GB2478042A

GB2478042A - Loading platform

Info

Publication number: GB2478042A
Application number: GB1102397A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Henry David Paolo Cillo Pirie
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-02-23
Filing date: 2011-02-11
Publication date: 2011-08-24
Also published as: GB201003092D0; GB201102397D0

Abstract

A mobile loading platform features a moveable barrier or gate 3. The moveable barrier 3 being moveable, such that a user standing on the platform 1 may always have a safety barrier 3 behind them, when working on either side of the barrier 3. The barrier 3 may be in the form of an overhead, pivoting inverted W shaped open frame, which a user may walk through the centre of, in either direction, subsequently closing the barrier behind them.

Description

Tulle: Loading Platform

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to what may be called loading plafforms.

Background

Such a platform may be used for loading or unloading (herein called "working") of goods to or from a goods-transporting vehicle, e.g. to or from a shipping container while this is carried by a container lorry.

The Invention The invention arose from a requirement to make the unloading/loading of a fully stacked shipping container safer whilst the container remained on the back of a lorry at 1.5m off the ground.

There were two problems that had to be overcome: 1. The goods were not on a pallet, therefore could not be unloaded with a forklift truck, which means manual handling is the only option.

2. The container is 1.5m off the ground and there is no standing room in the (end-opening) container as it is packed from front to back, therefore safety is compromised.

For convenience, the lorry may dock to the platform. For versatility, the platform is mobile and the working can be carried out at either end. Typically, the goods are rolled on a manually moved trolley from the vehicle to the platform or vice versa. Loading/unloading personnel move about on the loading/unloading (working) surface of the platform, hauling such trolleys to and fro between that surface and the working floor of the vehicle (typically, the working floor of a container carried by the vehicle), for which purpose that platform surface is arranged to be at substantially the same level as the floor of the vehicle, typically 1.5 m above the ground. Previous safety arrangements for such personnel working in this way on the working surface have been inadequate.

One aspect of the invention consists in a mobile loading platform having personnel safety barriers on two opposite sides and adapted for loading or unloading (which are herein intended by the term "working") at opposite ends, Q comprising barrier means adapted to be moved between two positions, in one of which they provide a safety barrier at a location towards one said end so as to leave the other said end open for working and in the other of which they provide a safety barrier at a location towards said other end so as to leave said one end open for working.

Embodiments may have any one or more of the following features: *said barrier means comprise gate means.

*said gate means comprise two gates, constructed and arranged for one of the gates to provide a safety barrier at one of the two said locations at said one position of the barrier means at a time when the other gate does not provide a safety barrier, and for the other gate to provide a safety barrier at the other of the two said locations at said other position of the barrier means at a time when said one gate does not provide a safety barrier.

*mounting means for the barrier means that enable the barrier means to be moved by a single movement between said two positions.

*mounting means for the barrier means that enable the barrier means to be moved in an up-and-over movement between said two positions (by which is meant that part of the barrier means moves upwards with rotation to a position of rest).

*the mounting means comprise pivot means mounting said barrier means to allow the latter to be moved in a single up-and-over movement between said two positions.

*said pivot means is located substantially nearer to one of said two ends than the other.

*two parts of the safety barrier means which respectively provide the two said safety barriers are connected together so as to move simultaneously.

*said two parts are rigidly connected together.

*there are two supports for the barrier means, one at each of two opposite sides of the barrier means, the two supports being pivoted to the remainder of the plafform.

*said supports are located respectively at said two opposite sides of the platform.

*said barrier means comprise gate means fixedly mounted to said two supports.

*said barrier means, including said supports, are provided by a single rigid member.

*one of the two said locations is spaced a substantial distance from the nearer to it of said two ends.

*the other of the two said locations is located substantially at the other of said two ends.

*the platform is constructed and arranged for said barrier means to be moved by hand between said two positions. For example, the barrier means can move freely, are partially and/or substantially counterbalanced, e.g. by virtue of their shape, and are of light weight.

*the platform comprises a flap at one of said two ends, mounted to pivot vertically so as to act as a variably tiltable ramp. This may be used in case the height of the platform differs slightly from the height of the floor of a transport vehicle between which and the platform there is to be working.

Another aspect of the invention consists in a method of using any such mobile loading platform for loading or unloading of a vehicle (or it could be used for any other conveyor in which similar safety requirements arise), in which method goods are loaded onto the platform at one open end thereof with barrier means of the platform providing in a first position of the barrier means a safety barrier towards the other end of the platform, the goods are then moved towards said other end of the platform, said barrier means are moved to a second position providing a safety barrier towards said one end and opening said other end, and the goods are then removed from the platform by way of said other end.

Embodiments may have any one or more of the following features: *the safety barrier means are moved between said two positions by a single movement.

*the barrier means is pivoted between its two positions.

*the barrier means is swung in an up-and-over fashion between its two positions.

Thus, embodiments of the invention provide a mobile loading platform that combines practicality, mobility and safety.

This mobile loading platform allows the materials in the shipping container to be stacked on a transportation pallet and (\J be removed by a forklift truck whilst maintaining a safety barrier/rail for the users.

C This platform provides a safe working area. It enables shipping containers to be manually loaded/unloaded, readily and safely. The goods can be safely placed on a transportation pallet before being moved with a forklift truck (see below).

The design allows a safety barrier to be maintained throughout the process.

Technical features: *Safety pallet gate. (The pallet gate maintains the presence of a safety railing at all times.) *Hinged ramp *Retractable swivel castor wheels with brakes, for transportation of the platform (or small adjustments of its position).

Wheels can be operated with a mechanical lever or an optional hydraulic jack.

*Fork location pockets for transportation of the platform *lntegral ladder *Safety railings *Sliding personnel access rail from a ladder to the platform Example of use, for clarification purposes: 1. Move the platform against the container to be unloaded/loaded. A forklift truck can be used to move the platform by inserting its fork prongs into pockets (e.g. 6, in the illustrated embodiment) in the platform.

2. Retract the transport wheels (e.g. 5) so the platform sits on its (four) legs (e.g. 2).

3. Lower the free end of the hinged ramp (e.g. 4) onto the container floor.

4. Place a pallet on the floor of the mobile platform (e.g. 1). Load the contents of the shipping container onto the pallet.

5. Move the pallet (using a pallet truck) to the opposite end of the platform and within the pallet gate (e.g. 3).

6. Swing the pallet gate over.

7. Remove the pallet of goods from the platform with a forklift truck.

In the opposite use, for loading a container, the goods are placed onto one (open) end of the platform, e.g. by a forklift truck, while the barrier means, in one position, provide towards the other end of the platform a safety barrier for workers on the platform. The workers then take the goods manually towards this other end of the platform. The barrier means are then moved to their alternative position which removes the safety barrier from its position towards said other end (leaving this end open) and instead provides a safety barrier towards said one end. The goods can then be moved onto the vehicle from the newly open end.

The barrier means are formed of a single rigid member comprising two gates, one of which provides the safety barrier towards said one end and the other of which provides the safety barrier towards said other end, the rigid member being pivoted to the remainder of the platform so that in one said position of the barrier means one gate is lowered to form its safety barrier while the other is raised clear of the workers and goods, and in the other said position of the barrier means said one gate is raised clear of the workers and goods while said other gate is lowered to form its safety barrier.

The movement of the safety barrier between its two positions is simply carried out, since the rigid member can readily be pivoted manually from one to the other of its positions by the workers.

Description with Reference to the Drawings

Reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a loading/unloading platform embodying the invention, showing some parts schematically as single lines; Figure 2 is a corresponding end of view of the same, viewed in the direction marked Il-Il in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a corresponding top view of the same; and Figure 4 is a fragmentary view corresponding to Figure 1 with the barrier means in an intermediate position.

Referring to the drawings, identical references refer to the same item in the same Figure or different Figures or items that are identical or similar or have similar functions, and references with the same first digit refer to items that are identical or similar or have similar or related functions (apart from the four-figure references, which refer to arrows C\J 25 indicating dimensions that have the same length in millimetres as the four-figure reference).

Q The drawings are not to scale and the given dimensions may vary. By way of example, substantially, the length 3000 is 3000 mm, the width 2500 is 2500 mm, the height 1500 of the floor of plafform 1 above the ground is 1500 mm, and the height 1100 of the side safety barriers 9 (and of gates 31, 32 and supports 33, 34, when each of these members is vertical) is 1100 mm.

The illustrated embodiment comprises: *A heavy duty non-slip steel flooring plate loading platform 1 *Rectangular steel outer chassis and support legs 2 *Rectangular steel support braces 2a *Safety pallet gate means 3, which maintains the presence of a safety railing *A hinged ramp 4 made from steel non-slip plate *Retractable swivel castor transport wheels 51 with brakes fitted. Jack-down is operated by a manual lever 5. An optional hydraulic jack can be provided.

*Fork location pockets 6 for transportation sAn integral ladder 7 *A sliding personnel access rail 8, giving access between ladder 7 and the working floor of plafform 1 *Safety railings 9

Example of use:

1. Move the platform 1 against the container (not shown) to be unloaded/loaded. A forklift (truck) can be used to move the platform 1 by inserting its fork prongs into pockets 6 (from one side 14 or from one end 11).

2. Retract the transport wheels 5 so the platform sits on its four legs 2.

3. Lower the hinged ramp 4 onto the container floor.

4. Place a pallet (not shown) on the floor of the mobile platform 1. Load the contents of the shipping container onto the pallet.

5. Move the pallet (using a pallet truck) from the end 12 (i.e. between positions 12 and 13) to the opposite end 11 of the platform 1 and within the pallet gate means 3, i.e. between positions 13 and 11.

6. Swing the pallet gate means 3 over (from the full-line position shown in Figures 1 to 3 to the dotted line position shown in Figure 1).

7. Remove the pallet of goods from (the end 11 of) the platform with a forklift truck.

This embodiment of a loading platform is mobile, provides users with a safe working method and is of a robust design for industrial applications.

To give further details, the mobile loading platform 1 has rectangular steel support braces 2a extending between its support legs 2. The safety barrier means 3 comprise a rigid member 3 comprising four flat elements (gates 31, 32 and supports 33, 34 for them) arranged together in the form of an inverted W and braced together by a brace 35 on either side of barrier means 3, the rigid member 3 being mounted on two pivots 36 one on either side of barrier means 3, as shown in Figure 4, which shows the barrier means 3 in the middle of being swung about pivots 36 (in the directions of arrows 37, 38) between its two aforesaid (extreme) positions. The four elements 31, 32, 33, 34 are of substantially the same length in their dimension that is seen in the plane of Figure 4, being joined together substantially at right angles in that plane. As seen in Figure 1, barrier means 3 are arranged to move through substantially 900 between their two extreme positions, so that the top of gate 32 moves in the upwards direction of arrow 37 along the arcuate path 371 at the same time as the left-hand (eventually, bottom) end of gate 31 moves in the downward direction of arrow 38 along arcuate path 381, both gates 31, 32 moving simultaneously to their dotted-line positions, with the safety barrier (gate) effectively having moved from position 11 to position 13.

Ramp 4 is loosely hinged to the floor of platform 1 so that it can readily move up and down (e.g. to substantially 30° to the horizontal) in the direction of arrows 41, so that its free end can rest on the floor of the container.

(\J 25 Manual levers 5 can be used to raise and lower the wheels 51 relative to the outer chassis and support legs 2, so that, Q for example, after the platform 1 has been used with legs 2 resting on the ground and wheels 51 raised, the wheels 51 are lowered to the ground by the jacking and then continued jacking by levers 5 serves to raise the remainder of platform 1 off the ground so that it rests on wheels 51.

It will be seen that, in the illustrated embodiment: A mobile loading platform 1, having personnel safety barriers 9,9 on two opposite sides 14, 15 of platform 1 and being adapted for loading or unloading at opposite ends 11, 12 of platform 1, comprises barrier means 3 (viz. 31, 32, 33, 34, 35) adapted to be moved between two positions, in one of which (shown in full lines in Figures 1 to 3, with gate 31 raised and gate 32 lowered) they provide a safety barrier 32 at a location 11 towards one said end 11 so as to leave the other said end 12 open for working and in the other of which (shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, with gate 31 lowered and gate 32 raised) they provide a safety barrier at a location 13 towards said other end 12 so as to leave said one end 11 open for working.

Said barrier means 3 comprise gate means 31, 32 (of substantially identical structure to each other) which comprise two gates 31, 32, constructed and arranged for one 32 of the gates 31, 32 to provide a safety barrier 32 at one 11 of the two said locations 11, 13 at said one position (gate 31 raised and gate 32 lowered) of the barrier means 3 at a time when the other gate 31 does not provide a safety barrier, and for the other gate 31 to provide a safety barrier 31 at the other 13 of the two said locations 12, 13 at said other position (gate 31 lowered and gate 32 raised) of the barrier means 3 at a time when said one gate 32 does not provide a safety barrier.

The platform 1 comprises mounting means 33, 34 for the barrier means 3 that enable the barrier means 3 (and both its gates 31, 32, simultaneously) to be moved by a single movement between said two positions (with gate 31 raised and gate 31 lowered, respectively). The mounting means 33, 34 for the barrier means 3 enable the barrier means 3 to be moved in an up-and-over movement between said two positions (with gate 31 raised and gate 31 lowered, respectively). The term "up-and-over" as used herein means that part of the barrier means (gate 31 or gate 32, as the case may be, depending upon the direction of the movement) moves upwards with rotation to a position of rest.

The mounting means 33, 34 comprise pivot means 36 mounting said barrier means 3 to allow the latter to be moved in a single up-and-over movement between said two positions (with gate 31 raised and gate 31 lowered, respectively).

Said pivot means 36 is located substantially nearer to one 12 of said two ends 11, 12 than the other end 11. 5

Two parts 31, 32 of the safety barrier means 3, which respectively provide the two said safety barriers, are connected together so as to move simultaneously. Said two parts 31, 32 are rigidly connected together.

There are two supports 33, 34 and 33, 34 for the barrier means 3, one 33, 34 at each of two opposite sides (at 14, 15) of the barrier means 3, the two supports 33, 34 and 33, 34 being pivoted to the remainder of the plafform 1 by being mounted by respective pivot means 36, 36 on the side safety barriers 9, 9 of platform 1, and thus being located respectively at said two opposite sides 14, 15 of the platform 1.

Said barrier means 3 comprise gate means 31, 32 fixedly mounted to said two supports 33, 34 and 33, 34. Said barrier means 3, including said supports 33, 34 and 33, 34, are provided by a single rigid member 31, 32, 33, 34, 35.

One 13 of the two said locations 11, 13 is spaced a substantial distance from the nearer 12 to it of said two ends 11, 12 of the platform 1, and the other 11 of the two said locations 11, 13 is located substantially at the other 11 of said two ends 11, 12.

The platform 1 is constructed and arranged (by the features indicated above) for said barrier means 3 to be moved by hand between said two positions (with gate 31 raised and gate 31 lowered, respectively).

The platform comprises a flap 4 at one 12 of said two ends 11, 12, mounted to pivot vertically so as to act as a variably tiltable ramp 4. This may be used in case the height of the platform 1 differs slightly from the height of the floor of a transport vehicle between which and the platform 1 there is to be working.

It will be apparent to one skilled in the art, that features of the different embodiments disclosed herein may be omitted, selected, combined or exchanged and the invention is considered to extend to any new and inventive combination thus formed. Where a preference or particularisation is stated, there is implied the possibility of its negative, i.e. a case in which that preference or particularisation is absent.

Many variations of the invention and embodiments hereinbefore described will be apparent to people skilled in the art and all such variations are to be considered as falling within the scope of the invention. (\J

Claims

CLAIMS1. A mobile loading plafform having personnel safety barriers on two opposite sides and adapted for loading or unloading (which are herein intended by the term "working") at opposite ends, comprising barrier means adapted to be moved between two positions, in one of which they provide a safety barrier at a location towards one said end so as to leave the other said end open for working and in the other of which they provide a safety barrier at a location towards said other end so as to leave said one end open for working.
2. A platform as claimed in claimi, in which said barrier means comprise gate means.
3. A platform as claimed in claim 2, in which said gate means comprise two gates, constructed and arranged for one of the gates to provide a safety barrier at one of the two said locations at said one position of the barrier means at a time when the other gate does not provide a safety barrier, and for the other gate to provide a safety barrier at the other of the two said locations at said other position of the barrier means at a time when said one gate does not provide a safety barrier.
4. A platform as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising mounting means for the barrier means that enable the barrier means to be moved by a single movement between said two positions.
5. A plafform as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising mounting means for the barrier means that enable the barrier means to be moved in an up-and-over movement between said two positions (by which is meant that part of the barrier means moves upwards with rotation to a position of rest).
6. A platform as claimed in claim 5, in which the mounting means comprise pivot means mounting said barrier means to allow the latter to be moved in a single up-and-over movement between said two positions.
7. A platform as claimed in claim 6, in which said pivot means is located substantially nearer to one of said two ends than the other.
8. A platform as claimed in any preceding claim, in which two parts of the safety barrier means which respectively provide the two said safety barriers are connected together so as to move simultaneously.

(\J
9. A platform as claimed in claim 8, in which said two parts are rigidly connected together.

Q 25
10. A platform as claimed in any preceding claim, in which there are two supports for the barrier means, one at each of two opposite sides of the barrier means, the two supports being pivoted to the remainder of the platform.
11. A platform as claimed in claim 10, in which said supports are located respectively at said two opposite sides of the platform.
12. A platform as claimed in claim 10 or 11, in which said barrier means comprise gate means fixedly mounted to said two supports.
13. A platform as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 12, in which said barrier means, including said supports, are provided by a single rigid member.
14. A platform as claimed in any preceding claim, in which one of the two said locations is spaced a substantial distance from the nearer to it of said two ends.
15. A platform as claimed in claim 14, in which the other of the two said locations is located substantially at the other of said two ends.
16. A platform as claimed in any preceding claim, constructed and arranged for said barrier means to be moved by hand between said two positions.
17. A platform as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a flap at one of said two ends, mounted to pivot vertically so as to act as a variably tiltable ramp.
18. A mobile loading platform substantially according to any example hereinbefore described.
19. A mobile loading platform substantially according to any example hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
20. A method of using a mobile loading platform, as claimed in any preceding claim, for loading or unloading of a vehicle or other conveyor, in which method goods are loaded onto the platform at one open end thereof with barrier means of the platform providing in a first position of the barrier means a safety barrier towards the other end of the platform, the goods are then moved towards said other end of the platform, said barrier means are moved to a second position providing a safety barrier towards said one end and opening said other end, and the goods are then removed from the platform by way of said other end.
21. A method as claimed in claim 20, in which the safety barrier means are moved between said two positions by a single movement.
22. A method as claimed in claim 20 or 21, in which the barrier means is pivoted between its two positions.
23. A method as claimed in any one of claims 20 to 22, in which the barrier means is swung in an up-and-over fashion between its two positions.
24. A method of using a mobile loading platform, substantially according to any example hereinbefore described.
25. A method of using a mobile loading platform, substantially according to any example hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
26. Goods that have been loaded or unloaded using a platform or method as claimed in any preceding claim. (\J