FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART

This invention relates to a device for transport of goods accord- ing to the preamble of claim 1. The invention is primarily in¬ tended to be utilised for unloading and/or loading of vehicles, first of all for water vehicles. The goods are thereby intended to be transported between the vehicle and a goods station having an arrangement for delivery of goods in the unloading case and an arrangement for receipt of goods in the loading case.

The goods intended to be transported by means of the device according to the invention may differ greatly among themselves, for example bulk material, as slide goods.

According to current technique, it is common to arrange large, mobile cranes on the loading dock. These cranes have loading buckets, with the aid of which material prevailing in loading rooms of the vehicle may be brought up and, after pivoting the crane close to 180°, deposited at the arrangement for receipt of goods. This operation is rather burdensome for the crane op¬ erator, as he has to operate the crane in a large pivoting movement for each bucket load, which besides take a consid¬ erable time.

Large efforts have been put down aiming at reducing the above mentioned inconveniences and the efforts have for example resulted in solutions described in the following patents: FI 76 996, WO 93/15983, US 3 388 818, US 4 907 932, SE 437 650 and SE 437 974. These earlier devices have however shown

not to bring about a satisfying solution of the transport problem. The reason therefore is probably the high degree of complica¬ tion and the thereof resulting high price. The known devices are also usually based on utilising a conventional crane, which is very expensive both regarding to investment as well as opera¬ tion, and normally pre-arranged rails are needed along the dock for the movement of the crane. This limits the flexibility of the device according to prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to provide a goods transport de¬ vice to be relatively uncomplicated regarding its construction, relatively easy and thus easy to move, but in spite of this the device is to provide for rational transport of goods, particularly at unloading or loading of vehicles.

This object is achieved by means of a device with the charac¬ teristic features described in the succeeding claims, and par- ticularly the characteristic of claim 1.

By arranging at least one extendible conveyor, as is defined more in detail in the characteristic of claim 1 , it is provided for the also defined convertibility of the device between its active and inactive state, the device in its active state being capable of rationally performing required goods transport functions and the device in its inactive state permitting to be effectively trans¬ ported to the position where the transport of goods is required.

A particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention is therefore to arrange the carrier as a road vehicle, for example a trailer. This eliminates the need for investments in expensive rails, etc.

It is specifically preferred that the device has at least two dis¬ placeable conveyors, which are extendible in substantially op¬ posite directions from the carrier. Thus the carrier may ration¬ ally be brought to function as a bridge between a vehicle and a goods station if the carrier is placed therebetween and if its extendible conveyors are extended in opposite directions and brought into cooperation with the vehicle and the goods station respectively.

Further preferred embodiments regarding the construction and the operation of the carrier and the conveyors are defined in the dependent claims and increase further the goods transport effectivity of the device according to the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With reference to the appended drawings, below follows a de¬ scription of preferred embodiments of the invention cited as examples. In the drawings:

Fig 1 shows a partly cut side view of the device according to the invention,

Fig 2 shows a view of the device as seen from one of its ends in Fig 1 ,

Fig 3 shows a view similar to Fig 2, but illustrating the device in another position,

Fig 4 shows a schematical view illustrating the device in a first active state for transport of goods,

Fig 5 shows a view illustrating the device in a second active state for transport of goods,

Fig 6 shows a detailed view illustrating an extended end part of a conveyor,

Fig 7 shows a cross section view illustrating an alternative embodiment of a conveyor for the device,

Fig 8 shows a view illustrating a further alternative embodiment of a conveyor for the device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

-The device for transport of goods illustrated in Fig 1 -3 com¬ prises a mobile carrier generally indicated with 1 and elongated conveyors 2, 3, 4 arranged on this carrier and capable of transferring goods between their respective ends.

The two conveyors 2 and 3 in the exemplified embodiment (also compare with the schematical views in Fig 4 and 5) are dis- placeably arranged in their respective longitudinal directions with respect to the carrier between an extended position and a retracted position. Extended positions are illustrated in Fig 4 and 5 while retracted positions are illustrated in Fig 1-3.

The two conveyors 2, 3 are extendible in opposite directions from the carrier 1. The further conveyor 4 has in the example the character of an intermediate conveyor for transporting goods received from one of the extendible conveyors to the other of the extendible conveyors. The conveyor 4 in the ex- ample is non-displaceably arranged with respect to the carrier during normal function. As later will be described in more detail, this does not stop the conveyor 4 to be displaceably arranged to be able to be brought out of the carrier 1 for exchanging, service or maintenance thereof, but in this particular embodi- ment the conveyor 4 is intended to normally being locked re-

stricting displacement thereof with respect to the carrier 1 when the conveyor 4 is put on place.

By means of the displaceability of the conveyors 2 and 3, the device is convertible between an active state shown in Fig 4 and 5, where the displaceable conveyors 2, 3 are in their ex¬ tended positions and each of these extendible conveyors is arranged in a way regarding the transport of goods with respect to the conveyor 4, that goods, during operation of the convey- ors 2-4 may be deposited from, in Fig 4 and 5, the conveyor indicated with 2 to the conveyor 4 and thus be transported along these two conveyors 2 and 4 to thereafter be deposited •from the conveyor 4 to the conveyor 3, and in an inactive state, which is shown in Fig 1 -3 and in which state the displaceable conveyor 2, 3 are in their retracted positions and the three conveyors 2-4 are put on top of each other inside the ends of the carrier 1 as is shown in Fig 1 .

Fig 4 illustrates particularly clearly how the carrier 1 is placed on a dock 5 or similar for the purpose of unloading goods from a schematically shown vehicle 6. These goods are intended to be transported to a goods station 7 having an arrangement 8 for receipt of goods, which is illustrated by way of a goods receiv¬ ing conveyor. The device according to the invention is intended to form a goods transport bridge between the vehicle 6 and the goods station 7. The end of the conveyor 2 indicated with 9 may be provided with suitable means for receiving and/or loading of goods, which will be described in more detail below. The con¬ veyor 2 is intended to deliver goods at its second end 10 to the intermediate conveyor 4 at a location depending on the exten¬ sion of the conveyor 2 from the carrier 1 . The opposed situated ends of the intermediate conveyor 4 are indicated with 1 1 and 12 respectively. At the end indicated with 12, i.e. the end lo¬ cated distant from the vehicle 6, the intermediate conveyor 4 is intended to deposit goods to the conveyor 3 at a location on the

conveyor depending on the extension of the conveyor 3. The ends of the conveyor 3 are indicated with 13 and 14 respec¬ tively. The conveyor 3 is intended to deposit goods to the goods station 7 via its outer end 14.

By means of arranging the conveyors 2-4 on different levels above each other, the carrier 1 has to be directed in a way that the goods all the time are transported from the highest located conveyor in direction to the lowest located conveyor in a goods transport situation. If the displaceable conveyors 2, 3 only are extendible in a specific direction with respect to the carrier 1 , this requires that the carrier 1 is directed in an adequate way in relation to the goods transport flow. According to an alternative embodiment the single conveyor 2, 3 might however be extend- ible from the carrier 1 in opposite directions. In the case that the intention instead would be to load goods into the vehicle 6, the conveyor 2 would thus have been extended in the opposite direction, i.e. to the left in Fig 4 while instead the conveyor 3 would have been extended to the right. In combination with a reversible operation possibility of the conveyors 2, 3 and also of the conveyor 4, this would imply that loading of the ship accord¬ ing to Fig 4 would be able to take place from left to right, at an unchanged direction of the carrier 1 .

From the description above it is apparent that the intermediate conveyor 4 is located in a position between the extendible conveyors 2, 3 when the device is in its active state.

The carrier 1 is arranged with removal enabling members 15 for ground contact. These members are intended to be rail inde¬ pendent, i.e. removal of the carrier is not dependent on pres¬ ence of rails. The members 15 are in the example formed by wheels but belt- or treadlike removal members may also be used. The carrier is thus in the preferred case formed as a vehicle. The carrier may thereby be constructed in a more or

less advanced way regarding movement thereof. The carrier 1 may however according to a specific preferred embodiment have the character of a road vehicle enabling fast and rational movements. The carrier 1 could thus have the character of a trailer or a drag cart intended to be pulled or pulled/carried respectively by a suitable pulling vehicle supplied with a propel¬ ling source. The carrier 1 could as an alternative have a propel¬ ling source of its own so that it thus could propell itself. A fur¬ ther variant is to arrange the carrier 1 as a loading unit, for example a container, loading switch unit or similar, provided with removal enabling members 15. The carrier 1 may thus in this case be operated by suitable loading switch equipment in a way that the carrier 1 could be loaded and unloaded respec¬ tively by means of other for this object suitable loading carriers, as road vehicles, railway vehicles etc.

The conveyors 2-4 are in the example formed by belt convey¬ ors. It is thereby preferred that each of the conveyors 2-4 has one single endless belt put around controlling and/or carrying and/or propelling rolls 16 comprised in the respective convey¬ ors. These different rolls 16 are supported by frameworks 17 included in the respective conveyors, the frameworks giving each of the conveyors such a self-carrying stiffness that they keep their elongated form also when they are totally released from the carrier 1 and in particular regarding the conveyors 2, 3 when they are extended from the carrier 1.

Fig 2 and 3 illustrate how rolls 16 located at the top of the re¬ spective conveyors to support the upper part 18 of the belt of the conveyors from below may be placed so that a somewhat bowl-like form is obtained for said upper belt part 18. The object with this form is naturally to avoid goods to sideways of the respective conveyor leave the belt part 18. A more pronounced bowl-like form could naturally be achieved if it would be neces- sary regarding the character of the goods. Fig 2 and 3 illustrate

how the bowl-like form is obtained by way of inclining two rolls 16 at the ends of the belt part 18 so that they slope towards the central part of the belt part 18. Fig 7 shows moreover a more advanced structure of a conveyor 2, 3 or 4 suited for transport of extremely volatile material, as very fine powder material, ash or similar. The upper belt part 18 of the conveyor belt is in this embodiment brought to form a close to tubular configuration by way of placing rolls 16 correspondingly. This tubular structure of the conveyor belt must naturally come to an end in the region of the ends of the conveyor for enabling receiving and deliver¬ ing of goods respectively.

Instead of rolls 16 may of course other controlling means be utilised to form the conveyor belt to a desired formation.

Fig 2 shows how the carrier 1 and conveyors 2 and 3 have co¬ operating members 19, 20 to control the conveyors in their displacements. It is thus preferred that these displacements are substantially rectilinear. The control members 19, 20 may for example comprise running members 20, for example wheels, and guides 19 for receipt of these members. The guides 19 are in the example arranged on the carrier 1 itself while the wheels are located on the framework 17 of the respective conveyor 2, 3. The device has suitable propelling means to bring the con- veyors 2, 3 in motion along their displacement paths. These propelling means could be just any such propelling means, for example piston-cylinder-mechanisms, chain pulling devices, wire systems, rack devices etc. A further possibility is however to propel one or a few of the running members 20 by means of one or several engines, in a way that the propelling of the con¬ veyors 2, 3 thereby is ensured.

The lower part 21 of the conveyor belts is not shown in Fig 2 and 3, but it is however visible for example in Fig 1 at 21.

The non-displaceably arranged intermediate conveyor 4 may according to Fig 2 and 3, regarding transport of goods, be provided with running members 20 received in guides 19 in similarity to the extendible conveyors 2, 3. Some kind of locking member is however intended to be present regarding the con¬ veyor 4, which locking member stops the conveyor 4 from dis¬ placing with respect to the carrier 1 during normal operation. The possible displacement of the conveyor 4 works after re¬ moval of similar locking members only to bring out the conveyor from the carrier 1 for service and maintenance. This statement should however be read in conjunction with the constructive modification that is discussed below at the end of the descrip¬ tion.

The carrier 1 has means 22 for adjustment of the positions of the conveyors 2, 3, 4 with respect to the ground. The adjust¬ ment means are arranged for adjusting the height position or the inclination or both of the conveyors. It may be seen how the conveyors 2, 3, 4 may be operated between a low position (Fig 2) and a high position (Fig 3) comparing Fig 2 and 3. Fig 5 illustrates how the inclination may be obtained. The carrier 1 has two mutually movable parts, namely a first 23 arranged with members 15, 25 for support to the ground and a second 24 having the conveyors 2, 3, 4. The adjustment means 22 oper- ates between the two parts 23, 24. The adjustment means 22 comprise means for power dissipation. These means are in the example intended to comprise means which are variable in length, for example in the form of piston-cylinder-mechanisms, operating between the two parts 23, 24.

Two power members 22 are in the example arranged at each side of the carrier 1. The device may thus be of the type that specifically is illustrated in Fig 2 and 3, namely in a way that the part 24 in the form of a frame construction supporting the con- veyors 2, 3, 4 is located between the two pairs of power mem-

bers 22 and outwardly of these power members 22 outer walls 26 may be arranged forming closings or covers sideways.

The supporting members of the part 23 of the carrier 1 may be comprised of the earlier described wheels 15 or similar. To give the carrier 1 a greater stability it is however desirable to ar¬ range further support members 25 in a way that they are brought into supporting contact with the ground when the trans¬ port of goods is to take place. These support members 25 are arranged in a way that they form a stiff support of the carrier 1 , i.e. possible swingings due to elastic flexibility of the wheels or similar 15 are avoided.

Fig 5 illustrates how the second part 24 of the carrier 1 is ad- justable in an inclined position with respect to the first part 23. The aim is thus to provide further adjustability to the device aiming at making it adjust to prevailing height conditions. The part 24 may for example, which is apparent from Fig 5, be in¬ clined in a way that the conveyor 2 is lowered with respect to the position the conveyor should have occupied with the upper part 24 in a horisontal position. The inclination may be obtained by controlling the power members 22 in a way that the convey¬ ors obtain different lengths on each side of the carrier 1.

In spite of that it would be possible to lock the relative position between the parts 23 and 24 of the carrier 1 only by means of the power member 22, it is preferred that further locking mem¬ bers are present. It is apparent from Fig 4 and 5 that these locking members have partly members 26 connected to the part 23 and partly members 27 connected to the part 24. Similar members are suitably arranged at the four corners of the carrier 1 and they are made mutually lockable regarding their total length. Each pair of locking members 26, 27 may for example be formed by a telescope-like construction, whose length is lockable by way of bringing locking split pins through one or

both of the members through openings which are arranged for this purpose. The members 27 have for example the character of stiffly arranged sockets on the part 24 while the members 26 are formed by hinged bars arranged on the part 23 and re- ceived in the sockets 27.

The above discussed adjustability regarding the part 24 of the carrier regarding inclination is primarily intended to provide inclination in directions substantially coincident with the longi- tudinal directions of the conveyors.

It is illustrated in Fig 5 how the extendible conveyors 2, 3 are ^" pivotably arranged with respect to the carrier 1 . It is more ex¬ actly referred to pivotability in substantially vertical planes around axes 28 and 29 respectively. These axes are in the example intended to be localised in the proximity of the ends 10 and 13 respectively of the conveyors 2, 3, the axes may possi¬ bly coincide with the axis of rotation for the control rolls 16 positioned at said ends 10, 13 of the conveyors. In order to execute the pivot movements of the conveyors there are suit¬ able power members 30 arranged, which in Fig 5 are repre¬ sented schematically by means of a power member for the conveyor 2. These power members may for example be formed by power dissipation members which are variable in length in the form of piston-cylinder-mechanisms or similar. Also other types of power members are of course possible for this pur¬ pose.

The end portion of the conveyor 2 is illustrated in a larger scale in Fig 6. The lower part of the conveyor belt runs suitably sub¬ stantially in a plane at the lower side of the conveyor and is kept there in the desired movement path by means of suitable control members. The conveyor belt is redirected via the control rolls 16 at the ends of the conveyor and the upper part 18 of the conveyor moving in the direction of the arrow 31 is formed to

the previously discussed bowl-like form with the aid of the in¬ clined control rolls 16 (see also Fig 2 and 3).

The uppermost of the conveyors, namely the one indicated with 2, is according to the invention intended to be capable of, at the material delivering end thereof, delivering the material to the conveyor 4 that is located below in substantially all displace¬ ment positions. The conveyor 3 is correspondingly intended to be located in substantially all adjustment positions in a way that it may receive material delivered from the conveyor 4. It should be noted that goods-controlling funnels, control surfaces or similar may be present in the transition regions between the conveyors in order to adequately control goods coming from one conveyor to the next conveyor in the transport sequence. Similar controlling devices may more particularly be necessary when the part 24 of the carrier 1 is adjusted into sloping posi¬ tions, for example according to Fig 5.

A possible embodiment of the conveyor 2 is illustrated in Fig 8. It may possibly be arranged comprising at least two with re¬ spect to each other pivotable sections 32, 33. In the case that only two sections are present, they might be directly mutually connected through a hinge 34. The conveyor section indicated with 32 is intended to be connected with the carrier 1 while the section 33 at its outer end has means 35 for receipt of and/or loading of goods.

It is preferred that the pivotability between the sections takes place in substantially vertical planes. Specific power members 36 may be arranged in order to control the pivotability. In spite of that other possibilities naturally are present, it is preferred that a power member having variable length operating between points on the sections 32, 33, is utilised as the power member 36. An example of a suitable power member is a piston-cylin- der-mechanism.

The conveyor 2 could of course be composed of several pivo- tably connected sections, i.e. one or several pivotable sections could be inserted between the outermost sections 32, 33.

The means 35 has in the example according to Fig 8 the char¬ acter of a goods receiver. The means 35 has thereby the form of an upwards open container or funnel, which at its lower part delivers received material to the upper part of the conveyor belt of the conveyor 2. Such an embodiment requires therefore fur¬ ther equipment for loading of goods in the container or in the funnel 35. The conveyor 2 could according to an already shown ^" alternative embodiment at its outer end 9 instead be supplied with goods loading means capable of collecting the goods in question from the loading room in a vehicle and bring same onto the conveyor belt of the conveyor 2.

The described device is used in the following way: when goods are to be transferred from any of the vehicles indicated with 6 in Fig 4 or 5 to a station 7 for receipt of goods, the carrier 1 is moved to a suitable location for the transport task while the conveyors 2-4 are located in the transport position according to Fig 1 and the upper part 24 of the carrier is besides lowered as is apparent from Fig 1 and 2 to bring about a low centre of gravity of the carriage. The conveyors 2 and 3 are thereafter moved in opposite directions from the carrier 1 in a way that the conveyor 2 with the portion in the proximity of its end 9 will be localised at a suitable location for receipt of goods and that the conveyor 3 is applied with the end indicated with 14 thereof to deliver goods to the goods station 7. The carrier 1 and its con¬ veyors 2, 3 may therefore by means of the above discussed adjustment possibilities be adjusted in suitable positions for the specific conveyor task, which is apparent comparing Fig 4 and 5. It should thereby be noted that the vehicle 6 in question is in- tended to be relatively high while it extends a substantial dis-

tance above the water level indicated with 37. The vehicle in Fig 5 is on the contrary relating to a barge-like, low-built vehi¬ cle.

If goods receiving means located at the end portion 9 of the conveyor 2 do not have any active loading ability of its own, it is required that goods from the loading room of the ship is col¬ lected from the loading room and put into the goods receiving means by means of a crane arranged on the ship or on the dock. It should thereby be noted that while the goods receiving means 35 of the conveyor 2 thereby will be positioned in an immediate proximity of the vehicle 6 and its loading room, very

^" small displacements will have to be performed with the aid of the discussed crane, which results in that the operation of loading goods onto the conveyor 2 may take place fast and effectively. In the case that the conveyor 2 at its end portion 9 has active goods loading means of its own it is possible to operate the conveyor 2 with the aid of the discussed adjustment possibilities in a way that the loading means will be located in the loading room of the ship and might be operated there in order to load goods onto the conveyor 2.

Goods that have been put onto the conveyor 2 are further con¬ veyed by the same and are put at the end 10 on the lower posi- tioned intermediate conveyor 4, which in turn conveys the goods further and delivers the same at its end 12 to the con¬ veyor 3. This conveyor conveys the goods further and finally puts the goods in the goods station 7, namely on the conveyor 8 thereof.

When the loading operation is ended, the conveyors 2, 3 are pulled in and the carrier 1 is adjusted into its transport position according to Fig 1 for transport thereof to another goods load¬ ing location.

It should be noted that the device just as well is suited for loading of a vehicle as for unloading of the same. The device is in the loading case placed in a way that its extended conveyor 2 on the contrary will receive goods from the goods station 7 and transport the goods further to the intermediate conveyor 4 for delivering the same to the conveyor 3, which finally delivers the goods to the loading room of the vehicle 6.

POSSIBLE MODIFICATIONS OF THE INVENTION

The invention is naturally not limited to the exemplified em¬ bodiments. It would thus in a more simple embodiment of the ^" invention be possible to only arrange one extendible conveyor, i.e. one of the conveyors indicated with 2 and 3. The above placed conveyor 2 should as a rule be the one that is kept while the conveyor indicated with 3 should be the one to spare. This presumes however that the goods station 7 may be arranged to be able to receive goods from the non-displaceably arranged conveyor 4 on the carrier 1. Regarding the single conveyor 2, 3 or 4 it should be noted that it not necessarily has to show only one endless conveyor belt. It is thereby possible that two or several endless conveyor belts could be present on one single conveyor, the conveyor belts thereby being designated to be able to transport goods in a sequence between each other in a way that thus these different endless conveyor belts could transport the goods in question from one end of the conveyor to the other. The single conveyor could thereby possibly be ar¬ ranged in a way that it is not only extendible from the carrier 1 but also extendible with respect to the minimum length of the conveyor in the transport state (the inactive state). Other modi¬ fications are also possible within the scope of the invention for a man skilled in the art.