GB2153755A

GB2153755A - Movable bulkheads

Info

Publication number: GB2153755A
Application number: GB08501553A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Edward Gerald Broadbent
Original assignee: BOALLOY Ltd
Current assignee: BOALLOY Ltd
Priority date: 1984-02-03
Filing date: 1985-01-22
Publication date: 1985-08-29
Also published as: GB2153755B; GB8501553D0

Abstract

A road or rail vehicle body includes a bulkhead wall for dividing the body interior transversely or longitudinally, with roller means 25 at each side of the bulkhead wall at the top thereof engagable in tracks 14 connected to the body roof and roller means 27 on the bottom of the bulkhead wall for rolling on the body floor. Locking means is carried by the wall for engagement with the body to secure the bulkhead wall in adjusted position. With the aforesaid bulkhead structure not only can the body interior be divided transversely or longitudinally to suit requirements but the bulkhead structure also serves to assist in supporting the body roof. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Van bodies This invention relates to van bodies and in particular a movable bulkhead structure for use in a curtainsided van body.

The term "van body" is to be construed as meaning any body which has a cargo-supporting bed with a roof disposed thereover, which body is, or is intended to be, mounted on wheels to provide the trailer portion of an articulated road vehicle, the body portion of a non-articulated road vehicle, the body of a railway freight wagon or a cargo container.

One or more sides of the van body, usually but not necessarily the two lateral parallel sides, is or are of open construction and is or are closable by a curtain.

An example of such a van body is disclosed in our United Kingdom Patent specifications Nos. B 1 262 879 and B 1 262880.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a movable bulkhead structure for use in such a van body.

According to the present invention there is provided a movable bulkhead structure for use in a van body and comprising a bulkhead wall for dividing the van body interior transversely, roller means at each side of the bulkhead wall at the top thereof engagable in tracks connected to the van body roof, roller means on the bottom of the bulkhead wall for rolling on the van body floor, and locking means carried by the wall for engagement with the van body to secure the bulkhead wall in adjusted position.

With the aforesaid bulkhead structure not only can the van body interior be divided transversely to suit requirements but the bulkhead structure also serves to assist in supporting the van body roof.

The bulkhead wall at each side at its top preferably r.as a trolley mounting rollers for engaging in a track forming part of the roof structure of the van body.

Preferably, each trolley at each end has a guide wheel, preferably a caster wheel, engagable in the track to resist any tendency of the trolley to twist.

Preferably, the bottom roller means is a pair of transversely spaced barrel-shaped plastics, preferably nylon, rollers which roll over the van body floor.

Preferably, the locking means is a spring-loaded spindle at each side of the bulkhead wall and releasably engagable in a selected hole or recess of a series of the latter extending along the van body floor.

The bulkhead structure preferably comprises a vertical skeleton framework of angle irons and/or channel members, preferably of aluminium alloy, faced on one side with plate, again of preferably aluminium alloy.

While reference has been made to "transverse division" of the van body interior, it will be manifest that the bulkhead structure could be used to effect "longitudinal division" of the van body interior.

A handle arrangement may be fitted to the bulk head wall to facilitate moving the bulkhead structure along the van body.

Also, spacers may be fitted to the bulkhead wall to maintain cargo clear thereof.

Also, according to the present invention there is provided a van body incorporating a movable bulkhead structure according to the present invention.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 illustrates diagrammatically a curtainsided van body in accordance with our aforesaid Patent specifications showing a movable bulkhead structure therein; Figure 2 is a front view of the bulkhead structure; Figure 3 is a corresponding side elevation; Figure 4 is a corresponding plan view; Figure 5is a detail view of the top roller trolley; and Figure 6 is a detail view of the bottom roller arrangement.

The curtainsided van body will not be described in detail. It is substantially as disclosed in our aforesaid Patent specifications. Generally it comprises a floor 10, a roof 11 supported above the floor 10 and curtains 12 tensionable vertically and horizontally across open sides of the van body to close same.

Along each lateral side of the van body is a cant rail 13 which mounts an inwardly open channel track 14.

Along the floor 10 of the van body are two parallel series of holes or recesses generally indicated at 15 to receive locking spindles (referred to later) of a bulkhead structure 16. It is envisaged that one-sided locking of the bulkhead structure 16 is possible but two-sided locking is preferred to avoid any twisting tendency of the bulkhead structure.

The bulkhead structure 16 is formed of aluminium alloy channel and angle members 17 and 18 respectively and a bottom transverse box section 19. The bulkhead structure is faced on one side as indicated at 20 with aluminium alloy plate. On this wall or face 20 is secured top-hat section spacers 21 serving to maintain cargo C clear of the bulkhead wall 20. A b section 22 is also provided to serve as a handle arrangement. At each side of the bulkhead structure 16 at the top is a roller trolley 23 comprising a channel member 24, the channel members 24 being joined by angle frame members 17. Each channel member 24 mounts adjacent each end a roller 25 engaged for rolling movement in channel track 14.

Each channel member 24 also, outboard of roller 25, mounts a caster wheel 26 which also engages in channel track 14 to prevent any twisting of the roller trollies 23.

At the bottom of the bulkhead structure 16 is a pair of barrel shaped nylon rollers 27 carried in brackets 28 and making point contact with the van body floor 10.

Within each lateral upright channel frame member 17 of the bulkhead structure is a locking spindle 29 spring-loaded downwards to engage in a hole or recess 15 in the floor 10 normally to secure the bulkhead structure 16 in adjusted position.

These spindles 29 are raised out of the holes or recesses 15 and temporarily held clear of the floor 10 by clips or similar while the bulkhead structure 16 is moved to a new position. They are then released to engage adjacent holes or recesses 15.

This bulkhead structure serves (a) to divide the van body interior transversely, and (b) to assist in roof support.

There may be more than one bulkhead structure per van body.

While reference has been made to dividing the van body interior transversely, the bulkhead structure may be employed to divide it longitudinally it being necessary only to re-locate the tracks 14 and parallel series of holes 15 across rather than along the van body interior and to rotate the bulkhead structure bodily through 90".

References herein and the claims therefore to "transverse" division should be construed to include "longitudinal" division.

Claims

1. A movable bulkhead structure for use in a van body and comprising a bulkhead wall for dividing the van body interior transversely, roller means at each side of the bulkhead wall at the top thereof engagable in tracks connected to the van body roof, roller means on the bottom of the bulkhead wall for rolling on the van body floor, and locking means carried by the wall for engagement with the van body to secure the bulkhead wail in adjusted position.

2. A movable bulkhead structure as claimed in jaim 1 in which the bulkhead wall at each side at its op has a trolley mounting rollers for engaging in a track forming part of the roof structure of the van body.

3. A movable bulkhead structure as claimed in claim 2, in which each trolley at each end has a guide wheel engagable in the track to resist any tendency o-, the trolley to twist.

4. A movable bulkhead structure as claimed in ciairn 3, in which each guide wheel is a caster wheel.

5. A movable bulkhead structure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the bottom roller means is a pair of transversely spaced barrel-shaped plastics, preferably nylon, rollers which roll over the van body floor.

6. A movable bulkhead structure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the locking means is a spring-loaded spindle at each side of the bulkhead wall and releasably engagable in a selected hole or recess of a series of the latter extending along the van body floor.

7. A movable bulkhead structure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising a vertical skeleton framework of angle irons andíor channel members faced on one side with plate.

8. A movable blukhead structure as claimed in claim 7, in which the skeleton framework and the facing plate are formed of aluminium alloy.

9. A movable bulkhead structure as claimed in any one of the preceding claims comprising a handle arrangement fitted to the bulkhead wall to facilitate moving the bulkhead structure along the van body.

10. A movable bulkhead structure as claimed in any one of the preceding claims comprising spacers fitted to the bulkhead wall to maintain cargo clear thereof.

11. A movable bulkhead structure for use in a van body, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. A van body, especially a curtainsided van body, incorporating a movable bulkhead structure according to any one of claims 1 to 11.