NZ190783A - Tipping freight body for vehicle:contains either bulk or general cargo - Google Patents

Description

AFTER PROVISIONAL: NO; 190783 JUNE DATED: 21 July 1979 COMPLETE SPECTFTCATTON PATENTS- ACT 1953 NEW ZEALAND IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING' TO 'VEHICLES I, ALFRED JAMES FRANKHAM, a British subject and New Zealand citizen, Qf 20 Ganymede Place, Half Moon Bay, Howick, Auckland, New Zealand, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: 1 190783 This invention relates to vehicles and has particular application to vehicles capable of carrying bulk cargo, and/or of carrying different types of cargo in bulk.

Hitherto, vehicles for carrying bulk cargo have been 5 provided with a chassis and a separate tipping body, the tipping body having an open top into which grain or the like can be poured. The tipping body can be raised relative to the vehicle chassis to discharge the load from one end of the body. Alternatively, general cargo (loose or unitised) has 10 been transported in enclosed bodies or on flat decks mounted on trucks and/or semi-trailers or trailers. Enclosed bodies are usually loaded from the rear.

In some cases, it is desirable to transport bulk cargoes in one direction, and general cargo in the opposite direction. 15 There is thus a need for a vehicle which can carry both bulk cargo and general cargo in a simple convenient manner and can economise on distance related costs and vehicle utilisation.

It is an object of this invention to go someway towards meeting the abovementioned need in providing an improved 20 vehicle, or which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a vehicle which in preferred embodiments enables the convenient loading and unloading of both the bulk cargo 25 and general cargo (loose or unitised) which it may be adapted to carry.

In a one aspect the invention provides a vehicle including an at least partially enclosed cargo carrying body mounted on wheels; at least one closeable opening being provided in a roof of said body; a forward portion of the body being raisable relative to a rear portion, to tip the body; loading means being provided in said body for loading of general cargo, said loading means including a track in a floor of the body having a plurality of rollers seated therein, to be engageable with the general cargo for rolling of said cargo into and out of the body.

In another aspect, the invention provides a method of transporting bulk cargo and general cargo by providing a vehicle of the type described in the previous paragraph so that the vehicle can be filled with bulk cargo through the roof opernings, and transported to its destination and then the bulk cargo discharged through the rear opening by raising the forward end of the body, and general cargo can be transported by loading the general cargo through the rear opening of the body.

Other aspects of this invention, which should be considered in all its novel aspects, will become apparent from the following description, which is given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which; Figure 1: illustrates a preferred trailer body and semi-trailer body.

Figure 2: illustrates the trailer body in side elevation.

| ^SWZEALAiVD 1907P3 Figure 3: illustrates the trailer body in top plan view according to one preferred embodiment; and where Figure 3a;inlcudes the trailer body in top plan view according to a further preferred embodiment; and where Figure 3b;includes the trailer body in top plan view according to a further preferred embodiment.

Figure 4: illustrates the lifting mechanism on the semi-trailer body, in side elevation.

Figure 5: illustrated the semi-trailer body tipped about the rear wheels with the rear doors open.

A semi-trailer body 10 and a trailer body 11 are preferably formed as reinforced bodies having a roof 12, forward wall 13, and side walls 14, 15 and are reinforced to enable the bodies to be tipped by raising one end relative to the other.

Preferably, these bodies are formed of fibreglass reinforced plywood bodies which can be formed as one piece mouldings without the need for a separate chassis to support the bodies. It is also preferred that such bodies are provided with a layer of insulation and may be formed with a layer in insulating foam bonded within the walls, or the roof or floor of the body. *90783 It is also preferable to provide additional side reinforcements just above the floor, to resist damage through the use of a fork lift contacting the side of the bodies.

Such side reinformcements are shown in Figure 1, by reference numerals 18, 19.

It has also been found advantageous to provide radiused corners 16 for the body and in one preferred embodiment a convex shaped roof 12 for further reinforcing of the body.

This type of reinforcing strengthens the roof 12 of the body particularly at 35, 36 where it is walked upon by operators and the like during loading of the vehicle.

Depending upon the length of the bodies 10 and 11, different axle combinations can be used. In the case of the semi-trailer body 10, it is shown supported on a pair 15 of axles 20, 21 at the forward end and rear axle(s) 22 and/or 22a. The trailer body 11 on the other hand is shown to be supported by a forward axle 23 and a rear axle 24 and is also provided with a chassis 25. Of course, different combinations can be used depending on the weight and the load capacity 20 of each body.

Preferably, both bodies 10 and 11 are provided with rear doors 27. These doors can be sufficiently long as to accommodate two standard pallets side by side. As an alternative or in addition side doors 26 of similar dimensions and function to 25 said rear doors may be provided.

Furthermore the floor of the bodies 10 and 11 may be provided with suitable grooves or tracks thereon to accommodate 190783 % "Jolodas" or "Cargon" truck system (or equivalent) loading means for moving general cargo in and out of the body. The loading means preferably provides a track mounting a plurality of rollers seated therein having their periphery raised above the level of the deck to engage the base of general cargo, which often includes a pallet, so that the general cargo may be rolled into the vehicle and suitably positioned. The loading means and track is preferably provided of a substantially open nature and substantially open ended toward the rear doors 27 so that any material which becomes positioned about the loading means can readily clear therefrom.

In the preferred form of the invention additional tracks 61 are engaged with the rear of the vehicle and corresponding track means included in the vehicle deck. The additional track means 61 are of a sufficient length to extend beyond the rear doors 27 so that a pallet 65 may be positioned on the track 61 and then be rolled inwardly of the body. Preferably the track means 61 is self supporting on a framework as generally indicated by broken lines 62, this arrangment is particularly suited where there is no permanent loading dock facilities such as 63, enabling the truck, to be suitably loaded with palletised or other general cargo.

Furthermore, the width of the vehicle is in the preferred form of the invention such that palletised containers may be loaded with one crosswise of the vehicle, and an adjacent pallet lengthwise of the vehicle. lz. paten i office 2 5 JUL 1984 U RECEIVED »TBTrj,.,4f ,■ . — — ■ II ■miit.Fi 190783 Preferably, the rear doors 27 are provided with restraining means to prevent then from being fully opened when in a tipping position. The restraining means may consist of a pair of strops 28 (e.g. nylon webbing or other flexible members) fixed to each of the rear doors and engaged with a catch under the floor of the tipping bodies to restrict the opening of the rear doors in this mode. These catches may be disengaged if the doors are to be fully opened for loading pallets.

Turning now to Figure 3, the body 11 is shown to have a plurality of openings, in one embodiment being hatches 30, 31 and 32 on the roof thereof. The hatches are conveniently of circular shape and may include coupling facilities to be connected to a supply of bulk cargo.

Although not shown, it is preferred that each hody is provided with a ladder of the like to enable the driver to climb onto the roof to open the hatches as required. It is also preferred that the roof of the bodies are provided with an anti-skid surface and may also be provided with suitable grab rails not shown, possibly with a tow rail 39 around the edge of the roof.

It is preferred that a ridge 33 is provided on the roof of the bodies forward of the first hatch. Such a ridge preferably extends beyond the sides of the hatches to prevent water travelling along the roof and being forced into the forward end of the first hatch. It is preferred that a sealing means ridge with associated .compressible seal extends around the 190783 perimeter of the hatches and that each hatch is provided with a cover which closes the hatches and places them under pressure to thereby compress the resilient seal.

Any number of configuration of hatches can be provided on the roof of the vehicle, although it is preferred that each hatch is provided with a closeable cover. Alternatively, or in addition, the preferred form of the invention as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings provides for an elongate cover means 38 slideable on track 37, with the forward end thereof being suitably engageable in a locking means 34. The arrangement is such that the lock means 34 may be disengaged, and the cover 38 slideably removed along the track 37 from the rear of the vehicle. This provides a complete cover over all of the hatches either as one elongate unit, or alternatively as a number of engageable units slideable on a common track means to thus provide a weather cover over each of the closeable hatches 30, 31 and 32.

It has been found that there are alternative methods of providing a weather cover over the hatches, including those embodiments disclosed in Figures 3a and 3b of the drawings, namely hingeable covers as disclosed in Figure 3a of the drawings which are closeable over each of the hatches; or a canvas or tarpaulin cover means as is shown in Figure 3b of the drawings, which may be fastened by rubber or rope strappings to suitable fasteners about the periphery of the roof of the vehicle. It has been found however that the cover means as disclosed in Figure 3 of the drawings is the lg0?83 most preferred embodiment.

Each body is preferably provided with a lifting or tipping mechanism 40 at the forward end thereof, to raise the forward end and effect tipping of the body. The lifting 5 mechanism 40 for the semi-trailer is preferably enclosed within a cavity formed at the forward end of the semi-trailer body so that the semi-trailer body can extend beyond the forward axles 20, 21. In the case of the trailer 11, it is preferred that the lifting mechanism 40 is at the forward 10 end of the body and operates to lift the body 11 relative to a chassis. It is desirable to provide a chassis for the trailer as only a single axle 23 is provided at the front of the trailer and it is believed this would not provide sufficient stability ih the event of tipping the trailer 15 body without a chassis. However, it will be appreciated that if a pair of forward axles are provided for the trailer body, then the trailer body can be tipped without the need for an additional chassis.

Turning now to Figures 4 and 5 it will be seen that the 20 semi-trailer is provided with a hydraulic ram 41 mounted adjacent the forward end of the body and which can fit within a recess 42 at the forward end of the body when in the lowered position. The ram 41 is conveniently pivotally attached to a point between the front axles and at its other end to a 25 point at approximately the mid-height of the body and is stabilised by linkage 42. By this means, extension of the hydraulic ram 40 will cause the forward end of the truck body to be raised relative to the forward axles and thus tip the body about the rear axle 22. It will be noted from 190783 Figure 5 that as the semi-trailer body does not have a separate chassis, the body pivots about the rear axles 22.

In the case of the trailer body, it will be appreciated that operation of the lifting mechanism 40 will raise the forward end of the body relative to the chassis, and cause the body to pivot about the rearward end of the chassis.

In this arrangement, the body 11 will be pivotally attached to the rear end of the chassis 25.

If desired, a wind deflector 5Q may be provided on the roof of the cab to deflect the wind over the top of the semitrailer body 10. Additionally, the bodies 10 and 11 can be provided with interior lighting to enable the bodies to be loaded or unloaded at night.

It will be noted that in the case of the semi-trailer body, there will be a division at the forward end thereof created by the cavity 42 extending into the cargo space of the body.

In use, the trailer body and the semi-trailer body can be filled with a bulk cargo such as grain by pouring grain through the top hatches. This cargo can then be transported to the required destination and the semi-trailer body and the trailer body can be emptied in turn by partially opening the rear doors and tipping each body in turn or simultaneously. When the bodies have been emptied, general cargo can be loaded into the bodies by means of the rear doors and the vehicles can then be transported to the requireddestination, at which point the general cargo can be off-loaded and the vehicle reloaded either with fresh general cargo, or with further bulk cargo. 1 9C783 li It will be noted that the provision of a reinforced fibreglass body, enables the body to have sufficient strength to transport both bulk and general cargo, and to enable the body to tip to discharge bulk cargo without the need for a chassis along the full length of the body. The fibreglass body also enables the interior of the container to be provided with radiused corners to which ensures that the body can be completely cleaned of any bulk cargo to avoid any cargo contamination.

Finally, it will be appreciated that alteration, modifications and additions may be made to the invention without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (22)

! /' u / o 0 i n 7 p 12 WHAT I CLAIM IS;

1. A vehicle including an at least partially enclosed cargo carrying body mounted on wheels; at least one closeable opening being provided in a roof of said body; a forward portion of the body being raisable relative to a rear portion, to tip the body; loading means being provided in said body for loading of general cargo, said loading means including a track in a floor of the body having a plurality of rollers seated therein, to be engageable with the general cargo for rolling of said cargo into and out of the body.

2. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the loading means includes additional track means engageable with the rear portion of the body and the track means in the body.

3. A vehicle as claimed in claim 2 wherein the additional track means is extendible beyond the rear of the body to accept general cargo thereon prior to passage into the body.

4. A vehicle as claimed in the preceding claim wherein the additional track is provided with a support frame.

5. A vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims which is a semi-trailer body or a trailer body.

6. A vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the body is encloseable by said roof, a forward wall, and side and rear walls; said body being reinforced to enable tipping thereof.

7. A vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the body is constructed of fibreglass ,\ ; 3 U / 8 -13- reinforced plywood mouldings.

8. A vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the body is further reinforced by the provision of radiused corners and a convex roof.

9. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim wherein -the body is provided with a layer of insulation within the walls or roof, or under a floor of the body.

10. A vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one closeable opening is in the form of one or more hatches of circular plan shape.

11. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim wherein a cover means is provided over the closeable openings.

12. A vehicle as claimed in claim 11 wherein the cover means is elongate and is slidable over the hatches.

13. A vehicle as claimed in claim 11 wherein the cover means includes a hingeable weather cover.

14. A vehicle as claimed in claim 10 wherein the cover means is a canvas or tarpaulin cover.

15. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the closeable opening is closeable by hingeable doors.

16. A vehicle as claimed in claim 15 wherein the closeable opening has sufficient width to accommodate two general cargo pallets side by side.

17. A vehicle as claimed in claim 15 or claim 16 wherein the doors are provided with the restraining means for preventing them from being fully opened when the body is tipped.

18. A vehicle as claimed in claim 17 wherein the 1907£3 14 straining means includes of a pair of strips engaged one to each of the doors and engaged with a catch mounted to the body said catch disengageable for full opening of said doors.

19. A vehicle as claimed in the preceding claim wherein the lifting or tipping mechanism is provided for tipping the body arid is at least partially enclosed within a cavity formed at adjacent the forward end portion of the body.

20. A vehicle as claimed in claim 19 wherein the lifting or tipping mechanism includes hydraulic rams.

21. A method of transporting bulk cargo and general cargo by providing a vehicle of the type described in claim 1, filling the vehicle with bulk cargo through the roof openings, and transporting said bulk cargo to its destination, discharging said bulk cargo through the rear closeable opening by raising the forward end portion of the body relative to the rear portion, loading general cargo through the rear closeable opening of the body.

22. A vehicle substantially as: hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. ALFRED JAMES FRANKHAM BY HIS ATTORNEYS, BALDWIN, SON & CAREY. 2 5 JUL 1984