Apparatus for loading bagged mail from a loading dock into a highway vehicle

Claim 2

In bulk mail handling apparatus for loading elongated mail bags from a loading dock into the load receiving area of an end loading transport vehicle backed into load receiving position adjacent the dock to dispose its end opening to receive the bags, without workers on the dock handling the bags having to enter the vehicle, and without requiring that pallets remain with the bags after they are loaded into the vehicle, said apparatus comprising: a conveyor movably mounted on the loading dock adjacent the load receiving position of the vehicle and having a width transversely thereof approximately the width of the mail bags, said conveyor being positioned to be aligned with the vehicle and its end opening in the load receiving position of the vehicle and mounted for movement into and out of the vehicle, said conveyor presenting an upwardly facing load transporting surface at an elevation for convenient manual lifting of the bags from the dock onto the conveyor surface and defining a path of movement for the mail bags that extends longitudinally of said conveyor, with said conveyor having its forward end extending toward and movably supported on the load receiving position of the vehicle and mounted for upward tilting movement about an axis intermediate the ends of the conveyor and adjacent the level of said conveyor surface, means on said conveyor for swinging said conveyor forward end about said axis to raise and lower said conveyor forward end relative to the vehicle load receiving area, said conveyor at its forward end carrying a mail bag discharge device extending transversely thereof, said discharge device being adjustably mounted for selective movement transversely to either side of said path of movement and including means for seLectively discharging mail bags from either end of same, whereby mail bags may be loaded onto said conveyor surface with the bags thereof oriented to extend longitudinally of the vehicle and for movement by said conveyor in single file form to said discharge device, and said discharge device may be selectively positioned and operated to transversely shift and then discharge said bags one by one in a stack forming position in said vehicle area while maintaining said orientation.

Claim 3

In bulk mail handling apparatus for loading elongated mail bags from a loading dock into the load receiving area of an end loading transport vehicle backed into load receiving position adjacent the dock to dispose its end opening to receive the bags, without workers on the dock handling the bags having to enter the vehicle, and without requiring that pallets remain with the bags after they are loaded into the vehicle, said apparatus comprising: a conveyor movably mounted on the loading dock adjacent the load receiving position of the vehicle, said conveyor being positioned to be aligned with the vehicle and its end opening in the load receiving position of the vehicle and mounted for longitudinal movement into and out of the vehicle, said conveyor presenting an upwardly facing load transporting surface at an elevation for convenient manual lifting of the bags from the dock onto the conveyor surface and defining a path of movement for the mail bags that extends longitudinally of said conveyor, said surface being proportioned transversely of the conveyor to accommodate the bags loaded thereon in single file form and oriented to extend longitudinally of the conveyor, with said conveyor having its forward end extending toward and movably supported on the load receiving position of the vehicle and mounted for upward tilting movement about an axis intermediate the ends of said conveyor and adjacent the level of said surface, said conveyor at its forward end carrying a mail bag discharge device extending transversely thereof and mounted for movement transversely of said path of movement, means for selectively positioning said discharge device to dispose either end thereof at predetermined positions transversely of said path of movement in the vehicle load receiving area, said conveyor being proportioned lengthwise thereof to extend between a rearward mail bag receiving position on the loading dock and forward mail bag discharging positions within the vehicle, means on said conveyor for tilting said conveyor forward end about said axis to adjust same to dispose said discharge device at a selected position of elevation in the vehicle load receiving area, and means for shifting to and then discharging from a selected end of the discharge device mail bags received thereon from said conveyor surface, whereby the mail bags may be mechanically transferred between the mail bag receiving position and the vehicle load receiving area while maintaining said orientation.

Claim 4

In bulk mail handling apparatus for loading elongated mail bags from a loading dock into the load receiving area of an end loading transport vehicle backed into load receiving position adjacent the dock to dispose its end opening to receive the bags, without workers on the dock handling the bags having to enter the vehicle, and without requiring that pallets remain with the bags after they are loaded into the vehicle, said apparatus comprising: a conveyor movably mounted on the loading dock adjacent the load receiving position of the vehicle, said conveyor being positioned to be aligned with the vehicle and its end opening in the load receiving position of the vehicle and mounted for longitudinal movement into and out of the vehicle, said conveyor presenting an upwardly facing load transporting surface at an elevation for convenient manual lifting of the bags from the dock onto the conveyor surface and defining a path of movement for the mail bags that extends longitudinally of said conveyor, said surface being proportioned transversely of the conveyor to accommodate the bags loaded thereon in single file form and oriented to extend longitudinally of the conveyor, with said conveyor having its forward end extending toward and movably supported on the load receiving position of the vehicle and mounted for upward tilting movement about an axis intermediate the ends of said conveyor and adjacent the level of said surface, said conveyor at its forward end carrying a mail bag discharge device extending transversely thereof and mounted for movement transversely of said path of movement, means for selectively positioning said discharge device to dispose either end thereof at predetermined positions transversely of said path of movement in the vehicle load receiving area, said conveyor being proportioned lengthwise thereof to extend between a rearward mail bag receiving position on the loading dock and forward mail bag discharging positions within the vehicle, means on said conveyor for tilting said conveyor forward end about said axis to adjust same to dispose said discharge device at a selected position of elevation in the vehicle load receiving area, and means for shifting to and then discharging from a selected end of the discharge device mail bags received thereon from said conveyor surface, whereby the mail bags may be mechanically transferred between the mail bag receiving position and the vehicle load receiving area while maintaining said orientation.

Claim 5

The apparatus set forth in claim 2 wherein: said discharge device comprises: a conveyor apparatus for moving mail bags received thereon from said conveyor transversely of said path, and means for driving said conveyor in either direction.

Claim 6

The apparatus set forth in claim 3 wherein: said conveyor apparatus has a length that does not exceed one half the dimension of the vehicle area transversely of the vehicle.

Claim 7

The apparatus set forth in claim 3 wherein: said conveyor comprises two conveyor units secured together in end to end tandem relation, with the conveyor unit at the discharge end of said conveyor comprising said forward end of said conveyor.

Claim 8

The apparatus set forth in claim 5 wherein: said conveyor unit comprising said forward end of said conveyor comprises: a wheeled frame, a conveyor frame mounted on said wheeled frame for tilting movement about said axis, said tilting means comprising: a pair of uprights carrieD by said wheeled frame and disposed on either side of said conveyor frame and between said axis and said discharge device, cable means trained over the respective uprights and connected at like ends thereof to said conveyor frame, and power means operably connected to the other ends of said cable means for tilting said conveyor frame about said axis.

Claim 9

The apparatus set forth in claim 5 wherein: said conveyor frame has a horizontal beam secured thereto at the said discharge end of said conveyor and extending transversely of said path, said conveyor apparatus being carried by said beam and mounted thereon for said movement of said discharge device transversely of said path, said selective positioning means comprising power operated means carried by said conveyor apparatus.