MXPA97001874A - Improved vehicle that handles gra material - Google Patents

Abstract

A vehicle is provided comprising a chassis supported on a plurality of wheels to make it mobile, a load transport box supported on the chassis for movement relative to this in a vertical direction and in a lateral direction relative to the chassis, the box which includes a discharge passage that can be opened selectively, arranged to unload material from the bottom of the box, laterally to one side of the chassis when the box is lifted and moved laterally.

Description

IMPROVED VEHICLE THAT HANDLES BULK MATERIAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a vehicle for use in the transport of bulk material such as coal, metal ores, grains and similar particulate materials in road or rail vehicles or others.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A wide range of constructions have been proposed and used in relation to vehicles for transporting bulk materials, such as those referred to therein, and there is generally a conception that one of the main requirements of this vehicle is the ability to be capable of unloading the cargo in a manner that will allow the vehicle to remain substantially stable and still permit a rapid gravity-induced discharge of the material from the vehicle. The problem of stability of the vehicle is of particular interest in relation to vehicles that run on a fixed track, commonly referred to as railway vehicles, REF: 24330 posts that the width of the track is normally considerably less than that of the body or body of the vehicle of a conventional road vehicle. At the same time, it is common for the rail vehicle to have something of greater transport capacity than the road vehicle, which is when it is considered on a single unit basis. In known vehicles for transporting bulk material, it is common to provide a transport box of material supported on the wheeled chassis for angular movement on a fixed axis towards an upward sloping discharge position. The axis around which the box is inclined is usually along one side of the chassis and therefore a relatively high angle of inclination of the box is required to discharge the contents of the box. Also, since the discharge is normally effected on the upper edge of the box, a high tilt angle of the box is required to begin the discharge of the contents of the box. An even higher angle of inclination is required to achieve total discharge of the entire contents of the box. Examples of vehicles having a construction of the general type described above are described in the following published patent specification, above. The most relevant material found was: US 3799612 MORRISON AND COLLABORATORS US 3687321 GOLDHART US 5006039 NIEDERER AU 66404/94 VINOCUROFF Another common problem with the known constructions is the instability of the vehicle during the unloading, and the consequent limit in the transport capacity of the same . Also, a problem arises from the fact that the unloaded material is located next to the vehicle and interferes with the passage of the vehicle in and out of the unloading locations.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a cargo transport vehicle of a construction that will allow the rapid unloading of the vehicle load, while maintaining the substantial stability of the vehicle. With this object in view, there is provided a vehicle comprising a chassis supported on a plurality of wheels to make it mobile, a load transport box supported on the chassis, the box that is operatively mounted on the chassis to be movable relative to This one upwards and laterally to a discharge position where the load can be unloaded next to the chassis from the bottom of the box. More specifically, there is provided a vehicle comprising a chassis supported on a plurality of wheels to render it mobile, a load carrying box supported on the chassis for movement relative thereto in a vertical direction and in a lateral direction with relation to the chassis, the box including a discharge passage that can be opened selectively, arranged to discharge material from the bottom of the box, laterally to one side of the chassis when the box is lifted and moved laterally. Preferentially, the box has a floor structure that forms the main portion of the bottom of the box, this floor structure is mounted for movement on pivot relative to the rest of the box from a position that closes the bottom of the box to a position inclined down from one side of the box to the opposite side, to form in that position a conduit for directing the material to flow by gravity from the box through the conduit to be discharged to one side of the vehicle. Conveniently, the box retains a substantially vertical relationship to the chassis as it rises and is laterally nine with respect to the chassis, as it is raised to a discharge position. Preferably, the box incorporates a base or floor that forms the bottom of the box, and arranges to move relative to the box, as the box rises and moves laterally as the base forms a downwardly inclined duct which extends from the box to the side of the chassis, to occupy a discharge position. Conveniently, the base of the box is hingedly connected to the rest of the box, along an axis parallel to the longitudinal edge of the box away from the side of the chassis on which the contents of the box are discharged. Preferably, the box has, along each respective lateral end, a downwardly open cavity, and the corresponding side edges of the base have a respective fin which is located in the cavity when the base is in the position to close the bottom of the box in the normal transport position. Also, as the box is being lifted and moved laterally to the unloading position, as described previously, the base pivots downwardly and the wings are pulled out from the cavities to form extensions of the respective side walls of the box . This ensures that the contents of the box, during unloading, move all the way down the inclined base of the box to be unloaded from the side of the vehicle, and do not spill over the side edges of the base when they tilt down. Conveniently, the fins can be made of an elastomeric material, such as natural or synthetic rubber, which will be resiliently lengthened to form the fin as the base of the box is lowered to the discharge position inclined downward and will return to its shape as the box returns to the normal, horizontal transport position. The combined effect of lifting and laterally moving the box, from its normal transport position in the chassis, to the unloading position, and the movement of the base to the downward inclined position as the box rises, results in the capacity to achieve a quick and total download of the contents of the box while maintaining the stability of the vehicle. Because the box rises as it moves laterally, it results in the base, when in the unloading position, having a substantial inclination to the horizontal; the contents of the box will be quickly downloaded by gravity, and there will be a minimum or no material left in the box. In addition, as the box and base thereof are returned to the normal transport position in the vehicle, the lower end of the base is laterally removed from the stack of material created by the unloading of the box, thus ensuring additionally the complete deposit of the complete contents of the box. In addition, as the material is discharged through the bottom of the box, through the entire cross section of the load, thereby achieving a very fast download of the contents. Also, the lateral displacement of the box results in the contents being deposited outside the route of the wheels of the vehicle so as not to interfere with the passage of the wheels of the vehicle during the entry and exit of the vehicle. The invention will be more readily understood from the following description of a practical arrangement of the vehicle as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of a railway vehicle incorporating the present invention; Figure 2 is a terminal view of the vehicle as seen in Figure 1 with the box in the transport position, lowered; Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but where the box is raised to the unloading position.

Referring first to Figure 1 of the drawings, a side view of a railway wagon incorporating the present invention and comprising a chassis 28 supported at the respective end by the carriage wheel assemblies 29 and supporting a box 30 is shown. , of a cross section in general rectangular, suitable for transporting materials in the form of bulk particles.

As can be seen in Figure 1, the box 30 is of a generally rectangular cross section with the upper part closed by a cover 6 having a central longitudinal opening closed by a hinged door 7. The loading of the vehicle is through the opening when the door 7 is opened. The box 30 can be of a metal construction, such as steel or an aluminum of adequate quality, the walls being either of a solid construction or a frame with a flexible material liner such as rubber or similar synthetic material such as polyurethane. The floor 10 of the box 30 is a separate rigid construction and is pivotally connected to the side wall 3 of the box 30 to be movable on a pivot from a closing position covering the bottom of the box 30, as shown in FIG. Figure 2, at a downward sloping discharge position, as shown in Figure 3, forming a conduit for the discharge of the contents of the box 30 to the right of the chassis 28 as shown in Figure 3. The floor 10 is connected pivotally mounted about a fixed shaft 9 to the chassis 20 of the vehicle to allow the floor 10 to pivot about it to form a downwardly directed conduit as seen in Figure 3. In order to effect the movement on pivot of the floor 10, the opposite end 5 of the connected floor 10 mounted - pivoted to the box 30 in 8 and can be connected in 13 to a first cable 20 of a crane (not shown). The crane is also connected by a second cable 21 to the opposite wall of the box 30 as indicated at 22. A suitable crane (not shown) is connected to the cables 20 and 21 of the container at the common point 25, while the The container is in the position as shown in Figure 2. In lifting the crane, the cables cause the box 30 to rise and thus allow the floor 10 to pivot about axes 8 and 9 and the The upper end moves progressively to the right as seen in Figure 3, until the raised position has been fully reached, as seen in Figure 3. At the same time, the box 30 moves a significant amount to the right, and the floor 10 of the box 30 has pivoted downward and has moved outward to the position as indicated at 32 in Figure 3.

As can be seen in Figure 3, when the container is in the raised position, and the floor thereof is inclined downward, there is a substantial area available for the flow of the contents through the inclined face of the floor 10 to be discharged from the lower end thereof, in a location laterally separated from the wheels of the vehicle, or as indicated in Figure 3, can be unloaded in a stationary vessel, or alternatively in a conveyor form. In order to prevent spillage of the material on the opposite edges of the floor, when the floor is tilted, a flap 11, attached along the bottom edge of the floor 10, is provided on each side of the box. The upper end of the flap , when the fin is in the lowermost position of the floor, it is located a short distance above the lower end of the box 30. The fins 11 prevent the material being discharged from passing to the spill on the opposite edges of the floor of the container, and ensures that all contents are distributed over the lower end of the sloped floor. The fin as shown is of a rigid construction such as laminated metal, attached to the floor, and a cavity is provided in the terminal wall of the container box, in which the fin retracts when the container is in the transport position. , down. This cavity is of a closed, rigid construction, so that when the container is filled with the material being handled such material will not enter the cavity and will not potentially interfere with the effective removal and retraction of the rigid flap 11. When using a flap of elastomeric material a cavity may also be provided to protect it as described above. Alternatively, the fins can be made of an elastomeric, suitable material such as high quality rubber or polyurethane which are both fixed to the terminal wall of the container and to the floor of the container, so that when the container and floor are in the normal, mobile position, as shown in Figure 2, the rubber constituting the fin is in a lesser degree of tension. In this way, as the container is lifted by the crane and the floor adopts the inclined downward position, the rubber material of the fin is lengthened, so that the fin performs the function discussed above when the floor of the container is in place. tilted down position, maximum.

As seen in Figures 2 and 3, two hydraulic cylinders 14 and 16 are provided, the cylinder 14 being connected pivotally mounted on the vehicle chassis and at the upper end 15 to the floor 10 of the box. The cylinder 16 is connected in a similar manner pivotally to the strut 22 on the side 24 of the box 30 which is also the fixing point of the cable 21, and at the lower end of the container floor at 17, the two cylinders are interconnected by hydraulic lines 14a and 16a, so that a closed circuit is formed between the two hydraulic cylinders, whereby each remains filled with pressurized fluid at all times, with fluid transfer between them. During the lifting and lowering of the container, by the use of a crane and cables 20 and 21, the displacement of the fluid from one end of each cylinder results in the distribution of fluid to the opposite end of the other cylinder, thereby helping in the lifting action and maintenance of the container in a vertical, stable position. In addition, the cylinder 16 prevents the opposite side wall 30 from deviating inwardly under the effects of tension in the cable 21. The fluid flow between the cylinders 14 and 16 is reversed as the container is lowered by the crane to the closed position as shown in Figure 2. The hydraulic lines interconnecting the cylinders 14 and 16 can each have control valve 18a and 18b that can be selectively closed to hold the container in a selected position. It is desirable to close the valves where the container is fully lowered, so that the container is secured in position during travel. The lifting of the container can be effected by other mechanisms as a substitute for the crane, one which is to connect the hydraulic cylinders 14 and 16 to a suitable fluid pressure source, such as a pump. In this arrangement the fluid will be distributed directly and independently to each of the cylinders. A mechanical mechanism can also be used to carry out the lifting and lowering of the container.

It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known by the applicant to carry out the present invention, is the conventional one for the manufacture of the objects to which it refers.

Having described the invention as above, the content of the following is claimed as property:

Claims (14)

1. A vehicle, characterized in that it comprises a chassis supported on a plurality of wheels to make it mobile, a load transport box supported on the chassis, the box that is operatively mounted on the chassis to be mobile in a selective manner relative to it up and laterally to a discharge position where the load can be unloaded at the side of the chassis from the bottom of the box.

2. A vehicle, characterized in that it comprises a chassis supported on a plurality of wheels to make it mobile, a load transport box supported on the chassis, the box that is operatively mounted on the chassis to be selectively upwardly and laterally movable relative to to it to a discharge position where the load carried by the box can be discharged from the bottom of the box next to the chassis.

3. A vehicle, characterized in that it comprises a chassis supported on a plurality of wheels to make it mobile, a load transport box supported on the chassis for movement relative thereto in a vertical direction and in a lateral position relative to the chassis, the box that includes a discharge passage that can be selectively opened, arranged to discharge the material from the bottom of the box laterally to one side of the chassis when the box is lifted and moved laterally.

4. A vehicle according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the box has a floor structure that forms the main portion of the bottom of the box, this floor structure that is mounted for movement on pivot relative to the rest of the box. the box from a position that closes the bottom of the box to a downward inclined position from one side of the box to the opposite side, to form in that position a conduit for directing material to flow by gravity from the body through the conduit to be unloaded on the side of the vehicle.

5. A vehicle according to claim 4, characterized in that the box is arranged to be supported on the chassis in a vertical position with the floor structure in the closed position, and to be selectively lifted relative to the chassis while maintaining a position. vertical and the floor structure is allowed to move to the position to form the conduit.

6. A vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that the box is supported so that the box including the floor structure moves together on one side of the chassis to unison as the box is lifted.

7. A vehicle according to claims 4, 5 or 6, characterized in that the control means operatively interconnects the chassis, the box and the floor structure, so that in response to the lifting of the box relative to the chassis from a position of transport, the box moves laterally in relation to the chassis and the floor structure moves from the closed position to the downward inclined position, and is returned to the transport position in the lowering of the box.

8. A vehicle according to claim 7, characterized in that the floor structure is connected mounted on a pivot along an edge to the box for movement relative to it around an axis extending longitudinally of the vehicle and along the length of the vehicle. adjacent to the longitudinal edge, opposite the chassis of the vehicle, whereby when the box is lifted, the box separates from the longitudinal edge, opposite the floor structure, to allow the material to be unloaded from the box.

9. A vehicle, according to claim 8, characterized in that pivoting movements are created by lifting the box in a substantially vertical manner by an external means of the vehicle.

10. A vehicle, according to claim 9, characterized in that the box is adapted for attachment to a crane.

11. A vehicle according to claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the guide vanes are attached to opposite sides of the floor to move with it as the floor is lowered and raised, the guide vanes forming an extension of the adjacent wall from the box to guide the material through the inclined floor.

12. A vehicle according to claim 11, characterized in that the guide fins are arranged to retract in respective cavities formed in the box when the floor is in the raised position.

13. A vehicle according to claim 12, characterized in that the cavities are isolated from the interior of the box.

14. A vehicle according to claim 11, 12 6 13, characterized in that the fins are made of a resilient material and arranged to be elongated to accommodate at least part of the movement of the floor to the low position.