Patent Application
20050254928
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the loading and/or unloading of cargo to and/or from a location. For example, the present provides for methods and apparatuses for loading and/or unloading cargo from for example, an aircraft or the ground.
2. Description of Related Art
Currently, apparatuses and methods used for loading and/or unloading cargo to and/or from an aircraft may be inefficient because they intermediate handling equipment to effectuate the loading and/or unloading. Furthermore, current methods and apparatuses for loading and/or unloading are not easily adaptable to different height levels and grade variations, fail to provide the needed load, flexibility, and maneuverability capabilities in one dedicated vehicle, and fail to provide a solution in a size and weight efficient manner.
Several situations require that cargo be loaded to and unloaded from an airplane. For example, in military applications, it is desirable to use a truck to load and unload cargo airplanes. Conventional trucks, however, suffer from several drawbacks. One example limitation is that conventional trucks often must rely on a platform or other structure between it and the cargo airplane to facilitate loading and unloading. Additionally, the beds of conventional trucks cannot offer a full range of motion that would allow for quick, efficient loading and loading. This inability becomes particularly problematic when trucks are being loaded or unloaded to and from a cargo plane while under enemy fire, making efficiency of utmost importance.
It is believed that several problems associated with conventional trucks stem from at least their inability to use beds or platforms that offer a more complete range of motion such as tilting, rotating, and lifting. It would therefore be advantageous to provide an improved loading and/or unloading technique.
In one respect, the invention involves a vehicle. The vehicle has two or more front tires and two or more rear tires. The vehicle includes a rotatable platform that is configured to be lowered between the front and rear tires to a height lower than a top of the front or rear tires. In a preferred embodiment, the platform is first rotated such that the platform becomes positioned between the front and rear tires. The platform is then lowered in a level or non-level state to assist with cargo loading and/or unloading. In a preferred embodiment, the lowered platform is used to load and/or unload a cargo aircraft. The platform may be configured to rotate approximately 90 degrees before the platform is lowered. The platform may be a half platform. The platform may include a first and second portion, and the second portion may be configured to be lowered to a height lower than a top of the front or rear tires. The platform may be configured to tilt. The platform may be configured to be leveled such that the platform becomes substantially parallel to a surface, which may be a C-130 aircraft's loading platform's surface. The platform may be configured to be lowered to a height substantially equal to that of a loading platform of a C-130 aircraft. The vehicle may also include a crane configured to load or unload cargo.
In another respect, the invention involves a method. A vehicle platform is rotated so that the platform is positioned between front and rear tires of the vehicle. The platform is lowered to a height lower than a top of the front or rear tires. Cargo is loaded or unloaded to or from the vehicle using the lowered platform. The platform may be rotated approximately 90 degrees. The platform may be a half platform. The platform may include a first and second portion, and the second portion may be lowered to a height lower than a top of the front or rear tires. The method may also include tilting the platform. The method may also include leveling the platform so that it becomes substantially parallel to a surface, which may be a C-130 aircraft's loading platform's surface. The platform may be lowered to a height substantially equal to that of a loading platform of a C-130 aircraft. The method may also include using a crane coupled to the vehicle to assist in the loading or unloading of cargo.
Other features and associated advantages will become apparent with reference to the following description and the attached materials.
The use of the word “a” or “an” when used in conjunction with the term “comprising” in the claims and/or the specification may mean “one,” but it is also consistent with the meaning of“one or more,” “at least one,” and “one or more than one.” The term “coupled” is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically.
These, and other, embodiments of the invention will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following description, while indicating various embodiments of the invention and numerous specific details thereof, is given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many substitutions, modifications, additions and/or rearrangements may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims, and the invention includes all such substitutions, modifications, additions and/or rearrangements.
The following drawings form part of the present specification and are included to further demonstrate certain aspects of the present invention. The invention may be better understood by reference to one or more of these drawings in combination with the detailed description of specific embodiments presented herein.
Embodiments of the present invention provide for efficient techniques for cargo delivery at multiple height levels and that can adapt to grade differences using a controllable suspension. In some embodiments, a cargo truck may be used that includes rotating bed, or platform, and a controllable suspension that can lift and lower the platform. The cargo may include, but is not limited to, containers, military cargo, construction equipment, supplies, or other material.
Referring to
In one embodiment, to lower platform 202, the platform may be rotated to about 90 degrees which allows the crane to reach all parts of the platform, as shown in
In another embodiment, platform 302 may be tilted off the cab of truck 300 to a height that is below the top of the rear tires, as shown in
Alternatively, referring to
In another embodiment, a truck may include platform 502A as separate, smaller portion of a bigger platform 502. When platform 502A is lowered to a height that is lower than a top of the rear tire, without having to first rotate, it may be lowered into a space between the cab of the truck and the rear tires.
In each of the above embodiments, the truck may be used to load and unload cargo to and from an aircraft, such as a C-130, as shown in
All of the methods disclosed and claimed here can be made and executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. While the apparatus and techniques of this invention have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that variations may be applied to the methods and in the steps or in the sequence of steps of the method described here without departing from the concept, spirit and scope of the invention. In addition, modifications and substitutions may be made where the same or similar results would be achieved. All such modifications and substitutions apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Each of the following references is incorporated by reference in its entirety into this disclosure:
This patent application claims priority to, and incorporates by reference in its entirety, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/545,327 filed on Feb. 17, 2004.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60545327 | Feb 2004 | US |
