GB2438959A

GB2438959A - Support device for road transport vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2438959A
Application number: GB0710668A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan John Cartwright
Original assignee: Cartwright & Sons S
Current assignee: Cartwright & Sons S
Priority date: 2006-06-09
Filing date: 2007-06-05
Publication date: 2007-12-12
Also published as: GB0611320D0; GB0710668D0

Abstract

A support device for supporting large bodies, such as newsprint reels 15, 16, on a flat bed road trailer has a transverse beam 1 with concave recesses 7, 8 for the reels. The beam 1 has downwardly projecting flanges 6 at opposite ends which fit alongside and in close engagement with outer surfaces of side raves 2 of the trailer to restrain movement of the beam 1. The recesses may be provided with surface covering elements such as rubber mats 13, 14 so that reels of different diameters can be accommodated.

Description

SUPPORT DEVICE FOR ROAD TRANSPORT VEHICLE

This invention relates to a support device for locating large bodies, particularly reels, such as newsprint reels, on load supporting structures of road transport trailers or other vehicles.

Newsprint reels are commonly transported on their sides (i.e. with their axes horizontal) on floor structures of road trailers. With this arrangement the centre of gravity is lower than is the case if the reels are transported upright, and this improves vehicle stability. To prevent rolling of the sideways reels it is usual practice to insert wooden chocks beneath the reels. However this may not always ensure safe and secure support of the reels.

An object of the present invention is to provide a support device with which large bodies, such as reels, can be conveniently supported in a reliably safe and secure manner on a road vehicle load supporting structure.

According to the invention therefore there is provided a support device for supporting a large body on a load supporting structure of a road vehicle, said device comprising a rigid elongate member locatable on the load supporting structure by interfit of respective configurations of the member and the load supporting structure which restrain the member against movement longitudinally relative to the load supporting structure, said member having an upper surface thereto with at least one shaped recess therein to receive and locate a respective said body.

With this arrangement secure and safe location of the (or each) body can be ensured in a particularly simple and convenient manner.

Most preferably the member is arranged to be locatable on the load supporting structure transversely thereof i.e. transverse to the front to rear direction of the load supporting structure. Preferably also the member extends substantially or wholly across the load supporting structure from side to side thereof.

With regard to the interfitting configurations these may comprise one or more downwardly directed projections on the member which fit alongside one or more abutments of the load supporting structure.

Conveniently there may be respective said projections at opposite ends of the member which engage outer surfaces of respective abutments at opposite sides of the load supporting structure. These abutments may be longitudinally extending elongate side structural components, or raves', of the load supporting structure.

The interfit may constitute juxtaposition and/or the member may be fixed permanently or detachably relative to the load supporting structure by bolts, welding or otherwise.

The member may comprise a hollow section beam or beams with projecting flanges providing the said configurations.

With regard to the recessed upper surface of the member this may take any suitable form depending on the body to be supported.

In the case where the body is cylindrical such as a newsprint reel the recess may be a concave curvature preferably of the same radius as the body.

Most preferably the body is large i.e. such that its transverse dimension is say at least 25% of the transverse width of the load supporting structure whereby only a small number of bodies can be accommodated side by side. In a particularly. preferred embodiment the size of the body is such that only two can be accommodated side by side. The number of recesses will be correspondingly selected in practice. Thus, there may be two side by side recesses in the upper surface of the member, and such recesses may be of like form to accommodate like bodies.

The (or each) recess may be covered with a surface covering element, such as a rubber mat, to protect the body against damage and/or to ensure tight fit of the body in the recess. Additional or alternative covering elements may be provided for adjustment of thickness to accommodate different sizes and/or weights of bodies. The (or each) covering element may be bonded or otherwise fixed in the recess and/or a loose element may be used.

Multiple support devices may be provided at spaced positions along the load supporting structure.

The load supporting structure may be the floor or flat bed of a load transporting road vehicle trailer.

The invention will now be described further by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side view of one form of a support device according to the invention with two reels located in position; and Figure 2 is a diagrammatic end view of the device.

Figure 1 shows a support device 1 for use with a conventional road trailer having an elongate flat load-carrying floor constructed with longitudinal and transverse beams including, along each side, a respective side beam or rave 2.

The support device 1 comprises a hollow section beam structure having a lower part defined by two side-by-side beam components 3 and an attached upper part

I

defined by upwardly directed side webs 4 joined by a transverse top web 5. At each end there is a respective plate 6 welded to the ends of the components 3 and the webs 4,5 and projecting downwardly below the components 3.

The upper webs 4, 5 arc shaped so as to define two symmetrically positioned concave recesses 7, 8 of part-cylindrical shape, with downwardly inclined lead surfaces 9, 10, 11, 12 at each side thereof.

The recesses 7, 8 have smooth surfaces and are covered with bonded rubber mats 13, 14.

The device 1 is located across the trailer floor i.e. at right angles to the side raves 2 and its length is such that the two end plates 6 project downwardly alongside the outer surfaces of the raves 2 in close engagement therewith.

Abutment between the plates 6 and the raves 2 acts to prevent movement of the device 1 longitudinally thereof, i.e. transverse to the trailer floor.

Multiple like support devices I are located at regularly spaced intervals along the length of the trailer floor.

As shown in Figure 1 two side by side newsprint reels 15, 16 are supported on their sides in the side by side recesses 7, 8 of at least one, and preferably multiple, support devices 1.

The curvature of the recesses 7, 8 is the same as that of the reels 15, 16 so that the reels 15, 16 fit closely in the recesses 7, 8 with the two reels 15, 16 resting against each other along the centre line of the trailer floor.

One or more additional rubber mats 13, 14 may be provided for insertion in the recesses 7, 8 under the reels so that reels of different diameters can be

I

accommodated.

With the arrangement described above secure and sale support of the reels 15, 16 can be ensured with the support devices I which are simple and convenient to apply to an existing road trailer and can be liglit weight. By use of additional rubber mats 13, 14, as described, different sizes of reels 15, 16 can be accommodated on a conventional trailer.

It is of course to be understood that the invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above embodiment which are described by way of example only. The invention is particularly suitable for use with paper reels especially newsprint reels although it may also be used with other bodies whether cylindrical or of other shape.

Claims

CLAIMS

1. A support device for supporting a large body on a load supporting structure of a road vehicle, said device comprising a rigid elongate member locatable on the load supporting structure by interfit of respective configurations of the member and the load supporting structure which restrain the member against movement longitudinally relative to the load supporting structure, said member having an upper surface thereto with at least one shaped recess therein to receive and locate a respective said body.

2. A support device according to claim I wherein the member is arranged to be locatable on the load supporting structure transversely thereof.

3. A support device according to claim 2 wherein the member extends substantially or wholly across the load supporting structure from side to side thereof.

4. A support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the interfitting configurations comprise one or more downwardly directed projections on the member which fit alongside one or more abutments of the load supporting structure.

5. A support device according to claim 4 wherein there are respective said projections at opposite ends of the member which engage outer surfaces of respective abutments at opposite sides of the load supporting structure.

6. A support device according to any one of claims I to 5 wherein the member comprises a hollow section beam.

7. A support device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the said recess is of concave curvature.

8. A support device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein there are two said recesses.

9. A support device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the (or each) recess is covered with a surface covering element.

10. A load supporting structure of a road vehicle incorporating a support device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A load supporting structure of a road vehicle incorporating multiple support devices according to any one of claims 1 to 9 at spaced positions along the load supporting structure.

12. A load supporting structure according to claim 10 or 11 which is a flat bed of a load transporting road vehicle trailer.

13. A load supporting structure according to any one of claims 10 to 12 in conjunction with a body supported on the upper surface of the said member, said body having a transverse dimension at least 25% of the transverse width of the load supporting structure.

14. A load supporting structure according to any one of claims 10 to 12 in conjunction with only two bodies supported in two said recesses of said member.

15. A load supporting structure according to claim 13 or 14 wherein the, or each, body is a paper reel.

16. A support device or a load supporting structure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.