From US-A-3,066, 817 a luggage truck is known, which comprises a truck and a loading space for luggage.

From GB-A-814 714 a van for articles that are compa- rable to each other, such as parcels of roughly the same di- mensions, e. g. foodstuffs, bottles and the like, is known that is embodied with conveyors disposed in the loading space of the van that are also intended for storage.

The storage truck known from US-A-3,066, 817 is pro- vided with a conveyor belt disposed in the loading space that joins up with a further conveyor belt going outside the load- ing space of the luggage truck. Via this latter conveyor belt luggage is taken from the luggage truck into the hold of an aircraft and from the hold of an aircraft into the luggage truck. In addition, the known luggage truck is provided with storage racks for the luggage. The luggage must then be moved manually between the conveyor belt disposed in the loading space and these storage racks. This is hard work ; a likely reason why the luggage truck disclosed in US-A-3,066, 817 has not found widespread application.

In the modern-day transport systems for flight lug- gage to or from narrow-body aircraft, luggage carts are used for the transport from and to the terminal. Here also, load- ing and unloading the carts requires (much) manpower, involv- ing considerable physical strain under all kinds of weather conditions. The required number of personnel makes the lug- gage transfer a substantial item of expenditure, while the handling of the luggage also forms a critical time element in dealing with planes, especially when transfer luggage has to be taken from a first aircraft to a second aircraft. Moreo- ver, the luggage carts usually used at airports contribute considerably to the traffic congestion existing at and around these airports.

It is an object of the invention to solve one or several of these problems.

In accordance with the invention, there is to this end proposed a luggage truck as specified in one or several of the appended claims.

In a first aspect of the invention, the luggage truck which comprises a loading space for luggage, which is provided with a conveyor belt disposed in the loading space for the supply and removal of luggage, and which conveyor belt is at the same time a storage unit for the luggage, is characterised in that the conveyor belts disposed in the loading space can be repositioned in height and sideways. By this measure a conveyor belt in the loading space can be ad- justed to the level of a conveyor belt outside the luggage truck supplying and removing the luggage. This greatly fa- cilitates the circulation of the conveyor belts in the load- ing space and the sorting of the luggage. Said conveyor belt disposed outside the loading space may actually be part of the luggage truck itself.

Furthermore, it is preferred for the loading space to be provided with several conveyor belts disposed next to and/or above each other. In this way optimal use can be made of the loading space of the luggage truck so as to allow such a luggage truck, embodied in dimension that are acceptable in road transport, to transport a maximum number of luggage items.

It is further advantageous for the loading space to be provided with a drive member that can be selectively cou- pled with one of the conveyor belts. In this way each of the separate conveyor belts can be driven at low costs, i. e. in the position in which the respective conveyor belt joins up with the external conveyor belt and in which it is in posi- tion for loading and unloading the luggage.

It is further desirable that the loading space and the truck can be uncoupled. This allows the truck to be de- ployed for the transport of another loading space, while in the meantime allowing the uncoupled loading space to be loaded or unloaded.

Finally, it is desirable that space be provided in the loading space, for non-standard items of luggage.

Hereinbelow the invention will be further elucidated by way of a non-limiting exemplary embodiment and with refer- ence to the accompanying drawing.

The drawing shows in: Figure 1 a luggage truck according to the invention as used for loading and unloading a so-called'narrow body' aircraft; and Figure 2 a schematic three-dimensional illustration of a luggage truck as proposed in accordance with the inven- tion.

Identical parts in the figures are identified with the same reference numbers.

Referring first to Figure 1, reference number 1 de- notes a so-called'narrow body'aircraft, which is character- ised in that the access to the loading space is restricted.

The luggage that is to be taken to and from the aircraft must therefore preferably be supplied from a point located lower than or at the most at the same height as the threshold of the opening of the loading space.

To this end the luggage truck 2 used in accordance with the invention is provided with a conveyor belt 4 dis- posed outside the loading space 3 with which the aircraft 1 can be loaded and unloaded, and which slopes in the direction of the aircraft 1. The luggage truck is further provided with a driver's cab 5. After the driver has moved the luggage truck 2 and placed it in the desired position, the driver, after leaving the driver's cab 5, is able to operate the lug- gage truck 2, allowing personnel that would otherwise be needed for loading and unloading the luggage to be deployed elsewhere.

In order to make this possible, the luggage truck is provided with a loading space 3 in which at least one, but preferably several conveyor belts 6 are provided. In the ex- emplary embodiment shown, these conveyor belts 6 are disposed next to, as well as above each other. The conveyor belts 6 are always loaded and unloaded when the respective conveyor belt 6 that is disposed inside the loading space 3 joins up with the external conveyor belt 4.

To this end it is possible to bring the external conveyor belt 4 each time to the same level as the conveyor belt disposed in the loading space 3, with which loading and unloading is to be carried out. However, in the context of the invention it is preferred for the external conveyor belt 4 to be fixed, and for the conveyor belt 6 disposed in the loading space 3 and which is to be loaded and unloaded, to each time be brought to a level allowing it to run into the external conveyor belt 4. For this purpose it is desirable that the conveyor belts 6 disposed in the loading space 3 can be repositioned in height and sideways.

It is further desirable that preferably in the load- ing space 3, at the underside of the lowest possible posi- tioning of the conveyor belts 6, a drive member be provided for driving the conveyor belt 6 which-in that case-is aligned with the external conveyor belt 4. For this purpose it is desirable that said drive member (not shown in the fig- ure), be driven by means of, for example, a friction band that can be coupled with the conveyor belt 6 to be driven.

The adjustment of the height of the individual con- veyor belts 6 can be arranged in a manner known to the person skilled in the art. For this purpose it is, for example, practical to employ a lifting mechanism in the loading space 3 that is provided with a table with scissor-action brackets, and wherein the wall of the loading space is provided with a ratchet system that, after a conveyor belt has been lifted to a predetermined height, maintains the conveyor belt at the height reached.

Moving the conveyor belt 6 sideways can also be ar- ranged in a manner known to the person skilled in the art with the aid of guide rails or the like and pressure cylin- ders or an electric drive.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that the loading space 3 may be used as independent unit by designing it such that it can be uncoupled from the truck 7. After uncoupling, the truck 7 may be deployed for moving another loading space 3.

The luggage truck 2 according to the invention is preferably designed such that it complies with the maximum dimensions allowable for road transport.