IES84411Y1 - A multi-purpose trailer - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT A trailer (1) comprises a body portion (2) having a stepped section (4) at the rear ol‘ the trailer and a container portion (7) having a floor (10) and walls (8, 9) defining Ll storage area. The container portion (7) is mounted on the body portion (2) and is pivotable relative thereto to enable tipping of a load from a rear end of the container portion (7). A floor extension (11) extends rearwardly from the top of the stepped section (4) and is moveable between a first position defining, with the walls (8, 9) of the container portion (7), the storage area, and a second position forming at least a portion of a ramp facilitating access to a the storage area. Trailer (I) is suitable for use as a low loader, a flat bed trailer and a rear tipping dump trailer.

Description

A MULTI-PURPOSE TRAILER The invention relates to a multi-purpose trailer for use in transporting and unloading materials.

Conventional dumping or tipping trailers generally comprise a container with fixed front and side walls, with material contained therein being discharged from the rear. Such tipping trailers usually have a rear scow end to increase the rear height of the container allowing stockpiling of material within the container and preventing accidental discharge of material during transportation. A scow end is essentially an open end having an enlarged With the container in a horizontal position, the scow end effectively closes the rear of the container. edge extending upwardly and outwardly from the base of the container.

A drawback of the scow end is that due to the height of the enlarged edge it prevents rear loading of wheeled or tracked equipment. It is not practical to use a ramp assembly in association with a scow end as smooth alignment between the ramp assembly and container base is prevented due to the incline of the end.

It is well known for tipping trailers to have rear doors which are pivotally mounted to the container portion of the trailer. Typically, such rear doors are hinged to the upper or rear edges of the container portion and are arranged to pivot outwardly of the trailer. Means for actuating the rear door to an open position may be provided by hydraulic, pneumatic or other suitable means. One problem associated with such doors is that they can be prevented from closing fully by any material which projects beyond the rear end of the trailer. Furthermore, if it is desired to have full open access to the rear of the container, removal of the rear door and any actuating means is usually required which is a complicated and time consuming process.

EP 1256485 A1 discloses a tipping trailer having a rear scow end from which material is unloaded by upwardly and rearwardly tipping the container of the trailer. A front wall of the container disposed opposite to the scow end is movable between a first position forming the wall, and a second position forming a ramp allowing access to the container by wheeled or tracked equipment when the trailer is unhitched from a towing vehicle.

EP 0956996 A2 discloses a rear dump trailer having a mouth for discharging a load contained in the trailer and a closure member for closing the mouth. Means for selectively ~ 884411 actuating the closure into a closed state in response to movement of the container portion of the trailer into a horizontal position are provided.

Tipping trailers are limited in what they can carry as they are normally loaded by a loading vehicle which drops the load from a height above the trailer. In the case of heavy loads this can result in damage to the trailer. Low loaders are purpose built trailers used to transport steel or rubber tracked excavators off-site. Such trailers have ramps located at the rear of the trailer which are lowered to allow loading of an excavator. Flat bed trailers are a widely used trailer type and are flexible in the load type they can carry as loading is performed from an open rear end of the trailer. Commonly, a number of trailers are A trailer providing the functionality of a low loader, a flat bed trailer and a rear tipping dump trailer is desirable. required to perform specific functions on a building site.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved trailer which overcomes the disadvantages associated with the prior art. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved trailer suitable for carrying a variety of loads and functioning as a low loader, a flat bed trailer and a rear tipping dump trailer.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a trailer comprising a body portion having a stepped section at the rear of the trailer and a container portion having a floor and walls defining a storage area, the container portion being mounted on the body portion and pivotable relative thereto to enable tipping of a load from a rear end of the container portion wherein a floor extension extends rearwardly from the top of the stepped section and is moveable between a first position defining, with the walls of the container portion, the storage area, and a second position forming at least a portion of a ramp facilitating access to the storage area.

The invention thereby provides a trailer suitable for use as a low loader, a flat bed trailer and a rear tipping dump trailer.

Conveniently, the floor extension may be disposed at any angle between the first and second positions.

Preferably, the floor extension is pivotally mounted to the floor of the container portion above the stepped section.

Preferably, the floor extension, when in the first position, fonns a rear wall of the container portion.

Preferably, the length of the floor extension may be altered.

Conveniently means for pivoting the container portion relative to the body portion is provided by hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical or other suitable means.

Similarly, means for pivoting the floor extension between positions is provided by hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical or other suitable means.

Conveniently, a ramp assembly may be attached to the trailer with the floor extension in the second position.

Advantageously, raising or lowering the floor extension during tipping varies the tip height of the trailer by the height of the sides of the container portion.

Advantageously, the floor extension may be disposed in a horizontal position whereby the extension is substantially co-linear with the floor of the container portion and the trailer functions as a flat bed trailer.

The invention will hereinafter be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show, by way of example only, one embodiment of a multi- purpose trailer for use in transporting and unloading materials. in the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a trailer according to the present invention in a transport position; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the trailer of Figure 1 with a floor extension disposed in a transport position; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the trailer of Figure 1 with the floor extension disposed in a first tipping position; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the trailer of Figure 1 with the floor extension disposed in a second tipping position; Figure 5 is a cross-sectional side view of the trailer of Figure 4 is a tipping/unloading position; and Figure 6 is a cross sectional side view of the trailer of Figure 3 in which a ramp assembly is attached to the trailer.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Figures 1 and 2 there is illustrated a trailer according to the present invention indicated generally by reference numeral 1. The trailer comprises a body portion in the form of a bottom chassis 2, a top chassis 3 and a stepped section 4 connecting the bottom and top chassis at the rear of the trailer. The bottom chassis 2 is adapted for engagement with a vehicle (not shown) by means of a draw bar . The stepped section 4 is pivotally mounted at a tipping axis 6 with the bottom chassis 2. A container portion 7 is mounted to the top chassis 3 and acts as a receptacle, into which materials are loaded for transport by the trailer 1. The container portion 7 comprises a front wall 8, side walls 9 and a floor in the form of a base 10.

A floor extension 11 extends outwardly from the base 10 at the rear of the trailer and is moveable between a transport position as illustrated in Figure 2 and a first tipping/unloading position as illustrated in Figure 3. In the transport position, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the floor extension 11 extends to the top of side walls 9 forming a rear wall 12 of the container portion oppositely disposed to the front wall 8. In the first tipping/unloading position. as shown in Figure 3, the floor extension 11 extends from the base 10 to a point above the tipping axis 6 of the trailer and rests substantially against the incline of the stepped section 4. In a second tipping/unloading position, as shown in Figure 4, the floor extension 11 is disposed in a horizontal position, substantially co-linear with the base 10. A drive means in the form of a ram 13 is adapted and arranged to move the floor extension 11 between the positions detailed above. In a preferred embodiment the ram 13 is powered by a hydraulic circuit. However, it is to be understood that any other suitable means apart from a ram employing hydraulics can be used to raise and lower the floor extension between positions.

A further drive means in the form of a tipping ram 14 is adapted and arranged to raise the top chassis 3 from a transport position as illustrated in Figure 2, in which the bottom chassis 2 is adjacent to the top chassis 3, and a tipping position as illustrated in Figure 5, in which the top chassis 3 is at an angle with respect to the bottom chassis 2.

The floor extension 11 is operable to move between positions at the same time as the tipping ram 14 is acting to move the container portion 7 of the trailer into a tipping position.

As a result the tip height of the trailer can be controlled by selectively raising or lowering the floor extension between positions during tipping. This is particularly useful when tipping on uneven ground where it is important to keep the tipping angle as small as possible. Lowering the floor extension 11 to the first tipping position before activating the tipping ram 14 to raise the container portion ensures that material will flow out more readily.

Referring now to Figure 6 a ramp assembly 15 is shown attached to the rear of the trailer 1. Before attaching the ramp assembly the floor extension 11 is disposed in the first tipping/unloading position as shown in Figure 3. The ramp assembly 15 is aligned and secured to the free end 16 of the floor extension forming a smooth transition between the ramp assembly 15, the floor extension 11 and the base 10. This allows easy access into the container portion 7 of the trailer by wheeled or tracked equipment. When loading equipment on uneven ground, the tipping ram 14 may be activated to raise the top chassis 3 slightly before lowering the top chassis into a transport position when the piece of wheeled or tracked equipment has been moved substantially onto the ramp assembly and floor extension.

The trailer will now be described in use.

With the floor extension 11 in the transport position the trailer is operable as a conventional dump trailer. The floor extension 11 acts as the rear wall 12 or tail door and the trailer is suitable for carrying loose loads such as stone and sugar beet without risk of spillage. Material can be loaded into the container portion 7 from a height above the trailer. Alternatively, in the case of heavy loads, the floor extension is lowered to the second tipping/unloading position and is disposed horizontally. The load is set directly on the floor extension 11 and the base 10. By raising the floor extension slowly, the heavy load moves further into the container portion 7 minimizing the risk of damage to the trailer.

Similarly, in the case of building materials having a length greater than that of the trailer such as scaffolding and pipes, these materials can be loaded with the floor extension 11 in a horizontal position. The materials can be secured for transport by subsequently raising the floor extension to a suitable height.

By maintaining the floor extension in the second tipping/unloading position, the trailer can function as a conventional flat bed trailer suitable for carrying any number of different load types which can be readily loaded from the rear of the trailer.

With the floor extension 11 in the first tipping/unloading position and the ramp assembly secured at the rear of the trailer, the trailer is operable as a low loader for use in transporting wheeled or tracked equipment or machinery offsite. Such equipment or machinery can be driven directly into the container portion 7 of the trailer along the ramp assembly 15. The ramp assembly 15 is removed and the floor extension 11 is raised to the transport position when the equipment is in the container portion 7 of the trailer.

Variations and other modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (5)

CLAIMS:

1. A trailer comprising a body portion having a stepped section at the rear of the trailer and a container portion having a floor and walls defining a storage area, the container portion being mounted on the body portion and pivotable relative thereto to enable tipping of a load from a rear end of the container portion wherein a floor extension extends rearwardly from the top of the stepped section and is moveable between a first position defining, with the walls of the container portion, the storage area, and a second position forming at least a portion of a ramp facilitating access to the storage area.

2. A trailer as claimed in Claim 1, in which the floor extension is disposable at any angle between the first and second positions, optionally, in which the floor extension is pivotally mounted to the floor of the container portion above the stepped section; optionally, in which the floor extension, when in the first position, forms a rear wall of the container portion; and optionally, in which the length of the floor extension is alterable.

3. A trailer as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the means for pivoting the container portion relative to the body portion is provided by hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical or other suitable means and in which the means for pivoting the floor extension between positions is provided by hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical or other suitable means.

4. A trailer as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which a ramp assembly is attachable to the trailer with the floor extension in the second position, and optionally, in which the floor extension is disposable in a horizontal position, whereby the extension is substantially co-planar with the floor of the container portion and the trailer functions as a flat bed trailer. 8

5. A trailer substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings. MACLACHLAN & DONALDSON Applicants’ Agents