Vehicle loading and unloading apparatus

Claim 1

VEHICLE LOADING AND UNLOADING APPARATUS COMPRISING: (A) A SUPPORT FRAME ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED BETWEEN A LOADING STATION AND A VEHICLE, (B) A LOAD-CARRYING TONGUE RECIPROCATABLY MOUNTED ON THE FRAME AND COMPRISING A PAIR OF SUPERIMPOSED TONGUE COMPONENTS, (C) REVERSIBLE LOAD LIFT MEANS ON THE TONGUE AND COMPRISING CAM MEANS WORKING BETWEEN THE SECTIONS FOR REVERSIBLY LIFTING THE OVERLYING COMPONENT WITH RESPECT TO THE UNDERLYING COMPONENT, THE CAM MEANS INCLUDING GUIDE MEANS THROUGH THE UNDERLYING COMPONENT, A CAM FOLLOWER FIXED TO THE OVERLYING COMPONENT AND EXTENDING THROUGH THE GUIDE MEANS, A CAM MOUNTED ON THE UNDERLYING COMPONENT IN WORKING RELATION TO THE CAM FOLLOWER, AND A FLUID OPERATED CYLINDER CONNECTED TO THE CAM FOR MOVING IT IN DRIVING RELATION TO THE CAM FOLLOWER, AND (D) TONGUE DRIVE MEANS CONNECTED TO THE TONGUE FOR RECIPROCATING IT BETWEEN A RETRACTED POSITION IN WHICH IT OVERLIES THE FRAME AND EXTENDED POSITION IN WHICH IT EXTENDS INTO THE VEHICLE.