Vehicular cargo of a vehicle transporter is supported by elongate vehicle support members. Elevated vehicle support members are supported above the vehicular frame of the transporter and moved by screw actuators that are self-locking.
대표청구항▼
We claim: 1. An apparatus comprising: a lower tier vehicle support structure adapted to support one or more vehicles in a lower tier of vehicles; an upper tier vehicle support structure adapted to support one or more vehicles in an upper tier of vehicles above and over the lower tier of vehicles; s
We claim: 1. An apparatus comprising: a lower tier vehicle support structure adapted to support one or more vehicles in a lower tier of vehicles; an upper tier vehicle support structure adapted to support one or more vehicles in an upper tier of vehicles above and over the lower tier of vehicles; said upper tier vehicle support structure comprising one or more elevated movable platforms capable of supporting vehicles and configured to move relative to each other; and an upper tier lifting mechanism configured to raise and lower the elevated movable platforms relative to the lower tier vehicle support structure; wherein the upper tier lifting mechanism consists of screw-driven devices, each screw-driven device comprising a rotatable screw and a motor drivingly coupled to rotate the screw, the screw-driven devices being arranged to raise or lower the elevated movable platforms relative to the lower tier vehicle support structure upon rotation of the screws; wherein each of said screw-driven devices is self-locking; wherein at least two of the screw-driven devices comprise first and second, variable-length screw actuators positioned on opposite sides of the apparatus, each screw actuator comprising first and second elongate members that are telescopingly extensible and retractable relative to each other, an internal screw, and a motor drivingly connected to the internal screw, wherein rotation of said screw forces the elongate members to slide relative to each other to change a length of the actuator. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus does not include any hydraulic cylinder assemblies connected to and extending between the upper and lower tier support structures for raising and lowering the upper tier support structure relative to the lower tier support structure. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the position of the elevated movable platforms relative to the lower tier support structure is maintained by the self-locking screw driven devices enabling the position to be maintained without engagement of a manual mechanical position locking mechanism. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the screw actuators comprises a nut in threaded engagement with a respective screw and operable to translate along the length of the screw upon rotation of the screw for raising and lowering the elevated movable platforms relative to the lower tier support structure. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a truck, a trailer, or a combination of a truck and a trailer. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the first elongate member of each screw actuator comprises a tubular shell having a wall defining an interior and exterior; and the second elongate member of each screw actuator comprises a slide tube, the slide tube being slidably and coaxially arranged in the interior of a respective tubular shell such that rotation of a respective screw causes the slide tube to translate longitudinally with respect to the tubular shell to vary a length of the actuator. 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein each screw actuator further comprises a nut constrained to translate with a respective slide tube and being in threaded engagement with a respective screw such that rotation of the screw is converted into translational movement of the slide tube relative to the tubular shell. 8. An apparatus for transporting multiple vehicles, the apparatus comprising: a lower tier vehicle support structure adapted to support one or more vehicles in a lower tier of vehicles; at least one upper tier vehicle support structure adapted to support one or more vehicles in an upper tier of vehicles above the lower tier of vehicles; and at least first and second, transversely spaced, telescoping screw actuators positioned on opposite sides of the apparatus, each screw actuator having a lower end portion pivotably connected at a first location adjacent the lower tier vehicle support structure and an upper end portion pivotably connected at a second location adjacent the upper tier vehicle support structure, the screw actuators being telescopingly extendable and retractable to raise and lower the upper tier vehicle support structure relative to the lower tier vehicle support structure; wherein each screw actuator comprises first and second elongate members, a screw, and a motor drivingly connected to the screw such that rotation of the screw produces telescoping movement of the first and second elongate members relative to each other to extend or retract the actuator; wherein the apparatus does not include any hydraulic cylinder assemblies connected to and extending between the upper and lower tier support structures for raising and lowering the upper tier support structure relative to the lower tier support structure; wherein each screw actuator is self-locking to prevent the actuators from retracting under the weight of the upper tier vehicle support structure and the one or more vehicles supported thereon, and enabling maintenance of the position of the upper tier support structure without manual operation of a locking mechanism connected to and extending between the upper and lower tier support structures for maintaining the position of the upper tier support structure relative to the lower tier support structure. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein: the at least one upper tier vehicle support structure comprises plural upper tier vehicle support structures positioned end-to-end lengthwise of the apparatus and being movable relative to each other, each upper tier vehicle support structure being adapted to support one or more vehicles; the first and second screw actuators comprise a first pair of screw actuators, and the apparatus further comprises at least one additional pair of first and second telescoping screw actuators, the actuator pairs being spaced along the length of the apparatus, each pair being positioned to raise and lower one of said upper tier support structures relative to the lower tier support structure. 10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein: the at least one upper tier vehicle support structure comprises plural upper tier vehicle support structures positioned end-to-end lengthwise of the apparatus and being movable relative to each other, each upper tier vehicle support structure being adapted to support one or more vehicles, the first and second screw actuators being configured to raise and lower one of said upper tier vehicle support structures relative to the lower tier vehicle support structure; the apparatus further comprises at least one pair of fixed-length, screw-driven lifting mechanism, each comprising a screw, a nut threadably engaging the screw and coupled to another of said upper tier vehicle support structures, and a motor drivingly connected to the screw such that rotation of the screw causes the nut to move along the length of the screw to raise or lower the latter upper tier vehicle support structure relative to the lower tier vehicle support structure. 11. An apparatus comprising: a lower tier vehicle support structure adapted to support one or more vehicles in a lower tier of vehicles; a plurality of upper tier vehicle support structures positioned end-to-end lengthwise of the apparatus and being movable relative to each other, each upper tier vehicle support structure being adapted to support one or more vehicles above and over the lower tier of vehicles; and raising and lowering means associated with each upper tier vehicle support structure for raising and lowering an associated upper tier vehicle support structure relative to the lower tier vehicle support structure, wherein none of said raising and lowering means includes hydraulic cylinder assemblies; wherein the raising and lowering means associated with at least one upper tier support structure comprises first and second, transversely-spaced screw actuators, each screw actuator comprising a rotatable screw, first and second elongate members, and a motor including a rotatable motor shaft drivingly connected to the screw, the screw actuators being arranged such that rotation of the screws causes the first and second elongate members of each actuator to slide longitudinally relative to each other to raise or lower the associated upper tier support structure relative to the lower tier vehicle support structure. 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the screw actuators can be adjusted to move the associated upper tier vehicle support structure between a lowered position forming a ramp to allow one or more vehicles to be driven from the ground onto the upper tier vehicle support structure, and a raised position in which the one or more vehicles supported on the associated upper tier vehicle support structure is supported above the lower tier of vehicles. 13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first and second elongate members of each screw actuator are pivotably coupled to locations on the apparatus to permit tilting of the associated upper tier vehicle support structure relative to the lower tier vehicle support structure upon actuation of the screw actuators. 14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the motors of the first and second screw actuators are hydraulic motors and are connected in parallel to a hydraulic pump to receive hydraulic fluid therefrom. 15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising means for equalizing the flow of hydraulic fluid to the motors. 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein: each hydraulic motor of the first and second screw actuators comprises a control valve to control the flow of hydraulic fluid to the motor; the equalizing means comprises an equalizer switch electrically connected to the control valves of the motors and operable to control the operation of the control valves. 17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the motor of each screw actuator comprises a hydraulic motor drivingly connected to a respective screw to produce rotation of the screw, the motor having an inlet port and an outlet port defining a flow path for a flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid that drives the motor, wherein the flow of pressurized fluid through the motor is fluidly sealed from the respective first and second elongate members. 18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each of the motors includes a motor shaft rotatable on a common axis with the screw that is drivingly connected to the motor. 19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first and second screw actuators are self locking to prevent the actuators from retracting under the weight of the upper tier support structure and the one or more vehicles supported thereon, enabling the position of the upper tier support structure relative to the lower tier support structure to be maintained without engaging an additional mechanical locking mechanism. 20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus comprises a truck. 21. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus comprises a trailer that is connectable to a truck.
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