Patent Publication Number: US-10329087-B2

Title: Transport carrier with enhanced loading/unloading

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application claims the filing benefits of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 62/526,587, filed Jun. 29, 2017, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to transport carriers or containers for transporting large articles and, more particularly, to a transport container for transporting multiple caskets in a vehicle. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Typically, caskets or coffins are manually loaded one-by-one into a carrier or trailer of a transport vehicle or truck body. The carrier or trailer or truck body has two fixed shelves along the walls of the truck to provide two levels of loaded caskets. The caskets are manually loaded one at a time into the truck by one or more people. The task of loading multiple caskets is time consuming and difficult due to the requirement that the loading personnel have to walk or crawl the caskets back into the truck to place the casket on the fixed shelves or the floor of the truck. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a transport carrier or container for transporting a plurality of articles (such as caskets or coffins or other large-scale items). The transport carrier comprises an extendable and retractable bed slide or platform or ramp that is extended for loading articles thereon. The transport carrier also comprises spaced apart raisable/lowerable shelves that are disposed along opposite sides of the carrier, with the platform (when retracted) disposed between the shelves. The loaded platform is retracted such that (when the shelves are lowered) the opposite ends of the articles are disposed over the respective shelves, such that the shelves are raised to lift the articles above the platform. The platform is then extended for loading of additional articles and then retracted so that the platform and additional articles are disposed below the shelves and first-loaded articles. 
     Therefore, the present invention provides a transport carrier or container for transporting two rows or levels of articles (such as caskets). The bed slide and shelves are cooperatively operated to load the articles into the carrier and to unload the articles from the trailer. The transport carrier can be loaded by a single operator (who may extend/retract the platform by actuating one or more buttons or the like and who may raise/lower the shelves by actuating one or more buttons or the like), while avoiding any requirement for the operator to walk or crawl into the transport carrier to load or unload the articles. Because the articles are loaded without requiring any loading operator to walk into the carrier, the present invention provides a low profile carrier that is easier to load and unload by a single operator. 
     These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of the present invention will become apparent upon review of the following specification in conjunction with the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a transport container in accordance with the present invention, shown with the shelf lowered and the bed slide retracted; 
         FIG. 2  is another perspective view of the transport container of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a front elevation of the transport container of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is another perspective view of the transport container of  FIG. 1 , shown with a portion of the outer walls removed to show additional detail; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the transport container of the present invention, shown with the shelf raised and the bed slide retracted; 
         FIG. 6  is another perspective view of the transport container of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a front elevation of the transport container of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 8  is another perspective view of the transport container of  FIG. 5 , shown with a portion of the outer walls removed to show additional detail; 
         FIGS. 9 and 10  are perspective view of the shelf raising and lowering mechanism of the transport container of the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the transport container of the present invention, shown with the shelf lowered and the bed slide extended; 
         FIG. 12  is another perspective view of the transport container of  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the transport container of the present invention, shown with the shelf lowered and the bed slide retracted, and with the outer walls removed to show additional details; 
         FIG. 14  is another perspective view of the transport container of the present invention, shown with the shelf raised and the bed slide retracted, and with the outer walls removed to show additional details; 
         FIG. 15  is another perspective view of the transport container of the present invention, shown with the shelf lowered and the bed slide extended, and with the outer walls removed to show additional details; 
         FIG. 16  is an underside perspective view of the transport container of the present invention, shown with the shelf lowered and the bed slide retracted, and with the outer walls removed to show additional details; and 
         FIG. 17  is another underside perspective view of the transport container of the present invention, shown with the shelf lowered and the bed slide extended, and with the outer walls removed to show additional details. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depicted therein, a transport container or carrier  10  is configured to be mounted at or attached at a vehicle (not shown), so that the transport container can be transported from one location to another for transporting a plurality of containers or articles therein, such as, for example, coffins or caskets or other large articles or containers. The transport container  10  includes a frame structure  12  that is configured for attachment at a vehicle trailer or bed or the like, with an outer housing  14  attached to the frame structure  12 . The transport container  10  includes an extendable and retractable ramp or platform or bed slide  16  and raisable and lowerable shelves  18 , which cooperate to load two rows of articles in the housing  14  without requiring manual lifting of the articles, as discussed below. The articles are loaded without the operator having to enter the transport container, as also discussed below. Because the articles are loaded without requiring any loading personnel to walk into the container  10 , the present invention provides a low profile container to provide a more aerodynamic container and vehicle. 
     The housing  14  may comprise any suitable housing having a floor  14   a , side walls  14   b , a front end wall  14   c  and a top  14   d . For example, the housing may comprise a metal housing or the like. A door is provided at the rear end of the housing and is openable to load and unload the articles and closeable when the articles are loaded/unloaded for transporting the transport container and articles loaded therein. 
     The ramp or bed slide  16  includes a plurality of rollers that roll along and within opposite channels  20  disposed along the floor  14   a  of the container housing. The bed slide is extendable and retractable via an actuator  22 , such as a rotational driving actuator or motor  22   a  (such as an electrically-powered motor or a hydraulic motor) that rotates a threaded rod  22   b . As shown in  FIGS. 16 and 17 , the threaded rod  22   b  has one end supported at the motor  22   a  and the other end supported at an outer support  22   c  at the floor of the container. The threaded rod  22   b  threadedly engages a threaded structure  16   a  at the bottom of the bed slide  16 . The threaded structure  16   a  (and the bed slide  16 ) thus moves along the threaded rod as the rod is rotated to extend or retract the bed slide relative to the housing. The threaded structure  16   a  may be positioned at a location along the bed slide  16  such that, when the bed slide is retracted, the threaded structure is at or near the motor  22   a  ( FIG. 16 ), and when the bed slide is extended, the threaded structure is at or near the outer support  22   c  of the threaded rod ( FIG. 17 ). Optionally, the threaded structure  16   a  may also function as a mechanical stop when it engages the outer support when the bed slide is fully extended. Although shown and described as a screw-drive type actuator, clearly other types of actuators, such as a hydraulic cylinder or the like, may be implemented to provide generally linear or translational movement of the bed slide relative to the floor of the carrier, while remaining within the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     When retracted ( FIGS. 1-8 ), the ramp or bed slide  16  is disposed between the spaced apart shelves  18 . In the illustrated embodiment, the shelves  18  each comprise generally L-shaped shelves, with a support surface  18   a  for supporting articles loaded thereon, and an attachment portion  18   b  that attaches the respective shelf to a pair of vertically oriented supports  24 . The shelves may slide or roll along the supports  24  responsive to adjustment by a raising/lowering mechanism  26 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the raising/lowering mechanism  26  comprises a scissor mechanism that has two cross members  28 ,  30  pivotally joined at their center regions and attached at one end to the shelf attachment portion  18   b  and at the other end to a support structure  32  of the mechanism that is attached at the floor of the container. As best seen with reference to  FIGS. 13 and 14 , an upper end of one of the arms or members  28  is slidably or movably attached at and movable along a slot  18   c  of the shelf attachment portion  18   b , while a lower end of the other of the arms or members  30  is slidably or movably attached at and movable along a slot  32   a  of the support structure  32  (with the opposite ends of the arms or members  28 ,  30  being pivotally attached at the support structure and shelf attachment portion, respectively). An actuator  34  (such as a hydraulic cylinder or other type of linear actuator) is pivotally mounted at and between the support structure  32  and one of the arms or members  28 . Thus, when the actuator  34  is retracted, the arms  28 ,  30  function to lower the shelf along the vertical supports  24  ( FIG. 13 ) and when the actuator is extended, the arms  28 ,  30  function to raise the shelf along the vertical supports  24  ( FIG. 14 ), with the sliding or moving ends of the arms sliding or moving along the slots  18   c ,  32   a  as the shelf is raised and lowered. Although shown and described as a scissor-type raising/lowering mechanism, clearly other types of raising/lowering mechanisms, such as two or four post hoist designs or the like, may be implemented to vertically move the shelves relative to the floor and bed slide of the carrier, while remaining within the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     When the shelves  18  are lowered, the support surface  18   a  of each shelf is disposed at or below a level of the upper surface of the ramp or bed slide  16 . Thus, when articles are disposed on the bed slide and the bed slide is retracted, the ends of the articles are disposed over the support surfaces  18   a  of the shelves, whereby the shelves  18  may be raised to raise or lift the articles up from the bed slide to a raised position. 
     Thus, when loading articles (such as caskets) into the container or carrier  10 , an operator may actuate a user input (such as a button or switch or lever) to cause the motor to extend the ramp or bed slide outward from the container. When the bed slide is fully extended (for example, for a fifteen foot long bed slide, the bed slide may extend out about twelve feet from the container), a plurality of caskets are loaded onto the bed slide side-by-side, with their head and feet ends extending from the respective sides of the bed slide (for example, six typical sized caskets may be loaded onto a fifteen foot long bed slide). After the bed slide is loaded, the operator actuates another user input (such as another button or switch or lever or the same input as before) to cause the motor  22   a  to retract the bed slide into the container. When the bed slide (and caskets) are in the container (with the shelves in their lowered position), the ends of the caskets are disposed over the shelves. The operator then actuates another user input (such as another button or switch or lever or the same input as before) to cause the actuator  34  to raise the shelves (and the first set of caskets) upward to their raised position (which is at least as high above the bed slide as the height of a large casket). The operator can then extend the bed slide again and load a second set of caskets onto the bed slide, and then retract the bed slide such that the bed slide (and second set of caskets) are disposed in the container and below the shelves and first set of caskets. The operator thus can load the container or carrier with two levels of caskets (such as twelve caskets) without having to set foot in the container or carrier. The operator can then close the rear door and the vehicle and container can be driven to deliver the caskets to the desired location or locations. 
     When unloading, the caskets can be unloaded in order (the lower or second set of caskets first, then the upper or first set of caskets). For example, an operator (such as at a funeral home) can open the container door and actuate the user input to extend the bed slide (with the second set of caskets), whereby one or more of the second set of caskets can be easily removed from the extended bed slide and placed on “church cart” (or other similar transport or cart) and wheeled into the funeral home. After the second set of caskets are unloaded, the shelves are lowered (with the bed slide in its retracted position) so that the first set of caskets are supported on the bed slide (as the shelves are lowered so their support surfaces are below the upper surface of the bed slide). The bed slide can then be extended again and one or more of the first set of caskets can be removed from the extended bed slide and placed on a cart and wheeled into the funeral home. 
     Optionally, for situations where the bed slide may be only partially loaded during transport, the bed slide may include one or more stop tabs or feet or stops  36  that are adjustably positioned along the bed slide. For example, if only three caskets are loaded as the second set of caskets (so that those three caskets will be transported while on the bed slide), the feet may be positioned half-way along the fifteen foot long bed slide. The feet thus may be positioned so as to hold the caskets in place on the bed slide, particularly if the bed slide is supporting less than full capacity of caskets. The feet thus keep the caskets from bouncing around in the container or carrier as it is driven or transported by the vehicle or truck. Optionally, the feet may be partially inserted into appropriate holes or slots along the bed slide after the caskets are loaded. 
     Therefore, the present invention provides a transport container for transporting two rows or levels of articles (such as caskets). The transport container can be loaded by a single operator, while avoiding any requirement for the operator to walk or crawl into the transport container. Although described herein as being particularly suitable for transporting multiple caskets or coffins, it is envisioned that the transport carrier or container of the present invention is suitable for use in transporting other large articles or items or containers, while remaining within the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     Changes and modifications in the specifically described embodiments may be carried out without departing from the principles of the present invention, which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims as interpreted according to the principles of patent law.