GB2085845A

GB2085845A - Load changers for vehicles

Info

Publication number: GB2085845A
Application number: GB8132019A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: HIAB FOCO SVENSKA FORSALJNINGS AB; Hiab Foco AB
Current assignee: HIAB FOCO SVENSKA FORSALJNINGS AB; Hiab Foco AB
Priority date: 1980-10-23
Filing date: 1981-10-23
Publication date: 1982-05-06
Also published as: SE8007463L; DE3141769A1; FI813237L; GB2085845B; FR2492747A1; FR2492747B1; FI74430C; SE423361B; FI74430B

Abstract

A load changer for a vehicle (5) comprises an angular handling arm (1) which, when in a normal loading position, comprises a horizontal part (2) and a vertical part (3). The horizontal part (2) is rotatably mounted on a transverse shaft (4) on the vehicle (5) and the vertical part (3) is provided with means (6) for hooking on to a corresponding hooking attachment of a load container. The load changer is designed also to facilitate handling of other types of load containers (8'), with the aid of wires (13), chains, cables or the like, and for this purpose includes a support arm (14) which at one end thereof is pivoted at or near the upper end of the part (3) and can swing between a position against the part (3) and an outward position where it constitutes an extension of the part (3). The support arm (14) is furnished at its outer end with a guide for a wire loop (13) and has corresponding guides at its pivot pins. The support arm (14) is rotatable backwards in a direction towards the load container (8'), and at the front side of the vertical part (3) the handling arm is fitted with a hooking means, preferably in the form of hydraulic cylinders (26,27), for hooking the wire loop (13). The support arm (14) can be swung with the aid of one or more hydraulic cylinders (15). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Load changers for vehicles This invention relates to load changers for vehicles, for handling load carriers such as containers, tanks and crates.

A known load changer appliance - disclosed for example in US Patent No. 3819075 - for handling containers, tanks, crates, and the like on a vehicle, comprises an angular lift or handling arm which at one end is rotatably mounted on a transverse shaft in the vehicle and which at its other free end is provided with a hook which co-operates with a hooking attachment on the container or the like which is to be handled.The lift arm is arranged, with the aid of hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders, to be rotatable between a transport position, in which one part of the arm is horizontal and another part is vertical, and in which the horizontal part of the arm rests on the vehicle and the hook at the free vertical end of the arm holds the container in a fixed position, and an on/off loading position, in which the handling arm is swung in an upwards-backwardsdownwards sense to remove a container and set it down on the ground or some other plane behind the vehicle, or, from the same plane, to lift and unload the container.

To enable the rotatable angular arm with its lifting hook to grip and hold the container, the front end of the container is equipped, preferably at a high point thereon, with a holding or hooking attachment for the hook. Such hooking attachment can be a ring or the like mounted on the container or it can be part of a frame to which the container is assembled.

Loading a container onto the vehicle is effected by swinging the angular lifting arm backwardly and manoeuvring the vehicle to a position in which the hook of the lifting arm connects with the hooking attachment on the container, after which the arm is swung in an upwards-forwards-downwards movement so that the lift arm's horizontal part rests on a chassis of the vehicle and the container is loaded on the chassis. The lift arm's vertical part, in some types of load changer, is horizontally extendable out from the horizontal part, whereby extended ability to handle containers is provided.

Thus, the above known load changing device or load changer is limited to handling containers or the like which are equipped with hooking attachments designed to engage with the hook. However, many containers do not have such hooking attachments. It would be desirable to be able to handle containers which do not have the above-described hooking attachments, which attachments are designed only for use with the known load changer. Some containers or load carriers are equipped at the lower edge of the front end with a wire loop. Other load carriers have a hook, a ring or the like, in which a wire, chain or the like can be engaged. If a load changer of the type described above is used for handling load carriers having a wire, chain or other flexible means, serious problems can arise.When lifting the container or load carrier, it slides over the rear edge of the vehicle as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, in which the load carrier is designated by the reference numeral 8. The load carrier initially slies or is wheeled along with its rear edge in contact with the ground, but at a certain point loses contact with the ground. At a certain point the load carrier reaches a balanced position. If at this position the load should shift backwards, the load carrier will swing suddenly in the sense that its front end moves upwards and backwards, which is made possible by the flexible coupling of the load carrier to the lift arm provided by the wire or chain.If the lift arm continues its rotation and the load carrier is drawn onto the vehicle, an opposite situation can occur, which is that the load carrier falls with a great impact down onto the lift arm or chassis. Such severe movements can cause damage to the lift arm, the vehicle and the operating personnel.

According to the present invention there is provided a load charger for a vehicle, the appliance comprising an angular handling arm having one end thereof rotatably mounted or capable of being rotatably mounted on a transverse shaft in the vehicle and provided or formed at its other, free end with a hooking means for engaging a corresponding holding means on a load carrier, wherein a part of the handling arm which, in a normal loaded position, extends substantially vertically, carries a support arm which at one end thereof is pivoted at or near an outer end of said part of the handling arm, and wherein, by the action of one or more actuating cylinders, the support arm can be swung between a folded position close to said part of the handling arm and an outward position in which the support arm constitutes an extension of said part of the handling arm.

A preferred embodiment of the invention described below comprises a load changer essentially of the type described above, but modified in that different kinds of load carriers can be handled, especially those with wires, chains, cables or other flexible hooking attachments.

In the preferred embodiment the support arm is formed or provided, partly in a free, outer end and partly at the pivoted inner end, with guides for wires, chains or cables or other flexible means, and on the handling arm is an arrangement for hooking the wire, chain or cable. Preferably, the wire chain or cable is formed as a loop, the two sides of which can be drawn down the support arm's outer and inner guides and fastened in handling arm fastening means.

The invention will now be further described, by way of illustrative and non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a basic load changer or load changer appliance, the Figure showing diagrammatically different phases ofthe handling of a load carrier; Figure 2 shows in a similar manner a modified load changer embodying the invention in two different handling phases; Figure 3 is a side view in more detail of the load changer of Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a sectional view of the load changer taken along the line IV-IV in Figure 3.

Figure 1 shows a basic load changer which comprises an angular handling arm 1 having relatively angled parts 2 and 3. In a normal loaded position the parts 2 and 3 extend generally horizontally and vertically, respectively, and for convenience are referred to hereinafter as the 'horizontal part' and the 'vertical part', respectively. The horizontal part 2 is rotatably mounted on a transverse shaft 4 on a vehicle 5 on which the load changer is installed. The vertical part 3 of the arm 1 is furnished at its upper free end with a hook which can be connected to a corresponding hooking attachment 7 on a load carrier 8 or similar load carrier intended to be handled by the load changer. At its rear end, the vehicle 5 is fitted with rollers 9 against which the load carrier is transported when being loaded or unloaded.

The handling arm 1 is rotatable between a horizontal position (the normal loaded position) in which it rests on a chassis of the vehicle 5 and an upwardsbackwards-downwards swung position, where the handling arm can pick or set down a load carrier 8.

Rotation is effected with the aid of one or more pivoted cylinders 10, preferably hydraulic cylinders.

The horizontal part 2 of the arm 1 is designed as a guide in which a portion of the vertical arm part 3 can be extended from an inward position 11 to an outward and forward position 12.

Figure 2 shows an arrangement which is generally similar to that of Figure 1, but in which the handling arm 1 is modified so that the load changer embodies the present invention. The arm 1 is shown diagrammatically in two different phases of handling a load carrier 8' which does not have the hooking attachment 7 for the hook 6, as does the carrier 8 shown in Figure 1, but is instead provided with a wire loop 13 which has two ends fastened to the front lower edge of the load carrier.The handling arm 1 is provided with a support arm 14 which is rotatably attached at one end thereof to the vertical part 3 of the handling arm at or near the free end thereof having the hook 6. Undertheaction of hydrauliccylinders 15,the support arm 14 can be pivoted between a position folded close to the vertical part 3 of the handling arm and an outward position where the support arm 14 constitutes an extension of the vertical part 3 of the handling arm. As is best shown in Figure 3, the support arm 14 is formed as an open frame with sides 16 forked on each side of the handling arm 3, to which the frame is pivoted by means of a pivot bracket 17 with protruding pins 18 fastened to the handling arm 3 near the hook 6.The frame of the support arm 1 is completed at its lower end by a bar 19 which is shaped to act as a guide for the wire loop 13, having two half-rounded furrows 20 in which the two size of the wire loop 13 can be guided. The furrows 20 are to some extent drawn in from the outer end of the support arm's frame, which enables the wire loop 13 to be attached even when the support arm rests with an outer end piece 28 thereof on the ground. The upper end of the frame is completed by the above-described pivot bracket 17, which in the same manner is shaped with a guide and slide furrows 21 for the wire loop's two sides, one on each side of the handling arm 3 and the hook 6. The outer sides of the frame of the support arm are fitted with outer boxes 22 which form enclosures for the hydraulic cylinders 15.The cylinders 15 are mounted at one end on transverse pins 23 in the boxes 22, and at the other end are mounted on transverse pivots 24 in a bracket 25 attached to the front side of the vertical part 3 of the handling arm 1 near the lower end. The length of the support arm 4 is such that it can be folded into a position close to the vertical part 3 of the handling arm, so that it cannot prevent the handling of hooking attachments 7 on a load carrier, for which the basic load changer is intended. The hydraulic cylinders 15 with their pins and pivots 23,24 are installed in such a way that they establish a lever, even when the support arm 14 is folded in, an have an action length which is enough to swing the support arm out to a position almost in line with the vertical arm part 3, as shown' by dotted lines in Figure 3.

The front side of the handling arm part 3 is furnished with a fastening means for the loop 13 of wire, chain, cable or the like, which fastening means may comprise a series of hooks or links in which the loop 13 can be hooked under suitable tension. To enable adjustment of the tension in the loop 13, and thereby the position of the load carrier 8 relative to the arms 2 and 3 during handling, the fastening means is shown as a hydraulic cylinder 26 with a hook 27 at one end in which the loop is fastened. The pivoted cylinders 15 and loop cylinders 26 are actuated independently of each other and are arranged to be adjustable during loading and unloading.

The load changer of Figures 2 to 4 works in the following way. When loading (picking up) the load carrier 8', which for example is equipped with a wire loop 13 having ends which are fastened to the lower edge of the front end of the load carrier, the support arm 14 is swung outwards to its outer position, and the handling arm 1 is rotated backwards to a position where the outer end of the support arm 14 is close to or resting on the ground. The wire loop 13 is drawn round the outer end, in this case the lower guide or support bar 19, so that the wire loop's two parts run in the furrows 20 and the loop is then drawn through the support frame 14, and round the inner and in this case upper guide furrows 21 on the side which is turned toward the load carrier 8'. The loop 13 is hooked to the hook 27 of the cylinder 26 and the cylinder is actuated to tighten the wire. When the loop 13 is tightened, it is drawn into the furrows 20.

Thus, the outer end piece 28 of the support arm 14 is brought into contact with the front end of the load carrier 8' and the wire loop 13 is locked and prevents at least any substantial movement of the load carrier 8' in relation to the support arm 14. When the handling arm 1 is rotated upwardly and forwardly, the load carrier's front end is lifted while the rear end, wire rollers 29 and other means, slides along the ground. During rotation, the position of the support arm 14 is adjusted by actuation of the pivot cylinders 15 so that the support arm 14 is held close to the vertical with contact between its ouer end 18 and the load carrier 8'. If found necessary an adjustment of the wire loop 13 can be made by actuating the loop cylinder 26 so that the wire loop 13 can be held in the required taut condition.

Adjustment can be effected in order to both increase and decrease the tautness of the wire. When the handling arm 1 rotates to a certain position the load carrier 8' will glide over the vehicle's rollers 9 and the rotation continues until the handling arm 1 arrives at its horizontal position, as shown in Figure 1, and the load carrier 8' rests on the vehicle's chassis. In the case where the handling arm's vertical part 3 is telescopic, an extension can be made, and the load carrier 8' is moved an equivalent distance forwards on the chassis. The load carrier 8' is now in a transport position an is locked into position by the support arm 14 and wire loop 13 and cannot shift in any horizontal directionon the vehicle's chassis or lift at its front end.In other cases it may be required to move the load carrier backwards a greater distance than is possible by telescoping the vertical arm part 3 and, in such situations, the loop cylinder 26 is released so that the wire loop 13 slackens, after which the support arm 14 is swung out by actuation of the pivot cylinders 15 and the outer end 28 of the support carrier moves the load carrier. Such a movement of the load carrier can naturally be made while the load carrier is resting on the ground or on a loading quay or the like.

As has been pointed out earlier, the load changer can be used with load carriers 8 with hooking attachments 7 specially designed for use therewith, without obstruction from the support arm 14. When this is completely folded in as shown in Figure 3, it presents no obstruction to the conventional handling of load carriers.

If so required, the support arm 14 can be shaped at its outer end as a hook, with which it is possible to handle a load carrier with a ring or other means, situated at a point which cannot be reached by the hook 6 of the handling arm 1.

Claims

1. A load-changer for a vehicle, the appliance comprising an angular handling arm having one end thereof rotatably mounted or capable of being rotatably mounted on a transverse shaft in the vehicle and provided or formed at its other, free end with a hooking means for engaging a corresponding holding means on a load carrier, wherein a part of the handling arm which, in a normal loaded position, extends substantially vertically, carries a support arm which at one end thereof is pivoted at or near an outer end of said part of the handling arm, and wherein, by the action of one or more actuating cylinders, the support arm can be swung between a folded position close to said part of the handling arm and an outward position in which the support arm constitutes an extension of said part of the handling arm.

2. A load changer according to claim 1, wherein the support arm comprises an open frame having sides rotatably mounted on each side of said part of the handling arm, the frame forming an opening for enclosing said part of the handling arm and/or for the running therethrough of a wire, chain, cable or the like.

3. A load changer according to claim 2, wherein the outer end of the support arm is completed by a bar and an end piece of the frame, which forms a closed guide for one or more wires, chains or cables.

4. A load changer according to claim 1, claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the support arm is rotatably mounted on sideways protruding pins in a bracket on each side of said part of the handling arm, the bracket forming a guide on each side of said part of the handling arm for a wire, chain, cable or the like.

5. A load changer according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support arm is arranged to be actuated by one or more hydraulic cylinders for swinging to a chosen position between both its end positions.

6. A load changer according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support arm is rotatable in a rearward direction towards a load carrier and said part of the handling arm is provided on its front side with means for hooking one or more wires, chains, cables or the like.

7. A load changer according to claim 6, when appendant to claims 3 and 4, wherein the means for hooking one or more wires on the front of said part of the handling arm comprises a hydraulic cylinder with a hook at its end, arranged to tighten a loop of a wire originating from a load carrier and running under and in front of the bar at the support arm's outer end and behind and over the bracket's guide.

8. A load changer according to claim 5, wherein the support arm is arranged to be actuated by two parallel pivoted cylinders positioned on each side of the handling arm, each such cylinder being attached at one end thereof to a point between the support arm's pivot point and outer end, and at its other end being rotatably mounted in a bracket on the front side of said part of the handling arm.

9. A load changer according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support arm comprises a hook or like hooking or lift attachment at its outer end.

10. A load changer for a vehicle, the load changer being substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.