AU2009203211A1 - A demountable kibble frame - Google Patents

Description

14542AU ORIGINAL Complete Specification Applicant: CIMC Rolling Stock Australia Title: A demountable kibble frame Address for Service: LESICAR PERRIN, 49 Wright Street, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to melus: 2 A demountable kibble frame The present invention relates to a demountable kibble frame and, in particular, to a lightweight, demountable frame which quickly and easily converts a conventional rail wagon, road trailer or the like, which are typically used to carry shipping 5 containers, to a wagon/trailer for carrying kibbles. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Rail wagons, road trailers and other like vehicles are used to transport mined material, such as metalliferous ores and mineral sands for example, from one location to another. Such material is sometimes carried inside large containers known as 10 kibbles which are supported above the vehicle chassis, the kibbles being demountable from the chassis once a destination is reached. Rail wagons, road trailers and similar vehicles are also used to carry shipping containers above their chassis. Typically, the dimensions of such containers are standardised, and at their corners they typically have standardised corner fittings. 15 Typical of this type of corner fitting are those which are normally of a rectangular box form which have within their sides, apertures of predetermined shape and size which are suited and matched to specific handling devices, and fittings. Typical chassis include an underframe or centre-sill which is a rigid elongated structure comprising a relatively heavy pair of parallel steel beams connected by 20 spaced crossed braces. These typically comprise parallel steel I-beams which extend from front to rear of the chassis and are about one foot in height, 1/4 inch thick and are relatively heavy structures. In the case of chassis designed to carry say two containers in a longitudinal arrangement, the container chassis will include eight inter-box connectors or IBC's, 25 that is, four IBC's on each opposed side of the chassis. The IBC's are positioned so that when the containers are loaded, each corner box form thereof will sit directly above each IBC. A twist lock assembly is then used to lock the containers to the chassis. The twist lock assembly typically comprises an upstanding projection which slips into an opening in each of the box forms, and a lever which is manually rotated 30 to lock down the box form.

Chassis designed to carry kibble containers are configured differently in that they include a plurality of transversely extending and spaced apart receiving trays adapted to accommodate a correspondingly shaped lug which is suspended beneath the kibble container. Typically, each kibble includes two spaced apart and 5 transversely extending lugs, adapted to be placed inside two correspondingly spaced apart and transversely extending trays. Each chassis will typically include ten trays along its length to thereby accommodate five kibble containers. The kibble containers are locked in place using a locking mechanism which involves the insertion of a pin through coaxially aligned apertures in the tray and lug 10 received therein. Therefore, at present, two different vehicle chassis are required to transport containers and kibbles. One chassis is specifically configured to carry shipping containers and the other chassis is specifically configured to carry kibble containers. The problem with the current vehicles can best be conveyed using a practical 15 example. A person runs a fleet of container and kibble wagons for transporting goods, but for a specific job, only kibble wagons are required. The number of kibble wagons in the fleet is insufficient, or perhaps some are undergoing repair, and so further kibble wagons need to be sourced from elsewhere. This is not only time consuming, it can be extremely costly to all parties involved. The present inventor has therefore 20 identified a need in the industry for a more universal system of transporting goods. It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome at least some of the aforementioned problems or to provide the public with a useful alternative. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a kibble frame that is quickly and easily mountable and demountable from a conventional shipping 25 container carrying vehicle chassis. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a demountable kibble frame including a means of reducing the effects of lateral and vertical vibration. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 4 Therefore in one form of the invention there is proposed a demountable frame for use with a vehicle configured to carry at least one first type of container, said vehicle having a chassis and one or more locking points for attachment of said first type of container, said demountable frame including: 5 a substantially planar body adapted for mounting above said chassis; fastening means disposed on said frame in accordance with the location of said one or more mounting points for locking said frame to said chassis; and a means of supporting one or more of a second type of container above said frame. Preferably said first type of container is a shipping container and said one or 10 more locking points are in the form of twist lock assemblies associated with the frame. In preference said fastening means disposed on said frame are in the form of apertures adapted for engagement by said twist lock assemblies. Preferably said second type of container is at least one kibble container 15 including two transversely extending, spaced apart lugs suspended therefrom. In preference said means of supporting the second type of container is in the form of at least one receiving tray which is correspondingly positioned above said frame and dimensioned to receive the kibble container lugs. Preferably said demountable frame is in the form of an elongate, rectangular 20 structure including two longitudinally extending side beams, and a plurality of transversely extending cross members. In preference said vehicle chassis includes at least one central beam having a web portion and an upper outwardly extending flange portion. Preferably said demountable frame further includes a means of reducing 25 lateral and vertical vibration of the frame. In preference said means of reducing lateral and vertical vibration is suspended beneath the frame cross members.

5 Preferably said means of reducing lateral and vertical vibration is in the form of a plurality of clamping plates adapted to clamp the outwardly extending flange portion of the vehicle chassis between itself and one of said cross members. In a further form of the invention there is proposed a rail wagon vehicle 5 chassis including a demountable frame as described above. A road trailer vehicle chassis including a demountable frame as described above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part 10 of this specification, illustrate several implementations of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the advantages and principles of the invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 illustrates a top side perspective view of a demountable kibble frame in accordance with the present invention; 15 Figure 2 illustrates a bottom side perspective view of the demountable kibble frame of Figure 1; Figure 3 illustrates an end view of the demountable kibble frame of Figure 1; Figure 4 illustrates a top view of the demountable kibble frame of Figure 1; Figure 5 illustrates a side view of the demountable kibble frame of Figure 1; 20 Figure 6 illustrates a side view of a conventional container-carrying rail wagon with two shipping containers supported thereabove; Figure 7 illustrates a side view of the conventional container-carrying rail wagon of Figure 6 including a demountable kibble frame being lowered onto the wagon chassis in accordance with the present 25 invention; Figure 8 illustrates a side view of the conventional container carrying rail wagon of Figure 6 including a demountable kibble frame and a plurality of kibble containers locked thereto; Figure 9 illustrates an enlarged bottom perspective view of clamping plates of 5 the demountable kibble frame of the present invention; and Figure 10 illustrates a side view of a rail wagon chassis with an attached demountable kibble frame, and in an enlarged cross sectional end view, one of the clamping plates of Figure 9 mounted to the chassis underframe. 10 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings. Although the description includes exemplary embodiments, other embodiments are possible, and changes may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Wherever possible, the 15 same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same and like parts. As mentioned in the preamble of the invention, there currently exists vehicles such as rail wagons and road trailers which are specifically constructed to carry kibble containers, and others which are specifically constructed to carry shipping containers. 20 The present invention relates to a demountable kibble frame 10 that is configured to be lockable to the chassis 12 of a container-carrying vehicle 14. More specifically, the demountable kibble frame 10 is adapted to be locked above a chassis 12 of the container-carrying vehicle 14 in the same way one or more containers 16 is locked there above. When such a vehicle 14 is required to once again carry containers 25 16, then the kibble frame 10 of the present invention can be quickly and easily demounted. The demountable kibble frame 10 therefore does away with the need for custom built vehicles for carrying kibble containers 18.

7 It is to be understood from the outset that the frame 10 is configured to carry kibble containers in a preferred form of the invention, but it could equally well be used to carry various other container types. The demountable kibble frame 10 of the present invention is illustrated in 5 Figures 1-5. The frame 10 includes a rectangular flat bed structure comprising a central hollow structural element 20 of flat rectangular cross section, two outer longitudinal beams 22 and 24, preferably C-section beams, disposed on either side of the central element 20, and ten transversely extending cross or brace members 26 connecting the two outer beams 22 and 24 and defining the ends of the frame 10. The 10 frame 10 further includes a central mounting plate 28 and two end mounting plates 30 and 32, each mounting plate extending transversely outwardly from the longitudinal axis beyond the outer beams 22 and 24. Mounted directly above each of the brace members 26 is a receiving tray or nesting channel 34 adapted to receive one correspondingly shaped lug (not shown) of 15 a kibble container 18. Each kibble container 18 is typically in the form of a substantially rectangular drum having two transversely extending and spaced apart lugs suspended therefrom, adapted for nesting within two receiving trays 34. As mentioned above, the frame 10 includes ten transversely extending brace members 26, and there are ten receiving trays 34 mounted thereabove, allowing for the carrying of 20 five kibble containers 20. In a preferred embodiment, the receiving trays 34 are welded to the frame 10. Also mounted above the frame 10, in between each adjacent pair of receiving trays 34 is a locking mechanism 36 used to lock the kibble containers 18 to the frame 10. When a kibble container 18 is lowered onto the frame 10 so that its two suspended 25 lugs (not shown) are received in a pair of receiving trays 34, apertures (not shown) extending horizontally through both the tray and the lug become coaxially aligned. The locking mechanism 36 forms the subject matter of a co-pending patent application by the present Applicant and so will not be described in detail herein. The locking mechanism 36 basically involves the insertion of a locking pin 38 through the 30 coaxially aligned apertures, thereby locking the kibble 18 to the frame 10. There is one locking mechanism 36 per kibble container 18, each locking mechanism including a rotatable handle 40 which when rotated in one direction, causes two locking pins 38 to move through the coaxially aligned apertures to thereby engage the kibble container lugs. When rotated in the opposite direction, the pins move out from the coaxially aligned apertures and the kibble 18 is free to be lifted out from the 5 receiving tray 34. Illustrated in Figure 6 is a conventional rail wagon vehicle 14 including a chassis 12 designed to carry two containers 16 in a longitudinal arrangement. Where in the past, a separate vehicle (not shown) would have been required to carry kibble containers 18, the demountable kibble frame 10 of the present invention is adapted to 10 be lowered onto and attached to the chassis 12, as shown in Figure 7, to thereby transform the vehicle 14 into a kibble-carrying wagon, as shown in Figure 8. The way this is achieved is by way of strategically located apertures 42 present in the mounting plates 28, 30 and 32 of the frame 10. The wagon 14 includes a twist lock assembly (not shown) at eight points on the chassis 12 which correspond in 15 position with each lower corner, or box form 44, of the two containers 16. The position of each aperture 42 on the kibble frame 10 is made to correspond with the position of each of the twist lock assemblies on the vehicle chassis 12 which would otherwise have been used to engage the box forms 44. This allows the kibble frame 10 to be mounted above the wagon chassis 12 in the same way two containers 16 are 20 mounted. Because the way the twist lock assemblies work is known in the art, and may well vary, this will not be described further than what was already described in the invention preamble. In fact, it is to be understood that the present invention is not intended to be limited to any one type of locking means. It has been found however that in simply attaching the frame 10 to a 25 conventional wagon chassis 12, the frame 10 becomes susceptible to lateral and vertical vibration. In order to reduce these effects, the frame 10 further includes a plurality of opposed clamp plates 46 mounted beneath each of the brace members 26 on opposed sides of the longitudinal axis. The clamp plates 46 are adapted to engage outwardly extending, upper flange portions 48 of the vehicle chassis underframe. The 30 clamp plates and their connection to the vehicle chassis 12 is clearly shown in Figures 9-10.

9 Each clamp plate 46 is fixed to the brace member 26 using threaded shafts 50 with engaging nuts 52, and is separated from the brace member 26 using one or more packers 54. The packer(s) 54 ensure that there is enough space between the clamp plate 46 and the cross member 26 to appropriately clamp the flange portion 48 5 therebetween. The demountable kibble frame 10 is preferably constructed of high tensile steel, or other suitable material. It is to be understood that the present invention could equally well be applied to a vehicle chassis designed to carry only one container 16, or even three or more 10 containers 16. It is envisaged that the demountable kibble frame 10 will be designed according to the specific chassis to which it is being mounted. It is to be further understood that even though in the embodiment shown, a rail wagon 14 is illustrated, the kibble frame 10 can equally well be mounted to other vehicles which are used to carry shipping containers 16, including road trailers and 15 sea vessels (not shown). Having thus described the structural features of the demountable kibble frame 10 of the present invention, its many advantages and its operation are readily apparent. The frame 10 enables a conventional container-carrying vehicle to be converted quickly and easily to a kibble-carrying vehicle. The entire frame 10 is 20 lightweight and can easily be placed into position by means of a forklift or small crane, with twist lock assemblies (not shown) of the chassis 12 then able to engage the mounting plate apertures 42. Conversion is not time consuming and there is no need for operation of intricate mechanical linkages to mount the frame 10 to the chassis 12. The frame 10 of 25 the present invention is cost effective because it serves as an inexpensive replacement for custom made vehicles for carrying kibble containers 18. Further advantages and improvements may very well be made to the present invention without deviating from its scope. Although the invention has been shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred 30 embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope I U and spirit of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus. In any claims that follow and in the summary of the invention, except where the 5 context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprising" is used in the sense of "including". i.e. the features specified may be associated with further features in various embodiments of the invention.

Claims (13)

1. A demountable frame for use with a vehicle configured to carry at least one first type of container, said vehicle having a chassis and one or more locking points for attachment of said first type of container, said demountable frame 5 including: a substantially planar body adapted for mounting above said chassis; fastening means disposed on said frame in accordance with the location of said one or more mounting points for locking said frame to said chassis; and a means of supporting one or more of a second type of container above said 10 frame.

2. A demountable frame according to claim 1 wherein said first type of container is a shipping container and said one or more locking points are in the form of twist lock assemblies associated with the frame.

3. A demountable frame according to claim 2 wherein said fastening means 15 disposed on said frame are in the form of apertures adapted for engagement by said twist lock assemblies.

4. A demountable frame according to any one of the above claims wherein said second type of container is at least one kibble container including two transversely extending, spaced apart lugs suspended therefrom. 20

5. A demountable frame according to claim 4 wherein said means of supporting the second type of container is in the form of at least one receiving tray which is correspondingly positioned above said frame and dimensioned to receive the kibble container lugs.

6. A demountable frame according to any one of the above claims wherein said 25 demountable frame is in the form of an elongate, rectangular structure including two longitudinally extending side beams, and a plurality of transversely extending cross members.

7. A demountable frame according to claim 6 wherein said vehicle chassis includes at least one central beam having a web portion and an upper outwardly extending flange portion.

8. A demountable frame according to claim 7 wherein said demountable frame 5 further includes a means of reducing lateral and vertical vibration of the frame.

9. A demountable frame according to claim 8 wherein said means of reducing lateral and vertical vibration is suspended beneath the cross members.

10. A demountable frame according to claim 9 wherein said means of reducing lateral and vertical vibration is in the form of a plurality of clamping plates 10 adapted to clamp the outwardly extending flange portion of the vehicle chassis between itself and one of said cross members.

11. A rail wagon vehicle chassis including a demountable frame according to any one of claims 1-10.

12. A road trailer vehicle chassis including a demountable frame according to any 15 one of claims 1-10.

13. A demountable frame substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.