The invention relates to a method for loading articles to be transported into a transport space through a side fully opened during loading, the space comprising a bottom and walls on each side during transportation, and at least one of the sides being entirely openable. The invention further relates to an apparatus for loading articles to be transported into a transport space through a side fully opened during loading, the space comprising a bottom and walls on each side during transportation, and at least one of the sides being entirely openable. In loading various articles into transport spaces, such as containers, wagons, trucks or the like, it is often difficult to transfer the articles into the transport space in such a way that on the one hand, the space is utilized as well as possible and on the other hand, the articles are not damaged during loading and transportation. In this patent application and the claims, the expression 'transport space' refers specifically to such containers, wagons, trucks and their trailers, etc. The containers can be either open or closed at the top and either separate transport spaces or fixed to some means of transport, such as a train, a truck or the like. In one typical, difficult loading situation, a container with an open end or a wagon with a door on the side is loaded with paper rolls or other so heavy goods that the loading and the transfer have to be carried out with a forklift truck or the like. As the forklift truck is unable to move freely enough inside the container, it often happens that paper rolls are damaged during the loading or transportation because they cannot be loaded tight

enough. Further, this way of loading requires that the inner wall of the containers or wagons should be padded and supported with great care before loading the articles. Furthermore, the floor of the containers is not dimensioned or designed to be driven on with heavy forklifts, so that in loading heavy goods with forklifts, the floor of the container is damaged very easily.

The transportation of bulk cargo, typically paper rolls, timber, etc., is difficult because at the factory the cargo is first loaded into a wagon or a truck and after that transported to a harbour where it is loaded into containers. As a result of such multiple loadings and unloadings, the amount of damage to the articles is quite big and causes great financial losses, which raises the prices of the articles.

It is an object of this invention to provide a method and an apparatus for loading articles into transport spaces of this kind, avoiding the problems of the prior art and achieving fast and efficient loading. The method of the invention is characterized in that the articles to be loaded into the transport space are first placed on a transfer plate that is outside the transport space and can be pushed inside it through the open side essentially along the whole length of the transport space, into a position in which the articles are desired to be in the transport space during the transportation; all the articles to be loaded into the transport space are transferred at the same time inside the transport space by pushing the transfer plate and the articles placed on it simultaneously inside the transfer space along the bottom; and after this the transfer plate is pulled out from between the articles and the bottom of the transport space.

The essential idea of the invention is that the articles to be loaded are loaded on a separate transfer plate outside the transport space into such a shape and position in which they are meant to be also during the transportation. Another essential idea of the invention is that the articles loaded on the transfer plate and to be moved to the transport space are transferred to the transport space by moving the transfer plate and the articles simultaneously along the bottom of the transport space as far as necessary, preferably along the whole length of the transport space so that the whole number of articles to be moved to the transport space is transferred into the transport space at one go. A further essential idea of the invention is that in transferring the articles into the transport space on the transfer plate, the transfer plate is pulled from between the articles and the bottom of the transport container outside of the transport space, supporting at the same time the articles on the open side, so that they will not move outwards along with the transfer plate.

The apparatus of the invention is characterized in that the apparatus comprises a body, an insertable transfer plate which moves along a shaft of the body and which can be pushed through the open side of the transport space along the bottom of the transport space, and on top of which the articles to be transported can be placed; and first transfer means for moving the transfer plate into the transport space along the bottom and for pulling it out of the transport space.

The essential idea of the apparatus of the invention is that it comprises a transfer plate which can be pushed into the transport space essentially along the whole length of the transport space and on which the articles to be loaded can first be placed, and that it

comprises transfer means for moving the transfer plate along the bottom of the transport space to the transport space with the articles on the transfer plate and, equally, out from between the articles and the bottom. A further essential idea of the preferred embodiment of the invention is that it comprises separate supporting means for supporting the articles and preventing them from coming out of the transport space when the transfer plate is pulled out from inside the transport space. An advantage of the invention is that the articles transported in one transport space, such as a container, a wagon or a truck can be easily and simply placed on top of the transfer plate, if desired, on its both sides, so that the forklift trucks or the like have a wide space to move in and need not be driven in a closed container or a wagon. .Another advantage of the invention is that the articles to be transferred can be placed on the transfer plate into the position and shape in which they are meant to be in the transport space during the transportation. Still another advantage of the invention is that the articles can be fastened tight to each other to form a tight and solid unit, for example, by wrapping them in a plastic sheet or by tying them in some other way in order to prevent them from moving and being abrased or broken like loose loaded articles, especially as it is easy to make such a tight package rest against the walls so that it moves as a whole inside the container or the like. A further advantage of the invention is that loading onto the transfer plate is very fast and the transfer of the articles on the transfer plate into the transport space takes only a few minutes. Thus the pick-up time for forklift trucks, for example, can be efficiently utilized for picking up new articles for loading. The method and apparatus of the invention are also very

advantageous in such cases where the transport space, such as a wagon, a container or the like, can be opened on opposite sides or opposite ends since the transport space needs not be turned around for loading, but the side on the side of the apparatus of the invention can be opened and thus extra movements and actions can be avoided. By the arrangement of the invention, for example, articles can easily be packed into a container for transporting them in the container directly from the factory to the consignee, avoiding extra and multiple loading and unloading processes and damages caused by them.

The invention is described in more detail in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a schematic, partly sectional, side view of the apparatus of the invention,

Figure 2 shows a schematic, partly sectional, top view of the apparatus of the invention,

Figures 3a - 3e show in a simplified way the loading of articles in stages into a container acting as a transport space, and the pulling out of the transfer plate from between the floor of the container and the articles after the loading, and

Figures 4a and 4b show one embodiment of the apparatus of the invention with a sectional side view of the point of the transfer plate, and a top view of the transfer plate.

Figure 1 shows a schematic side view of the apparatus of the invention. The apparatus comprises a body 1 and a laminar transfer plate 2 moving along it. The transfer plate 2 can either be made of solid material or be honeycombed or ribbed in a desired way. Also, the plate can contain different sliding or other materials on both upper and lower surfaces. The transfer plate 2 is most preferably thinner at the point, that

is, wedge-shaped in the figure from left to right, its thickest place being on the right hand side in the figure. The apparatus also comprises a support 3 that supports the articles to be loaded during loading, when necessary, and also, as the transfer plate 2 is pulled from under the articles. The support 3 is secured on a supporting frame 4 most preferably by means of supporting cylinders 5 on both sides of the supporting frame 4 so that the support can be pushed by means of the supporting cylinders, if desired. In the rear end of the body, or on the right in the figure, the apparatus further comprises a transfer motor 6 for moving the transfer plate 2 in relation to the body 1 and a supporting motor 7 for moving the supporting frame 4 in relation to the body 1. In the front end of the body 1 there are also retaining members 8 with which the apparatus can be locked, when needed, onto a container acting as a transport space to be loaded or onto some other transport space to be loaded. Figure 2 shows a top view of the apparatus of the invention in which a transfer plate 2 is on top of a body 1. As is seen in the sectional view, first drive gears 6a are connected to both sides of the transfer motor 6, and first transfer chains 10 moving around idler wheels 9 in the front of the body and connected to the rear end of the transfer plate 2 are connected to said drive gears 6a. As the transfer motor 6 is rotating, the transfer chains 10 move around the idler wheel 9 and the drive gear 6a and transfer the transfer plate 2 at the same time in the corresponding direction. Furthermore, on both sides of the supporting motor 7 there are connected second drive gears 7a to be rotatable by means of its shaft. Correspondingly, in the front end of the body 1 there are second idler wheels 11, second transfer chains 12 moving around them and

around second drive gears 7a also at both edges of the body 1. The supporting body 4 is connected to the second transfer chains 12 so that as the transfer motor is rotating, the transfer chains 12 will move the supporting body in the rotating direction of the transfer chains 12.

In short, the operation of the apparatus is as follows: a transport space 13 to be loaded, such as a container or the like, is moved near the apparatus or if necessary, the apparatus is moved to a desired place next to the transport space to be loaded. The apparatus is connected at its front end to the open side of the transport space 13 with retaining members 8 or in any other suitable way so that they are essentially incapable of moving relative to one another during the loading. The desired number of articles 14 to be loaded into the transport space are placed on the transfer plate 2, as shown in Figure 3a. After this, the transfer plate 2 and the support 3 are transferred by means of the motors 6 and 7 and the transfer chains 10 and 12 inwards to the transport space to be loaded, as shown in Figure 3b, until the transfer plate 2 is essentially inside the transport space, as shown in Figure 3c. Subsequently, the support 3 is pressed against the articles and if necessary, the articles are pushed with supporting cylinders 5 even tighter inside the transport space 13 to be loaded; the support 3 stays on to support the articles while the transfer plate 2 is pulled out from between the articles and the bottom of the transport space, as shown in Figure 3d, so that the articles remain inside the transport space, resting on its bottom. When the transport space 2 is fully pulled out, the support 3 can be moved backwards as shown in Figure 3c, the apparatus can be unfastened from the transport space 13 and its open side closed.

The apparatus has preferably under the supporting frame 2 along its width several supporting surfaces, the lower surface of the supporting frame 2 having a sliding material with low friction, such as a suitable kind of plastic or the like, along its entire width or at suitable intervals. In this embodiment, the same sliding material is employed to reduce friction both when the transfer plate 2 is on top of the body 1 and supported by it and when it is against the bottom of the transport space. It would also be possible to mount onto the body 1 supporting reels on which the transfer plate 2 can move when on top of the body, so that it would be affected by sliding friction only in those parts that are placed against the bottom of the transport space. The upper surface of the transfer plate 2 is preferably coated with a low-friction material, such as a suitable plastic, or an even metal material with low friction can also be used if considered necessary. Figures 4a and 4b show a schematic sectional view and a top view of the point of the transfer plate on top of the body 1. The figures show one preferred embodiment of the invention in which pressurized air can be supplied above, below or to both sides of the transfer plate 2 to reduce friction both above and below the transfer plate, if necessary. In this case, low recesses 15a, 15b and 16a, 16b are provided on both upper and lower surfaces of the transfer plate 2. The recesses, which in reality are preferably at most only one millimetre in depth, are greatly exaggerated in the figures for illustration. As shown in Figure 4b, the recesses are provided in the cross direction of the transfer plate 2 along the whole width of the transfer plate 2. Air supply conduits 17a, 17b and 18a, 18b lead to the recesses 15a, 15b and 16a, 16b in such a way that

the recesses in sequence in the longitudinal direction of the transfer plate 2 have separate air supply. In this embodiment of the invention, friction is reduced between the transfer plate and the body 1 or the bottom of the container by supplying pressurized air to the recesses as the transfer plate 2 is transferred either to or out of the container. This is especially advantageous to the floor of the container because there are always some impurities, such as dust, sand or the like, on the floor of the container and thus air blowing protects the lower part of the transfer plate at the same time as the required transfer forces are considerably smaller. It is advantageous to supply air to successive recesses in the longitudinal direction of the transfer plate 2 along conduits separate from one another because as the transfer plate 2 moves between the body 1 of the apparatus and the container, there is a moment when air flow can be quite free and air can flow more easily therein, and so the pressure of the other recesses drops and no desired benefit is gained from the flow. By connecting a different air supply conduit to each recess in sequence, the air supply can, for example, be switched off in all those recesses that are at the connecting point of the container and the bottom 1 of the apparatus, or the air flow can be restricted with pressure reducing devices so as to prevent the pressure going down significantly in the other recesses. Correspondingly, the function of the air supply recesses on the upper side of the transfer plate 2 is to reduce friction between the transfer plate and the articles on top of it when the transfer plate is pulled out of the container from underneath the articles. In that case the air supply can be controlled by following the movements of the transfer plate so that air will be supplied only through those recesses on top

of which there are articles. The transfer plate can comprise recesses and air supply conduits, and necessary air supply, adjustment and control means for supplying air either from the upper or lower, or from both surfaces of the transfer plate.

The apparatus of the invention can be applied in different ways of loading, the transport space being either a container, a platform of a truck, a wagon or the like that can be fully opened from one side. The essential idea is that the articles to be loaded can first be loaded in a desired position onto the transfer plate 2, after which all the articles to be loaded can be transferred to the transport space at one go. Further, if the quality and dimensions of the articles to be loaded vary, articles can be loaded first to one end of the transport space and after that, the rest of the articles can be loaded by simply transferring the transfer plate a short distance inside the transport space before finally tightening or supporting the articles with the support 3 inside the transport space before pulling out the transfer plate 2. The apparatus can be mounted firmly or it can be provided with wheels for moving it. The body of the apparatus can have lift holes, for example, into which the forks of the forklift truck can be pushed, so that the apparatus can be moved with the forklift or the like from place to place. An apparatus comprising a long transfer plate 2 can be used for loading both long and short containers, the transfer plate extending naturally only partly inside in loading short containers.

An advantage of the invention is that in applying the method and apparatus, the desired number of articles can be placed onto the transfer plate of the apparatus in such a way that they are in a suitable position relative to each other during the

transportation. The articles on the transfer plate 2 can be supported and protected by wrapping plastic around them or by placing some other cover on them, and by tightening them with binding straps or other retaining members. The transfer of articles to the transport space is fast and easy, and the articles to be loaded will not be damaged during the loading because only the lower surface of the articles is subjected to a sliding movement. If so desired, the lower surface of the articles can be protected by using a thicker protective cardboard or the like in the end that will be in contact with the surface of the transfer plate.

As its power source the apparatus can have a separate hydraulic unit or a hydraulic unit arranged in the apparatus, driven by a combustion engine or the like. Also, the apparatus can have an electric hydraulic pump as its power source either as a separate unit or as an integral part of the apparatus. Furthermore, if so desired, the motors 6,7 of the apparatus can be hydraulic motors or electric motors if of advantage in the circumstances. When necessary, the supporting cylinders 5 can be replaced by using supporting arms in place of a cylinder arm to fasten the support 3, the supporting arms being fixedly fastened onto the support 3 and the supporting frame 4. In this case the support 3 extends from the front end of the body of the apparatus outwards for a certain distance, thus allowing the loaded articles to be supported and pressed into a tighter space.