DESC:ARTICLE TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE

Field of the invention:

The present invention relates to an article transportation vehicle, and more particularly, to an article locking, rotating and transporting mechanism.

Background of the invention:

Generally, in many industries, warehouses, factories, barrels/cylindrical containers/ drums are mainly used to store a variety of liquids and other materials. The barrels are used to transport goods between locations. Typically, a standard 55 gallon barrel is extremely heavy and difficult to move. In prior art, various types of trolleys or transportation vehicles are used for transportation of the barrels from a source location to a destination location.

A cited patent US6682084B2 discloses a container dolly with multi-purpose handle for transporting material containers including a base having a pair of wheels attached thereto. A handle is removably attached to the base and has a seal and plug removal wrench fixedly attached near one end thereof. A second plug removal wrench is fixedly attached near the opposite end of the handle. A tilting lever is fixedly secured to the handle, whereby a portion of the material container is raised with the tilting lever, and the base is positioned underneath the material container.

Another cited patent US6682084B2 discloses a 4 wheeled cart for transporting and storing a barrel including a handle permanently attached to the side of the cart. Raising the handle simultaneously raises the wheels off the ground to prevent cart movement. The barrel can be restrained to the cart by locking the handle which extends up and over the cart.

Also, another cited patent US6830422B2 discloses a container transport apparatus for transporting a shipping container between two locations, such as between residences or business locations, includes a front unit and a separate rear unit for supporting the respective forward and rear ends of the shipping container. The front and rear units each include a frame structure with upper and lower hydraulically extendible vertical arm members. Locking pins on the vertical arm members engage sockets on the corners of the shipping container to facilitate vertical lifting and support of the container above the ground without tilting the container, thereby preventing damage to articles packed in the container.

However, the cited prior art patents include following drawbacks:
1. The prior art does not provide proper locking mechanism to lock the article during transportation.
2. The prior art does not include proper mechanism pivoting of the article as per requirement.
3. The prior art does not have easy mechanism for lifting / loading the article on the transportation vehicle.
4. The prior art does not disclose suitable mechanism for releasing the article at a destination in vertical position without tilting.

Accordingly, there exists need to provide an article transportation vehicle that overcomes the above mentioned drawbacks in the prior art.

Objects of the invention:

An object of the present invention is to facilitate easy transportation of articles, specifically, oil barrels, from one destination to another on a shop floor.

Another object of the present invention is to provide locking mechanism to lock an article during the transportation.

Yet, another object of the present invention is to release the article at a destination in vertical position without tilting.

Further, the object of the present invention is to prevent the article from falling during the transportation.

Summary of the Invention:

Accordingly, the present invention provides an article transportation vehicle (hereinafter referred as, “the vehicle’) for transportation of an article. The vehicle comprises comprises of a trolley frame, a plurality of wheels (hereinafter referred as, “the wheels)”), a set of plummer blocks (hereinafter referred as, “the plummer blocks”), an article holding/locking frame, a locking mechanism and a reduction gear box.

The trolley frame has “L” shaped framed structure welded together to form a base for handling and transporting an article of various shape, size and weight including mild steel (MS) oil barrels, carton boxes, castings, MS structures and like from one destination to another on a shop floor. The trolley frame is made from mild steel (MS) square tube having diameter of 50 mm. The trolley frame includes a vehicle handle, a vertical member and a horizontal member. The vehicle handle is made from 2? MS pipe to guide of the trolley movement on the shop floor. The height of the vertical member can be varied according to size, shape and weight of the article. The horizontal member is specifically designed in such a way that to accommodate, to rotate and to transport the article as per user requirement. The wheels are attached below the trolley frame to provide movement of the article on the shop floor and non-shop floor areas. Two front wheels are of fixed (non-swivel) type and two rear wheels are of swivel type for guiding movement of the vehicle in different directions and different angles. The wheels are made up of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMPE).

The plummer blocks are fixed on the horizontal member of the trolley frame for rotating the article on a single pivot and for guiding the article from a vertical position to a horizontal position on a pivot point and vice versa as per application requirement. The plummer blocks are bolted to the trolley frame using at least three high strength Allen bolts, on each left-hand side and right-hand side thereof. The plummer blocks are standard items of P606 type used for rotating the objects/structure on a single pivot. The article holding/locking frame is arranged to hold the article. The article holding/locking frame includes a locking ring to lock the article at top end, a pin, at least two side plates for strengthening the article holding/locking frame and a solid rod/shaft provided to guide the article holding/locking frame on the pivot point. The locking ring is hinged with the at least two side plates using the pin. The article holding/locking frame is fabricated structure from 12 mm mild steel (MS) plate welded to hold up to 200 kilograms of load based on the shape, size and weight of the article to be transported / handled including carton boxes, castings and mild steel (MS) structures. The article holding/locking frame locks the article like oil barrel from its peripheral ring in the vertical position and protects the article from falling from the vehicle.

The locking mechanism is arranged to lock the article in the vertical position as well as in the horizontal position during movement of the vehicle on the wheels. The locking mechanism includes a pin of mild steel having square threads on 45 mm diameter thereof as male part and a nut as female part having equivalent square threads of the pin to ensure proper locking. The locking mechanism locks the article by rotating the nut in clock-wise direction and unloads/releases the article at the destination in the vertical position by unscrewing the nut in anti-clock direction. The reduction gear box is coupled with the solid rod/shaft through the plummer blocks to guide the article at different angles as per application requirement and to facilitate easy rotation of the article from the horizontal position to the vertical position and vice-versa. The reduction gear box includes gear sets of 25:1 ratio and a handle arranged therein. The pivot point is center of gravity of the article as in the article holding/locking frame and is guided by the reduction gear box. The solid rod/shaft is provided to guide the article holding/locking frame on the pivot point through the plummer blocks and the reduction gear box. The pivoting of the article is controlled by the reduction gear box up to 90 degrees.

Brief description of the drawings:

The objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent when the disclosure is read in conjunction with the following figures, wherein

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an article transportation vehicle, in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 shows an elevational side view of the article transportation vehicle of the figure 1;

Figure 3 shows an elevational front view of the article transportation vehicle of the figure 1;

Figure 4 shows an elevational top view of the transportation vehicle of the figure 1;

Figure 5 shows perspective view of a trolley frame of the article transportation vehicle of the figure 1;

Figure 6 shows perspective view of a wheel of the article transportation vehicle of the figure 1;

Figure 7 shows perspective view of a plummer block of the article transportation vehicle of the figure 1;

Figure 8 shows perspective view of an arrangement of the trolley frame, the wheel and the plummer block of the article transportation vehicle of the figure 1;

Figure 9 shows perspective view of an article holding/locking frame of the article transportation vehicle of the figure 1;

Figure 10 shows perspective view of a locking mechanism of the article transportation vehicle of the figure 1;

Figure 11 shows perspective view the locking mechanism as an integral part of the article transportation vehicle of the figure 1; and

Figure 12 shows perspective view of a reduction gear box of the transportation vehicle of the figure 1.

Detailed description of the embodiments:

The foregoing objects of the present invention are accomplished and the problems and shortcomings associated with the prior art, techniques and approaches are overcome by the present invention as described below in the preferred embodiments.

The present invention provides an article transportation vehicle. The article transportation vehicle facilitates easy transportation of articles, specifically, oil barrels, from one destination to another on a shop floor. The article transportation vehicle includes locking mechanism to lock an article during the transportation and to release the article at a destination in vertical position without tilting.

The present invention is illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings, throughout which reference numbers indicate corresponding parts in the various figures. These reference numbers are shown in bracket in the following description.

Referring to figures 1 to 12, an article transportation vehicle (100) (hereinafter referred as, “the vehicle (100”), for transportation of an article (not shown), in accordance with the present invention is shown. Specifically, the vehicle (100) is used for the transportation mild steel (MS) oil barrels form one destination to another on a shop floor. In an embodiment, the vehicle (100) can be designed according to shape, size and weight of the article to be transported / handled such as carton boxes, castings, MS structures and like.

The vehicle (100) comprises of a trolley frame (20), a plurality of wheels (30) (hereinafter referred as, “the wheels (30)”), a set of plummer blocks (40) (hereinafter referred as, “the plummer blocks (40)”), an article holding/locking frame (60), a locking mechanism (70) and a reduction gear box (80).

The trolley frame (20) (refer figure 5) is made from MS square tube 50 mm. The trolley frame (20) is “L” framed structure welded together to form a base for the article handling and transporting. The trolley frame (20) comprises a vehicle handle (5), a vertical member (10) and a horizontal member (15). The vehicle handle (5) is made from 2” MS pipe to guide of the trolley movement on the shop floor. The horizontal member (15) is specifically designed in such a way that to accommodate the article as per user requirement, to rotate the article and to transport the article. The height of the vertical member (10) can be varied according to size, shape and weight of the article.

The wheels (30) (refer figures 6 and 8) are attached below the trolley frame (20) to provide movement of the article on the shop floor and non-shop floor areas. The wheels (30) are made up of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMPE). Total number of the wheels (30) is four. Specifically, two front wheels are of fixed (non-swivel) type and two rear wheels are of swivel type for guiding movement of the vehicle (100) in different direction and different angles.

The plummer blocks (40) (refer figures 7 and 8) are standard items of P606 type used for rotating the objects/structure on a single pivot. The plummer blocks (40) are fixed on the horizontal member (15) of the trolley frame (20) for rotating the article on a single pivot. The plummer blocks (40) are bolted to the trolley frame (20) using Allen bolts. The plummer blocks (40) are used to guide the article from a vertical position to a horizontal position on a pivot point and vice versa as per application requirement. The pivot point is center of gravity of the article as in the article holding/locking frame (60) and is guided by the reduction gear box (80).

The article holding/locking frame (60) (refer figure 9) is used to hold the article. The article holding/locking frame (60) is fabricated structure from 12 mm MS plate welded. The article holding/locking frame (60) is further bolted to the plummer blocks (40) using high strength Allen bolts, specifically at least three Allen bolts, on each left-hand side and right-hand side. The article holding/locking frame (60) includes a locking ring (45), a pin (48), at least two side plates (50) and a solid rod/shaft (55). The locking ring (45) is used to lock the article at top end. The locking ring (45) is hinged using the pin (48) with the at least two side plates (50). The at least two side plates (50) are provided for strengthening the article holding/locking frame (60). The solid rod/shaft (55) is provided to guide the article holding/locking frame (60) on the pivot point through the plummer blocks (40) and the reduction gear box (80). The article holding/locking frame (60) also locks the article (oil barrel) from its peripheral ring (standard in all oil barrels) in the vertical position and protects the article from falling from the vehicle (100). In an embodiment, the article holding/locking frame (60), as designed, can hold up to 200 kilograms of load. In another embodiment, the article holding/locking frame (60) can be designed according to the shape, size and weight of the article to be transported / handled such as carton boxes, castings, MS structures and like.

The locking mechanism (70) (refer figures 10 and 11) is designed to lock the article in the vertical position as well as in the horizontal position during movement of the vehicle (100) on the wheels (30). The locking mechanism (70) includes square threads on 45 mm diameter mild steel pin (62) as male part and its equivalent nut (64) as female part to ensure proper locking. The locking mechanism (70) locks the article by rotating the nut (64) in clock-wise direction. The locking mechanism (70) is also used for unloading/releasing of the article at the destination in the vertical position by unscrewing the nut (64) in anti-clock direction.

The reduction gear box (80) (refer figure 12) is used for easy rotation of the article from the horizontal position to the vertical position and vice-versa. The reduction gear box (80) includes a gear box (72) and a handle (75). The reduction gear box (80) is Hindustan make with 25:1 ratio. Due to use of the reduction gear box (80), manual effort is lowered in case of direct lifting of the load/article. The reduction gear box (80) (refer figures 4 and 9) is further coupled with the solid rod/shaft (55) of the article holding/locking frame (60) through the plummer blocks (40) to guide the article at different angles as per application requirement. The pivoting of the article is controlled by the reduction gear box (80) up to 90 degrees.

Advantages of the invention:

1. The vehicle (100) facilitates easy transportation of the articles, specifically, oil barrels, from one destination to another on a shop floor.
2. The vehicle (100) provides the locking mechanism (70) to lock the article during the transportation.
3. The vehicle (100) also facilitates releasing of the article at the destination in vertical position without tilting.
4. The vehicle (100) prevents the article from falling during the transportation.

The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, and to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is understood that various omissions and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, but such omissions and substitutions are intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the scope of the claims of the present invention. ,CLAIMS:We Claim:

1. An article transportation vehicle (100) comprising:
a trolley frame (20) having “L” shaped framed structure welded together to form a base for handling and transporting an article of various shape, size and weight including mild steel (MS) oil barrels, carton boxes, castings, MS structures and like from one destination to another on a shop floor, the trolley frame (20) having,
• a vehicle handle (5) configured to guide of movement the article transportation vehicle (100) on the shop floor,
• a vertical member (10) arranged thereon, wherein the height of the vertical member (10) is varied according to size, shape and weight of the article,
• a horizontal member (15) arranged thereon to accommodate, rotate and transport the article as per requirement;
a plurality of wheels (30) attached below the trolley frame (20) to provide movement of the article on the shop floor and non-shop floor areas, wherein two front wheels are of fixed (non-swivel) type and two rear wheels are of swivel type for guiding movement of the article transportation vehicle (100) in different directions and different angles;
a set of plummer blocks (40) fixed on the horizontal member (15) of the trolley frame (20) for rotating the article on a single pivot and for guiding the article from a vertical position to a horizontal position on a pivot point and vice versa as per application requirement, wherein the set of plummer blocks (40) are bolted to the trolley frame (20) using at least three high strength Allen bolts, on each left-hand side and right-hand side thereof;
an article holding/locking frame (60) arranged to hold the article, the article holding/locking frame (60) having,
• a locking ring (45) used to lock the article at top end,
• a pin (48),
• at least two side plates (50) provided for strengthening the article holding/locking frame (60), wherein the locking ring (45) is hinged with the at least two side plates (50) using the pin (48), and
• a solid rod/shaft (55) provided to guide the article holding/locking frame (60) on the pivot point;
a locking mechanism (70) arranged to lock the article in the vertical position as well as in the horizontal position during movement of the article transportation vehicle (100) on the plurality of wheels (30), the locking mechanism including,
• a pin (62) of mild steel having square threads on 45 mm diameter thereof as male part, and
• a nut (64) as female part having equivalent square threads of the pin (62) to ensure proper locking,
wherein, the locking mechanism (70) locks the article by rotating the nut (64) in clock-wise direction and unloads/releases the article at the destination in the vertical position by unscrewing the nut (64) in anti-clock direction; and
a reduction gear box (80) coupled with the solid rod/shaft (55) through the set of plummer blocks (40) to guide the article at different angles as per application requirement and to facilitate easy rotation of the article from the horizontal position to the vertical position and vice-versa, the reduction gear box (80) having a gear sets (72) of 25:1 ratio and a handle (75) arranged therein.

2. The article transportation vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the trolley frame (20) is made from mild steel (MS) square tube having diameter of 50 mm.

3. The article transportation vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of wheels (30) is made up of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMPE).
4. The article transportation vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the set of plummer blocks (40) are standard items of P606 type used for rotating the objects/structure on a single pivot.

5. The article transportation vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the article holding/locking frame (60) is fabricated structure from 12 mm mild steel (MS) plate welded.

6. The article transportation vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the article holding/locking frame (60) locks the article like oil barrel from its peripheral ring in the vertical position and protects the article from falling from the article transportation vehicle (100).

7. The article transportation vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the article holding/locking frame (60) is designed to hold up to 200 kilograms of load based on the shape, size and weight of the article to be transported / handled including carton boxes, castings and mild steel (MS) structures.

8. The article transportation vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pivot point is center of gravity of the article as in the article holding/locking frame (60) and is guided by the reduction gear box (80).

9. The article transportation vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solid rod/shaft (55) is provided to guide the article holding/locking frame (60) on the pivot point through the set of plummer blocks (40) and the reduction gear box (80).

10. The article transportation vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pivoting of the article is controlled by the reduction gear box (80) up to 90 degrees.

Dated this 03rd day of October 2017

Madhavi Vajirakar
(Agent for Applicant)
IN/PA-2337