GB2509809A

GB2509809A - Vehicle having material discharging device and transfer device

Info

Publication number: GB2509809A
Application number: GB201318710A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Larrington
Original assignee: Richard Larrington Ltd
Current assignee: Richard Larrington Ltd
Priority date: 2012-10-31
Filing date: 2013-10-23
Publication date: 2014-07-16
Also published as: GB201318710D0

Abstract

A vehicle 2 comprising a chassis frame having a container 4 for a material mounted thereto. A discharging device for discharging the material from the container, which may be in the form of a wall portion or pusher plate (10a, Figure 4) is provided. A transfer chute 20 connected to the container 4 and for receiving the discharged material. Preferably a lifting device 28 may be provided to lift the end of the container proximal to the transfer chute 20. Optionally the transfer chute 20 is movable between an operative and a non operative position which may be by way of a horizontal pivot axis where the chute 20 is connected to the unit 4. Alternatively the vehicle may be provided with a transfer means 20 which may be in the form of a conveyor (Figure 4) and there is provided a lifting device arranged to lift the container and the material transfer device connected thereto.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO VEHICLES

This invention relates to vehicles, and in particular to towed vehicles such as trailers.

Trailers are, generally speaking, unpowered vehicles pulled by a powered vehicle and used for the transport of goods and materials in bulk quantities.

In agricultural activities, trailers of various sizes are used to transport goods, such as

crops, from the field to storage areas.

Conventionally, trailer vehicles comprise a large container structure having a bed, two side walls, a front wall proximal to the towing powered vehicle and a rear wall distal to the powered vehicle. This container structure is mounted upon the trailer chassis frame. The bed is arranged to be raised by a hydraulic ram mounted under is the front region of the container structure between frame members of the chassis, and the rear end of the container structure is hinged at the back to the trailer. The rear wall or tailgate can be configured to swing on hinges to allow material within the container structure to be unloaded relatively quickly from the trailer when the container structure is raised by way of the hydraulic ram.

The disadvantage of such tipping trailers is that when discharging their load they pivot at the rear and the front end has to be raised relatively high in the air for substantially all of the load to be discharged. When there are windy conditions or there is uneven ground the trailer can become unstable and liable to tipping over. In addition, large tipping trailers need a very high building to tip into in order to discharge their load, and there are many operators, such as farmers, who cannot use old-style buildings as they have ceilings or roofs which are too low for such a purpose. Moreover, the cost of increasing the height of the ceiling or roof is prohibitively expensive.

A so-called ejector trailer can be used to alleviate the problems associated with tipping trailers. Such ejector trailers do not tip but push the load out the back of the trailer by using hydraulic rams attached to a movable wall portion located at the front end of the trailer proximal to the powered towing vehicle. This movable wall portion is pushed against the load which is then pushed out of the back end of the trailer with a hinged tailgate until the load has been discharged from the trailer. Thus ejector trailers do not require tall buildings to operate in and a further advantage is that the movable wall portion can be used to compact a load inside the trailer container S structure such that a larger load can be carried by an ejector trailer of the same size as a tipping trailer. Ejector trailers may be powered rather than requiring a powered vehicle to tow it.

The disadvantage of ejector trailers is, however, that they discharge their load at a relatively low height above the ground, i.e. the level of the lower part of the tailgate where the load is pushed out of the trailer container structure. This generally means that ejector trailers dump their load onto a ground surface and if the load then needs to be transported elsewhere from a storage location, then the load has to be handled again and when the load is a crop this subsequent handling may cause damage to a portion of the crop. In addition, the heap or pile of material that an ejector trailer creates tends to take up a lot of ground space owing to the fact that once the heap or pile reaches substantially the height of the lower part of the tailgate, the trailer has to be moved slightly away from the heap or pile to allow more material to be discharged. Other trailers also have to move forwards to discharge their load.

Another problem with conventional trailers is that loads cannot easily be transferred directly to a desired location without expensive machinery such as elevators and augers to raise the height of the load above the fixed height of the chassis.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle comprising a chassis frame having a container for a material mounted thereto, a discharging device for discharging the material from the container and a transfer chute connected to the container and for receiving the discharged material.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method comprising loading a material into a container mounted to a vehicle chassis frame, discharging the material from the container and guiding a flow of material discharged from the container along a transfer chute.

Owing to these aspects, a material can be deliberately guided along a desired path with a transfer chute as it is discharged from the vehicle.

Advantageously, the vehicle is an unpowered trailer.

Preferably, the discharging device is a movable wall portion of the container which pushes against the material to discharge it from an opening of the container.

Furthermore, there are one or more and, advantageously, a plurality of transfer chutes connected to the container for creating a plurality of discharged material flows. The transfer chute is preferably movable between a first, non-operative position when the material is not being discharged from the container and a second, operative position when the material is to be discharged from the container.

When one or more transfer chutes are connected to end regions of the container, the particular end region of the container is advantageously liftable so as to raise the height of the end of the transfer chute from the ground or floor.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle comprising a chassis frame having a container for a material mounted thereto, a discharging device for discharging the material from the container, a material transfer device connected to the container and for receiving the discharged material and a lifting device arranged to lift the container and the material transfer device connected thereto.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method comprising loading a material into a container mounted to a vehicle chassis frame, lifting the container and a material transfer device connected to the container to a discharge height, discharging the material from the container to the material transfer device, and transferring a flow of material discharged from the container.

Owing to these aspects, a material can be deliberately transferred to a desired location as it is discharged from the vehicle container which is liftable to a desired discharge height.

Advantageously, the vehicle is an unpowered trailer.

Preferably, the discharging device is a movable wall portion of the container which S pushes against the material to discharge it from an opening of the container.

Preferably, the material transfer device includes one or more conveying devices.

Advantageously, there are two conveying devices with one being movable relative to the other. One of the conveying devices is preferably movable between a first, non-operative position and a second, operative position.

The material transfer device is preferably mounted to one end of the container and the lifting device is arranged to lift that one end of the container to which the material transfer device is connected in order to raise the height of the discharge device from the ground or floor to discharge the material to another container which has relatively high sides.

In order that the present invention can be clearly and completely disclosed, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Figure 1 is a perspective view from the rear and above of a first version of a trailer vehicle with chutes in a first non-operative position, Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but with the chutes in a second operative position, Figure 3 is a side view of the trailer of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view from the rear and above of a second version of a trailer vehicle with a material transfer device mounted to the rear end of the trailer vehicle, Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but with the rear end of the trailer vehicle in a raised position, Figure 6 is a side view of a second embodiment of the trailer vehicle of Figure 4, and Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6, but with the rear end of the trailer vehicle in a raised position.

Referring to Figure 1, a material transfer system comprises a trailer 2 which includes a container 4. The container 4 comprises a base wall (not seen), left and right side wall portions 6 and 8 opposite each other, a front wall portion 10 and a rear opening 12 opposite the front wall portion 10. The container 4 is mounted upon a chassis S frame, which also includes one or more ground rolling devices 14 shown in the form of wheels. The chassis frame also includes a tow bar 16 for mechanical and hydraulic connection to a powered vehicle to pull the trailer 2 along. However, the trailer 2 may also be part of a powered vehicle.

At the rear end of the trailer 2 adjacent the opening 12 there is mounted a material transfer unit 18. The unit 18 comprises a pair of transfer chutes 20 in the form of material transfer chutes. The chutes 20 include a floor 22 and side walls 24 extending substantially perpendicularly from respective opposite lateral edges of the floor 22. In Figure 1, the chutes 20 are shown in a stowed, non-operative position with their floors 22 in a substantially vertical plane which may be substantially co-planar with the substantially vertical planes of the side wall portions 6 and 8 so that the unit 18 may not be of greater width than the container 4. Alternatively, the unit 18 could be of a greater width than the container 4. The unit 18 also includes a rear barrier 26. When the chutes 20 are in the stowed, non-operative position and together with the rear barrier 26, the unit 18 effectively forms an extension of the storage volume of the container 4.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, when a material loaded into the container is ready for unloading, the chutes 20 can be moved into a second operative position by pivoting the chutes 20 about a substantially horizontal axis at the region where the chute 20 is connected to the unit 18. In this way material discharged from the container 4 is guided in a direction substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the container 4. This is advantageous when the material is to be discharged into a further container, which could be on another vehicle or simply a static container at which the trailer 2 can be brought alongside by the towing vehicle. Alternatively, the one or more chutes 20 may not only be pivotable about the substantially horizontal axis but also be pivotable about a substantially vertical axis for a greater degree of freedom of use. Furthermore, the chutes could be in the form of a flexible channel allowing a universal degree of movement. The chutes 20 shown are extendable so as not to project above the maximum height of the container 4 when the chutes 20 are in the stowed, non-operative position and to enable placement of the material further away from the container 4 when the chutes 20 are in the operative position.

S After loading of a loose material, for example an agricultural crop, into the trailer 2, the trailer 2 can be transported to a desired location, which may be adjacent a field in the case of an awaiting vehicle which could not get into the field, especially in wet conditions, due to the risk of it getting stuck in situ, or it may be a building where the material is to be stored for a period of time. In relation to the discharging of the material from the container 4, the preferred mechanism is using an ejector trailer 4 whereby a discharging device, which can be the front wall portion 10 or an internal wall portion located adjacent the front wall portion 10, is movable against the material load to force the material towards the rear end of the container 4 and the opening 12. The chutes 20 are pneumatically or hydraulically operated to lower them to the operative position in which the floor 22 is downwardly sloped so that the material flows, in a direction substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the container 4, under gravity and under the force of the material being pushed out of the container 4 and guided along the chutes 20 over the floors 22 and between the side walls 24 to a desired discharge location.

A lifting device 28, for example a hydraulic ram as shown, can be attached to the chassis frame 30 and arranged to bear upon the underside of the base wall of the container 4 at a region between a central region of the container 4 and the unit 18. In this way, the rear section of the container 4 including the unit 1 can be raised by operation of the hydraulic ram 28. As a result, when the chutes 20 are deployed in the operational position, the lower end of the floor 22 of the chutes 20 can also be raised. Advantageously the unit 18 is connected to the container 4 by way of a substantially horizontal pivot axis A, such that when the rear section of the container 4 is lifted to an oblique angle relative to the chassis frame 30, the unit 18 remains in a substantially up-right position. As a consequence of this lifting arrangement, material can be, for example, loaded into another vehicle alongside the container 4 which other vehicle may have relatively high sided walls and/or may be efficiently heaped at a location such that the resultant heap of material takes up less floor space than a conventional ejector trailer owing to the fact that the heap can reach a higher level with respect to the ground surface.

At the base of the unit 18 between the rear barrier 26 and the opening 12 of the S container 4, one or more conveying devices 32 (see Figure 3) in the form of endless conveyor belts may be provided to feed to the chutes 20 material being pushed out of the opening 12 by the discharging device of the container 4. The conveying devices are operated by start/stop switches 34 located at a convenient location on the unit 18 on a panel 36 beneath the rear barrier 26. With two chutes 20 located on each side of the trailer 2, two conveying devices 32 operable in opposite directions are required to feed the respective chutes 20 with the material being pushed out of the opening 12. The conveying device 32 does not have to be an endless conveyor belt, but any suitable device to move material towards the chutes 20, and may be in its simplest form a sloped surface.

If the unit 18 is of a size such that it is wider than the container 4, as mentioned above, when the container is raised by way of the lifting device 28, the unit 18 can be arranged to pivot about the axis A, such that as the material is discharged onto the conveying device(s) 32, owing to the fact that the conveying devices project laterally beyond the side wall portions 6 and 8, substantially all of the material lands on the conveying device(s). If the conveying device(s) 32 extend laterally to the extent of the side wall portions 6 and 8, then some material being pushed out of the container 4 may spill over and not be retained by the conveying device(s) and thus be wasted.

The chutes 20 do not have to be located on the unit 18 mounted to the rear of the trailer. The unit 18 could be omitted so that just one or more sideways or rearwardly directed chutes are present. This reduces complications with drive systems for the conveying devices. Alternatively the chutes 20 with or without the unit 18 can be mounted to the front end of the container 4 which has the advantage that the driver of the towing vehicle can see more of the whole operation than when the chutes 20 are connected to the rear of the container 20. Of course, when the chutes are connected to the front of the container 4, the location of the pieces of equipment previously described would be changed accordingly, such that the discharge device would push the material from the rear of the container 4 through an opening at the front end of the container 4 and that the hydraulic ram 28 would be located at a region between a central region of the container 4 and the front end of the container 4.

S This material transfer system is not just useful for agricultural crops, but for any loose material. An ejector trailer 2 which can raise up at the rear and discharge a load through the chutes 20 can be used for moving crops such as grain, potatoes and carrots, but could also be used to transfer loose material such as coal or sugar cane.

The trailer 2 can offer substantially equal speeds of discharge as a rear tipping trailer would have, especially with the use of a plurality of chutes 20 which makes the transfer of the material from the container 4 to a desired location relatively fast and efficient. In relation to the transfer of coal, the ability to heap coal at an acceptable discharge rate at the sides of the trailer 2 by use of the hydraulic ram 28 is very advantageous.

The or each conveying device 32 and/or the material contacting surfaces 22 and 24 of the chutes 20 could be covered with a relatively soft cushioning material to reduce damage by movement of soft crops or remain steel for abrasive material like coal.

The transfer system described could also be used with a tipping trailer rather than an ejector trailer, but then the disadvantages of using a tipping trailer as aforesaid do not make this preferable.

An assembly comprising a frame defining a temporary material storage region can be releasably attached to the ends of the chutes 20. The frame may have its walls covered with a relatively soft cushioning material and further comprise a further chute of a suitable material on the distal side of the frame. The further chute is opened and closed by a pair of gripper rolls urged to a closed position by springs and pivoted by a sufficient weight of material above to open the gripper rolls and to provide a restricted passage for the material to flow down the further chute.

The chute(s) 20 of the trailer 2 can be removed from the unit 18 after and replaced with other items, for example, a muck spreader, or simply be sued as an ordinary trailer in order to increase the versatility of the trailer 2.

The use of the chutes 20 and a liftable container 4 is a relatively much more cost-effective way of transferring material than using elevators and augers.

S The chute or chutes 20 may also be provided with one or more additional conveying devices, such as endless conveyor belts, to co-operate with the or each conveying device 32.

Referring to Figure 4, a second version of a material transfer system comprises a trailer 2' which includes a container 4'. The container 4' includes a base wall 5', left and right side wall portions 6' and 8' opposite each other, a front wall portion 10' and a rear opening 12' opposite the front wall portion 10'. The container 4' is mounted upon a chassis frame which also includes one or more ground rolling devices 14' shown in the form of wheels. The chassis frame also includes a tow bar 16' for mechanical and hydraulic connection to a powered vehicle to pull the trailer 2' along.

However, the trailer 2' may also be part of a powered vehicle, as with the version of Figures ito 3.

In a similar manner to he version of Figures 1 to 3, at the rear end of the trailer 2' adjacent the opening 12' there is mounted a material transfer device 18'. The device 18' comprises a pair of conveying devices 19' and 20' in the form of endless conveyor belts. The upper conveying device 20' is of a fixed substantially horizontal position whereas the lower conveying device 19' is mounted to the upper conveying device 20' on guide rails 21' and is arranged to be slideable relative to the upper conveying device 20' in a substantially horizontal plane in either direction left or right relative to the container 4' and substantially parallel to the upper conveying device 20'. In Figure 4, the lower conveying device 19' is shown in an extended, operative position as opposed to its stowed, non-operative position directly beneath the upper conveying device 20'. The upper conveying device 20' has its top material-carrying surface at substantially the same level as the base wall 5' at, at least, the region of the opening 12' so that there is no significant drop from the discharge end of the container onto the upper conveying device 20' which could damage a crop material.

The device 18' also includes a rear barrier 26' and together with the rear barrier 26', the upper conveyor device 20' effectively forms an extension of the storage volume of the container 4'.

S Referring to Figure 5, when a material loaded into the container is ready for unloading, the lower conveyor device 19' can be moved into the operative position by slidably moving the lower conveyor device on the guide rails 21'. In this way material discharged from the container 4' in a first direction longitudinally of the container 4' is then guided in a second direction substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the container 4' on the upper conveyor device 20' and lower conveyor device 19'. This is advantageous when the material is to be discharged into a further container, which could be, as with the version of Figures 1 to 3, on another vehicle or simply a static container at which the trailer 2' can be brought alongside by the towing vehicle.

In a similar manner to that of Figures 1 to 3, after loading of a loose material, for example an agricultural crop, into the trailer 2', the trailer 2' can be transported to a desired location, which may be adjacent a field in the case of an awaiting vehicle which could not get into the field, especially in wet conditions, due to the risk of it getting stuck in situ, or it may be a building where the material is to be stored for a period of time. In relation to the discharging of the material from the container 4', gain the preferred mechanism is using an ejector trailer 4' whereby a discharging device, which can be the front wall portion 10' or an internal wall portion ba' located adjacent the front wall portion 10', is movable against the material load to force the material in the first direction towards the rear end of the container 4' and the opening 12'. The conveyor devices 19' and 20' are pneumatically or hydraulically operated so that the material is transferred, in the second direction substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the container 4', and carried by the conveyor devices 19' and 20' towards a desired transfer location.

As is also the case with the version of Figures 1 to 3, a lifting device 28', for example a hydraulic ram as shown, is attached to the chassis frame 30' and arranged to bear upon the underside of the base wall of the container 4' at a region between a central region of the container 4' and the unit 18'. In this way, the rear section of the container 4' including the transfer device 18' can be raised by operation of the hydraulic ram 28'. As a result, when the lower conveyor device 19' is deployed in the operational position, the outer extended end of the endless conveyor belt can be raised to a desired discharge height. Advantageously, the transfer device 18' is connected to the container 4' by way of a substantially horizontal pivot axis A' (see Figures 6 and 7), such that when the rear section of the container 4 is lifted to an oblique angle relative to the chassis frame 30', the conveyor devices 19' and 20' remain in their substantially horizontal orientation. As a consequence of this lifting arrangement, material can be, for example, loaded into another vehicle alongside the container 4' which other vehicle may have relatively high sided walls and/or may be efficiently heaped at a location such that the resultant heap of material takes up less floor space than a conventional ejector trailer owing to the fact that the heap can reach a higher level with respect to the ground surface.

It will be noted from Figure 5 that when the transfer device 18' pivots about the axis A' when the container 4' is raised, there is a substantially V-shaped gap between the rear ends of the wall portions 6' and 8' and the adjacent uprights 30' of the transfer device 18'. Referring to Figures 6 and 7, the embodiment of the trailer 2' shown comprises extension pieces 32' substantially corresponding to the substantially V-shaped gap, the arrangement being such that when the container 4' is raised (as shown in Figure 7), the extension pieces 32' pivot with the transfer device 18' to prevent any such gap from forming and thus prevent unwanted spillage of the material being discharged from the container 4'.

The conveying devices 19' and 20' may be operated by start/stop switches located at a convenient location on the rear barrier 26'.

If the transfer device 18' is of a size such that it is wider than the opening 12' at the rear of the container 4', when the container 4' is raised by way of the lifting device 28', the transfer unit 18' can be arranged to pivot about the axis A', such that as the material is discharged onto the upper conveyor device 20', substantially all of the material lands on the conveying device 20'.

The transfer device 18' can be mounted to the front end of the container 4' which has the advantage that the driver of the towing vehicle can see more of the whole operation than when the transfer device 18' is connected to the rear of the container 4'. Of course, when the transfer device 18' is connected to the front of the container 4', the location of the pieces of equipment previously described would be changed accordingly, such that the discharge device would push the material from the rear of the container 4' through an opening at the front end of the container 4' and that the hydraulic ram 28' would be located at a region between a central region of the container 4' and the front end of the container 4'.

This material transfer system is not just useful for agricultural crops, but for any loose material. An ejector trailer 2' which can raise up at the rear and discharge a load by way of the transfer device 18' can be used for moving crops such as grain, potatoes and carrots, but could also be used to transfer loose material such as coal or sugar cane. The trailer 2' can offer substantially equal speeds of discharge as a rear tipping trailer would have, especially with the use of the conveyor devices 19' and 20' which makes the transfer of the material from the container 4' to a desired location relatively fast and efficient. In relation to the transfer of coal, the ability to heap coal at an acceptable discharge rate at the sides of the trailer 2' by use of the hydraulic ram 28' is very advantageous.

The or each endless conveyor belt of the conveying devices 19' and 20' could be formed from a slatted conveyor belt so that if it was desired to remove or filter material below a certain size a size-specific belt could be used whereby material below the certain size falls through the gaps in the conveyor belt between the slats.

Alternatively the conveyor belts could be a continuous surface for transferring abrasive material like coal.

An assembly comprising a frame defining a temporary material storage region can be arranged to receive the material from the lower conveyor device 19'. The frame may have its walls covered with a relatively soft cushioning material and further comprise a chute of a suitable material on the distal side of the frame. The chute is opened and closed by a pair of gripper rolls urged to a closed position by springs and pivoted by a sufficient weight of material above to open the gripper rolls and to provide a restricted passage for the material to flow down the chute.

The use of the material transfer unit 18 or the transfer device 18' and a liftable container 4 or 4' is a relatively cost-effective way of transferring material compared to using elevators and augers. Owing to the fact that it is the container 4, 4' which is lifted to the discharge height for the material transfer unit 18 or the transfer device 18' results in a relatively compact apparatus without the need for large and extremely heavy elevators or augers. In addition, since the length of conventional elevators and augers is relied upon to lift the material to the desired height, the rate of transfer of the material is significantly slowed compared to the liftable container 4, 4' which has is a discharge rate comparable with conventional tipping trailers. This enables the container 4, 4' to have large volumes, capable of holding up to 25 tons of material or more, if desired.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A vehicle comprising a chassis frame having a container for a material mounted thereto, a discharging device for discharging the material from S the container and a transfer chute connected to the container and for receiving the discharged material.
2. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the discharging device is a movable wall portion of the container which pushes against the material to discharge it from a discharge opening of the container.
3. A vehicle according to claim 2, and further comprising a material transfer unit mounted to the container at the region of the discharge opening, the transfer unit including the transfer chute.
4. A vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the transfer unit includes a plurality of transfer chutes for creating a plurality of discharged material flows.
5. A vehicle according to any preceding claim, wherein the or each transfer chute is movable between a first, non-operative position when the material is not being discharged from the container and a second, operative position when the material is to be discharged from the container.
6. A vehicle according to claim 5 as appended to claim 3 or 4, wherein the or each transfer chute is moveable between the first and second positions by way of a substantially horizontal pivot axis at the region where the or each chute is connected to the unit.
7. A vehicle according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the or each chute is also movable about a substantially vertical axis.
8. A vehicle according to any preceding claim, wherein an end region of the container to which the or each chute is connected is liftable so as to raise the height of the end of the or each transfer chute from the ground or floor.
9. A vehicle according to any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein the transfer unit further comprises one or more conveying devices.
10. A vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the one or more conveying devices are endless conveyor belts arranged to feed to the chutes.
11. A method comprising loading a material into a container mounted to a vehicle chassis frame, discharging the material from the container and guiding a flow of material discharged from the container along a transfer chute.
12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the discharging comprises moving a wall portion of the container to push against the material and discharge it from a discharge opening of the container.
13. A method according to claim 12, and further comprising mounting a material transfer unit to the container at the region of the opening.
14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the transfer unit includes a plurality of transfer chutes for creating a plurality of discharged material flows.
15. A method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, and further comprising moving the or each transfer chute between a first, non-operative position when the material is not being discharged from the container and a second, operative position when the material is to be discharged from the container.
16. A method according to any one of claims 11 to 15, and lifting an end region of the container to which the or each chute is connected so as to raise the height of the end of the or each transfer chute from the ground or floor.
17. A vehicle comprising a chassis trame having a container for a material mounted thereto, a discharging device for discharging the material from the container, a material transfer device connected to the container and for receiving the discharged material and a lifting device arranged to lift the S container and the material transfer device connected thereto.
18. A vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the discharging device is a movable wall portion of the container which pushes against the material to discharge it from a discharge opening of the container.
19. A vehicle according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the material transfer device includes one or more conveying devices.
20. A vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the material transfer device includes two conveying devices with one being movable relative to the other.
21. A vehicle according to claim 20, wherein the one of the conveying devices is movable between a first, non-operative position and a second, operative position.
22. A vehicle according to any one of claims 17 to 21, wherein the material transfer device is mounted to one end of the container and the lifting device is arranged to lift that one end of the container to which the material transfer device is connected in order to raise the height of the discharge device from the ground or floor.
23. A vehicle according to any one of claims 17 to 22, the transfer unit further comprising extension pieces, the arrangement being such that when the container is raised by the lifting device, the extension pieces pivot with the transfer device to prevent a gap from forming between the container and the transfer device.
24. A method comprising loading a material into a container mounted to a vehicle chassis frame, lifting the container and a material transfer device connected to the container to a discharge height, discharging the material from the container to the material transfer device, and transferring a flow of S material discharged from the container.
25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the discharging comprises moving a wall portion of the container to push against the material and discharge it from a discharge opening of the container.
26. A method according to claim 24 or 25, wherein the material transfer device includes two conveying devices with one being movable relative to the other.
27. A method according to claim 26, wherein the one of the conveying devices is movable between a first, non-operative position and a second, operative position.
28. A method according to claim 26 or 27, wherein when material loaded into the container is ready for unloading, the one of the conveying devices can be moved into the operative position by slidably moving it on guide rails.
29. A method according to claim 28, wherein the material is discharged from the container in a first direction longitudinally of the container is then guided in a second direction substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the container on the conveying devices.
30. A method according to any one of claims 24 to 29, wherein the transfer unit further comprises extension pieces such that when the container is raised by the lifting device, the extension pieces pivot with the transfer device to prevent a gap from forming between the container and the transfer device.
31. A vehicle as substantially hereinbefore described with reference to Figures ito 3.
32. A method as substantially hereinbefore described with reference to Figures ito 3.
33. A vehicle as substantially hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 4 to 7.
34. A method as substantially hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 4 to 7.