CN109455233A - Support device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a kind of support devices, comprising: platform, for supporting object on it；Height adjustment mechanism, the height adjustment convenient for platform relative to upright support；Height adjustment mechanism includes: ratchet, is pivotally mounted to platform saddle, and platform saddle is installed to platform；With the ratchet engagement surface of at least two perpendicular separations, it is related to upright support, wherein platform is relative to the height of upright support by selecting ratchet and engagement with the required ratchet engagement surface of the ratchet engagement surface from least two vertical movements, wherein, lead to ratchet movement in a manner of ratcheting motion when encountering each corresponding ratchet engagement surface relative to upright support high platform；And reduce platform relative to upright support to need: initial high platform is detached from actuator to start ratchet, and ratchet is made to be displaced away from upright support；Then by platform relative to upright support be reduced to ratchet be located at least close to or lower than required ratchet engagement surface height position；Then high platform is detached from actuator to deactivate ratchet, then can choose new podium level.

Description

Supporting device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a truck, such as a truck or trailer, a cargo container or a railcar. The invention is particularly applicable to curtain-type semi-trailers and truck bodies and will be described generally hereinafter.

Background

When two (or more) cargo receiving levels within an existing space are required, conventional sandwich decks are used in curtain cargo trucks and trailers. The mezzanine deck is particularly useful for receiving palletized goods and may also be used for receiving various non-palletized goods.

The sandwich deck may be used to reduce the likelihood of over-stacking cargo, which may cause the cargo to be crushed or otherwise damaged by the weight of other cargo stacked thereon.

In many cases, the use of mezzanine decks results in a reduction in the height of the cargo stacked on a single pallet, which may otherwise lead to instability problems and the possibility of the stacked cargo tipping over. It also reduces the likelihood of pinch injuries to the operator due to an unstable stack tipping over.

While conventional sandwich decks provide the above advantages, there is a significant problem when deck (or platform) height needs to be changed. The height of some decks rarely (if ever) needs to be changed; the height of other sandwich decks does need to be changed regularly depending on how the carrier is operating. Regardless of the frequency with which deck heights need to be changed, the process of doing so can be relatively labor intensive and expose operators to OH & S risks.

The operator must first lift the deck, which is typically done using a forklift. The safest method is to lift the deck with a forklift, then to side-unload the deck through an opening in a truck or trailer, and then to place the deck on the ground. After this, the four deck saddles (each attached to a respective support column) are removed from their existing positions on the column and repositioned to a new higher or lower position. Once the saddles are repositioned and secured to the post locations, a forklift can be used to lift the deck back to its seating position on the four saddles. The above sequence is relatively labor intensive as it requires the operator to remove the deck from the truck or trailer (using a forklift truck) and then manually reposition each saddle before returning the deck to its seated position on the saddle. This process is at risk. Lifting and removing the deck from the truck or trailer can create the possibility of the deck slipping. Decks often weigh hundreds of kilograms, so a dropped deck poses a serious risk of crushing injury or death. When moving the deck, they are at greater risk if the operator attempts to save time by not removing the deck from the truck or trailer, but simply lifts the deck with a forklift and holds it in a raised position while they or another operator works under the raised deck to reposition the saddles. In such a case, serious crushing injury or death may result if the deck slips from its raised position or the forklift fails.

There is currently an alternative arrangement which uses a motorized automated mezzanine deck operated by pneumatic, hydraulic or mechanical means, but these are options offered at a higher price.

It is therefore desirable to provide an apparatus that at least partially solves some of the problems associated with conventional mezzanine deck designs at a lower price than the established automated mezzanine deck solutions.

Disclosure of Invention

According to a broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided a support device. The supporting device comprises: a platform for supporting an object thereon; and a height adjustment mechanism to facilitate height adjustment of the platform relative to the upright support. The height adjustment mechanism includes: a ratchet pivotally mounted to a platform saddle mounted to the platform; and at least two vertically spaced ratchet engaging surfaces associated with the upright support. The height of the platform relative to the upright supports is selected by engaging the ratchet with a desired ratchet engagement surface from at least two vertically displaced ratchet engagement surfaces. Raising the platform relative to the upright supports causes the ratchets to move in a ratcheting motion as each respective ratchet engagement surface is encountered. Lowering the platform relative to the upright supports requires: initially raising the platform to activate a ratchet disengagement actuator that displaces the ratchet away from the upright support; then lowering the platform relative to the upright supports to a position in which the ratchet is at least near or below the desired ratchet-engaging surface height; the platform is then raised to deactivate the ratchet wheel disengagement actuator, whereupon a new platform height can be selected.

In a preferred embodiment, the platform saddle is mounted to the platform with a mounting arrangement that provides limited movement between the platform saddle and the platform. This is desirable because the applicant has determined that providing limited movement between the platform saddle and the platform reduces the likelihood of jamming between the saddle and the upright support when the platform is raised or lowered.

In one form, the mounting means includes a fastener (e.g., a threaded fastener) extending through a fastener receiving hole provided in the platform and a fastener receiving hole provided in the platform saddle. It will be appreciated that the fasteners are configured to allow at least a small amount of relative movement between the platform and the saddle. In this regard, one or both of the apertures provided in the platform and saddle may be oversized and/or non-circular to allow movement between the platform and saddle.

In a preferred form, the ratchet is biased towards the upright support. This is desirable from at least a safety standpoint because it facilitates engagement of the ratchet with the ratchet engaging surface once the two are aligned.

In a preferred form, deactivation of the ratchet disengagement actuator requires the ratchet disengagement actuator to be raised relative to the upright support so as to contact a deactivation surface associated with the upright support. Once deactivation occurs, the ratchet may again be supported by the desired ratchet engagement surface such that the platform returns from the height adjustment mode to the load support mode.

The deactivation surface may be associated with being directly above or below the desired ratchet engagement surface.

In a particularly preferred form, the support means comprises at least two (and preferably more than two) vertically displaced apertures provided in the upright support, each aperture comprising a ratchet engagement surface and a deactivation surface. Thus, providing at least two apertures allows the platform height to be selected from any of at least two (and preferably more than two) possible platform heights.

In a preferred form, each aperture is at least generally in the form of a slot, a lower end of each slot including a ratchet engaging surface, and an upper end of each slot including a disabling surface.

It is contemplated that, at least in a preferred embodiment, the ratchet disengagement actuator can be engaged with an activation surface associated with the upright support to activate the ratchet disengagement actuator. Preferably, the activation surface is provided on or towards the upper end of the upright support. However, the ratchet disengagement actuator may be separately engaged with any of at least two vertically displaced activation surfaces provided on the upright support in order to activate the ratchet disengagement actuator.

Preferably, the ratchet disengagement actuator is separately engageable with any of the deactivation surfaces in order to deactivate the ratchet disengagement actuator.

In a preferred form, the ratchet disengagement actuator is pivotally mounted to the platform saddle and is biased towards the rest position. It is envisaged that the ratchet disengagement actuator is displaced from its deactivated position when in the activated position, so as to engage the ratchet and hold it in the retracted position. In this position, the ratchet is prevented from engaging any ratchet engaging surface.

Preferably, the upright support comprises a height indicator applied to at least one surface thereof.

Preferably, the platform saddle (or platform) further comprises a height indicator associated with the height indicator provided on the upright support. Providing a height indicator will assist the operator when adjusting the platform height. Preferably, the height indicator is visible enough to be seen by the operator when seated at the controller of a forklift used to raise or lower the platform, so that the operator does not need to leave the forklift to determine whether the desired platform height has been reached. Furthermore, the operator does not have to climb onto or under the platform to determine the platform height, which is a very dangerous event.

Preferably, the support device further comprises a ratchet engagement indicator for indicating when the ratchet is engaged with the ratchet engagement surface. This would be a particular safety benefit as it would provide a visual indicator to the operator to easily determine that the platform is safely supported. Preferably, the ratchet engagement indicator is visible to the operator when seated at the controller of the forklift so that the operator does not need to leave the controller of the forklift to confirm that the platform is safely supported.

It is also preferred that the ratchet engagement indicator be visible from various angles of the platform and from both sides of the platform so that the operator can view the indicator regardless of which side of the platform he is located.

Up to now, the support device has been described in the context of having a single upright support. The apparatus may comprise at least one upright support from or around which the platform extends. In other forms, the apparatus includes two upright supports, the platform support extending at least partially between the upright supports. In a particularly preferred form, the apparatus comprises four upright supports between which the platform is supported. It will be appreciated that a respective height adjustment mechanism is preferably associated with each upright support.

Each upright support is preferably in the form of a post, but other upright supports alongside a post could potentially be utilised.

The present invention has been described broadly in the context of a support device. More particularly, it will be appreciated that the support device is suitable for use with a truck, such as a truck, trailer or railcar, for a cargo container or for a warehouse rack.

When configured for a truck, trailer, railcar, or cargo container, a respective upright support (and associated height adjustment mechanism) may be provided in the cargo receiving space of the truck/trailer/railcar/container at or towards each corner thereof. In other arrangements, a plurality of support devices may be provided in an end-to-end configuration in a cargo receiving space, so two upright supports may be provided at or towards a front or rear corner of the space, and the remaining two upright supports may be provided along or towards respective sides of the space. Support posts located along the sides of the space may support two platforms, one in front of the post and one behind the post.

The invention therefore also relates to a truck, trailer, railcar, or cargo container including a support arrangement according to any one or more of the embodiments broadly mentioned above.

Drawings

It will be convenient to hereinafter describe a preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. The particularity of the drawings is to be understood as not limiting the preceding broad description of the invention.

FIG. 1 is an upper perspective side view of a support device according to one aspect of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an upper perspective side view of one corner of the support device shown in figure 1.

Figure 3 is another upper cross-sectional perspective side view of a corner of the support device shown in figure 2.

Fig. 4 is another upper cross-sectional perspective side view of a corner of the support device shown in fig. 2, but further developed in the height adjustment sequence.

Fig. 5 is another upper cross-sectional perspective side view of the device shown in fig. 4, but further developed in the height adjustment sequence.

Fig. 6 is a top cut-away perspective view of a corner of the support device shown in fig. 5, but still further developed in the height adjustment sequence.

Fig. 7 is a top cross-sectional perspective side view of a corner of the support device shown in fig. 6, but further developed in the height adjustment sequence.

Fig. 8 is a top cross-sectional perspective side view of a corner of the support device shown in fig. 7, but further developed in the height adjustment sequence.

Fig. 9 is an upper perspective side view of the corner shown in fig. 2.

Figure 10 is an upper perspective end view of a corner of the support device shown in figure 2.

Fig. 11 is a plan view of a corner of the support device shown in fig. 10.

Figure 12 is a lower perspective end view of a corner of the support device shown in figure 10.

Detailed Description

Referring to the drawings, a support device 10 is shown.

The illustrated support device 10 has been particularly configured for use as a replacement for conventional sandwich decks used in cargo trucks and trailers, and the following description is therefore provided in the context of these applications. However, it should be understood that the support device 10 may be adapted for other applications, including use in cargo containers, railcars, or as a vehicle lifting/lifting device.

The support arrangement 10 makes it possible to configure the cargo receiving space of a truck or trailer from an arrangement with a single cargo support surface to an arrangement with two (or more) cargo support surfaces. The support device 10 is designed to support thousands of kilograms of cargo and is therefore considered to be particularly strong and robust.

The support device 10 includes a platform 12 (and possibly more than one platform) for supporting cargo thereon; and four upright supports 14, each in the form of a steel column. The platform 12 may be adapted to receive palletized loads that are two pallets wide and three pallets long (six pallets total), or may be provided in any other suitable size for a given application. The upright supports 14 are generally securely mountable in a substantially vertical orientation within the cargo receiving space.

The slots 15 provided in the upright supports 14 are not part of the invention and may be omitted.

The platform 12 is adjustably mounted to each upright support 14.

The support apparatus 10 further includes a respective height adjustment mechanism 16 associated with each upright support 14. The height adjustment mechanism 16 enables height adjustment of the platform 12 relative to the upright support 14 in a manner which is believed to be unique to the applicant's invention. Furthermore, the height adjustment mechanism 16 provides a height adjustment procedure which is considered by the applicant to be significantly simpler and safer than that required by existing mezzanine deck arrangements.

The following description is provided in the context of a single height adjustment mechanism 16. However, it should be understood that this description relates to each of the four height adjustment mechanisms 16.

As shown in fig. 10 to 12, the saddle 21 is mounted to the platform 12 by a nut and bolt arrangement 13, the nut and bolt arrangement 13 allowing a small amount of movement between the saddle 21 and the platform 12. This small amount of movement is important because the applicant has demonstrated that jamming of the platform 12/saddle 21 with the upright support 14 is limited when raising and lowering the platform 12. The bolt 13a extends through a fastener receiving hole 13b provided in the platform 12 and a fastener receiving hole 13c provided in the saddle 21. It will be appreciated that the nut and bolt arrangement 13 is configured to allow at least a small amount of relative movement between the platform 12 and the saddle 21. In this regard, one or both of the holes 13b, 13c provided in the platform 12 and saddle 21 may be oversized and/or non-circular to allow for a small amount of movement between the platform 12 and saddle 21. Another benefit of the nut and bolt arrangement 13 connecting the saddle 21 to the platform 12 is that the saddle 21 can be easily removed if repair, maintenance or replacement is required. Providing limited movement between the saddle 21 and the platform 12 is believed by the applicant to be unique to its invention.

The saddle side cover plate 21a has been removed from most of the figures so that the internal workings of the saddle 21 can be seen. However, a cover plate 21a is shown in fig. 9.

The saddle 21 includes a low friction surface to facilitate smooth sliding contact between the saddle 21 and the upright support 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the low friction surface is provided between the saddle 21 and the upright support 14 in the form of a nylon layer 17 secured to the saddle 21 (using fasteners 17 a-see FIG. 9). The applicant believes that the provision of a low friction surface is unique to his invention.

Although not clearly shown in the drawings, the saddle 21 extends around the upright support 14 such that the saddle 21 is captured on the support 14. This in part enables the upright support 14 to be significantly thinner than existing conventional supports. This in turn advantageously maximizes the cargo receiving space available in the truck or trailer.

The height adjustment mechanism 16 includes a ratchet 18. The ratchet 18 is pivotally mounted to a mount 19 provided on a saddle 21 such that it can pivot about a pivot axis 20. The mounting member 19 is integrally formed with the saddle 21 and extends from an inner sidewall surface 23 thereof. The illustrated ratchet 18 is biased by a tension spring 22 to rotate about axis 20 in a counterclockwise direction CCW (shown in FIG. 2). A spring 22 is mounted between a hook 18a on the rear side of the ratchet 18 and a mount 24 on the saddle 21. It should be understood, however, that these figures do not presently show the spring 22 extending all the way to the hook 18 a. The provision of the extension spring 22 ensures that any inadvertent downward movement of the platform 12 relative to the upright support 14 will be limited by the ratchet 18 as it will be biased into engagement with the next lowermost ratchet engagement groove 26.

The height adjustment mechanism 16 includes a plurality of vertically spaced ratchet engagement slots (or holes) 26 disposed in a vertically extending array in the surface of the upright support 14. The vertical alignment of the ratchet engagement grooves 26 can be seen in fig. 2 to 9. In fig. 2 to 8, the groove 26 is shown in section, while fig. 9 shows the groove 26 in its entirety. Thus, as can be seen in FIG. 9, the shape of the slot is generally rectangular or square.

The horizontal lower edge 28 of each slot 26 provides a support surface (or ratchet engaging surface) for supporting the ratchet 18 (and thus also the platform 12 and saddle 21) thereon. The operator can adjust the height of the platform 12 by selecting which slot 26 receives the ratchet 18.

When it is desired to raise the platform 12 to a new height, the operator merely raises the platform 12 (using a forklift or other suitable lifting device) relative to the upright supports 14. This causes the ratchet 18 to move in a ratcheting motion (by means of the extension spring 22) as it encounters each respective ratchet engagement slot 26 until a new desired height of the platform 12 relative to the upright support 14 is achieved whereupon the lifting process is completed and the ratchet 18 rests within the desired ratchet engagement slot 26. This lifting process is significantly simplified and safer than that required for conventional sandwich decks having saddles that must be manually repositioned (typically requiring an operator to be in the cargo space below the temporary suspension platform and must work high in repositioning the platform saddles).

The lowering of the platform 12 relative to the upright supports 14 is also a process that can be completed by an operator sitting on a forklift controller without having to leave the forklift (and without the assistance of other operators), greatly simplifying the lowering process and improving operator safety compared to that required by conventional mezzanine decks. The lowering process includes initially raising the platform 12 to near the top of the upright supports 14. In this position, the ratchet 18 contacts a projection 31 (see fig. 5) provided on the upright support 14, the projection 31 being located at or towards the top of the upright support 14. The projection 31 causes the ratchet 18 to rotate slightly in the clockwise CW1 direction about the pivot axis 20 (as viewed in fig. 5 and 6) and against the bias of the extension spring 22. This in turn retracts the ratchet 18 from the upright support 14 so that it can no longer engage any ratchet engagement slot 26. When the ratchet 18 is in this position, the platform 12 can be lowered without interference from the ratchet 18.

Ratchet 18 remains in the retracted state shown in fig. 5 due to the contact of ratchet 18 with ratchet disengagement actuator 30. Fig. 5 shows ratchet disengagement actuator 30 in its activated state, wherein ratchet 18 is held in its retracted state position. Ratchet 18 remains in this retracted position until ratchet disengage actuator 30 is deactivated. It should be understood that the actuator 30 has been omitted from some of the figures for clarity.

The ratchet disengagement actuator 30 is pivotally mounted to an inner surface (not shown) of the saddle 21 by a mount 30a and pivots about a pivot axis 32. The ratchet release actuator 30 is biased to a neutral (horizontal) position by a tension spring 34 mounted between a hook 30b of the ratchet release actuator 30 and a mount 21c provided on the saddle 21. This neutral position is shown in fig. 6 and 8. It should be understood that spring 34 has been omitted in all figures except for figure 5. It should be understood that the spring 34 is connected to the hook 30b, even though this is not specifically shown in fig. 5. A low friction roller 30c is rotatably mounted to an end of the actuator 30 to contact the upright support 14.

The actuator 30 comprises a contact surface 35. In its activated state (as shown in fig. 5), the contact surface 35 contacts a protrusion 37 extending from a side surface 39 of the ratchet 18, thereby holding the ratchet 18 in its retracted state, thus allowing the platform 12 to be lowered without interference from the ratchet 18.

Again, it will be appreciated that raising of the platform 12 relative to the upright supports 14 involves the relatively simple task of lifting the platform 12 until the desired platform height is reached, whereupon the ratchet 18 engages the desired ratchet engagement slot 26 in a ratcheting manner so as to securely and safely maintain the platform 12 at the desired height. Unlike conventional sandwich decks, this is done without the need for an operator to climb up the platform 12 or adjust any platform saddles or platform locking/securing devices under the platform 12, which are very dangerous tasks. This danger is due in part to the possibility of falling from the platform, as well as the possibility of the platform itself falling and causing crushing injury or death. In this regard, platforms typically weigh hundreds of kilograms (and significantly more when loaded with cargo).

It should also be appreciated that the platform 12 may be lowered without requiring an operator to climb onto the platform 12 or under the platform 12, again resulting in a significant safety improvement over conventional mezzanine deck height adjustment techniques. In contrast, the platform 12 of the present invention may be lowered by an operator seated relatively safely at a forklift controller. The lowering process of the platform 12 simply requires the operator to raise the platform 12 to or at least towards the top of the upright supports 14, then the platform 12 is lowered to or slightly below its new intended height and then raised to its new intended height position whereupon the ratchet gears 18 engage the new required ratchet engagement slots 26 to hold the platform 12 securely in place.

It should be understood that only one protrusion 31 is shown and described. However, two or more vertically displaced protrusions may be provided on the upright support 14. Such an arrangement may allow for the lowering of the platform 12 without having to first raise it to the top of the support 14 or at least close to the top of the support 14. Instead, it contemplates an arrangement in which the platform need only be raised sufficiently to cause the ratchet 18 to be displaced by the next highest projection 31.

Reference has been made above to the platform 12, which is typically raised and lowered using a forklift. In other embodiments, the support apparatus 10 may be automated such that the platform 12 can be raised and lowered as needed using an integrated lifting device (not shown in the illustrated embodiment). The integrated raising/lowering means may be of any suitable form, for example pneumatic, hydraulic or mechanical means.

The ratchet disengagement actuator 30 may be individually engaged with any one of the deactivation surfaces 40 provided at the upper end of each slot 36. Ratchet disengagement actuator 30 is deactivated by actuator 30 contacting deactivation surface 40, thereby rotating actuator 30 in clockwise direction CW (as viewed in fig. 4 and 5) and then returned to its neutral position by the bias applied by extension spring 34, as viewed in fig. 6 and 8.

This in turn removes the projection 37 from contacting the contact surface 35 of the ratchet 18, allowing the ratchet 18 to return to its ratchet position shown in fig. 2 and 3 under the bias of the extension spring 22. Once returned to this position, it may then be received in the appropriate ratchet-receiving slot 26 to support the platform 12 at the new lower height. The platform 12 may need to be lifted a small amount once the actuator 30 has returned to its neutral position before the ratchet 18 can be received in its desired new ratchet-receiving slot 26.

Upright support 14 includes a height indicator 42 applied to a surface thereof. The platform 12 also has a height indicator (not shown). From these indicators, the upward or downward adjustment of platform 12 can be seen, and the amount of particular movement can be controlled to achieve the desired platform 12 height by monitoring the movement of the platform height indicator relative to the stationary indicator 42. Providing an indicator is desirable because it may allow a single operator seated at the forklift controller to establish (from their seated position) when the desired new platform height is reached. This also provides a useful reference for the operator in view of the provision of similar indicators at each corner of the platform to ensure that the platform 12 remains in a horizontal orientation when platform height adjustment is required. (in saying this, it may not be necessary to assume that the platform 12 orientation required in all applications is horizontal). The indicator may also avoid the operator from climbing onto the platform 12 or under the platform 12 during the height adjustment process, which may be very dangerous.

A ratchet engagement indicator 46 (green) is provided for indicating when the ratchet 18 is engaged with the ratchet engagement slot 26. This provides a visual means for the operator to confirm that the ratchet 18 is securely engaged within the ratchet engagement slot 26. The indicators 46 further assist the operator in safely adjusting the height of the platform 12 without having to climb onto the platform 12 or under the platform 12 while adjusting the height of the platform 12. Preferably, the indicators 46 are visible from either side of the platform 12 so that the operator can see the indicators 46 regardless of which side of the platform 12 the operator is located.

Further, the above description of the illustrated embodiment is provided in the context of a single upright support 14 and its associated height adjustment mechanism 16. It should be understood that this description is related to each upright support 14 and its associated height adjustment mechanism 16.

Ideally, the process of raising and lowering the platform 10 is simplified as compared to conventional sandwich deck designs. The design of the support device 10 allows an operator to potentially raise and lower the platform 12 from its relatively safe seated position at the controls of the forklift and does not require the operator to climb onto or under the suspension deck or to work aloft in repositioning any saddles. The platform 12 need not be removed from the truck or trailer to change the height of the platform 12. In addition, the support device 10 is designed without a separate saddle that needs to be repositioned when the platform 12 height is changed.

The design disclosed in this application is to be considered a variation and potential improvement over the design detailed in the applicant's prior australian provisional patent application No. 2017900699. This is a potential improvement over application No. 2017900699 due to the simplified design of the support device and height adjustment mechanism 16. The present invention is also considered less likely to jam when raising or lowering the platform 12 than the device disclosed in application No. 2017900699, because of the freedom provided between the saddle 21 and the platform 12, which was not present in earlier designs.

The applicant believes that the invention may be applicable to other applications where it is desirable to support an object, including relatively heavy objects. One such application is as a vehicle support that may be used in place of conventional vehicle lifts. In such applications, the support means may be provided with self-elevating/lowering means, so as to eliminate the need for a forklift or other external lifting means. It is to be understood that various alterations, modifications and/or additions may be introduced into the constructions and arrangements of parts previously described without departing from the spirit or ambit of the invention.

Future patent applications may be filed in australia or overseas based on or claiming priority from the present application. It is to be understood that the following claims are not intended to limit the scope of what may be claimed in any such future application. Features of the claims may be added or omitted later to further define or redefine the invention.

The disclosure provided in australian provisional patent application No. 2017900699 is hereby incorporated by reference.

Claims (23)

1. A support device, comprising:

a platform for supporting an object thereon;

a height adjustment mechanism to facilitate height adjustment of the platform relative to the upright support;

the height adjustment mechanism includes:

a ratchet pivotally mounted to a platform saddle mounted to the platform; and

at least two vertically spaced ratchet engagement surfaces associated with the upright support, wherein the height of the platform relative to the upright support is selected by engaging the ratchet with a desired ratchet engagement surface from the at least two vertically displaced ratchet engagement surfaces;

wherein,

raising the platform relative to the upright supports causes the ratchets to move in a ratcheting motion as each respective ratchet engagement surface is encountered; and is

Lowering the platform relative to the upright supports requires:

initially raising the platform to activate a ratchet disengagement actuator that displaces the ratchet away from the upright support;

then lowering the platform relative to the upright supports to a position in which the ratchet is at least near or below the desired ratchet-engaging surface height;

the platform is then raised to deactivate the ratchet wheel disengagement actuator, whereupon a new platform height can be selected.

2. The support device of claim 1, wherein the platform saddle is mounted to the platform with a mounting device that provides limited movement between the platform saddle and the platform.

3. The support device of claim 2, wherein the mounting device comprises a fastener extending through a fastener receiving hole disposed in the platform and a fastener receiving hole disposed in the platform saddle.

4. A support arrangement according to any preceding claim wherein the ratchet is biased towards the upright support.

5. A support device according to any preceding claim, wherein deactivation of the ratchet disengagement actuator requires the ratchet disengagement actuator to be raised relative to the upright support so as to contact a deactivation surface associated with the upright support.

6. The support device of claim 5, wherein the deactivation surface is associated with being directly above or below the desired ratchet engagement surface.

7. A support arrangement according to claim 5 or 6, including at least two vertically displaced apertures provided in the upright supports, each aperture including a ratchet engaging surface and a deactivation surface.

8. The support device of claim 7, comprising a plurality of vertically displaced apertures disposed in the upright support, each aperture of the plurality of vertically displaced apertures comprising a ratchet engagement surface and a deactivation surface.

9. A support arrangement according to claim 7 or 8 wherein each aperture is at least substantially in the form of a slot, the lower end of each slot including a ratchet engaging surface and the upper end of each slot including a disabling surface.

10. A support device according to any preceding claim, wherein the ratchet disengagement actuator is engageable with an activation surface associated with the upright support in order to activate the ratchet disengagement actuator.

11. A support arrangement according to claim 10 wherein the activation surface is provided on or towards the upright support at an upper end thereof.

12. A support arrangement according to claim 10 or 11 wherein the ratchet disengagement actuator is separately engageable with any one of at least two vertically displaced activation surfaces provided on the upright support in order to activate the ratchet disengagement actuator.

13. A support arrangement according to claim 5 or any one of claims 6 to 12 when dependent directly or indirectly on claim 5 wherein the ratchet disengagement actuator is separately engageable with any deactivation surface to deactivate the ratchet disengagement actuator.

14. A support arrangement according to any preceding claim wherein the ratchet disengagement actuator is pivotally mounted to the platform saddle and is biased towards a rest position.

15. A support device according to any preceding claim, wherein the ratchet disengagement actuator is displaced from its deactivated position when in the activated position so as to engage the ratchet and hold it in the retracted position, thereby preventing the ratchet from engaging any ratchet engagement surface.

16. A support arrangement according to any preceding claim wherein the upright support comprises a height indicator applied to at least one surface thereof.

17. The support device of claim 16, wherein the platform saddle includes a height indicator associated with a height indicator provided on the upright support.

18. A support arrangement according to any preceding claim including a ratchet engagement indicator for indicating when the ratchet is engaged with the ratchet engagement surface.

19. A support arrangement according to any preceding claim wherein the platform is adjustably mounted to four upright supports.

20. A support arrangement according to any preceding claim including a separate height adjustment mechanism associated with each upright support.

21. A support arrangement according to any preceding claim wherein each upright support comprises an upright post.

22. The support device of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support device is configured for a vehicle, such as a truck, trailer or railcar, for a cargo container, or for a warehouse rack.

23. A support arrangement according to claim 22, when configured for a truck or trailer, a respective upright support is provided in the cargo receiving space of the truck or trailer at or towards each corner or side of the cargo receiving space.