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US 4,124,129 AGranted
Loader and storage system
OwnerLeonard D. Barryinventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerLeonard D. Barryinventor
Estimating the term…
This invention is a loader-unloader and storage system for loads such as cargo containers or trailers to transfer them to or from trains or vehicles moving by. This loader has a lift frame with forks or hooks for engaging under to hold a load. The frame is pivotally secured on a plurality of parallel crank arms each mounted to rotate on a vertical pivot to form a parallelogram linkage. The arms are supported on wheels that run on a circular track concentric under each crank arm. The track has slopes to lift and lower the arms together according to the rotary position of the arms and track to transfer loads to or from a vehicle having side latches coupled the the forks, the frame, or the load. A load receiver cooperates for removing loads from the lift frame nonstop so the loader can be used to unload or load successive loads. One receiver is a conveyor having two chain runs which receive the load from the loader and move the load back to clear a place to set the next load thereon. The empty load frame can be translated around its track to the coupling position before the next load is aligned for transfer. The conveyor works in reverse to spot successive loads for the loader to lift off and swing parallel to set on successive empty spots or berth on transport vehicles. The loader can be mounted on stationary pivot columns to load or unload vehicles moving by or be mounted on a vehicle to operate while the vehicle is either moving or stationary and/or be mounted on a turntable to turn around or turn loads 90.degree. to and from a storage rack, conveyor, etc. The loader can be made to load and unload vehicles from either direction. A form of the loader supports loads at two levels on the frame to insert and remove adjacent containers on one pass.
A load transfer system including a plurality of vertical columns spaced apart each having a crank arm mounted thereon to turn, a crank pin on each said arm at a substantially equal distance from the column that the crank arm is mounted on, linkage means connecting the said crank pin of each said arm to turn the arms substantially equally and translate the linkage means horizontally when said linkage is engaged and moved, load engaging means on said linkage means for engaging a load for transfer, said arms being free to move for transfer, and means for lifting and lowering said load engaging means for engaging and disengaging said load engaging means with a load and lifting for transfer of the load by rotation of said arms in one direction for each transfer.
A loader for transfer of a load to or from a vehicle with relative movement past the loader, the loader having substantially horizontal, parallel, and equal crank arms having their pivots horizontally spaced apart, at least one (a) link connecting said arms into a parallelogram linkage, load transfer means on said link, said linkage being free to be moved about a transfer arc whereby a vehicle moving tangentially by the arc can engage the loader and move it around said arc to transfer a load with respect to the vehicle, and cam means for lifting and lowering said load transfer means for transfer of the load when tangent to the arc.
A load transfer system comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.