Conveyance apparatus

Abstract

A conveyance apparatus, and method of using the same, allowing an item or box 28 conveyed on top of a sprung block chain (Fig 8) to be retained in position by the resilience of block chain links 27. The weight of item 28 causes sprung blocks (9, Fig 1) on which it rests, to dip into channel (1) as long as the force produced by such an item is sufficient to compress springs (8). Sprung block (9) sits deeper within channel (1) than when in the sprung-up position (Fig 2), with the sides of block (9) being stabilised by the vertical sides of the channel. Chain (4) remains in the same position within gully (2), it is the sprung block which changes position relative to the chain and its fixed brackets. With the block in its lower position, the integral bolts (10) are shown below the brackets having extended through the hole (6), with the nut (3) attached to the bottom of each bolt, and no longer in contact with the underside of the bracket. Each sprung block (9) comprises spring (8), articulating face (12), stop ridge (17), spring compression plunger (16), locator hole (14), chain link (13), axle pin holes (19) and a ridge clip (18). In use, as shown by the figure, also shown are return channel 21, sprockets 23, axle pins 25, up portion 26, and block chain links 27.

Description

The present invention relates to conveyance apparatus for loading and unloading items and methods of using the same. In particular, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to conveyance apparatus to be provided between a vehicle and the loading or unloading dock, for example, at a warehouse or distribution centre and methods of using the same. However, it is to be understood that the apparatus may be used in almost any situation in which loads are required to be moved from one position to another, whether it be to or from a loading dock on the warehouse floor or to or from a railroad car. Likewise, the loading and unloading apparatus may be used with advantage in the hold of a ship or from any form of container, and for loading or unloading cargo from aircraft holds, trains or the like. Traditional systems require that for a vehicle, the loads have to be manoeuvred towards the rear opening, the vehicle having been backed towards a loading bay, and the loads removed by fork-lift trucks, and vice-versa for loading the vehicle. The time taken to unload and / or load is critical for "just in time" deliveries and the turn-around time, the time taken to unload and load a vehicle, is often critical to the economic efficiency of transportation of goods from one location to another. The loading of granular freight (in smaller units than pallets) is slow and manual. An automated solution had been conceptualised (previous application) whereby conveyors were arranged in the load space of a vehicle and could be loaded simultaneously or individually from adjacent conveyors outside of the vehicle. However, whilst transmitting items into the vehicle by this method is relatively straightforward, the securing of items once they are on the vehicle requires further mechanisms, and may include further delay. With road vehicles: With regard to road vehicles, containers are manually loaded and stacked which takes time and requires manual handling in most instances which risks injury. Although I believe some robotic loading is now happening in limited circumstances, this still requires a long time period similar to a human doing the same due to the variation in package dimensions. Manually stacked containers also ran the risk of toppling during transport or being incorrectly stacked causing damage to the items contained. Alternatively items are grouped together in 'roller cages' on wheels, on wheeled dollies or on palates to reduce the handling time. However, due to the manual nature of loading or unloading these, times were still typically lengthy to unload an articulated lorry trailer (60-90 mins). This method also underutilises the potential load height in most trailers since they can only be stacked on the floor of the trailer and not one on top of another. Some double decker trucks are in use but these still have some 'dead space' and careful consideration of the trailer's centre of gravity is needed. Also the roller cages have to be manually secured to prevent them rolling around and large amounts of weight transfer destabilising the vehicle, which adds a further time constraint. Loading and unloading time is of particular importance in logistics as vehicle operators can only be working for set periods of time due to the risks that tiredness poses. Dead space is of importance as inefficiency of loading increases the number of journeys which increases carbon footprint and cost. Even when greener vehicles are used, the manufacture of more vehicles has detrimental environmental and cost impacts. Slow loading times may be a factor in 'empty running' where vehicles are underutilised because diverting to pick up a load for a return journey takes too long and therefore is undesirable for business operations. Typically the majority of rail freight is heavy freight such as aggregates, building materials, logs etc. Rail is used for these because it has a low rolling resistance and so can be cost effective in comparison to road transport for such heavy items. However, lighter freight and express freight is less commonly transported by rail as the speed of loading trains means that depos are monopolised by each train for several hours, and therefore only depo to depo journeys are possible, rather than multi-stop journeys typically required for smaller freight units and distribution. A rapid loading solution could however make rail freight a cost effective option for light freight, which since it is the least carbon intensive mode of land freight carriage, is desirable. Again for economic reasons it would be desirable to be able to unload at points along a train line, rather than only at terminus depos. However, In many countries, including the UK, passenger freight is given priority over freight on the railways and so in order for freight to be given slots amongst the passenger timetables, loading and unloading on active lines would need to be fast enough that passenger trains were not delayed by a blocking freight train. Inland waterways, coastal shipping and limited ground time aircraft. For all such vehicles, especially if sharing function with passenger transport, reducing the docking time is crucial for economic viability. Therefore being able to rapidly load and unload is crucial. However, just like in road and rail vehicles, load stability is also a critical safety requirement, and so a mechanism which is able to secure the load as well as transfer it quickly is desirable. When items are needed to be conveyed up a gradient there has long been in place a system of cleats to stop the items rolling backwards, however these fixed cleats need to allow space for the item to be loaded onto a conveying surface before they engage, which leads to increased item spacing. Therefore a system with very regular engagement points is desirable. However, if an item was to span where a cleat is placed, it would not sit properly on the conveyor surface and may be unstable, therefore more regular placement of standard cleats is not possible. Sometimes it is also desirable to control the speed of items on a descending gradient conveyor which poses a similar problem. Advantageously, the present invention overcomes or alleviates the aforesaid disadvantages. In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a conveyance apparatus comprising a plurality of discrete members arranged in at least two rows and moveably mounted on a conveyor frame, Said discrete members each comprising a base member and a displaceably mounted upper member capable of receiving an item to be conveyed during use, said displaceably mounted upper member biased in a first configuration wherein the upper member is biased away from the base, and a second configuration in which the upper member is weight bearing and is displaced toward the base member And wherein the upper member comprises a support surface for supporting an item to conveyed thereon, a first and a second face which when the upper member is biased in its first configuration, the first face is capable of engaging with items to be conveyed to assist in conveying an item in a first direction and / or the second face is capable of assisting in retaining an item in a position relative to one or more displaced members, or in a second direction of travel of the conveyor, the second face is capable of engaging with items to be conveyed to assist in conveying an item in a second direction and / or the first face is capable of assisting in retaining an item in a position relative to one or more displaced members. The present invention provides a mechanism which may be light, simple to operate and maintain, and secure each loaded item ready for transport automatically without the need for a further mechanism to add weight or operating time. The present invention may provide a conveyor chain which creates a supporting surface for the items to be conveyed. That supporting surface may comprise sprung elements at regular intervals which depress when a weight is applied to them. The regularity of these depressible sprung elements may be varied according to the application. The item to be transported depresses all of the sprung elements underneath its base, which leaves the elements adjacent to its base in the sprung-up position. The sides of these sprung block elements in the sprung upsprung-up position therefore create a barrier preventing the horizontal movement of the item relative to the conveying surface. Whilst the conveyor chain is moving this may control the position of the item and ensures that it moves at the exact pace of the conveyor with no slippage. However, crucially when the chain drive stops, the sprung block elements remain active and so the item is fixed in position. Where this solution is used within a vehicle, the item may be resistant to movement created by the movement of the vehicle as a whole. Where the solution is used on a gradient conveyor, the item may be resistant to movement at a different speed or direction to the intended conveyor movement, which might otherwise be produced by gravity and a breakdown of surface friction. The base member may comprise at least one aperture for receiving a pin axle, said aperture being transverse to the direction of travel of the conveyor. Each base member may have two apertures, each for receiving a pin axle . The biasing means may comprise a resiliently deformable member. The resiliently deformable member may be a helical spring, a leaf spring or a shaped split surface made of a material that is resiliently deformable which opens over a wedge when weight is applied but rises as it springs back when no weight is applied. Advantageously, the resiliently deformable member is a helical spring. The upper member and lower member may cooperate to limit the maximum displacement in the first configuration. The base member may comprise one or more retaining clip to engage with one or more stop disposed on the upper member. The upper member may comprise one or more retaining clip to engage with one or more stop disposed on the base member. The discrete unit may comprise two retaining clips and two stops. The clips may be biased in a retaining configuration and can be displaced to release the upper member. In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for conveying items from a first point to a second point along a conveyer using an apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps: (a) place item on the apparatus at a first point; (b) start conveyer in first direction; (c) item to be conveyed engages with and displaces upper member of discrete members into second configurations and supports an item to conveyed thereon; (d) displacement of the discrete member in the direction of travel of the conveyor to bring at least one further discrete member to engage with the item to be displaced; and (e) catching the item loaded on the support surfaces of the one or more discrete member and conveying the item; and (f) removing the item at the second point causing the upper member to adopt its second configuration traveling on the return side of the conveyer. The present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an isometric exploded diagram showing the features of a chain link with an integrated internal sprung block in accordance with the present invention. Figure 2 is an isometric view showing the sprung block link components from figure 4 assembled, with the sprung block in its natural unloaded sprung-up position when it doesn't have any weight on top of it in accordance with the present invention. Figure 3 is an isometric view which shows the sprung block link components from figure 4 assembled, with the sprung block in its down position in accordance with the present invention. This simulates when it has sufficient weight on top of it to fully compress the spring. Figure 4 shows link and sprung block components in accordance with the present invention arranged in an exploded isometric view with the link and block laying on their side, without the spring which will be shown in position subsequently. This design features the sprung block as an outer component which sits over the link rather than within it as per the previous example in figures 1-3. Figure 5 shows a lateral view of a chain link with an outer sleeving sprung block in its unloaded sprung-up position. Figure 6 shows a lateral and an isometric view of a chain link with an outer sleeving sprung block in its loaded, down position. Figure 7 shows an isometric view of the supporting apparatus for a duplex chain arrangement suitable for either of the chain links featured in figures 1-6. Figure 8 shows an isometric view of a duplex chain on selected support apparatus. The apparatus has been significantly shortened for illustration purposes. Figure 9 shows a lateral view of a duplex chain on significantly shortened and simplified apparatus for illustration purposes. A box is being loaded onto the conveyor from the left of the figure. Figure 10 is a lateral view of the duplex chain in figure 9, moved on a little in time. The chain is rotating clockwise and allowing the box to advance onto it. Figure 11 is a lateral view of the duplex chain in figures 12 and 13, where now the box is fully on the conveyor. Figure 1 is an isometric exploded diagram showing the features of a chain link with an integrated internal sprung block. A chain link (13) has a sprung block (9) mounted within it with a spring (8) controlling its vertical movement. The spring (8) is located in a locator hole (14) and then then at the top end over a locator pin (15). A spring compression plunger (16) compresses the spring within the hole (14) when a force is applied to the top of the sprung block (9). The close spatial relationship between the plunger (16) and the hole (14); and the block (9) with the gaps in the link (13) produces a close vertical sliding mate between the parts, with a resistance to forces in all horizontal directions. Importantly for the function, the block resists movement with force applied to the articulating face (12) or the opposite face when the block is in the up position. A ridge stop (17) interacts with a ridge clip (18) to prevent the block lifting off the link completely once assembled. Two axle pin holes (19) enable multiple links to be joined together to form chains. Multiple arrangements are possible with a minimum of two lines of links - a so-called duplex chain. The continuous connection is achieved by each adjacent line of links being staggered such that an axle pin through the forward hole on one link also goes through the rear hole on any adjacent link. Figure 2 is an isometric view showing the sprung block link components from figure 4 assembled, with the sprung block in its natural unloaded sprung-up position when it doesn't have any weight on top of it. The link (13) houses the sprung block (9) with a vertical sliding mate between the parts. The articulating faces (12) are exposed when the block (9) is in the up position, allowing them to engage with the vertical faces of any item sat on any adjacent links. Here you can see that the articulating faces (12) align with the centre points of the axle pin holes (19) which means with a staggered chain arrangement, there will be an opportunity for an articulating face (12) to engage with an item on top of the chain as frequently as the axel pins are located (the chain pitch). Figure 3 is an isometric view which shows the sprung block link components from figure 4 assembled, with the sprung block in its down position. This simulates when it has sufficient weight on top of it to fully compress the spring. The sprung block (9) sits deep within the link (13). Since the bottom edges of the sprung block (9) are seated on the base of the locating aperture with the link (13), the top of block (9) forms a solid platform for an object of relatively high weight to be supported on. A space is left between the end of the spring compression plunger (16) and the floor of the spring locator hole (14) (see fig 4) such that the spring does not over-compress. Figure 4 shows link and sprung block components arranged in an exploded isometric view with the link and block laying on their side, without the spring which will be shown in position subsequently. This design features the sprung block as an outer component which sits over the link rather than within it as per the previous example in figures 1-3. Again this design features two axle pin holes (19) within a link (13) enabling a multiplex chain with staggered link arrangement. The sprung block (9) sits over the link, with shaped towers on the link forming a sliding vertical mate with the internal contours of the block. When mated, a central space is left for a spring which is seated on a locator pin (15) with a second locator pin at the top of the spring within the sprung block (not shown). In this design the ridge stop (17) is inverted and located on the link, with the corresponding ridge clip (18) being located on the block. Figure 5 shows a lateral view of a chain link with an outer sleeving sprung block in its unloaded sprung-up position. The sprung block (9) is arranged sleeving over vertical contoured towers on top of the chain link (13). The internal contoured profile of the sprung block (9) forms a close vertical sliding mate with these towers. A spring (8), located centrally over a locating pin (15), supports this block (9) and causes it to be in the upper position shown when unloaded. When arranged in a chain, any blocks which are loaded will be in the down position (see fig 9) and this will leave adjacent unloaded blocks such as this one with its articulating faces (12) exposed. These faces can then engage with any vertical faces on the item on the chain and prevent its forward and backward movement relative to the chain. Figure 6 shows a lateral and an isometric view of a chain link with an outer sleeving sprung block in its loaded, down position. The sprung block (9) can be seen resting on the platform on top of the wider portion of the link (13) as if it were loaded with an item on top heavy enough to fully depress the spring. This resting stop support prevents over compression of the spring and allows the sprung block link to support a relatively heavy weight. Figure 7 shows an isometric view of the supporting apparatus for a duplex chain arrangement suitable for either of the chain links featured in figures 4-9. The depiction is shortened to enable a clear view of all of the important features. In reality the central straight sections would be elongated according to the application. For example, in HGV loading, for each conveying channel the apparatus shown would extend the entire length of the loading space. The conveyor chain is supported and guided by conveyor chain channels (1), with the lower channels being inverted. A pair of continuous lateral axel pin gullies (20) are profiled into the shape of the conveyor chain channels (1) and are designed to guide and support the axle pins which extend evenly either side of the chain links, which run in the central part of the channel (1). These gullies (20) also guide the chain around the 180 degree corner return channels (21). At the far end, the extended ends of the axle pins engage with the sprockets and are driven around and back into the gullies (20) again. Thus the chain can be driven in a continuous loop in either direction, clockwise or anticlockwise. Drive to each sprocket is via a drive shaft (not shown) which is supported by bearings (24). The whole apparatus is supported by a frame work, the cross-bars (22) of which are shown. Figure 8 shows an isometric view of a duplex chain on selected support apparatus. The apparatus has been significantly shortened for illustration purposes. A duplex chain made up of sprung block chain links in their unloaded up position (26) is held in a loop around a guiding channel formed by upper and lower conveyor chain channels (1), a 180 degree corner return channel (21) and sprockets (23) of which only the near one is visible. The axle pins (25) are shown for the first time and one can see how they are extended laterally beyond the chain to enable engagement with the drive sprockets and the axle pin gullies shown in the previous figure. Figure 9 shows a lateral view of a duplex chain on significantly shortened and simplified apparatus for illustration purposes. A box is being loaded onto the conveyor from the left of the figure. A loop of duplex chain is being driven round the apparatus clockwise by engagement between a pair of sprockets (23) and the ends of its axle pins (25). A box (28) is being fed onto the apparatus from the left as depicted. Although it is not shown, this will usually be from another conveyance device which may be flat and driven, or sloped. However there are circumstances where a robotic device or human handler may feed an item on. The weight of the box is compressing some sprung block chain links (27) whereas the other sprung block chain links (26) are in their unloaded up position. The front of the box is therefore butted up against one of these blocks in the up position (26) which is preventing it from advancing forward any faster than the conveyor chain is advancing. As the chain links advance around the 180 degree corner return channel (21) and make contact with the box (28) base, their sprung blocks are automatically depressed. Figure 10 is a lateral view of the duplex chain in figure 12, moved on a little in time. The chain is rotating clockwise and allowing the box to advance onto it. As the chain rotates clockwise, the last sprung block chain link in the up position (26) is controlling the advancement of the box (28) to ensure it is moving no faster than the chain rotates. Each link underneath the weight of the box is compressed (27) and in the down position. As the chain moves around the 180 degree corner return channel (21) one can see that the next link to leave that corner and transition to the straight channel is already compressed, with the link behind that about to engage with the base of the box (28). Figure 11 is a lateral view of the duplex chain in figures 12 and 13, where now the box is fully on the conveyor. The box (28) is now completely on the conveying surface of the chain and all of the sprung blocks below it are in the down position (27). The sprung block immediately in front of it (see figs 12 and 13) and the one immediately behind it on this figure are in the up position (26). In the real life application where the conveyor would be much longer, these blocks in the up position would continue to drive the box along the conveyor as the chain moved. In the case of vehicle loading, when the box (28) was to reach its desired position within the vehicle, the chain would stop rotating and would be locked in position by the locking out of the motor, drive shaft and sprockets. In that circumstance, the sprung block chain links in the up position (26) at either end of the box (28) would prevent its forward and rearward movement - thus securing it for transport. The side bars and proximity of the ceiling of each conveying channel would preclude movement upwards or laterally. The Chain Itself There are two convenient options to create a conveyor chain with the sprung block mechanism; mounting the mechanism to a standard chain (1) or incorporating the mechanism into the design of the chain links themselves (2). 1. Conveyor chains can be purchased with brackets to affix various attachments. For this application it would be important to use a chain with brackets on both sides to maintain balance and prevent the chain from twisting under load, leading to dislodging from its desired path or fatigue and failure of the driven parts. A convenient arrangement would be to have 90 degree brackets affixed to the chain side plates, thus forming horizontal wings protruding from the sides of the chain at the upper surface. One could then mount on each pair of brackets a sprung block. This would consist of a top plate spanning the width of the bracket area, side and end plates around the bracketed area only for stability and guidance, a locating pin attached to the underside of the top plate on each side and protruding through a hole in the brackets, a spring mounted on that pin and stopping mechanism, such as a nut, on the end of that pin under the bracket to stop the whole mechanism 'springing off'. Depending on the size of the chain, this chain may need to run on a raised platform in the middle of a U shaped channel, so as to allow room for each block to dip below the level of the chain but also so as to stabilise the whole structure. The return and drive of such chains can be directed by rotation around standard sprockets located at each end of the conveyor. With long chains, it may also be necessary to include sprockets at intervals along the length also, which can interrupt the main supporting channel surface. Considerations for this option are that it must be symmetrical rather than staggered in arrangement which leads to some redundancy in components but also necessitates two springs for each block which may be undesirable because the overall spring force needs to be low enough such that the lightest item which one may wish to transport on the conveyor will still depress all of the springs of the blocks it sits on. 2. The alternative option is to have sprung blocks integrated into links. Manufacturing techniques and advanced materials mean that a wide variety of strong materials are available that can be moulded into complex shapes, meaning that something that needs to be as physically robust as a conveyor chain link, can also include a second function. With this arrangement, it is most convenient to have either a duplex, triplex or multiplex chain driven from extended pins. This allows the separation of drive sprocket engagement and the links themselves and therefore allows the inclusion of the sprung dipping mechanism in an overall lower profile chain. When using the system with a standardised conveying container, such as a tote box, it is convenient to use chains which don't make up the whole width of the conveyor channel since the base of the container can span across and therefore reduce the requirement for chain links. In this scenario it is however important that the contact points apply an even drive to the box such that it doesn't have the tendency to swivel as it is driven. To that end, the two most convenient arrangements, which are the most sparing of materials, are to have either two duplex chains towards each side of a box or one triplex chain in the centre of the box and then also have side rails, or wheeled channels for the box to sit on. Both duplex and triplex chains are staggered in arrangement of the links such that the links themselves ensure a continuous chain. With respect to the sprung blocks this also ensures more frequent potential contact points with the sprung blocks. When using two chains, it is important to have the spacing even with respect to the containers being conveyed and also to have the timing of the two chains correct such that the outer blocks of each duplex and inner blocks of each duplex are paired up. That way, whether the container engages with either a pair of outer or a pair of inner blocks, the pushing force will be evenly spaced with respect to that container's midline and therefore the box will tend to move in a straight line. When a chain is designed to flow under the midline of a container which is supported on low friction side channels or wheeled guides, a triplex chain is the most appropriate option. This again is to prevent any tendency to steer the container away from a straight course, since either two blockswill engage evenly spaced either side of the midline, or one block will engage on the midline itself. In order to keep these described conveyor chains travelling the desired course, it is important to have them located in a guide channel which may be extruded from a material such as aluminium or milled from a composite material. Since the chains are to support weight on their upper surface, it is not practical to have the chains floating between spaced sprockets as they will likely sag and produce a suboptimal result. The channels used should act as a support to the chain on its return journey along the underside of the conveyor also. This can be achieved with a simple U-shaped channel although this does have a couple of drawbacks in that it is tricky to keep the chain straight within the channel and there may be wear caused on the edges of the channel by the ends of the extended pins. It will also be necessary to have the U shaped channel support the chain upside down on the return journey by resting it on its upper surface which would create friction and wear, and the drag on the sprung components is likely to induce fatigue. A more advantageous arrangement therefore is to have a channel which has side channels within its design to house the extended pins where they are not being driven by sprockets. The chain may then be supported within these channels by the pins, and the channel simply mounted upside down for the return journey on the underside. While in the top channel, the chain may be either supported by the pins alone or it may be advantageous to also support the links from their underside in the central channel, since they will be bearing additional weight. Therefore, it is important to ensure that careful design is made of the underside of these links to minimise drag against the surface. At either end of the channel, the chains will need to be guided around a 180 degree turn in order to form a continuous loop. It may be possible to drive the chain at one end only via electric motors and sprockets mounted on a drive shaft or it may be necessary to have drive at both ends if the chain is long or the load is heavy. In either circumstance the drive sprockets need to be located on both sides of the chain to give even tension and straight movement of the chain and to prevent torsion. Therefore a bespoke housing needs to be designed to transition the chain to and from its straight guide channels onto the sprockets and to hold bearings on which to mount a drive shaft which can in turn have the sprockets mounted on it using a key way or splines or similar. If there is a non-driven end then either a similar arrangement with free-moving sprockets can be used or even just a curved channel to guide the chain's change of direction. Where a sprung block chain is to be used to move non-standardised items, such as boxes of varying size, then a multiplex chain may be used. This is where longer axel pins are threaded with multiple chain links in a staggered pattern such that a wide continuous surface of sprung blocks is formed. When an object of sufficient weight is placed on this surface, all of the blocks it rests on will be depressed and the surrounding blocks in the upward position will form a retaining perimeter. In all other aspects, this solution may work in the same way as the duplex and triplex arrangements. However, since the boxes will also be retained laterally by sprung blocks at the sides, as well as those at the ends (with respect to the direction of conveyor movement), and multiple blocks will be in contact with the conveyed items along each edge, it is not necessary to consider the evenness of points of contact with respect to item midlines in order to prevent rotation or deviation. Use in vehicles One of the main advantages of this system is its ability to retain items within a vehicle as well as transmitthem from the opening aperture into the depths of the vehicle load space in order to fill the space. The reverse is also true when it comes to unloading. In order to use conveyor chains in this way, a plurality of individual channels may be used and each channel may utilise the chain or chains in an arrangement appropriate to the items to be loaded. It is important that the chain links are designed to be able to retain the force of the maximum mass of the individual items on the conveying surface under the deceleration of emergency braking. That force will be applied to the surface of the sprung block which is in contact with the conveyed item. On the largest scale, this may involve chains on the loading deck of an HGV trailer, train, aircraft or other vehicle such that large items such as loaded pallets can be transmitted along. If the items are heavy with a low centre of gravity the blocks may be enough to retain them but more likely in this circumstance additional strapping may be necessary. This will need very heavy duty chains and likely a false floor such that the return (underside) of the chain can be accommodated. It is less likely that a sprung block chain will be used for this type of operation, since alternative methods are already in use, but there may be limited circumstances where it is advantageous. A more common use of this system would be in transmitting more granular freight within standardised containers. In this circumstance the conveyance channels would be assembled on a frame to enable good use of the three-dimensional space available. The channels would be designed such that the frame may also play a part in retaining the standardised containers, since the dimensions of such containers would remain constant. The sides of each channel would therefore prevent lateral movement of each container, the sprung blocks in the upright position at either end of each container would prevent fore and aft movement relative to the chain (thus propelling the containers at the same speed as the chain when in motion and preventing fore and aft movement altogether when the chain is stationary), and the top or ceiling of each channel could prevent the containers from skipping off the sprung block surface should a force in that vertical direction be experienced by the load. In order to prevent the possibility of containers being dislodged from their channel completely, it is preferable for the dimensions of the channel to be tight to the dimensions of the Box, with a tolerance of less than the difference in height between a sprung block in the up and down positions. In order for this tightness in the height dimension to be possible, the feed in aperture of each channel needs to be the same as the rest of the length of the channel. Where boxes are to feed into each channel from a level surface, this is relatively straightforward so long as the 180 degree chain return equipment can be within the profile of the gap between the top of the chain on both the topside and the underside of the channel. This system makes possible the feeding of items onto the conveyor surface end flush with the sprung down height since the return corner situated on the front of the conveyor surface will ensure each link meets a container base gradually and so its block will be depressed as it transitions to the level portion of the conveyor, therefore not raising the container up to foul on the ceiling of the channel or otherwise requiring the container to be dropped onto the conveying surface from above. It may be advantageous to also feed boxes onto the vehicle (or offload them) using a gravity powered feed-in (or offload) with a shallow gradient. In this circumstance it is important to set back the start of a channel ceiling restraint by half a container length to allow room for this transition of containers from gradient to level. In a heavy goods vehicle the channels would likely be arranged longitudinally with the motors at the front of the trailer driving the chains, and a simpler return arrangement at the loading aperture which is simpler to keep lower profile. This would then allow containers to be fed into each channel. This could be done manually, with a person lifting each box to the channel and feeding it on. In this circumstance a system of sensors or manual operation would ensure that the chain would only move one container length at a time to ensure minimal gapping between each container. Alternatively a conveyor could be aligned with each channel to be filled / unloaded one at time. During loading this conveyor can be preloaded with containers with minimal gapping and then fed onto the vehicle in one continuous movement until the channel is filled. However, for true rapidity of loading, this system allows for a full sized rack of channels to be situated in a loading bay for the vehicle to load to or from by having the configuration of such a rack being the same as that of the conveyor channels fitted within the vehicle. The vehicle is then brought in close adjacency with the racks in the load bay so that they are lined up with each other and transfer can take place from one to the other. 3 configurations are possible for the loading apparatus to load or unload a vehicle fitted with these sprung block chain conveyor channels. 1. The loading bay racking is level and powered - either with traditional conveyor belts or rollers or with the same sprung block chain system. In order to transfer a full load from loading bay to vehicle or vice versa, the two sets of conveyors are simply operated at the same speed such that containers flow from one conveyor to its corresponding one in a controlled manner. If there is concern about slippage of the containers during the brief gap between the feeding conveyor ending and the receiving conveyor starting, since the conveyor mechanism is not designed to work by surface friction but by driving from the ends of the containers via the raised blocks, then the driving chains can be offset between the vehicle channels and the loading bay channels such that they can interdigitate at the ends, producing a continuous drive surface across the two structures. It will still be important to keep chain block contact points evenly spaced from the midlines of the boxes as previously explained, but that is still possible if for example the two duplex chain arrangement is used and the chains are situated aligned with the full box width on the vehicle, but are situated one chains width in from the full box width on the loading bay racking. Alternatively, one of the structures could use a two duplex chain arrangement and then the other could use a single triplex chain arrangement centrally mounted, supported by wheeled channels or low friction side sliding surfaces (rails). It is most likely that the preference will be for loading bay racks to be loaded from the interior of the warehouse and therefore from the opposite end to the discharge onto vehicles. Therefore if this powered configuration is to be used the motors for each channel will need to be low enough profile to not impinge on the loading aperture dimensions or will need to be set to the side with a common drive shaft across several adjacent channels and a clutch arrangement to engage each one. It is likely to be desirable to be able to operate each channel individually for situations where a partial loading or unloading is desired and so this is why a separate motor per channel or clutch arrangement is included in the system design. It will also be important for the conveyor channels on the loading bay side to be able to be moved one container length at a time to allow for manual accumulation of the boxes onto each channel without gapping. This is crucial since any gapping on this racking would be maintained on the vehicle creating inefficiency in space utilisation. 2. In order to save cost, weight and power consumption, it may be desirable to use gravity to load the vehicle on the loading bay side. It will still be necessary to have the motorised chains in the vehicle for their load securing function and so one would not replace both with a gravity system. For this to work the racking mounted in the load bay would have a 1-3 degree gradient towards the vehicle and a releasable stopping barrier device at the front end. The configuration in the vehicle would need to be either the 2 duplex chain arrangement or a central triplex chain arrangement with low friction slides on either side. A wheeled channel either side of the central triplex chain would not be suitable as transitioning onto this from a gradient causes the leading edge of a container to impact with the rising portion of each wheel rather than smoothly transitioning onto the tops of each wheel. However, wheeled side channels or unpowered conveyor rollers could be used on the loading bay gradient channels without concern. One benefit of using this gravity configuration for loading is that the boxes will accumulate without any gapping without any fine control mechanism required. This allows conveyors, case handling robots or human operatives to simply feed boxes into the channels as required. When the vehicle docks and the boxes are released, all of the channels can then simultaneously flow onto the vehicle. As long as the gradient is sufficient such that the container speed is equal to or faster than the conveyor chain speed on the vehicle, then no gapping will be produced and load space utilisation will be maximised. 3. Unloading from a vehicle with powered chains onto a gravity powered gradient rack is simpler still since there is no real requirement to consider the speed of box movement and the gradient can be really minimal since the power of the chain will drive the line of containers along and each container will drive the next. This allows a gradient as low as 0.5 degrees and this minimises the additional headroom required to transition from a level surface to a gradient. Any headroom which is required is easy to gain because of the difference in complexity between the conveyance surface on the vehicle and in the load bay. Without the chains and their channels, the conveying surface on the loadbay side can be much shallower. The end of each channel will need a stopping barrier which is retractable in some way to release the boxes from the unloading rack for onward processing - being that flowing into a funnelling consolidation conveyor or a single conveyor moved to each channel or case handling robots or platforms able to collect one box at a time and redirect them. Considerations with loading and unloading HGVs with the system: With all the configurations discussed above there is a need for accurate alignment between the HGV and the loading bay apparatus to ensure transfer of boxes without jamming. This will likely require a system involving guidance and sensors to confirm alignment before the system is operated. Furthermore, in order to maintain alignment, the design must take into account the transfer of weight from the loading bay rack to the vehicle and how that may compress the suspension of the vehicle, bringing it out of vertical alignment. This issue can be addressed by having locking suspension on the vehicle, or rear mounted stanchions on the vehicle or a suspension system on the loading bay racking combined with an attachment between the two racks such that they move with each other. This may be achieved with a king pin based hitching device such as that used to hitch trailers to trucks, with the king pin mounted to the rear of the trailer. Another consideration is the weight distribution of the load on the vehicle. It is advantageous to know the mass of each container to be loaded and then to use an algorithm to plan the location of each box on the vehicle to optimise weight distribution. The same algorithm could also be used to plan for unloading order and location, if multi-drop deliveries are planned using the system. When the gravity loading and unloading racks (2. &3.) are used, it could be advantageous for the vehicle to only have to dock once and the loading bay racks be movable from the sides of the loading bay to enable unloading, and then reloading without the need to move the vehicle. This could be achieved by mounting the loading racks on transverse rails set into the floor of the loading bay area. Another possible use of the sprung block chain within vehicles would be using multiplex chains in a multiple conveyor channel arrangement so that you could transmit items of various size and shape as previously described. This would require the same technology in terms of alignment of the channels but the items themselves would not be able to be restrained by the dimensions of the channels. Therefore, there would be a possibility of some movement of the items with large bumps in the road causing items to jump up briefly. However, wherever they landed on the conveying surface they would again be constrained by the surrounding sprung blocks. This system where standardised containers are not used, loses some benefits in terms of space efficiency and the ability to pre-plan and track exact locations of items within a vehicle. However, its use could be advantageous where parcels are needed to be moved between sorting locations. The sprung block chain is also suitable for loading and unloading rail vehicles. Similar to the road vehicle arrangement, the rail carriages would be fitted with multiple conveyance channels in a closely packed arrangement. However, rather than longitudinally mounted, they would be fitted transversely to allow side-loading of a train from a trackside loading rack. The rail system would be most suitable for the standardised containers since they are more convenient for tracking and planning the in-vehicle location. They are also suitable for warehouse sortation, which allows boxes to be delivered by road to a cross-docking warehouse, and then sorted into the correct arrangement to complete the next leg of a journey by scheduled train service. Rail vehicles could be served by powered level loading racks, or gravity powered loading and unloading racks on a gradient. The rail vehicles would have side openings to allow access, most likely with roller shutter doors. They would then come to a halt in alignment with the loading rack and in close adjacency. It may be necessary for the loading rack to be set slightly back and then have a mechanism to advance forward when the train is stationary, in order to satisfy line clearance regulations. This again could allow for interdigitation. There are several possible configurations when using the system on rail. Each rail carriage could have side openings on both sides and a rail line could be located between separate loading and unloading racks. As containers flow off the train onto one side, other containers can flow onto the train from the other. The motors powering the chains on the train would need to be low profile so as to allow containers to flow off the vehicle over them. This arrangement would work with both powered flat conveyor channels trackside, or gravity based conveyors. If loading and unloading were to occur on a single side, which may be desirable as existing track often only has access on one side, then there are two general arrangements which could be used. Off-load receiving racks could be located fixed to the ground trackside before the loading conveyors are located. The train then completes any offloading first, before moving forward and realigning with the loading racks. Again, both gravity and powered trackside options are available. Another system could be to mount the trackside racks on a lifting mechanism, or other movable mechanism and then empty receiving racks can be presented in alignment with the train first, then moved away and replaced with prefilled loading racks. Use as an incline / decline conveyor There are multiple circumstances where it is desirable for items to be conveyed up a gradient without slipping backwards or down a gradient without sliding forward at an uncontrolled rate. The sprung block conveyor chain system can be used to achieve these goals on gradients of up to 45 degrees in any setting. Depending on the steepness of the gradient and the size of the items to be conveyed, it may be necessary to gradually transition to and from the desired gradient so as to maintain the contact on the item to prevent it from slipping. This may be achieved by having curves built into the channels that the chains run in and are supported by. The lead into an upward gradient transition should have a horizontal section at least the length of the container to be transported such that it will be engaged by a sprung block at its rear edge before it starts to gain gradient. Assuming it is a vertical-sided box container that is being transported, the back of the box will not reach more than a 45 degree angle to the vertical aspect of the sprung block and so the block should always be able to push it forward. At the top of a steep gradient, the transition to horizontal should be less gradual since the container will continue to drive upwards until it travels past its balance point and then it will tilt forward. For this reason it makes the most sense for the conveyor chain to just go through its 180 degree return curve at the top of a gradient and then a transition be made to a horizontal belt conveyor where friction can drag the container forward or to a slight downward gradient roller conveyor again. The same shape of conveyor would be used for a decline gradient since a gradual convex curve will cause a container on the conveying surface to 'belly out' and rise above the sprung blocks and so it is better for the box to tilt over an edge and then be caught by the sprung blocks once it lands on the sprung block chain surface. Full vehicle loading times of under a minute for an HGV and 11 seconds for a train are based on a conservative chain speed of 0.25m / s travelling the same length as the loading compartment is deep.

Claims

1. A conveyance apparatus comprising a plurality of discrete members arranged in at least two rows and moveably mounted on a conveyor frame,said discrete members each comprising a base member and a displaceably mounted upper member capable of receiving an item to be conveyed during use, said displaceably mounted upper member biased in a first configuration wherein the upper member is biased away from the base, and a second configuration in which the upper member is weight bearing and is displaced toward the base memberand wherein the upper member comprises a support surface for supporting an item to conveyed thereon, a first and a second face which when the upper member is biased in its first configuration, the first face is capable of engaging with items to be conveyed to assist in conveying an item in a first direction and / or the second face is capable of assisting in retaining an item in a position relative to one or more displaced members, or in a second direction of travel of the conveyor, the second face is capable of engaging with items to be conveyed to assist in conveying an item in a second direction and / or the first face is capable of assisting in retaining an item in a position relative to one or more displaced members.

2. A conveyance apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the base member comprises at least one aperture for receiving a pin axle, said aperture being transverse to the direction of travel of the conveyor.

3. A conveyance apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each base member has two apertures, each for receiving a pin axle .

4. A conveyance apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the biasing means comprises a resiliently deformable member.

5. A conveyance apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the resiliently deformable member is a helicalspring.

6. A conveyance apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the upper member and lower member cooperate to limit the maximum displacement in the first configuration.

7. A conveyance apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the base member comprises one or more retaining clip to engage with one or more stop disposed on the upper member.

8. A conveyance apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the upper member comprises one or more retaining clip to engage with one or more stop disposed on the base member.

9. A conveyance apparatus as claimed in claim 7 or 8 comprising two retaining clips and two stops.

10. A conveyance apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 9 wherein the clips are biased in a retaining configuration and can be displaced to release the upper member.

11. A method for conveying items from a first point to a second point along a conveyer using an apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps:(a) place item on the apparatus at a first point;(b) start conveyer in first direction;(c) item to be conveyed engages with and displaces upper member of discrete members into second configurations and supports an item to conveyed thereon;(d) displacement of the discrete member in the direction of travel of the conveyor to bring a at least one further discrete member to engage with the item to be displaced; and(e) catching the item loaded on the support surfaces of the one or more discrete member and conveying the item; and(f) removing the item at the second point causing the upper member to adopt its second configuration traveling on the return side of the conveyer.27

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