DEMOUNTABLE VEHICULAR BODY SYSTEM AND WINCH

摘要

A demountable vehicular body system involves the use of a lorry or similar transportation vehicle (6) having a chassis (8) for use with a demountable lorry body (10), and mounting means (20) to enable the body to be moved from a position behind an adjacent to the lorry chassis to a position fully mounted on the chassis. The system comprises twin drives, the construction and arrangement being such that on loading, the first drive (42) lifts one end of the body (10) on to the rear of the chassis (8) to a set position, then pulls the body on to the chassis, whilst for unloading a second drive (44) pulls the body rearwardly of the chassis to the set position, and subsequently the first drive (42) lowers the body to the ground. Sensing means is provided to sense movement of the body (10) to the set position, said sensing means comprising a cam (90) drivingly connected to a drive shaft of the first drive means by a worm gear (89), said cam being arranged to operate a microswitch (92a, 92b, 92c) of a control device (92) when the body arrives at the set position. The driving means also comprises a winch comprising a drum (50) provided with a helical channel or groove in the circumference thereof, and a resiliently deformable roller (56) urged against the circumference of the drum to press the cable wound on to the drum into the circumferential groove. This enables the cable (58) to be entered into the circumferential groove correctly, even when the tension in the cable is at a low level.