The present invention relates to an arrangement for a load opening, which comprises a combined covering and loading element capable of being moved between a raised closed position in which it closes off the load opening and a lowered loading position in which it exposes -the load opening, for which purpose the element, which is capable of being raised and lowered between said positions, is pivotally mounted in such a way as to be capable of being caused to interact with a device via a lifting arm component which extends away from the pivot bearing of the element in a direction inwards beneath the opening, for the purpose of causing the element to pivot about said pivot bearing in conjunction with the simultaneous raising and lowering effect of the element. Previously disclosed solutions for said purpose of closing off an opening by means of an element which also functions as a loading element, for example for raising or lowering a load to a desired level supported by said element are complicated and take up a large amount of space, for example in conjunction with the opening of same, due amongst other things to the bulky bearings for the articulations and the large pivoting movements described by the bearings and the elements.

A large number of different solutions for folding lifting platforms equipped with lifting arms, which are actuated by devices in order to cause them to pivot, are previously disclosed.

GB, A, 1313515 relates to a cam mechanism which is capable of interacting with a lifting arm component on a platform.

GB, A, 1421552 relates to an arrangement which resembles a drawbridge supported by a trolley, which is driven by a chain causing it to pivot out and in between an open and closed position.

JP, A, 59—106332 relates to a hoist, the platform of which exhibits a projecting front part capable of interacting with a stationary control plate.

US, A, 2,405,054 relates to a lifting plate, one

end of which interacts with a stop in order to pivot about a pivot shaft into desired positions.

GB, A, 1 75325 relates to a hoist, the lifting plate of which is capable of being caused by a jack to pivot about a hinge.

However, no solution in the form of an arrangement which exhibits a slot—closing device has previously been disclosed in conjunction with a folding lifting platform; nor has a lifting platform actuated by a pivoting pressure device in combination with the driving of a slot—closing device previously been disclosed.

A major advantage of such an arrangement, apart from the possibility afforded for effectively closing off the slot during the period for which the opening is kept closed, for example when a vehicle on which the invention is being used is being driven, when dirt can find its way into the load space in the absence of a slot—closing device, is that the driving means for the lifting platform can be caused to be activated in combination with and in interaction with said driving means for the slot—closing device. The principal object of the present invention is thus, amongst other things, to solve said problems by means of simple and efficiently functioning elements.

Said object is achieved by means of an arrangement in accordance with the present invention, which is characterized essentially in that a separate closing device capable of being moved between an exposed position and a closed position is so arranged as to close off a slot formed at the lower boundary edge of the load opening, preferably with the help of a seal, and in that a number of pressure devices consisting of pivoting rods situated on the under side of the load opening are capable of attachment in a detachable fashion to the stop of said lifting arm component, in conjunction with which the pressure devices are capable of attachment to the drive for the slot—closing device- in order to permit the mechanical attachment of said pressure devices. The invention is described below as a preferred illustrative embodiment, in conjunction with which reference is made to the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a sectional view of an arrangement along line I—I in Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 shows a frontal view of an arrangement in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 3 shows a view from the side of a part of a driving device and a closing device in various positions;

Fig. 4- shows a frontal view of a part of said driving device and closing device;

Fig. 5 shows various sequences for the positions of the element and the associated driving means;

Fig. 6 shows a load container in perspective view, with an associated combined covering and loading element moved into various positions.

A load opening 1 is so arranged at least partially as to be capable of being covered by a pivotally mounted combined covering and loading element 2 of a previously disclosed kind, which is capable of being moved between a raised closing position I, in which position the element 2 closes said loading opening 1, and a lowered loading position II in which the element 2 is moved away from the load opening 1 in order to expose same.

The load opening 1 is capable, as shown in the drawings, of being situated at the rear end 3A of a load container 3 which is removably attached to a vehicle, or to some other type of vehicle part such as a trailer, a van body or a container, etc., although it can also be situated on a storage building or some other building. For the sake of simplicity, however, the invention is described below in relation to a load container 3 attached to a vehicle.

An arrangement 4 in accordance with the present invention, intended amongst other things for driving said element 2 between said positions I, II, comprises a driving device 5 so arranged as to be capable of interacting with a lifting arm component 6 which extends from the pivot bearing 7 of the element in a direction inwards beneath the opening 1 of the space δ, for the purpose of actuating the element 2 causing it to pivot about said pivot bearing 7, at the same time as which the element 2 is

actuated for the purpose of being raised or lowered in the desired direction 9, 10.

The pivot bearing 7 is preferably supported at the outside 11A of the lower end 11B of an upright 11, which is capable of being actuated causing it to be raised and lowered in the desired direction 9, 10, which upright is capable in turn of being accommodated telescopically inside the internal space 12 within a hollow profile 13 or some other appropriate cavity. Pairs of hollow profiles 13, which are situated at a mutual distance L from one another, can appropriately each extend along its vertical side 1A, 1B of the opening 1 and can be capable of attachment to the rear end 3A of the load space 3, either externally or internally, around said opening 1, and together with the element 2 can form a separate unit, which, for example, can be mounted on load spaces 3 which have already been taken into service.

The uprights 11, which are capable of being raised and lowered, and which are permanently attached to the load container 3, are accommodated together with the driving means 14 for same in the profiles, etc., 13, in conjunction with which said driving means are executed as jacks 14 which are capable of pneumatic actuation, or as other, preferably hydraulically driven piston cylinders, in order to interact with associated uprights 11 which are capable of being raised and lowered and with which they are capable of interacting. The piston cylinders 14 are so arranged as to act between a bearing 16 situated in the internal space 15 of an associated upright 11 and a piston attachment 17 situated at the upper end 13A of an associated profile 13, which piston attachment can consist of a combined piston attachment and profile end closure. A separate closing device 18, which can be in the form of an elongated plate, is appropriately supported at the lower part 8 of the opening in such a way as to be capable of closing off a slot 19 formed between said profiles, etc., 13, the lifting arm component 6, and the lower boundary edge 1C of the load opening. The closing device 18 is so arranged as to be capable of being moved between an exposed position A, in which position A the device

18 is situated at a certain distance from the slot 19, and a closing position B, in which position B the device 18 is so arranged as to close off the slot 19, preferably with the help of a seal 20 extending along the device 18. The closing device 18 is preferably so arranged as to be capable of actuation by a single—acting hydraulically operated cylinder piston 21, which preferably exhibits a . constriction in one of its directions of movement 22, but which moves the device 18 towards position B when driving in the opposite direction 23. The closing device 18 is also spring-assisted by a number of springs 24, which act between mountings 25, 26 situated on the device 18 and on the load container 3. Said springs can be in the form of helical tension springs, which endeavour to draw the closing device 18 towards its exposed position A and away from its closing position B, against the effect of the cylinder piston 21 and its constriction, which prevents excessively rapid opening of the device 18.

The lifting arm component 6, which can extend along the entire width B of the element or can be formed from several components distributed over the width of the element, is so arranged as to be capable of being attached in a detachable fashion to a number of pressure devices 29 acting as driving devices, which pressure devices are situated on the under side 8 of the load opening. These are approriately made from pivoting rods 29, which are supported at one end 29A pivotally mounted about a pivot bearing 31 attached to the bottom 30 of the load container, and which are capable of attachment by their respective free end part

29B to the interacting stop 32 of said lifting arm component. The stop can be in the form of a housing 32 or some other hole, which accommodates the, for example, dowel—shaped end part 29B after engagement of same.

Engagement can take place either manually or mechanically; mechanical engagement is shown in the drawings. The pressure devices 29 may be capable of connection to the driving means 21 for the closing device 18. For example, the pressure rods

29 may be accommodated by a part 29C between said devices 18 and

articulated mountings 33 for same supported by the cylinder piston 21. Through interaction with the driving means 21 for the closing device 18, the pressure devices 29 in question can be caused to move between a disengaged position X, in which position the pressure device 29 is maintained at a certain distance from said lifting arm component 6 and a corresponding stop 32, and a connected position Z .in which it interacts with said lifting arm component 6 and stop 32 in the area 8 below the opening 1.

The element 2 exhibits at its outer free end 2A a flap 34 which is pivotally mounted about a pivot shaft 35. Upon actuation from below, said flap 34 is caused to pivot about the shaft 35 in the direction of the arrow 36, although the flap 34 will normally endeavour to pivot, under its own weight or under the effect of the spring, in the direction of the arrow 37, so as to be capable of being adjusted to the correct level when the element 2 is lowered onto a floor 38. An effective stop is thus constituted by the inner part 34A of the flap during raising and lowering of the element 2, so that a load cannot be driven easily over the outer edge 2A of the element. The action of swinging up the element 2 towards the lateral edge profiles 13 of the opening causes the flap 34 to be actuated by the profile 13, causing it to pivot outwards and extend along same for the purpose of closing off the opening 1.

The function of the arrangement 4 described above should already have been largely appreciated, although it may be summarized briefly as follows: When an individual wishes to move a load between the load space 3 and its outside 40, a control is actuated, which may be arranged in a previously disclosed manner in the vicinity of the opening 1, in order to expose the opening 1 and to permit access to same through the element 2 being caused to pivot outwards and to be lowered from its raised and upward-pivoted closed position I. Said actuation is achieved initially by the piston cylinder 14, which is accommodated and protected inside each profile 13, being caused to extend, thus initially displacing the element in a vertical direction along the profiles 13 towards the floor 38. In order to reduce the wear between the element 2 and the

profiles, a friction-reducing material 41 is appropriately positioned between same, for example guide plates made of the material Robalon ^® . After lowering the element 2 and its associated upright 11, the uprights 29 will release their grip on the lifting c arm component 6, since the cylinder piston 21 will also have been caused to be compressed in the direction 22 through the effect of the springs 24, so that the device 18 is pivoted from its position

B into its position A. The aforementioned engagement of the uprights 29 with the lifting arm component 6 need not be

- _j Q maintained, therefore, during continued lowering of the element 2, which pivots downwards in the direction of the arrow 42 as it is lowered. Damping of the pivoting movement of the element can be achieved through an interaction between the uprights 29 and the cylinder piston 21 which has a constriction in the direction of 5 movement 22. Pivoting of the element 2 downwards from the horizontal position is prevented through the interaction between the lifting arm component 6 and the lower end 11B of the respective raising and lowering upright 11.

Actuation of the piston cylinders 14, in such a way Q that they act in the direction of the arrow 9, will first cause raising of the uprights 11 and the element 2 attached to them to occur. Further operation of the piston cylinders 14 and operation of the cylinder piston 21, so that this is extended in the direction of the arrow 23, causes the uprights 29 to be engaged 5 automatically with the lifting arm part 6 once the element 2 has been raised to the point at which said engagement can occur, i.e. when the upright component 29B is able to interact with the stop, etc., 32.

Further operation will cause the lifting arm 0 component 6 to be actuated by the uprights 29 in such a way as to be forced downwards and pivoted about the articulation 7, permitting the element 2 to pivot upwards in the direction of the arrow 44 and without the need for them to describe any unusually bulky patterns of movement. 5 The closing off of the opening 1 can thus take place effectively, and the uprights 29 are able, as shown in Fig. 5, to remain engaged at all times with the lifting arm component 6

between the element in its upward- ivoted position I and its vertical position II, from which the element 2 can be lowered and releases its grip from the uprights 29. As already stated, engagement of the uprights, etc., 29 can also be effected manually. A simple and effective arrangement 4 is thus achieved through the present invention, and the invention is not restricted to the illustrative embodiment described above and illustrated in the drawings, but can be modified within the scope of the Patent Claims without departing from the idea of invention.