AU704545B2

AU704545B2 - Support device

Info

Publication number: AU704545B2
Application number: AU52379/96A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Laurence Michael Byrne
Original assignee: Alexandria Nominees Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Alexandria Nominees Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1995-05-29
Filing date: 1996-05-20
Publication date: 1999-04-29
Anticipated expiration: 2016-05-20
Also published as: AU5237996A

Description

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AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT S

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ORIGINAL

C Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: S Address of Service: LAURENCE MICHAEL BYRNE Laurence Michael BYRNE SHELSTON WATERS MARGARET STREET SYDNEY NSW 2000 "SUPPORT DEVICE"

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Invention Title: Details of Associated Provisionial Application No. PN3274 dated 29th May, 1995 The following statement is a full. description of this invention, including the best method of performning it known to me:- -2- The present invention relates to a support device for use in supporting removable sheep deck support rails in convertible livestock trailers.

Known convertible livestock trailers are generally constructed with two sets of permanent decks for transporting two layers of cattle and two sets of removable intermediate decks for transporting four layers of sheep.

The trailers generally comprise a rear gate for loading and unloading the livestock and several internal gates positioned throughout the length ofthe trailer to allow the livestock to be held in discrete groups.

The members comprising the intermediate sheep decks are generally stored 10 adjacent to, and parallel with, the internal walls of the trailer whilst cattle are being transported. Alternatively, the members can be stored by laying them on the permanent cattle deck. The members are placed in a horizontal position extending across the trailer for sheep transport. In this horizontal position, the inner edges of the members are 0: 0 located against a removable sheep deck support rail extending between successive gates.

When the trailer is being used for cattle transport this sheep deck support rail is removed S to provide an uninterrupted load space. The sheep deck support rail generally has a downwardly extending tongue on each end which is received by a rectangular pocket Sattached to the gate.

A particular problem associated with rectangular pockets is that they protrude into 20 the storage area and present a hazard to the cattle. Cattle value is reduced by imperfections such as cuts and/or bruises which are often sustained by the cattle impacting against the protruding pocket during transport.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative.

18ao3.co DOC/MTM -3- Accordingly, in a first aspect, the invention provides a support device for releasably attaching a removable trailer deck support having a mounting member to a trailer structural member, said device including a first surface adapted to move from a first position adjacent said structural member to a second position remote from said structural member for defining an opening between said first surface and structural member to receive said mounting member.

Preferably, the trailer structural member is a trailer gate support post.

Preferably also, the removable trailer deck support is a sheep deck support rail and the mounting member is a tongue depending from an end of the deck support rail.

10 In a preferred embodiment, the first surface is located on a body from which extends at least one arm pivotally connected to said support post.

Desirably, the body includes two spaced apart substantially parallel arms which are each pivotally attached to opposed sides of the support post.

"The arms are preferably pivotally attached to the support post by a shaft extending through each of the arms and the support post.

A second aspect of the invention provides a support assembly including two Ssupport devices located on opposite sides of a common support post and pivot on a S. common shaft.

In a second embodiment, the support post is provided with a recess adapted to 0* 20 receive the body in the first position thereby providing a smooth outer surface.

In a third embodiment, the support post is provided with leading and trailing ramps either side of the body in the first position.

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-4- The body may preferably be formed from a single piece of flat steel.

In a fourth embodiment the support device is adapted to slide between the first and second positions. In this embodiment two spaced apart substantially parallel arms extend normally from the body.

Preferably, opposite sides of the support post each include a pin having a roller mounted thereon. The normally extending arms may each include an elongate slot for slidably receiving one of the roller thereby allowing the support device to slide between the first and second positions.

Desirably the slot is angled such that the device undergoes horizontal displacement 10 to reach the second position and returns to the first position under the influence of gravity.

A third aspect of the invention provides a convertible trailer of the type having support posts for supporting the ends of removable sheep deck support rails; wherein said support posts include a supporting device according to the first aspect of the invention.

A fourth aspect of the invention there is provides a support device for releasably 15 attaching a first member having an attachment formation to a second member, said device including a body mounted to said second member for movement between a first and second position adjacent to and spaced apart from said second member respectively, wherein, in said second position, said body and said second member define an opening for receiving said attachment formation.

Preferably, said second and first members are respectively a livestock trailer support post and a support rail for extending between two of said trailer supports posts.

Preferably also, said body is hingedly mounted to said support post. More preferably, said device includes at least one arm which extends from a first end engaged to said body and a second end mounted to said support post.

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In a preferred form, the attachment formation is downwardly extending tongue.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way ofexample only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan elevation ofa support device according to the invention in the first position; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device shown in Figure 1: Figure 3 is a front elevation of the device shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a side elevation of the device shown in Figure I in the second position: Figure 5 is a plan view of a support post including two opposed support devices 9* 10 according to the invention: 9 9 Figure 6 is a side view of a second embodiment of the invention in the first position; Figure 7 is a side elevation of a third embodiment of the invention in the first position; o 15 Figure 8 is a developed view of a support device body according to the invention.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the invention in the First position; Figure 10 is a perspective view of the device shown in Figure 9 in the second position.

Figure 11 is a side view of a fifth embodiment at the in'venion in the first position; and Figure 12 is a fi-ont view of the device shown in Figure 11.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a support device 10 for releasably attaching a first member, in the form of a sheep deck support rail 12 having an end tongue -6- 14, to a second member, in the form of a trailer gate support post 16 having a mounting surface in the form of outer surface 18.

The device 10 includes a first surface 20 adapted to move from a first position adjacent the outer surface 18 of the trailer gate support post (as shown in Figure 1) to a second position remote from the outer surface for defining an opening between the first surface 20 and the outer surface 18 to receive the tongue 14 (as shown in Figure 4).

The first surface 20 is located on a body 22 from which extends a pair of spaced apart substantially parallel arms 24.

As best shown in Figure 1, the distal ends of arms 24 are hinged to the support post 10 16 by a shaft 26 extending through both the arms and the support posts itself.

The support post of the first trailer gate only requires one inwardly facing support S device 10 (as shown in Figure However, the support posts on double sided internal trailer gates are constructed having two support devices located on opposed sides of the support post and hinged on a single shaft (as shown in Figure 15 The embodiment of the device shown can be bent from a single piece of sheet steel as exemplified in Figure 8.

a Referring to Figure 6, there is shown a second embodiment of the invention wherein the support post 16 includes a recess 28 which receives the body 22 thus providing a smooth outer surface 18. The recess serves to further reduce the degree of protrusion of the device in the first position.

Turning to Figure 7, there is disclosed a third embodiment of the invention in which support post 16 is provided with leading and trailing ramps 30 and 32 respectively which, as with the second embodiment, serve to effectively reduce the degree of protrusion of the device in the first position.

-7- Referring to Figure 9 there is disclosed a fourth embodiment of the invention in which two spaced apart substantially parallel arms 34 extend normally from the body 22.

Opposite sides of the support bar 16 each include a pin 36 having a roller 38 mounted thereon. The arms 34 each include an elongate slot 40 for slidably receiving one of the rollers. This allows the support device 10 to slide between the first position, as shown in Figure 9. to the second position, as shown in Figure 10. In the second position an opening is defined between the first surface 20 and the support posts outer surface 18 for receiving the tongue of the sheep deck support rail.

The angled configuration of the slot is such that the device undergoes horizontal 4* 4 10 displacement when moved to the second position. As a result of this, the device has a tendency to return to the first position under the influence of gravity.

Figures 11 and 12 show a fifth embodiment of the invention having two support devices 42 and 44, similar to the first embodiment, mounted on upper and lower shafts 46 and 48 respectively. The device 42 includes a recess 50 which receives shaft 48 when the o.

15 device 42 is in the first position.

The invention provides an inexpensive, simple-to-produce, simple-to-operate and robust device for attaching a sheep deck support rail to a trailer gate support post. More importantly, the invention significantly reduces the amount of protrusions into the cattle load space and thereby reduces the risk of cattle damage during transport. The risk of cattle damage is even less in the second and third embodiments of the invention shown in Figures 6 and 7 respectively. Thus, the invention represents a commercially significant improvement over the prior art.

-8- Although the invention has been described with reference to specific cxamples. it will be apprcciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many othcr fbrms.

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Claims

2. A Support device as claimed in claim 1, wherein thle trailer Structural member is a trailer gate Support post.
3. A support device as claimed in claim I or claim 2, wherein the removable trailer deck Support is a sheep deck support rail and the mounting memnber is a tongue depending from an end of the deck support rail.
4. A Support device as claimed in any one of claim 2 or claim 3, wherein thle first surface is located on a body f-rm which extends at least one ann pivotally connected to said support post.
5. A Support device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the body includes two spaced apart substantially parallel arms which are each pivotally attached to opposed sides of the support post.
6. A support device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the arms are pivotally attached to the support post by a shaft extending through each of the arms and the Support Post.
7. A Support device as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the support post is provided with a recess adapted to receive the body in the first position thereby ***:providing a smooth outer Surface.
8. A support device as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the support oost is provided with leading and trailing ramps either side of the body in the first position. 180O3.00 DocJiMTM
9. A support device as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 8, wherein the body is formed from a single piece of flat steel. A support device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the support device is adapted to slide between the first and second positions.
11. A support device as claimed in Claim 10, wherein two spaced apart substantially parallel arms extend normally from the body.
12. A support device as claimed in Claim 10 and Claim 11. wherein opposite sides of the support post each include a pin having a roller mounted therein.
13. A support device as claimed in Claim 12, wherein the normally extending arms each 10 include an elongate slot for slidably receivii.; one of the rollers thereby allowing the support device to slide between the first and second positions.
14. A support device as claimed in Claim 13. wherein the slot is angled such that the device undergoes horizontal displacement to reach the second position and returns to the first position under the influence of gravity. 15 15. A convertible trailer of the type having support posts for supporting the ends of removable sheep deck support rails; wherein said support posts include a supporting device according to any of claims 1 to 14.
16. A support assembly including two support devices each as claimed in any one of ha. claims 1 to 14, wherein the two support devices are located on opposite sides ofa common support post and pivot on a common shaft.
17. A support device apparatus including two support devices as claimed in any one of Claims I to 14, wherein the two support devices pivot about respective spaced apart substantially parallel upper and lower shafts extending through a common support post. I -11-
18. A support device apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein the support device that pivots about the upper shaft is recessed so as to at least partially receive the lower shaft when the support device pivoting about the upper shaft is in the first position.
19. A support device for releasably attaching a removable trailer deck support rail having an attachment formation to a livestock trailer support post, said device including a body mounted to said livestock trailer support post for movement between a first and second position adjacent to and spaced apart from said livestock trailer support post respectively, wherein in said second position, said body and said livestock trailer support post define an opening for receiving said attachment formation. 10 20. A support device as claimed in claim 19, wherein said support rail is adapted to extend between two of said trailer support posts. S 21. A support device as claimed in claim 19, wherein said body is hingedly mounted to said support post.
22. A support device as claimed in claim 21, wherein said device includes at least one arm which extends from a first end engaged to said body and a second end mounted to said support post.
23. A support device as claimed in claim 19, wherein the attachment formation is downwardly extending tongue.
24. A support device as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 and 20 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 and 11 and 12 of the accompanying drawings. DATED this 2nd day of February, 1999 LAURENCE MICHAEL BYRNE Attorney: CAROLINE M. BOMMER Fellow Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia Of BALDWIN SHELSTON WATERS I sso.Co Doc.NIlT I AB3STRACT[ A Su~pport device 10) f'or relcasably attaching a first member. in thie fbOrm of'a sheep deck suIppor-t rail 12) having anl end ton~gue 14), to a second memiber. in thc form of a trailer gate su~pport post 16) having a mounting6M surlface in the 110rm1 of' outer' surfa',ce 1) device 10) inludeICIs a firlst surface (20) adapted to move From a f irst position adjacent the ou~ter surface (I18) of' the trailer gate suIpport post 16) to a second position remote from the oulter- surf~ace fIm' def-ining an opening betweenCI the lu11st surface (20) and the oultel' SUrfaE to receive the ton~gue (14). 0 Opp se .0.9