GB2292352A - Roll containers - Google Patents

Abstract

A roll container has camming surfaces (26, 27) on the rear base part (11) and the deck (12) adapted to coact in the raised "nesting" position of the deck to cause the rear end (22) of the deck to rise automatically out of the slot or recess (21) when the front (upper) end (28) of the deck is deliberately pulled in the direction (P) needed for swinging the deck down into the "loading" position. <IMAGE>

Description

ROLL CONTAINERS This invention relates to roll containers of the type comprising two sides, a rear base part interconnecting the sides, a deck which is rotatably connected to the rear base part and which can be swung down into a "loading" position or swung up into a "nesting" position, one or (more usually) both of the sides being adapted in the "nesting" condition to diverge relative to the other or each other from the rear base part, and rollers or wheels mounted one each adjacent the junctions between the rear base part and the sides and one each adjacent the ends of the sides remote from the rear base part.

It is known for the rear base part to have, at least adjacent to each side of the roll container, a slot or recess into which the rear end of the deck can drop when raised into the "nesting" position, thus preventing the deck from accidentally swinging down into the "loading" position, the connection between the deck and the rear base part being a pin-and-slot adjacent each side (usually slots in the deck sides exending in the direction of the general plane of the deck and engaged by pins projecting towards each other from the rear base part or from housings thereon for the rear wheels).

When it is desired to return the deck to the "loading" position, it is necessary first to lift the deck bodily to bring its rear end out of the slot or recess (or slots or recesses) and to hold it lifted whilst commencing swinging of the deck downwardly.

The object of the present invention is to provide means whereby lifting of the deck manually in the "nesting" position before swinging down to the "loading" position is avoided.

According to the present invention, a roll container of the type described comprises camming surfaces on the rear base part and the deck adapted to coact in the "nesting" position of the deck to cause the rear end of the deck to rise automatically out of the slot or recess (or slots or recesses) when the front (and, at the same time, upper) end of the deck is deliberately pulled in the direction needed for swinging the deck down into the "loading" position.

The camming surfaces may be provided in the pin-andslot connections; thus the pins may be provided adjacent the rear end of the deck and engage in slots in the rear base part or in housings thereon for the rear wheels, with the slots inclined or curved downwardly and rearwardly towards the slot or recess (or slots or recesses) for receiving the rear end of the deck in the "nesting" position; or the pins may be provided on the rear base part or on housings thereon for the rear wheels and engage in slots adjacent the rear end of the deck, the fitting of the pins in the slots (which may be the open ends of an elongate hollow section forming the rear end of the deck) and the fitting of the rear end of the deck in the slot or recess (or slots or recesses) of the rear base part having such clearance that pulling of the fromt (upper) end of the deck in the "nesting" position results in a canting forward of the deck to such an extent that the upper sides of the slots in the deck cam up the pins on the rear base part.

Alternatively, or in addition, the camming surfaces may be provided adjacent the rear end of the deck and in the slot or recess (or slots or recesses) of the rear base part for receiving the rear end of the deck in the "nesting" position, the fitting of the rear end of the deck in the said slot or recess (or slots or recesses) or the pin-and-slot connections having such clearance that pulling of the front (upper) end of the deck in the "nesting" position results in a canting forward of the deck to such an extent that the camming surface (or surfaces) on the deck engages and/or rides up the camming surface (or surfaces) in the slot or recess (or slots or recesses).

Two embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a fragmentary part-sectional elevation inside one rear side of one embodiment of roll container in accordance with the invention with its deck in the "loading" position; Figure 2 shows a middle portion of Figure 1 with the deck in the "nesting" position; Figures 3 to 5 correspond to Figure 2 but show the deck in successive intermediate positions as it is pulled down to the "loading" position; Figure 6 corresponds to Figure 1 but relates to another embodiment of roll container in accordance with the invention; Figure 7 shows a lower portion of Figure 6 with the deck in the "nesting" position; and Figures 8 and 9 show a right-hand portion of Figure 7 with the deck in successive intermediate positions as it is pulled down to the "loading" position.

In Figure 1, a roll container comprises two sides 10 (only one being seen), a rear base part 11 interconnecting the sides, a deck 12 which is rotatably connected to the rear base part and which can be swung down into a "loading" position (Figure 1) or swung up into a "nesting" position (Figure 2), one or (more usually) both of the sides 10 being adapted in the "nesting" condition to diverge relative to the other or each other from the rear base part 11, and rollers or wheels 13 (only one being seen) mounted one each adjacent the junctions between the rear base part 11 and the sides 10, and one roller or wheel (not shown) each adjacent the ends of the sides remote from the rear base part.

In detail, the rear base part 11 consists of a profiled cross-member 14 rigidly connected at each end to a wheel housing 15 (only one being seen in Figure 1) and each side 10 is mounted on hinges 16 (only one lower one being seen in Figure 1) carried by an upright 17 extending rigidly from the base part 11. The upright 17 is indicated as having a vertical groove 18 in which a rear wall 19 is removably guided. The sides 10 and rear wall 19 have mesh infill 20 as also does the deck 12 and a front gate (not shown).

The rear base part 11 has adjacent to each side 10 a recess 21 into which the rear end 22 of a side member 23 of the deck 12 can drop when raised into the "nesting" position (see Figure 2), thus preventing the deck from accidentally swinging down into the "loading" position, the connection between the deck 12 and the rear base part 11 being a pin 24 and slot 25 adjacent each side.In this embodiment the pins 24 (only one being seen) extends rigidly from the deck 12 into an arcuate slot 25 in the upper part of the wheel housing 15, the pin and slot providing camming surfaces 26, 27 adapted to coact in the "nesting" position of the deck to cause the rear end of the deck to rise automatically out of the recesses 21 when the front end 28 (see Figures 2 to 5) of the deck is deliberately pulled in the direction needed for swinging the deck down into the "loading" position, which pulling direction is indicated by the arrows P in Figures 2 and 3.

The rear ends 22 of the side members 23 are a loose fit in the recesses 21, and the rounded corners of the rear ends 22 of the side members 23 and the bottom and rear inner surfaces of the recesses 21 may make contact as shown in Figures 3 and 4 to assist the camming action of the pin 24 and slot 25 in the initial stages of pulling the deck from the "nesting" position.

In Figure 6 like reference numerals to those in Figure 1 represent like parts. However, the connection between the deck 12 and the rear base part 11 is again a pinand-slot but the slots 29 (only one of which is seen) are provided in the side members 23 of the deck, extending in the direction of the general plane of the deck and engaged by pins 30 (again, only one being seen) projecting towards each other from the wheel housings 15. When the deck 12 is raised into the "nesting" position the rear ends 22 of the side members 23 each drop into a slot 31 between a vertical lug 32 on the wheel housing 15 and a vertical portion 33 at the bottom of an arcuate guide strip 34 curving down from the cross-member 14, and the deck comes to rest in a position slightly beyond the vertical. The junction between each arcuate strip 34 and the vertical portion 33 is rounded to form a camming surface 35 which co-operates with a similarly rounded camming surface 36 on the end 22 of the respective side members 23 of the deck, and the pin-and-slot connections 29, 30 have suich clearance that pulling of the front end 28 of the deck in the "nesting" position results in a canting forward of the deck to such an extent that the camming surfaces 36 on the deck rides up the camming surfaces 35 in the slot, as shown by Figure 8. The camming action continues thereafter as the surfaces 36 on the deck ride up the acute strips 34, as shown by Figure 9.

Claims (7)

1. A roll container of the type comprising two sides, a rear base part interconnecting the sides, a deck which is rotatably connected to the rear base part and which can be swung down into a "loading" position or swung up into a "nesting" position, one or (more usually) both of the sides being adapted in the "nesting" condition to diverge relative to the other or each other from the rear base part, and rollers or wheels mounted one each adjacent the junctions between the rear base part and the sides and one each adjacent the ends of the sides remote from the rear base part, further comprising camming surfaces on the rear base part and the deck adapted to coact in the "nesting" position of the deck to cause the rear end of the deck to rise automatically out of the slot or recess (or slots or recesses) when the front (and, at the same time, upper) end of the deck is deliberately pulled in the direction needed for swinging the deck down into the "loading" position.

2. A roll container as in Claim 1, wherein the camming surfaces are provided in the pin-and-slot connections.

3. A roll container as in Claim 2, wherein the pins are provided adjacent the rear end of the deck and engage in slots in the rear base part or in housings thereon for the rear wheels, with the slots inclined or curved downwardly and rearwardly towards the slot or recess (or slots or recesses) for receiving the rear end of the deck in the "nesting" position.

4. A roll container as in Claim 2, wherein the pins are provided on the rear base part or on housings thereon for the rear wheels and engage in slots adjacent the rear end of the deck, the fitting of the pins in the slots and the fitting of the rear end of the deck in the slot or recess (or slots or recesses) of the rear base part having such clearance that pulling of the front (upper) end of the deck in the "nesting" position results in a canting forward of the deck to such an extent that the upper sides of the slots in the deck cam up the pins on the rear base part.

5. A roll container as in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the camming surfaces are provided adjacent the rear end of the deck and in the slot or recess (or slots or recesses) of the rear base part for receiving the rear end of the deck in the "nesting" position, the fitting of the rear end of the deck in the said slot or recess (or slots or recesses) or the pin-and-slot connections having such clearance that pulling of the front (upper) end of the deck in the "nesting" position results in a canting forward of the deck to such an extent that the camming surface (or surfaces) on the deck engages and/or rides up the camming surface (or surfaces) in the slot or recess (or slots or recesses).

6. A roll container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A roll container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 6 to 9 of the accompanying drawings.