GB2398278A

GB2398278A - Trailer with movable platforms

Info

Publication number: GB2398278A
Application number: GB0303502A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Dibdin; Pauline Dawes
Original assignee: Middlegate Marketing Ltd
Current assignee: Middlegate Marketing Ltd
Priority date: 2003-02-15
Filing date: 2003-02-15
Publication date: 2004-08-18
Anticipated expiration: 2023-02-15
Also published as: GB2398278B; CN1777525A; CN100506604C; GB0303502D0

Abstract

A vehicle trailer 1, has a vertically-moveable platform 9 and a longitudinally-moveable platform 10. The platform 10, once loaded with cargo, may be elevated and advanced along support tracks 11 on both sides of the trailer. A central section of the floor of the trailer contains a well 4 for additional cargo storage. Vertically-moveable platforms 5-7 operated by screw jacks or hydraulic rams 8 enable cargo 15 to be lowered into the well. The longitudinally-moveable platform 10 may be advanced to a position directly over the well.

Description

TRAILER

The present invention relates to a trailer.

Conventional trailers provide an enclosable space into which cargo can be loaded for carriage. Such trailers are usually provided with a rectangular frame, and a number of solid panels attached to the rectangular frame. Such trailers are mounted on a chassis comprising suitable running gear, to allow connection of the trailer to a tractor unit for haulage purposes.

In order to maximise the carrying capacity of the known trailer, it is known to lower the base of the trailer between the rear axle and the front hitch of the trailer so as to form a well. Such a modification generally allows additional goods to be stacked within the trailer on top of one another.

One trailer having such a well is described in US5,092,721. In the trailer of US5;092,721, there are provided upper and lower cargo carrying surfaces which are rigidly secured together. A hydraulic lift is provided within the well to lift and lower the upper and lower cargo carrying surfaces. Cargo is loaded onto the lower cargo carrying surface when the lower cargo carrying surface is in a first position, such that it is level with a floor of the trailer. The upper and lower cargo carrying surfaces are then lowered using the hydraulic lift, such that the lower cargo carrying surface is positioned at the bottom of the well. Cargo to be carried on the upper cargo carrying surface is then loaded onto a lift which is lifted to be level with the upper cargo carrying surface, whereupon the cargo can be moved from the lift onto the upper cargo carrying surface. The trailer of US5,092,721 is disadvantageous in that there is no satisfactory way of transferring cargo from the lift onto the upper Cargo carrying surface. For example, in some countries, health and safety regulations are likely to prevent a human being from climbing onto the lift to transfer the cargo manually.

Furthermore, transferring the cargo manually is likely to be time consuming and labour intensive International Patent Application No. PCT/GB01/00279, publication No. WO 01/62542 (Insulated Structures Lid et al) describes various mechanisms for loading a trailer. However, each of the mechanisms described in this document is suitable only for loading pallets using a forklift truck, not for carrying roll cages which are often used to canry cargo in trailers, nor for loading pallets using a manually operated pallet-barrow.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate at least one of the disadvantages set out above.

According to the present invention, there is provided a trailer defining a floor extending from a first end, and comprising at least one first displaceable platfonn onto which goods can be loaded from the first end of the trailer, the platform being supported such that it can be elevated when loaded and advanced away from the first end of the trailer when loaded.

The trailer may define a well, arid rr.ay comprise at least one second displaceable platform which can be displaced from a first upper position to a second lower position within the well. The first platform may be elevated and advanced forwards such that at least a part of the first platform is directly above the well.

The first displaceable platform may be carried on a further vertically displaceable platform, the first displaceable platform may be displaceable away from the first end of the trailer after the further vertically displaceable platform has been displaced to an upper position.

Vertical movement of the or each displaceable platform Allay be effected by hydraulic rams or screw jacks.

The first displaceable platform may be advanced forwards only from a predetermined vertical position. The predetermined vertical position may be defined by tracks provided in walls of the trailer, said tracks may be fixedly located in the predetermined vertical position, and the first displaceable platform may be advanced forward on said tracks.

The present invention also provides a method for loading a trailer comprising loading cargo onto a first displaceable platfonn within the trailer from a first end of the trailer, and elevating and advancing forwards the first displaceable platfonn carrying said cargo.

Cargo may be loaded onto a second displaceable platform, and the second displaceable platform may be lowered into a well of the trailer.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a trailer in accordance with the present invention; Figures 2a to 2h illustrate the trailer of figure 1 as cargo is loaded onto the trailer; Figures 3a and 3b are longitudinal sectional views of the trailer of figures 1 and 2, showing hydraulic lifting gear which is used to move a platfonn within the trailer of figure 1; Figures 4a and 4b are further longitudinal sectional views showing hydraulic lifting gear used to move a platform within the trailer of figure 1; and Figures Sa and Sb are longitudinal sectional views of another trailer in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 1 shows a trailer 1 having three rear axles supporting wheels 2 and a front hitch 3. It can be seen that a central part of the floor of the trailer between the wheels 2 and the front hitch 3 is lower than front and rear floor sections, so as to allow additional cargo to be carried in the lower part of the trailer which is hereinafter referred to as a well 4. It can be seen that the well is provided with three vertically moveable platforms 5, 6 and 7 which can be raised and lowered by the action of hydraulic rams 8.

A rear part of the trailer 1 is provided with two platforms, that is a vertically moveable platform 9, and a longitudinally moveable platform l O. In use, the vertically moveable platform 9 is lifted such that the longitudinally moveable platform] O can be moved forwards in tracks l l formed at either side of the trailer at an appropriate height, as is described with reference to subsequent figures.

Referring to figure 2a, it can be seen that pallets 12 have been loaded into the front most part of the trailer 1. This loading can be achieved by using either a fork-lift truck or a manually operated pallet barrow. In either case the cargo enters the trailer through a rear door 13, and is moved across the longitudinally moveable platform 10 which is positioned so as to be level with a rear floor 14 of the trailer. The cargo is then moved over the platforms 5, 6, 7, which are initially level Faith the longitudinally moveable platform 10, to the front most portion of the floor of the trailer.

Referring to figure 2b, it can be seen that pallets 15 are subsequently loaded onto the vertically movable platfonns 5, 6, 7. This loading can be achieved as was described with reference to figure 2a. When the pallets have been loaded, the vertically moveable platforms 5, 6, 7 are moved downwards by the action of the hydraulic rams such that the platforms 5, 6, 7 are positioned on a floor of the well 4 of the trailer.

This configuration is shown in Figure 2c.

Referring to figure 2d. it can be seen that pallets 15 have been loaded onto the longitudinally moveable platform 10. This loading can be achieved in the manner described above with reference to figure 2a. When pallets have been loaded onto the longitudinally moveable platform 10, the vertically moveable platform 9 is moved upwards to the position shown in figure 2e. In this position, it can be seen that the longitudinally moveable platform 10 is vertically aligned with the tracks 11 which are provided by the sides of the trailer. In this position, the longitudinally moveable platfonn 10 carrying the pallets i6 can be moved forward in the tracks 11, to adopt the position shown in figure 2f. This movement of the platform 10 can be achieved by providing the platform 10 in the form of a rolling floor, having a plurality of rollers each of which is provided with a motor. When the platform 10 is located at the appropriate height within the trailer, the motors can be energised such that the rollers move the platform 10 forwards on the tracks 11 provided by the trailer. Alternatively, a suitable chain drive or the dike could be provided to displace the rolling floor on simple free-ruming rollers From figure 2f, it can be seen that the platform 9 carries support legs 17 which can be extended frown its lower surface. When the platfonn 9 is lowered onto the floor of the trailer (as shown in figure 2g), these support legs now ensure that the platfonn 9 is level with the rear floor 14 of the trailer, given that the platform 10 is supported by the tracks 11 provided by the trailer. Thus, the support legs 17 have a height equal to that of the longitudinally moveable platform 10. The support legs could be automatically extended for example by a suitable hydraulic system (not shown) after the platform 10 has been displaced from its initial position above the platform 9. Alternatively, the platform 9 could be maintained at the level of the rear floor 14 of the trailer as shown in Figure 2g by for example hydraulically extending support blocks (not shown) from the trailer floor Referring to figure 2h, it can be seen that pallets 18 have been loaded onto the platform 9 at the rear of the trailer. The platfonn 9 is supported by the support legs 17 so as to be maintained level with the rear floor 14 of the trailer.

It will be appreciated front the foregoing description that the present invention allows space usage within the trailer I to be optimised, given that the pallets 16 are carried on a platfonn 10 located above the pallets 15. Furthermore the present invention is advantageous, because all loading positions can be accessed using a manually operated pallet barrow without the need for a forklift truck. However, it will be appreciated that the invention can be used with a forklift truck if desired.

Additionally, the invention can be used with roll cages, if it is desired to carry cargo in this way.

Figures 3a and 3b illustrate that the platform 9 is raised and lowered by two pairs of hydraulic rams 19, 20, only one ram of each pair being shown in Figures 3a and 3b. A first pair of hydraulic rams 19 are positioned within the well 4 of the trailer, while a second pair of hydraulic rams 20 are positioned within respective suitable enclosures 21 (only one of which is shown in Figures 3a and 3b) formed between two wheels 2 of the trailer, such that each of the second pair of hydraulic rams passes through the floor 22 of the rear part of the trailer 1. It will be appreciated that if the trailer is to be insulated so as to carry goods under temperature controlled conditions, the enclosures 21 and its attachment to the trailer is designed so as to ensure that the insulated nature of the trailer is not compromised.

Figure 3b shows the trailer when the hydraulic rams 19, 20 have been extended so as to raise the platform 9. It can be seen that the first hydraulic ram 19 includes a piston 23 which extends out of a cylinder to lift the platform 9. Similarly, the second hydraulic ram 20 includes an piston 24 which extends to lift the platform 9.

Figures 4a and 4b show further views of the hydraulic ram 20, taken on the line 4a-4a of figure 3a, and the line 4b-4b of figure 3b respectively. It can be seen from figures 3a and 3b, and 4a and 4b that the platform 9 is raised and lowered by the action of four hydraulic rams.

Figures 5a and 5b, illustrate a further embodiment of a trailer in accordance with the present invention. Operation of the trailer of figures 5 is effectively the same as that of figures 2, 3 and 4, however it should be noted that in the embodiment of figures 5, the three platforms 5, 6, 7 are implemented as a single platform 25 whicl1 is moveable within the well 4. Additionally, two support bars 26 are inserted into the trailer after the pallets 16 have been loaded into the trailer. These bars 26 prevent forwards movement of the pallets 16 within the trailer 1. It can be seen that the trailer of figures 5a and 5b has only two rear wheels 2, and thus, the well 4 can be of larger size. Thus, as can be seen in figure 5b, four pallets can be fitted into the well 4 in each row.

The three platforms 5, 6 and 7 shown in Figure 1 can be independently raised and lowered which makes it possible to gain access to the underside of one platform which is raised if an adjacent platform is lowered. Maintenance is thus facilitated. In contrast, access beneath the single platform 25 shown in Figures 5a and 5b would require the provision of an access route such as a removable hatch (not shown) in the platform.

The embodiments described above relate to a trailer including a well. It will be readily apparent that the present invention need not be restricted to trailers including wells, but is instead applicable to a wide range of different trailers.

Claims

1. A trailer defining a floor extending from a first end, and comprising at least one first displaceable platform onto which goods can be loaded from the first end of the trailer, the platform being supported such that it can be elevated when loaded and advanced away from the first end of the trailer when loaded.

2. A trailer according to claim 1, wherein the trailer defines a well, and comprises at least one second displaceable platfonn which can be displaced from a first upper position to a second lower position within the well.

3. A trailer according to claim 2, wherein the first platform can be elevated and advanced forwards such that at least a part of the first platform is directly above the well.

4. A trailer according to any preceding claim, wherein the first displaceable platform is carried on a further vertically displaceable platfonn, the first displaceable platform being displaceable away from the first end of the trailer after the further vertically displaceable platform has been displaced to an upper position.

5. A trailer according to claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein vertical movement of the or each displaceable platform is effected by hydraulic rams.

6. A trailer according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein vertical movement of the or each displaceable platform is effected by screw jacks.

7. A trailer according to any preceding claim, wherein the first displaceable platform can be advanced forwards only from a predetermined vertical position.

8. A trailer according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined vertical position is defined by tracks provided in walls of the trailer, said tracks are fixedly located in the predetermined vertical position, and the first displaceable platform can be advanced forward on said Backs.

9. A method for loading a trailer comprising loading cargo onto a first displaceable platfonn within the trailer from a first end of the trailer, and elevating and advancing forwards the first displaceable platform carrying said cargo.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein cargo is loaded onto a second displaceable platform, and the second displaceable platform is lowered into a well of the trailer.

11. A trailer substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to figures I to 4 or figures 5 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A method for loading a trailer substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to figures 2 or figures 5 of the accompanying drawings.