Patent GB-1237365-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in load carrying and distributing apparatus
Inventor: WESTON WILLIAM AUGUSTUS
IPC: B60P1/44
Filed: 1967-04-27
Abstract: 1,237,365. Railway vehicles adapted to transport special loads. W. A. WESTON. 24 April, 1968 [27 April, 1967; 26 May, 1967; 3 Nov., 1967; 27 March, 1968], Nos. 19366/67, 24498/67, 50061/67 and 14831/68. Heading B7L. [Also in Divisions B8 and E2] In load-carrying and distributing apparatus the load-carrying platform 3 of a goods Vehicle, e.g. a van, has an endless chain conveyer 2 provided with carriers 11 mounted on wheels 12 and having rollers 23 on their upper surface. The carriers are intended to support containers 5 which have wheels 6 and which may be loaded or unloaded by means of a gate lift 7. In a loading operation, the floor of the lift is lowered to ground level, a container 5 is pushed on to the lift which is raised to the level of the van platform 3, the container being pushed on to a carrier 11 opposite the lift and secured to the carrier. The conveyer is then operated to bring the next carrier opposite the lift and to move the loaded carrier along the van. A chain 18 of the conveyer is pivotally connected to the carriers 11 by extended link pins (not shown) and passes around sprockets 17 each driven by an hydraulic motor 4. To permit the containers 5 to swing around the ends of the conveyer, a tail gate is opened and the conveyer is moved rearwardly of the van by an hydraulic unit 19 connected to the platform 3 and to a longitudinal beam 15 of the conveyer. When a carrier 11 approaches the rear of the van a flanged wheel 13 engages a U- shaped rail 14 which supports the carrier and associated containers when the wheels 6 and 12 run clear of the platform 3. Alternatively, the tail gate may form an extension of the platform on which the wheels 6, 12 may run. For locating and securing a container on a carrier, a post 30 on the carrier engages in a slotted guide 30 on the container and pins 28 on the carrier are passed through flanges 25 of the container. A manually operable lever system 32 is provided for withdrawing the pins 28. Rollers 21 on the carriers are guided by tracks 22 which extend along each side of the conveyer. A brake block (41), Fig. 8 (not shown), is engageable with a wheel (6B) of the container whose floor, when the brake is applied is horizontal, and when the brake is released is inclined downwardly and forwardly. For unloading at the rear of the van, the rail 14 and flanged wheels 13 are modified to enable rollers (54) to pass through a gap in the track, Figs. 14, 15 (not shown). To lower the gate 9 from its road-travel position a telescopic leg 74 is swung down to its vertical position and an hydraulic unit 60 is operated to push a part 64 into contact with the ground. The lower part of the leg 74 is then allowed to fall into engagement with the ground and is secured in this position by a pin 76. A pin 73 is then used to secure the lower part 64 and the hydraulic unit 60 is operated to move a cylinder 62 to an upper position such that ropes 67, 68 allow the gate 9 to descend to ground level. After raising the gate by reversing the action of the hydraulic unit 60 the other parts are returned to their original positions, the leg 74 in its horizontal raised position providing a support or safety catch for the gate 9. Instead of the leg 74, a unit similar to the unit 60 and having a rope and pulley system may be provided. A flap (77), Fig. 18 (not shown), may form a ramp when the gate is lowered. In a modification, Figs. 19, 20, upper and lower plates 79 connected to the chain 18 have projections 82 for engagement in notches 84 in the carriers 11. The plates 79 also have a pin 83 for engagement in a guideway 86 in the carrier. In use, after the carrier is engaged with the plates 79, latches 85 are engaged with cams 81 which are then rotated by a lever to hold the latches more firmly. Each container 5 has means for attaching a sealing strip (see Division E2) so that unauthorized or accidental opening of the container may be detected. The load-carrying and distributing apparatus may be used for the parking of cars in multistorey car parks. It may be used with air, sea, and rail goods vehicles and the conveyer may be used on the ground or on a floor.