US2632627A - Laundry flatwork feeder truck - Google Patents

Description

March 24, 1953 R. M. SCHULTZ I LAUNDRY FLATWORK FEEDER TRUCK 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 50, 1948 W WQWMWLQ IN VEN TOR. AOY M Sci/a4. 7'3

LAUNDRY FLATWORK FEEDER TRUCK INVENTOR.

for M Seal/41g March 24, 1953 R. M. SCHULTZ LAUNDRY FLATWORK FEEDER TRUCK 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 30, 1948 IN V EN TOR. IFOY M SCI/04712 March 24, 1953 R. M. SCHULTZ LAUNDRY FLATWORK FEEDER TRUCK 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 50, 1948 INVENTOR. for/Vt 50/0472 Patented Mar. 24, 1953 LAUNDRY IFLATWORK FEEDER TRUCK Roy Schultz, Chicago, Ill., assignor to David A. Freeman Corporation, Chicago, 111., acorp'oration of Illinois Application September 30, 19.48, Serial'No. 52,092

17 Claims.

1 This invention relates "to a laundry feeder truck "used for handling damp clothes and the like in commercial laundries, having a container of variable volume, as disclosed in the c-pending application of James Mulvihill, Serial No. 52;,081, filed September 30, 1948, and, "more particularly, to improvements in the controls for varying the volume of said container.

.Because of the weight and volume of damp clothes carried "by such trucks, it frequently becomes difficult for the operator to manually raise the floor of the container so that the clothes may be-fed onto the adjacent dryer or pressing machine. Also the operator while removing the damp clothes from the truck must often stopand manually raise the bottom of the container to the desired height. These stoppages are time consuming and a nuisance to the operator particularly when he is operating the truck alone.

Thus, it is one of the objectsof this invention to provide controls whereby the operator may readily vary the height of the container floor with a minimum of effort.

It is a further object :of this invention to provide controls for varying the volume of the :conta iner which are readily accessible to the operator from either side as well as the ends of the truck.

It is. a further object of this invention to provide controls which will enable the" operator to raise "the bottom of the containersimultaneously while removing the damp clothes therefrom.

It. is :still. a further object of this invention to provide controls which will expedite the handling of the clothes by the feeder truck :during the cleaning operation and thereby reduce thezcostof such an operation.

It is still a further object of this invention toprovi-de controls for operating the feeder truck which are simple, yet sturdy in construction and effective in operation.

Further and additional objects will appear from th description, accompanying drawings, andappended-claims.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, a feeder truck is provided comprising a movable frame having a pair of rotatab-ly mounted, elongated reels disposed at either side ofsaid. frame; a flexible container having the sides thereof windably mounted on said reels; and means for actuating and controlling the rotation of said reels. The actuating and controlling means .are regulated by the operator of the truck so that the bottom of the flexible container may be raised as the. damp clothes are removed from the truck and fed onto the presslit ing or drying machine, thus eliminating the need for the operator to bend over and lift out the clothes from the bottom of the container.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference should now be had to the drawings wherein- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a hydraulically controlled feeder truck with the bottom of the container in its lowered position.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the feeder truck shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the feeder truck shown in Fig. 1 with the position of the hydraulic control system for raising the bottom of the container shown in dotted lines and a portion of the frame cut away to show the construction of the bottom of said container.

'Fig. 4 is an end view of a pneumatically controlled feeder truck shown with the bottom of the container in its raised position and a 'portion of the frame cut away to show the construction of said bottom.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the pump and the piston-cylinder assembly for the hydraulically controlled feeder truck shown in Fig.3.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the control valve for the -pneumatically controlled feeder truck shown in Fig. 4 with a portion of the intake and exhaust ports shown in crosssection.

Fig. '7 is a diagrammatic view of an airhydrau'lic control system for a feeder truck with the flow of the hydraulic fluid for raising the bottom of the container shown in full arrows and the flow of the hydraulic fluid for lowering said bottom shown in-dotted arrows.

Fig. '8 is a side elevational sectional view of the air-hydraulic pump unit for the control system shown in Fig. '7.

Fig. '9 is a side elevational sectional view of the bleeder valve for the cont-r01 system shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 1c is a diagrammatic view of a modified form of an air-hydraulic control system showing the flow of the hydraulic fluid in full arrows for one setting of the reversing valve, wherein the bottom of the container is lowered, and the flow of the hydraulic fluid in dotted arrows for another setting of the reversing valve, wherein said bottom is raised- Referring now to the drawings, a feeder truck 20 is provided adapted to handle wet clothes upon their removal from a washing machine prior to being fed into a drying or pressing machine. The truck 25, in this instance, comprises a movable frame 22, a flexible container 24 mounted on said frame, and an actuating and control unit 25 for regulating the movement of the bottom or floor 27 of said container 24.

The frame 22 comprises a rectangular shaped base 28 at the four corners of the underside of which are rotatably mounted wheels or casters 29, 39 and 32 (only three being shown). To the narrow sides of the base 28 are fastened vertically extending end plates 34 and 33 which act as two sides of the container 24 disposed intermediate said plates. Rotatably mounted on the upper edge of the end plates 34 and 36 are a pair of elongated reels 38 and 49; one disposed at either side of said upper edge and extending from one plate to the other. The reels 38 and 40 are adapted to rotate in opposite directions. The means whereby the reels are caused to rotate will be discussed in detail later. At either side of the end plates 34 and 36 are provided bracing members 42 (only one shown in Fig. 1) which extend from one plate to the other and hold said plates in their spaced relationship.

The container 24 is flexible, constructed preferably of a durable fabric, plastic or rubberized material, and has its two sides 44 and 43 windably mounted on reels 38 and 40, respectively. The end plates 34 and 35, as heretofore mentioned, serve as the other two sides of the container. The windable sides 44 and 45 of the container are held in a substantially parallel vertical relationship by the spacer or floor board 48, which is rectangular in shape and rests on the bottom 21 of the container. The length of the spacer board is substantially the same as the space between the end plates 34 and 38. The vertical movement of the spacer board 48 is dependent upon the rotation of the reels 38 and 49 which, in turn, are controlled by the operator.

Hydraulic, pneumatic, or air-hydraulic means may be employed for actuating and controlling the rotation of the reels.

In the hydraulically or pneumatically controlled truck, pulleys 50 and 52 are fastened to the corresponding ends of the reels 33 and 49 and extend outwardly from the plate 34 as seen in Figs. 1-4. Intermediate said reel pulleys 5i! and. 52 and mounted on the lower portion of plate 34 is a piston-cylinder assembly 54. The piston 56 has its rod 58 extending upwardly from said assembly. Rotatably mounted on the free or exposed end of the rod are pulleys 50 and 52 which are disposed in a side-by-side relationship. The piston 53, rod 58, and pulleys 59 and 62 are adapted to move in a vertical plane.

Rotatably mounted by brackets 53 and on end plate 34 and disposed at either side of assembly 54 are idling pulleys 64 and 55. The vertical movement of pulleys 64 and 52 is transmitted by means of belts 69 and I9 into a rotational movement of the reels 38 and 49, respectively. One end of belt 68 is wound around and secured to reel pulley 5i) and the remainder of the belt is passed under idling pulley 64 and over pulley and has its free end secured at 12, to the end plate 34. Belt I0, in a similar manner, cooperates with pulleys 52, 65, and 52 and is fastened at I4 to the end plate 34. Bel-ts 63 and 79 are wound around reel pulleys 59 and 52 respectively in such a manner that the reels will ro tate in opposite directions to one another.

, In the hydraulically operated system, a pump 88 is provided for actuating the vertical movement of the piston 53 of assembly 54. The pump 88 is secured to the end plate 34 adjacent assembly 54 and comprises a housing 99 (Fig. 5) which is substantially filled with a hydraulic fluid 32, a bleeder valve 94, and a pump piston 95, mounted to reciprocate in cylinder 98. Cooperating with the piston 99 are an intake check valve I90 which allows the fluid 92 to be sucked into the cylinder 98, upon the upward stroke of the piston 96, and an outlet check valve I42 which allows the fluid to pass into the assembly 54 upon downward movement of the piston 96. Piston 96 is normally held in its upper position by coil spring I94, The stem I09 of piston extends upwardly from the housing 90 as seen in Fig. 5. Bleeder valve 94 is positioned adjacent the pump piston 95 and has the stem I08 thereof likewise extending upwardly from the housing. The valve 94 is normally held in a closed position by coiled spring II 0. The piston 96 and bleeder valve 94 are actuated by a disc II2, rotatably mounted on end plate 34 above the pump 88. The disc I12 is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed studs I14 and H5, which are secured to the face of thedisc and are adapted to independently contact the stems of the pumping piston 96 or bleeder valve 94, respectively, depending on the rotation imparted to said disc.

The rotation of disc H2 is controlled by links H8 and I20 which are pivotally connected to said disc at points I22 and I24, respectively, which are diametrically opposed to one another and intermediate studs H4 and H5, as seen in Fig. 5. Links I I8 and I29 are pivotally connected at their other ends to arms I25 and I28, respectively, of bell crank levers I30 and I32, which are pivotally connected at opposite sides to the base 28 of the frame. Extending longitudinally the length of the frame 22 and disposed at either side thereof are foot treadles or rails I34 and I35 which are pivotally mounted on said frame, and connected at corresponding ends to arms I33 and I49 respectively of bell crank levers I30 and I32. From this linkage arrangement, it is apparent that the rotation of the disc H2 is dependent upon the direction of force applied to foot treadles I34 and I36; thus a downward treadling force exerted on either treadle will cause the piston 56 of the assembly 54 to be raised and the bottom 21 of the container 24 in turn to be raised, and upon an upward force exerted on the foot treadle the bottom of the container will be lowered.

In the pneumatically controlled truck shown in Fig. 4, the arrangement of the pulleys and belts, and the piston-cylinder assembly 54 is the same as that above described for the hydraulically controlled truck. The source of pneumatic power is independent of the truck 20 and a connecting nozzle I42 is provided at one side of the end plate 34 for ready connection to said pneumatic power source (not shown). It is apparent that with this type of truck it is necessary that the pneumatic power source be located in the vicinity of the presser or drying machine or any other place where the damp clothes are to be unloaded from the truck. Intermediate the connecting nozzle I42 and the assembly 54 and mounted on the distributing tube I43 joining said nozzle and assembly is a rocker-arm control valve I44. As seen in Fig. 6, the control valve I44 comprises an inlet or high pressure intake port I46, an outlet port I 48 to assembly 54, and an exhaust port I59. Mounted within both the intake and exhaust ports are check valves I52 and I54, respectively. Both valves I52 and I 54 are normally held in a closedposition by springs I56 and I153 embracing the stems I6!) and I62 of said valves. The stems I69 and I62 project upwardly from the ports-and have the upper ends I64 and I65 thereof exposed. Pivotally mounted on the control valve housing is a rocker arm I68 which is adapted to independently contact the upper ends I64 and I 65 of stems I60 and I62, respectively, depending upon the point where force is applied to said arm. Thus the floor of the container may be readily raised by depressing valve I52, or lowered by depressing valve I54.

In Figs. '7 and 1.0, a modified arrangement for actuating and controlling the vertical .movement of the piston 55 in assembly 54 is shown. In this instance, an air-hydraulic pump I'IEI is employed for forcing the hydraulic fluid into the cylinder chamber of assembly 56. As seen in Fig. 3, the pump I'ill comprises a cylinder housing I'IZ having an air intake port I13 formed therein, a sleeve I'M slidab-ly mounted withinsaid housing, a hollow piston I'Id adjustably mounted within said sleeve, and a hydraulic inlet port I18 and outlet port I83, and an air outlet port I82 formed in the head ass of said housing. Sleeve I'M is provided with an elongated slot I36 formed in the periphery thereof and adjacent the air intake port I73 and having a transverse passage I87 at one end of said slot. Slot I86 and transverse passage It! permit the air to pass from port Ill-3 to port I88 formed in the head of piston I15 and then to the underside of the piston to force the sleeve and piston upwardly in the cylinder housing 512. The hollow piston I 76 is adjustably held within sleeve IN by means of a spring-pressed ball I98 disposed in the piston head and which cooperates with notches I92 and I94. To enable the air to force the piston and sleeve upwardly, spring-pressed ball IBII engages notch I92 as seen in Fig. 8, thus enabling the port I 88 to register with passage I81. A spring I96 in the base I98 of the cylinder housing IIZ overcomes the friction encountered 'bythe piston and sleeve on starting their upward movement. The air from the intake port I13 continues to force the piston I15 and sleeve I'M upwardly in the housing I12 until the sleeve contacts a coil spring 299, provided at the top of the cylinder housing, and is thus cushioned against further upward movement while the inertia of the piston and the air pressure applied to the underside of the piston forces said piston to continue on its upward movement thereby causing the springpressed ball I 9d to become disengaged from notch Hi2 and to slip into the upper notch I94. After the ball I 9'0 is seated in notch Its, the piston I76 isbuffed by spring Edi and is restrained from any further upward movement. Upon the shifting of ball I963 from notch I92 to I94, the air supply from intake port I'IB through port I86, passage I61, and port I88 is shut oii and port I88 registers with a Icy-pass slot 202, formed in the inside of sleeve I16, which in turn registers with a bleeder port 2% formed in the upper portion of piston head I'IB. Thus the high pressure air at the underside of piston head I16 is bled through port Iiid, slot 282, and bleeder port 284 and then out to atmospheric pressure through exhaust port I82 formed in the head not of the housing. Gravity and springs 285) and 2t]! then cause the piston and sleeve to drop down and, upon the sleeve contacting coil spring I96, its downward movement is retarded while the piston continues on its downward movement, thereby causing ball I96 to become unseated from notch I94 and to slip back into notch I92. The piston and sleeve are, thensonce again in the correct relative position for being forced upward by pneumatic-pressure.

Projecting downwardly a substantial distance from the head I64 of the housing I12 and centrally disposed therein, is a hollow'shaft 205. The lower end of shaft 286 is embraced by piston I76 and projects into a cylindrically shaped cavity 2&8 in said piston. Thus upon upward movement of piston I'Iet, shaft 206 approaches the base 209 of cavity 288. However, shaft 206 never reaches the bottom of the cavity as the relative position of the piston and sleeve is changed, resulting in said piston andsleeve commencing their downward movement again. The upper end of shaft 2.06 is fastened to the head I86 of the housing and opens intcthe passage 21c connecting the hydraulic intake I13 and outlet I89 ports in said head.

Upon downward movement of piston I15 in housing I12, hydraulic fluid is sucked in at port H28, past ball valve 2I2, through shaft 206, and into-cavity 298. Upon upward movement of piston I'It, the hydraulic fluid in cavity 298 is forced through shaft 2%, past outlet ball valve 2 I4, and out through outlet port 180. The joint between shaft 2-516 and piston I I6 is sealed by packing Z-I B. A stop plug 218 is provided in head I84 of the housing for replenishing the hydraulic fluid if needed.

As seen in Fig. 7, the source of air supply for air-hydraulic pump I'Ill is controlled by a valve 220 mounted in the line 22I connected to intake port I753 of pump housing I72. By operating valve 229, the operator may raise the floor 21 of the container to the height desired so that the damp clothes may be easily removed from the truck and fed into the dryer or presser without fatigue to the operator. The downward move ment of piston 56 in assembly 54 is controlled by a bleeder-cock valve 222., which allows the hydraulic fluid to return to the reservoir 224 from assembly 55 so as to cause the floor .21 of container 48 to be lowered and positioned again to receive damp clothes. The reservoir 224 is mounted directly on frame 22 adjacent the end plate 34 thereof. Valve 22 2, .as seen in Fig. 9, is conventional and comprises a housing 226 having an inlet 228 and outlet 239 port formed therein, and a threaded stem 232 adjustable within said housing. The operator of the truck may control the depth of the container by regulating the amount of oil bled from the chamber of the assembly '54 to the reservoir 224 through the bleeder valve.

Asseen in Fig. 10, a slightly modified arrangement employing the pump I Ill is shown for-actuating the piston 56 in assembly 54. A reversing valve 234 is provided intermediate the pump I10 and assembly 54 having a rotor member 236 and stator member 233. Stator member 238 is provided with four symmetrically arranged ports A, B, C, and D, and the rotor member 235 is provided with a pair of substantially U-shaped passages 2st and 2-42. Upon the setting of rotor 236, shown in full lines. passage 252 joins ports A and D of stator member 238 and passage 2 40 joins ports 13 and C; with this settin the piston 56 of assembly '54 is forced downwardly and the floor 21 of theicontainer 2d is lowered. Upon a quarter turn of the rotor 2.35 from that shown in solid lines, by means of a handle 2% mounted thereon, passage Mt joins ports A and B and passage .242 joins port's C and D and the piston 56' of assembly 54 is forced upward and the floor 2.! of the container is raised. With this arrangement no reservoir for the hydraulic fluid. is required.

Thus, it will be seen that controls for varying the volume of the container of the feeder truck have been provided which will greatly facilitate the handling of damp clothes regardless of their dampness during the cleaning operation so as to increase the efficiency and reduce the cost of such an operation.

While several embodiments of this invention are shown above, it will be understood of course that the invention is not to be limited thereto, since many modifications may be made, and it is contemplated, therefore, by the appended claims, to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described having a supporting frame, a pair of substantially parallel reels rotatably mounted on said frame, a container of pliable material having its sides windable on said reels, and means mounted on said frame for controlling the rotation of said reels; said means comprising pulleys mounted on corresponding ends of said reels, a piston-cylinder assembly to actuate said pulleys, the piston of said assembly having a rod, the free end of which extends from said assembly, a second set of pulleys arranged in a side by side relationship and mounted on the free end of said piston rod, idling pulleys disposed on opposite sides of said assembly, and a pair of flexible members cooperating with all of said pulleys and adapted to cause the sides of said container to be Wound on or unwound from said reels upon movement of said piston.

2. In a device of the class described having a portable frame, a pair of substantially parallel elongated reels rotatably mounted on said frame, a container of variable volume suspended from said reels, and means mounted on said frame for controlling the volume variations of said container; said means comprising pulleys mounted on corresponding ends of said reels, a pistoncylinder assembly intermediate said pulleys, the piston of said assembly having a rod the free end of which extends from said assembly, a second set of pulleys arranged in a side by side relationship and mounted to move with said piston rod, idling pulleys disposed on opposite sides of said assembly, and flexible members cooperating with all of said pulleys, one of said flexible members having one end wound around one of said reel pulleys and passing under one of the idling pulleys and over one of said pulleys movable with said piston and having the other end fastened to said frame, the other flexible member similarly co-operating with the other pulleys, said flexible members adapted to cause said reel pulleys to rotate in opposite directions upon movement of said piston.

3. The device claimed in claim 1 in which said control means comprises a hydraulic pump unit mounted on said frame and adjacent said assembly, having the stems of the pump piston and the release valve for said pump unit extending upwardly therefrom and adjacent to one another, a disc rotatably mounted on said frame and adapted to independently contact said stems, a treadle pivotally mounted on said frame and extending substantially the length thereof, and a link member fastened at one end to said disc and fastened at the other end to said treadle; the direction of rotation of said disc being dependent upon the direction of force applied to said treadle.

4. The device claimed in claim 1 in which said control means comprises a hydraulic pump unit mounted on said frame and adjacent said assembly and having the operating controls for said unit projecting upwardly therefrom, a control disc rotatably mounted on said frame and having a pair of transversely mounted studs, diametrically opposed, projecting therefrom and adapted to contact said operating controls, an actuating member pivotally mounted on each side of said frame and extending substantially the length thereof, and link connections between said actuating members and points on said disc diametrically opposed to each other.

5. The device claimed in claim 1 in which said control means comprises a source of pneumatic power adapted to be connected to said frame, tubing mounted on one end of said frame for distributing said pneumatic power to said pistoncylinder assembly, and a control element mounted on said tubing intermediate said source and assembly for regulating movement of said piston in said assembly.

6. The device claimed in claim 1 in which said control means comprises a source of pneumatic power adapted to be connected to said frame, tubing mounted on one end of said frame for distributing said pneumatic power to said pistoncylinder assembly, and a control element mounted on said tubing intermediate said source and as sembly for regulating movement of said piston in said assembly; said control element comprising an inlet port having a one-way valve mounted therein, an exhaust port having a one-way valve mounted therein, an outlet port to said assembly, intermediate said inlet and exhaust ports, and a control lever pivotally mounted on said element and adapted to independently actuate said valves depending upon the point at which force is applied to said lever.

'7. In a device of the class described having a portable truck body, an expansible and contractible container carried by said body, means for expanding and contracting said container including reel means rotatably mounted on said body for winding thereonto and unwinding therefrom the material of said container, and means for operating said reel means; said operating means comprising elongated substantially parallel foot operated treadle bars operatively connected to the reel means and pivotally mounted on said body, said bars being disposed on opposite sides of said container.

8. In a device of the class described having an upright supporting frame provided with a pair of parallel elongated reels rotatably mounted thereon and being disposed in spaced relation on said frame, an expansible open top container having substantially vertically extending sides windably mounted on said reels, and means mounted on said frame for efiecting rotation of said reels; said means comprising a piston-cylinder assembly mounted on said frame intermediate said reels and having a portion of the reciprocating piston exposed and operatively connected to said reels to eifect rotation of the latter; an air-hydraulic pump mounted on said frame adjacent said assembly for effecting reciprocation of said piston, and a control device adjacent the open top of said container for actuating said pump.

9. The device claimed in claim 8, in which said air-hydraulic pump comprises a housing unit, a source of air pressure for said unit, a source of hydraulic fluid for said unit, a sleeve slidably mounted within said housing, a hollow piston adjustably held within said sleeve, both said sleeve and piston responsive to air pressure, and means for expending hydraulic pressure from said unit upon response of said sleeve and piston to said air pressure; said piston when in its starting position relative to said sleeve, adapted to cause certain ports and passages in said housing, sleeve, and piston to register and thereby cause said sleeve and piston to be responsive to air pressure, and when in another relative position to said sleeve to cause certain ports and passages in said housing, sleeve, and piston to register and allow the sleeve and piston to resume its original starting position.

10. In a device of the class describedhaving a movable supporting frame provided with a pair of elongated reels rotatably mounted on opposite sides of said frame, a container having flexible side portions windably mounted on said reels, and means for actuating said reels, said means comprising a pressure-responsive element reciprocally mounted on said frame, an operative connection between said element and said reels whereby the reciprocatory movement of said element effects rotational movement of said reels in opposite directions with respect to one another, and a manually operable pressure-regulating unit mounted on said frame and operatively connected to said element.

11. In a device of the class described havin a movable supporting frame provided with a pair of spaced rotatably mounted reels, an expansiole and contrac-tible container windably mounted on said reels, and means for actuating said reels and effecting expansion and contraction of aid container; said means comprising an actuator mounted on said frame adjacent one end of said reels, a pressure-responsive reciprocating element mounted within said actuator and having a portion thereof exposed, an operative connection between the exposed portion of said element and the adjacent ends of said reels whereby the reciprocatory movement of said element effects rotational movement of said reels, and a pressure control unit mounted on said frame and operatively connected to said actuator for regulating the reoiprocation of said element.

12. In a device of the class described having an upright portable truck body, a pair of spaced substantially parallel reels ro'tatably mounted on said body, an expansibl and contractible container suspended from and disposed between said reels and having the sides of said container windably mounted on said reels, a rigid substantially flat vertically adjustable bottom element positioned within said container and effecting substantially vertical disposition of the sides of said container mounted on said reels, and means operatively connected to said reels for effecting rotation thereof; said means comprising a pneumatically operated actuator mounted on said body adjacent one end of said reels and bein operatively connected thereto, and manually operated valve means mounted on said body and communicatin with said actuator for controlling the operation of said actuator.

13. In a device of the class described having an upright frame, a pair of spaced substantially parallel elongated reels rotatably mounted on said frame, a continuous pliable web suspended from and disposed between said reels and havin the opposite edges of said web windably mounted on said reels, a non-flexible bottom element subtended by said web and disposed between said reels to form a container having a substantially horizontal bottom and substantially vertical side portions, and means for rotating said reels to effect height-adjustmentof said bottom element; said means comprising a pressure-responsive p ton-member mounted for reciprocatory movement on said frame adjacent one end of said reels and being operativelyconnected to said reel ends whereby the reciprocatory movement of said piston member effects rotary movement of said reels, and a manually operable pressure-transmitting control mounted on said frame and operatively connected to said piston member to effect reciprocatory movement thereof.

14. In a device of the class described having a frame, a pairof substantially parallel elongated reels rotatably mounted on said frame anddisposed in spaced relation with respect to one another, a pliable container suspended from and disposed intermediate said reels and having the sides thereof windablwmounted On said reels, and means for effecting rotation of said reels; said means comprising a fiuid-operated-reciproeating piston member mounted on said frame and operatively connected to said reels for imparting rotational movement thereto upon reciprocation of said piston member, a source of fluid supply, and a fluid pump communicating with said supply and piston member, said pump including means for controlling the rate of return flow of said fluid from said piston member to said supply and thereby lengthen the windable sides of said container.

15. In a device of the class described having an upright frame, a pair of spaced substantially parallel elongated reels rotatably mounted on said frame, a pliable container suspended from and disposed intermediate said reels and having substantially vertically extending side portions windably mounted on said reels, and means mounted on said frame for rotatin said reels; said means comprising a fluid-operated reciprocating piston member for use with a source of fluid under pressure and mounted on said frame adjacent one end of said reels and operatively connected to the latter whereby the reciprocatory movement of said piston member effects rotatable movement of said reels, and a manually operable control mounted on said frame and disposed intermediate and communicating with said piston member and fluid source for controlling the rate of flow of fluid between said piston member and said supply and. thereby vary the length of said vertically extending side portions.

16. In a device of the class described having a portable truck body, an expansible and contrac-tible container carried by said body, means for expanding and contracting said container including reel means for winding thereonto and unwinding therefrom the material of said 0011- tainer, and means for operatin said reel means, said operating means comprising a pneumatically-operated actuator, and manuall operated valve means for controlling the flow of air to said actuator, said manually-operated valve means comprising a valve housing havin an inlet port adapted to be connected to a source of pneumatic pressure, an outlet port connected to the actuator, and an exhaust port, said inlet and exhaust ports having check valves mounted therein, and a control lever rockably mounted on said housing for regulating said check valves.

17. In a device of the class described havin a supporting frame provided with a pair of elongated reels disposed at either side of said frame, an expansible container having the sides thereof 2 11 windably mounted on said reels, and means mounted on said frame for actuating said r said means comprising a piston-cylinder assembly mounted on said frame intermediate said reels and having the piston thereof reciprocatory, an air-hydraulic pump mounted on said frame adjacent said assembly for actuating said piston, a control device for said pump, said air-hydraulic pump comprising a housing unit, a source of air pressure for said unit, a source of hydraulic fluid for said unit, a sleeve slidably mounted within said housing, hollow piston adjustably held within said sleeve, both said sleeve and piston responsive to air pressure, and means for expending hydraulic pressure from said unit upon response of said sleeve and piston to said air pressure.

ROY M, SCHULTZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Re. 7,042 333,232 703,186 840,876 856,759 1,726,139 1,739,431 1,743,032 2,069,697 2,234,925 2,449,395 2,433,532

Number 12 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Arden Apr. 11, 1876 Marsh May 22, 1888 Clark Jun 24, 1902 Steedman Jan. 8, 1907 Beebe et a1 June 11, 1907 Blasco et al Aug. 27, 1929 Willauer Dec. 10, 1929 Weidmann Feb. 18, 1930 Dempster Feb. 2, 1937 Hastings Mar, 11, 1941 Lakso Sept. 14, 1948 Hill Oct. 4, 1949 Wenigar Oct. 17, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Sweden July 27, 1937

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