WO2004048148A1

WO2004048148A1 - Freight-moving vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2004048148A1
Application number: PCT/NL2003/000825
Authority: WO
Inventors: Johan Adriaan Voogd
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-11-22
Filing date: 2003-11-24
Publication date: 2004-06-10
Anticipated expiration: 2005-05-22
Also published as: AU2003284831A1; NL1021980C2

Abstract

Freight-moving vehicle such as a delivery van, wherein the load space is provided with transport/guide means for moving freight, such as a pallet loaded with goods, inside the transport space. In the vehicle there is a movable stop against which the load comes into contact. It is also possible to unload the vehicle by these means. There are restraining means for restraining the load laterally during transport.

Description

Freight-moving vehicle

The present invention relates to a freight-moving vehicle/load bearer assembly, wherein said vehicle has an elongated load space provided with a loading opening on a short side, and also provided with a loading/unloading system arranged in said load space from said loading opening, wherein said loading/unloading system comprises transport/guide means for transporting/guiding the bottom of said load, stop means, which can be moved in the longitudinal direction of said vehicle and are embodied for placing against them an end limit of said load that extends perpendicularly to the direction of movement of said load, and restraining means that can be moved sideways, are fitted close to the loading floor of said load space and are embodied to engage on the sides of said load close to said bearing surface.

Such a construction is disclosed in FR 2 719 528 A. This document describes the placing of mobile containers in a vehicle. In order to hold the mobile containers in place, pressure plates, which are used close to the floor, are employed that clamp the mobile containers concerned with the aid of a gas spring. The containers extend over the entire height of the vehicle and the load is accommodated therein. Such a construction possibly suffices for containers, but not in the case of loads that are not accommodated in a container and that are subject to high accelerations and decelerations. Larger lorries are frequently so constructed that two pallets can be accommodated therein fitting precisely alongside one another. By positioning two pallets in this way lateral support is also obtained for the load, as a result of which the risk of shifting when driving round bends is reduced. By, moreover, always completely loading the lorry there is no risk of damage to the load when pulling away and braking. However, as soon as these conditions are not met there is a risk that the load will shift. This problem can be solved by the use of strapping belts and other lashing constructions. However, these are difficult to handle, take time and assume that it is possible for the driver or loader to move around the load. The use of gas springs does not prevent movement of the load. Especially in smaller vehicles problems arise with regard to shifting of a load. For instance, pallets with a load are transported in delivery vans. For this purpose the pallet is placed on the loading floor between the wheel arches of the delivery van. The consequence of this is that at a higher level, that is to say above the wheel arches, there is appreciable lateral free space, as a result of which the load is able to shift when driving round bends. Moreover, the problem of the load shifting in the forward and backward direction when the load space is not completely filled still arises.

A construction with which packs of glass can be secured in a railway wagon is disclosed in DE 198 55 733. For this purpose the packs are loaded in approximately the correct position in the railway wagon and are positioned and held in place with the aid of hydraulic jacks on the underside of the load bearer. The various features are so constructed that fixed supports located at a higher level become effective when positioning is precise. Such a construction is not suitable for securing loads with varying size. The aim of the present invention is to prevent the disadvantages described above.

This aim is realised with a vehicle as described above in that said restraining means comprise first restraining means that engage on said load at said first relatively low level and are embodied to hold said load in place and second restraining means that can be moved sideways, are independent of said first restraining means and engage on said load at a second, higher level.

According to the present invention a movable stop is provided. By this means it is possible to secure the front of the load, viewed in the direction in which it is introduced into the load space. The rear of the load can then be constituted by a fixed facility, such as the doors and sill or the like. That is to say, if one pallet is removed from a series of loads, such as a series of pallets, the size of the load space in the longitudinal direction can be adapted to this by moving the stop, so that it is always ensured that movement in the forward or backward direction is impossible or hardly possible. By, moreover, fitting restraining means that act laterally and that engage on the sides of the load and are able to restrain the latter, the effect of lateral shifting of the load when driving round bends, which has been described above, can be prevented. The first restraining means are so embodied that these are able to move a pallet with an appreciable force. Moreover, they are so embodied that they secure the pallet. Such as securing force is greater than the force that can be applied by a gas spring. Pneumatic, hydraulic or electric rams operating at high pressure are suitable for this purpose. The second restraining means act independently of the first restraining means, that is to say have their own drive and are able to adapt to the load. If the load consists of a stack of boxes on a pallet and this stack is not completely in line with the base surface of the pallet, it is possible with the aid of the second restraining means to make secure even in this position. By this means packs are prevented from falling off the pallet when driving round bends, braking and the like.

It must be understood that the present invention is not restricted to use in combination with pallets. So-called stacking trucks are another application. For these as well it is important that they occupy a stable position during transport. The first restraining means described above engage low on and position the stacking truck, whilst the second restraining means are embodied to hold the load in the truck inside the stacking truck. Moreover, there can be vertically acting struts to lift stacking trucks and thus make further movement thereof impossible or to provide for further restraining thereof.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the restraining means are ram means. These can be hydraulically, pneumatically or electrically operated. The restraining means can be also comprise a hinged fence construction. This applies in particular for the second restraining means, which serve mainly for positioning the load in a vehicle. These are subjected to forces that are less high.

More particularly, second restraining means, such as the hinged fence construction described above, can take effect over a relatively large surface. That is to say, contact between the load and the second restraining means is not point contact, but a linear contact and more particularly a contact over a surface. Such a surface has a surface area greater than 10 x 10 cm.

According to a further variant of the invention, the transport/guide means can comprise a roller track. A pallet can relatively simply be moved easily along a roller track. However, other constructions are possible, such as, for example, channels if a truck is placed in the load space. Such channels can, moreover, be so constructed that in the case of wider load spaces, where more than one truck can be placed alongside one another, turning is possible. It is also possible that the load is placed on a load bearer, such as a trolley, that is provided with rollers.

More particularly, the present invention relates to a freight-moving vehicle/load bearer assembly, wherein said vehicle comprises a vehicle as described above and said load bearer has a bearing surface, the loading floor of said load space of said vehicle or said bearing surface of said load bearer being provided with rollers, said first restraining means acting on said load bearer.

Furthermore, it is possible that drive means in the vehicle are present in the system so as to pull trucks, pallets and the like through the load space. Such displacement means are important in particular for loading. After all, the movable stop means described above can _t

4 be used for unloading. There can be a wide variety of types of constructions for engaging on the load. There can be a locking system operating with a pawl that interacts with the stop means described above so as to move a pallet into the desired position. Movement of such displacement means can be independent of the stop means or this displacement means can be constructed such that they can be coupled thereto. In all cases the necessary safety measures have been taken to prevent unsafe situations arising.

As described above, the vehicle according to the present invention can comprise a delivery van and more particularly a delivery van equipped to accommodate a pallet, such as a Euro pallet. A number of such pallets can be accommodated one behind the other in a delivery van. A typical number is three pallets and there is a corresponding number of lateral restraining means, in particular first restraining means, for positioning each pallet. The second restraining means can be common to a number of pallets but it is also possible to use individual restraining means.

Incidentally, it is possible to make one restraining means of the interacting restraining means located opposite one another static, that is to say this is mounted in a fixed position, whilst the other restraining means are constructed to press the load against the static restraining means. A variant of this can be that the static restraining means are provided with any type of spring construction that is simple to produce, a shift in the lateral direction towards the movable restraining means automatically taking place when the load is no longer pressed against the static restraining means.

It will be understood that the subject vehicle can be provided with a tailboard with a wide variety of constructions to facilitate loading and to secure the load. It is also possible to fit a sill extending along the load space at the entry to the load space, the freight having to be lifted over this sill in order to pass into the load space. A rear stop is provided by this means.

It will also be understood that the process of moving into a freight vehicle, moving the stop depending on the number of loads, moving the first restraining means and moving the second restraining means can be automated so that the loader merely has to press a single button in order to initiate the entire process. The same applies for unloading. Moreover, safety features can be incorporated, as a result of which driving the vehicle (at relatively high speed) is not possible as long as the load has not been secured.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to an illustrative embodiment shown in the drawing. In the drawing: Fig. 1 shows, diagrammatically, a side view of a delivery van provided with the loading/unloading system according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 shows a rear view of the delivery van shown in Fig. 1 into the load space thereof. In Fig. 1 a delivery van is indicated by 1. It will be understood that the invention is not restricted exclusively to delivery vans but can also be used with (wider) lorries, railway wagons and the like. This delivery van is provided with a driver's cab 2 and a load space 3. As can be seen from Fig. 2, two wheel arches 4 protrude into the load space and the gap of approximately 1.40 m between them is sufficient to accommodate a (Euro) pallet 15 with load.

In the delivery van there are two roller tracks 5 located some distance apart, between which there is a chain conveyor 6 driven by a motor 8. A stop 7 extending transversely is connected to the chain conveyor.

On either side of the load space there are first restraining means or rams 9. These can operate pneumatically, electrically or hydraulically. Furthermore, there are second restraining means indicated by 10. These consist of support fences that hingeable about shaft 11. These fences 10 can be rotated with the aid of a drive motor 12. There is also a control system, which is not shown in more detail. The construction described above operates as follows: In the case of an empty delivery van stop 7 is in a position such that precisely one pallet can be loaded. After it has been placed on the roller track 5, such a pallet can easily be pushed into the van by hand. However, such movement is not possible because of the stop 7. If only a single pallet or stacking truck is transported, the pallet will be restrained when the loading door is closed. It is also possible to install a fixed sill on the left in Figure 1, over which the pallet has to be placed before it lands on the roller track. Such a fixed sill can form a rear stop.

If a further pallet has to be loaded into the vehicle, the system according to the present invention is operated and the stop 7 moves forwards the length of one pallet. A second pallet can then be placed in the load space. Depending on the length of the vehicle, this operation can be repeated.

It is possible to install a separate drive to pull the load into the vehicle. However, this is not necessary in the case of the simplest embodiment of the present invention.

When the load is unloaded, movement of the pallet concerned can be obtained by simply moving stop 7 to the left (in Fig. 1). If the stop described above is present, it is first necessary to lift the load that is furthest to the back a little, for example through using a fork-lift truck, over the sill and to remove it, after which the load in front is in turn pushed against the fixed stop with the aid of the movable stop 7. If such a stop sill is not present, sill 7 will then be moved backwards to such an extent that a safe situation results when the load space is closed and the pallets are adequately secured in the forward/backward direction.

When the final position is reached, that is to say the position in which transport can take place, the rams 9 are operated first. By this means the pallet is pushed precisely into the correct position (left/right) with respect to the load space.

It is possible in, for example, larger lorries to place two pallets or other loads next to one another. In that case various loads located alongside one another can be positioned and pressed against one another using the first restraining means. After correctly positioning the bottom of the load, motor 12 can be operated, as a result of which the supporting fences 10 turn about hinges 11 and reach the position shown in Fig. 2, in which the load is fixed in place in such a way that the risk of damage and/or breaking free or shifting when driving round bends is prevented. In this context the positioning of the part of the load on which the supporting fences 10 act relative to the position of the pallet on which the load has been placed is of minor importance. As a result of the independent movement of the supporting fences 10 relative to the rams 9, optimum support of the load is always provided independently of the position of the pallet beneath it.

The construction described above can also be used for securing other types of loads, such as auction trolleys. In such a case the roller tracks must be replaced by channels in which the wheels of the auction trolleys or other trucks have to move. It has been found that with relatively simple means a construction is provided by means of which a delivery van, lorry or the like can be loaded in a simple manner. It is no longer necessary to work with complicated belts, whilst the risk of injury and the force required by the driver or loader are appreciably reduced, as a result of which working conditions improve.

By means of the present invention it is possible to restrain a load in two directions, as a result of which safe transport is possible. Moreover, it is possible to achieve unloading in a simple manner. Even a particularly heavy load can be moved safely.

After reading the above variants that are obvious and fall within the scope of the appended claims will be immediately apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. Freight-moving vehicle/load bearer assembly, wherein said vehicle (1) has an elongated load space (2) provided with a loading opening on a short side, and also provided with a loading/unloading system arranged in said load space from said loading opening, wherein said loading/unloading system comprises transport/guide means (5) for transporting/guiding the bottom of said load, stop means (7), which can be moved in the longitudinal direction of said vehicle and are embodied for placing against them an end limit of said load that extends perpendicularly to the direction of movement of said load, and restraining means (9, 10) that can be moved sideways, are fitted close to the loading floor of said load space and are embodied to engage on the sides of said load close to said bearing surface, characterised in that said restraining means (9, 10) comprise first restraining means (9) that engage on said load at said first relatively low level and are embodied to hold said load in place and second restraining means (10) that can be moved sideways, are independent of said first restraining means and engage on said load at a second, higher level.

2. Vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said restraining means comprise ram means.

3. Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said restraining means comprise a hinged fence construction (10).

4. The vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said transport/guide means comprise a roller track.

5. Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said transport/guide means comprise a channel.

6. Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said transport/guide means comprise engagement means that can be moved in the longitudinal direction of said load space for engaging on said load for moving the latter in the longitudinal direction.

7. Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a delivery van.

8. Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the load space is embodied to accommodate a pallet in the width direction.

9. Freight-moving vehicle/load bearer assembly, wherein said vehicle comprises a vehicle according to one of the preceding claims and said load bearer comprises a bearing surface, wherein the loading floor of said load space of said vehicle or said bearing surface of said load bearer is provided with rollers, wherein the first restraining means act on said load bearer.