Self loading cargo vehicle
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
InventorDonald H. Kendall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle has a frame on which are mounted road wheels or a track. A cargo ed tilts on the frame about pivot mechanisms connected between the frame's aft end and a location on the bed remote from its ends. A spool on the frame rotates in response to road wheel or track rotation. A cable winds on the spool and around a pulley on the frame, passes through a slide block on the bed, fixes to a cargo module and pulls the module slidingly onto the vehicle during vehicle motion. The cable can later be removed from the pulley and connected directly to the cargo module, so that vehicle motion will now cause the cable to pull the module off the vehicle.
Claims6
A land vehicle capable of on-loading or off-loading a cargo module, comprising:
- an elongate frame having a forward section and an aft end;
- a spool rotatably mounted to the frame;
- a cable attached to the spool;
- means engaged to a ground surface and connected to the frame for rotating the spool in response to travel of the vehicle over the surface, whereby the spool winds or unwinds the cable in response to travel of the vehicle;
- an elongate bed;
- a block slidable along the bed;
- means on the block for engaging the cable;
- two bifurcation members of the frame extending from the forward section to the aft end;
- a frame slot defined by the frame between the bifurcation members, the slot being open at the aft end of the frame;
- a bed slot defined by the bed, a first part of the bed slot being disposed directly over the frame slot and a second part of the bed slot extending aft of the frame slot;
- a pulley at the forward section of the frame;
- means for pivotally connecting the aft end of the frame to a location on the bed remote from the ends of the bed, wherein the connecting means comprises a pivot connection on each of the bifurcation members, the pivot connection on one bifurcation member defining a gap with the pivot connection on another bifurcation member.
A vehicle capable of on-loading or off-loading a cargo module, comprising:
- a frame having a forward section and an aft end;
- two bifurcation members of the frame extending from the forward section to the aft end;
- a frame slot defined by the frame and disposed between the bifurcation members;
- a spool rotatable relative to the frame;
- a bed tiltable from one position to another relative to the frame;
- a bed slot defined by the bed, the bed slot disposed along the frame slot during the one position of the bed;
- a block tracked to one of the slots and translating therewith while translating relative to another of the slots;
- a cable engaging the spool and passing through the block, the cable translating relative to the block;
- means for pivotally connecting the frame to a location on the bed remote from ends of the bed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.