BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

THIS Invention relates to a container tilting apparatus and method.

A standard shipping container has doors at its rear end through which it can be loaded and unloaded. If the container is at a normal, horizontal attitude, it is virtually impossible to fill it completely with loose material which is not stackabJe. This is because the material tends to slump when loaded, making it virtually impossible for the loaded material to reach the top of the container.

Recognising this problem, it has been proposed in the past to upend the container to an upright orientation, with its rear end uppermost, to open the container doors at the rear end, and to load material under gravity into the container through the rear opening. When the container is full, the doors are closed again and the container is returned to its normal, horizontal attitude, substantially full of loaded material.

An example of a container tilting apparatus which makes use of this principle is described in ZA2008 10090. In the apparatus described in this document a trailer on which the container is mounted is backed up into a position between laterally spaced tilt arms which are maneouvred as necessary so that container locks carried by the arms can be engaged with opposite side walls of the container. The container, now supported by the tilt arms, is detached from the trailer and the trailer is puUed away forwardly. Hydraulic cylinders are actuated to rotate the tilt arms about fixed tilt arm axes in order to upend or tit the container from its original, horizontal attitude to an upright, substantially vertical attitude. The rear doors of the container are opened and the container is filled under gravity with the load it is to accommodate and transport When the container is full, the doors are closed and the hydrauRc cylinders are actuated to return the full container to a horizontal attitude.

The trailer must now be backed up again between the tilt arms, which are maneouvred as necessary by operation of the hydraulic cylinders to position the container in the correct position on the trailer. Standard container locks are used to lock the container onto the toad bed of the trailer and the tilt arm container locks are released. The trailer, with the container locked thereon, can now be pulled forwardly away from the apparatus.

The system described in ZA2008/10090 and summarised above has several serious drawbacks. One of these is the fact that the apparatus is designed to operate on a level support surface. Whenever the apparatus is located on an uneven surface problems are experienced with the container locks not engaging properly with the container sidewalls. Another drawback of the apparatus is that it is primarily designed to operate in one fixed position. This means that the apparatus may not always be ideally situated for optimal loading to take place. Another drawback is the necessity to maneouvre the trailer back and forth to lock and unlock the container to and from the trailer at different stages of the procedure. The manoeuvring of the trailer wastes time and may be particularly problematical in areas where there is limited space for the required movements of the horse and trailer. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a container tilting apparatus including:

a base on which a wheeled trailer, on which a container is mounted at a generally horizontal transportation attitude, can be supported, the base being locatable on a supporting surface; and

container handling means on the base for engaging the container and tflting it to an upright loading attitude, at which attitude of the container material can be introduced into the container through a rear end thereof, and thereafter for returning the container to the transportation attitude; wherein the container handling means is configured to tut the container from its transportation attitude to its loading attitude and back to its transportation attitude while still mounted on the traler.

The apparatus may include guide means for guiding the trailer together with the container mounted thereon laterally into the centre of the base. The guide means preferably includes at least one spring capable of deforming latently, the spring being connected to a stationary guide located on the base. In the preferred embodiment the spring is in the form of a leaf-spring connected pivotaNy at one end to the stationary guide so that H is pivotabie about a substantially upright axis between an operable position and an inoperable position. The free end of the spring may be located in a slot provided in the stationary guide when the spring is in its operable position such that the free end moves along the slot when the spring is compressed and decompressed. There are preferably four springs connected to two stationary guides being spaced apart laterally, each guide having two leaf springs connected thereto so that the trailer is urged into the central loading space from both sides.

The apparatus may further include wheels for supporting the base for wheeled movement from one location to another. The apparatus may also include levelling means for levelling the base on the supporting surface. The levelling means preferably comprises a plurality of hydraulic levelling jacks which are carried by the base and which are engagable with the supporting surface, the Jacks being independently operable to lift and lower the base and to level it to a horizontal orientation on the supporting surface, even if the latter surface is not itself horizontal. The levelling jacks may also be capable of lifting the base high enough above the supporting surface to allow the front extremity of the trailer and container combination to move downwardly without contacting the supporting surface during tilting.

The apparatus may include a plurality of wheels which can be connected releasabty to the base when the base has been lifted off the supporting surface, by appropriate operation of the jacks, whereafter the jacks can be operated to lower the base onto the wheels for the purposes of wheeling the base from an initial location to a destination location, the base can be Rfted, the wheels can be disconnected and the base can be lowered onto the supporting surface at the destination location.

Preferably, the container handling means inlcudes laterally spaced apart tilt arms which are pivotable about aligned pivot axes and which are engagable with the container and, for each tilt arm, an hydraulic ram actuable to titt the container together with the trailer between the respective container attitudes.

The hydraulic rams of the tilt arms may be independently actuable so that the tilts arms are independently movable.

The container handling means preferably also includes container locking devices configured to engage ends of the container. The container locking devices may be rota table about upright axes for movement between locked positions in which the locks engage in lock openings in the ends of the container and unlocked positions in which they are clear of these lock openings. Each container locking device preferably has a hole through which an elongate pin carrying a locking formation for engagement with the lock opening extends, the pin being movable forwards and rearwards in the hole between a forward position wherein the locking formation is located inside the opening and a rearward position wherein the locking formation is removed from the opening. The elongate pin may be rotatable inside the hole between a released position wherein the locking formation provided on the pin is allowed to pass into and out of the opening in the container and a locked position wherein the locking formation is obstructed from moving into and out of the opening to lock it in the opening. Preferably, each container locking device includes locking means for locking the elongate pin in its locked position.

The apparatus may further include an overhead bridge from which an operator can, inter alia, control the operations of the container handling means and the loading of the container.

In one example of the apparatus it includes a scale system for measuring the weight of the container during loading thereof.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of loading a container using a container tilting apparatus including a base locatabie on a supporting surface and container handling means on the base, the method including the steps of positioning a trailer, on which the container is mounted, on the base of the container tilting apparatus, operating the container handling means of the apparatus so as to engage the container and tilt the container, while stMI mounted on the trailer, from a generally horizontal transportation attitude to an upright loading attitude, loading material into the container through an end thereof, and operating the container handling means to return the loaded container, while still mounted on the trailer, to the transportation attitude.

Where the trailer is horse-drawn, the method may further include the steps of driving a horse in a forward direction to position the trailer, with the container mounted thereon, in a container handling zone, uncoupling the trailer from the horse, carrying out the container handling steps referred to above in the container handling zone, coupling the trailer to the horse and driving the horse forwardly or rearward away from the apparatus.

The step of position the trailer in the container handling zone preferably includes moving the trailer laterally towards the centre of the container handling zone

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example oniy, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figures 1 to 6 illustrate different stages in a container loading procedure using apparatus according to this invention;

Figure 7 illustrates the manner in which container locks carried by tiit arms of the apparatus can be engaged with ends of the container;

Figure 8 shows a pian view of the base of the apparatus;

Figure 9 illustrates how the apparatus can be moved from one location to another;

Figure 10 illustrates alternative manners in which container locks carried by tilt arms of the apparatus can be engaged with ends of the container; and

Figure 11 illustrates a pian view of an alternative base of the apparatus. DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals indicate (fee features, a non-limiting example of a container tilting apparatus in accordance with the invention is generally indicated by reference numerals 10.

The apparatus 10 includes a base 12 seen in plan view in Figure 8. The base 12 has a base frame 14 including longitudinally extending members 14.1 connected to one another by laterally extending beams 14.2 and supports laterally spaced apart tracks 16 with entry and exit ramps 18 and 20 respectively. The tracks 16 are able to move towards and apart from one another on slides 22 but are constrained to maintain a parallel relationship by a parallel linkage 24. If the tracks are moved apart from another compression coil springs 26 urge them to return to their original positions.

In operation the apparatus is positioned with its base 12 resting on a supporting surface 13, typically the ground, a concrete slab, road or the like which may or may not be horizontal.

Mounted to each of the longitudinally extending members 14.1 of the base 12 are three upright, hydrauNc levelling jacks 15. These jacks can be operated independently in order to level the base 12 at the required horizontal orientation. This is shown in Figure 5, which illustrates how the base can be positioned at a horizontal orientation on a supporting surface 13 which is not horizontal. It wHI be understood that the ramps 18, 20 wiH typically be connected in a pivotable manner to the ends of the beams 14.1 or the tracks 16.

Figure 1 also shows a horse 30 towing a trailer 32 on which an empty container 34 is mounted. The container 34 is a shipping container with standard dimensions. In the illustrated case, the container may for example have a standard length of, say, 20 feet (6.1m). The container is locked to the flat bed of the trailer using conventional trailer locks (not shown) which engage in standard lock openings in the underside of the container.

The horse 30 is driven towards the apparatus 10 with its wheels lined up with the ramps 18. Figure 2 illustrates the position of the horse, trailer and container when the container reaches a loading zone. At this position, the wheels 36 of the trailer are located on the tracks 16 between the ramps 18, 20.

It is important that the trailer be laterally centralized. Figure 8 shows angled lead-in deflectors 40 which will deflect the wheels of the trailer towards a central position as they move onto the tracks 16. Inwardly projecting guides 42 are supported on the longitudinal members 14.1 of the base 12 to provide further guidance to the trailer wheels as they move forward on the tracks. As the lateral wheel spacing of trailers can vary somewhat from one trailer to the next, the guides 42 are interchangeable with guides of greater or smaller width. In practice, an operator will determine which guides are suitable for a particular trailer, and will install the appropriate guides prior to commencement of the loading operation. As the trailer moves on the ramp its wheels wiH move against the guides 42 and possibly urge them outwardly.

This is resisted by the compression springs 26 which, together with the action of the parallelogram linkage 24, ensures lateral centralisation of the trailer and hence of the container 34 mounted thereon.

The base 12 supports a container handling means indicated generally by the numeral 44. This includes, on each side of the base, an upstanding frame 46 to which an elongate tilt arm 48 is pivoted at a pivot point SO. On each side, a double-acting hydraulic ram 52 acts between a point 54 on the frame 46 and a point 56 on the tilt arm spaced longitudinally from the pivot point 50. It will be understood that the container is located between the tilt arms when in the loading zone seen in Figure 2. Each tilt arm 48 carries front and rear container locking devices 58 and 60 respectively. Referring to Figure 7, a front container locking device 58 includes a cranked member 62 pivoted to the front end 64 of the associated tilt arm 48 at a vertical pivot point 66. An hydrauKc ram 68 acts between the tilt arm and an outer end of the cranked member 62. An inner end of the cranked member 62 carries a container lock 70 including a locking pin 72.

With the container in the position seen in Figure 2, the rams 52 are actuated to tower the front ends of the tilt arms 48 in order to align the locking pins 72 horizontally with the standard, front-facing container lock openings provided in the ends of the container. The rams 68 are actuated to pivot the cranked members 62 about the pivot points 66 and thereby move the locking pins rearward ly in an arc into the lock openings. In practice, the locking pin 72 of each container lock is tapered at its leading end which can enter the standard container lock opening and is moveable in a hole in the cranked member 62 between a projecting position wherein it projects from the hole and a retracted position wherein it is retracted deeper into the hole. The locking pin 72 is spring loaded so that it is urged into its projecting position. In the locking process the locking pin 72 win be pushed back into the hole in the cracked member by the end of the container until it is moved into alignment with the container lock opening, whereafter the spring will urge its tapered end into the opening to lock the container lock to the container.

Two alternative locking pins 110 and 112 are illustrated in Figure 10. Both pins 110. 112 have oblong heads 114 at their leading ends that can enter the standard oblong container lock openings when correctly orientated. Both pins have smooth elongate bodies 116 extending through holes in the cranked members 62. In both embodiments, the pin 110, 112 is slidable along the hole in the member 62 so that it is movable forwards and rearwards in the hole between a position wherein its head 114 is located inside the container opening and a position wherein its head is removed from the container opening. The pin 110, 112 is rotatable inside the hole between an aligned orientation wherein its head is allowed to pass into and out of the container opening and a non-aligned orientation wherein its head is obstructed from moving into and out of the container opening to lock it in the opening. in use, both of the pins 110, 112 are moved forwards and rearwards and rotated manually by means of a handle 118. However, the pins 110 and 112 have different locking means for locking them in their, non-aligned orientation. The pin 110 has a longitudinally extending recess 120 interacting with a ball and spring mechanism 122 to lock the pin in either the aligned or non-alligned orientation. In the mechanism 122 the ball is urged towards the pin 110 by the spring so that it is automatically received in the recess 120 when the recess is aligned with the ball and springs through rotation of the pin. Referring now to the pin 112, it is secured in its non-aligned orientation by means of a threaded bar 124 located in a threaded hole in the cranked member 62. When the pin 112 is in its non- aKgned orientation the threaded bar 124 is simply rotated until it engages the pin 110, thereby frictionally locking the pin in its non-aKgned orientation. It must be understood that in both of the pins 110 and 112, the distance by which the heads extend into the container openings are controlled manually by simply pushing and pulling the pins forwards or rearwards along the holes in the cranked members 62 before locking them using the respective locking means.

Referring still to Figure 10 it can be seen that the cranked member 62 carries a guide 126 for engaging the corner of the container and pushing it and the trailer on which it is mounted towards the centre of the base. In the preferred embodiment, each of the container locks carries a guide 126 thereby ensuring that the container may be pushed forwards, backwards and sideways to align it in the centre of the base when the container locks engage the container end wals. By using the guides 126 the driver of the horse does not need to park the trailer with pin point accuracy.

Figure 10 further shows a detail view of a rear container locking device 60 in perspective view. From this detail view it can be seen that the cranked member 62 carries a stabiliser 128, in the form of a triangular plate welded onto the cranked member, to prevent the tilt amis 48 from twisting inwardly under severe weight. The plate 128 is positioned on the cranked member 62 so that there is typically a 5mm gap between the plate and the sidewall of the container when the rear container locking device 60 is locked to the container end wall. As a result of the positioning of the plates 128, the container 34 will also be prevented from moving sideways during the tilting procedure. Although the plates 128 are only shown on the rear locking devices 60 (Figure 10), the front locking devices 58 may also carry plates 128.

Returning now to the process of locking the locking devices to the container, after the front ends of the tilt arms have been locked to the front end of the container 34, the horse 30 can be uncoupled from the trailer 32 and can be driven forward ly away from the apparatus 10 as shown in Figure 3.

The hydraulic rams 52 are actuated to raise the front ends of the tilt arms and to lower the rear ends thereof such that the rear container locking devices 60 are positioned correctly with respect to the standard container lock openings at the rear end of the container 34. The rear container locking devices 60 operate in the same way as the front locking devices 58. Operation of the devices 60 effectively locks the rear ends of the tilt arms relative to the rear end of the container 34. This is shown in Figure 4.

The hydraulic rams 52 are now extended in order to tilt the container, and the trailer to which it is locked, from the original horizontal transportation attitude seen in Figures 1 to 3. to an upright, substantially vertical loading attitude. Figure 5 shows the container and trailer at an intermediate attitude, while Figure 6 shows the container and trailer at the vertical attitude.

The hydraulic rams 52 are independently operable so that the arms 48 may be raised and lowered independently of one other. This is an important feature that allows quick an easy engagement of the container locking devices 58, 60 with the container openings in the end walls of the container, particularly when the trailer is not level. This could be as a result of different wheel sizes on the trafler or as a result of the base 12 being located on an uneven supporting surface without the use of the levelling jacks 15, for example.

In the event that the container 34 has to be removed from the trailer 32 prior to being tilted, for example if it arrives with a missing twist lock, the twist locks in the front holding the container on the trailer are unlocked after the front locking devices have been locked to the container and the same for the rear container locking devices. It must be understood that the same process of locking the front and rear container locking devices 58 and 60 as described above is used. The only difference is that this process is carried out whUe the horse is stiH connected to the trailer. With both the twist locks in the front and rear being unlocked and the container locking devices 58, 60 locked to the container 34, the horse 30 with the trailer 32 in tow can be driven away from the apparatus.

The numeral 100 in the drawings indicates the fbrwardly projecting front hitch of the trailer which forms part of a standard fifth wheel coupling. Referring to Figure 5 in particular It wiH be seen that the geometry of the apparatus is such that the front extremity of the container, and the locking devices 58, as weR as the tch 100, can move downwardly between the tracks 16 of the base. In Figures 5 and 6 ft will be noted that the levelling Jacks 15 are extended sufficiently, prior to tilting, to raise the base 12 high enough above the supporting surface 13 to a How the hitch 100, which forms the front extremity of the trailer/container combination, to move downwardly between the tracks 16 without contacting the supporting surface during tilting. It wiH accordingly be appreciated that there is no need to modify the supporting surface 13 in any way to accommodate the tilting movement of the container. It is however envisaged that in an alternative embodiment not shown in the accompanying drawings, the levelling jack 15 could be excluded from the apparatus. In this alternative embodiment, instead of raising the base 12 by extending the jacks 15, a pit could be dug in the supporting surface 13 to allow the hitch 100 to move downwardly between the tracks 16 without contacting the supporting surface during tilting.

A standard shipping container, such as the container 34, has lockable rear doors which normally close a loading opening at the rear end of the container. Typically, these rear doors are unlocked and swung open manually while the empty container is at the horizontal transportation orientation, i.e. before the container is tilted upright to the Figure 6 orientation.

With the container at the vertical loading attitude seen in Figure 6, and with its rear doors open, loose material can be loaded into the container. This could, for example, be achieved by a vehicle-mounted cactus or clam-shell grab arranged to pick up the material, raise it over the open rear end of the container and drop it into the container, by means of a conveyor or by any other suitable loading device. The material in question could, for example be loose steel or other metal or plastic parts and fragments which are to be transported. By filling the upended container from its open, upper, rear end as described, it is possible to fill the container to substantially full capacity.

After the container has been loaded, the doors 70 of the container are closed. In the illustrated embodiment, this Is achieved by means of door closers 102, one of which is illustrated in Figure 6. The door closers are carried by brackets on the tilt arms 48, and each of them includes an hydrauRc cylinder which can be actuated to swing the door from its open position to a closed position. Figure 6 diagrammaticaHy illustrates a door 70 which has been swung from an open position to an intermediate, upright orientation by the action of the associated door closer. After closing and locking of the doors, the rams 52 are contracted to return the container and trailer to the original container transportation attitude. At this point, the horse 30 can be reversed back to the appropriate position for the container locking devices 58 and 60 to be released and for the trailer to be coupled to the horse once more. The horse can now be driven forward ty, away from the apparatus, with the trailer and container mounted thereon in tow. It is envisaged that the horse with the trailer hitched thereto may be reversed out of the apparatus where there is limited space which prevents the horse from being driven away from the apparatus forward ly.

Figures 1 to 6 illustrated an elevated bridge 80 having laterally spaced, vertical columns 82 on either side of the apparatus and a horizontal walkway 84 spanning between the columns. The walkway provides an operator 86 with an elevated control position from which the operations described above can be carried out The operator may for example have an hydraulic control panel for operation of the various hydraulic rams.

Advantageously, an operator on the walkway wiH have a bird's eye view of the loading operation as it progresses, if, for example, a loose piece of material should fail to faB property into the container during loading, and perhaps lodge in a door hinge with the possibility of obstructing proper door closure after loading, the operator will be able to manipulate the offending piece out of the way using a pole 88. From his elevated position above the rear end of the container the operator is also able to control the closing of the doors 70 by controlling the operation of the door closers 102. After the doors have been closed, the operator can walk from the walkway onto the closed doors in order to lock them. After the operator has returned to the walkway, the container can be returned to the horizontal, transportation orientation.

Another advantage of the apparatus according to the invention is the ability of an operator to control the loading operation, and the closure and locking of the rear doors, from an elevated position on the walkway 84. In the use of prior container tilting apparatuses, it has been necessary for an operator to climb or be lifted upwardly from ground level onto the uppermost rear end of the tilted container in order to close and lock the doors after a loading operation and before the container can be returned to the horizontal, transportation position.

Another feature of the apparatus of the invention is the fact that it can be moved from one location to another. The apparatus includes robust wheels 90 which are, when not in use, mounted to the base 12 in non-obstructing positions. If it should be necessary for any reason to move the apparatus to another location, for example to facilitate container loading from a different stockpile of loose material, the wheels are detached from the base and the levelling jacks 15 are actuated to lift the base above the supporting surface 13. The wheels are now reconnected to the base in operational positions on the beams 14.2. In these positions, seen in Figure 9, the wheels project below the underside of the frame. The jacks 15 can now be actuated to tower the base onto the wheels. The apparatus 10 is now supported entirely on the wheels and can be wheeled, for example by a towing vehicle, to a different location.

At this new location, the jacks 15 are again actuated to fift the apparatus and wheels off the supporting surface, the wheels are detached and the apparatus is lowered for the base 12 to rest on the supporting surface 13. The same jacks can now be used to perform a levelling operation to ensure that the base is horizontal, and the wheels can be stowed for use in a future relocation of the apparatus.

Although the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings include wheels 90 it has been found that the apparatus is robust enough to be moved between different locations without wheels. For example, an excavator or other piece of lifting equipment may be used to pick it up and transport it to its new location.

The ability of the described apparatus to be relocated when desired is seen as an important advantage of the invention when compared to known container tilting apparatuses. Also advantageous is the fact that the container does not have to be taken off the trailer for a loading operation to be carried out

The fact that the container stays locked to the trailer at all times will, it is believed, considerably shorten and facilitate the container loading operation. Also, the fact that the base is designed to ensure automatic centralisation of the trailer and container avoids the necessity for repetitive forward and backward movements of the towing horse in order to align the container property for engagement by the tilt arms.

Many variations are possible. In one such variation, fixed guides 42 are welded to the tracks 16. Instead of a central parallelogram linkage 24, there may be parallel linkages arranged between the tracks and fixed, parallel, longitudinally extending beams located outwardly of the tracks. As in the version seen in Figure 8, the tracks are able to move laterally, towards and away from one another, on slides, and in this case are maintained in a parallel relationship by the external parallelogram linkages. Once again, mechanical springs may be used to bias the tracks towards one another. Alternatively, other forms of biasing means, such as pneumatic or hydrauRc dampers, may be used to bias the tracks towards one another. As in the example seen in Figure 8, entry of the trailer wheels between the guides 42 can urge them apart against the action of the biasing means, with the parallelogram linkages ensuring that the tracks stay parallel to one another and that the trailer is centralised.

An advantage of the modified base structure just described is the fact that the area between the tracks is largely vacant, because the parallelogram linkages are now located outside the tracks. The vacant area between the tracks can accommodate downward movement of the frontal extremities of the trailer, including the hitch 100. during tilting.

In another variation, illustrated in Figure 11. fixed guides 130 are welded to the tracks 18 and the central paraRelogram linkage 24 is excluded. In view of the fact that the tracks 16 are fixed laterally relative to one another in the embodiment of Figure 11, the apparatus includes guide means 132 having at least one spring capable of deforming laterally for guiding the trailer 32 together with the container 34 mounted thereon laterally into the centre of the container loading zone on the base 12. From this figure it can be seen that the spring is in the form of a teaf spring 134 connected pivotaHy at one end 136 to the stationary guide 130 so that it is pivotable about a substantially upright axis between an operable position wherein it is located above the track 16 and an inoperable position wherein it is moved out of the way of the trailer wheels when the trailer and container mounted thereon is moved from its loading orientation back into its transport orientation.

The free end 138 of the spring 134 is located in a slot 140 provided in the stationary guide 130 when the spring is in its operable position such that the free end moves along the slot when the spring is compressed and decompressed.

From Figure 11 it can be seen that there are four springs 134 connected to the two stationary guides 130. Each of the guides has a leaf spring connected pivotalry thereto in its longitudinal end regions so that the trailer is urged into the central loading space at its forward and rear ends and from both sides. By using four independently movable leaf springs 134 the trailer together with the container mounted thereon can be centralised in the loading zone by simply driving over the tracks 16. Each leaf spring will decompress by the required amount to accommodate any misalignment of the trailer 32 between the tflting arms 48. By using the leaf springs the driver of the horse is not required to align the horse and trailer laterally.

It is also believed that the apparatus 10 could be used for offloading a container by simply locating the container in the container loading space with its doors facing forward i.e. towards the end where the bridge 80 is located. It may be necessary to remove the container 34 from the trailer 32 during the offloading procedure. It is further envisaged that the apparatus 10 could include a scale system (not shown in the accompanying drawings) for measuring the weight of the container and the contents therein during loading. The scale system could be located on either the hydraulic rams 52 of the tilt arms or on the lifting jacks 15. The scale system may for example include transducers or. alternatively, load cell such as those used in convention weighbridges.

It must be understood that the horse 30 with the trailer 32 could be driven onto the base 12 from either the front or rear thereof. For example, the horse 30 could be reversed onto the base 12 from the front and then either reversed through the apparatus or driven out forwardly after the container has been filled and the trailer hitched again.