Material or article handling – Opposed shelf-type elevator and transporter
Patent
1995-07-18
1997-10-21
Keenan, James W.
Material or article handling
Opposed shelf-type elevator and transporter
414471, 414476, 414495, 414498, B60P 164
Patent
active
056789777
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
AREA OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to a wagon or frame intended to be connected to a trailing unit and for carrying and transporting a container. The frame is of U-shape with an open end facing backwards so that the U-frame wagon can be reverse driven for encircling a container at three sides. The U-frame wagon is specifically constructed to be interconnected to a trailing vehicle. The container is of a specific construction adapted for cooperation with the U-frame wagon.
PRIOR ART
Road transports of today are usually performed with trailers between intercity terminals. Such transports take place rather efficient. The terminals comprises loading docks at standardised height, and the large trailers have as a rule loading platforms at the same height so that loading and unloading can take place efficiently.
From the terminals, the transport to the user in the cities inclusive neighbour areas and adjacent countryside, essentially takes place by means of heavier lorries. However, there is a desire to use smaller lorries, but these as a rule do not have efficient equipment for loading and unloading of goods, but loading and unloading must take place manually.
At loading of goods from a heavier lorry, today there is often used a loading bridge adapted at the rear end of the lorry, so called back lifter. In the transport position, the loading bridge is retracted and operates as a door for the rear end of the platform. The loading bridge can be folded to a horizontal position in which it is positioned in line with the floor of the platform, so that goods can be put on the loading bridge from the platform. Furthermore, the loading bridge can be lowered to the ground level so that goods can be loaded further on to the ground or street without heavy lifts for the driver. Such loading bridges are however very dangerous working places and a lot of accidents have occurred in connection with loading and unloading of such loading bridges.
In view of that stated above it is realised that there is a need for a solution to the transportation problem between city terminals and end users, i.e. the last part in the distribution chain of the goods (and sometimes the first part). A solution would be to use a container of a smaller size, which could be transported by smaller lorries, so called satellite lorries.
Moreover, there is required a solution to the problem of loading and unloading smaller lorries or containers transported by such smaller lorries so that loading and unloading can take place without any risk of injuries to the drivers and maybe more or less mechanically.
These problems have previously been attacked by the inventor to the present invention suggesting a lorry built with a front power unit including driver's cabin, engine etc and a rear load carrying unit in the nature of a U-frame, for cooperation with a container. In order to make possible loading and unloading of goods from loading docks of different heights, the container is height adjustable by means of the U-frame.
At loading and unloading a platform of a lorry, the height of the platform will depend on the load of the platform so that when the platform is unloaded, the height will increase and vice versa, due to the spring biasing of the back wheel supporting the platform. Such height alterations during loading and unloading will be inconvenient and the U-frame wagon according to the invention is provided with means for counteracting such alterations of the height of the platform.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,122,963, there is described a transport vehicle with U-shaped frame which is height adjustable due to the fact that the rear part of the U-frame is foldable. This construction operates rather well but has a few drawbacks, such that the loading of the front wheel axis will be too large at driving with small loads or no loads.
Moreover, Swedish Patent Specification No. 8104988-4, discloses a U-frame truck for transporting a slag melting pot. Due to the specific shape of the melting pot, the construction will be specifically adapted for suiting
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