Load handling method and apparatus
OwnerNavarre Andre Masseyinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus and method for loading and unloading flat-bed trailers by means of a winch-driven cable attachable to the forward part of a slidably mounted wheel carriage assembly or, alternatively to the forward portion of a slidable load; the load and the wheel carriage assembly being connected by a linkage cable, so that actuation of the winch results in simultaneous movement of the wheel carriage assembly, and the load in opposite directions with reference to the longitudinal axis of the trailer.
Claims15
In a flat bed trailer tiltably attachable to a hauling unit, comprising a flat bed platform provided, on its lower surface, with at least two longitudinal carriage guiderails, a movable wheel carriage assembly provided with rollers which engage the said carriage guiderails, the improvement which comprises:
- (1) a winch;
- (2) a winch cable engaged by the said winch and capable of being selectively connected to the forward lower edge of a load or to the forward part of the said wheel carriage assembly;
- (3) a linkage cable, one end of which is capable of being connected to the forward lower edge of the load, while the other end is capable of being connected to the rear part of the said wheel carriage assembly;
- (4) an idler sheave located at the rear of the said flat bed trailer, adapted to accept and guide said linkage cable.
A method of loading containers, pallets and similar loads onto flat bed trailers having a wheel carriage which is mounted for sliding movement in the direction of movement of the trailer, comprising the steps of aligning the rear end of a trailer with the front end of the load, tilting the trailer bed downwardly at the rear by drawing the wheel carriage in the forward direction, attaching one end of a linkage cable to the rear part of said slidably mounted wheel carriage and attaching the other end of the said linkage cable to the lower forward part of said load, attaching a winch cable to the lower forward part of the said load, pulling the said load forward and onto the tilted trailer bed by means of said winch cable while simultaneously drawing said wheel carriage rearward by means of the said linkage cable.
A method of unloading of containers, pallets or similar loads from flat bed trailers having a wheel carriage which is mounted for sliding movement in the direction of movement of the trailer, comprising the steps of attaching a winch cable to the forward part of the wheel carriage, attaching one end of a linkage cable to the rear part of said wheel carriage and attaching the other end of the said linkage cable to the forward lower part of a load, drawing said wheel carriage forward by means of said winch cable, while said load is simultaneously drawn downwardly at the rear by means of the said linkage cable, resulting in said trailer bed being tilted rearward and said load sliding and being drawn off the said trailer bed and, after a part of the said load comes into contact with and to rest off the trailer bed on a load bearing surface, disconnecting said linkage cable and driving the tilted flat bed trailer forward and from under the remainder of the said load.
A method of loading of a load onto a tiltable flat bed trailer provided with a wheel carriage assembly which is mounted for sliding movement relative to the bed in the direction of travel of the trailer, and a single power means connectable to said wheel carriage assembly and said load, said method consisting of operating said power means drawing the said load forward and onto said trailer when it is tilted downwardly at the rear and, simultaneously, drawing said wheel carriage assembly rearward thus returning the said trailer to a horizontal position.
A method of unloading a load from a tiltable flat bed trailer provided with a wheel carriage assembly which is mounted for sliding movement relative to the bed in the direction of travel of the trailer and a single power means connectable to said wheel carriage assembly and said load, which method consists of operating said power means thus drawing the wheel carriage forward thus tilting the said flat bed trailer rearward, while, simultaneously, drawing said load rearwards and off said trailer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.