CA1082638A - Load transfer device - Google Patents
Load transfer deviceInfo
- Publication number
- CA1082638A CA1082638A CA311,927A CA311927A CA1082638A CA 1082638 A CA1082638 A CA 1082638A CA 311927 A CA311927 A CA 311927A CA 1082638 A CA1082638 A CA 1082638A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- load
- load platform
- pallet
- lid
- floor
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Landscapes
- Pallets (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT A load transfer device is provided which enables bulk goods packed in sacks, boxes and the like and supported on a first pallet to be transferred to a second pallet. A load platform receives bulk goods stacked onto the first pallet and includes a floor onto which the pallet can be placed, and a side member for retaining bulk goods resting against it. The load platform is supported clear of ground contact on a suitable framework and is pivoted at its rear face. A lid is slidably supported on the load platform in spaced parallel relationship to the floor for movement towards and away from the floor. The lid supports the base of a second pallet placed in the load platform with its load accepting surface resting on the top of the stack of goods. Actuating means connected between the load platform and the lid which are extended to move the lid away from the floor to allow the first and second pallets to be loaded into the load platform are then retracted to cause the lid to engage the base of the second pallet. The load platform is then rotated by suitable means from an initial upright position to an inverted position, the direction of rotation being such that the side member supports the load during the inversion. The lid can then be moved downwardly to release the load.
Description
The prese~t invention relates to 3 load transfer device for transferring bulk goods packed in sac~s, boxes or the like from one pallet to another.
It is known to stack sacks or boxes or the like containin~ ~ulk ~oods onto a pallet which may be engaged by the forks of a fork lift truck for movement from one place to another or for loadin~ into a ~700ds vehicle. A
palletised load is commonly stacked into a goods vehicle and then conveyed by road to a distribution point from which the goods are distributed to customers. The customer may accept tne load stacked on the manufacturer's or distributor's pallets, but the custo~er may ~ail to return the pallets to the distribution point. The customer may have pallets of his own which may become mixed up with the pallets belonging to the manufacturer or distributor.
Hitherto no machine of which the applicants are aware has been available which can transfer goods from one pallet to another and such transfer has been carried o~t by hand which is a time-consuming and expensive operation.
The problems associated with the use of timber pallets in the U.K. transport industry are the subject of a study co~missioned by the Committee for Materials Handling, ~epartment of Industry and published under the title "Materials E~andling: pallet usage and wastage" by Her ~ajesty's Stationery Office, London, 1977.
An object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive machine for transferring a palletised load from ~`
one pallet to another so that a distributor can rapidly ':!'.''. ,:`. `
offload bulk ~oods from his own pallets onto the customer's pallets.
,
It is known to stack sacks or boxes or the like containin~ ~ulk ~oods onto a pallet which may be engaged by the forks of a fork lift truck for movement from one place to another or for loadin~ into a ~700ds vehicle. A
palletised load is commonly stacked into a goods vehicle and then conveyed by road to a distribution point from which the goods are distributed to customers. The customer may accept tne load stacked on the manufacturer's or distributor's pallets, but the custo~er may ~ail to return the pallets to the distribution point. The customer may have pallets of his own which may become mixed up with the pallets belonging to the manufacturer or distributor.
Hitherto no machine of which the applicants are aware has been available which can transfer goods from one pallet to another and such transfer has been carried o~t by hand which is a time-consuming and expensive operation.
The problems associated with the use of timber pallets in the U.K. transport industry are the subject of a study co~missioned by the Committee for Materials Handling, ~epartment of Industry and published under the title "Materials E~andling: pallet usage and wastage" by Her ~ajesty's Stationery Office, London, 1977.
An object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive machine for transferring a palletised load from ~`
one pallet to another so that a distributor can rapidly ':!'.''. ,:`. `
offload bulk ~oods from his own pallets onto the customer's pallets.
,
2~;3~
The present invention provides a free standing load transfer device for transferring bulk goods packed in sacks, boxes and the like supported on a first pallet to a second pallet, said device comprising in combination:
a load platform supported for rotation between an upright position and an inverted position and adapted to receive said bulk goods stacked onto said first pallet when the load plat-form is upright, and including a floor onto which said first pallet can be placed, and a side member for retaining bulk goods :~
resting against it;
a lid slidably supported in spaced parallel relation- ::
ship to said floor of said load platform for movement normal to the plane of said floor, said lid being adapted on inversion of ~he load platform to support the base of a second ~ e~placed in said load platform with its load accepting surface resting on the top of said stack of goods;
actuating means connected between said load platform and said lid and adapted to extend said lid away from said floor to allow said first and second pallets to be loaded into said load platform and to retract said lid towards said floor to engage said base of said second pallet;
a stand arranged rotatably to support said load plat-orm and including a ground-contacting base which e~tends under-neath said load platform to provide stable support therefor and an upstanding support frame to which said load platform is rotat-ably secured; and means for rotating said load platform between an upright position and an inverted position, the direction of rotation being ;
such that said side member supports said load during said inver-sion.
An embodiment of the invention is described below, ~;~ ` "
- 2 ~
.. . ..
~Z63i~1 ~
by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying draw-ings, in which:-Figure 1 is a perspective view from the front of aload transfer device; and Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of the load transfer device shown in Figure 1.
A load platform generally indicated by the reference .
- 2A - .
. ~ ~ , ', . ' , . . ,. , . . , ' . .. ` .
~Z638 numeral lO comprises a floor ll, a side wall 12 and a rear wall 13 each made of sheet steel and welded together at their adjacent edges. The floor ll is dimensioned to accep.
standard si~e pallets which in the U.Ii. are normally of sizes up to 5' by 4' and the floor is strengthened by means of longitudinal and transverse reinEorcin~ ribs 14 welded thereto to impart rigidity and enable the floor to s~pport a loaded pallet. The side wall 12 and rear wall 13 are also similarly reinforced. The rear wall reinforcing ribs terminate in cut-outs 15 defining a slide~ay directed parallel to the rear wall at right angles to the floor and a sliding membèr l~ in the slideway engages the cut-outs and slidably supports a lid 17 projectin~ therefrom in ~spaced parallel relationship to the floor ll. The lid 17 is also reinforced with intersecting ribs welded thereto on its outer Eace so as to be capable oE supporting a loaded pallet weighing typically up to 2 tons. The sliding member 16 houses a pair of hydraulic rams 18 and 18a. The hydraulic rams are mounted parallel to one another and each have one end fastened to the sliding member 16 adjacent the line where the lid joins the sliding member and their other end fastened to the load platEorm lO adjacent the line where the Eloor ll joins the rear wall 13. ~xtension or retraction oE the hydraulic rams l~ and 18a extends the lid 17 from the Eloor ll or retracts the lid 17 towards the floor ll.
The load platform is supported on a free-standing base comprisin~ channel section side members 20 and 21 and R.S.J.
cross members 22 and 23. The bottom flanges of the oross members are positioned above the bot~om Elanges of ~ 3 ~
- ' "
'' ' ' ' ~32~;3~
the side members so that tlle forks of a Eor'~ lift truc~
can engage the cross memb~rs Eor lno~ing the load transfer device fronl place to place. Extencling upwardly from the side membeEs 20 and 21 are fral~e members 24 and 25 wllich converge at their top end to sunport a bush (not shown).
Gussets 2G, 27 are welded between the framè members and the side members and a horizontal r~in~orcin~ member 28 is welded between the frame members 24 and 25 at an intermediate point. A pivot shaft (not shown) is rigidly secured to the rear wal`l 13 of the load platform behind the sliding Member 16 and extends through the bush at the top en~ of the frame members 24 and 25 and terminates in a pinion 29 rigidly secured thereto. ~ rack 30 directed ~parallel to the longitudinal direction o~ the frame member 24 is slidably supported in spaced guides 31 and 32 and is attached at its lower end to a pushrod 33 of a hydraulic !
ram 34 aligr,ed with the rack. Extension or retraction of the pushrod is transmitted via the rack 30 and pinion 29 to rotate the load platform 10 and lid 17. Limit members (not shown) are provided to define the upright and inverted positions of the load platform and to limit the travel of the load platform.
On the base is ~ounted a 3 h.p. electric motor 35 whosc output shaft is connected to a Dowty 3020 hydra~lic pu~p ~6 for hydraulic fluid which pump is connectd to a reservoir ; 37 for the hydraulic fluid. A first pair of extension and retraction hydraulic lines extends from a first control valve 38 to the hydraulic ram 34. A second pair of extension and retraction hydraulic lines extends from a .
second control valve 39 to the hydraulic rams 18, 18a. - -- 4 - `
.
. . . - .. -. -. ~ -- : . . .. , .. -: . . . i ~ ~ ~ 2 ~3 ~
In operation the motor 35 is switciled on and the first control valve 38 is operated to cause the ram 34 to effect rotation oE the load platform 10 to the upright position.
The second controi valve 39 is then operated to cause the ral~s lS ancl l~a to extend the lid 17 away from the floor 11 of the lQad platform. A load of bulk ~oods stacked on a manufacturer's or distributor's pallet may be brought on a fork lift truck or other suitable conveyor from a store or from a van or lorry as the case may be and loaded onto the load platEorm. A customer's pallet is then placed onto the top oE the load of bulk goods with its load accepting surface directèd downwardly. The second control valve 39 is then operated to lower the lid 17 until it engages the ~ base of the customer's pallet, after which the first ccntrol valve 38 is operated to cause the ra~ 34 to rotate the load platform 10 to the inverted position. The direction of rotati¢n is such that the side wall 12 mo~es downwardly and supports the load against side thrust while the load platform is moving to the inverted position. The second control valve 39 is then operated to extend or lower the - ' lid 17 which now supports the stack of bul,k goods. The manufacturer's or distributor's pallet is removed,~the goods are unloaded from the load platform on the customer's own ' pallet and c,onveyed to his lorry after which the lid 17 ;, is retracted towards the floor 11 and the ~load platform is returned to the uprigllt p~sition to receive the next pallet. `'~' Various modifications can be made to the embodiment described herein without departing from the ~nventlon.
Although hydraulic operation has been found ~o be the most : ~ .
, ' ' ' lr31BZ~;38 convenien'c for the present purpose, the load platform and lid could be mechanically actuated, for e~ample by means of nuts travelling on lead screws. The sliding member could be positioned on`the si~e wall ratiler than the rear wall.
Instead oE bein~ free-standin~, the load platfor~ with its associated actuatin~ and control mechanism could be supported on a bracket fixed to a col~mn or stanchion o a factory or warehouse or to a wall thereoE.
- ,.' . :`.':
, :, .' ;':
- 6 -~ ;
. ,'' ':
The present invention provides a free standing load transfer device for transferring bulk goods packed in sacks, boxes and the like supported on a first pallet to a second pallet, said device comprising in combination:
a load platform supported for rotation between an upright position and an inverted position and adapted to receive said bulk goods stacked onto said first pallet when the load plat-form is upright, and including a floor onto which said first pallet can be placed, and a side member for retaining bulk goods :~
resting against it;
a lid slidably supported in spaced parallel relation- ::
ship to said floor of said load platform for movement normal to the plane of said floor, said lid being adapted on inversion of ~he load platform to support the base of a second ~ e~placed in said load platform with its load accepting surface resting on the top of said stack of goods;
actuating means connected between said load platform and said lid and adapted to extend said lid away from said floor to allow said first and second pallets to be loaded into said load platform and to retract said lid towards said floor to engage said base of said second pallet;
a stand arranged rotatably to support said load plat-orm and including a ground-contacting base which e~tends under-neath said load platform to provide stable support therefor and an upstanding support frame to which said load platform is rotat-ably secured; and means for rotating said load platform between an upright position and an inverted position, the direction of rotation being ;
such that said side member supports said load during said inver-sion.
An embodiment of the invention is described below, ~;~ ` "
- 2 ~
.. . ..
~Z63i~1 ~
by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying draw-ings, in which:-Figure 1 is a perspective view from the front of aload transfer device; and Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of the load transfer device shown in Figure 1.
A load platform generally indicated by the reference .
- 2A - .
. ~ ~ , ', . ' , . . ,. , . . , ' . .. ` .
~Z638 numeral lO comprises a floor ll, a side wall 12 and a rear wall 13 each made of sheet steel and welded together at their adjacent edges. The floor ll is dimensioned to accep.
standard si~e pallets which in the U.Ii. are normally of sizes up to 5' by 4' and the floor is strengthened by means of longitudinal and transverse reinEorcin~ ribs 14 welded thereto to impart rigidity and enable the floor to s~pport a loaded pallet. The side wall 12 and rear wall 13 are also similarly reinforced. The rear wall reinforcing ribs terminate in cut-outs 15 defining a slide~ay directed parallel to the rear wall at right angles to the floor and a sliding membèr l~ in the slideway engages the cut-outs and slidably supports a lid 17 projectin~ therefrom in ~spaced parallel relationship to the floor ll. The lid 17 is also reinforced with intersecting ribs welded thereto on its outer Eace so as to be capable oE supporting a loaded pallet weighing typically up to 2 tons. The sliding member 16 houses a pair of hydraulic rams 18 and 18a. The hydraulic rams are mounted parallel to one another and each have one end fastened to the sliding member 16 adjacent the line where the lid joins the sliding member and their other end fastened to the load platEorm lO adjacent the line where the Eloor ll joins the rear wall 13. ~xtension or retraction oE the hydraulic rams l~ and 18a extends the lid 17 from the Eloor ll or retracts the lid 17 towards the floor ll.
The load platform is supported on a free-standing base comprisin~ channel section side members 20 and 21 and R.S.J.
cross members 22 and 23. The bottom flanges of the oross members are positioned above the bot~om Elanges of ~ 3 ~
- ' "
'' ' ' ' ~32~;3~
the side members so that tlle forks of a Eor'~ lift truc~
can engage the cross memb~rs Eor lno~ing the load transfer device fronl place to place. Extencling upwardly from the side membeEs 20 and 21 are fral~e members 24 and 25 wllich converge at their top end to sunport a bush (not shown).
Gussets 2G, 27 are welded between the framè members and the side members and a horizontal r~in~orcin~ member 28 is welded between the frame members 24 and 25 at an intermediate point. A pivot shaft (not shown) is rigidly secured to the rear wal`l 13 of the load platform behind the sliding Member 16 and extends through the bush at the top en~ of the frame members 24 and 25 and terminates in a pinion 29 rigidly secured thereto. ~ rack 30 directed ~parallel to the longitudinal direction o~ the frame member 24 is slidably supported in spaced guides 31 and 32 and is attached at its lower end to a pushrod 33 of a hydraulic !
ram 34 aligr,ed with the rack. Extension or retraction of the pushrod is transmitted via the rack 30 and pinion 29 to rotate the load platform 10 and lid 17. Limit members (not shown) are provided to define the upright and inverted positions of the load platform and to limit the travel of the load platform.
On the base is ~ounted a 3 h.p. electric motor 35 whosc output shaft is connected to a Dowty 3020 hydra~lic pu~p ~6 for hydraulic fluid which pump is connectd to a reservoir ; 37 for the hydraulic fluid. A first pair of extension and retraction hydraulic lines extends from a first control valve 38 to the hydraulic ram 34. A second pair of extension and retraction hydraulic lines extends from a .
second control valve 39 to the hydraulic rams 18, 18a. - -- 4 - `
.
. . . - .. -. -. ~ -- : . . .. , .. -: . . . i ~ ~ ~ 2 ~3 ~
In operation the motor 35 is switciled on and the first control valve 38 is operated to cause the ram 34 to effect rotation oE the load platform 10 to the upright position.
The second controi valve 39 is then operated to cause the ral~s lS ancl l~a to extend the lid 17 away from the floor 11 of the lQad platform. A load of bulk ~oods stacked on a manufacturer's or distributor's pallet may be brought on a fork lift truck or other suitable conveyor from a store or from a van or lorry as the case may be and loaded onto the load platEorm. A customer's pallet is then placed onto the top oE the load of bulk goods with its load accepting surface directèd downwardly. The second control valve 39 is then operated to lower the lid 17 until it engages the ~ base of the customer's pallet, after which the first ccntrol valve 38 is operated to cause the ra~ 34 to rotate the load platform 10 to the inverted position. The direction of rotati¢n is such that the side wall 12 mo~es downwardly and supports the load against side thrust while the load platform is moving to the inverted position. The second control valve 39 is then operated to extend or lower the - ' lid 17 which now supports the stack of bul,k goods. The manufacturer's or distributor's pallet is removed,~the goods are unloaded from the load platform on the customer's own ' pallet and c,onveyed to his lorry after which the lid 17 ;, is retracted towards the floor 11 and the ~load platform is returned to the uprigllt p~sition to receive the next pallet. `'~' Various modifications can be made to the embodiment described herein without departing from the ~nventlon.
Although hydraulic operation has been found ~o be the most : ~ .
, ' ' ' lr31BZ~;38 convenien'c for the present purpose, the load platform and lid could be mechanically actuated, for e~ample by means of nuts travelling on lead screws. The sliding member could be positioned on`the si~e wall ratiler than the rear wall.
Instead oE bein~ free-standin~, the load platfor~ with its associated actuatin~ and control mechanism could be supported on a bracket fixed to a col~mn or stanchion o a factory or warehouse or to a wall thereoE.
- ,.' . :`.':
, :, .' ;':
- 6 -~ ;
. ,'' ':
Claims (4)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A free standing load transfer device for trans-ferring bulk goods packed in sacks, boxes and the like supported on a first pallel to a second pallet, said device comprising in combination:
a load platform supported for rotation between an upright position and an inverted position and adapted to re-ceive said bulk goods stacked onto said first pallet when the load platform is upright, and including a floor onto which said first pallet can be placed, and a side member for retaining bulk goods resting against it;
a lid slidably supported in spaced parallel relation-ship to said floor of said load platform for movement normal to the plane of said floor, said lid being adapted on inversion of the load platform to support the base of a second pallet placed in said load platform with its load accepting surface resting on the top of said stack of goods;
actuating means connected between said load platform and said lid and adapted to extend said lid away from said floor to allow said first and second pallets to be loaded into said load platform and to retract said lid towards said floor to en-gage said base on said second pallet;
a stand arranged rotatably to support said load plat-form and including a ground-contacting base which extends beneath said load platform to provide stable support therefor and an upstanding support frame to which said load platform is rotatably secured; and means for rotating said load platform between an upright position and an inverted position, the direction of rotation being such that said side member supports said load during said inver-sion.
a load platform supported for rotation between an upright position and an inverted position and adapted to re-ceive said bulk goods stacked onto said first pallet when the load platform is upright, and including a floor onto which said first pallet can be placed, and a side member for retaining bulk goods resting against it;
a lid slidably supported in spaced parallel relation-ship to said floor of said load platform for movement normal to the plane of said floor, said lid being adapted on inversion of the load platform to support the base of a second pallet placed in said load platform with its load accepting surface resting on the top of said stack of goods;
actuating means connected between said load platform and said lid and adapted to extend said lid away from said floor to allow said first and second pallets to be loaded into said load platform and to retract said lid towards said floor to en-gage said base on said second pallet;
a stand arranged rotatably to support said load plat-form and including a ground-contacting base which extends beneath said load platform to provide stable support therefor and an upstanding support frame to which said load platform is rotatably secured; and means for rotating said load platform between an upright position and an inverted position, the direction of rotation being such that said side member supports said load during said inver-sion.
2. The load transfer device of Claim 1, wherein a spindle extends horizontally from a rear face of said load platform, and said means for pivotally supporting said load platform is a free-standing framework including:
first and second side members underlying the load platform to either side thereof;
cross members rigidly secured between the side members;
an upwardly convergent A-frame secured at its lower end to said first and second side members; and a bearing rigidly secured to the top end of said A-frame within which said spindle from said load platform is pivotally received.
first and second side members underlying the load platform to either side thereof;
cross members rigidly secured between the side members;
an upwardly convergent A-frame secured at its lower end to said first and second side members; and a bearing rigidly secured to the top end of said A-frame within which said spindle from said load platform is pivotally received.
3. The load transfer device of Claim 2, wherein the lower edges of said cross members are positioned above the lower edges of said side members whereby the forks of a fork lift truck may be inserted beneath said cross members into lifting engagement therewith.
4. The load transfer device of Claim 2, wherein a double-acting hydraulic ram is secured along one side of the A-frame with its direction of action approximately parallel to said side, a rack is secured to the pushrod of said ram, a pinion is secured to said spindle for toation therewith and is in meshing engagement with said rack, whereby extension or retraction of said pushrod effects rotation of said load platform.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA311,927A CA1082638A (en) | 1978-09-22 | 1978-09-22 | Load transfer device |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA311,927A CA1082638A (en) | 1978-09-22 | 1978-09-22 | Load transfer device |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1082638A true CA1082638A (en) | 1980-07-29 |
Family
ID=4112434
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA311,927A Expired CA1082638A (en) | 1978-09-22 | 1978-09-22 | Load transfer device |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1082638A (en) |
-
1978
- 1978-09-22 CA CA311,927A patent/CA1082638A/en not_active Expired
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MZSU | Surrender | ||
| MKEX | Expiry | ||
| MKEX | Expiry |
Effective date: 19970729 |