GB2209311A

GB2209311A - Vehicle cover arrangements

Info

Publication number: GB2209311A
Application number: GB8720720A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Derrick Brunton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-09-03
Filing date: 1987-09-03
Publication date: 1989-05-10
Anticipated expiration: 2007-09-03
Also published as: GB2209311B; GB8720720D0

Abstract

A load-carrying floor of a vehicle such as a semi-trailer has three arms 20 each pivoted to the floor with one arm at each end of the floor and the third arm partway between the ends. Each arm has a cross-member 21 at the end thereof remote from the floor, and winch mechanisms 15, 16 and 17 are provided to raise each arm from a respective first position where the arm lies generally along the floor to a second position where the arm stands generally vertically from the floor. A cover is erected over the floor by having the arms in their first positions, spreading a sheet-like cover 25 over the arms, and then raising the arms to their second positions. The cover may then be tensioned, by pulling down on side curtains. <IMAGE>

Description

VEHICLE COVER ARRANGEMENT This invention relates to apparatus for erecting a cover over a load-carrying floor of a vehicle, and also to methods of erecting such covers.

Many vehicles do not include bodywork which encloses the goods: instead, the vehicle has a loadcarrying floor in the form of a simple flat bed, on which the goods may be loaded from the sides or rear, without interference from parts of the vehicle.

However, very often it is desired to protect goods carried on such flat bed load-carrying floors, and so it is the conventional practice to cover such goods with tarpaulin or like sheeting material, held down and made fast to the vehicle floor by means of ropes made off on cleats provided expressly for that purpose on the flat bed floor. Such a process is particularly time consuming, and for a large articulated trailer may take a vehicle driver up to one and a half hours satisfactorily to cover goods carried on that trailer.

Moreover, the sheeting of goods in this way is hazardous to the driver, for he has to walk over the goods carried on the vehicle whilst unfolding the sheeting, and apart from the risk of damage to the goods there is also the possibility that the driver may loose his footing and so injure himself.

In view of the problems associated with the covering of goods on a flat bed load-carrying floor, systems have been designed for permitting the erection of sheets over carried goods, by providing a plurality of rigid frames each of which may be mounted on the floor, with the frames spaced apart along the length thereof. Such systems are usually only employed on very large articulated trailers and the frames cannot therefore readily be removed when no load is being carried. Moreover, the frames limit access to the loadcarrying floor, from the sides thereof, and removal of the sheets from the side frames can also be difficult.

It is a principal aim of the present invention to provide apparatus and a method for erecting a cover over a load-carrying floor of a vehicle, which cover can rapidly be erected and removed, without the disadvantages associated with the types of cover described hereinbefore.

According to one aspect of this invention, there is provided apparatus for erecting a cover over a loadcarrying floor of a vehicle, which apparatus comprises, at both the front and rear ends of the floor, an arm which may be pivoted between a first position where the arm extends generally towards the other end of the floor and a second position where the arm extends generally vertically, each arm having a cross member extending across the width of the floor at the end of the arm remote from the pivotal connection of the arm to the floor, and there being means to lock each arm in its second position, whereby a cover may be placed over the arms when in their respective first positions, and then the arms pivoted to their respective second positions, so raising the cover to extend over the load-carrying floor.

It will be appreciated that with the apparatus of this invention, the cover must be erected before the load is placed on the floor of the vehicle. Though the cover will normally include side curtains, the cover may be erected with such side curtains thereof rolled and tied to the top portion of the cover, so that the cover as erected does not initially restrict access to the load-carrying floor, from the sides thereof. Then, when the floor has fully been loaded, the side curtains may be lowered and made fast to the floor by suitable straps, so completing the sheeting operation.

In an alternative arrangement, the cover may be provided with separate side curtains each slidably carried by a respective wire extending between the cross-members adjacent the top cover portion, whereby the side curtains may be drawn across a carried load when loading has been completed. A suitable tensioning arrangement may be provided for such sliding side curtains, if required.

Depending upon the length of the load-carrying floor which is to be covered, a further arm may be pivoted to the vehicle floor approximately mid-way therealong, the further arm having a similar configuration to the arms at the front and rear ends of the floor, and also being movable between a first position where that further arm extends generally to one or the other end of the vehicle, and a second position where that further arm extends generally vertically. By raising that further arm to its second position when the arms at the two ends of the floor also are moved to their second positions, the cover will be supported both at its end and approximately mid-way along the length thereof, so preventing significant droop in the cover, between the ends thereof.

Each arm preferably comprises a simple linear member, for example of box-section steel, provided with a cross-bar at its end remote from its pivotal connection to the vehicle floor. However, if it is important that the cover is supported at its corners, then each arm may take the form of an inverted U-shaped frame, whereby each limb of each frame may serve as a corner post for the cover, when the frames have been moved to their respective second positions.

Most preferably, each arm has a socket portion which is pivoted to the vehicle, the main part of the arm being receivable in that socket portion and adjustable axially with respect thereto. For the case of an arm of generally square cross-sectional shape, the socket portion should be of hollow square crosssectional form, with the internal dimensions thereof substantially the same as the external dimensions of the main portion of the arm. The main portion then may be slid axially of the socket portion, and locked in a desired position by means of a pin passed through holes formed in both the socket portion and the main portion of the arm. In this way, the cover may be erected to the minimum required height to cover the load carried on the floor, and this has advantages from the point of view of fuel economy.

Most preferably, a winch arrangement is provided to assist the pivoting of each arm between its first and second positions. Such a winch may be manually or powered operated, depending upon the particular configuration. Other suitable arrangements may be provided for raising and lowering the arms, between their first and second positions, such as hydraulic rams, screw-threaded connections, or the like.

This invention extends to a vehicle having a loadcarrying floor, whenever provided with apparatus for erecting a cover over that load-carrying floor and in accordance with this invention, as described above.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of erecting a cover over a load-carrying floor of a vehicle, provided with a pair of arms pivoted one to each end of the floor, a cross-bar being provided at the end of each arm remote from its pivotal connection to the floor which cross-bar extends across the width of the floor, in which method the pair of arms are pivoted to respective first positions where each arm extends generally towards the other end of the floor, a flexible sheet material cover is placed over the floor and arms pivoted thereto, and then the two arms are pivoted to respective second positions where each arm extends generally vertically upwardly, so raising the cover to be supported solely by the cross-bars at the upper ends of the arms.

It is preferred for the method of erecting a cover to be completed by applying tension vertically downwardly to the side edges of the cover, for example by means of straps or ropes secured te the cover and made fast on the edges of the vehicle load-carrying floor.

By way of example only, one specific embodiment of this invention will now be described in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side view of an articulated vehicle trailer having a flat-bed load-carrying floor, and incorporating cover erecting apparatus constructed and arranged in accordance with this invention; Figure 2 is a plan view on the trailer of Figure 1, but on a different scale; Figure 3 is a view corresponding to that of Figure 1, but showing a cover over the trailer, when partially erected; Figure 4 is a further side view of the trailer of Figure 1, but with the cover fully erected and the trailer laden with goods; Figure 5 shows the trailer of Figure 1 with the cover fully erected and the side curtains lowered; Figure 6 is a detail view on the arm arrangement at the front of the trailer;; Figure 7 is a detail view on the arm arrangement at the centre of the trailer; Figure 8 is a detail view of the arm arrangement at the rear of the trailer; and Figure 9 is a side view of an alternative form of cover for use with cover-erecting apparatus of this invention.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown an articulated vehicle trailer 10 having at the front end 11 thereof a king pin 12 allowing connection of the trailer to a tractor, and having a pair of road wheels 13 adjacent the rear end of the trailer. A conventional jockey wheel arrangement 14 is provided, for use when the trailer is disconnected from a tractor.

In order to allow the trailer to be provided with a cover sheet in accordance with this invention, the trailer is provided with three mechanisms 15, 16 and 17, disposed respectively at the front, centre and rear of the trailer. When however the cover is not to be in its erected state, the fabric cover proper is rolled and tied to the trailer deck, as shown at 18, and the three arms forming a part of the cover erecting apparatus are stacked one on top of the other at the front of the trailer, as shown at 1 9. Each arm comprises a main portion 20 and a transverse cross-bar 21 affixed to one end the main portion 20, the cross-bar having a width substantially equal to the width of the trailer and having the main portion 20 extending centrally of the cross-bar, at right angles thereto.

Each of the mechanisms 15, 16 and 17 includes a socket portion 22, 23 and 24 respectively, pivoted to the trailer and provided with means to permit that socket portion to be moved from a first position where the axis of the socket portion lies at a relatively small angle to the horizontal, and a second position where the axis of the socket portion extends generally vertically, as will be described in greater detail below.

In order to erect a cover over the trailer floor, the socket portions 22, 23 and 24 of the mechanisms 15, 16 and 17 respectively are pivoted to their first positions, where the axes thereof extend at a slight angle to the horizontal, and then the main portions 20 of the three T-bars constituted by those main portions 20 and cross-bars 21 are inserted one into each socket member respectively. The cover sheet 25 is unrolled and spread out over the trailer, so as to overlie the crossbars 21, of the three arms.Then, as illustrated in Figure 3, each arm is raised to a second position where it extends generally vertically, by causing the respective socket portion 22, 23 and 24 to be pivoted to the positions illustrated in Figures 1 and 4, so that the three main portions 20 extend vertically upwardly from the trailer floor and the cross-bars 21 extend laterally thereacross, at a height defined by the length of the main portions 20: this is illustrated in Figure 4.

Prior to the erection of the cover 25 in the manner described above, the side curtains of the cover 25 may be tied by suitable cords to the top portion 26 thereof, so that when the cover has been erected, access to the load-carrying floor of the trailer may be gained from the sides thereof, as illustrated in Figure 4.

Then, when the trailer has fully been loaded, the side curtains 27 may be lowered, and made fast to the sides of the trailer by means of the straps 28, or other suitable cords.

Referring to Figure 6, there is shown the mechanism 15 at the front of the trailer. A plate 30 is secured to the trailer floor 31, the plate 30 having at its forward end a bracket 32, to which is pivoted the socket portion 22 for receiving the main portion 20 of one of the T-bar arms. At the upper end of the bracket 32 there is provided a support 33 for a pulley 34, a steel wire 35 being secured to the support 33, passing round a pulley 36 pivotally mounted on the socket portion 22, then passing round the pulley 34 and being connected to a winch 37 mounted on the bracket 32, adjacent the lower end thereof.Use of the winch 37 thus allows the socket member 22 to be lowered by a pivoting action in the clockwise sense (in Figure 6) to a position where the axis of the socket portion 22 is substantially horizontal; equally, the winch 37 allows that socket member 22 to be raised once more, to the position illustrated in Figure 6. A lock mechanism 38 is provided, to lock the socket member 22 when in its raised position.

Though not illustrated in Figure 6, means are provided to allow the position of the main portion 20 of a T-bar arm to be adjusted with respect to the socket member 22, as will be described below with reference to Figure 8.

Figure 7 illustrates the mechanism 16 provided centrally of the trailer floor. The socket member 23 of this mechanism is pivoted to the trailer chassis 40 by means of a hinge pin 41 passing through hinge plates 42 secured to the socket member 23, and also through suitable holes provided in the chassis. A winch 43 including a steel wire 44 passing round a pulley 45 provided adjacent the lower end of the socket member 23 is arranged to allow the socket member 23 to be moved between a position where that socket member has its axis extending generally horizontally, and the position illustrated in Figure 7. When however a T-bar arm main portion 20 has been inserted in the socket member 23, the winch also may be used to control lowering of that arm to a generally horizontal position.

Stop plates 46 are provided on the trailer chassis to prevent the socket member 23 being pulled by the winch 43 through a vertical position, and a lock pin 47 may be passed through aligned holes 48 provided in a further pair of plates 49 attached to the trailer chassis 40, to retain the socket member 23 in its vertical position, when moved to that position.

A screw-threaded jack arrangement 50, including a lifting platform 51 and a handle 52 is provided to allow a T-bar arm carried by the socket member 23 to be raised and lowered, as required. In this way, the tension in the cover may be adjusted when the cover has fully been erected, by operating the handle 52. Figure 8 shows the mechanism 17 arranged at the rear of the trailer 10, including a sub-frame 55 secured both to the rear member 56 of the trailer and a crash-bar 57 of that trailer.

The sub-frame 55 has a pair of lugs 58 by means of which the socket member 24 is pivoted to the sub-frame, using a hinge pin 59, the sub-frame 55 further including a locking pin 60 which may be received in a hole provided in the socket member 24, to lock that socket member in a vertical position. The trailer is provided with a winch bar 61 having a ratchet arrangement 62 at one end thereof, a steel wire 63 from that winch passing round a pulley 64 mounted on the socket member 24, and being secured to a suitable anchor point 65.

As illustrated in Figure 8, the lower end of the main portion 20 of a T-bar arm is provided with a series of height adjustment holes 66, such that when the main portion 21 is inserted into the socket member 24, the overall height of the cross-member 21 above the hinge pin 59 may be adjusted, using a pin (not shown) passing through holes 67 in the socket member 24 and through the holes 66 in the main portion 21. A similar arrangement for adjusting the height of the front T-bar main portion is also provided, for use with socket member 22.

Figure 9 shows an alternative form of cover for use with apparatus as described above; in Figure 9 like parts with those of Figures 1 to 8 are given like reference characters and those parts will not be described again here. In this arrangement, two wires 70 are made fast one at each end of the front cross-bar 21 and extend forwardly over respective pulleys 71 disposed one on each end of the rear cross-bar 21, and then down to respective winches 72 adapted to allow tensioning of the wires when the T-bars have been erected. On each side of the trailer, a side curtain 73 i sprovided, each side curtain having a series of rings 74 along its upper edge, by means of which the curtain is suspended from the respective wire 70. Each side curtain may thus be slid along the length of the trailer, to expose or cover a carried load.

Each side curtain may when extended be tensioned lengthwise by securing the front and rear edges of the curtain to suitable poles, the rear poles then being fastened adjacent the rear corner of the trailer and the front pole being mounted for rotation about a vertical axis by a handle arrangement 75, so as to wind up and tension the curtain. Then, the lower edge of the curtain may be strapped or otherwise tied down to the trailer floor, in the usual way for trailer sheets.

Instead of a simple pole, the front and rear curtain edges may be clamped between a air of strips (not shown) hinged at one end and having a suitable clip arrangement at their other ends. This permits the most rapid connection of the curtain to a pole arrangement suitable to permit the curtain to be wound up so tensioning the curtain, and also allows the curtain to be folded easily, simply by releasing the curtain from the pole arrangement.

It will be appreciated that using the apparatus of the present invention, a cover sheet for a trailer may be erected in a most rapid and simple manner, using hand winches, and without the need for an operator to climb over goods loaded on to the vehicle. The cover sheet may be tensioned as appropriate following the erection thereof, by tightening straps or ropes to the vehicle load-carrying floor, and by using the jacking arrangement 50 associated with the central mechanism 16, further tensioning of the cover sheet 25 may be applied, so as to prevent the flapping thereof.

An important advantage stemming from the use of the cover erecting apparatus of this invention is that the cover may readily be removed when the trailer is not being used to carry goods, so that the trailer may present a much reduced wind resistance as compared to a trailer where the cover is left erected. Consequently, most significant fuel savings may be expected, as well as savings in the turn-around time, when operating a vehicle fitted with cover erecting apparatus of this invention.

Claims

1. Apparatus for erecting a cover over a load-carrying floor of a vehicle, which apparatus comprises, at both the front and rear ends of the floor, an arm which may be pivoted between a first position where the arm extends generally towards the other end of the floor and a second position where the arm extends generally vertically, each arm having a cross member extending across the width of the floor at the end of the arm remote from the pivotal connection of the arm to the floor, and there being means to lock each arm in its second position, whereby a cover may be placed over the arms when in their respective first positions, whereafter the arms may be pivoted to their respective second positions, so raising the cover to extend over the load-carrying floor.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in combination with a sheet material cover having a top portion of substantially the same shape and size as the vehicle floor and at least one pair of side curtains.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the side curtains are separate from the top cover and are each slidably carried by a respective wire extending between the cross-members adjacent the cover top portion, whereby the side curtains may be drawn across a carried load when loading has been completed.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a tensioning arrangement is provided for the sliding side curtains, to stretch the curtains along the length of the vehicle floor.

5. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein a further arm is pivoted to the vehicle floor approximately mid-way therealong, the further arm having a similar configuration to the arms at the front and rear ends of the floor and also being movable between a first position where that further arm extends generally to one or other end of the vehicle, and a second position where that further arm extends generally vertically.

6. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each arm comprises a linear member provided with a cross bar at its end remote from its pivotal connection to the vehicle floor.

7. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein each arm is in the form of an inverted U-shaped frame, whereby each limb of each frame may serve as a corner post for the cover, when the frames have been moved to their respective second positions.

8. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein each arm has a socket portion which is pivoted to the vehicle, the main part of the arm being receivable in that socket portion and being adjustable axially with respect thereto.

9. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a winch arrangement is provided to assist the pivoting of each arm between its first and second positions.

10. Apparatus for erecting a cover over a load-carrying floor of a vehicle and substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

11. A vehicle having a load carrying floor whenever provided with apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 10.

12. A method of erecting a cover over a load-carrying floor of a vehicle provided with a pair of arms pivoted one to each end of the floor, a cross-bar being provided at the end of each arm remote from its pivotal connection to the floor which cross-bar extends across the width of the floor, in which method the pair of arms are pivoted to respective first positions where each arm extends generally towards the other end of the floor, a flexible sheet material cover is placed over the floor and arms pivoted thereto, and then the two arms are pivoted to respective second positions where each arm extends generally -vertically upwardly, so raising the cover to be supported by the cross-bars at the upper ends of the arms.

13. A method according to claim 12, in which the erection of the cover is completed by applying tension vertically downwardly to the side edges of the cover.

14. A method of erecting a cover over the load-carrying floor of a vehicle and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.