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Title: Method of loading, handling and unloading cargo from a transporting vehicle
Claims: I claim: 1. A method of unloading cargo elements from a supporting surface on a transporting vehicle and loading cargo elements onto said surface as said vehicle proceeds along a drop-off and pick-up route having a plurality of stops, said supporting surface having front and rear ends and longitudinally extending laterally spaced sides, said method comprising the steps of providing at least one path on said surface for guiding the direction of movement of cargo elements moving on said surface, said path extending lengthwise of said vehicle and having a receiving end at the rear end of said supporting surface and a discharge end in one of said sides and adjacent to the front end of said supporting surface, unloading cargo elements from the discharge end of said path as said vehicle makes its respective stops, loading cargo elements onto said path at the receiving end thereof as said vehicle makes its respective stops, and inertially moving cargo elements on said path from the receiving end toward the discharge end of said path until a predetermined number of cargo elements have been dropped off and picked up. 2. A method of unloading cargo elements from a supporting surface on a transporting vehicle and loading cargo elements onto said surface as said vehicle proceeds along a drop-off and pick-up route having a plurality of stops, said method comprising the steps of providing a pair of parallel paths on said surface for guiding the direction of movement of cargo elements moving on said surface, each of said paths having a receiving end and a discharge end, providing an unloading station at the discharge end of one of said paths for receiving cargo elements from both of said paths, blocking the discharge end of one of said paths to prevent cargo elements thereon from advancing onto said unloading station until a predetermined number of cargo elements on the other of said paths have been unloaded from said unloading station and replaced with cargo elements loaded onto the receiving end of said other path, unblocking the discharge end of said one path to permit cargo elements on said one path to advance onto and be unloaded from said unloading station while at the same time blocking the discharge end of said other path to prevent cargo elements thereon from advancing onto said unloading station, and moving cargo elements on said paths from the receiving ends toward the discharge ends thereof until a desired number of cargo elements have been dropped off and picked up. 3. A method of unloading cargo elements from a supporting surface on a transporting vehicle and loading cargo elements onto said surface as said vehicle proceeds along a drop-off and pick-up route having a plurality of stops, said supporting surface having front and rear ends and longitudinally extending laterally spaced sides, said method comprising the steps of providing a pair of parallel paths on said surface for guiding the direction of movement of cargo elements moving on said surface, each of said paths having a receiving end and a discharge end, providing an unloading station at the discharge end of one of said paths adjacent to one of said sides and the front end of said supporting surface for receiving cargo elements from both of said paths, blocking the discharge end of one of said paths to prevent cargo elements thereon from advancing onto said unloading station until a predetermined number of cargo elements on the other of said paths have been unloaded from said unloading station and replaced with cargo elements loaded onto the receiving end of said other path, diverting cargo elements advancing on said other path onto said unloading station, unblocking the discharge end of said one path to permit cargo elements on said one path to advance onto and be unloaded from said unloading station while at the same time blocking the discharge end of said other path to prevent cargo elements thereon from advancing onto said unloading station, and moving cargo elements on said paths from the receiving ends towards the discharge ends thereof until a desired number of cargo elements have been dropped off and picked up. Other info: Inventors: Mahoney, James D. (Oak Brook, IL, US) Application Number: 445283 Filing Date: 1974-02-22 Publication_date: 1976-02-10 Assignee: Primary Class(es): 414/812 Other Classes: US Patent Ref:
Other Refs: Primary Examiner: Makay, Albert J. Assistant Examiner: Attorney: Hibben, Noyes & Bicknell |
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