Loading/unloading device for a delivery vehicle
OwnerDavid William Presbyinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A loading/unloading device for delivering an item(s) to be delivered. The loading/unloading device includes an outer nested track; an inner nested track nested within the outer nested track; a curved generally U-shaped guide track nested within the inner nested track; and a movable trolley accommodated and movable along the curved generally U-shaped guide track. A drive motor being is supported by a first end of the curved generally U-shaped guide track for conveying the movable trolley back and forth along the curved generally U-shaped guide track for loading and unloading the item(s) to be delivered. A delivery vehicle, including at least one loading/unloading device for delivering the item(s) to be delivered, is also disclosed.
Claims18
A loading/unloading device for delivering one or more items, the loading/unloading device comprising:
- an outer nested track;
- an inner nested track being nested within the outer nested track;
- a curved generally U-shaped guide track being nested within the inner nested track;
- a movable trolley supporting a fork platform, the movable trolley being accommodated and movable along the curved generally U-shaped guide track;
- and
- a drive motor being supported by a first end of the curved generally U-shaped guide track for conveying the movable trolley back and forth along the curved generally U-shaped guide track to facilitate loading and unloading the one or more items, wherein the fork platform supports two forks adjacent a second end thereof, a respective platform hydraulic cylinder controls pivoting motion of each respective fork relative to the fork platform so that each fork is movable from a position generally perpendicular to the fork platform to a position generally parallel to the fork platform for loading and unloading the one or more items.
A delivery vehicle comprising at least one loading/unloading device for delivering one or more items, the delivery vehicle comprising a vehicle frame and a vehicle bed, and the at least one loading/unloading device comprising:
- an outer nested track;
- an inner nested track being nested within the outer nested track;
- a curved generally U-shaped guide track being nested within the inner nested track;
- a movable trolley being accommodated and movable along the curved generally U-shaped guide track, the movable trolley supporting a fork platform and the fork platform supporting at least one pivotable fork for loading and unloading the one or more items;
- a drive motor being supported by a first end of the curved generally U-shaped guide track for conveying the movable trolley back and forth along the curved generally U-shaped guide track to facilitate loading and unloading of the one or more items on to or off of the vehicle bed of the delivery vehicle;
- and
- at least first and second lifting members provided for raising and lowering the outer nested track, the inner nested track, the curved generally U-shaped guide track and the movable trolley relative to the vehicle bed of the delivery vehicle.
A method of attaching at least one loading/unloading device to a delivery vehicle, and the delivery vehicle comprising a vehicle frame and a vehicle bed, and the method comprising:
- providing an outer nested track;
- nesting an inner nested track within the outer nested track;
- nesting a curved generally U-shaped guide track within the inner nested track;
- accommodating a movable trolley within and along the curved generally U-shaped guide track, the movable trolley supporting a fork platform and the fork platform supporting at least one pivotable fork for loading and unloading one or more items;
- supporting a drive motor at a first end of the curved generally U-shaped guide track for conveying the movable trolley back and forth along the curved generally U-shaped guide track to facilitate loading and unloading the one or more items on to or off of the vehicle bed of the delivery vehicle;
- and
- providing at least first and second lifting members for raising and lowering the outer nested track, the inner nested track, the curved generally U-shaped guide track and the movable trolley relative to the vehicle bed of the delivery vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.