AU2015271944B2 - Vehicle access device - Google Patents

Abstract

There is disclosed an access gantry for accessing elevated levels on a trailer of a vehicle comprising: a frame member pivotally movable with respect to said vehicle, said frame member having an upper platform and/or a lower platform and a ladder for accessing the upper platform and/or the lower platform; a pivot element mountable to a ground surface and configured to engage with the frame member to define a pivot point about which the frame member moves; and one or more rolling supports supporting said frame member on a ground surface, the or each rolling support facilitating pivotal movement of the frame member about the pivot point between a working position whereby the frame member is aligned substantially parallel with the vehicle, and an idle position whereby the frame member is aligned at an angle to the vehicle. \ 0

Description

\ 0

VEHICLE ACCESS DEVICE RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority from earlier filed Australian provisional patent application No. 2014905139 filed 18 December 2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a device for handling animals present in a vehicle, and in particular, to a device for safely accessing and handling animals loaded in a stock crate of a vehicle for transportation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In most livestock farming practices, there exists a constant need to transport livestock between a variety of locations. These locations may comprise transporting livestock between farms, feedlots, saleyards and/or abattoirs, depending upon the specific requirements of the owner of the livestock. In many instances, transportation of livestock is carried out by way of road transport vehicles, such as semitrailers or trucks, which are equipped with stock crates for containing the animals in a safe and enclosed environment for transportation.

Conventional stock crates are typically loaded on to a trailer of a vehicle and comprise open enclosures into which the animals are loaded. In some instances the stock crates may comprise two or more levels having enclosed pens provided in each level or deck for receiving the animals therein. The walls of the stock crates may be enclosed with metal sheeting or may be formed from open bars arranged around the walls of the crate, to provide air flow and visible access to the animals for monitoring purposes.

In order to load and unload the animals into the crates, loading races are typically employed that have a ramp to direct the animals into and out of, the crate. Each of the levels of the crates may have pens with a gate located therebetween, through which the animals pass from the loading races. The animals are typically loaded into the crates in a density sufficient to enable the animals to support themselves during travel and to have a degree of movement and space to enable them to turn around to facilitate unloading.

The act of loading and unloading the stock crates typically involves one or more individuals located at the loading race to encourage the animals to climb up or down the loading race and in to/out of the stock crate. One or more individuals are also typically required to be positioned along the stock crate to ensure that the animals move along the crate towards the front or rear of the crate as required facilitating loading/unloading of the animals. As the stock crate may typically have internal gates that require opening and closing, it is common that individuals climb onto the side of the stock crate to reach into the interior of the stock crates to manipulate the gates. When the stock crate is positioned on a trailer of a vehicle, the height of the stock crate may be considerable, especially when an individual is accessing the upper level. As such, should an individual fall from the crate it is possible that the height of the fall may cause injury to the individual, especially when the crate is slippery due to the presence of rain or other forms of liquid.

While harness systems and the like have been employed to improve the safety of individuals climbing on the walls of the stock crates to access the animals contained therein, such systems require the individuals to correctly attach the harness and require that the harness is appropriately maintained and present for use. Hence, despite the best intentions of the owners of the transport vehicles to ensure that their workers use safety devices provided for this purpose, it is often the responsibility of the vehicle driver to wear the device, which can be often dismissed by the individual, resulting in the individual adopting unsafe work practices that can place their health and safety in considerable risk.

Thus, there is a need to provide a safety system that can be used in association with a vehicle carrying a stock crate that provides safe and easy access of the workers to the animals present within the stock crates and which can be simply activated and deactivated for use.

The above references to and descriptions of prior proposals or products are not intended to be, and are not to be construed as, statements or admissions of common general knowledge in the art. In particular, the above prior art discussion does not relate to what is commonly or well known by the person skilled in the art, but assists in the understanding of the inventive step of the present invention of which the identification of pertinent prior art proposals is but one part.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION

The invention according to one or more aspects is as defined in the independent claims. Some optional and/or preferred features of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

Accordingly, in one aspect of the invention there is provided a gantry arrangement for accessing a stock crate on a vehicle comprising: a frame member pivotally movable with respect to said vehicle, said frame member having an upper support platform and a lower support platform and a ladder for accessing the upper support platform and the lower support platform; a pivot element mountable to a ground surface and configured to engage with the frame member; and one or more rolling supports supporting said frame member on a ground surface, the or each rolling support facilitating pivotal movement of the frame member between a working position whereby the frame member is aligned substantially parallel with the vehicle, and an idle position whereby the frame member is aligned at an angle to the vehicle.

Accordingly, in another aspect of the invention there is provided a loading/unloading system for loading/unloading livestock to/from a stock crate mounted on a vehicle comprising: a loading race positioned to load/unload the livestock into/from the vehicle; a dedicated vehicle bay positioned to receive the vehicle so as to be in communication with the loading race; and a gantry pivotally located with respect to the dedicated vehicle loading bay, the gantry comprising a frame member providing enclosed elevated access to the vehicle when the vehicle is present within the dedicated vehicle bay to facilitate animal loading/unloading into/from the stock crate; wherein, the gantry is pivotally movable between a first position, whereby the gantry is located proximal to the dedicated vehicle bay such that the gantry is positioned substantially parallel with the vehicle present therein, and a second position, whereby the gantry extends away from the dedicated vehicle bay.

Accordingly, in yet another aspect of the invention there is provided an access gantry for accessing elevated levels on a trailer of a vehicle comprising: a frame member pivotally movable with respect to said vehicle, said frame member having an upper platform and/or a lower platform and a ladder for accessing the upper platform and/or the lower platform; a pivot element mountable to a ground surface and configured to engage with the frame member to define a pivot point about which the frame member moves; and one or more rolling supports supporting said frame member on a ground surface, the or each rolling support facilitating pivotal movement of the frame member about the pivot point between a working position whereby the frame member is aligned substantially parallel with the vehicle, and an idle position whereby the frame member is aligned at an angle to the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be better understood from the following non-limiting description of preferred embodiments, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a prior art arrangement for loading/unloading a stock crate of a vehicle with livestock;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a safety gantry in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the safety gantry of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a top view of the safety gantry of Fig. 4;

Fig. 5 is a side view of the safety gantry of Figs. 2 - 4 in a working position for loading/unloading a vehicle.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the arrangement of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a top view of the arrangement of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 8 is a top view of the arrangement of Fig. 5 in an idle position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred features of the present invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is to be understood that the features illustrated in and described with reference to the drawings are not to be construed as limiting on the scope of the invention.

The present invention will be described below in relation to its application for use with a road transport vehicle employing a dual level stock crate for storing livestock for transportation. However, it will be appreciated that the present invention may be employed for use with a variety of vehicle and non-vehicle applications and for stock crates having one or multiple levels, and still fall within the scope of the present invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, a conventional livestock loading/unloading arrangement is 3o depicted for loading/unloading livestock from a vehicle 5 having a dual level

A1 stock crate 4. The vehicle 5 is depicted as being a conventional truck, such as a semi-trailer road transport vehicle with the stock crate having an upper level 4a and a lower level 4b. Typically, a stock crate may have a plurality of individual pens (not shown) located within the levels. By way of example, in a two deck or level stock crate, each deck or level may have a front and rear pen which are isolated from each other by way of internal gates (not shown).

A fixed loading race 10 is provided to facilitate loading of the stock crate 4 which comprises a ramp 12 that extends between a pair of fixed supports 14. The ramp 12 is configured so as to be adjustable in height to facilitate delivery of the livestock to/from a ground surface to/from each of the lower 4a and upper 4b levels of the stock crate 4. The ramp 12 may have a surface that facilitates gripping of the animals as they pass over the ramp 12, to prevent slippage. While a fixed loading race 10 is depicted in Fig. 1, it will be appreciated that the loading race may alternatively be configured to be mobile or temporary as required.

In the conventional loading/unloading arrangement of Fig. 1, in order to load/unload the stock crate 4 it is generally necessary for an individual to be positioned along the sides of the stock crate 4 to encourage movement of the livestock along the levels 4a/4b as they are loaded or unloaded and to open or close the gates between pens in each level. While Fig. 1 depicts the walls of the stock crate 4 a being formed from open bars 6 that extend the height of the levels 4a/4b, in many stock crate designs there has been a move to enclose the side walls of the stock crate to provide a safer environment for the animals being transported. In such enclosed stock crates, a gap is formed in a side of the stock crate, typically the side adjacent the driver's door, which provides an access point through which the driver, or other worker, is able to reach into the crate to disengage the gate latch between pens and open the gate. Typically in order to perform this action, the worker must climb up upon the side of the stock crate and vehicle to reach into the stock crate 4 through the walls to manipulate the gates as necessary. Also, this activity may also be required to encourage movement of the 3o animals towards the front or rear of the stock crate 4 as required.

It will be appreciate that in the prior art arrangement of Fig. 1, in order for an individual to access the gates and animals present in the upper level 4a of the stock crate 4, an individual will be required to climb onto the vehicle and scale the side walls of the crate 4. Due to the height of the crate and the truck upon which it is supported, should the user fall from the vehicle there is an increased risk of the user suffering considerable injury, especially should the user become wedged between the bars 6 forming the side walls of the stock crate. Typically

r% the top of the crate 4 may be around 4-5 metres above the ground with the upper level 4a being around 3 meters above the ground.

Clearly, the requirement for a driver or similar individual to climb the side walls of the stock crate and to reach in and access the internal gates and to promote animal movement therethrough, requires considerable agility and dexterity. As this task is carried out in variety of weather conditions and at a height above the surface, any slippage of the individual can be considerably harmful, especially in the presence of rain or animal urine/excrement which may further increase the chance of slippage.

To address the problems of the prior art arrangement depicted in Fig. 1, a gantry 20 in accordance with the present invention is provided, as shown in Figs 2 - 4.

The gantry 20 comprises an elongate frame structure 22 that defines an upper walkway 23 and a lower walkway 24 that extends along a length thereof. Each of the upper walkway 23 and lower walkway 24 comprise a substantially flat surface that is configured to support a worker thereon. The upper walkway 23 has a front railing 25 and a rear railing 26 that extends along opposing sides thereof such that the upper walkway 23 is enclosed to provide a safe platform for a worker to be supported in order to access the stock crate in a manner to be described in more detail below. Each end of the upper walkway 23 is also provided with end railings 23a, 23b that fully enclose the upper walkway 23 as shown. The height of the end railings 23a, 23b, front railing 25 and rear railing 26 is approximately, 800 - 900 mm, preferably around 860 mm, although other heights are also envidaged. The lower walkway 24 also has a front railing 27 and a rear railing 28 that extends along opposing sides thereof such that the lower walkway 24 is enclosed to provide a safe platform for a worker to be supported. The lower walkway 24 also comprises end railings 24a, 24b that fully enclose the lower walkway 24 as depicted.

A pivot support 30 is provided at an end of the frame structure 22 to engage with a pivot pole 50 secure to a ground surface, in a manner as shown in Figs 5 and 6. 3o The pivot support 30 is in the form of a brace member that is configured to clamp about the pivot pole 50 such that the gantry 20 is able to pivot about the pivot pole 50 in a manner to be discussed in more detail below.

The gantry 20 is supported on a ground surface by rolling supports 32. In the embodiment depicted, two rolling supports 32 are provided, one of which is located at the end of the gantry opposite to the pivot support 30 and the other at a distance substantially midway between the pivot support 30 and the opposing end

r, of the gantry 20. Each rolling support comprises a pair of wheels 33 that enable the gantry 20 to move across the ground surface in a pivoting or swinging motion. In this regard, the wheels 33 have an axis of rotation that extends substantially parallel to the length of the gantry 20. In the embodiment as depicted, two wheels 33 are provided on each rolling support 32; however, other arrangements for providing rolling motion are also envisaged. Each of the rolling supports 32 function to suspend the lower walkway 24 above the ground surface such that when it is located adjacent a vehicle carrying a stock crate, the lower walkway 24 is arranged adjacent the lower level of the stock crate.

An access ladder 34 is attached to the frame structure 22 of the gantry 20 along a rear side thereof to provide access to the upper walkway 23 and lower walkway 24. The access ladder 34 has landings 35 that provide access to each of the upper walkway 23 and lower walkway 24, which are accessible by lockable gates 36 that open inwardly towards into the respective walkways. The access ladder 34 has one or more retractable supports 37 that function to support the base landing 35 of the ladder 34 on the ground surface. The supports 37 are retractable to enable the gantry to be pivotally moved in the manner as will be described in more detail below.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, the gantry 20 is depicted in the position for use. In this position, the pivot support 30 is mounted over the pivot pole 50 and secured in position. The gantry 20 is then moved such that it extends substantially parallel to the vehicle and stock crate 4, preferably with a gap 'X' extending therebetween, as shown in Fig. 6. The gap 'X' may be approximately between, 150 - 250mm, preferably around 195 mm, although other gap widths are also envidaged. In this position the supports 37 may be activated to extend into the ground surface so as to prevent the gantry 20 from any inadvertent movement during use. Similarly, the rolling supports 32 may be locked into position. When the gantry 20 is in this position, a worker is able to access the upper walkway 23 and lower walkway 24 to interact with any animals present in the levels 4a/4b of the stock crate 4. The worker can perform these duties to facilitate movement of the animals in a safe manner between the front and rear railings, as desired. There is no requirement for the worker to scale the exterior of the vehicle 5 and crate 4 to perform these duties, providing a safe and stable work environment, even in wet and slippery conditions.

As is shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the gantry 20 is configured to be movable between a working position as shown in Fig. 7 and an idle position, as is shown in Fig. 8. As discussed above, in the working position, the gantry 20 extends parallel to the

'7 dedicated parking bay for the vehicle such that the workers can access the gantry 20 to handle the animals in the crate 4 as required. In this regard, the working position of Fig. 7 may represent a vehicle loading or unloading position.

Upon completion of the loading/unloading of the livestock to/from the vehicle 5, the gantry 20 may be moved into the idle position of Fig. 8 to enable the vehicle 5 to be removed, or simply driven away, from the dedicated parking bay position shown in Fig. 7. In this position, the vehicle is able to be moved from the bay without fear of contact with the gantry and another vehicle can enter the bay with sufficient clearance to avoid any collision with the gantry. This movement of the 1o gantry 20 is achieved by a worker retracting the supports 37 and releasing any locks present on the rolling supports 32. The worker is then able to simply move the end of the gantry most distal to the pivot support 30 in a direction away from the vehicle 5 as shown. As the pivot support 30 is fixedly engaged with the pivot pole 50, the gantry 20 is free to pivot about this point such that the rolling supports 32 travel along paths 60 towards an end point as shown. As the wheels 33 are configured to travel within the paths 60 a worker can simply and efficiently move the gantry into and out of a working position as required to enable the vehicle to align with the loading race 10 as required. In an alternative embodiment, the wheels 33 may be driven by a motor that is controllable by a controller means to facilitate remote controlled movement of the gantry between its idle and working positions.

It will be appreciated that the gantry arrangement of the present invention provides a simple and effective means for accessing a vehicle for loading/unloading a stock crate. The safety arrangement avoids the need for a worker having to climb the vehicle to access the animals as well as to clean and maintain the vehicle and provides a simple means that can be installed on farms, feedlots, saleyards and abattoirs at a dedicated site for loading/unloading livestock and providing maintenance to transport vehicles.

Throughout the specification and claims the word "comprise" and its derivatives 3o are intended to have an inclusive rather than exclusive meaning unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise. That is, the word "comprise" and its derivatives will be taken to indicate the inclusion of not only the listed components, steps or features that it directly references, but also other components, steps or features not specifically listed, unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise.

Orientational terms used in the specification and claims such as vertical, horizontal, top, bottom, upper and lower are to be interpreted as relational and are based on the premise that the component, item, article, apparatus, device or instrument will usually be considered in a particular orientation, typically with the gantry uppermost.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations may be made to the methods of the invention described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (6)

The claims defining the invention are as follows:

1. An access gantry for accessing elevated levels on a trailer of a vehicle comprising: a frame member pivotally movable with respect to said vehicle, said frame member having an upper platform and/or a lower platform and a ladder for accessing the upper platform and/or the lower platform; a pivot element mountable to a ground surface and configured to engage with the frame member to define a pivot point about which the frame member moves; and one or more rolling supports supporting said frame member on a ground surface, the or each rolling support facilitating pivotal movement of the frame member about the pivot point between a working position whereby the frame member is aligned substantially parallel with the vehicle, and an idle position whereby the frame member is aligned at an angle to the vehicle.

2. An access gantry according to claim 1, wherein both the upper platform and the lower platform have railings extending substantially around a perimeter thereof.

3. An access gantry according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the ladder is formed integral with the frame member and is accessible from a rear side of the frame member.

4. An access gantry according to claim 1, wherein the pivot element is a pole member mounted to the ground surface so as to extend above the ground surface in a substantial vertical manner.

5. An access gantry according to claim 4, wherein the frame member comprises a bracing that is configured to extend about the pole member so as to be secured thereto in a rotational manner.

6. A loading/unloading system for loading/unloading livestock to/from a stock crate mounted on a vehicle comprising: a loading race positioned to load/unload the livestock into/from the vehicle; a dedicated vehicle bay positioned to receive the vehicle so as to be in communication with the loading race; and a gantry pivotally located with respect to the dedicated vehicle loading bay, the gantry comprising a frame member providing enclosed elevated access to the vehicle when the vehicle is present within the dedicated vehicle bay to facilitate animal loading/unloading into/from the stock crate; wherein, the gantry is pivotally movable between a first position, whereby the gantry is located proximal to the dedicated vehicle bay such that the gantry is positioned substantially parallel with the vehicle present therein, and a second position, whereby the gantry extends away from the dedicated vehicle bay.