An improved goods vehicle of the kind having a loading platform including an endless conveyor means arranged for movement in the longitudinal direction of the loading platform and including driving carriages to engage load-carrying means, generally in the form of transport containers. The vehicle has a vertically movable deck, e.g. consisting of one of the flaps closing the rear opening of the vehicle and arranged to support the load-carriers during engagement and disengagement of the containers relative to the driving carriages. Said deck includes a slanting surface as well as an area positioned at a lower level with respect thereto such that a first pair of container runner wheels which area mounted on a fixed support shaft may move over this area without contacting it whereas a second pair of container runner wheels having a pivotally mounted support shaft travel over a semi-circular track formed on said deck, this arrangement enhancing the movability of the containers while at the same time facilitating their engagement to and disengagement from the respective one of the driving carriages during loading and unloading.

The base of a load-carrying system supports a horizontal conveyor having an endless member with side-by-side runs, and having wheeled load receptacles running on the base, and the sides of the receptacles adjacent the endless member directly overlie the latter, so that substantially the whole load space is utilized in a direction transverse to the runs.

An article handling system for trucks or tractor-drawn trailers which will deliver a container or the like to the rear opening of the truck from a designated position thereon without having to remove other containers from the truck.

An arrangement in a conveyor mechanism, particularly of the kind mounted on the loading platform of goods vehicles and comprising a continuous conveyor means on which are provided equidistantly spaced driving carriages to which are to be coupled one or several, usually two load-carrier means, e.g. in the form of transport containers. Each driving carriage has an outwardly projecting driving arm with coupling members thereon intended for engagement with means provided on the load-carriers.

Apparatus mounted within a highway trailer or the like which automatically moves a predetermined number of cargo containers along a predetermined endless path within the trailer for the purpose of locating a selected cargo container in a predetermined loading and unloading position.