Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60P—VEHICLES ADAPTED FOR LOAD TRANSPORTATION OR TO TRANSPORT, TO CARRY, OR TO COMPRISE SPECIAL LOADS OR OBJECTS
  • B60P1/00—Vehicles predominantly for transporting loads and modified to facilitate loading, consolidating the load, or unloading
  • B60P1/64—Vehicles predominantly for transporting loads and modified to facilitate loading, consolidating the load, or unloading the load supporting or containing element being readily removable

Definitions

• This invention relates to a load-changer for vehicles comprising a rotatable cog- or tooth-wheel mounted on the edge of a load-carrier included in the vehicle and being arranged to engage a track provided with cogs or holes, said track being arranged on the under side of a load-object in question for instance a house, means being provided to dampen the tendency of the load-object to swing around the cog-wheel in connection with that the centre of gravity of the load-object passes the cog ⁇ wheel.
• Load-changers of this kind that in practice are often used for loading houses for recreation purposes, are advantageous in so far as they do not need any space between the drivers cabin and the house or load-object loaded onto the load-carrier. In other words, they permit a maximum utilization of the load-carrying capacity of the load-carrier.
• a load-carrier of the type generally described above has previously been disclosed in the US Patent Specification 3221913.
• This known construction suffers however from a number of in practice most troublesome drawbacks.
• the construction in question presupposes that the load-carrier consists of a platform body permanently mounted on the frame or chassis of the vehicle.
• This platform per se has a certain constructional height that intrudes on the allowable total height of the vehicle and thus reduces the maximum possible height of the load-object in question.
• the fixed platform body also reduces the flexibility of the vehicle in regard of the possibilities of use.
• Two triangular, upright, guiding plates are arranged on the platform, against each of which a roller on the load object engages for the damping of the load object when this is pulled onto the platform body.
• the present invention aims to remove the above- mentioned drawbacks and to create a load-changer that by simple and cheap means permits a convenient and quick change of load-objects of the most different kinds, also including platform bodies per se.
• said damping means includes at least one arm, swingably mounted on the load carrier, to which arm a spring or piston-cylinder mechanism is connected, that in connection with the loading of the load object on the load-carrier, keeps the arm in a position inclined upwards-forwards from the area of the cog-wheel, wherein thearm can be brought to engage a guide extending along the load object, said mechanism initially counteracting the weight of the load object since the centre of gravity of the load object has passed the cog-wheel and then allowing the arm, and thereby also the load object, to be successively swung down into a plane essentially parallel to the load-carrier.
• Fig 1 is a simplified perspective view showing parts of a vehicle equipped with the load- changer according to the invention
• Fig 2 a perspective view of a likewise simplified load object intended to be pulled onto the vehicle according to Fig. 1
• Figs 3 and 4 perspective views illustrating two different stages in connection with the pulling of the load object onto the vehicle
• Fig. 5 an extremely enlarged perspective view illustrating details in the load-changer according to the invention
• Fig. 6 and 7 perspective views showing an alternative embodiment of the load-changer in two different functional conditions.
• Fig.l 1 generally denotes a vehicle that in an conventional way includes a wheel-carried frame 2 whereof two lengthwise beams and a backward crossbeam 3 are shown in the drawing.
• a cross-piece 4 also extends between the lengthwise beams.
• the load object according to Fig. 2, in its entirety denoted with 5, is in this case shown to consist of a frame composed by on one hand two lengthwise side beams in the form of U-profiles 6,6', and on the other hand a suitable number of crossbeams 7.
• U-profiles 6,6' are open inwards, towards the centre of the frame.
• this frame can form an integrated part of either a simple platform body or a house of the kind that can be used for camping or recreation purposes.
• the frame in question can also be a part of other optional load objects that one wishes to pull up onto the vehicle frame 2, if required.
• a track 8 provided with cogs or holes is arranged, that, in the example shown, is shown to consist of a box-girder, onto whose under side a chain has been welded, forming a rigid track extending along the entire length of the frame.
• two hooks 9,9' are fixedly attached for purposes that will be described i below.
• a chain 15 is shown to be arranged on the cog ⁇ wheel 12 that in an inactive condition can be stored in a container 16 mounted in the area below the cog-wheel 12.
• a spring or piston- cylinder mechanism 19 extends, that at its opposite ends, in a conventional way, is hingedly attached to the cross- member 18 as well as to the cross-piece 4.
• a backwardly extending plate 20 is also mounted on the cross-member 18, the function of which is better shown by the description below and with reference to Fig. 5.
• Fig. 1 and 2 the load object 5 is shown separated from the vehicle 1. More specifically the load object or the frame 5 is imagined to rest on the ground or the floor behind the vehicle. In this position a spring mecha ⁇ nism 19 keeps the two swing arms 17,17' in a state of readiness wherein they are directed obliquely upwards- forwards from the backward end of the vehicle frame 2.
• the chain 15 is pulled out of the storage container 16 whereafter the coupling device, formed by the pins 21,21' and the eyelets 22,22', manu ⁇ ally is coupled to the hooks 9,9'.
• the motor 13 is started, so that the cog-wheel is brought to rotate.
• the cog- or chain-track 8 that is fixedly attached to the under side of the frame 5, engages the cog-wheel 12, so that the continued pulling of the frame 5 onto the load-carrying frame 2 is taken over by this fixed and rigid chain-track.
• the frame 5 is guided and held in a reliable way by the arms 17,17'.
• the spring mechanism 19 ensures a soft and controlled down-swinging movement of the frame or load object 5; something which is especially important when the load object is very heavy (which is the case of such superstructures as houses).
• the frame 5 is first moved backwards into a position wherein its center of gravity passes the cog-wheel 12, in which posi- tion the swing arms 17 are brought to softly swing up, from their horisontal positions into their inclined positions.
• the hooks 9,9' engage the eyelets 22,22' of the coupling device whilst moving the chain 15, that is in a state of readiness, so that the chain is brought into engagement with the cog-wheel 12 before the track 8 leaves the cog-wheel.
• the previously described chain- track 8 is replaced by a profile, in its entirety denoted with 25, that includes two sidewardly extending flanges 26,26' between which there is a web in which a number of holes 27 are recessed for engaging the cog-wheel 12'.
• the profile 25 includes two sections 25',25", extending angularly to each other, of which the first-mentioned is attached to the under side of the load object in question (for instance a house) whilst the other extends vertically upwards, for instance along a front wall of the load object in question.
• each of these fingers includes a sleeve 29,29' rotatably journalled on the shaft 11 and has at their opposite ends, an inwardly projecting rotatable roller 30,30'.
• Springs 31,31' are arranged between the sleeves 29 and the adjacent ears 10",10"' striving to move the locking fingers towards each other into the position shown in Fig. 6 and against the action of which the locking fingers in a suitable manner (not shown) are separable into the position shown in Fig. 7.
• the described device functions in the following way.
• the locking fingers 28,28' are moved sidewards,aside from each other, whereupon the vehicle is backed towards the load object so that the cog-wheel 12' engages the holes 27 in the track25.
• the fingers 28,28' are released, so that the springs 31,31' bring them to move against each other, into the position shown in Fig. 6, wherein the rollers 30,30' engage behind the flanges 26,26'.
• the locking fingers cause a locking between the vehicle and the load object so that these cannot be separated from each other.
• the motor 13' is started, so that the cog-wheel is brought to rotate; something that results in that the track section 25" will climb upwards relative to the vehicle, whilst lifting the forward end of the load object.
• the cog-wheel 12 After that the cog-wheel 12 has passed the section25", it automatically engages the horizontal under section 25 ' , meaning that the forward end of the load-carrier, which has now been lifted to the level of the backward end of the load-carrying frame 2, starts to advance inwards over the load-carrying frame. This is continued until the load object in its entirety has been advanced to its forward end position on the load carrying frame.
• An obvious advantage of the embodiment according to the Figures 6-7, compared to the embodiment according to Figures 1-5, is that the vehicle can be connected to the load object without there being any need for a manual coupling to the load object.
• the vehicle driver can remain sitting in the cabin and there,by mecha ⁇ nical means,control the locking fingers 28,28' and the motor 13 ' .
• Such a hydraulic cylinder can advantageously be utilized for tilting the frame or load object 5 when discharing the same from the vehicle frame 2 and in connection with such an embodiment the swing arms 17,17' may be much longer than shown in the drawings, e.g. about half the length of the vehicle frame.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Handcart (AREA)
• Fittings On The Vehicle Exterior For Carrying Loads, And Devices For Holding Or Mounting Articles (AREA)
• Vehicle Body Suspensions (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=20360369

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (8)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 1985
  • 1985-05-29 SE SE8502636A patent/SE444917B/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1986
  • 1986-05-13 WO PCT/SE1986/000221 patent/WO1986007019A1/en unknown
  • 1986-05-13 EP EP19860903643 patent/EP0261122A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1986-05-13 AU AU59612/86A patent/AU5961286A/en not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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