm movable by ram means to engage and pull a skip onto a chassis of the vehicle and discharge the skip off the rear end of the vehicle. Typically the arm can also be tilted on the chassis for discharging material from the skip through a hinged door at a rear end of the skip. Such skips tend to be piled high in use with material such as construction waste thus adversely affecting the stability of the load during transport.

It is an object of the invention to address this problem.

Summary of the Invention

According to the invention, there is provided a load carrying vehicle comprising: a wheeled chassis, the chassis having a front part and a rear part, the front part and the rear part being slidable relative to each other between a collapsed position and an extended position, and a hook loader mounted on the chassis.

In one embodiment of the invention the hook loader is mounted in a complementary recess at a top of the chassis.

In another embodiment the chassis has a pair of spaced-apart substantially parallel longitudinal chassis members and the hook loader is mounted in the recess which is formed between said longitudinal chassis members.

In a further embodiment the hook loader is mounted on the front part of the chassis.

In another embodiment the chassis is a semi-trailer.

In another embodiment an hydraulic control station for the hook loader is mounted on the front part of the chassis at one side of the chassis at a front of the chassis.

In a further embodiment a number of spaced-apart rollers are provided at a top of the chassis for reception and engagement with an underside of a load carrier when said load carrier is mounted on the chassis by the hook loader.

In another embodiment the hook loader has a hook for engagement with a complementary connector at a front end of a load carrier and a locking clamp which is releasably engagable with an underside of the load carrier at a rear end of the load carrier.

In another embodiment, at least one load carrier is provided for mounting on the chassis, the load carrier having means for engagement by the hook loader.

In another embodiment, the load carrier is a container.

In another embodiment, the load carrier is a cement mixing bottle mounted on an L-shaped frame which is engagabie by the hook loader.

In another embodiment, the load carrier is a n L-shaped load carrying platform which is engageable by the hook loader.

In a further embodiment, the hook loader is operable to tilt the load carrier on the chassis about a rear pivot for discharging a load from the load carrier.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention will be more clearly understood by the following description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a load carrying vehicle according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a rear view of the load carrying vehicle; Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the load carrying vehicle in one position of use; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the load carrying vehicle in another position of use; Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view showing portion of the load carrying vehicle; Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the load carrying vehicle in another position of use; and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the load carrying vehicle showing a sliding chassis of the vehicle in an extended position.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a load carrying vehicle according to the invention, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1. The vehicle 1 comprises a sliding semi-trailer chassis 2 with a hook loader 3 mounted thereon for loading and unloading a load carrier, such as a container, on the chassis 2. A control station 5 for operation of the hook loader 3 is mounted at one side of the chassis 2 at the front end of the chassis 2.

The hook loader 3 is of conventional construction and essentially comprises an L-shaped arm 6 with a hook 7 at its outer end for engagement with a load carrier such as a container box or the like. Rams 8 mounted between the chassis 2 and the arm 6 are operable to pivot the arm 6 about a forward pivot 10 for movement between a stored position (Fig. 1) through an intermediate position (Fig. 3), and a rearwardly extending loading position, as shown in Fig. 4. Suitable rollers 12 are provided on the chassis 2 for engagement by associated skids on the load carrier for sliding the load carrier up onto the chassis 2 by means of the hook loader 3 in the usual way. Outwardly flared guide rollers 14 rotatably mounted at the rear end of the chassis 2 guide and correctly align the load carrier on the chassis 2 as the load carrier is drawn on board by the hook loader 3.

The rams 8 are also operable to pivot the arm 6 about a rear pivot 15 for tilting a load carrier on the chassis 2, at the rear end of the chassis 2 for discharging a load from the load carrier. Locking clamps 16 at a rear end of the arm 6 are operable to clamp the load carrier on the arm 6, when the load carrier is fully pulled up onto the chassis 2.

The sliding chassis 2 is of two-part construction, comprising a front part 20 and an associated rear part 22, which is slidably engageable with the front part 20. The sliding interengagement of the chassis parts 20, 22 is best seen in Fig. 7. Wheels 24 of the semi-trailer chassis 2 are carried by axles on the rear trailer part 22.

Referring in particular to Fig. 5, the front chassis part 20 essentially comprises a pair of spaced-apart substantially parallel longitudinal chassis members 30. It will be noted that the hook Joader 3 is nested in the recess formed between these two longitudinal chassis members 30. The chassis 2 is adapted to allow the horizontal part (when folded down into the chassis as shown in Fig.1) of the hook loader 3 to sit down into the chassis 2 as much as possible to minimise protrusion of the hook loader 3 above the top of the chassis 2.

Fig. 6 shows the hook loader 3 in a tipping configuration, the rams 8 being operable to tilt the hook loader 3 about the rear pivot 15 together with a skip or the like secured thereon for dumping material through a swinging tailgate of the skip.

In use, the vehicle 1 can be towed behind a tractor vehicle 35 in the usual way.

With the chassis 2 in the collapsed position, the hook loader 3 can be operated in conventional fashion for pulling up a load carrier such as a skip or the like onto the chassis 2. The rear chassis part 22 can then be extended relative to the front chassis part 20 for improved stability during transport of the load carrier. With the chassis 2 in the collapsed position, the load carrier can be tilted on the chassis 2 for discharging the contents of the load carrier or may be discharged from the chassis 2 by means of the hook loader 3.

Various different load carriers may be provided. For example, an open topped box container forming a skip may be provided for carrying waste or the like.

Alternatively, a load carrier comprising a mixing bottle for cement, for example, may be provided so that the vehicle 1 could alternatively be used for cement deliveries.

In a further embodiment, the load carrier may be provided by a load carrying platform, adapted, for example, for carrying preformed reinforced concrete floor panels or the like for the construction industry. Another load carrier comprises a tipper container body for transporting sand, gravel and the like.

It will be appreciated that the extendable sliding chassis 2 enables the carrying of heavier loads than conventional fixed chassis hook loader vehicles. Also, the load can be more evenly distributed and carried at a lower height for greater stability as the hook loader is nested into the chassis. The payload that can be carried is increased and vehicle manoeuvrability is enhanced by the use of the sliding semi-trailer chassis construction.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may be varied in both construction and detail within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

Claims 1. A load carrying vehicle comprising: a wheeled chassis, the chassis having a front part and a complementary rear part, the front part and the rear part being slidable relative to each other between a collapsed position and an extended position, and a hook loader mounted on the chassis.
2. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hook loader is mounted in a complementary recess at a top of the chassis.
3. The vehicle as claimed in claim 2 wherein the chassis has a pair of spaced-apart substantially parallel longitudinal chassis members and the hook loader is mounted in the recess which is formed between said longitudinal chassis members.
4. The vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the hook loader is mounted on the front part of the chassis.
5. The vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the chassis is a semi-trailer.
6. The vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim wherein an hydraulic control system for the hook loader is mounted on the front part of the chassis, at one side of the chassis at a front of the chassis.
7. The vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim wherein a number of spaced-apart rollers are provided at a top of the chassis for reception and engagement with an underside of a load carrier when said load carrier is mounted on the chassis by the hook loader.
8. The vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the hook loader has a hook for engagement with a complementary connector at a front end of a load carrier and a locking clamp which is releasably engagable with an underside of the load carrier at a rear end of the load carrier.
9. The vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim wherein at least one load carrier is provided for mounting on the chassis, the load carrier having means for engagement by the hook loader.
10. The vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the hook loader is operable to tilt a load carrier on the chassis about a rear pivot for discharging a load from the load carrier.
11. The vehicle as claimed in claim 9 or claim 10 wherein the load carrier is a container.
12. The vehicle as claimed in claim 9 wherein the load carrier is a cement mixing bottle mounted on an L-shaped frame which is engagable by the hook loader.
13. The vehicle as claimed in claim 9 wherein the load carrier is an L-shaped platform which is engageable by the hook loader.
14. The load carrying vehicle substantially as hereinbef ore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.