DE29516419U1 - Device for picking up and lifting a container - Google Patents

Description

Rotating tainer technology
Company for special container construction mbH

Device for receiving and
Lifting a container

The invention relates to a device for picking up and lifting a container placed on the ground by means of a trailer vehicle, which device has: a horizontal, cage-shaped frame for gripping the container on its two longitudinal sides and one transverse side and a drawbar which is attached to the bottom of the frame and can be coupled to a shunting vehicle at its free end.

It is known to pick up containers using trailer vehicles, which essentially have a horizontal, U-shaped frame, without using a hoist, crane or the like. However, this depends very much on the skill of the driver of the towing vehicle, as he must bring the frame around the parked container in such a way that the two longitudinal parts of the frame are aligned parallel and at a sufficient distance from the long sides of the container. Even a slight deviation from this direction of movement in relation to the longitudinal alignment of the container leads to one of the two front vertical side edges of the container coming into contact with the frame. Further vehicle movement can lead to damage to the frame and the container, as considerable forces can be exerted depending on the weight of the container and the nature of the ground. Shunting situations are conceivable in which even the most skilled driver can no longer achieve the desired alignment of the U-shaped frame to the container, for example because the narrowness of the available space makes the shunting process impossible.

This situation becomes particularly problematic when the drawbar of the trailer vehicle or the U-shaped pickup frame can be swivelled around vertical axes and the shunting vehicle can also perform movements around vertical axes because it itself has steerable wheels.

It is not just the shunting situation that causes difficulties, there is also the fact that it is often desired to drive the shunting vehicle under the container to be picked up. This means that the container must first be lifted without a crane or similar being available.

The invention is based on the object of designing a device of the type mentioned at the beginning in such a way that containers can be picked up, raised and lowered. The device should also be designed in such a way that loaded containers can be transported on public roads without excessive width.

This is achieved by the features specified in the claims and in the description.

The invention is explained below by way of example with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal side view of a device according to the invention, with the vertical elements extended and retracted.

Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the device according to the

Invention, the upper illustration shows the situation with the retracted cross member and the lower illustration with the extended cross member.

Fig. 3 shows a rear view of the device according to the invention, the left-hand side illustration showing the retracted state and the right-hand side illustration showing the extended state in a version with auxiliary wheels.

In the figures, 10 indicates a drawbar with connection options for a shunting vehicle and a two-wheeled chassis.

A lower horizontal chassis frame in U-shape is attached to the drawbar, which is made up of two chassis supports 20 and 22 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and a cross member 21 extending in the transverse direction. The supports are designed to be telescopic so that they can be adjusted to different lengths using hydraulic cylinders.

The U-shaped frame 20, 21, 22 is dimensioned such that, when extended, it can encompass a container 50 placed on the ground. Two running gears 11 and 12 are located at the free rear ends of the chassis supports 20 and 22.

By extending and retracting the chassis longitudinal beams 20 and 22, the device can be adapted to containers of different lengths. By extending the cross beam 21 to its greatest length, the container 50 can be easily driven around. When the cross beam 21 is retracted, the two longitudinal beams 20 and 22 are spaced apart such that the frame loaded with a container 50 is slightly wider than

the container itself. The retracted state can be seen in the upper half of Figure 2, while the extended state can be seen in the lower half of Figure 2.

At the four corner points of the U-shaped frame 20, 21, 22 there are four essentially vertically aligned telescopic supports 30, 31, 32 and 33. The front supports 30 and 31 are connected to one another via a horizontal binder 35 extending in the transverse direction, the rear two supports 32 and 33 are also connected to one another via a horizontal binder 34 extending in the transverse direction.

The longitudinally extending binders 32 and 33 can also be designed to be telescopic. These binders can also serve as a guide for the rear binder 34. In this way, an upper square closed frame is formed, which is variable in its longitudinal and transverse extensions. Fastening means are provided on this frame, which can interact with the four upper fastening parts of commercially available containers.

Extendable feet are attached to the vertical supports 31 and 33, as can best be seen in Fig. 1.

On the opposite side, the vertical supports can be fitted with auxiliary wheels aligned transversely to the direction of travel, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 3 on the right.

Overall, the device according to the invention makes it possible to move a frame around a container placed on the ground, to pick up the container, to transport it or to transport the container together with the

Chassis or the lower U-shaped frame must be raised so that another transport vehicle can drive under the container.

In connection with the device according to the invention, two interesting aspects arise which could not previously be realized in known devices.

With the aid of the device according to the invention, a container placed on the ground can be driven around. The fastening means on the upper frame of the cage of the device according to the invention are fixed to the fastening parts of the container. In this state, the device according to the invention forms a structural unit together with the container. In this position, the device according to the invention can be raised by retracting the vertical elements; in this situation, it rests on the container as a supporting element. In the raised position, the vertically aligned elements can be retracted, in particular the wheels of the vehicle can be brought closer together without this being done under load.

When the transversely extending elements are retracted, the vertical elements can be extended again and the desired shunting or lifting process of the container can be accomplished.

Until now, such import operations were particularly problematic with known devices when the ground was unfavorable for the vehicle and the container. In this case, it could happen that the two wheels of the chassis could not be brought together or that the container moved into an unfavorable position in which further shunting operations were impossible.

The device according to the invention can also be placed on a transport vehicle without any aids, a crane or the like. For this purpose, the vertical elements are extended so far that the intended transport vehicle can drive under the raised wheels of the front chassis 10. The vertical elements are then retracted until the front chassis 10 rests on the loading area of the transport vehicle. In this situation, the lowering process is interrupted so that the device according to the invention rests on the rear supports. The receiving transport vehicle can now move relative to the stationary device according to the invention, with the wheels of the front chassis 10 rolling on the loading area until the rear wheels also reach the loading area. In this state, the device according to the invention can be placed on the vehicle in a transportable manner by retracting all the vertical elements.

A similar procedure can also be used if a container is to be placed on a loading vehicle using the device according to the invention.

Claims (2)

1. Device for picking up and lifting a container (50) placed on the ground by means of a trailer vehicle, characterized by the following features: a cage-shaped frame consisting of a lower U-shaped frame and an upper closed square frame, the lower U-shaped frame (20, 22, 21) is made of two chassis supports (20, 22) aligned horizontally in the direction of travel with a length slightly greater than the longitudinal extension of the container, the chassis supports (20, 22) are each equipped with a chassis (11, 12) at their free rear ends, one of the chassis supports (22) is designed with vertical extendable supports (31, 33, 30, 34) at the front and rear, phone
Telephone (040)381233 (040)381234 Telecopier Facsimile {040)38092 VAT No. DE13Q492Q22 .... Deutsche Bank AG Wamtetirg· Postbank
,·· Hamburg
•..tCto. No. 852 62-202
..Bank code 200100 20 Bayer. Vereinsbank Munich Account No. 46515 080 Bank code 700 202 70 the two supports (20, 22) are connected to each other at the front via a telescopic horizontal cross member (21) which can be connected to a shunting vehicle via a drawbar (10), four telescopic vertical supports (30, 31, 32, 33) are arranged at the corner points of the U-shaped chassis frame (20, 21, 22), which are connected to one another in the upper area via two longitudinal supports (32, 33) and two transverse supports (34, 35) to form a closed frame, and at least the cross-ties (35, 34) are designed to be telescopic. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the chassis support (20) is designed with vertically extendable auxiliary wheels at the front and rear, aligned transversely to the direction of travel.