GB2346308A - Carrying means or transport box for attachment to quad bike. - Google Patents

Abstract

A carrying means or transport box for a quad bike. The carrying means consist of a container with a lid which one or two people can move when empty and which is attached and removed from the vehicle without the use of tools. The attachment may be hooks on the container. When not in use the carrying means may be hooked over a bar in a barn for storage. The carrying means may be used as a lockable tool box. In one embodiment the carrying means may be in the form of a feed dispensing hopper with remotely operable dispensing means. In a further embodiment the carrying means may be adapted to carry a live animal. The carrying means may be used with a larger vehicle, such as a tractor or a trailer towable by a tractor.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RcLATING TO THE TRANSPORT OF # ITEM This specification relates to the transport of items particularly on farms and more particularly in connection with hill farms where the farmer may use a quad bike as a primary means of access.

Quad bikes are very useful for farmers to travel around hill farms where access is restricted to rough tracts and open fel@sides A disadvantage of quad bikes is that they have very limited carrying capacity. The container on the back of a quad bike is little mo than a large tray abte to carry only one or two bague ouf feed concentrate@ fertiliser, or compost or perhaps a few tools for jobs out on the fel !. There is clearly a need for farmers to be able to carry more equipment and perhaps etsc to be able to dispense items like sheep concentrate ; ood on t.'le felíe in the middir of winter and withou@ stopping the quad bike.

One particutar probtem concerns sheep food concentrate which is norr taffy in the form of relues and ued to supplement the hay and grass fonder that sheep eat. particularly in the winte.r It is normal that the farmer will leave piles of concentrate at various places around each field for the sheep to eat. A disadvantage of this is that if, for example, he / she is walking around the fellside, the sheep will @ollow him / her and the fittest sheep, in the va@ of the flock, wi ! t atways get the most food. One way of overcoming this is to use a quad bike which can cover the fells fairly quickly and dispense pites of food frorn the bike as it passes around the fiels. Unfortunately quad bil- ; es seat onlv one person and the storage area is insufficiently safe fo@ a sec. jnd person to sit in it and dispense concentrate while the bike is in motion because, due to the roughness of the terrain, he/she may easily be thrown out of the vehicle.

This c ! ear ! y contravenes health and safety regulations.

Towed concentrate dispensers are known but these are expensive and difficult to justify for a small farm, especially if used onty occasionaity. When not in use, they have to be stored and, inctuding the tow bar, can be physically large items of equipment; this may present a problem on a small hill farm with limited yard or barn space.

There is thus a need for a means of increasing the carrying capacity of vehicles such as quad bikes, so that more goods can be carried, and in particular, taken onto the fellsides in greater volumes. Ideally, means can be provided to allow goods to be dispensed white the vehide is in motion.

According to the invention there is provided carrying means, adapted to fit a farm vehicle, crmpr, 3ing : i) a container having a lid ; and i ;) means to attach said container to a farm vehicle ; characterised in that said carrying means is easily portable by one/two person (s) when empty, is removably attachabte to said farm veuf sicle and requires no to@@s to affect the attachmert I rennoval.

According to @ first variation of the apparatus of the invention the) li j is removable or hinged to the container.

According to a second vawriation of the apparatus of the invention, the means of attachment to said tarn. vchic ! e i via hooks.

According to the third variation of the apparatus of the invention the container inclues a hopper wth dispensing means at its lower end.

According to a fourth variation of the apparatus cf the invention, the dispens) ng means is operable by the driver of the vehide to which the carrying means is attached while the vehicle is in motion.

According to a fifth variation of the apparatus of the invention, the container is adapted to carry an animal.

In a preferred example, the container is jan essentially rectangular box provided with a lid which is either removable or openable. Preferably, a pair of hooks is provided on the container to allow it to b, removably attache to a suitable point on the farm vehicle, e. g. the upperedgeofanend paneí of the storage container of a quad bike or a suitable bar on a tractor.

One preferred design is asheepconcenfrate di. penser. Here, the container is a hcpper, with a dispensing means at its, lower end. The dispensing means may be connectable to a system by té driver can discharge the contents as he/she is driving around the fes ; side.

In a further preferred design, the container s a simple rectengular box for use in carrying tools or otner items of equipment.

In a fur@er preferred design tt, e box is adapted to carry an animal, e. g. a sheep or a ! amb. Here the lid is prefet'ab)/hinged and a slot is provided in (ne end vrall so that the sheep may be placed in the box with its head th@ough the t and the lid is then closed/replaced. The advantage of this arrangement is tha@ the animal is eff@ctively immobilised and so canno@ jump out of the qu@d b@ke which @@ would normally want to do. This avoids the farmer having to tie the legs of the animal together, or otherwise im@obilise it, in a way w@ich would cause unnecessaty ydistresstorhe creatu.

For a clearer understanding of the invention and to show how it may be carried into eff@ct, ref@ence will now be made, by way of example only, to the following dravings vhich :- Fig 1 is a perspective view of a sheep feeder attachable to the rear wall of the carrying container of a quad bike.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a simple box container according to the invention.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a sheep carrier according to the invention showing the slot in which a sheep's head can be placed to restrain and immobilise it.

In this description, the same reference numeral is used for the same component or different components fulfilling an identical function.

Fig. 1 shows a carrying means 1, in this case a sheep feeder designated 1 A It consists essentially of a rectangular box formed by front and rear paneis 2 and side panels 3. A remcvab, e lio 4, provided with handles 5, covers the I. op a-ld the lower part is formed by a hopper 8 which terminates in a drop tube # and dispensing means 10. A mechanical linka (je 11 connects with the operating point of dispersing means 10 so that it is operable by the driver of the quac bike ; this is indicated by push-pull arrows 13.. A slide 12 is shown to hold ard guide the movement of th. 3 upr er end of the mechanica) iinkage 11 for operating d'spensing means 10. Linkage 11 may include mechanical levers or ropes, etc. and moy ope dispenshg means 10 against th6 action of a closing spring (not shown). The means of operation cou. d also be a simple pull to open ard push to close.

Arrow (20) shows how feeder 1A is movbd forwards and downwards relative to quad bike 14 to engage hooks 6 over the lip 17A of the rear member 17 of the quad bike cargo tray 15. As partly shown, cargo tray 15 is formed by sides 16 and rear member 17 surrounding base 18. Wheel 19 is shown to indicate the general appearance o : the rear quarter of the quad bike 14.

In use, the farmer wouid collect sheep feeder 1A from his bam, where it might have been hooked on the wall via hooks 6 which are welded 7 to rear plate 2.

He/She would carry the empty sheep feeder and hook it 20 over lip 17A of rear face 17 of quad bike 14. He f She tuld then remove lid 4, using handles 5, and empty in a bag (s) of sheep concentrate pellets. After replacing lid 4, he she would cirive onto the feliside and, by operating linkage 11, dispense 10 the concentrate at various locations around the fellside. Ideally, there would be a connection, e. g. a rope (not shown), frpm tinkage 1I, which he/she coutd use to operate dispensing means 10 from the driving seat so that the concentrate could be dispensed white the quad bike was in motion.

An advantage of this is that he/she can caf-i. fairiy qu'ckiy around the feilside leasing piles, or elongated heaps, of concentrate for his/he# animals to feed on. By leaving a reasonable distance bejtween the oites and dropping them near groups of sheep, he I she is abte to ensure that all animals will have reQdy access to their fair share of concentrate. When he/she has finish : d and hopper 8 is empty, he/she will return to the bar@, remove feeder 1A and @ang it bacs in its storage place on the bam v. ati. because it can be hooked on the wall and takes up no floor space, feeder) A i much preferred to a towed dispe, @s@@ which, when not in use, would occupy a considerable amount of floor space in the bar@ or outside in the yard. zigs 2 shows a s@mplilled version of conta@ner 1, here desig@ated 1B. @n this case, container 16 : s a s ; mte bc\ formed by front und rear parels 2, side panels 3 and a base (not shown). In this @ase a simple @@@ged 22 iid 21 is provided. A lock may also be provided if required thouoh it is not showr,. Suct a container 1 B may used for carrying tools or other equipment, which the farmer wishes to keep dry, out on the fellside. Farmers often use quad bikes to tak@ equipment as far up the fellside as pd, ss. ble and then dimb up to wkere the work has to be done, e. g. to repair a day stone waii. Often, they are out of sight of the quad bike anc theft, both of equipment and tools, is a problem. A toolbox 1 B could be fitted with a lock (not shown) cnd means (not shown) could also be provided to lock the toolbox 1 B to the quad bike to combat theft.

Fig. 3 shows a third variation of the carrying means 1, here designated 1 C.

This is a container for an animal, typically a sheep. Here a deeper lid 21 is provided with a skirt 23. Again it is hinged 22 to side panel 2. In end 3, a Ushaped cut out 24 is provided. The lower end of cut out 25 is curved to protect the neck of the animal to be carried therein and the edges 26 are rounded po that they do not chafe the skin.

In use, the farmer would open lid 21 and bring the sheep to his I her quad bike.

He I She would then pick the animal up and place it in container 1C, caretu'ly inX zrting the neck into cut c ut 24. When the anima) wa@ safely in container 1C, he/she would close lid 21 and secure it by means not shown. In a preferred design cut outs 24 may be provided at both sides 3 of box 1 C. One of the cut outs wou ! d be large, e. g. for the neck of a sheep, and the other small, e. g. for a lamb.

Approximate dimensi, ns are shown in F : g. 3 to indicate the general size o@ the she@p containe@ 1C. This is also @@dicative of typical @@ze@ for a toolbox I B or hopper 1A for a standard size quad bike. here bigger quad bikes are Xvailabie, larger carrying means 1 may be used but, as the apparatus is designed to be portable by one or two people, much larger versions a@e not preferred.

Where it would not foul a wheel 19, a s : mi ! ar container 1.1 A, 1 B or 1 C could be hooked over either, or both, side panels 16. This would make the venicle wider and unsuttabfe for minor fanes or narrow gateways but, where ihts was not a problem, would greatly increased the volumetric carrying capacity of the quad bike within its loading capability.

Other variations of the principe of the invention will be apparent to those knowledgeable about farming techniques, ait fading within the scope of the disclosure. Obvious examples are transport of water to drinking troughs, scattering lime or fertiliser over the ground, etc. but others are equally applicable.

Claims (1)

1. What we claim is:1. A carrying means, adapted to fit a farm vehicle, comprising :

   i) a container having a lid ; and

   ii) means to attach said container to a farm vehicle ; characterised in that said carrying means is easily portable by one I twc person (s) when empty, is removably attachable to said farm vehicle and requires no tools to effect the attachment I removal.

   2. A carrying means as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a quad bike.

   3@ A carrying means as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a tracior or trailer z A carrying means as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the lid is reinovable.

   5. A carrying mesnb as dain. ed in claim 4, whe"ein the lid is hinged to tna container.

   6. A carrying means as claimed in claims 4 or 5, wherein t@e lids is lockable to the container.

   7. A carrying means as ciaimed in any preceding claim, wherein the means of attachment is a hook (s) adapted to fit over fi, appropriate part over tiare fart v 3hicle.

   8. A carrying means as c'aimed : n daim 7, wherein the appropriate part of the farm vehide is a side forminc n containment area on that vehicle or a containmen@ area of an item cf equipment being towed by that veh@cle.

   9. A carrying means as ciaimed in claim 7, wherein the appropriate part of the farm vehicle is a bar forming part of the structure of the vehicle or a towed item of equipment.

   10. A carrying means as claimed in ah preceding claim, wherein the carrying means is lockable to the vehicle, on which it is being carried.

   11. A carrying means as claimed in any preceding claim, wfierein the container includes an hopper with a dispensing means at its lower end.

   12. A carrying means as claimed in daim 11, wherein the dispensing means inclues a drop tube.

   13. A carrying means as claimed in daims 11 or 12, wherein the dispensing means is operabta by the driver of the vehide to which the carrying means is attached, while that vehicle is in motion.

   14. A carry. ng ri, eans as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the container is adapted to carry a live anima@ 15. A carrying nea-. s as claimed in cla@m 14, wherein the carrying rrean"is provided. vith a cut ouk through which the animal@s head may ba placed.

   16. A carrying means as claimed in claim 15, wherein the sides of the cut out are adapted so as not to cause distress to the animai therein.

   17. A carrying means as claimed in any, preceding claim, wherein the size of the container is appropriate to its being pojtable and as large as convenaient for the size of vehicle on which it is mountable@.

   18. A carrying means as claimed in any preceding daim, where the apparatus is storable, when not in use, on an appropriate mounting arrangement attached to the wall of a building.

   19. A carrying means as described by the above statement with reference to the accompanying drawings.