Material or article handling – Apparatus particularly adapted for charging or discharging a... – Facility includes structure necessitating...
Patent
1987-09-22
1990-04-17
Werner, Frank E.
Material or article handling
Apparatus particularly adapted for charging or discharging a...
Facility includes structure necessitating...
414608, 414399, 414392, 296 11, 298 17B, 108 531, 108 541, 108 561, 108 555, 410 12, 410 13, 410 24, 410 26, E04H 606
Patent
active
049175572
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an apparatus for loading automobiles into a container, and a method of using this apparatus.
BACKGROUND ART
Hitherto, automobiles have been loaded into a container and positioned horizontally therein, and then transported to their destination. The containers used for transporting automobiles are, for the most part, of a standardized size. Since there is often a large amount of unused space remaining even after the full complement of automobiles has been loaded into the container, the utilization efficiency of the container is, therefore, less than ideal.
The present invention has been developed in order to solve the problem described above. Accordingly, its object is to provide an apparatus for loading automobiles into a container such that the amount of unused space is minimized, and also to provide a method of using the apparatus.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
According to the invention, an apparatus is provided which has a base on which automobiles can be loaded in a substantially horizontal position. A movable deck is rotatably coupled, at one end, to one end of this base. The movable deck can be rotated to a first position, where it is above and substantially parallel to the base, or to a second position, where it is inclined upward in relation to the base. The apparatus further has a support rod which holds the movable deck in the second position.
In the present invention, the aforesaid second position is predetermined such that the movable deck, when set in this position, is parallel to the plane including the front edges of the hood and roof panel of an automobile positioned on the base. The automobile is positioned on the base such that the plane, including the front edges of the hood and roof panel, is close to the movable deck. Another automobile is loaded on the movable deck such that the front of the automobile is at a higher level than the rear. Thus, the apparatus of the invention is advantageous in that, since two automobiles can be loaded in the manner described above, and partly overlap one another, the movable deck set in the second position is almost parallel to, and close to, the plane including the front edges of the hood and roof panel of the automobile positioned on the base. Therefore, the plane including the front edges of the hood and roof panel of the automobile positioned on the movable deck is substantially horizontal. Further, the combined height of the two automobiles stacked, thus is much lower than their total height when stacked one on top of the other, and their combined length is much shorter than their total length when placed end to end. Hence, when the automobiles are loaded into a container, the unused space within the container will be reduced to a minimum. Clearly, the apparatus of the present invention is a considerable improvement over the conventional apparatus. In addition, since the automobile on the base is positioned toward the movable deck, and the automobile on the movable deck is positioned with its front located at a level higher than its rear, all that is necessary, therefore, to load them on the base and movable deck, respectively, is to drive both automobiles forward, no reversing maneuvers being necessary.
The automobiles can be loaded in either of two modes. In the first mode, the movable deck is first of all rotated to the second position. Then, one automobile is driven onto the base, fllowed by another being driven onto the movable deck.
In the second mode, one automobile is first of all loaded on the movable deck set in the first position, the movable deck is then rotated into the second position, and finally, another automobile is loaded on the base. In either mode, both automobiles can be driven to their loading positions, and can thus be easily and accurately positioned on the loading apparatus.
In the loading apparatus of this invention, even if automobiles are small enough to be loaded in a container, with gaps between each other and the inner walls of the container, they can be positioned o
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patent: 3618796 (1971-11-01), Reisner
patent: 3675795 (1972-07-01), Dluhy
patent: 4229131 (1980-10-01), Hague
patent: 4369009 (1983-01-01), Fulford
Kato Fusao
Umezu Yoshio
Kabushiki Kaisha Marubun
Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Werner Frank E.
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