GB2225617A

GB2225617A - Wheeled platform

Info

Publication number: GB2225617A
Application number: GB8827097A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Verhaeg; Joseph Robert Heathcock
Original assignee: British Castors Ltd
Current assignee: British Castors Ltd
Priority date: 1988-11-19
Filing date: 1988-11-19
Publication date: 1990-06-06
Anticipated expiration: 2008-11-19
Also published as: GB8827097D0; GB2225617B

Abstract

A roll pallet is provided with a brake acting on a wheel of the pallet. The brake includes a leaf-spring (16) which can be urged against the wheel by movement of a plunger (17). A cam (18) is mounted inside the platform of the pallet to act on the plunger (17) and a shaft (19) for turning the cam extends along the interior of a tubular member (11) of the platform. The shaft (19) is turned by a pedal (25), and may also act on a plunger associated with a wheel at the other end of the tubular member. <IMAGE>

Description

Title:"Wheeled platform" Description of Invention According to the present invention, there is provided a hollow platform having a number of wheels for supporting the platform from a floor wherein there is provided for at least one of said wheels a respective braking element which is engageable with the wheel to restrain rotation thereof and an actuating element for the braking element, wherein the actuating element is disposed inside the platform, wherein there is provided a setting element movable by a user to set the braking element and wherein transmitting means for transmitting motion from the setting element to the actuating element is disposed at least partly inside the platform.

In a platform in accordance with the invention, the hollow platform protects the transmitting means and actuating element against mechanical damage.

Examples of platforms embodying the invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIGURE I shows a perspective view of a first platform, FIGURE 2 shows a part of a cross-section of the platform in a horizontal plane, FIGURE 3 shows the part of the platform of Figure 2 in side elevation and partly in cross-section on the line Ill-Ill of Figure 2, FIGURE 4 shows a cross-section on the line IV-IV of Figure 3, FIGURE 5 shows a perspective view of a second platform, FIGURE 6 shows a partial cross-section in a vertical plane on the line VI-VI of Figure 5, and FIGURE 7 shows diagrammatically certain parts of the platform of Figure 5, as viewed from above.

The platform of Figures 1 to 4 comprises a pair of rectilinear tubes 10 and 11 which are in mutually parallel, spaced apart relation. The tubes are connected together by a transverse member 12, which also may be tubular.

The tubes 10 and 11 and the member 12 are rigid. Each is preferably formed of steel tube having a rectangular transverse cross-section. A piece of sheet material may rest on the upwardly facing surfaces of the tubes 10 and 11 and of the member 12. - The tubes 10 and II may further support demountable walls which extend upwardly from the tubes, for example side walls and/or end walls, which enclose a rectangular space above the tubes for containing cartons or other objects which are required to be stored and distributed in bulk. Platforms having this general configuration are well known and the arrangement of the walls will therefore not be described further.

The known platforms are generally equipped with wheels, for example four wheels near to respective ends of the tubes 10 and II. These wheels may be castor wheels for supporting the platform from a floor. It is desirable to provide braking means for one or more of the castors and the provision of braking means disposed beneath the tubes 10 and II has been proposed.

Braking means in this position is vulnerable to mechanical damage, for example when platforms which have been unloaded are being nested with one another.

In the example of platform illustrated in Figures I to 4, there are provided four castors. One only of these is represented in the drawing at 14.

The castor 14 is mounted at the underside of the tube II, near to one end thereof. The castor has an upwardly facing attachment plate 15 secured by fasteners (not shown) to the tube II. For example, four studs may project from the tube through respective openings in the attachment plate and be secured in those openings by respective nuts. Alternatively, bolts may extend through the attachment plate and through the tube 11.

The castor 14 may be of known form and includes a braking element for braking rotation of the castor wheel. By way of example, there is represented in the drawing a braking element in the form of a leaf-spring 16 which is anchored to a body of the castor and which extends over an uPper part of the castor wheel. When unstressed, the leaf-spring remains clear of the castor wheel. For applying the leaf-spring to the wheel, there is provided a plunger 17 arranged for sliding along the swivelling axis of the castor through an aperture in the attachment plate IS. A lower end portion of the plunger bears on the leaf-spring 16 and an upper end portion of the plunger protrudes into the space inside the tube II.

There is disposed inside the tube 11 an actuating element in the form of cam 18. The cam is carried on and is fixed with respect to a shaft 19 which extends along the interior of the tube II.

A hollow plug 20 is fitted in an end portion of the tube Il adjacent to the castor 14. A head 21 of the plug lies outside the tube, adjacent to the end thereof. The head 21 defines a socket 22 in which an end portion of the shaft 1 9 is received with sufficient clearance to permit rotation of the shaft relative to the plug. A bush 23 is fitted in an end portion of the plug 20 remote from the head 21. The shaft 19 extends through the bush and is supported for turning relative to the tube 11 and plug 20 about a longitudinal axis of the shaft. The shaft may have a polygonal cross-section, the cam 18 having a complementary aperture so that turning of the shaft relative to the cam is prevented.

On a portion of the shaft 19 which protrudes from the end of the tube I I, there is carried an arm 24 which is integral with a pedal 25 lying above the plug 20. The arm protrudes through a slot defined between the plug and the end of the tube 11. The plug is formed to limit movement of the arm 24 about the axis of the shaft 19. The shaft is rotationally fast with the arm 24 so that turning of the shaft and of the cam 18 also is limited to a range of angular movement in the region of 900. When the arm 24 is in one extreme position, the cam maintains the plunger 17 in a depressed position, in which the plunger holds the leaf-spring 16 in firm contact with the periphery of the castor wheel. When the arm is in the opposite extreme position, the leafspring is permitted to move clear of the castor wheel.

The plug 20 may be an inteference fit in the tube II. Alternatively, means may be provided for securing the plug in the tube. Such securing means may include a leg of a wall which is mounted on the platform, the leg extending through aligned apertures in the tube II and in the plug 20.

Adjacent to the opposite end of the tube 11, the shaft 19 is supported by a further plug corresponding to the plug 20. If braking of the castor adjacent to the opposite end of the tube II is required, a cam corresponding to the cam 18 is provided for that castor.

For braking one or both of the castors associated with the tube 10, there are provided a further shaft corresponding to the shaft 19, plugs for supporting the shaft and one or more cams, all of these components being arranged in the manner hereinbefore described.

The platform illustrated in Figures 5, 6 and 7 has the form of a hollow box and may be formed of a plastics material, for example rotational moulding. Typically, the platform of Figure 5 has a depth within the range 50-100 millimetre. As viewed in plan, the platform is rectangular. Adjacent to one margin of the platform, there is defined a recess 26 in which there is disposed a pedal 27.

Provision may be made for fitting the platform of Figure 5 with demountable walls in a known manner. Near to each corner of the platform, there is provided at the underside of the platform a respective castor. One of these is shown in the drawings at 28. The castor has an attachment plate 29 having four holes through which respective bolts extend into moulded bosses incorporated in the platform. Typically, the heads of the bolts are adjacent to the attachment plate 29 and nuts on the bolts are received in respective recesses adjacent to the upwardly facing surface of the platform.

The castor 28 has a braking element which may be of the form hereinbefore described with reference to the castor 14. For moving the braking element into engagement with the castor wheel, there is provided a plunger 30 which can slide within an opening formed in the attachment plate.

An actuating element for the plunger 30 is disposed inside the platform of Figure 5. The actuating element is in the form of a cam and is carried on a shaft 32. The shaft 32 extends from the cam 31 through the interior of the platform, into the recess 26, through the pedal 27 and then through the interior of the platform to a position above a further one of the castors. At this position, a further cam is provided on the shaft. The cams and the pedal are rotationally fast on the shaft, which may have a polygonal cross-section.

The pedal is fixed to the shaft. Since the pedal is trapped in the recess this restrains longitudinal movement of the shaft relative to the platform.

The shaft 32 is supported adjacent to the cam 31 by a pair of bearings 33 and 34, between which the cam is disposed. Each bearing is carried by a respective bracket 35, 36. Each of these brackets is L-shaped, as viewed in Figure 6. One limb of the bracket is trapped between the attachment plate 29 and the underside of the platform, whilst the other limb of the bracket extends upwardly through a lower wall of the platform to support the associated bearing inside the platform. Conveniently, the brackets 35 and 36 are identical one with the other and are placed back-to-back with two of the attachment bolts extending through each bracket. The brackets moy extend through an aperture or respective apertures in a lower wall of the platform.

Alternatively, the lower wall may define a downwardly facing recess in which the bearings 33 and 34 and the cam 31 are contained.

The shaft 32 may be additionally supported by bearings fitted in side walls of the recess 26, adjacent to the pedal 25. These bearings may support the pedal directly. Similarly, the cam 31 may be supported directly by the bearings 33 and 34. The shaft may be supported indirectly from the bearings 33 and 34 via the cam 31 and from bearings in the side walls of the recess by the pedal 27. The pedal 25 may be shaped to limit turning of the shaft 32 by abutment of the pedal with walls of the recess 26.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A hollow platform having a number of wheels for supporting the platform from a floor, wherein there is provided for at least one of said wheels a respective braking element which is engageable with the wheel to restrain rotation thereof and an actuating element for the braking element, wherein the actuating element is disposed inside the platform, wherein there is provided a setting element movable by a user to set the braking element and wherein transmitting means for transmitting motion from the setting element to the actuating element is disposed at least partly inside the platform.

2. A platform according to Claim I wherein the actuating element is mounted for rotation relative to the platform about an axis which lies between a top and a bottom of the platform.

3. A platform according to Claim I wherein the platform comprises respective mutually parallel tubes extending along opposite margins of the platform, each of said tubes overlies at least a respective one of said wheels having a braking element, the actuating element for the braking element lies inside the tube and the transmitting means for the actuating element extends along the interior of the tube.

4. A platform according to Claim 3 wherein each end portion of the tube contains a respective plug, the transmitting means is a shaft which is arranged for turning with the actuating element relative to the tube about an axis which extends along the interior of the tube and wherein the plug receives an end portion of and provides a bearing for the shaft.

5. A platform according to Claim 4 wherein a pedal is carried on a portion of the shaft which protrudes from an end of the tube and the pedal is trapped between the tube and a head of one of the plugs.

6. A platform according to Claim 5 wherein the plug provides two bearings for the shaft and said portion of the shaft lies between the two bearings.

7. A platform according to Claim 6 wherein the plug limits turning of the pedal about the axis of the shaft.

8. A platform according to Claim 2 wherein the transmitting means is a shaft which extends along said axis, there is provided a support which includes a first portion lying at an underside of the platform, which support extends through an opening in the platform from the underside to the interior of the platform and which support includes a second portion supporting the shaft and the actuating element.

9. A platform according to Claim 2 wherein the transmitting means is a shaft which extends along the said axis and wherein there is provided a pair of supports for supporting the shaft at respective positions which are adjacent to and which lie on opposite sides of the actuating element, each of said supports including a respective first portion lying at an underside of the platform, each of said supports extending through an opening in the platform from the underside to the interior of the platform and each of said supports including a second portion supporting the shaft and the actuating element.

10. A platform according to Claim 8 or Claim 9 wherein the wheel is connected with the platform by a wheel carrier lying outside the platform and wherein the first portion of the or each support is trapped between the wheel carrier and the underside of the platform.

II. A platform according to Claim 8 or Claim 9 wherein said shaft has an actuating element adjacent to each of its ends and an operating member on an intermediate portion and fixed with respect to the shaft and wherein the operating member is received in a recess in the platform to restrain longitudinal movement of the shaft.

12. A wheeled platform having braking means substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustroted in Figures 2 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A wheeled platform having braking means substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 5, 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.

14. Any novel feature or novel combination of features disclosed herein or in the accompanying drawings.