Goods movement apparatus

Apparatus for the movement of goods, said apparatus comprising:

• at least one goods storage area having a floor for the location of goods thereon, said goods storage area having an opening through which goods can be moved, said opening selectively closed by a door assembly;
• lifting apparatus including a frame and a platform movable in relation thereto and on which goods can be located,
• when the goods storage area and the lifting apparatus are in an abutting relationship and the said floor and the said platform are at the same height, an edge of the platform and an edge of the said floor are spaced apart by a gap and
• wherein the apparatus includes a bridging assembly including first and second bridge portions selectively movable to form a bridge across the said gap to allow goods to be moved between the said floor and the platform across said bridge and
• said first and second portions are relatively movable to allow the bridging assembly to be provided in
• a storage position in which the said bridge portions are provided in an upstanding position substantially perpendicular to a support surface of the platform,
• an in-use position in which the said bridge portions are substantially in line with the platform surface, and
• a position intermediate the in-use and storage positions and in which the first bridge portion is substantially in line with the platform support surface and the second bridge portion is in the upstanding position and
• when in the in-use position, the free end of the second bridge portion of the bridging assembly extends to and over the edge of the floor of the goods storage area to form a continuous goods movement path between the platform and the floor of the goods storage area and
• wherein when the bridging assembly is in the intermediate position, the gap between the edge of the first bridge portion and the edge of the floor of the goods storage area is less than the gap between the edge of the platform and the edge of the floor of the goods storage area, and
• the goods storage area is provided with a tail lift at the opening into the goods storage area and powered movement apparatus for the tail-lift is located towards the opposing end of the goods storage area from the said opening and is connected to the tail-lift by one or more elongate drive members in the form of chains or cables.