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I I 41 t' t I I I r ii I I [I II 1 I I 0 4 1 1, lot I t' it it v i till, 4 7A 9. TATLOCK A RSSOCr:ITES APPLICATION ACCEPT' A0ND AMENDMENTS ALLOWED .L To The Cormririssic'ner Pa. F.erent+ This invention relates to a vehicle construction and, particularly, to enclosures for use on trailers or vehicle trays.
There are applications where it is essential that a trailer or vehicle tray, hereinafter for convenience called a trailer, needs to be enclosed.
Two specific areas are when the trailer is to be used as a stock crate, where thE, animals being transported have to be securely enclosed, or, when it is to be used as a bulk grain bin. Another use can be when it is to be used as an enclosed goods carrying vehicle.
eretobefore, wheln trays were to be used for these purposes they were 1 normally dedicated to the purposes. Thus, if, say, a trailer was to be used o ,ro as a stock crate, and this example will be used throughout the remainder of the specification but without in any way limiting the generality of the application of the invention, then it was normally set up permanently I "oo itock crate. This was quite satisfactory, of course, when it was loaded So, 15 with animals, but, when, say, the animal cargo has been discharged, it was difficult, f not commercially infeasible, to load the vehicle with any other goods Da the only way of loading was through the rear and this prevented, i i say, loading of pallets from the side.
Thus, on most occasions, crates, when not carrying animals, Were drivei, empty and it will be appreciated that, on occasions, this could mean travelling hundreds or thousands of kilometres with no load whatsoever.
Such crates were, on occasions, removeable, particularly where used on smaller vehicles, but this did not basically overcome the problemrn although it did enable the owner of the vehicl h e tl remvi the stock crate and use the trailer as a flat tray vehicle. Howaver, if the vehicle was any distance -2-N MiNamara Piazza/21/Oct84 from itsdepot, it would stil, of course, be necessary to travel empty as the crate must, normally, be returned to the depot.
It is the principal object of this invention to provide an enclosure for a trailer which enables the conventional use of the trailer but which can readily be resited to permit at lea. a substantial part of the total area of the trailer to be used as a tray vehicle.
A further objeat is to provide a vehicle fitted with such an enclosure.
The invention, in its broadest sense, provides an enclosure adapted for ubz on a trailer or a vehicle tray comprising at least two panels on each side of the trailer, one end of the first panel of each side beinq hingedly connected to the trailer, or an extension therefrom, the panels being hingedly connected to each other, the other ends of the second panel of each side being connected to a frame assembly which extends across the width of the trailer, the frame assembly beinq adapted for selective movement along the trailer whereby the panels can be moved from a first position, where they are located along the side of the trailer to a position where the panels on each side extend across the trailer and are in face to face relationship.
Preferably one of the panels connected to the trailer or tray has its connection in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the trailer or tray forwardly or rearwardly of the other and the other panel of each pair is connected to the frame assembly rearardly or oirwe 'ty of the other, whereby, when tha panels are in the second position, the panels fold so that they do not foul or come into contact with e h other.
Preferably the frame assembly is provided with a wheel assembly on each side thereof, the wheel assembly being adapted to be constrained to move 7 Namara Piazza/21 /Oct84
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along a track on the trailer or tray and being moveable from a first position where the wheel is in contact with the track and can rotate relative thereto, to a second position where it is out of such contact and the frame assembly is fixed.
SPreferably there are a number of frame assemblies between each pair of which there are two panels on each side, the panels being moveable, as described hereinbefore.
oo. S The invention also relates to a vehicle having an enclosure of the type o o hereinbefore described located thereon, o In order that the invention may be more readily understood, we shall describe, with reference to the accompanying drawings, one particular form of trailer made in accordance with the invention and certain possible modifications thereof.
In these drawings:- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the trailer of the invention oconfigured as a stock crate; 9 9 Fig. 2 is a plan view of the trailer of Fiq. 1; Fig. 3 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1 but showing the trailer as a flat bed vehicle with the stock cratt components folded; Fig. 4 Is a partial plan view of the trailer showing, in solid line, -4- McNamara Piazza/21/0ct84 the trailer being configured as a stock crate and, in chain-dash line, the steps of folding the components of the trailer; Fig. 5 is a view of the trailer of Fig, 4 shown in its fully folded position; Fig. 6 is a view showing the folding operation of a trailer where the wings are less than half of the width of the trailer; S' Fig. 7 is a plan view of the trailer of Fig, 6 showing the various S. components folded; Fig 8 is a view similar to Fig. 4 where the wings are substantially longer than half the width of the trailer and showing the method in which this configuration is folded; Fig,. 9 is a view of the trailer of Fig. 8 where the wings have been folded; Fig, 10 is a partial side elevation view of the trailer of the invention along line 10-10 of Fig. 4; Fig. t1 is a view similar to that of F1ig. 1 but along the line 11- 11 of Fig. 4; FV, 12 is a partial view of the lower portion of FIg. 11 showing Namara Pazza/2/Ot8 r the components in a condition where they can be moved; Fig. 13 is a view along line 13-13 of Fig. 12 showing the configuration of the cam action of the wheel; Fig. 14 is a schematic plan view of one modification of the trailer of the invention; and Referring now to the Figures the enclosure of the invention is effectively moolar and we shall first describe the fitting and location of a first module 20 to a trailer 10 and then the location of further modules.
Whilst the first module 20 will be stated to be at the front 21 of the trailer, it will be appreciated that the invention can equally well be applied if the first module terminates at the rear of the trailer, or it would be possible, 4' but we believe possibly not commercially satisfactory, to have the (,effective connection point in the centre of the trailer.
I At the forward end of the trailer we provide a frame 22 which can be permanently or removeably connected to the front of the trailer. As this o frame has to bear load forces, we prefer to rie it of a truss, the cord 2, of which effectively terminates along the front of the trailer, with the remainder 24 extending forwardly therefrom, We may prefer to provide extensions from the forward end of the trailer to which this truss is connected so as to provide a strut or restraint against turning moments.
This frame 22 may be made of metal components sheathed with a sheeting -6- McNamara Piazza/21/Oct84 1! material, for example of angle iron with metallic sheet attached thereto, but, as will be described hereinafter, different forms of construction are perfectly satisfactory.
This frame 22 is adapted to have a panel 30, 31 hingedly connected, each to one side thereof, the panels 30, 31 being first of a pair of panels, the other panels of the pain being panels 32, 33, The panels of each pair are hingedly connected together, at 34, 35 and the free end of the second panels are, in turn, hingedly connected to frame assembly 40. The actual construction of the panels is not cl'itical to thq invention but they may be of metal rods, bars or the like or be metal framed and have a sheathing.
On one side of the front member, the hinge 36 to which the adjacent panel is connected can be considered effectively at the inner forward edge of the member, whereas, on the other side, there is a rearwardly directed extension 37, to the free end of which a hinge 38 is connected, The length of the extension 37 is such as to be slightly longer than the thickness of two panels When they are sandwiched one agai ,he other, as will be described more fully hereinafter.
At the point of connection to the frame assembly 40, the panel 33 on the i Q1de which has the extension 37 at the front member is connected by hinge 42 to the inner surface of the frame assembly, whereas the panel 32 on the other side is connected by hinge 45 to a forward extension 41 from the frame assembly, which extension 41 is of the same length as thl rearward extension 37 from the other side of the front member. It will be seen thus, that the arrangement, 4t plai, is rectangular with the hinges 36, 42 on one McNamara Plazza/21/Oet84 The: pael of- eac pai are-- hingedl conete toeter a; 34, 35ad diagonal being at the corners and the hinges 38, 43 on the other diagonal being spaced rearwardly and forwardly from the adjacent corner by the same amount.
This arrangement is such that, inward movement of the panels about their centre hinges 34, 35, causes the frame assembly 40 to move forwardly, and this forward movement is continued so that each pair of the panels 30, 32 and 31, 33 move about their connection hinges 34, 35 towards each other in sucht a way that movement continues until the paniels 30, 32 on the side where they are directly pivotally connected to the front merr~ber 23 assume a0 poi -nwere the Inner surface of~ the first panel 30 effectively abuts the front membet, 23 and tho. second panel 34 abuts what was the outer surface, of the first panel 30 and the pane Is 3, 3a on the other side adopt a g similar position but sp -d rearwardly of the first panels 30,, 32 because of the rearward extension 37 to which the fA~ward, hinge 38 Is connected, The frame assembly 40 also adopts, a similar, but mirror image, position relative to t he panels,. tha.t is, that the two sota of panels are, located one ahead of the other with the t'eaeweAJ prne-l 33 abtts the fr ame ass(emibly and its aidjacent panel 31 and the. other panels 301 32 being spaced therefrom With this, being hieVed by the forward extension M0, 32 on. the frame ussembly K 000tThis position Is best Illustrated In. Vig. 5 and it cann be seen that the frame assembly 40 Is in. a position spaced rrom. the front member by a, spacing which Is of the order of thickness Of thle four panels.
As Illustrated, the length of each, of the panels Is more than half the, width of tho, trailer and, in order to ensure, that the folding operation Is McNamara &Piazza/2l1/0ct84 controlled, instead in hinge 35 between panels 31, 33 being a simple hinge, we prefer to make it a composite hinge having links 45 which are hingedly connectec between the end of panel 31 and part way along the length of panel 33.
The hinge 34 between panels 30, 32 is a simple hinge.
This arrangement permits the panels 30, 32, on movement about their hinge 34, to move inwardly prior to the inward movement of the panels 31, 33 as these panels can initially adopt a position which is delayed forward movement because of the movement of the link The various stages of movement can be seen from the chain-dashed lines on Fig. 4.
When the panels are completely folded, as illustrated in Fig. 5, it will be seen that tib' panels 31, 33 closely abut and the hinge 46 is inwardly directed. The hinge 47 and the link 45 lie parallel with the panel 33.
If tte length of each panel is less than half of the width of the vehicle, which for a semi-trailer would normally be between 2.4 and 2.5 metres, o. 0being the maximum allowable width, the arrangement can be as illustrated in Figs, 6 and 7 and is such th'a the panels, in fact, can be located side by side rather than one behind the other. In this case the hinges 34, 35 ean both be simple hinges and it will be seen that there is no necessity for the S°provision of the rearward extension 37 from the frame 22 or the forward e extensi'on 41 from, the frame assembly If the effectve length of the panels between adjacent frame members is to be longer than that illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, we may use an assembly McNama Paz iOet4-9- McNamara Piazza/21/Oct84 '4 C similar to that illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9.
In this arrangement the forward panel 30 is formed of two panels 50, 51 which are hingedly connected together at whilst the panels 31, 33 are effectively identical to those panels as shown in Figs, 4 and 5, as is the hinge and link connection used therebetween, In this construction the frames 22, 40 are, of necessity, provided with extension members 37, 41.
As can be seen from Fig, 8, the folding movement of this form of construction is relatively complex but, nevertheless, the front face of the components comprising panel 30 terminate in a position abutting the front member 23 and th final position, illustrated in Fig. 9, can be seen to be S effectively identical to the arrangement shown in Fig. 5, with the exception that the degree of overlap of the panels is substantially greater than in the earlier Figure.
It will be seen from consideration of the three different embodiments that the invention is basically flexible in the spacing between frame members along the length of a semi-trailer.
It will be appreciated that, in some applications, it is preferred to have i 20 these frame members more closely located than in other applications and the required spacing, once deternlned, determines the actual form of ;panels to be adopted.
Whilst we have described herein the physical movement of the components, it will, or courso. be appreciated that, in order to effeet this, the frame assembly 40 must be able to move relatively freely along the length of the MeNamara PIaza/2t1/O -1-84 Meldamara Plazza/21/Oc. 84 trailer. At the same time, the assembly mu~s besalIn oht extended and closed or folded posidtioni, and easy to move between the.se positions.
Figs. 11 to 13 illustrate t he arrangement adopted, We provide, along the coaming 00 of the vehicle, on eoch side, a rail 61, anid, at the lower side cif the frame, wve prefer to provide 'an anglei member, one flange 62' of which,, whon at rs abuts the top of the rail and thea other flange 63 Inside wall e4 thereof* it will be appreciated that as the two sides of the frame asembly are effectively identical, the two doWnwardly direacted flanges 63 of the anglet Members provent undesired lateral movement of tlie frat-e~ in, order to poermit easy movement ot the frame, we, provlou3 a earn member U above the angle member which oomprises an iner cylindrioal member 71i t a firsti larger, diameter, journailed In the frame and adapted to be rotatable therowith and which, has extending mitwar4l'y therefrom a smaller, diameter Oylindrical0 Member having Its axis displaceod trom the axis of the largar memaber, 04 0 04 0014 4001 This smaller d meter member carries- a, guide wheel Asse(mlbly 10 Which may have a doiwnwardly directed flange 10i on its outer surface and wIlirh is adapted to Post the top of the r411l 0I1 With the flange 76 eXtending 6n the ouiter siOtro f Depending on tho Po~ition- of tho larger diameter Member relative0 to the smaller diameter tnembert so, the Oftective height, 0( the smaller diameter mombee above the bas of the frameo nsseMly vuries AndJth arrawgment Mt'amaea Vtazva/21/Ocet84 can be such that, when this height is at its maximum, as illustrated in F'igs.
12 and 13, the wheel 75 is not in contact with the rail 61 and the frame atssembly 40 is located.
if, however, the cain member is rotated, the ef fective height of the axis of hthe wheel drops, the wheel 75 comes into load bearing~ contact with the rail 61 and !Ifts the frame assetrbly 40. Whq!n this is done on each side, the fl'ame 40 is then free to move along the rail and is prevented from untoward axial movement 1,y the flan~ges 63 of the angle members 0! the inner surfaces and. the flanges 76 Qf the wheels 75 on the outer sur-f- 'thus, by simple rotation of the two cam members 70 associated. with frame nssembly 40, so the franme assembly can be put into a condition where it can be freely moved either forwardly, to cause a foledine; movement of the panels, or rearwardly, to cause the panels to unfold, in, each case, when the frame has reanhed Ii's required position, further rotationi Of the oam asser(Ibly causes the frame to seat on the rail 61 and the wheel 75 to bo moved otit of contact therewith.
At this time, by, use (if bolts, clamps or the lik~e, not illustrated, the assembly cui. be tockel,, j As previously stated tche. constrtion of' a single mod~ule was doeribed to enable ascertainment of the tv it Qperatton of the Invention but it Wilt be appreciated that. those modules can be repoated with the,( rear; of the frame assembly 40 bolrq effe'tivcly the sm~e as( the front membet, and, o. This can read~ily be $ee1. fromi Vig4 Overi the length of' 4 semi-trailer We may, as Illustrated, provide four VtNanapa PlAUAt/21/04 Individual modules or pens each, say, 3 metres long, giving a total length of crate of approximately 12 metres.
In this case, in order to fold the crate it Is only necessary to reease the, retaining means which hold the units to the trailer, rotate the eam, members 7Q associated with each pair of panels and commence to move the whole assembly forwardly. Each pair of panels thenl folds as described in~ respect of the single module, We have found that this folding operation can readily be done by users.
When each of the frame members has bein moved, forwardly and the olding omrpleted, the wb,)le of the crate le~ compresed Into a stibstantially small volume having a base length, say, of the order of 1.2 to 1,5 metres, jThis Is well Illustrated III Nig The assembly Canl then be lockeodi This then leaves the remainder of the tray of the trailer free to able to be loaded from either side, thus overc in thprvusdavnag of 1$ being effectively unable to back load, with stock crateso Also, becouse tho amoont of spae occupied when In the foldod condition Is relatIVely smaU itmywelb conomio to leave the crate ill situ on most occasions and, thus, should a stock l-oad, becomne available for bck loading, It is only necessary to reform the crate by unfolding the panels.
Tho frame assemblies 40 may take any required form, For example, they co0(d 00, Open o.r, If required, could be closed and be provided with gates so tha ninals can be held In relatively restricted (IrCASO, This, of QouC8e, is, most desirable It only a partial load is being carried., McWamara P1?iuza/!1/Oct$4 Also, it may be desirable to provide Means whereby the enclosure is staoilised when in its extended condition.
Several different methods may be used for this, The first -s to provide how members which. are adapted to extend across the width of the trailer and, preferably, these, c,.n iit into -ockets provide( adjacent the hinge, pins of the panels, whereby each individual pair of panels held at a required position agawnst either outward or inward movement, One such bow member is shown in Fig, 2.
Any such bow members must be removed before the assembly is closed, but as they have a Width equivalent only to the Width of the vehicle they can readily be t;tored, TI an alternative arrangement we May provide tenslon Wires or the liket. for excample to provide a triangle associatedi with each compartment doeflned between two frame assembdes with direct Interconlnection between the sides, These Would give the required stability ag ainst outward, movement but would basically not have to bo removed When the assembly Is being, folded.
Another way of ensuring stability is to provide at catwalk, or catwalk ie-igths, Which can connect over the top of the panots to serve a dual purpose 0' ensuring that the, panels are retained In their extended po~itiorv butf, at the same, tline, permitting the, operator ready access fo 1nspo i of the Interior of the trailer., Ono such catwalk length 81 Is shown.. f~ oxemplifleation, In Fig. 2.
V UrthOPI whilst we said that It was baA ically feasible for users to close and MoeNaina& PtaZa/24/Oe84 The 1 rli.i ri a -titaemrferbt i F a -ll descr-ipti c'rn -i c-his irn ichte iC lu.i c fhe res- irthod of perforin it knro tc me ttr AC 1 open the enclosure of the invention, it may be preferred that a hand or p:o~er winch be provided which can effect both the opening and closing operation and it will be appreciated that by using a winch this could readily be done by one person.
Whilst we ave illustrated, for example in relation to Figs. 5, 7 and 9, pluralities of identical panels, it will be appreciated that the types of panels can be mixed on the one vehicle, providing the opposite pairs of panels are the same.
If required, it would be feasible to provide a secind sheep deck, or even a second cattle deck, by providing the deck members in a removeable or hinged form, the decks being removed or folded before the enclosure is folded, If such an arrangement was provided, it may be necessary to modify the assembly so as to provide storage space for the deck members.
For example, it would be feasible to slightly extend the forward and rearwardly directed members to provide additional space for the stowage of the deck components.
Fig, 14 shows a modified form of panel arrangement which is particularly applicable for some applications.
For example, it may be required that the contents of the trailer, when it is used for back loading, should be surrounded, say to permit the location of a tarpaulin or the like thereover, or, and more particularly, it may be necessary to meet the requirements of the law, that the contents be surrounded. Thi~ is speoifically the case where, if a trailer is being used to carry bricks, as bricks not, at the present time, permitted to be exposed when being transported, McNamara Ptazza/21/0t84 To now, it has been necessary to provide removeable gates to encompass such loads but, by modification of the embodiment previously referred to, it is possible to fully load the trailer whilst, at the same time, using the stock crate as a surround.
This is done by permitting the panels of at least the forward module to be able to be alternatively hinged, as described earlier herein, or for the hinges 34, 35 to be alternatively disconnected to permit the panels to be hinged outwardly about the hinges 36, 38, 42, 43. This possibility is shown in chain-dash lines in Fig. 14.
If this can be done, it will be seen that it would be possible to load the trailer of the vehicle, when it is in tho condition shown in Fig. 3, provided S" the loading effectively commences behind the point marked i00. That is effectively three-quarters of the trailer of the vehicle could be loaded with material on pallets or the like.
When loading is completed, the stock crate is then formed by moving the frame members 40 rearwardly which, in turn, causes the panel members to open out until the condition illustrated in Fig. 1 is achieved.
At this ime, then, the load is fully surrounded by the stock crate but the front quarter of the trailer is empty.
If, however, the forward panels 30, 31, 32, 33 are rotated outwardly by disconnection at their hinges 34, 35, then the forward 25% of the trailer can be loaded from the side by a fork lift or the like and, when this is loaded, then the panels are returned to their hinged condition previously described.
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4 When the trailer is to be unloaded, it is necessary that the operation be reversed, that is that the forward panels are swung open so that the forward portion of the trailer can be unloaded, at which time, the normal closing operation can be effected. Once this is done, the other threequarters of the load is exposed and can be removed.
It will be appreciated that, if required, the various pairs of panels can be permitted to open in this way so that, when the crate is about the trailer but general cargo is required to be removed from the trailer, then any required panel pair can be opened to give access to the trailer.
As indicated earlier in this specification, the particular materials of construction are not part of the invention.
Whereas steel angles and other components are satisfactory, the assembly could be fabricated from steel pipe or it could be fabricated from sheet material without framing, and this method is the most likely one if 15 aluminium is to be used. These sheet members would need to be folded and provided with means whereby the hinge member assemblies could be connected and this, of course, is a conventional working of such materials in the art, The invention could also be applied to foldable containers in applications 20 other than on vehicles. For example, if a grain bin was occasionally required in a building or stock pens were on occasions requird in an area Where permanent yards would be undesirable, the enclosure of the invention could be used.
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