Patent Publication Number: US-2004052622-A1

Title: Powered moveable stowage

Description:
[0001] This invention relates to the stowage of equipment such as ladders on the top of vehicles and in particular with a means by which these items can be conveniently loaded and unloaded in a controlled manner by an operator standing on the ground.  
       [0002] Fire brigades commonly carry ladders and other equipment on top of their vehicles. Health and safety requirements now necessitate that these items are accessed from ground level and manual handling limits restrict the amount of effort available from the operators. Existing systems designed to meet this requirement utilise the operators to provide the motive force required to move the stowage and the item upon it. Various means are also used to control the movements during the transition from the horizontal stowed state to the near vertical access position. Such systems have the disadvantage of requiring the operators to provide the motive power and thereby increasing the number of operators required as well as restricting the scope of permitted operation.  
       [0003] An object of this invention is to provide a roof top stowage that is operable from ground level and is powered throughout its movement and that of the stowed item upon it whilst requiring minimal input from a single operator.  
       [0004] According to this invention there is provided a moveable stowage on top of a vehicle comprising a longitudinal member, means for releasably securing the longitudinal member in the stowed position, the longitudinal member being adapted to travel over a base member that is pivotally mounted on the vehicle so as to move the longitudinal member from a substantially horizontal stowed position to an angular access position, and upon said longitudinal member a moveable attachment for connecting the stowed item to the longitudinal member such that the stowed item can be moved on to and off the longitudinal member, all movements being caused and controlled by powered means. 
     
    
    
     [0005] A specific embodiment of this invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings of which:— 
     [0006]FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the stowage in the stowed position, the stowage being viewed from a location displaced to the right of the stowage.  
     [0007]FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating the stowage in the access position. 
    
    
     [0008] A vehicle such as a fire tender used by the fire brigades has on its top a moveable stowage for a ladder. A moveable stowage comprising a longitudinal member  10 , means (not shown) for releasably securing the longitudinal member  10  in the stowed position shown in FIG. 1. Mounted on the longitudinal member  10  a closed loop transmission means  11  driven by a motive force  12  and tensioned and returned by a returning means  13 . An attachment means  14  by which the stowed item  15  is attached to the stowage, forms part of the transition means  11  where bye the stowed item  15  may be propelled back and forth along the longitudinal member  10  using guide means (not shown). The longitudinal member  10  being adapted to move back and forth on a second guide means (not shown), to and from a stowed position (see FIG. 1) on a base member  16  pivotally attached to a mounting  17  allowing it to pivot to an access position as shown in FIG. 2. The longitudinal member  10  also comprising a linear second transmission means  18  that is powered by a second motive force  19  such that the longitudinal member  10  can be propelled in its movements on the base member  16 . Attached to the base member  16  and also to a second mounting  20  a third motive force  21  exerts forces to the base member  16  off set to the pivot causing it to pivot about the mounting  17  to and from the stowage position shown in FIG. 2. A control system (not shown) consisting of a number of sensors (not shown) that sense the ends of the movements and ensures their operation in the correct order and for the necessary duration. The sequence of events being that the latch (not shown) retaining the longitudinal member  10  is released and the motive force  19  propels by the linear transmission means  18  the longitudinal member  10  along the base member  16  away from the stowed position shown in FIG. 1 to a pre-set position. The third motive force  21  then exerts a force between the base member  16  and the second mounting  20  pivoting the base member  16  about the mounting  17  until the access position shown in FIG. 2 is reached. The motive force  12  then exerts a force via the closed loop transmission means  11  around the returning means  13  causing the attachment means  14  together with the stowed item  15  to traverse the longitudinal member  10  to the access position shown in FIG. 2. Transition from the access position shown in FIG. 1 to the stowed position shown in FIG. 2 is achieved by the motive force  12  exerting a force causing the attachment means  14  together with the stowed item  15  to traverse the longitudinal member  10  to the stowage position on the longitudinal member  10  shown in FIG. 2. The third motive force  21  then exerts a force between the base member  16  and the second mounting  20  pivoting the base member  16  about the mounting  17  until the substantially horizontal stowage position of the base member  16  shown in FIG. 2 is reached. Then the motive force  19  propels the linear second transmission means  18  thereby moving the longitudinal member  10  along guide means (not shown) on the base member  16  away from the pre-set position shown in FIG. 2 to the stowed position shown in FIG. 1.