Container transporter apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus for loading, transporting and unloading containers, comprising the combination of a mobile main frame, conveyor means on the main frame to move a container to and from a transport position thereon, container hold-down means on the main frame to engage and hold the container with respect to the main frame, a pair of transfer ramps, each ramp positioned at a respective end of the conveyor means and comprising a conveyor mounted for movement between a first position inclined outwardly and downwardly for loading of the container and a second position inclined outwardly and upwardly with said conveyor means for unloading of the container, a pair of container stops spaced apart longitudinally substantially the length of the container, each stop pivotally mounted on the main frame at a respective end of the conveyor for movement between a raised position stopping outward travel of a container and a lowered position permitting unloading of the container from said respective end, and operating means adapted to move a selected container stop to its lowered position and its associated transfer ramp to its second position for unloading a container from said transport position.

Claim 3

Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the container hold-down means comprises a hold-down frame mounted for lateral translatory movement within a range of travel with respect to the path of container travel on the conveyor to accomodate container misalignment and skewing during loading thereon, and a pair of spaced apart guide assemblies, each guide assembly mounted on an end of the hold-down frame to engage a respective container side for restraining the container in said transport position.

Claim 4

Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the container is formed with a pair of longitudinally extending grooves formed along the lower edges of respective container sides, and wherein each of the guide assemblies includes an inwardly projecting, longitudinally extending flange adapted for interfitting engagement with a corresponding container groove.

Claim 5

Apparatus for loading, transporting and unloading containers comprising the combination of a mobile Main frame, conveyor means on the main frame to move a container to and from a transport position thereon, container stop means adapted to releasably hold the container on the conveyor in said transport position, and container hold-down means including a pair of guide assemblies spaced apart substantially the width of a container, each of said guide assemblies including cooperative locking means to releasably receive a respective container side and preclude vertical displacement of said container side with respect to said conveyor, and means to constrain the guide assemblies for lateral conjoint movement relative to the conveyor path within a range of travel to accommodate container misalignment and skewing during loading.

Claim 6

Apparatus for loading, transporting and unloading containers comprising the combination of a mobile Main frame, conveyor means on the main frame to move a container to and from a transport position thereon, container stop means adapted to releasably hold the container on the conveyor in said transport position, and container hold-down means including a pair of guide assemblies spaced apart substantially the width of a container, each of said guide assemblies including cooperative locking means to releasably receive a respective container side and preclude vertical displacement of said container side with respect to said conveyor, and means to constrain the guide assemblies for lateral conjoint movement relative to the conveyor path within a range of travel to accommodate container misalignment and skewing during loading.

Claim 7

Apparatus as in claim 4 wherein the container is provided with longitudinally extending grooves at the lower edges of respective container sides, and each of said guide assembly locking means including an inwardly projecting flange in registry with a respective container groove for engagement therewith during container loading and transporting and disengagement therefrom during container unloading.

Claim 8

Apparatus as in claim 4 wherein each of said guide assemblies is mounted for pivotal movement about a vertical axis within a range of angular displacement to accomodate misalignment and skewing of the container during movement thereof to and from the transport position.

Claim 9

Apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said means constraining the guide assemblies comprises a hold-down frame mounted on the main frame for lateral movement within said range of travel, and each of the guide assemblies are mounted at a respective end of said hold-down frame.

Claim 10

Apparatus as in claim 4 wherein the guide assemblies each include a pair of sidewalls, each sidewall inclined outwardly across the path of container movement during loading providing an inclined camming surface against which the lower side edge of a misaligned or skewed container acts for moving the guide assemblies into alignment with said container sides.

Claim 11

Apparatus for loading, transporting and unloading containers, comprising the combination of a mobile main frame, a turntable mounted on the frame for rotation about an upright axis, conveyor means on the turntable to move a container to and from a transport position thereon, container stop means at respective ends of the conveyor means, each of the container stop means being mounted for movement between a raised position preventing movement of a container from the transport position over the respective conveyor end and a lowered position permitting container movement thereover, a pair of transfer ramps, each ramp positioned at a respective end of the conveyor means outwardly of its associated container stop means and mounted for movement between a first position inclined downwardly away from the conveyor means for loading of the container and a second position inclined upwardly away from the conveyor means for container unloading.

Claim 12

Apparatus for loading, transporting and unloading containers, comprising the combination of a mobile main frame, a turntable mounted on the frame for rotation about an upright axis, conveyor means on the turntable to move a container to and from a transport position thereon, container stop means at respective ends of the conveyor means, each of the container stop means being mounted for movement between a raised position preventing movement of a container from the transport position over the respective conveyor end and a lowered position permitting container movement thereover, a pair of transfer ramps, each ramp positioned at a respective end of the conveyor means outwardly of its associated container stop means and mounted for movement between a first position inclined downwardly away from the conveyor means for loading of the container and a second position inclined upwardly away from the conveyor means for container unloading.

Claim 13

Apparatus as in claim 9 and further including operating means adapted to move a selected container stop means to its lowered position and its associated transfer ramp to its second position for unloading a container from the selected end of the conveyor.

Claim 14

Apparatus for loading, transporting and unloading containers, comprising the combination of a mobile main frame, conveyor means on the main frame to move a container to and from a transport position thereon, container stop means at respective ends of the conveyor means, each of the container stop means being mounted for movement between a raised position preventing movement of a container from the transport position over the respective conveyor end and a lowered position permitting container movement thereover, a pair of transfer ramps, each ramp positioned at a respective end of the conveyor means outwardly of its associated container stop means and mounted for movement between a first position inclined downwardly away from the conveyor means for loading of the coNtainer and a second position inclined upwardly away from the conveyor means for container unloading, operating means adapted to move a selected container stop to its lowered position and its associated transfer ramp to its second position for unloading a container from the selected end of the conveyor, each container stop means being yieldably biased to its raised position and each transfer ramp being movable, when said operating means is inactivated, to its first position whereby movement of a container toward the transport position from a selected end of the conveyor permits the respective container stop means to return to its raised position after it has been cleared by the container for locking the container in the transport position, and whereby unloading of a container from the transfer ramp permits the same to return to its first position.

Claim 15

Apparatus for loading, transporting and unloading containers, comprising the combination of a mobile main frame, conveyor means on the main frame to move a container to and from a transport position thereon, container stop means at respective ends of the conveyor means, each of the container stop means being mounted for movement between a raised position preventing movement of a container from the transport position over the respective conveyor end and a lowered position permitting container movement thereover, a pair of transfer ramps, each ramp positioned at a respective end of the conveyor means outwardly of its associated container stop means and mounted for movement between a first position inclined downwardly away from the conveyor means for loading of the coNtainer and a second position inclined upwardly away from the conveyor means for container unloading, operating means adapted to move a selected container stop to its lowered position and its associated transfer ramp to its second position for unloading a container from the selected end of the conveyor, each container stop means being yieldably biased to its raised position and each transfer ramp being movable, when said operating means is inactivated, to its first position whereby movement of a container toward the transport position from a selected end of the conveyor permits the respective container stop means to return to its raised position after it has been cleared by the container for locking the container in the transport position, and whereby unloading of a container from the transfer ramp permits the same to return to its first position.

Claim 16

Apparatus for loading, transporting and unloading containers, comprising the combination of a mobile main frame, conveyor means on the main frame to move a container to and from a transport position thereon, container stop means at respective ends of the conveyor means, each of the container stop means being mounted for movement between a raised position preventing movement of a container from the transport position over the respective conveyor end and a lowered position permitting permitting container movement thereover, a pair of transfer ramps, each ramp positioned at a respective end of the conveyor means outwardly of its associated container stop means and mounted for movement between a first position inclined downwardly away from the conveyor means for loading of the container and a second position inclined upwardly away from the conveyor means for container unloading, operating means adapted to move a selected container stop to its lowered position and its associated transfer ramp to its second position for unloading a container from the selected end of the conveyor, said operating means including means to move the transfer ramp associated with a container stop to said second position simultaneous with movement of the container stop to its lowered position whereby movement of a container over a depressed one of the container stops holds the associated transfer ramp in said second position until unloading of the container is completed.

Claim 17

Apparatus for loading, transporting and unloading containers, comprising the combination of a mobile main frame, conveyor means on the main frame to move a container to and from a transport position thereon, container stop means at respective ends of the conveyor means, each of the container stop means being mounted for movement between a raised position preventing movement of a container from the transport position over the respective conveyor end and a lowered position permitting permitting container movement thereover, a pair of transfer ramps, each ramp positioned at a respective end of the conveyor means outwardly of its associated container stop means and mounted for movement between a first position inclined downwardly away from the conveyor means for loading of the container and a second position inclined upwardly away from the conveyor means for container unloading, operating means adapted to move a selected container stop to its lowered position and its associated transfer ramp to its second position for unloading a container from the selected end of the conveyor, said operating means including means to move the transfer ramp associated with a container stop to said second position simultaneous with movement of the container stop to its lowered position whereby movement of a container over a depressed one of the container stops holds the associated transfer ramp in said second position until unloading of the container is completed.

Claim 18

Apparatus for loading, transporting and unloading containers, comprising the combination of a mobile main frame, conveyor means on the main frame to move a container to and from a transport position thereon, container stop means at respective ends of the conveyor means, each of the container stop means being mounted for movement between a raised position preventing movement of a container from the transport position over the respective conveyor end and a lowered position permitting container movement thereover, a pair of transfer ramps, each ramp positioned at a respective end of the conveyor means outwardly of its associated container stop means and mounted for movement between a first position inclined downwardly away from the conveyor means for loading of the container and a second position inclined upwardly away from the conveyor means for container unloading, operating means adapted to move a selected container stop means to its lowered position and its associated transfer ramp to its second position for unloading a container from the selected end of the conveyor, said operating means including a pair of actuating handles positioned at respective ends of the conveyor means, and means interconnecting a respective one of the handles for conjointly operating the container stop and transfer ramp at an opposite end of the conveyor means between said raised and lowered positions of the stop means and said first and second positions of the ramp.

Claim 19

Apparatus for loading, transporting and unloading containers, comprising the combination of a mobile main frame, conveyor means on the main frame to move a container to and from a transport position thereon, container stop means at respective ends of the conveyor means, each of the container stop means being mounted for movement between a raised position preventing movement of a container from the transport position over the respective conveyor end and a lowered position permitting container movement thereover, a pair of transfer ramps, each ramp positioned at a respective end of the conveyor means outwardly of its associated container stop means and mounted for movement between a first position inclined downwardly away from the conveyor means for loading of the container and a second position inclined upwardly away from the conveyor means for container unloading, operating means adapted to move a selected container stop means to its lowered position and its associated transfer ramp to its second position for unloading a container from the selected end of the conveyor, said operating means including a pair of actuating handles positioned at respective ends of the conveyor means, and means interconnecting a respective one of the handles for conjointly operating the container stop and transfer ramp at an opposite end of the conveyor means between said raised and lowered positions of the stop means and said first and second positions of the ramp.

Claim 20

Apparatus as in claim 13 wherein each of the actuating handles is mounted for movement between a lowered position operating its associated stop and ramp to respective raised and second positions, and to an elevated position operating its associated stop and ramp to a respective lowered and first position, and said means interconnecting the handles includes lost-motion connection means permitting movement of a container stop to its lowered position during container loading while its associated handle returns to its lowered position.