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US 4,362,456 AGranted
Rotary loader and storage system
OwnerLeonard D. Barryinventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerLeonard D. Barryinventor
Estimating the term…
This loader has one or more frames mounted to travel around a central pivot post. Each frame has preferably two fork arms extending radially out and curved inward like a gear or sprocket tooth profile to mesh between pedestals on a vehicle moved tangentially past the loader with a slope to transfer a load thereto or from according to the direction of movement. Grooved wheels support the frame on a circular cam track concentric about the pivot and are mounted on legs that swing to switch between concentric tracks having reverse slopes to transfer to or from a vehicle in either direction. Cradles on the forks have fingers to engage the side of the vehicle to align for transfer. The vehicle can have side couplers which engage behind the forward fork arm on its inner curve to gradually accelerate the loader into alignment for transfer or the loader can be powered or started to mesh its forks between the pedestals. After transfer the loader is pushed away from the vehicle by the side couplers, or the loader pushes the vehicle and turns out therefrom. The loader runs in a circle between a train and storage dollies to load or unload the train selectively nonstop. The loader can be stationary or vehicle mounted and can transfer cargo or passenger containers, dollies, or pallets for loads such as autos, semitrailers, buses of passengers, freight, etc.
A load transfer device for tangential moving transfer which has a radial arm member arranged to rotate about a single vertical axis member to substantially describe an arc for moving transfer, load cradle means on said arm member substantially free to have limited rotation about a substantially vertical axis on said arm member, means for turning said cradle means to align with a load substantially parallel to a plane tangent to said arc over a portion of the arc for transfer in which said cradle means moves through tangeneg with said arc for transfer as said arm member is rotated about said vertical axis member, and means for lifting or lowering said cradle means while moving in said arc substantially parallel to said plane for transfer of the load.
A rotary loader system for railway containers and pallets including at least one berth having upstanding ends for supporting a container thereon and at least one rotary loader having in combination a single vertical supporting pivot, at least one arm mounted to radiate from and rotate around said pivot, coupling and load engaging said alignment support means on the end of said arm curved horizontally on a radius from a point at the middle of the berth when said arm is fully extended thereover to engage and locate between the ends of the berth when the arm is revolved in an arc, means for providing relative tangential movement between the arc of turning of the arm and the berth for rotating the arm when engaged with the berth, and means for changing the relative elevation between said berth and said arm when extended over said berth to effect transfer of a load between said arm and said berth.
A rotary loader having a single vertical pivot post, at least one load arm pivotally mounted and supported to rotate horizontally through an arc about said post, load engaging and support means on the end of each said arm opposite said pivot post, each said load engaging means having outer side edges curved convex in a horizontal plane such that, during motion of a load carrying conveyance in a path tangential to said arc, said load engaging means will mesh between ledges on the conveyance for transfer of a load to or from the conveyance.
A rotary loader comprising a single substantially vertical pivot, at least one loader arm connected to and supported to revolve around said pivot and extending radially therefrom, load engaging and support means on the end of each said arm opposite to said pivot, said load support means being curved convex along the out facing sides as viewed in plan view for side coupling by engaging between transverse vertically faced ledges on a vehicle, means for supporting said arm to rotate around said pivot, and means for providing relative vertical movement between the loader and the vehicle while engaged therewith in alignment for transfer of a load to or from the vehicle by engagement and movement of said arm over an arc tangent with the vehicle path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.