MAKING THE VEHICLE LIFT ITS LOAD.
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• A Simple Device for the Loading Depot Which Enables Short Forward Movements of a Vehicle to Lift the Load From the Ground.
THE loading or unloading of goods from or to the ground level involves the use of sunken roadways, raised loading docks, cranes or lifts, and where there is a sufficiency of traffic through a depot the construction or equipment of the building with one or more of these means of raising is justified, but there are many business places where the volume of goods inwards or outwards is small or the traffic irregular, so that rho erection of a loading bay or the provision of a crane is not warranted, and for such places the International loading device, which we inspected in London recently, would seem to meet the requirements of efficiency, practicability and low first cost.
The device is of French origin and consists of the familiar L-shaped frame which has been used before as ,a loader, when operated by a winch and pivoted on the rear cross-member of a vehicle, but in this case it is provided with rubber-faced shoes or sweeps which are struck to the arc of a circle and subtended to merge into the shorter arm of the L-fratne. These shoes or sweeps rest on the ground, and the device being hinged on a cross-bar bracketed to the vehicle and again hinged at 2 ft. from the vehicle, the act of moving the vehicle forward a short distance (about 8 ft.). causes the device to roll forward and to lift the package which it is desired to raise. The leverage is increased to the point of preventing the device from skidding forward by setting the hinged joint, at which the forward pull is applied, 5 ft. above the ground level. As the loader rolls forward and the load is lifted the hinge naturally closes down and the leverage point is lowered automatically until the runner (upon which the goods are borne) is horizontal when the level has fallen to 3 ft. 6 ins. Thus, the greatest use of the available forces is obtained, with a minimum of effort and of material, and with an absolute assurance of freedom from slip, for, if the shoes lost adhesion through incorrect design or through overstressing in an attempt to lift an excessive weight, they would, instead of raising the load, skid along the ground in jerks as the vehicle moved forward. When seeing this device at work, therefore, one realizes the careful calculation and trouble taken in its design.
The device is constructed of steel throughout, the runners forming the L which receives the goods being of 3i-in. heavy channel, the leg of the L which lies on the ground being slightly hollowed to take a barrel. The upper edges of the runners on the vertical leg of the L are faced with half-round metal to facilitate movement of the load. The curved sweeps which make contact with the ground are of T-angle steel and are faced underneath with 4-in. crossbarred rubber treads bolted on to each sweep in five short sections, thus facilitating replacement when necessary. The toe of each sweep is braced to the goods runner by angle steel and the whole is cross-braced to give it lateral stiffness. •
The hinges are strong and guide plates are fitted to ensure alignment of, the runners when the ground is uneven. A bar of Itag in. diameter forms a hinge pin to secure the device to the brackets bolted for the purpose at the rear of the lorry.
The intention is, obviously, not to take the device with the vehicle, but to employ it as part of the equipment of the goods depot. It is left in a position con' venient for an incoming lorry to back on to, and for the transfer of packages. The vehicle being attached to the device, and the engine kept running, a package is placed upon the now horizontal leg of the L-frame. If a barrel, it is rolled into the curved depressions specially provided, but if a case or bag, it is placed against a table having six rollers which run on the half-round metal on the goods runner, and is thus easily slid along the device. Obviously, the table is placed behind the package, so that when the load has been elevated it falls over on to the table and the latter falls on to the runners. The package, then, having been transferred to the loader, the vehicle -is driven forward and the load lifted to the platform height, when it is readily slid on to the lorry. The actions in unloading are merely the reverse of 'those described.
Depending from the underside of the runners are two bent-steel members, the purpose of which has not been explained by the designer. They may be intended to stand upon in order to handle pack= ages on to or off the loader, or they may be buffers to prevent over-running backwards, but they seem too high up for the one purpose and not long enough for the other.
In order to facilitate handling of the loader at a warehouse or depot the two guide plates, which stand at the highest point of the device when it is on the ground out of action and with the hinged portion folded down, are bored to receive the bar by which the loader is secured to a lorry. By this bar the loader can be lifted by a portable crane and placed wherever it may be wanted. It is possible, too, that the bar in this position forms a fulcrum by which, with a rope and tackle, the loader could be pulled up on to the lorry should it, for instance, be required for use at a plane where a load had to be collected and where no loading facilities existed.
The weight of the device is about 5 cwt. and it is expected, by making it in this country, to reduce the retail price to less than 150. However, the price had not been settled when we inspected the apparatus in operation. It is being handled by the owners of the British patents, International Motors, Ltd. of Bloemfontein Avenue, London, W.th.