COVERING MEANS FOR VEHICLE CONTAINERS

Abstract: A covering for vehicle containers (10) is intended to be movable from a stowed position on the vehicle and over the top of the container opening (12). The covering includes a frame (19) which is made up of interconnected elements, (25, 26, and 27) which are moved from a stowed position to an operative position located over an upper opening of the container. The interconnected elements unfold to be located generally horizontally over the opening. The elements are covered with sheeting (28) to prevent material from escaping from the container.

Description: Covering Means for Vehicle Containers This invention relates to covering means for vehicle containers, in particular but not exclusively, to covers to be located over the upper opening of containers to be carried on a vehicle. Containers with upper openings are frequently used for transporting materials on vehicles and the nature of such materials is often such that it is necessary or desirable for the upper openings to be covered to prevent the release of material during transit. Such covers have included the manual location of tarpaulin or similar material over the opening which can be time consuming and dangerous in the case of high containers. An alternative which has been proposed is to cover the opening with a cover which is drawn off a reel at one end of the container by power means including a pair of arms located to the sides of the container which pivot to draw off the cover from the reel and locate it over the container. An object of the invention is to provide improved covering means for vehicle containers which is effective in use and which avoids limitations of previous arrangements. According to the invention covering means for vehicle containers comprises a frame arranged to be unfolded over a vehicle container and moveable from a stowed position to an operative position located over an upper opening of the container, the frame comprising interconnected and pivotal frame elements which, after movement from the stowed position, unfold to locate the elements in a generally planar arrangement over said upper opening, the frame incorporating closure means for substantially closing off said upper opening. The frame elements may include a first element, one end of which is pivoted to one end of a second element, and a third element pivoted attached to the opposite end of the second element, there being link means between the second and third elements to control the unfolding action of the three elements. Drive means may be provided for effecting the unfolding action and the drive means is conveniently connected between the first element and the link means. In one arrangement the link means comprises two arms to which the drive means is attached, one arm being pivotally attached to the second element and the other arm being attached to the third element and the arms being joined at their free ends, the joint being spaced outwardly of the pivot between the second and third elements. In one arrangement the folded up elements are locatable in a stowed position at one end of the container and are moveable upwardly towards an operative position adjacent the upper end of the container. Upon reaching said upper position the elements are pivoted over the opening of the container, still in a folded up position, so that the first element lies over one end of the opening. Unfolding of the elements locates the elements over the opening to cover said opening. Further features of the invention will appear from the following description of an embodiment of the invention given by way of example only with reference to the drawings, in which; Fig 1 is a perspective view of covering means for covering an upper opening of a vehicle container, in a stowed position, Fig 2 is a side view of the apparatus shown in Fig 1, Fig 3 is a view corresponding to Fig 1 showing the covering means in a raised position, Figs 4, is a view corresponding to Figs 1 and 3 showing the covering means lowered over a container, Fig 5 is a perspective view showing the covering means during an unfolding operation. Fig 6 is a side view corresponding to Fig. 5, Fig 7 is a side view of part of the covering means unfolded, and Fig 8 is an enlarged view of the region 8 in Fig 7. Referring to the drawings there is shown an arrangement for covering the upper opening of a container 10 when located on a vehicle 11, the vehicle in this case being of the kind in which the container 10 can be mounted on and de-mounted from the vehicle over the rear end of the vehicle, in known manner. Such containers 10 have material placed in them which, during transit of the vehicle 11 may tend to be displaced from the container 10. To prevent such displacement the invention provides covering means which covers an upper opening 12 of the container 10. The covering means, shown generally at 13, is power operated and is normally stowed between the vehicle cab 14 and the leading end of the container 10. The covering means 13 is shown in the stowed position in Figs 1 and 2 and in the position covering the upper opening 12 in Figs 7 and 8. Figs 3 , 4, 5 and 6 show the covering means 13 in intermediate positions. The vehicle 11 has fitted thereto between the cab 14 and the leading end of the container 10 a mast 15 which is fixed at its lower end to the vehicle frame or chassis. The mast 15 is of generally rectangular shape and carries vertically extending rails 16 at its rear side. The rails 16 carry captive for movement there along a support member 18 on which is pivotally mounted a cover assembly 19 which is moveable from a generally upright position (Fig 3) to a generally horizontal position (Fig 4) about pivot means 20. Vertical movement along the rails is achieved by motor or by pistons and cylinders 17. Initial vertical movement of the support member 18 along the rails 16 brings the member 18 to the upper end of the mast 15. In order to raise the member 18 above the mast the support member 18 incorporates another set of rails 44 at each side of the member 18 which are telescopically movable upwards relative to the rails 16 to provide support for member 18 during further movement upwards to the position shown in Fig 3. This permits the support member 18 to be positioned above the container for the next part of the movement towards the horizontal position. Movement between the vertical and horizontal positions is achieved by hydraulic ram means 21 located one towards each end of the support 18. The ram means 21 is attached at one end to the member 18 and is pivotally attached at the opposite end to a bracket 22, the bracket 22 carrying the cover assembly 19. Thus when the ram means 21 is extended the bracket 22 pivots about the pivot means 20 between the upright and horizontal positions. Desirably, extension of the ram means 21 does not occur until the member 18 has been raised to a height equal to a level corresponding to the top of the container 10. When the bracket 22 and assembly 19 are located in the horizontal position (Fig 4) the assembly 19 is located closely adjacent the leading edge of the container 10 and the assembly 19 is arranged to be unfolded from this position to cover the opening 12. The assembly 19 includes three similarly sized frame elements 25, 26 and 27 of which the element 25 is termed the first or inner element, the element 26 is termed the second or intermediate element and the element 27 is termed the third or outer element. Each of the elements 25, 26, 27 are of the same general size as one another, and each include longitudinal frame members. The first element 25 comprises a transverse member and first and second longitudinal members extruding from each end of the transverse member. The first element 25 is disposed with the transverse member pivotally connected to the bracket 22. The second element 26 comprises first and second longitudinal members. It has been found that transverse members need not be used in the construction of the second element 26. This has an advantage that in use there are no transverse members extending over the load being carried in the container 10. Further, transverse members in the second element 26 are not required for the integrity of the apparatus. The third element 27, as the first element 25, is substantially U-shaped comprising a transverse member with first and second longitudinal members extending from each end of the member. The open end of the third member 27 is located adjacent to the second member 26. Sheeting material 28 is attached to the elements 25, 26 and 27 in the form of mesh or other material so that when the elements are in the unfolded position the sheeting acts substantially to close the upper opening 12 with the frame elements located against the container 10 along the sides and ends of the container. After movement to the horizontal position of Fig 4 the inner element 25 is located over the forward open end of the container 10. The elements 25 and 26 are pivotally attached to one another about a pivot axis 30 which lies generally horizontally. A straight link 36 is pivotally connected to each of the longitudinal frame members of element 25 adjacent to the outer transverse member of element 25. Similar straight links 37 are pivotally attached to element 26. The free ends of links 36 and 37 are brought together and are connected by a pin 38. Hydraulic piston and cylinder devices 34 and 35 are attached to each of the longitudinal frame members of element 25, the rod ends of said piston and cylinder devices being attached to the pinned ends of links 36 and 37 by pin 38. The elements 26 and 27 are pivotally attached to each other about a pivot axis 31. A rigid bell crank link 32 is pivotally attached at one end to each longitudinal frame member of element 27 adjacent to the transverse member. The other end of the bell crank link 32 is pivotally attached to one end of a tie rod 33, the other end of which is pivotally attached to the frame element 25. Unfolding of the elements 26 and 27 from element 25 is achieved by operating the piston and cylinder device 34, 35 from its fully retracted position to its fully extended position. As the piston and cylinder device 34, 35 extends, link 36 rotates about its pivot on element 25 and induces a rotational motion to element 26 via link 37. As the rotational movement of element 26 progresses tie rod 33 exerts a pull on bell crank link 32 inducing an opposite rotation motion to element 27. The piston and cylinder device 34, 35 continues to extend and elements 26 and 27 continue to rotate until they simultaneously come to rest in a horizontal position over the opening 12 (Figs 7 and 8). Upon contraction of the devices 34, 35 the assembly 19 is returned to its folded up position of Fig 4. Instead of the drive arrangement for positioning the assembly being powered by hydraulically operated means the drive may be driven pneumatically or electrically. It will be seen that the cover assembly occupies the same width of the container when unfolded and when in a stowed position, thereby not increasing the overall width of the container or the associated vehicle. Moreover the number of components used is kept to a minimum and sensing means can be provided for ensuring that the assembly is in the required position during each stage of operation. The assembly is also capable of being stowed within a region of the vehicle in which there is normally space available. The assembly is also capable of meeting the needs of securing the open top of the container during travel whilst being readily moveable between operative and stowed positions in a safe manner.

Claims: Claims 1. Covering means for vehicle containers which comprises a frame arranged to be unfolded over a vehicle container and movable from a stowed position to an operative position located over an upper opening of the container, the frame comprising interconnected and pivotal frame elements which, after movement from the stowed position, unfold to locate the elements in a generally planar arrangement over said upper opening, the frame elements incorporating closure means for substantially closing off said upper opening. 2. Covering means according to claim 1 wherein there are three frame elements each pivotally attached to the other so that when unfolded they lie- in alignment closely adjacent one another. 3. Covering means according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the frame elements include a first element to one end of which is pivoted one end of a second element, and a third element pivoted to the opposite end of the second element, there being link means between the second and third elements to control the unfolding action of the three elements. 4. Covering means according to any one of the preceding claims comprising drive means for effecting the unfolding action connected between different frame elements. 5. Covering means according to claim 4 wherein the drive means is connected between the first element and the link means. 6. Covering means according to claim 5 wherein the link means comprises two arms to which the drive means is attached, one arm being attached to the second element and the other arm being attached to the third element, the arms being joined to each other at their free ends and at the joint being spaced outwardly of the pivot between the second and third elements. 7. Covering means according to any one of the preceding claims in which the folded-up elements are locatable in the stowed position at one end of the container and are movable upwards towards an operative position adjacent the upper end of the container from the stowed position. 8. Covering means according to claim 7 wherein the elements are pivotable on reaching said upper end for location over the opening of a container, still in a folded-up position, so that the elements lie over one end of the opening, unfolding of the elements locating the elements over the opening to cover said opening. 9. Covering means according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the closure means comprises sheeting located over the area of each of the elements, the sheeting being in the form of mesh. 10. Covering means according to any one of the preceding claims comprising an upstanding mast locatable at the end of a container and on which the frame is mounted for movement between a stowed position and an operative position. 11. Covering means according to claim 10 wherein the mast is arranged to extend to a height substantially at the top of the container and there is provided extension means for elevating the frame beyond the top of the mast during movement to an operative position. 12. Covering means for vehicle containers substantially as described with reference to the drawings.

Inventors: STOREY COLIN, STOREY, COLIN
Applicants: RJE ENGINEERING LTD, STOREY COLIN, RJE ENGINEERING LIMITED, STOREY, COLIN
Application year: 2000
Main classification: B60J7
IPC codes: B60J7