System and apparatus for loading and unloading a detachable deck

Abstract

A system to facilitate offloading of a removeable deck (104) from a bed (12) comprises a winch mechanism (106) and a recoil mechanism (110), each connected to the vehicle bed (12) and adapted to apply opposing forces on the deck (104) during the loading and unloading of the deck (104) onto or off of the bed (12). The bed (12) may be provided on a vehicle such as a truck or on any raised platform.

Description

SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING AND UNLOADING A DETACHABLE DECKFIELD OF THE DESCRIPTION

[0001] The present disclosure relates to detachable decks and, more particularly, to systems and apparatuses for loading and unloading a detachable object, such as a deck, from a fixed surface. In one embodiment, the disclosure relates to detachable decks provided on a vehicle such as a truck.BACKGROUND

[0002] Existing truck mounted decks mainly comprise two forms: fixed and removable or detachable. Fixed decks are mounted to the chassis of the truck directly to the frame or placed and anchored into the box of the truck. The removable or detachable decks are not fixed to the truck body and can be removed either by hand or hydraulic means. Detachable decks generally consist of a frame or subframe that can be releasably attached to a bed of a truck body. Such detachable decks are adapted to be slidably moved over the bed and lowered to the ground. Thereafter, the deck may be separated from the truck body. Such decks are used to load and / or unload a payload secured thereto. Such payload may comprise one or more or equipment and vehicles such as snowmobiles, motorcycles, ATVs and the like.

[0003] Fixed decks require removable ramps that are suitably long enough to reach the top of the deck to enable loading / unloading of any equipment. These ramps are bulky, cumbersome, and heavy, and are occupy space on the deck when not in use.

[0004] As mentioned above, removeable or detachable decks are adapted to be slid off the bed. If such a deck is removed by hand, the deck must be manually pulled rearward until the deck reaches a fulcrum balance point, wherein the rear end of the deck will drop to the ground. Further pulling of the deck will result in the front end of the deck dropping to the ground. This motion is largely uncontrolled. To load the deck, the front end must be manually pulled, lifted, or winched back up to reach the rear end of the bed. The deck would then be further urged forward until it is fully resting on the bed.

[0005] In some instances, the detachable deck may be moved by hydraulic means, wherein a hydraulic pump with electric motor must be wired into the truck to provide power,then the subframe assembly that enables the deck to be removed must be securely attached to the truck as the hydraulic actuator exerts significant force into the truck frame. Once this is installed onto the truck, the hydraulic system is actuated to remove the deck off the bed and subsequently lower the deck.

[0006] Some examples of known truck deck unloading apparatuses are provided in US 6,152,674, US 2006 / 0045692, US 11 ,059,410, US 6,089,816, US 5,620,296, US 4,212,580, US 2011 / 0202199, US 7,300,239, and US 9,821 ,699.

[0007] One of the challenges faced with handling detachable decks is the result of the weights involved. Not only is the deck itself heavy, the weight of the deck would be far greater when loaded with a payload. As a consequence, when the deck reaches the fulcrum point, when either being loaded or unloaded, the force of gravity results in a rapid drop of the deck onto either the ground (when being unloaded) or onto the bed (when being loaded).This results in complicated machinery being required to suppress the violent force leading to the dropping of the deck. In some cases, the forces mentioned above are counterbalanced with mechanical springs. However, this often requires in the deck being permanently connected to the truck even when separated.

[0008] There is a need for an improved system and apparatus to facilitate the handling of removable or detachable decks.SUMMARY OF THE DESCRIPTION

[0009] In one aspect, there is provided a system for loading and unloading a detachable deck from a bed, the deck having a front end corresponding to a front end of the bed and rear end corresponding to the rear end of the bed, the system comprising:

[0010] - a winch provided on the bed;

[0011] - a winch cable having a first end attached to the winch and a second end adapted to be removably connected to the front end of the deck;

[0012] - a recoil apparatus provided on the bed;

[0013] - a recoil cable having a first end connected to the recoil apparatus and a second end adapted to be removably connected to the front end of the deck;

[0014] - the winch cable being configured to apply a pulling force on the deck in a direction towards the front end of the bed during operation of the winch; and,

[0015] - the recoil cable being configured to apply a pulling force on the deck in a direction towards the rear end of the bed.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0016] The features of certain embodiments will become more apparent in the following detailed description in which reference is made to the appended figures wherein:

[0017] Fig. 1 is a top, right perspective view of a bed, such as a bed adapted to be secured to a truck, and a detachable deck in a separated state.

[0018] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the bed of Fig. 1.

[0019] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the detachable deck of Fig. 1.

[0020] Fig. 4 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the bed of Fig. 2 along the line A-A.

[0021] Fig. 5 is a right perspective view of a bed and detachable deck as illustrated inFig. 1.

[0022] Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion of the bed and deck illustrated in Fig. 2.

[0023] Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the front end of the deck to illustrate the winch cable coupling.

[0024] Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a winch cable connector for connecting the winch cable to the winch cable coupling.

[0025] Fig. 9 is another perspective view of the bed.

[0026] Fig. 10 is an enlarged perspective cross-sectional view of a rear end of the bed illustrating the recoil apparatus.

[0027] Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the recoil apparatus.

[0028] Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the recoil apparatus and the guide insert.

[0029] Figs. 13 to 15 schematically illustrate stages of the deck when being loaded onto the bed.

[0030] Figs. 16 to 18 further illustrate the deck loading stages of Figs. 13 to 15.

[0031] Fig. 19 shows a portion of the bed and deck as shown in Fig. 1 .

[0032] Fig. 20 is an enlarged view of the bed and deck shown in Fig. 19.

[0033] Fig. 21 is an enlarged view of the rear end of the deck of Fig. 5.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The terms “comprise”, “comprises”, “comprised” or “comprising” may be used in the present description. As used herein (including the specification and / or the claims), and unless stated otherwise, these terms are to be interpreted as open-ended terms and as specifying the presence of the stated features, integers, steps or components, but not as precluding the presence of one or more other feature, integer, step, component or a group thereof as would be apparent to persons having ordinary skill in the relevant art. Thus, the term "comprising" as used in this specification means "consisting at least in part of’. When interpreting statements in this specification that include that term, the features, prefaced by that term in each statement, all need to be present but other features can also be present. Related terms such as "comprise" and "comprised" are to be interpreted in the same manner.

[0035] The phrase “consisting essentially of’ or “consists essentially of” will be understood as generally closed terms, with the exception of allowing inclusion of additional items, materials, components, steps, or elements, that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristics or function of the item(s) used in connection therewith. For example, trace elements present in a composition, but not affecting the composition's nature or characteristics would be permissible if present under the “consisting essentially of’ language, even though not expressly recited in a list of items following such terminology. When using an open-ended term, such as “comprising” or “including”, it will be understood that direct support should be afforded also to “consisting essentially of’ language as well as “consisting of’ language as if stated explicitly and vice versa. In essence, use of one of these terms in the specification provides support for all of the others.

[0036] The term "and / or" can mean "and" or "or".

[0037] Unless stated otherwise herein, the articles “a” and “the”, when used to identify an element, are not intended to constitute a limitation of just one and will, instead, be understood to mean “at least one” or “one or more”.

[0038] For the purpose of the present description, the term “bed” will be used herein to mean an apparatus that is fixed to a surface and adapted to receive a deck thereon. In one example, the bed may be fixed to or form the bed of a vehicle (e.g., a truck, marine vehicle, etc.). In other embodiments, the bed be fixed to a platform, such as a floor, a loading dock, etc.

[0039] The term “deck” will be used herein to mean a removeable or detachable apparatus that is adapted to rest on the bed when in a “loaded” condition and adapted to be removed off of the bed when in an “unloaded” condition. The terms “detachable” and “removable” are used interchangeably herein and are intended to describe the ability of the deck to be moved on to or off of the bed. It will be understood that even when “detached” or “removed” the deck may still, in some embodiments, be tethered or connected to the bed in some manner. The deck will generally have a lower surface that is generally shaped to conform to the shape of the upper surface of the bed. In a preferred embodiment, the upper surface of the bed and the lower surface of the deck are flat, such as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The upper surface of the deck may be flat, such as for use in carrying a removable payload, or may comprise a structure. In the latter instance, the deck may comprise an enclosure having walls etc., but having a flat lower surface.

[0040] The aforementioned terms, in particular the terms “bed” and “deck”, are used herein to facilitate the description and are not intended to be limiting in any way.

[0041] In general, the present description is directed to a system for loading or unloading a deck from a first, vertically higher position on a bed to a vertically lower surface, such as the ground. In one embodiment, the bed may be provided on a vehicle, such as a truck, in which case the described system would serve to move a deck from the bed to the ground (unloading) or from the ground to the bed (loading). It will be understood that a similar operation may be performed from a raised loading dock to which the bed is fixed, to the ground. Although the present description refers for convenience to a truck, the described system is not limited to only that use.

[0042] As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, a vehicle, such as a truck comprises a bed 12 that is typically provided at the rear end of the vehicle such as over the rear the axle having right and left wheels 10 and 11 (the latter being shown in Fig. 4). The bed 12 has a front end 14 proximal to the front of the truck and a rear end 16 proximal to the rear end of the truck. In one embodiment, the rear end of the bed 12 is provided with a number of end wheels or rollers shown for example at 17, 18, and 19, which, as will be discussed below, serve to facilitate the loading and unloading of a detachable deck 104. The upper surface of the bed 12 may preferably be provided with a plurality of rollers or wheels 20, which, as will be understood, serve to facilitate the movement of the detachable deck 104 over the upper surface of the bed 12. In a preferred embodiment, the rollers or wheels 20 are removably provided on the surface of the bed 12. The bed 12 may also be provided with a wall 22 that is fixed thereto and which, in a preferred embodiment, generally extends upwardly from the upper surface of the bed.

[0043] The detachable deck 104 includes a front end 24 and rear end 26 that correspond with the front end 14 and rear end 16 of the bed, when the deck is engaged on the bed 12.

[0044] Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate the frame structure of the bed 12 and detachable deck 104 without covering panel plates such as shown in Fig. 1. As seen, each of the frame structures of the bed 12 and deck 104 comprises a number of longitudinal frame members and transversely extending struts. The frame structures shown in Figs. 5 and 6 are only one embodiment of the description and it will be understood that the bed and deck may be formed using any structural components. As noted above, the frame structures comprising the bed 12 and deck 104 are preferably provided with panel plates over the respective fame members, to result in the form shown in Figs. 1 to 3. It will be appreciated that such panel plates aid in supporting a payload. In particular, the panel plates provided on the bed 12 allow the bed 12, and vehicle, to be used even where the deck 104 is separated therefrom.

[0045] As also shown in Fig. 1 , the bed 12 may be provided with one or more access panels or doors such as shown at 38 and 40, which allow access to components contained under same. As discussed further below, such access panels may provide access to a winch or other mechanism.

[0046] Figs. 5 and 21 illustrate another embodiment of the description, wherein the deck 104 is provided with an extension 28 that is telescopingly connected to the rear end 26 of thedeck. For this purpose, the extension 28 preferably comprises two or more extension arms 27 and 29 that are received within respective channels provided in the frame of the deck 104. The extension 28 is provided to accommodate payloads that are lengthy. When the extension is not needed, the extension arms 27 and 29 may be pushed channels in the frame of the deck 104.

[0047] The rear end 26 of the deck 104 is provided with a number of ground wheels 30, that are, as discussed further below, adapted to engage the ground 11 as the rear end 26 of the deck 104 is lowered during the detachment or unloading phase. The extension 28 is similarly provided with ground wheels 32 for the same purpose. It will be understood that when the extension 28 is used, only the wheels 32 may be needed, in which case the wheels 30 may be removed. In one embodiment, the deck is provided with a set of wheels that can be secured to either the position of wheels 30 or the position of wheels 32.

[0048] The front end 24 of the deck 104 may be provided with a wall 34 that is adapted to engage the wall 22 of the bed. In one embodiment, the walls 22 and 34 may be provided with a locking means to secure the walls together. Such locking means may comprise one or more latches or the like. In one embodiment, the locking means may comprise apertures 36 and 37 provided in the walls 22 and 34, respectively, that are aligned when the deck 104 is fully loaded onto the bed 12. In this arrangement, when the walls 22 and 34 are aligned, a locking pin (not shown) may simply be inserted into the apertures 36 and 37 to lock the walls 22 and 34 together. It will be appreciated that any number of such alignable apertures may be provided.

[0049] In one embodiment the bed 12 may comprise a separate unit, as shown for example in Fig. 2, that is manufactured and attached to a truck.

[0050] As discussed further below, the bed 12 is provided with a winch 106 that is preferably located proximal to the front end 14 of the bed 12. The bed 12 is further provided with a recoil apparatus generally shown at 110, which is preferably located proximal to the rear end 16 of the bed 12. It will be understood from the present description that the positions of the winch 106 and recoil apparatus 110 are not limited to these preferred locations. The winch 106 and recoil apparatus 110 may be located at any position on the bed 12. The preferred positions only serve to minimize the number connections required for the respective cables, as described further below.

[0051] The winch 106 includes a winch cable 108 (shown in subsequent figures) that connects the winch 106 to the front end 24 of the deck 104. Additionally, the recoil apparatus 110 includes a recoil cable 118 (shown in subsequent figures) having a first end connected to the recoil apparatus 110 and a second end adapted to engage the front end 24 of the deck 104 as the deck 104 is loaded onto the bed 12.

[0052] As discussed further below, the purpose of the winch cable is to pull the detachable deck 104 onto the bed 12 when the deck is being loaded. It will be understood that it would be preferred for such pulling force to be evenly distributed so that the deck is not pulled on one side more than the other. Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the winch cable 108 is positioned to extend over the bed 12 generally along a longitudinal axis thereof. In the embodiment where a single winch cable is provided, such cable would preferably extend over the central longitudinal axis of the bed 12. If two or more winch cables are provided, it will be appreciated that such cable would preferably be distributed evenly across the bed.

[0053] In the present description, reference will be made to the embodiment where a single winch cable 108 is provided. To accommodate the winch cable 108, the bed 12 is provided with a longitudinally extending channel 42 that extends along the central longitudinal axis of the bed 12. The bed 12 is further provided with a front winch pulley 44 at a front end of the bed and a rear winch pulley provided at the rear end of the bed. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the rear winch pulley may preferably comprise the roller 18, which is located along the central longitudinal axis of the bed 12 and aligned with the channel 42. In this way, the channel 42 extends between the front winch pulley 44 and the rear winch pulley 18. The winch cable 108 is then extended from the winch 106, over the front winch pulley 44, through the channel 42 and over the rear winch pulley 18. The winch cable is then connected to the front end of the deck, as described below.

[0054] The bed 12 is also provided with a recoil cable opening 46 proximal to the rear end 14 thereof through which a second end of the recoil cable 118 can be extended. The opposite, first end of the recoil cable 118 is connected to the recoil apparatus 110 as discussed below. The recoil cable opening 46 is provided with a guide insert 126 to facilitate the movement of the recoil cable 118 through the opening 46.

[0055] As mentioned above, and as discussed further below, a first end of the winch cable 108 is attached to the front end 24 of the detachable deck 104. For this purpose, thedeck 104 is provided with a winch cable coupling 48 that is secured to the front end 24 of the deck 104. An embodiment of the winch cable coupling 48 is further illustrated in Fig. 7.

[0056] The first end of the winch cable 108 can be connected to the coupling 48 in any manner as would be known in the art. In one embodiment, the winch cable 108 may be permanently attached to the coupling 48, whereby the deck 104 would remain tethered to the bed 12. However, in a preferred embodiment the deck 104 would be completely detachable from the bed 12 and for such reason, the winch cable 108 must be detachable from the winch cable coupling 48. In one embodiment, such detachable connection may be formed by securing a connecter or linking component to the end of winch cable 108 that is adapted to reversibly engage the coupling 48. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the winch cable coupling 48 is formed of two opposed flanges 50 and 51 that are separated from each other, thus creating a connector receiving space 52. Fig. 8 illustrates an example of a winch cable connector 54 adapted to be engaged with the coupling 48. The winch cable connector 54 generally comprises a block that is secured to an end of the winch cable 108 opposite to the end attached to the winch. The winch cable connector 54 is adapted to be inserted into the connector receiving space 52. When the connector 54 is positioned within the connector receiving space 52, apertures 56 provided on the connector 54 are adapted to align with apertures 58 provided on flanges 50 and 51 of the coupling 48. In this position, a locking pin (as shown at 57 in Fig. 13) or the like may be inserted through the apertures 56 and 58 thus securing the connector 54 to the coupling 48.

[0057] Fig. 9 illustrates another view of the bed 12, similar to that of Fig. 5 but with more details. As shown, the bed 12 is provided with a winch 106 that is provided proximal to the front end 14 of the bed 12. As noted above, in a preferred embodiment, a single winch 106 is provided and, in such case, the winch 106 is preferably positioned generally centrally of the bed 12, between the left and right sides of the bed 12. Fig. 9 also illustrates the pully 18 over which the winch cable 108 (discussed below) extends. As also noted above, the bed 12 is preferably secured to a truck body (not shown).

[0058] A first end of the winch cable 108 is connected to the winch 106 and a second end of the winch cable 108 is connected to the deck 104. As discussed above, such connection may be achieved by providing the winch cable with a winch cable connector 52, which is adapted to engage a winch cable coupling 48 provided on the deck 104. It will beappreciated that other means of attaching the winch cable 108 to the deck 104 will be known to persons skilled in the art.

[0059] The first end of the winch cable 108 is connected to the winch 106 by any known method and is wrapped around a mandrel 105 of the winch 106. The winch 106 is configured to pull the detachable deck 104 onto the bed 12 and towards the front end 14 of the bed 12. According to one embodiment, the winch 106 is a retrieval winch that winds when the deck is pulled towards the front end of the base and unwinds when the deck is pulled rearward off the base. The winch can either be powered manually or by a crank or other means of rotation. In a preferred embodiment, the winch may be remotely controlled by a handheld device. It will be appreciated that the power capacity of the winch will be known to persons skilled in the art and would be selected based on the weight of the deck and the anticipated payload provided thereon. It will also be appreciated that the strength of the winch cable will be chosen so as to be sufficient to withstand the pulling strength of the winch on the deck. Ideally, the winch cable will be selected to have a strength greater than that of the winch.

[0060] Figs. 10 to 12 illustrate the recoil apparatus 110 according to one embodiment of the description. In the embodiment shown, the recoil apparatus 110 is attached to the bed 12 preferably at a position proximal to the rear end 16 thereof. As also shown, the recoil apparatus 110 is preferably positioned below the upper surface of the bed 12. In one embodiment, the recoil apparatus 110 comprises a shaft 112 and a drum pulley 114 coaxially provided over the shaft 112. The shaft 112 holds the drum pulley 114 in place with respect to the bed 12. The recoil apparatus 110 further comprises a torsion spring 116 coaxially provided over and connected to the shaft. A first end of the torsion spring 116 is fixed to the shaft 112 to prevent relative movement between the first end of the torsion spring and the shaft 112. A second end of the torsion spring 116 is fixed to the drum pulley 114. As would be appreciated, relative rotation between the drum pulley 114 and the shaft 112 in the direction of the winding of the torsion spring 116 results in the tensioning of the torsion spring 116. Similarly, relative rotation of the drum pulley 114 and shaft 112 in the opposite direction results in release of tension in the torsion spring 116.

[0061] In one embodiment, the drum pulley 114 is provided one or more coaxial rings there-over. In the figures, two such rings, shown at 128 and 129 are provided. The rings 128 and 129 are secured to the outer surface of the drum pulley 114 to prevent relative movement there-between. A first end of a recoil cable 118 (shown in later figures) is securedto the rings 128 and 129 and thereby to the drum pulley 114, and a length of the recoil cable 118 is wrapped around the drum pulley. In this way, as the drum pulley 114 rotates about the shaft 112, the recoil cable is either wound or unwound over the drum pulley 114. The second end of the recoil cable 118 is extended through the guide insert 126 provided in the opening 46 on the bed 12. As shown in Figs. 10 and 12, the guide insert 126 includes a curved ramp 127 over which the recoil cable 118 extends. Such ramp 127 serves to guide the recoil cable 118 as it moves through the opening 46.

[0062] Figs. 16 to 18 illustrate the second end 119 of the recoil cable 118. As shown, the second end 119 of the recoil cable 118 terminates with a latch or hook 60 having an opening through which the winch cable 108 extends. As will be understood, the cable 108 is allowed to freely pass through opening of the hook 60. As described further below, the hook 60 is adapted to catch the front end 24 of the deck 104 as the deck 104 is pulled onto the bed 12 by the action of the winch 106 and winch cable 108.

[0063] As will be understood by persons skilled in the art having reviewed the present description, the recoil apparatus 110 is arranged so that the torsion spring 116 is provided with at least a degree of tension in its resting state. Accordingly, the second end of the recoil cable 118 would include an engagement means (not shown) to allow such second end to engage the guide insert 126 and thereby prevent the recoil cable 118 from being fully wound onto the drum pulley 114. It will also be understood that the recoil cable 118 will come under increasing tension as it is pulled away from the recoil apparatus 110, such tensioning being caused by the torsioning of the torsion spring 116. Consequently, the torsion spring becomes a store of potential energy once the recoil cable is pulled away from drum pulley 114. This is discussed further below.

[0064] Figs. 13 to 18 illustrate the various stages involved in loading the deck 104 onto the bed 12. In Fig. 13, the first step is illustrated. Specifically, the deck 104 is unloaded from the bed 12 and rests on the ground 11. To commence the loading of the deck 104, the winch cable is attached to the front end 24 of the deck 104. As described above, this is accomplished by securing the connector 54 provided on the second end of the winch cable to the coupling 48 provided on the deck 104. This stage is illustrated in Fig. 13. The winch is then activated, which begins to pull the front end 24 of the deck 104 upwards owing to the winch cable 108 being provided over the wheel / pulley 18. As the front end 24 of the deck 104 is progressively pulled upwards, the deck 104 begins to pivot over the wheels 17, 18,and 19. This stage is also illustrated in Fig. 16. As shown, further pulling of the deck 104 by the winch cable lifts the second end of the winch cable above the bed 12. Consequently, the second end of the recoil cable 118 and the hook 60 are also raised. In particular, the hook 60 is raised out the guide insert 126.

[0065] As shown in Figs. 14 and 17, as the deck 104 is further pulled, the hook 60 engages the bottom edge of the front end 24 of the deck 104.

[0066] As shown in Figs. 15 and 18, further pulling of the deck 104 by the winch cable 108 forces the recoil cable 118 to be pulled from the recoil apparatus. Pulling of the recoil cable 118 in this manner forces rotation of drum pulley 114 and, in turn, torsioning of the torsion spring 116. As will be understood, the torsioning of the spring 116 increases the pulling force applied to the recoil cable 118 in a direction opposite to the force applied via the winch cable 108 by the winch. As will be understood, this arrangement results in a dampening of the gravitational force experienced by the deck 104, whereby as the deck is advanced over the bed 12, the front end 24 thereof does not violently drop once the center of gravity of the deck 104 passes the fulcrum point of the bed 12, namely the wheels 17, 18, and 19. As discussed above, the rollers or wheels 20 provided on the upper surface of the bed 12 serve to facilitate the movement of the deck 104 as it is pulled over the bed 12.

[0067] Once the deck 104 is fully loaded on the bed 12, the deck may be locked in position so as to prevent the deck from being dislodged. In particular, once loaded, it will be appreciated that the deck 104 will be subject to the pulling force exerted by the recoil apparatus 110, namely, the recoil cable 118 and the torsion spring 116. The recoil apparatus 110 would apply a constant force urging the deck 104 to move in a rearward direction with reference to the bed 12. Such force by the recoil apparatus 110 would be countered by the force applied by the winch. However, in a preferred embodiment, a further locking means is provided to secure the deck 104 in the loaded position. The locking means may comprise any locking device or apparatus as may be known to persons skilled in the art. However, in a preferred embodiment, one or more, and preferably two or more, cleats 62 are provided on the bed 12, as shown in Figs. 2, 17, 19, and 20, for example. The cleats 62 may be spring loaded and received within cleat pockets, such as shown at 64 in Fig. 6. As shown in Fig. 17, as the deck 104 is loaded onto the bed 12, lowering of the deck 104 urges the cleats 62 into their respective pockets 64. Once the deck 104 is fully in the loaded position on the bed 12, latches, such as shown at 66 in Fig. 21 provide an opening to allow the cleats 62 to extendupwards, owing to the cleats 62 being spring loaded, and thereby engage the underside of the deck 104. The cleats 62 then prevent relative longitudinal movement of the deck 104 and bed 12. In a preferred embodiment, the cleats 62 may include a latching means in the pockets 64 that allow the cleats to be manually pushed into the pockets 64 and locked therein when unloading of the deck 104 is desired.

[0068] As discussed above, to further secure the deck 104 in place over the bed 12, the respective walls 22 and 34 may be connected together with a locking pin or the like.

[0069] As mentioned above, when the deck 104 is pulled by the winch into the loaded position on the bed 12, the recoil cable 118 is also pulled toward the front end 14 of the bed 12. Consequently, the torsion spring 116 of the recoil apparatus 110 is placed under tension and therefore accumulates potential energy. As discussed below, the potential energy stored in the spring is used to aid in the unloading process for the deck 104.

[0070] More particularly, when the deck 104 is to be unloaded from the bed 12, any locking means, such as the cleats 62 and / or the locking pin attaching the walls 22 and 34, are disengaged. The winch 106 is then switched to its reverse direction and the deck 104 then comes under the effect of the recoil apparatus 110. In particular, the hook 60, which is engaged with the front end of the deck 104 and attached to the recoil cable 118 of the recoil apparatus 110, pulls the deck 104 toward the rear end 16 of the bed 12. As would be appreciated, since a significant amount of energy would typically be stored in the torsion spring 116, the recoil apparatus 110 would apply a strong pulling force on the deck 104, which would normally result in a rapid and violent dislodging of the deck 104. However, such undesirable result is avoided by the winch 106. In particular, by operating the winch in reverse and controlling the speed of the winch, the force exerted by the recoil apparatus is countered, thereby allowing for a controlled unloading of the deck 104 onto the ground 11 . This therefore results in the deck 104 being gently lowered to the ground and avoids any crashing motion.

[0071] The steps in the unloading process of the deck 104 are apparent in Figs. 13 to 18 when viewed in reverse order. In particular, as shown in Fig. 15, once the locking means securing the deck 104 to the bed 12 are released and the winch 106 is operated in reverse, the deck 104 begins to move rearwardly of the bed 12. This movement is facilitated by the provision of the rollers or wheels 20 on the upper surface of the bed 12. As the deck move rearwardly of the bed 12, the rear end 26 of the deck 104 begins to drop as it extendsbeyond the rear end 16 of the bed 12. In Fig. 14, deck 104 has been lowered up to the point where the wheels 30 of the deck 104 contact the ground 11 . It will be understood that Figs. 13-15 show the deck 104 without the extension 28. If such extension were present, the wheels 32 of the extension 28 would be shown contacting the ground first. As noted above, the contacting of the deck 104 with the ground 11 is controlled by the countering forces offered by the recoil cable 118, which urges the deck 104 rearwardly, and the winch cable 108, which connects the deck 104 to the front end 14 of the bed 12 via the winch 106. At this point, or shortly thereafter, the hook 60 is disengaged from the deck 104 and further lowering thereof is controlled only by the winch cable 108. Fig. 13 illustrates the deck 104 in its final position after being lowered to the ground 11 . At this point, the winch cable 108 may be disconnected by disconnecting the connector 54 at the second end of the winch cable from the coupling 48 at the front end 24 of the deck 104.

[0072] As will be understood, a significant advantage is provided by the recoil apparatus described herein. In particular, the recoil apparatus allows for safe and non-destructive loading and unloading of the detachable deck 104 on / from a bed 12. Such system is particularly suited for loading and / or unloading a deck from a truck or the like. However, as discussed above, persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the described system may be used in a variety of other applications. For example, the system may be used to lower or raise a deck from a bed secured to a raised loading dock. As can be appreciated, this would avoid the need for a separate device or mechanism (e.g., a forklift or the like) to achieve the required purpose. The system may also be used to raise and / or lower a deck to / from a marine vehicle, etc.

[0073] One of the features described herein is the provision of a winch and a recoil apparatus that are attached to a bed. This is preferred in order to have the bed separated from the surface to which it is attached. For example, the bed described herein may be secured to a truck but may equally be secured to the floor of a loading dock. By having the winch and recoil apparatus on the bed allows the bed to be “modular” in that it can be used in a variety of locations.

[0074] As would be understood, the recoil apparatus described herein acts to harness kinetic energy exerted by the winch during the deck loading operation and to store such energy for use during the deck unloading operation. One preferred embodiment of the recoil apparatus has been described herein, involving a drum pulley and torsion spring. Personsskilled in the art will appreciate that such mechanism would be suitable for the weights of the deck and payload involved. However, other spring mechanisms may equally be used. It will also be appreciated that the recoil apparatus may comprise another winch, operating in an opposite direction. However, such arrangement may not be ideal given that it would not offer a “shock absorber” type of effect as achieved by the torsion spring.

[0075] It will also be understood that the recoil apparatus may also comprise a hydraulic device. In such case, the recoil cable would be connected to one end of a hydraulic piston that reciprocates in a hydraulic cylinder. Thus, in one embodiment, during the deck loading operation, the recoil cable may operate to move the piston into the cylinder, thus increasing the hydraulic pressure therein and, consequently, harnessing the energy exerted by the winch. During the deck unloading operation, the piston would be allowed to extend from the cylinder and thereby exert a pulling force on the deck via the recoil cable. It will of course be understood that in the case of a hydraulically operated recoil apparatus, the energy of the winch may be harnessed by extending the piston, thus creating a vacuum in the cylinder.

[0076] Although the above description includes reference to certain specific embodiments, various modifications thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Any examples provided herein are included solely for the purpose of illustration and are not intended to be limiting in any way. Any drawings provided herein are solely for the purpose of illustrating various aspects of the description and are not intended to be drawn to scale or to be limiting in any way. The scope of the claims appended hereto should not be limited by the preferred embodiments set forth in the above description but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the present specification as a whole. The disclosures of all references in the present description herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Claims

WE CLAIM:1 . A system for loading and unloading a detachable deck from a bed, the deck having a front end corresponding to a front end of the bed and rear end corresponding to the rear end of the bed, the system comprising:- a winch provided on the bed;- a winch cable having a first end attached to the winch and a second end adapted to be removably connected to the front end of the deck;- a recoil apparatus provided on the bed;- a recoil cable having a first end connected to the recoil apparatus and a second end adapted to be removably connected to the front end of the deck;- the winch cable being configured to apply a pulling force on the deck in a direction towards the front end of the bed during operation of the winch; and,- the recoil cable being configured to apply a pulling force on the deck in a direction towards the rear end of the bed.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the recoil apparatus is configured to store energy resulting from extension of the recoil cable from the recoil apparatus.

3. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the recoil apparatus comprises a mechanical apparatus.

4. The system of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the recoil apparatus comprises a torsion spring operably connected to a drum pulley, and wherein the first end of the recoil cable is connected to the drum pulley.

5. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the recoil apparatus comprises a hydraulic apparatus.

6. The system of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein second end of the winch cable comprises a connector adapted to be removably connected to a coupling provided at the front end of the deck.

7. The system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the second end of the recoil cable comprises a hook adapted to engage the front end of the deck as the deck is moved in a direction from the rear end of the bed to the front end of the bed.

8. The system of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the rear end of the bed is provided with rollers on an upper portion thereof, wherein the rollers contact an underside of the deck as the deck is loaded on or unloaded from the bed.

9. The system of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the rear end of the deck is provided with deck wheels, wherein the deck wheels are adapted to engage a surface onto which the deck is lowered.

10. The system of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the rear end of the deck includes an extension extendable from the rear end of the deck.11 . The system of claim 10, wherein the extension includes extension wheels wherein the extension wheels are adapted to engage a surface onto which the deck is lowered.

12. The system of any one of claims 1 to 11 , wherein the bed comprises one or more reversible locking means adapted to secure the deck to the bed when the deck is loaded thereon.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein locking means comprises: one or more cleats, provided on the rear end of the bed, adapted to engage an underside of the deck; and / or, one or more locking pins adapted to connect the front end of the bed to the front end of the deck.

14. The system of claims 1 to 13, wherein an upper surface of the bed is provided with a plurality of rollers or wheels to facilitate movement of the deck on the bed.

15. The system of any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the bed is attached to a vehicle.

16. The system of any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the bed is attached to a platform.

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