WO2012033403A1

WO2012033403A1 - Vehicle, load container and method for providing an agricultural product to a vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2012033403A1
Application number: PCT/NL2011/050495
Authority: WO
Inventors: Antonius Johannes Kluskens
Original assignee: Loonbedrijf, Caris
Priority date: 2010-07-08
Filing date: 2011-07-07
Publication date: 2012-03-15
Also published as: NL2005055C2

Abstract

A vehicle (1) comprises a load container (2) bounding a cargo space for receiving therein a cargo for transport. The load container (2) ends in an upper edge (4) against which an upper cover (5) lies for the purpose of bounding the cargo space on an upper side. The upper cover (5) comprises a pressing body (6A, B) which is mounted on the upper edge (4) for pivoting about an axis. The pressing body (6A, B) is adjustable between a first position closing the cargo space, so that a cargo received in the cargo space can be transported with negligible loss, and a second position leaving the cargo space clear on an access side so that a cargo can be provided to the cargo space. A quantity of cargo received in the cargo space can be compressed by the pressing body (6A, B) so that a relatively large amount of cargo can be transported in one operation with the vehicle according to the present invention.

Description

Vehicle, load container and method for providing an agricultural product to a vehicle

The present invention relates to a vehicle comprising a load container bounding a cargo space for receiving therein a cargo for transport, wherein the load container ends in an upper edge against which an upper cover lies for the purpose of bounding the cargo space on an upper side.

A known vehicle of the type stated in the preamble makes use of an agricultural vehicle such as a silage trailer or tipper trailer provided with a load container with a cargo space in which a cargo for transport, such as for instance grass, sand, wheat or silage maize, can be received.

The load container is open here on an upper side to enable a cargo collected from the land to be provided to the cargo space. As soon as the cargo space is full of cargo, the vehicle is taken to a processing device or storage, optionally using a tractive vehicle such as a tractor, in order to unload the cargo there for further processing or storage. In order to avoid a part of the valuable cargo being lost from the open upper side of the load container during transport, a flexible cover, such as for instance a tarpaulin, is stretched over the known vehicle once the cargo space has been filled with a product. The flexible cover serves here to close the cargo space on an upper side so that the cargo cannot escape from the load container during transport.

Although the known vehicle can transport a cargo, it does however also have a drawback. This is that the attachment and removal of the flexible cover over the load container is found in practice to be particularly time-consuming work. Especially when a quantity of cargo for transport cannot be transported with the vehicle in one operation, but has to be transported in multiple operations, repeated attachment and removal of the flexible cover represents a great inconvenience and requires much work time.

The present invention therefore has for its object, among others, to provide a vehicle which obviates the stated drawback.

In order to achieve the stated object a vehicle of the type stated in the preamble has the feature according to the invention that the upper cover comprises a pressing body which is mounted on the upper edge for pivoting about an axis and is adjustable between a first position closing the cargo space and a second position leaving the cargo space clear on an access side. Due to the provision of the pressing body already mounted on the load container the cargo space can be closed in rapid and simple manner to enable reliable transport, i.e. with negligible loss, of a product received in the cargo space. The pressing body is moreover able and adapted to compress a compressible product received in the cargo space so that a larger quantity of product can be received in the cargo space before the space is full. A relatively large quantity of product can thus be transported in one operation with the vehicle according to the present invention. A preferred embodiment of the vehicle according to the present invention has the feature that the pressing body comprises a first flap and at least one further flap, which flaps are separately adjustable between the first position and second position. By making use of a pressing body with at least two separately adjustable flaps a part of a cargo received in the cargo space can already be compressed with at least one of the flaps, while another of the flaps is set in the second position in order to leave clear an access side on which a further quantity of cargo can be provided to the cargo space. In order to transport the cargo only the other of the flaps need then be set in the first position so as to close the cargo space.

Providing a further quantity of cargo moreover need not be interrupted when one of the flaps is set in the first, closed position, because another of the flaps is then always in the second, open position and leaves the access side clear. By first opening a flap set in the first position, i.e. setting it to the second position, before the flap set in the second position is closed, i.e. is set to the first position, the vehicle according to the present invention makes it possible to fill the cargo space continuously with a cargo for transport. In a further preferred embodiment the vehicle according to the present invention is characterized in that the load container is provided with spring means for setting the pressing body in actuated manner from the first position to at least the second position. It thus requires relatively little effort to move the pressing body into the second position in order to leave the cargo space clear on an access side.

A further preferred embodiment of the vehicle according to the present invention has the feature that the pressing body is provided with drive means for setting the pressing body in actuated manner from the second position to at least the first position. In a particular embodiment the vehicle according to the present invention is characterized in that the drive means comprise a hydraulic cylinder, and more particularly that the hydraulic cylinder comprises a piston rod which is coupled at a first outer end to a piston which is axially movable through a space inside the cylinder and which is coupled at an opposite, free second outer end to a drive line, wherein in an extended position the piston rod pulls the drive line in order to set the pressing body in the first position.

In a further preferred embodiment the vehicle according to the present invention is characterized in that the drive line comprises a cable, and particularly a steel cable. A cable, and particularly a steel cable, provides a sufficiently strong and reliable connection to enable actuated setting of the pressing body from the second position to the first position while compressing a product received in the cargo space.

During transport it is usually desirable or even required for the pressing body to be set in the first, closed position. This is not only desirable when the cargo space is filled with cargo in order to prevent a part of the cargo being lost during transport, but is usually also necessary when the vehicle travels while empty in order to prevent the vehicle exceeding a prescribed maximum height limit for use on the public highway due to a pressing body being set in the second, open position. In order to be certain that the pressing body does not move unexpectedly from the first, closed position to the second position during transport, in a particular embodiment according to the present invention the vehicle is thus characterized in that locking means are provided between the load container and the pressing body for mutually locking the load container and the pressing body in at least the first position. Although the present invention is applicable to many different types of vehicle provided with a load container with cargo space, in a further preferred embodiment the invention is particularly characterized in that the vehicle is an agricultural vehicle, in particular an agricultural vehicle chosen from a group of a tipper trailer, silage trailer or hay wagon. It is precisely the cargos which are transported with agricultural vehicles, and in particular with a sand tipper trailer, silage trailer or hay wagon, which are generally too valuable for loss during transport to be acceptable, while such cargos are readily compressible so that the pressing body of the vehicle according to the invention provides an extremely great advantage. The present invention further relates to a load container provided with a pressing body as applied in the vehicle according to the present invention. The load container can for instance be mounted on a chassis as part of a trailer or semi-trailer which can be pulled by a tractive device such as a tractor or can, conversely, be part of a self-propelled vehicle.

The present invention also relates to a method for providing an agricultural product to a vehicle provided with a load container with cargo space for transporting the agricultural product, wherein the agricultural product is taken from the land and provided to the cargo space for transport purposes.

In a known method of the type stated in the previous paragraph use is made of an agricultural vehicle provided with a load container with a cargo space in which an agricultural cargo for transport, such as for instance grass, sand, wheat or silage maize, can be received. The load container is open on an upper side here to enable the load to be provided to the cargo space. A separate device, such as for instance a harvester, is generally utilized here to provide the load to the cargo space via the open upper side. As soon as the cargo space is full of cargo, the vehicle can be taken to a processing device or storage in order to there unload the cargo for further processing or storage. Although this known method per se provides for transport of an agricultural product, it has the drawback that a quantity of agricultural product which can be provided to the cargo space before it is full is far from optimal in that a great deal of air is present in the product. As a result a relatively large number of journeys with the agricultural vehicle are required in order to transport a certain quantity of agricultural product, this being expensive and time-consuming. The present invention thus has for its object, among others, to provide a method which obviates the stated drawback.

In order to achieve the stated object a method for providing an agricultural product to a vehicle provided with a load container with cargo space for transporting the agricultural product, wherein the agricultural product is taken from the land and provided to the cargo space according to the invention for transport purposes, is characterized in that after filling of the cargo space with agricultural product a pressing body provided on an upper edge of the load container is set from a first position leaving the cargo space clear to a second position closing the cargo space in order to compress a quantity of agricultural product in the cargo space, the pressing body is then returned to the first position in order to leave the cargo space clear again, and a further quantity of agricultural product is provided to the cargo space, after which the pressing body is moved to the second position again in order to transport the agricultural product in the cargo space in closed position. By compressing a quantity of agricultural product in the cargo space, much of the air taking up space will disappear therefrom. The quantity of product present in the cargo space will thus take up less space after compression. By then leaving the cargo space clear again an additional quantity of product can be provided to the cargo space so that a larger overall quantity of product can be received in the cargo space before it is full. With the method according to the present invention a relatively large quantity of product can thus finally be transported in one operation, i.e. with one journey of the vehicle.

Such a compacting of a product received in the cargo space can optionally be improved still further according to a preferred embodiment of the method according to the present invention which is characterized in that compressing agricultural product in the cargo space and providing a further quantity of agricultural product to the cargo space is repeated at least once before the pressing body is moved definitively to the second position to transport the agricultural product in the cargo space in closed position.

In a further preferred embodiment the method according to the present invention is characterized in that the pressing body comprises at least two flaps which can be adjusted separately of each other between the first position and the second position wherein, when a further quantity of agricultural product is provided to the cargo space, at least one of the at least two flaps is set in the second position in order to leave the cargo space clear on an access side, while at least one other of the at least two flaps is set in the first position to partially compress a quantity of agricultural product in the cargo space. By first opening a flap set in the first position, i.e. setting it to the second position, before the flap set in the second position is closed, i.e. set to the first position, at least one of the flaps is always in the second, open position and herein leaves the access side clear. Providing a further quantity of product to the cargo space is hereby not interrupted when the product is being compressed in the cargo space. The method according to the present invention thus provides for continuous filling of the cargo space with an at least partially compressed product for transport. The invention will now be further elucidated on the basis of a number of exemplary embodiments and an accompanying drawing. In the drawing:

Figures 1A-C show a first exemplary embodiment of a vehicle according to the invention with a load container provided with a pressing body in respectively a side view, a rear view with the pressing body in the second, open position, and a rear view with the pressing body in the first, closed position;

Figures 2A-C show a second exemplary embodiment of a vehicle according to the invention with a load container provided with a pressing body in respectively a side view, a rear view with the pressing body in the first, closed position, and a rear view with the pressing body in the second, open position; Figures 3A-B show an exemplary embodiment of a pressing body according to the

invention coupled to an upper edge of a load container in respectively the second, open position and the first, closed position.

The figures are otherwise purely schematic and not drawn to scale. Some dimensions in particular may be exaggerated to greater or lesser extent for the sake of clarity.

Corresponding parts are designated as far as possible in the figures with the same reference numeral.

As shown in figure 1A, the vehicle according to the invention in a first exemplary embodiment is a so-called silage trailer 1 with a load container 2 for transport of an agricultural product therewith. The invention also relates however to other types of vehicle provided with a load container, such as for instance a tipper trailer or hay wagon. Silage trailer 1 is movable by means of a double-axle chassis 3 provided with wheels. Load container 2 ends on an upper side in an upper edge 4 which bounds an access side on which a cargo space with a volume of substantially 45 cubic metres inside load container 2 is open. A pressing body 5 is mounted on upper edge 4 for pivoting about an axis and is adjustable between a first position closing the cargo space (fig. 1C) and a second position leaving cargo space 4 clear on the access side (fig. 1A and IB). In this exemplary embodiment pressing body 5 comprises two metal pressing flaps 6A, 6B with a length of 240 cm and a width of 220 cm. Because the two pressing flaps 6A, 6B are already mounted on load container 2, the cargo space can be closed rapidly and easily to enable transport of a product received in the cargo space without risk of loss. The two pressing flaps 6A, 6B are moreover able and adapted to compress a compressible product received in the cargo space, such as for instance sand, grass, maize or other compressible agricultural products, so that a larger quantity of product can be received in the cargo space before the space is full. With the vehicle according to the present invention a relatively large quantity of product can thus be transported in one operation. By making use of a pressing body 5 with at least two separately adjustable pressing flaps 6A,6B a part of a cargo received in the cargo space can be compressed with one of the flaps 6A,6B, while another of the flaps 6A,6B is set in the second position in order to leave clear an access side at which a further quantity of cargo can be provided to cargo space 4. In order to transport the cargo only the other of the flaps 6A,6B need then be set in the first position in order to close cargo space 4.

Providing a further quantity of cargo moreover need not be interrupted when one of the flaps 6A,6B is set in the first, closed position because another of the flaps 6A,6B is then always in the second, open position and leaves the access side clear. By first opening a flap 6A,6B set in the first position before the flap 6A,6B set in the second position is closed, the vehicle according to the present invention makes it possible to fill the cargo space continuously with a cargo for transport.

A method for filling load container 2 proceeds according to the following steps. A product for transport is taken from the land, for instance using a collecting machine such as for instance a harvester, which provides the product to the cargo space of load container 2 via an open access side under both the initially open flaps 6A,6B. The product can for instance be blown against the open flaps from the collecting machine, wherein the product automatically drops into the cargo space located thereunder. Flaps 6A,6B prevent the collecting machine blowing at least a part of the product over the load container. Extending laterally from flap 6A is a closing member 8, here in the form of a closing blade 8, which closing blade 8 prevents the product being blown laterally wide of the flaps. Closing blade 8 takes the form of a quarter- circle, whereby when flap 6A moves to the first, closed position the closing blade 8 fits inside the cargo space on an inner side of a front of load container 2 (see figure 1C). As soon as a quantity of product received in the cargo space rises at least substantially above upper edge 4, one of the flaps 6A,6B is moved to the first position while the cargo space is further filled with product via the partially open access side under the other flap 6A,6B which is still open. Once the product under the flap placed in the first position has been compressed, the flap is once again set in the second position in order to open the cargo space over the whole access side. Cargo space 4 can then be further filled with product via the open access side under this flap, and the other flap can be closed. These steps can be repeated a number of times until the desired quantity of product is received in the cargo space or a quantity of product already received in the cargo space cannot be compressed any further. Finally, the two flaps 6A,6B are closed in order to transport the product in the then closed cargo space.

Although in this exemplary embodiment the pressing flaps 6A and 6B connect substantially seamlessly to each other so that no product can escape therebetween, in an alternative exemplary embodiment of a vehicle according to the invention a fitting piece can be provided between successive pressing flaps. The fitting piece, which can for instance be manufactured from plastic, can easily be made in varying dimensions, for instance in lengths of 10 cm, 20 cm, 30 cm, 40 cm and 50 cm, in order to fully close the access side between successive spaced-apart pressing flaps, irrespective of the dimensions of a load container on which it is used. It is hereby only necessary to select a fitting piece of the correct size and use can thus be made of a standard size of pressing flap for each type of load container. The relatively expensive pressing flap need not therefore be produced in different sizes or dimensions but can be produced with standard dimensions. The fitting piece can be manufactured from any material suitable for the purpose, such as for instance metal or plastic, as long as the fitting piece is sufficiently strong and durable to cope with the forces released when a product is compressed in the cargo space.

Figures 2A-2C show a second exemplary embodiment of a vehicle according to the invention. In this exemplary embodiment vehicle 1 is an agricultural tipper trailer which is raised all around with an adapter part in order to form a larger load container 2 of which a whole volume can be used. The adapter part ends in an upper edge 4 on which is mounted a pressing body 5 in the form of a single flap 6. Flap 6 can be set in a first position closing cargo space 4 and a second position leaving cargo space 4 clear on an access side. Attached on either side to flap 6 is a sealing foil 7 which seals the access side between upper edge 4 and flap 6 when flap 6 is set in the first position. By making use of a relatively flexible foil 7 an unloading flap 10 of the agricultural tipper trailer can be moved freely between a closed position closing the cargo space and an unloading position leaving the cargo space clear, so that the cargo can be unloaded from the cargo space. Figures 3A and 3B show an exemplary embodiment of a pressing body as applied in a vehicle according to the present invention. As shown in figure 3A, in the second, open position pressing body 5 is a metal cover which is mounted pivotally on a longitudinal side of an upper edge 4 of a load container of the vehicle. Arranged against cover 5 on an inner side facing toward the cargo space is a first pressure cylinder 11 with a cylinder housing from which a cylinder rod can extend. A free outer end of the cylinder rod is coupled to a shaft 12 along which a steel cable 9 can be wound. An outer end of steel cable 9 is attached close to a further longitudinal side of upper edge 4 lying opposite the longitudinal side. In order to move cover 5 from the second, open position to the first, closed position the cylinder 11 is driven, for instance hydraulically or pneumatically, so as to displace shaft 12 by means of the cylinder rod. The cable 9 partially wound round shaft 12 is pulled here, whereby cover 5 will move toward the further longitudinal side of upper edge 4 lying opposite the longitudinal side. In order to then enable cover 5 to be moved from the first, closed position to the second, open position a further pressure cylinder 14 is provided which has a further cylinder housing from which a further cylinder rod can extend. The further cylinder rod is attached here with a free outer end against cover 5. Cover 5 is forced upward by extending the further cylinder rod from the cylinder housing under hydraulic or pneumatic pressure. This upward movement is supported by a number of springs which are mounted on the load container close to upper edge 4 (not shown) and which urge the cover to a rest position. Cover 5 can thus be driven in simple and automatic manner for setting between the first and second position, for instance to compress a product received in a cargo space of the load container a number of times before eventually fully closing the load container for transport purposes.

Although the invention has been further elucidated with reference to only a few exemplary embodiments, it will be apparent that the invention is by no means limited thereto. On the contrary, many other variations and embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention for the person with ordinary skill in the art.

Claims

1. Vehicle comprising a load container bounding a cargo space for receiving therein a cargo for transport, wherein the load container ends in an upper edge against which an upper cover lies for the purpose of bounding the cargo space on an upper side, characterized in that the upper cover comprises a pressing body which is mounted on the upper edge for pivoting about an axis and is adjustable between a first position closing the cargo space and a second position leaving the cargo space clear on an access side.

2. Vehicle as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the pressing body comprises a first flap and at least one further flap, which flaps are separately adjustable between the first position and second position.

3. Vehicle as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the load container is provided with spring means for setting the pressing body in actuated manner from the first position to at least the second position.

4. Vehicle as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the pressing body is provided with drive means for setting the pressing body in actuated manner from the second position to at least the first position.

5. Vehicle as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the drive means comprise a hydraulic cylinder.

6. Vehicle as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the hydraulic cylinder comprises a piston rod which is coupled at a first outer end to a piston which is axially movable through a space inside the cylinder and which is coupled at an opposite, free second outer end to a drive line, wherein in an extended position the piston rod pulls the drive line in order to set the pressing body in the first position.

7. Vehicle as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the drive line comprises a cable.

8. Vehicle as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, characterized in that locking means are provided between the load container and the pressing body for mutually locking the load container and the pressing body in at least the first position.

9. Vehicle as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the vehicle is an agricultural vehicle, in particular an agricultural vehicle chosen from a group of a tipper trailer, silage trailer or hay wagon.

10. Load container provided with a pressing body as applied in a vehicle as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims.

11. Method for providing an agricultural product to a vehicle provided with a load container with cargo space for transporting the agricultural product, wherein the agricultural product is taken from the land and provided to the cargo space for transport purposes, characterized in that after filling of the cargo space with agricultural product a pressing body provided on an upper edge of the load container is set from a first position leaving the cargo space clear to a second position closing the cargo space in order to compress a quantity of agricultural product in the cargo space, the pressing body is then returned to the first position in order to leave the cargo space clear again, and a further quantity of agricultural product is provided to the cargo space, after which the pressing body is moved to the second position again in order to transport the agricultural product in the cargo space in closed position.

12. Method as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that compressing agricultural product in the cargo space and providing a further quantity of agricultural product to the cargo space is repeated at least once before the pressing body is moved definitively to the second position to transport the agricultural product in the cargo space in closed position.

13. Method as claimed in claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the pressing body comprises at least two flaps which can be adjusted separately of each other between the first position and the second position, wherein, when a further quantity of agricultural product is provided to the cargo space, at least one of the at least two flaps is set in the second position in order to leave the cargo space clear on an access side, while at least one other of the at least two flaps is set in the first position to partially compress a quantity of agricultural product in the cargo space.