GB2464312A - A cradle for securing spools of paper to a vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus for supporting paper comprises a frame 4 providing a cradle 18, 20 for supporting a paper reel (50, figure 3), wherein the frame includes one or more adjustable support members 22,24,26,28 and a jack (figure 6) adapted to adjust the pitch of the or each adjustable support member such that the frame is able to support paper reels of different sizes. The frame may further comprise a first and a second cradle 18, 20. The frame may be configured as to allow dismantling and removal from a trailer or flat bedded vehicle (figure 8). The frame may be secured to a vehicle using straps (52, 54, figure 3) and the mounting means configured as to allow there to exist a gap (59, figure 3) between the reel and the vehicle loading surface.

Description

Paper Carrier The present invention is directed to an arrangement for, carrying reels of paper. In particular, but not exclusively, the invention is directed to an arrangement for securing paper reels to a trailer.

In recent years, the printing industry has become more efficient. An effect of this increased efficiency is that paper reels have tended to become larger, longer and heavier. Such paper reels are typically transported by road, by placing the paper reel on an adapted trailer.

It has become increasingly difficult to attach large paper reels to a trailer in a secure manner for transportation. Further, more stringent health and safety legislation has made this a higher priority for paper transportation specialists.

A number of prior art methods f or the safe transportation of paper reels are known in the art. Many such arrangements require expensive bespoke solutions.

Further, many such solutions restrict the ability of the trailer to be used for any other purpose. This loss of flexibility can make such a trailer prohibitively expensive.

A number of flexible trailer arrangements have been proposed in the steel transportation industry. These arrangements are only partially transferable to the paper industry. A particular problem with paper reel transportation is that any damage to the paper reel, for example by bending the paper, can render the paper unusable.

The present invention aims to address at least some of the problems outlined above.

The present invention provides an apparatus comprising: a frame providing a cradle f or supporting a paper reel, wherein the frame includes one or more adjustable support members; and a jack adapted to adjust the pitch of the or each adjustable support member such that the frame is able to support paper reels of different sizes.

In one form of the invention, the frame provides a first cradle for supporting a first paper reel and a second cradle for supporting a second paper reel. The first and second cradles may be provided side-by-side. The first and second cradles may be provided end-on-end. In some form of the invention, more than two cradles are provided; for example, four cradles may be provided, with a first side-by--side pair being positioned on the end of another pair of side-by-side frames. Each cradle may comprise one or more adjustable support member, with each adjustable support member having a jack adapted to adjust the pitch thereof. In one embodiment of the invention, each cradle has two adjustable support members, each having a jack associated therewith.

In one form of the invention, the or each jack is a scissor jack.

The frame may be adapted to be dismantled. For example, the elements of the frame may slot together in a simple manner. In one form of the invention, the elements of the frame are manufactured such that they can only be slotted into particular other elements of the frame.

This significantly reduces the likelihood of the frame being assembled incorrectly. In forms of the invention having more than one cradle, each cradle may be individually removable from the trailer. In forms of the invention having cradles arranged in pairs, pairs of cradles may be removable together.

In one form of the invention, the frame is adapted to be mounted to a trailer using one or more straps, such as ratchet straps.

In one form of the invention, the frame is provided such that, in use, a gap is provided between the reel and the trailer. This arrangement enables a fork-lift to have access to the reel.

In some forms of the invention, one or more floor supports for supporting ends of paper reels. The floor supports may enable the ends of paper reels to be supported where the cradle supports the reels such that a gap exists between the reel and the trailer.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings of which: Figure 1 is side view of a trailer incorporating a paper reel frame in accordance with an aspect of the present invention Figure 2 is rear view of a trailer of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a loaded paper reel in accordance with an aspect of the present invention; Figure 4 shows an adjustment mechanism used in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 is a close up of the adjustment mechanism of Figure 4 showing a paper reel being supported; Figure 6 shows the adjustment mechanism of Figures 4 and 5 being adjusted; Figure 7 is a plan view of a trailer incorporating a number of frames in accordance with an aspect of the present invention; Figure 8 shows a paper reel frame in accordance with a further aspect of the present invention.

Figures 1 and 2 show side and rear views respectively of a trailer 2 incorporating a frame, indicated generally by the reference numeral 4, in accordance with the present invention. The frame 4 includes a first front curved section 6, a second front curved section 8, a first rear curved section 10 and a second rear curved section 12.

The first 6 and second S front curved sections are mounted to a front base section 14 and a front vertical support 15: the first 10 and second 12 rear curved sections are mounted to a rear base section 16 and a rear vertical support 17.

The first front and rear curved sections 6 and 10 provide a first area, indicated generally by the reference numeral 18 for receipt of a paper reel. Similarly, the second front and rear curved sections 8 and 12 provide a second area, indicated generally by the reference numeral for receipt of a paper reel.

The frame 4 includes a number of support structures that, in use, are in contact with a paper reel. The first area 18 includes front 30 and rear 34 floor supports attached to the front 14 and rear 16 base sections respectively.

The first area 18 also includes front 22 and rear 26 adjustable supports at the opposite ends of the frames 6 and 10 to said vertical supports 15 and 17. Similarly, the second area 20 includes front 32 and rear 36 floor supports attached to the front 14 and rear 16 base sections respectively and front 24 and rear 28 adjustable supports at the opposite ends of the frames 6 and 10 to said vertical supports 15 and 17.

The vertical support 15 includes supports 38 and 40, with a high visibility marker 42 mounted above. Similarly, the vertical support 17 includes supports 44 and 46, with a high visibility maker 48 mounted above.

The floor supports 30, 32, 34 and 36 and the vertical supports 38, 40, 44 and 46 may take a variety of forms.

By way of example, the supports may be constructed from a foam material that is covered, for example using a plastics material.

Figure 3 shows the trailer 2 having a paper reel 50 mounted thereon. The front 22 and rear 26 adjustable supports of the first area 18 are visible. First and second ratchet straps 52 and 54 are shown, which ratchet straps are used to attach the frame 4 to the trailer 2.

Straps 56 and 58 that extend around the paper reel 50 are also shown; the straps 56 and 58 are provided to aid safety but could, in some embodiments of the invention, be omitted.

The paper reel 50 is held in place in such a manner than a gap, indicated generally by the reference numeral 59, is provided between the reel 50 and the trailer 2. The gap enables the paper reel 50 to be picked up by a fork-lift truck.

As shown in Figure 2, the floor supports 30, 32, 34 and 36 are sized so that, is use, the ends of paper reels positioned in the first area 18 or the second area 20 of the frame are supported. If the floor supports were not provided, but the gap 59 was present, the paper reels would only be supported around the middle of the reels and would therefore tend to bend about this supported area. Such bending would damage the paper reels and may render the paper unusable.

Figure 4 is an elevation view of the front adjustable support 22 of the first area 18 and the first ratchet strap 52. Figure 5 is a close up of the adjustment mechanism of Figure 4 and a paper reel. Figure 6 demonstrates the adjustment of the adjustable support 26.

The first adjustable support 22 includes a support pad 60 that, in use, is in contact with a paper reel. In common with the other supports (such as first floor support 30 that is also visible in Figure 4), the support pad 60 may be manufactured from a foam material, although there are many other possible constructions.

The first adjustable support is provided with a scissor jack 62 arranged such that the pitch of the pad 60 can be adjusted. The scissor jack includes a head 64 that can be adjusted using a ratchet, spanner or similar implement 66, as shown in Figure 6. In this way, the top of the scissor jack 62 can be raised or lowered by an operator in order to adjust the pitch of the pad 60 to match the diameter of paper reel to be supported. Thus, various sizes of paper reel can be securely supported in the area 18 of the frame 4.

Clearly, although a scissor jack arrangement has been described above, the skilled person would be aware of a range of suitable alternative mechanisms for adjusting the pitch of the pad 60 that could be used in the present invention.

The various floor, vertical and adjustable supports provided by the frame enable the paper reel to be securely supported and protect the valuable paper from damage. As discussed above, the floor supports are provided to prevent bending. The vertical supports are provided to prevent the frame itself from damaging the paper.

The frame described above with reference to the drawings includes two areas for receiving paper reels. This is not essential. Frame can be provided that can accommodate more or fewer than two paper reels. By way of example, Figure 7 is a schematic plan view of a trailer 2 incorporating a plurality of frames 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d.

Figure 8 shows a development of the frame 4 described above in which the frame has been adapted to be readily dismantled. Features of Figure 8 which correspond to the features describes above are denoted using the same reference numeral.

Figure 8 shows a frame 4 broadly as described above. The frame 4 has a front base section 14 and a rear base section 16. The rear base section 16 has a first break point 70a and a second break point 70b: similarly, the front base section 14 has a third break point 70c and a fourth break point 70d. The break points enable the frame 4 to be physically divided into six separate frame portions.

In Figure 8, the first and second break points 70a and 70b are shown in a disassembled state, with connecting pins 72a and 72b lying unused on the floor. The third and fourth break points 70c and 70d are shown in an assembled state with corresponding connecting pins 72c and 72d holding the relevant frame elements together.

Thus, in order to assemble the frame 4, the various frame elements are pushed together and the connecting pins 72a, 72b, 72c and 72d used to connect the break points 70a, 70b, 70c and 70d respectively. Of course, although four break points, providing six frame elements are shown in Figure 8, different numbers of break points and frame elements could be provided.

As shown in Figure 8, the break points are constructed by cutting the frame elements at different angles to one another. In this way, frame elements are provided that fit with only one other frame element. This ensures that the frame 4 cannot be incorrectly assembled.

In some arrangements of the invention, a storage box is provided for storing the dismantled sections of the frame 4. With the frame dismantled, the trailer 2 can be used for other purposes. In the example of Figure 7, for example, the frames 4c and 4d may be dismantled, whilst leaving the frames 4a and. 4b in place. This arrangement demonstrates the flexibility of the present invention.

The following example provides another example of the flexibility of the present invention. Assume that paper and ink is being delivered to a printer once per week and, on that day, the printer requires printed material that has already been produced to be taken to be delivered elsewhere. The arrangement shown in Figure 7 enables the trailer 2 to be used to transport paper reels (using frames 4a and 4b) and enables the frames 4c and 4d to be dismantled so that ink can be transported.

Similarly, once the paper and ink have been delivered, the frames 4a and 4b can be dismantled and the entire trailer used to transport the printed material. Thus, the trailer 2 can be used for multiple purposes. Also, a standard trailer can be use for these multiple purposes -the present invention provides many advantages, without requiring the provision of a bespoke trailer.

Claims (12)

1. SCLAIMS: 1. An apparatus comprising: a frame providing a cradle for supporting a paper reel, wherein the frame includes one or more adjustable support members; and a jack adapted to adjust the pitch of the or each adjustable support member such that the frame is able to support paper reels of different sizes.
2. 2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame provides a first cradle for supporting a first paper reel and a second cradle for supporting a second paper reel.
3. 3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first and second cradles are provided in a side-by-side arrangement.
4. 4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein said first cradle comprises one or more adjustable support members having a jack adapted to adjust the pitch thereof and the second cradle also has one or more adjustable support members having a jack to adjust the pitch thereof.
5. 5. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the or each jack is a scissor jack.
6. 6. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said frame is adapted to be dismantled.
7. 7. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said frame is removably mountable to a trailer.

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8. 8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, when dependent on claim 2, wherein each of said cradles is individually removable from the trailer.
9. 9. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said frame is adapted to be mounted to a trailer using one or more straps.
10. 10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein some or all of said straps are ratchet straps.
11. 11. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein, in use, a gap is provided between the paper reel and the trailer.
12. 12. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising one or more floor supports for supporting ends of paper reels.