Aligning Ramp for Aligning a Shipping Container Loaded on a Vehicle, and Combination of a Shipping Container Loaded on a Vehicle and the Aligning Ramp

Abstract

The invention relates to an aligning ramp for aligning a shipping container loaded on a vehicle, the aligning ramp including: a support structure; guiding means supported by the support structure above a base plane, which guiding means includes at least two guides arranged parallel and at a distance from each other, wherein each guide diverges relative to the base plane from a first position to a second position; an elongate carriage, wherein each end of the elongate carriage is guided by a guide of the guiding means; and connecting means arranged in longitudinal direction at a central position to the elongate carriage.

Claims

1. An aligning ramp for aligning a shipping container loaded on a vehicle, the aligning ramp comprising: a support structure; guiding means supported by the support structure above a base plane, which guiding means comprise at least two guides arranged parallel and at a distance from each other, wherein each guide diverges relative to the base plane from a first position to a second position; an elongate carriage, wherein each end of the elongate carriage is guided by a guide of the guiding means, and connecting means arranged in longitudinal direction at a central position to the elongate carriage.

2. The aligning ramp according to claim 1, wherein the connecting means comprise a connecting plate for connecting to the bottom of a shipping container, which connecting plate is parallel to the guides and the longitudinal axis of the carriage.

3. The aligning ramp according to claim 2, wherein the connecting plate is provided with an abutment wall arranged perpendicular to the connecting plate and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the carriage.

4. The aligning ramp according to claim 1, wherein each guide comprises a guide rail, preferably with a C-shaped cross-section, and wherein each end of the elongate carriage is provided with at least one roller for running on the corresponding guide rail.

5. The aligning ramp according to claim 1, wherein the at least two guides are provided beyond the second position with a guide part parallel to the base plane.

6. The aligning ramp according to claim 1, wherein the at least two guides have a linear gradient between the first and second position.

7. The aligning ramp according to claim 6, wherein the angle between the base plane and the at least two guides having a linear gradient is between 20 and 30.

8. The aligning ramp according to claim 1, further comprising a loading assembly arranged to the support structure in line with the guide means on the side of the second position, which loading assembly comprises a pusher plate movable in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the carriage.

9. The aligning ramp according to claim 1, further comprising at least one auxiliary connection block with a connection pin for attaching to twistlock attachment points on a container, which connection block is moveably arranged along the carriage.

10. The combination of a shipping container loaded on a vehicle and an aligning ramp according to claim 1, wherein the connecting means of the loading ramp are connected to the bottom of the shipping container.

11. The aligning ramp according to claim 6, wherein the angle between the base plane and the at least two guides having a linear gradient is 25.

12. The aligning ramp according to claim 2, wherein each guide comprises a guide rail, preferably with a C-shaped cross-section, and wherein each end of the elongate carriage is provided with at least one roller for running on the corresponding guide rail.

13. The aligning ramp according to claim 3, wherein each guide comprises a guide rail, preferably with a C-shaped cross-section, and wherein each end of the elongate carriage is provided with at least one roller for running on the corresponding guide rail.

14. The aligning ramp according to claim 2, wherein the at least two guides are provided beyond the second position with a guide part parallel to the base plane.

15. The aligning ramp according to claim 3, wherein the at least two guides are provided beyond the second position with a guide part parallel to the base plane.

16. The aligning ramp according to claim 4, wherein the at least two guides are provided beyond the second position with a guide part parallel to the base plane.

17. The aligning ramp according to claim 2, wherein the at least two guides have a linear gradient between the first and second position.

18. The aligning ramp according to claim 3, wherein the at least two guides have a linear gradient between the first and second position.

19. The aligning ramp according to claim 4, wherein the at least two guides have a linear gradient between the first and second position.

20. The aligning ramp according to claim 5, wherein the at least two guides have a linear gradient between the first and second position.

Description

[0038] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of an aligning ramp 1 according to the invention which may be used to vertically align a shipping container. The aligning ramp 1 comprises a support structure 2 and two guiding rails 3, 4 facing each other with their open ends, at a distance of each other, which are fixed to and supported by the support structure 2. The guiding rails 3, 4 are arranged above and at a distance of a base plane 5. The guiding rails 3, 4 diverge with a linear gradient relative to the base plane 5 between a first position 6 and a second position 7. The guiding rails 3, 4 each comprise guide parts 8, 9, parallel to the base plane 5 beyond the second position 7.

[0039] An elongate carriage 10 extends between the guiding rails 3, 4. The elongate carriage 10 comprises two sets 11, 12 of rollers, running on the respective guide rails 3, 4. The carriage 10 is provided with an L-shaped connecting plate 13, 14 comprising a first leg 13 which is parallel to the guide rails 3, 4 and the longitudinal axis of the carriage 10, as well as a second leg 14, perpendicular to the first leg 13 and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the carriage 10. The second leg 14 is provided with an abutment wall 15, extending from the second leg 14 towards the shipping container, parallel to the first leg 13. The connecting plate 13, 14, 15 may connect to the bottom of a shipping container (as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B).

[0040] FIG. 2 shows another perspective view of the aligning ramp 1 and a detail of this perspective view. From FIG. 2, it is also clear that the connecting plate 13, 14 is provided with ribs 16, extending over the back of the legs 13, 14 of the connecting plate that connects to the shipping container.

[0041] FIGS. 3A and 3B shows the aligning ramp 1 which is fixed to a loading assembly 17. The loading assembly 17 is provided with a pusher plate 18, driven by a cylinder 19, movable in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the carriage 10.

[0042] FIG. 3A shows the aligning ramp 1 with a shipping container 100, loaded on a chassis 101 of a vehicle with wheels 102, in an unaligned position. The body of the shipping container 100 approaches the connecting plate 13, 14. When the container 100 is backed up further, the connecting plate 13, 14 connects to the bottom of the container 100, and, because of the connection of connection plate 13, 14 with the guides 3, 4 through carriage 10 and roller sets 11, 12, the container 100 will shift towards a position shown in FIG. 3B, in which the container 100 is shifted and aligned to the loading assembly 17, whereas the wheels 102 and the chassis are suspended in the ramp 1, at a distance from the floor 200.

[0043] It can also be seen from FIG. 3B that the angle a between the base plane 5, which coincides with the floor 200, and the two guides 3, 4 is 25.

[0044] An alternative embodiment of an aligning ramp 30 is shown in FIG. 4. In this figure, the range of motion of the carriage 31 is shown, i.e. the carriage 31 is shown in the same figure in both extreme positions 32, 33. The present embodiment 30 is similar to the first embodiment 1, but, inter alia, has a carriage 31 which is only provided with an open connecting plate 34 which lacks an abutment wall.

[0045] Another alternative embodiment of an aligning ramp 40 is shown in FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C. In the embodiment in these figures, the aligning ramp 40 comprises two auxiliary connection blocks 41, 42, moveable in direction A, B along a connecting beam 43, around which the blocks 41, 42 are mounted. Both connection blocks 41, 42 comprise a pin 44, 45 attachable to twistlock attachment points 46, 47 on the edges of container 48 and thus serve as an additional safeguard for securing the container 48 on the ramp 40.