SUCH A CARRIER

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a vehicle body carrier. More particularly, but not exclusively, this invention relates to a vehicle body carrier for transporting vehicle bodies and/or loading vehicle bodies into intermodal containers. This invention also relates to a method of loading a vehicle body onto a vehicle body carrier. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

It is well known to transport vehicles from one location to another by loading such vehicles in intermodal containers. By fully enclosing vehicles in intermodal containers, they are better protected against adverse environmental conditions and damage.

When utilizing intermodal containers, it is important to maximize the space usage inside the containers in order to reduce transportation costs. A widely used method of loading intermodal containers utilises a vehicle carrier that permits a first vehicle to be loaded onto the carrier in a generally horizontal orientation, and a second vehicle to also be loaded onto the carrier, but wherein it is supported in an inclined orientation above one end of the first vehicle. By following method, two standard vehicles could easily be loaded inside a 6 meter long container and the internal height of the container is utilized. Such known vehicle carrier usually includes a pair of spaced apart tracks onto which the first vehicle is driven, and a pair of spaced apart ramps onto which the second vehicle is driven.

Sometimes it is desired for parts of vehicles or semi-knocked-down vehicles, for example vehicle bodies, to be transported from location to another, for example, during the vehicle manufacturing or assembly stages. The vehicle carrier of the kind described above is not suitable for such applications as the vehicle bodies cannot be driven onto carrier. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a vehicle body carrier and method of loading vehicles onto a vehicle body carrier that will, at least partially, alleviate the above disadvantage and/or that will be a useful alternative to vehicle carriers and such methods known in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a vehicle body carrier comprising a carrier base having first engaging means for, in use, engaging part of a first vehicle body to secure it on the carrier base. The first vehicle body may be secured in an operatively horizontal position.

The vehicle body carrier may further include a support arrangement extending operatively above the carrier base and having second engaging means for, in use engaging part of a second vehicle body to secure it on the support arrangement. The second vehicle body may be secured in an operatively inclined position at least partially above the first vehicle body. There is provided for the vehicle body carrier to further include a carrier extension member to which the support arrangement is attached and from which it protrudes in an operatively upwardly direction, the carrier extension member may further be pivotally connected to the carrier base wherein it is pivotally displaceable relative to the carrier base between a first, collapsed position, wherein it is located adjacent to and in line with the carrier base, and a second, slanted position, wherein it extends at an acute angle to the carrier base. Preferably, the support arrangement may be removably attached to the carrier extension member.

The carrier extension member may include a pair of spaced apart arms which extend parallel to each other from a reminder of the carrier extension member and which arms are pivotally connected at respective free ends thereof to opposing sides of the carrier base to facilitate the pivot connection between the carrier extension member and carrier base. The carrier extension member may be pivotally connected to the carrier base at a position intermediate opposing ends of the carrier base.

The support arrangement may include a first support including the second engaging means at an operatively upper end thereof, and a second support including the second engaging means at an operatively upper end thereof, the first support being higher than the second support.

Each of the first and second supports may include a pair of spaced apart operatively upwardly extending support members and a crossbar extending between free ends of the support members, and to which crossbar the second engaging means is attached. Preferably, the crossbar may be removably attached to the support members. The first and second engaging means may be at least one or more engaging elements which are shaped and adapted such to be complementary to at least one or more co-operating formations in or on the first and second vehicle bodies. According to an example embodiment of the invention, the element may be in the form of at least one or any combination of a lug, stud, pin, hook, aperture, hole, slot, recess and the like and the formation may be in the form of at least one or any combination of an aperture, hole, slot, recess, lug, stud, pin, hook and the like.

The respective parts of the first and second vehicle bodies may be undersides and/or chassis of the respective first and second vehicle bodies.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of loading a vehicle body onto a vehicle body carrier, the method including the steps of:

- providing a vehicle body carrier as defined above;

- displacing the carrier extension member from its first, collapsed position to its second, slanted position; - supporting the carrier extension member in its second, slanted position;

- lowering the second vehicle body, in a substantially horizontal orientation, onto the support arrangement such that part of the second vehicle body engages with the second engaging means to secure it in position on the supporting arrangement; and

- displacing the carrier extension member from its second, slanted position to its first, collapsed position so that the second vehicle body is supported on the support arrangement in an operatively inclined position. There is provided for the carrier extension member to be supported in its second, slanted position by means of at least one or more support legs.

These and other features of the invention are described in more detail below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One embodiment of the invention is described below, by way of a non-limiting example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view, from a first angle, of a vehicle body carrier in accordance with the invention, with a carrier extension member thereof in a first, collapsed position;

Figure 2 is a perspective view, from a second angle, of the vehicle body carrier of figure 1 ; Figure 3 is a similar view of the vehicle body carrier as shown in figure 1 , with the carrier extension member in a second, slanted position;

Figure 4 is a side view of the vehicle body carrier of figure 3, in use; and

Figure 5 is a side view of the vehicle body carrier of figures 1 and 2, in use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference to the drawings, a vehicle body carrier in accordance with the invention is generally indicated by reference numeral 10.

The carrier 10 includes a carrier base 12 which has first engaging means 14 for, in use, engaging an underside of a first vehicle body 16 to secure it on the carrier base 12 in an operatively horizontal position, and a support arrangement 18 which extends operatively above the carrier base 12. The support arrangement 18 includes second engaging means 20 for, in use, engaging part of a second vehicle body 22 to secure it on the support arrangement 18 in an operatively inclined position. The vehicle body carrier 10 further includes a carrier extension member 24 which has a pair of spaced apart arms 26 which extend parallel to each other from a reminder of the extension member 24. At respective free ends 28 of the arms 26, the carrier extension member 24 is pivotally connected to opposing sides 30.1 and 30.2 of the carrier base 12 intermediate opposing ends 32.1 and 32.2 thereof. By being pivotally connected to the carrier base 12, the carrier extension member 24 is pivotally displaceable A about an operatively horizontal axis relative to the carrier base 12 between a first, collapsed position, wherein it is located adjacent to, in line and co-planar with the carrier base 12 (as shown in figures 1 , 2 and 5), and a second, slanted position, wherein it extends at an acute angle to the carrier base 12 in side view (as shown in figures 3 and 4).

As is best shown in figure 2, the carrier extension member 24 includes cavities 34 for receiving, in use, forks of a forklift (not shown) for lifting the carrier 10, loading it into an intermodal container (not shown) and/or manipulating its position in the container. The cavities 34 also extend into the carrier base 12.

The support arrangement 18 is attached to and protrudes from the carrier extension member 24 in an operatively upwardly direction. The support arrangement 18 includes a first support 36 having the second engaging means 20 at an operatively upper end thereof, and a second support 38 including the second engaging means 20 at an operatively upper end thereof. The first support 36, which is spaced longitudinally along the carrier extension member 24 from the second support 38, is longer than the second support 38. Therefore, when the carrier extension member 24 is in its first, collapsed position, the first support 36 stands at a higher vertical distance B from the carrier base 12 than the second support 38.

Each of the first and second supports 36 and 38 includes a pair of spaced apart operatively upwardly extending support members 40.1 or 40.2. According to this example embodiment, the support members 40 are permanently attached to the carrier extension member 24, although in other embodiments of the invention the support members 40 could be removably attached to the carrier extension member 24. Support members 40.1 , being part of the first support 36, are longer than support members 40.2, being part of the second support 38. Each of the first and second supports 36 and 38 further includes a crossbar 42 which extends between free ends of the respective support members 40. The second engaging means 20 is attached to the crossbars 42. The crossbars 42 are removably attached to the support members 40 by having sleeves 43 at their opposing free ends extending laterally therefrom, which sleeves 43 are able to locate and slide over the free ends of the support members 40. In other embodiments of the invention, the crossbars 42 could be permanently attached to the relevant support members 40.

Each of the first and second engaging means 14 and 20 includes a plurality of engaging elements which, according to this example embodiment, is in the form of operatively upwardly extending pins 44.1 and 44.2. The pins 44 are shaped and adapted such to be complementary to at least one or more co-operating formations (not shown) in the vehicle bodies 16 and 22. According to this example embodiment, the co-operating formations are in the form of apertures which receives the pins 44 therein. The pins 44.1 of the first engaging means 14 protrude from the carrier base 12, and the pins 44.2 of the second engaging means 20 protrude from lugs 46 which are attached to the crossbars 42, as shown.

In use, the first vehicle body 16 is generally first loaded onto the carrier 10. This is performed by ensuring that the carrier extension member 24 is in its first, collapsed position. The first vehicle body 16 is then lowered, by whatever hoisting means, such as a crane, slings or forklift (not shown), in a substantially horizontal orientation onto the carrier base 12 so that the first engaging means 14 engages the underside of the first vehicle body 16 to secure it in position on the carrier base 12.

Referring particularly to figure 4, when loading the second vehicle body 22 onto the carrier 10, the support arrangement 18 is assembled by removably attaching the crossbars 42 between the respective support members 40.1 and 40.2 of each pair of support members.

The carrier extension member 24 is then displaced from its first, collapsed position to its second, slanted position wherein the respective crossbars 42 of the first and second supports 36 and 38 are positioned at roughly equal operatively vertical distances B from the carrier base 12. The carrier extension member 24 is supported in its second, slanted position by positioning at least one, but preferably two support legs 48 underneath it, as shown.

The second vehicle body 22 is then lowered, by whatever hoisting means, such as a crane or forklift (not shown), in a substantially horizontal orientation onto the support arrangement 18 so that the second engaging means 20 engages the underside of the second vehicle body 22 to secure it in position on the support arrangement 18.

Thereafter, the support legs 48 are removed from underneath the carrier extension member 24 and it is displaced from its second, slanted position to its first, collapsed position so that the second vehicle body 22 is supported on the support arrangement 18 in an inclined position.

The vehicle bodies 16 and 22 could be further secured to the carrier 10 by additional securing means (no shown) such as lashings, straps, fasteners, or the like.

When fully loaded, the vehicle body carrier 10 is self supporting, meaning that the vehicle bodies 16 and 22 could be pre-staged or even stored on the carrier 10 while awaiting loading into an intermodal container, for example.

As briefly explained above, when loading the fully loaded carrier 10 into a container, the carrier 10 is picked up, typically by a forklift, and loaded either into a grounded container or one that is on a truck chassis (not shown). This means the loaded carrier 10 could be driven into the container by the forklift and placed in position in the container, or it can be placed at a door end of the container and slid further into the container. Further loaded carriers could thereafter be slid in behind the first one, wherein a plurality of loaded carriers is positioned end-to-end inside the loaded container. The unloading process is similar to the loading process discussed above. However, when loaded carriers are to be removed from a container located on a truck chassis, the carrier positioned closest to the door end of the container is removed first by a forklift. A rope or line (not shown) is then attached to the carrier being closest to the door end of the container and pulled to the door of the container from where the forklift can remove that carrier from the container. This process is repeated for the remaining carriers in the container.

It is envisaged that this invention provides a useful vehicle body carrier 10 that could be used for easily and conveniently transporting parts of vehicles such as semi- knocked-down vehicles or even assembled vehicles from one location to another during the vehicle manufacturing and/or assembly stages.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the precise details as described herein and that many variations are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. For example, the invention may incorporate further engaging means for engaging and securing the respective first and second vehicle bodies 16 and 22 to the vehicle body carrier 10, such as, for example, fasteners, straps, ropes and the like. Also, the first and second engaging means 14 and 20 could be easily adapted to engage any other part of the vehicle bodies 16 and 22, such as the chassis (not shown). Further, the engaging elements and co-operating formations could alternatively be in the form of any one or any combination of an aperture, hole, slot, recess, lug, stud, pin and hook. Still further, if required, one or more brace members (not shown) could be provided between the first and second supports 36 and 38 to afford further reinforcement to the support arrangement 18.

The description is presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention.