WO2008118025A1

WO2008118025A1 - Improvements in and relating to handling loads, especially containers

Info

Publication number: WO2008118025A1
Application number: PCT/NZ2007/000060
Authority: WO
Inventors: Leendert Willien De Jonge
Original assignee: Leendert Willien De Jonge
Priority date: 2007-03-26
Filing date: 2007-03-26
Publication date: 2008-10-02

Abstract

Most of the apparatus, mounted on a vehicle for loading Modular Containers on and off, are provided with some form of outrigger with feet which can be extended to one or both sides of the vehicle to lessen the tendency of the vehicle chassis to twist. Outriggers for this purpose tend to be massive as do the parts of the vehicle to which they are attached. In this invention the pivotal bottom connection of the ram at the centre of the truck or trailer does away with this problem. The cranes can slide away into the trailer and or truck frame and thus provide access to the container. This feature makes loading and unloading possible in town traffic and other congested sites. Another feature is that the trailer and or truck can be used for other modes of transport.

Description

Improvements in and Relating to Handling Loads, Especially Containers

This invention relates to apparatus for handling loads and more particularly, to an apparatus for handling containers. However, it will be readily apparent that the apparatus of this invention may be used for handling other loads.

Since the introduction of Modular Containers as a means for transporting loads attention has been paid to the means whereby containers are loaded on and off carrying platforms, particularly those platforms provided in conjunction with road vehicles such as Trucks and Trailers.

Strict limitations are placed by Authorities on size of vehicles, their gross weight and their loads. These limitations have in turn placed a severe constraint on the design of apparatus for handling such loads, particularly where the apparatus is mounted permanently on the vehicle.

Where the apparatus for loading containers on and off a vehicle is mounted on the vehicle, some means must naturally be provided to lessen the tendency of the vehicle chassis to twist and the vehicle itself to overturn in response to the transverse bending movements produced when the container is displaced to the side of the vehicle.

Most of the apparatus of which I am aware are provided for this purpose with some form of outrigger, for instance with feet which can be extended to one or both sides of the vehicle. Typically such outriggers are provided merely to unweigh the truck from its suspension system and to lessen the tendency of the vehicle chassis to twist. Such outriggers take no further part in lifting the load. As a result of the relatively severe bending stresses which are applied to them, outriggers for this purpose tend to be massive as do the parts of the vehicle to which they are attached. Another problem typically exists with the load handling apparatus of this kind. Usually, the apparatus is provided as a pair of lifting assemblies, one at each end of the carrying platform of the vehicle. If these assemblies take the weight of the load, another bending movement is produced, this one in the longitudinal or fore and aft direction of the platform. This fore and aft bending movement tends to produce deforming forces on such lifting assemblies.

In this preferred form of the invention, the load means includes a ram 3, a second ram 4, and control rams 1 for engagement with portions of the rams 3 and 4.

As can be seen the rams are connected to steadying head 2. The steadying head contains pin 5 which rests against the container when lifted.

Through this pin 5 the two lifting assemblies and container act now as one unit and the fore and aft movement of this unit will be prevented by rams 3. The pivotal bottom connection of rams 4 contain a spherical ball joint for absorbing an uneven surface of the supporting ground or deck or a railwagon or another truck or trailer.

Pagel The footplate of Ram 4 is connected with an anti-skid means, such as indicated by Ram 6 and a cable.

Rams 8 can bring and hold the unloaded cranes in any required position between horizontal and vertical planes.

The operation of the side loader will be described assuming that the cranes are in position of rest and that it is required to lift a container from supporting surface 10 and onto the trailer. The rams 8 are activated to keep ram 3 in a vertical position. Now control rams 1 are activated and, after moving the top of ram 4 to the right in the slot of steadying head 2, move the ram 4 over the roller 13 into line 11.

Ram 4 is then extended to bring his footplate into contact with Support 10 more or less on the container centre line.

Rams 3 and 4 are then cooperatively activated to level A4-A4. In this position the container is mounted with the cranes via chains, slings 9, or the like.

The slack in the chain of the anti-skid device is now taken up by means of Ram 6. In the next step of operation Ram 4 is extended, and so is pin 5 until it rests against the container, co-operatively with Ram 3 to level A2-A2 and thereby lifting the container to a height sufficient for the container to be shifted inboard of the trailer. In the next phase of operation the container is shifted to a position above the trailer. To do this Rams 3 and 4 are co-operatively activated to bring the centre lines of the rams from positions A2-A2 to A1-A1, more or less on the trailer centre line in this example.

Rams 3 and 4 are then retracted until the container comes to rest on the trailer after which pin 5 is retracted.

If we full retract rams 8 we can fully retract ram 4 after which we fully retract rams 1 and let ram 4 move over roller 13 to the left so that the centreline of ram 4 becomes parallel with the centreline of ram 3. In this position we can drive away.

If, however, we want to stack the cranes away we bring the cranes in a horizontal position, by retracting ram 15 and then pull the crane into the trailer or truck frame by control means 14. The cranes and their base plate 16 can be turned 180° in beams 12 of frame 7 and can stack up to two high 8 '-6" and 20ft and 40ft long containers on both sides.

Levels A3-A3 and A₅-A₅ are for two containers high handling.

In order to move the container from the trailer the operation is more or less performed in reverse order.

Description of Drawings

Fig 1. Three dimensional view of Container Lifter.

Fig 2. Front view of Container Lifter.

Fig 3. Details of Bottom Connections of Ram 3

Fig 4. Details of Steadying Hand

Claims

What I claim is:

1. A set of two lifting assemblies for lifting a container on or off a truck or trailer, each lifting assembly comprising a first ram 3 and a second ram 4 which are both pivotally connected to a steadying head 2, containing a pin 5 which can be extended, the first ram having a pivotally bottom connection to a frame 7 at the centre of a truck or trailer, which said bottom connection and the first ram are both individually able to withstand the fore and aft forces in the lifting assembly and wherein the bottom connection of second ram has a spherical ball joint for absorbing an uneven surface of the supporting ground or deck or a rail wagon or another truck or trailer.

2. A set of two lifting assemblies as claimed in any preceding claim wherein two rams, connected to the steadying head and the second ram, can push the latter ram to any required angle with the first ram.

3. A set of two lifting assemblies as claimed in claim 1 wherein the weight of the container, when lifted, is divided over the bottom connections of the first and second ram, the bottom connection of the first ram, at the centre of a truck or trailer, prevents the chassis from twisting.

4. A set of two lifting assemblies as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a hydraulic ram, connected to the first ram and with a chain or sling or the like to the bottom connection of the second ram, prevents the latter ram from skidding away from the truck or trailer; also two rams, connected to the first ram and its footing, can bring and hold the unloaded lifting assemblies in any required position between horizontal and vertical planes.

5. A set of two lifting assemblies as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the truck or trailer frame supports a frame which latter frame supports the lifting assembly, in this frame a ram can swivel the lifting assembly to a horizontal position after which the frame with lifting assembly can be pulled into the truck or trailer frame with a control means.

6. A set of two lifting assemblies as claimed in any preceding claim wherein, as the container hangs between the two lifting assemblies, the pins in the steadying heads are extended and rest against the container and restrict the fore and aft movement of the container caused by uneven loading of the container and / or slope of the road surface.

7. A set of two cranes substantially described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.