"DEVICE FOR LOADING/UNLOADING GOODS IN A MEANS OF TRANSPORT" ή: ή: % ^ ^

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention concerns a device for loading/unloading goods in a means of transport, such as a semi-trailer or a trailer of a transport truck, container or other, able to facilitate the operations to load/unload said goods.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Devices for loading/unloading goods are known, disposed on a loading bay, and able to connect a surface where the goods are deposited on said loading bay and an upper surface of the loading platform of the means of transport in order to promote access to the loading platform of the means of transport during the transfer of the goods to/from the loading platform. Known devices normally comprise a flat metal strip of a regular shape, removable from a containing seating of the loading bay, or hinged to a wall of the loading bay so as to be able to rotate around a horizontal axis and to be disposed in a work position suitable to join said surfaces.

The devices are driven manually by an operator or commanded by a mechanical actuation device, but in any case remain constrained to the loading/unloading bay.

One disadvantage of said known devices is that, since they are disposed in a predetermined fixed position of the loading bay, the positioning of the means of transport near the loading bay must be precise, so as to allow a secure connection of the connection device with the loading platform, also depending on the longitudinal sizes of the flat strip. This entails longer times required for said positioning, and hence an increase in the time needed to effect the loading/unloading of the goods.

Another disadvantage of known loading/unloading devices is that, since they are disposed at a predetermined height from the ground, the flat strip is rarely disposed horizontal, both because of the different heights from the ground of the loading platforms and also because of the different loading conditions of the means of transport itself, which are variable during the loading/unloading operations.

With the present invention it is no longer necessary to provided recovery pits for trucks or transfer planes characteristic for the various types of trucks.

Purpose of the present invention is to achieve a device for loading/unloading goods that can be positioned rapidly between a loading bay for loading/unloading goods and the loading platform of a means of transport, so as to reduce the overall times of transfer of the goods and/or products to/from the loading platform of the means of transport.

The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claim, while the dependent claims describe other characteristics of the invention or variants to the main inventive idea. In accordance with the above purpose, a device for loading/unloading goods in a means of transport is used to facilitate the operations to transfer goods and/or products to/from a loading platform of the means of transport to a loading bay for loading/unloading goods of a fixed structure, such as the area where goods are dispatched in a warehouse. The loading/unloading device according to the present invention is associated with the loading platform of the means of transport and comprises a first horizontal flat element, having a surface suitable to define a supporting seating for the goods during their transfer to/from a loading bay from/to the loading platform. According to a characteristic feature of the present invention, the first flat rigid element is disposed in a corresponding containing seating of the loading platform. The first flat element is selectively movable between a first position, or inactive position, in which it is disposed level with the loading platform, so as to define a continuous supporting surface with the surface of the loading platform and at least a second work position, in which it is raised from said seating so as to be disposed at a desired height with respect to the surface of the loading platform of the means of transport.

Advantageously the containing seating is made in correspondence with a

terminal end of said loading platform so that, when the means of transport is parked next to the bay, the device is adjacent to it.

In this way the loading/unloading device defines a supporting surface and/or access to the loading platform of the means of transport able to be positioned rapidly level with the surface of the bay. Furthermore, since the device is integrated into the means of transport, it is possible to adapt said supporting surface to the different heights of the loading bays, or to keep said supporting surface level with the loading bay according to the gradual variations of the loading conditions of the means of transport. According to another characteristic feature the first flat rigid element in its second work position is at least partly inclinable with respect to a horizontal plane, or with respect to the loading platform of the means of transport. In this way the flat rigid element is able to be disposed in an inclined position and suitable to adapt to different working and loading conditions of the goods to be transferred.

According to another characteristic feature, the loading/unloading device comprises a second flat rigid element, associated with the first flat rigid element and movable with it. The second flat element is able to slide with respect to the first flat element in a containing compartment, between a retracted position in which it is disposed in the containing compartment and an extracted position in which it at least partly protrudes from the containing compartment. In the extracted position the second flat element is suitable to increase the overall supporting surface defined by the first flat rigid element.

According to another characteristic feature the second flat rigid element in its extracted position is suitable to be partly rotated.

According to a first formulation, the rotation occurs on the plane of the second flat rigid element.

According to another formulation, the rotation occurs on a plane orthogonal to the plane of the second flat rigid element or to the loading platform of the means of transport.

In the second formulation it is possible to define an inclined connecting surface between the supporting surface of the first flat rigid element and the surface of the loading platform of the means of transport. In this way, the second

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flat rigid element allows to achieve a connecting surface able to function as a lead-in/reception for the sliding of goods to be loaded/unloaded on the loading platform or on the bottom of containers loaded on the loading platform.

According to an advantageous feature of the present invention, the loading/unloading device comprises movement means suitable to lift the first flat rigid element into its work position.

According to another advantageous feature the device also comprises clamping means suitable to clamp said movement means in a predetermined position so as to keep the first flat rigid element in its work position at a desired height with respect to the surface of the loading platform of the means of transport.

Furthermore, the device according to the present invention is retro compatible, and can also be adapted, with minimum modifications, to means of transport already operating, by making a suitable seating in the structure of the chassis of the means of transport.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferential form of embodiment, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein: - fig. 1 is a schematic lateral view of a means of transport having a loading/unloading device according to the present invention;

- fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the loading/unloading device in fig. 1 ;

- fig. 3 is a rear schematic view of the loading/unloading device in fig. 1 in a first working configuration; - fig. 4 is a rear schematic view of the device in fig. 1 in a second working configuration;

- fig. 5 is a lateral schematic view of the device in the working configuration in

% 3;

- fig. 6a is a lateral schematic view of a detail of the device in fig. 1 in a first working configuration;

- fig. 6b is a lateral schematic view of a detail of the device in fig. 1 in a second working configuration; - fig. 6c is a lateral schematic view of a detail in fig. 6a in a third working

configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERENTIAL FORM OF

EMBODIMENT

With reference to the attached drawings, a loading/unloading device 10 for loading/unloading goods according to the present invention is associated with the loading platform 12 of a means of transport 11, in this case a semi-trailer. The device 10 (figs. 1 and 5) is used to facilitate the operations of loading/unloading goods into/from the means of transport 11 or into/from a container 14 associated with the means of transport 11 from/to a loading bay 17 of a fixed structure, for example an area where goods are dispatched.

The device 10 is installed in a hollow containing seating 13 made in the rear part of the loading platform 12 of the means of transport 11, so as to be disposed adjacent to a footboard 40 of the bay 17 when the means of transport 11 is parked near the bay 17 so as to effect the desired loading/unloading operations. The device 10 comprises a first rigid plane 15, made of metal material and preferably with a rectangular shape such as to occupy at least partly the width of the loading platform 12. The first rigid plane 15 has an upper surface such as to define a supporting seating for the temporary deposit of goods and/or packages during their transfer from/to the loading platform 12 or from/to the container 14. The upper surface, together with the surface of the loading platform 12, defines an overall flat surface.

According to a characteristic feature of the present invention, the device 10 is selectively movable, in a direction substantially vertical to the loading platform 12, between a first position, or inactive position, in which the upper surface of the first rigid plane 15 is disposed level with the supporting surface of the loading platform 12, and a second position, or work position, in which the upper surface of the first rigid plane 15 is disposed level with an upper surface of the footboard 40.

The device 10 also comprises movement arms 120, 220 (figs. 3 and 4) suitable to move the first rigid plane 15 between its first and its second position. The arms

120, 220, disposed in pairs in correspondence with two sides of the containing seating 13, are coupled cross-wise and are hinged to each other in an articulated joint 25 disposed in a median part of each arm 120, 220.

The arm 120 is hinged at a first end to a first lateral hinge 21 attached to the lower surface of the first rigid plane 15. The first arm 120 is also hinged, at an opposite end, to a first movable hinge 24, suitable to slide in a guide, not shown in the drawings, of the bottom 16 of the seating 13 during the vertical movement of the first rigid plane 15. The second arm 220, instead, is hinged at a first end to a second lateral hinge 22 attached to the bottom 16 of the containing seating 13 of the device 10. The second arm 220 is also hinged, at an opposite end, to a second movable hinge 23, suitable to slide in a guide, not shown in the drawings, of the lower surface of the first rigid plane 15, during its vertical movement between said first and second position.

By moving differently the pairs of arms 120, 220, it is possible to incline the first rigid plane 15 with respect to a lying plane defined by a horizontal plane or with respect to the reference plane identified by the loading platform 12.

According to a preferential form of embodiment, each sliding guide disposed on the bottom of the containing seating 13 is associated with an end-of-travel block 2, suitable to function as a stop for each second movable hinge 24, so as to allow the stable positioning of the first rigid plane 15 in its first position or inactive position (fig. 3).

The device 10 also comprises an actuator piston 30, of electric, hydraulic or compressed air type, extendible and hinged at each end respectively to a first hinging point 33 of the first arm 120 and to a second hinging point 32 of the second arm 220. The piston, 30, controlled by an actuator 31, is suitable to make a reciprocally articulated movement of the arms 120, 220 so as to allow the first rigid plane 15 to be raised/lowered. According to an advantageous feature the piston and the actuator 31 are fed by a primary plant of the means of transport 11. It is understood that the device can comprise an autonomous actuation device, so as to allow the movement of the first rigid plane 15, as in the case of a semi-trailer, also without the tractor.

According to an advantageous feature, the piston 30 is associated with clamping means of a known type, not shown in the drawings, and suitable to clamp the piston 30 in a predetermined raised position, corresponding to a predetermined and desired height of the first rigid plane 15 with respect to the loading platform 12.

The device 10 also comprises (figs. 6a, 6b) a second rigid plane 18, associated with a containing compartment of the first rigid plane 15. The second rigid plane 18 is movable slidingly in its containing compartment between a retracted position, in which it is inserted in its containing compartment, and an extracted position, obtainable when the first flat plane 15 is in its second position, in which it protrudes at least partly from said containing compartment.

The second rigid plane 18 in its extracted position is suitable to be rotated in a plane orthogonal to it or orthogonal to the loading platform 12. In this way it is possible to achieve a connecting surface (fig. 6c) between the first rigid plane 15 and the loading platform 12 or the flat bottom of the container 14 transported by the means of transport 11 to function as a lead-in/reception for the sliding of goods.

The device 10 for loading/unloading goods as described heretofore functions as follows. After having positioned the means of transport 11 in correspondence with the footboard 40 giving access to the bay 17, the pistons 30 are activated in order to move the first rigid plane 15 from its inactive position to its work position. In this way the first rigid plane 15 is raised to a desired height so as to be disposed substantially level with the upper surface of the footboard 40 of the bay 17. When the desired height has been reached, the clamping means are activated so as to keep the first supporting surface stably in the desired configuration.

Subsequently, if necessary, the second rigid plane 18 is disposed in its extracted position and is extracted from one of the two sides of the first rigid plane 15 (figs. 6a and 6b) or possibly rotated (fig. 6c), so as to define a connecting surface between the loading platform 12 and the surface of the first rigid plane 15. The connecting surface is also used as a lead-in surface for the sliding of the goods and/or packages during their transfer between the footboard 40 and the loading platform 12 of the means of transport 11.

It is clear that modifications and/or additions of parts may be made to the loading/unloading device 10 as described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention.

It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be

able to achieve many other equivalent forms of loading/unloading device, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the field of protection defined thereby.