ZA201007070B - Support arrangement - Google Patents

Description

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SUPPORT ARRANGEMENT

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a support arrangement. h More particularly, the present invention relates to a support arrangement for a + 5 curtain of a curtainside semitrailer. 3 ]

BACKGROUND TO INVENTION

A curtainside semitrailer (also known as a Tautliner) refers to a standard flatbed truck or trailer having a full height solid front and rear bulkhead and with a roof section fitted between the front and rear bulkheads. Side curtains are then used to provide the side walls of the truck or trailer, which curtains can either be rolled down from the roof or can be suspended from a “curtain rail”, e.g. tracks mounted on both sides of the roof structure, on which the curtains are hung with rollers. These curtains can then be opened, to permit side access to the loading area allowing goods to be loaded directly in their transport position. After the loading is complete, the side curtains are lowered or drawn to close the sides and then tensioned to prevent wind flapping and water ingress into the payload area.

One of the advantages of curtainside semitrailers over standard van type bodies is that in the latter, goods can only be loaded from the rear access doors and thus need to be shifted down the length of the trailer to the transport position.

Side loading greatly reduces the loading time, and also allows for easier part- load offloading, without needing to start removal from the rear access doors.

One of the disadvantages of curtainside semitrailers is that the side walls, being made of a flexible canvas or tarpaulin, cannot accommodate an excessive side force, such as would be experienced when loose items press against the side.

Also, high value loosely packed items can easily be stolen from the semitrailer by cutting open the side curtain. For these reasons, curtainside semitrailers are generally not used to transport loose, and especially high value commodities.

DrG Ref: 684714

It is an object of the invention to suggest a support arrangement, which will assist in overcoming these problems.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

According to the invention, a support arrangement for use with a transport

N 5 container includes a lattice being adapted to removably extend across a part of ] the container; and tensioning means being adapted to tension the lattice when in its extended position to fixedly secure the lattice in place.

The lattice may be adapted to support a side curtain of a curtainside transport container, for closing an open side of the container.

The lattice may be integrally formed with the side curtain.

The lattice may be adapted to form an interior division wall within the transport container.

The lattice may include a number of sub-lattices releasably attached to each other.

The sub-lattices may be attached to each other by a hook and eye arrangement.

The lattice may include a plurality of elongated rigid poles arranged substantially parallel to each other and being joined together by a plurality of transverse flexible straps.

The poles may be solid or hollow tubing and may be made of metal, fibre-glass or reinforced plastics.

The straps may be canvas or Nylon webbing.

The support arrangement may include opposite guide tracks being adapted to movably support and locate the lattice to assist retraction and extension thereof across the container.

DrG Ref: 684714

The guide tracks may be roller tracks, such as U-shaped slots.

The guide tracks may be recessed into a floor or a roof of the transport container. ) The opposite free ends of the poles may be provided with rollers for rolling in the

J 5 quide tracks. §

The transport container may be a shipping container, a goods transport vehicle, a curtainside truck or curtainside semitrailer.

Also according to the invention, a support arrangement for use with a transport container includes at least one lattice having a plurality of elongated rigid poles arranged substantially parallel to each other, each pole having opposite ends, and a plurality of transverse flexible straps joining the poles together; opposite guide tracks being adapted to movably locate the opposite free ends of the poles to allow retraction and extension of the lattice(s) across a part of the container; and tensioning means being adapted to tension the straps when the poles are extended across the container to fixedly and rigidly secure the lattice(s) to the container.

The invention extends to a transport container provided with a support arrangement as described herein.

The invention further extends to a curtainside semitrailer provided with a support arrangement as described herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings.

In the drawings there is shown in:

DrG Ref: 684714

Figure 1: A perspective view of a semitrailer provided with a support arrangement according to the invention, including a number of support poles;

Figure 2: On an enlarged scale, a sectional top view of one of the support poles shown in Figure 1, with its transverse webbing;

Figure 3: A side view of one of the support poles; and

Figure 4: A front view of a further embodiment of the support arrangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Referring to Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, a curtainside semitrailer 10 is shown being provided with a support arrangement 12 in accordance with the invention for supporting a side curtain 14 of the semitrailer 10.

The semitrailer 10 is generally of elongated rectanguiar box shape including a floor 16, a front bulkhead 18, a rear bulkhead 20, and a roof 22. The opposite sides 24,26 of the semitrailer are open, and are each adapted to be covered by their own side curtain 14, which can either be rolled down from the roof 22 to the floor 16 or, as shown in Figure 1, can be pulled across from the rear bulkhead 20 to the front bulkhead 18 (or vice versa).

The side curtain 14 is made of a flexible sheet material, such as tarpaulin or canvas, with a number of rollers joined to its upper and lower edges that run in associated grooves or tracks in the roof 22 and floor 16 in a standard configuration available in commercial vehicles.

Additional upper roller tracks 28 are provided interior of the standard curtain roller tracks along the outer edges of the roof 22. These roller tracks 28 are adjacent to the opposite open sides 24,26 and extend between the front and rear bulkheads 18,20. Similarly, additional lower guide tracks 30 are provided along the outer edges of the floor 16 adjacent to the opposite open sides 24,26 and also extend between the front and rear bulkheads 18,20. The upper and lower

DrG Ref: 684714 tracks 28,30 can be recessed into the floor 16 or roof 22 to avoid hindrances protruding from them.

The support arrangement 12 includes a framework lattice acting as a barrier unit and consisting of elongated rigid poles 32, extending between the upper and ) 5 lower tracks 28,30, that are joined together by load webbing in the form of . flexible straps 34. Each pole 32 has an upper roller 36 that runs in the upper track 28 and a lower guide pen 38 that runs in the lower track 30, thereby allowing the poles 32 to be drawn away similar to the curtain 14 to open the sides 24,26. The straps 34 assist in causing the poles 32 to be evenly spaced when drawn across the open side 24,26. The poles 32 are nominally spaced at 400 mm intervals, but the spacing can be altered if needed. The quantity of the poles 32 will vary according to the spacing intervals and also the length of the open sides 24,26.

The poles 32 can be solid or hollow tubing and can be made of metal, fibre-glass or reinforced plastics.

The poles 32 are interlinked with the straps 34 running along the length of the semitrailer. The straps 34 are also nominally spaced at 400mm intervals, but again this can be altered if needed, e.g. depending on the semitrailer height.

The straps 34 have connectors for being tied to the front and rear bulkheads 18,20 with either of the outermost terminal poles 32 being fitted with a suitable tensioning mechanism. When drawn closed, the support arrangement 12 is pre-stressed to form a taut barrier, capable of resisting payload side forces during transport. Thereafter the side curtain 14 is closed and tied down in a conventional manner. The poles 32 assist in restricting opportunistic theft if the side curtains 14 are sliced open.

The support arrangement 12 can be formed in a single framework lattice (as shown in Figure 1) or it can be made up of multiple sub-lattice frameworks that are joined together such as in a hook/eye arrangement (as shown in Figure 4).

When more than one lattice framework is provided, the hook/eye arrangements can also be locked together. The subdivision of the support arrangement 12 into

DrG Ref: 684714 multiple sub-lattice frameworks facilitates retraction and extension of the support arrangement 12 and speeds up the loading time.

The straps 34 can be canvas or Nylon webbing and can additionally be interlaced with cut resistant material, e.g. steel belt or steel webbing, to prevent the straps 34 from being easily cut or sliced. i The straps 34 can be joined to the poles 32 by rivets.

The support arrangement 12 can optionally be mounted transversely across the width of the semitrailer 10, e.g. so that it lies parallel to or at an angle to the bulkheads 18,20 sa as to divide the interior of the semitrailer into a number of compartments for creating separate loading areas with payload support. In such a configuration, the upper track 28 is mounted across the width of the roof 22 and the lower track 30 is recessed across the floor 16 to locate the sliding poles 32. The poles 32 and straps 34 can be tensioned by fixedly securing the two outermost terminal poles between the roof 22 and floor 16.

It is also envisaged that the poles 32 can be integrally formed with the side curtain 14, in which case the straps 34 will not be required. One method of forming such an integral curtain is to locate the poles 32 within vertical pockets formed in the side curtain 14. This reduces the complexity, tare weight and also simplifies operation as only a single closure needs to be operated.

The support arrangement 12 can also be used in a similar manner in conventional shipping containers, on curtainside trucks, or on any other goods transport vehicle / container.

DrG Ref: 684714

Claims (18)

RY | “s- =~ 2010707079 CLAIMS

1. A support arrangement for use with a transport container including a lattice being adapted to removably extend across a part of the container; and tensioning means being adapted to tension the lattice when in its extended position to fixedly secure the lattice in place.

2. A support arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which the lattice is adapted to support a side curtain of a curtainside transport container, for closing an open side of the container.

3. A support arrangement as claimed in claim 2, in which the lattice is integrally formed with the side curtain.

4. A support arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which the lattice is adapted to form an interior division wall within the transport container.

5. A support arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the lattice includes a number of sub-lattices releasably attached to each other.

6. A support arrangement as claimed in claim 5, in which the sub-lattices are attached to each other by a hook and eye arrangement.

7. A support arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the lattice includes a plurality of elongated rigid poles arranged substantially parallel! to each other and being joined together by a plurality of transverse flexible straps.

8. A support arrangement as claimed in claim 7, in which the poles are solid or hollow tubing and are made of metal, fibre-glass or reinforced plastics.

9. A support arrangement as claimed in claim 7 or 8, in which the straps are canvas or Nylon webbing. DrG Ref: 684714

10. A support arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which includes opposite guide tracks being adapted to movably support and locate the lattice to assist retraction and extension thereof across the container.

11. A support arrangement as claimed in claim 10, in which the guide tracks are . roller tracks, such as U-shaped slots.

12. A support arrangement as claimed in claim 10 or 11, in which the guide tracks are recessed into a floor or a roof of the transport container.

13. A support arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 12, in which the opposite free ends of the poles are provided with roilers for rolling in the guide tracks.

14. A support arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the transport container is a shipping container, a goods transport vehicle, a curtainside truck or curtainside semitrailer.

15. A support arrangement for use with a transport container including at least one lattice having a plurality of elongated rigid poles arranged substantially parallel to each other, each pole having opposite ends, and a plurality of transverse flexible straps joining the poles together; opposite guide tracks being adapted to movably locate the opposite free ends of the poles to allow retraction and extension of the lattice(s) across a part of the container; and tensioning means being adapted to tension the straps when the poles are extended across the container to fixedly and rigidly secure the lattice(s) to the container.

16. A support arrangement substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings.

17. A transport container provided with a support arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16. DrG Ref: 684714

18. A curtainside semitrailer provided with a support arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16. Date: 05 October 2010 Z/

T. 5 John Spicer : DR GERNT LTZ INC ’ Patent Attogneys of Applicant(s) P O Box 8; Cape Town 8000; South Africa 30 Union Road; Milnerton 7441; South Africa Tel: (021) 551 2650 Fax: (021) 551 2960 DrG Ref.: 684714 t:\files\14\684714\684714 spec.docx I DrG Ref: 684714