IE47857B1 - Improvements relating to tanker vehicles - Google Patents

Description

The invention is concerned with tanker vehicles having a power operated mechanism for controlling a swinging arm and is particularly though not exclusively applicable to a control for a loader arm.

In many instances it is required to move a swinging arm on a vehicle through an arc exceeding 90° and sometimes approaching or exceeding 180°. If the arm carries a heavy load or meets heavy resistance it is difficult to arrange an adequate actuating force from a linear motor such as a hydraulic ram. Particular difficulties are experienced in agricultural vehicles where it is undesirable to have the actuating mechanism positioned low down on the vehicle.

In one aspect the invention consists in 'a tanker vehicle including a tank and load carrying apparatus including a swinging arm having a container or other load carrying device at its outer end and including power-operated mechanism for causing pivotal movements of the swinging arm, the mechanism comprising a reciprocating fluid-actuated ram having one element connected to an anchorage and the other element connected via a pivotal linkage to a point on the swinging arm displaced from its main pivot, and including means for guiding a part of the pivotal linkage to move in a path which avoids intersection with or movement approaching -~/t'hd mainίswinging arm pivot.

Conveniently the guide means comprises a pivoted control arm with its pivot axis located near but displaced from the pivot axis of the swinging arm. In a particular preferred construction the pivot axis of the control arm is displaced towards the hydraulic ram in relation to the pivot of the swinging arm and the effective length of the control arm is greater than the effective distance between the axis of the swinging arm pivot and the said point of connection of the swinging arm.

The power operated mechanism may be arranged for swinging the swinging arm through an arc greater than 90° and comprises a four-bar drag-link mechanism whose links are, in increasing length order, a frame, a first lever, the linkage, and the control arm, the first lever being extended to form the arm, and the reciprocating fluid-actuated ram may be coupled between the control arm and an extension of the frame outside the linkage.

In any of the above cases the vehicle may have a chassis and the power operated mechanism may move the swinging arm between a rearwardly depressed position below the chassis and a generally vertical position above the chassis.

The power operated mechanism may depress the outer end of the swinging arm below the ground engagement level of the vehicle.

The invention may be performed in various ways and one specific emDodiment will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the' accompanying drawings, in which:Figure 1 is a side elevation of a slurry tank vehicle trailer; Figure 2 is a part vertical section through the slurry tank of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a rear view of the trailer; Figure 4 is a somewhat diagrammatic side elevation on an enlarged scale illustrating the control mechanism and linkage with, the arms in a lowered position; and figure 5 is a similar view illustrating the mechanism with the arms raised.

In this example the trailer comprises a chassis supporting a long cylindrical tank 11 intended to hold liquid manure or slurry. The chassis consists of a main central spine 12 with a rear sub-frame 13 on which the two ground wheels 14 are mounted. The tank 11 has an inlet opening in the form of a hopper 15 at its rear end and a discharge device which includes a centrifugal pump 50 connected to a discharge pipe 51· A pair of swinging loader arms 16 are pivotally mounted on the rear of the chassis on a hinge axis 17, the two arms being pivotally connected at their free ends 18 to a swinging scoop or bucket 19- The bucket 19 has a square section metal bar 40 secured to it by, for example, welding, and the ends of the bar project laterally from the flat end walls 41 of the bucket 19· The projecting ends of the bar strike the inclined edges 42 of the side walls 43 of the hopper 15 when the arms reach the raised position shown in Figure 1, and this causes the bucket 19 to pivot about the ends 18 and discharge its contents into the tank.

The front of the bucket can, if desired, be tapered somewhat so as to help prevent slurry spilling over the sides of the hopper.

Referring to Figure 2, the tank 11 contains an auger 60 which is mounted in sealed auger bearings 61 at each end of the tank. The auger may carry flails 70 to help break up the slurry to ease its flow. The auger is driven by a double articulated PTO drive shaft 71 at the front of the tank. This form of drive helps to reduce problems when the tractor or other vehicle pulling the tank makes a sharp turn. Slurry 62 which has been tipped into the tank is conveyed by the auger 60 to the rear of the tank, where it is pumped hy the centrifugal pump 5° up the discharge pipe 51, and leaves the pipe at the open end of the inverted U-portion 65, this open end being positioned above the level of the slurry 62 in the tank.

The pressure of slurry in the pipe 51 will cause a spring-loaded flap valve 64 to open so that the slurry can be sprayed in a downward direction. The slurry is also deflected by the flap valve 64 so as to give a wide area of cover, as indicated hy the arrows. The tension of the spring 80 which connects the valve 64 to the portion 65 may be adjusted in' order to control the application rate of the slurry. Additional control is provided hy adjusting the position of the spring 80, or by varying the tractor speed and PTO speed. It has been found that by spraying the slurry downwards and from a level above that of the slurry in the tank, there is less risk of spreading disease and infection to livestock than if the slurry were to be sprayed up into the air. Any large stones in toe slurry fall into a stone trap 65 at the rear end of the tank 11 and do not foul the pump 5θ· The stone trap 65 can be emptied at periodic intervals.

The level of the slurry in the tank can be determined by means of a rod 66 attached to a ball float 67 which is pivotally mounted on the tank at 68. The rod 66 projects through an air vent 69 at the front of the tank and is readily visible from the cab of the tract10 or or other vehicle which tows the tank. The rod 66 can be graduated to give a direct reading in, for example, litres of the amount of slurry in the tank.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention (not illustrated), the tank is completely open at the top and is mounted in bearings on a support frame so as to be rotatable about a horizontal, longitudinal axis. The extent of ro tation of the tank can be adjusted as required in order to discharge the tank contents at any desired rate while the tank is being pulled by a tractor. A spreading rotor inside the tank helps to discharge the contents, and the rotor may be fitted with flails for more efficient spreading.

The mechanism for actuating the loader arms 16 comprises a pair of double-acting hydraulic rams 22, one on each side of the chassis, pivotally mounted at their forward ends 23 to an anchorage on the chassis and - 7 47857 having a rearwardly directed piston rod 24. This is pivotally connected at 25 to the cross piece 26 of a T-link 27 which is pivotally mounted on the chassis at its lower end 28. A further connecting link 29 is pivotally attached at 30 to the other end of the cross arm and this link 29 is further connected at a hinge pin 31 to a bracket 32 secured to 1he upper side of each loader arm 16.

In this particular example the length of the T10 link 27 is fifteen inches, the length of the link 29 is thirteen inches, the distance 17-51 is eleven inches and the distance between the hinge pivots 28 and 17 is approximately eight inches, the pivot 28 being approximately three inches lower than the pivot 17· With this geometry the hydraulic rams 22 can raise and lower the swinging load arms from the depressed position of Figure 5 to the fully raised position of Figure 6, which is through an arc of approximately 180°. Even further movement in excess of 180° is possible.

Moreover it will be seen that the mechanism provides a substantial force on the loader arms in the initial stages of the lifting movement particularly when the arms are horizontal and therefore the resistance is greatest.

Instead of the swinging control arms 27 other guides may be provided to control the linkage particularly the path of the hinge connection 30. However in agricultural equipment a linkage guide is preferred since it is less likely to he affected by dirt. The two hinge points 25 and 30 may be combined and some benefit will be obtained even if the arm 27 is of the same length as the distance 17-31 though the full possible benefit will be missed.

Instead of arranging the rams to pull the arms up on their retraction strokes, the mechanism can be reversed so that they raise the arms as they extend. But this is not preferred, as the rams and the linkage would have to he mounted lower down on the vehicle and the piston rods would mostly be left exposed.

Each linkage is, in effect, a four bar mechanism whose links are, ia increasing length order, a frame (sub-frame 13) a first lever (arm 16), a coupler (link 29) and a second lever (Φ-link 27), the first lever being extended to form the complete arm 16. The associated ram is coupled between the second lever and an extension of the frame outside the linkage.

The linkage system and the rams are preferably covered by guards for safety and also to keep out dirt.

Claims (5)

CLAIMS:

1. A tanker vehicle including a tank and load carrying apparatus including a swinging arm having a container or other load carrying device at its outer end and including 5 power-operated mechanism for causing pivotal movements-cf the swinging arm, the mechanism comprising a. reciprocating fluid-actuated ram having one element connected to an anchorage and the other element connected via a pivotal linkage to a point on the swinging arm 10 displaced from its main pivot, and including means for guiding a part of the pivotal linkage to move in a.path which avoids intersection with or movement approaching the main swinging arm pivot.

2. A vehicle according to claim 1, in which the guide 15 means comprises a pivoted control arm -with its pivot axis located near but displaced from the pivot axis of the swinging arm.

3. A vehicle according to claim 2, in which the pivot, axis of the conzrol arm is displaced towards the hydraulic 20 ram in relation to the pivot of the swinging arm.

4. A vehicle according to claim.. 2 or claim 3, in which the effective length of the·control arm is greater than the effect five distance between the axis of the swinging arm pivot and the said point of connection to the swinging arm. 25 5. A vehicle according to claim 1,in which the power operated mechanism is arranged for swinging the anil through an arc of greater than 90° and comprises a four-bar draglink mechanism whose links are, in increasing'length order, 10 47857 a frame, a first lever, the linkage, and the control arm, the first lever being extended to form the arm, and in which the reciprocating fluid-actuated ram is coupled between the control arm and an extension of the frame outside the linkage. 6. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the vehicle has a chassis and the power operated mechanism moves the swinging arm between a rearwardly depressed position below the chassis and a generally vertical position above the chassis. 7. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the power operated mechanism can depress the outer end of the swinging arm below the ground engagement level of the vehicle. 8. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the container or other load carrying device is an implement for loading the tank. 9. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the tank is for holding liquid manure or slurry and further comprises a slurry discharge device. 10. A vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 8, including a discharge device designed to discharge the tank contents downwardly and laterally. 11. A vehicle according to claim 10, in which the exit opening of the discharge device is partly closed by a resiliently-loaded flap valve or plate. 12. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the tank contains an auger. 13. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, including means to tip the load carrying device automatically into the tank when the swinging arm moves to the generally vertical position.

5. 14. A tanker vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.