GB2074950A - Amphibious goods- transporting vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

An amphibious goods- transporting vehicle having a superstructure including side walls (5, 6) for carrying goods to be transported, a trough (7) being provided to convey bulk material, the trough being arranged between the side walls and being rotatably mounted on one of the side walls (6) at at least one pivot point (8) and being capable of being tipped by at least one tipping mechanism (10) over the side wall (6). Such a vehicle can be brought to a sea-going ship loaded with bulk materials and can be loaded with the bulk material. The vehicle as thus loaded can then proceed to a final destination for the material and can there be unloaded without outside help by means of the tipping mechanism on the vehicle. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Amphibious goods-transporting vehicle This invention relates to an amphibious goodstranporting vehicle and more particularly to such a vehicle having separate drive means for travelling on land and water and also a superstructure for carrying goods to be transported, the superstructure being formed by means of side walls.

One such vehicle is known from German Auslegeschrift 2709948, which vehicle is constructed as a lorry capable of floating and is used for the transport of containers on water and over relatively large distances on land.

It is an object of the present invention to make such a goods-transporting vehicle also suitable for being used for transporting bulk materials, with which easy unloading of the bulk materials is made possible.

According to the present invention, there is provided an amphibious goods-transporting vehicle having a superstructure including side walls for carrying goods to be transported, there being a trough for conveying bulk material, said trough being arranged between the side walls, being rotatably mounted on one of said side walls at at least one pivot point and being capable of being tipped by means of at least one tipping mechanism over said one side wall.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view taken on the line A-B of Figure 2 of a vehicle according to the present invention, and Figure 2 shows a plan view of the vehicle shown in Figure 1.

The vehicle illustrated is an amphibious transport vehicle having a chassis 2, a set of tyres 3, a driving cab 4 and a separate drive means for travelling on land and on water. On this vehicle a superstructure is provided which consists of side walls 5 and 6.

Pivotally mounted at at least one, in the example shown, two, pivot points 8 on the top of the side wall 6 is a bulk material trough 7 which can pivot into the space in between the side walls 5, 6. The pivotal arrangements consists in each case of two arms 11 and 12, of which one is fixed on the outside upper part of the bulk material trough 7 and the other on the top edge of the side wall 6. These two arms are pivotally connected to one another by a bolt (not shown).

Tipping mechanisms are provided in the form of hydraulic cylinders 9 and 10 with the necessary auxiliary devices (not shown), the cylinders being arranged outside end walls 1 3 and 14 of the trough 7 and being fixed at one end on the lower region of the bulk material trough 7 and at the other end on the inside surface of the side wall 6.

Thus, the trough 7 is capable of being tipped over the side wall 6 as shown by chain-dot lines in Figure 1. It is to be noted that the tipping mechanisms can consist of hydraulic, pneumatic or mechanical means. Hydraulic means are preferred, because the vehicle can also be driven by a hydraulic system which is mounted thereon.

Such a vehicle can be brought to a sea-going ship loaded with bulk materials and lying at anchor and can be loaded with the bulk material by means of equipment which is on the ship. The vehicle as thus loaded then proceeds to the final destination for the material and can there be unloaded without outside help by means of the tipping devices or gear on the vehicle.

In order to improve the carrying capacity of the amphibious goods-carrying vehicle, the side walls 5 and 6 are formed as hollow sections from sheet aluminium and the cavities are filled with a synthetic plastics foam.

1. An amphibious goods-transporting vehicle having a superstructure including side walls for carrying goods to be transported, there being a trough for conveying bulk material, said trough being arranged between the side walls, being rotatably mounted on one of said side walls at at least one pivot point and being capable of being tipped by means of at least one tipping mechanism over said one side wall.

2. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein separate drive means are provided to enable the vehicle to travel on land and water, respectively.

3. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said at least one pivot point lies above said one side wall and consists of two arms rotatably connected by means of a bolt, one of these arms being fixed on the outside upper part of said trough and the arm being fixed on the top edye of said side wall.

4. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein two of said tipping mechanisms are provided, each mechanism consisting of a hydraulic cylinder having one end fixed on the lower region of said trough and its other end on the inside surface of said one side wall.

5. A vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each side wall is formed as hollow sections with the cavities defined by the hollow sections being filled with a synthetic plastics foam.

6. A vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each side wall is formed of sheet aluminium.

7. An amphibious goods-transporting vehicle, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Amphibious goods-transporting vehicle This invention relates to an amphibious goodstranporting vehicle and more particularly to such a vehicle having separate drive means for travelling on land and water and also a superstructure for carrying goods to be transported, the superstructure being formed by means of side walls. One such vehicle is known from German Auslegeschrift 2709948, which vehicle is constructed as a lorry capable of floating and is used for the transport of containers on water and over relatively large distances on land. It is an object of the present invention to make such a goods-transporting vehicle also suitable for being used for transporting bulk materials, with which easy unloading of the bulk materials is made possible. According to the present invention, there is provided an amphibious goods-transporting vehicle having a superstructure including side walls for carrying goods to be transported, there being a trough for conveying bulk material, said trough being arranged between the side walls, being rotatably mounted on one of said side walls at at least one pivot point and being capable of being tipped by means of at least one tipping mechanism over said one side wall. For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view taken on the line A-B of Figure 2 of a vehicle according to the present invention, and Figure 2 shows a plan view of the vehicle shown in Figure 1. The vehicle illustrated is an amphibious transport vehicle having a chassis 2, a set of tyres 3, a driving cab 4 and a separate drive means for travelling on land and on water. On this vehicle a superstructure is provided which consists of side walls 5 and 6. Pivotally mounted at at least one, in the example shown, two, pivot points 8 on the top of the side wall 6 is a bulk material trough 7 which can pivot into the space in between the side walls 5, 6. The pivotal arrangements consists in each case of two arms 11 and 12, of which one is fixed on the outside upper part of the bulk material trough 7 and the other on the top edge of the side wall 6. These two arms are pivotally connected to one another by a bolt (not shown). Tipping mechanisms are provided in the form of hydraulic cylinders 9 and 10 with the necessary auxiliary devices (not shown), the cylinders being arranged outside end walls 1 3 and 14 of the trough 7 and being fixed at one end on the lower region of the bulk material trough 7 and at the other end on the inside surface of the side wall 6. Thus, the trough 7 is capable of being tipped over the side wall 6 as shown by chain-dot lines in Figure 1. It is to be noted that the tipping mechanisms can consist of hydraulic, pneumatic or mechanical means. Hydraulic means are preferred, because the vehicle can also be driven by a hydraulic system which is mounted thereon. Such a vehicle can be brought to a sea-going ship loaded with bulk materials and lying at anchor and can be loaded with the bulk material by means of equipment which is on the ship. The vehicle as thus loaded then proceeds to the final destination for the material and can there be unloaded without outside help by means of the tipping devices or gear on the vehicle. In order to improve the carrying capacity of the amphibious goods-carrying vehicle, the side walls 5 and 6 are formed as hollow sections from sheet aluminium and the cavities are filled with a synthetic plastics foam. CLAIMS

1. An amphibious goods-transporting vehicle having a superstructure including side walls for carrying goods to be transported, there being a trough for conveying bulk material, said trough being arranged between the side walls, being rotatably mounted on one of said side walls at at least one pivot point and being capable of being tipped by means of at least one tipping mechanism over said one side wall.

2. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein separate drive means are provided to enable the vehicle to travel on land and water, respectively.

3. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said at least one pivot point lies above said one side wall and consists of two arms rotatably connected by means of a bolt, one of these arms being fixed on the outside upper part of said trough and the arm being fixed on the top edye of said side wall.

4. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein two of said tipping mechanisms are provided, each mechanism consisting of a hydraulic cylinder having one end fixed on the lower region of said trough and its other end on the inside surface of said one side wall.

5. A vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each side wall is formed as hollow sections with the cavities defined by the hollow sections being filled with a synthetic plastics foam.

6. A vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each side wall is formed of sheet aluminium.

7. An amphibious goods-transporting vehicle, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.