AU2018100939A4 - Collapsible Hook Lift Container - Google Patents

Abstract

A Collapsible Container/Bin with various layouts, dimensions and/or volumes having a structure to be handled by hook lift/hook loader, chain/cable loader and/or skip loader devices -, which is detachable and suitable for loading/unloading and handling (transport/dumping/tilting) of various payloads and to be collapsed down (= empty transport) and to be erected (= transport of payload) by trucks/lorries/vans, trailers and semi-trailers equipped with appropriate lifting equipment. - = w C, CC)

Description

Description of the Drawings

Figa shows a fully erected, exemplary and improved hook lift/hooklift container/bin with exemplary, collapsible, longitudinal side walls (2),(3), an exemplary, collapsible front side (4), an exemplary, rigid „H-Mast“ (5) - as vertical extension of the basic structure/sub frame (1) with bottom plate (16)-, an integrated hook eye (6) for taking the container/bin with a hook lift arm, and an exemplary, collapsible rear swing door/tailgate (7) with integrated hinges (17) as well as the bottom plate (16) of the collapsible container/bin. Furthermore, the figure shows exemplary, rigid edges (8) on both longitudinal sides and an exemplary, upper frame (9), which is connected to the front wall (4), longitudinal sides (2),(3) and to the rear side/tailgate (7) by means of exemplary hinges. Exemplary, integrated hook eyelets (10) on both lateral guide rails (15) enable an erection/a collapse of the container/bin as well as exemplary hinges (11) at both foldable side walls (2),(3).

The exemplary mast lockings (12) are bolted, when the front wall (4) is erected (or disengaged by collapse), as well as the exemplary front wall lockings (13). Both foldable portions (2),(3) of the longitudinal side walls are locked by exemplary side wall lockings (14), when the container/bin is erected (or unlocked by collapse). Exemplary, lateral guide rails (15) on both longitudinal sides of the upper frame (9) ensure a forced and straight direction of the container's/bin's rear rollers by being loaded on or by being unloaded from the lower container/bin and enable an easy operation as well as a safe transportation.

Fi^2 shows a partly collapsed, exemplary and improved hook lift/hooklift container/bin with exemplary, partly folded/collapsed, longitudinal side walls (2),(3), an exemplary, fully collapsed front side (4), an exemplary, rigid „H-Mast“ (5) - as vertical extension of the basic structure/sub frame (1) with bottom plate (16)- and an integrated hook eye (6) for taking the container/bin with a hook lift arm. Furthermore, the figure shows exemplary, rigid edges (8) on both longitudinal sides and an exemplary, upper frame (9). Exemplary, lateral, vertical guide rails (15) with exemplary, integrated hook eyelets (10) - on both longitudinal sides of the upper frame (9) - ensure a forced and straight direction of the container's/bin's rear rollers by being loaded on or by being unloaded from the lower container/bin and enable an easy operation as well as a safe transportation.

Fig^ shows a fully collapsed, exemplary and improved hook lift/hooklift container/bin with exemplary, fully folded/collapsed, longitudinal side walls (3), an exemplary, fully collapsed front side (4), an exemplary, rigid „H-Mast“ (5) - as vertical extension of the basic structure/sub frame (1) - and an integrated hook eye (6) for taking the container/bin with a hook lift arm. Furthermore, the figure shows exemplary, rigid edges (8) at the longitudinal sides and an exemplary, upper frame (9). Exemplary, lateral, vertical guide rails (15) with exemplary, integrated hook eyelets (10) - on both longitudinal sides of the upper frame (9) - ensure a forced and straight direction of the container's/bin's rear rollers by being loaded on or by being unloaded from the lower container/bin and enable an easy operation as well as a safe transportation.

Abstract

Since many years detachable and non-stackable containers/bins with various dimensions and volumes (as standardized and/or customized layouts) are used for the transport and handling of various payloads (such as waste, scrap etc.) with lifting trucks (such as hook lift and skip loader) in a lot of countries worldwide.

Empty containers/bins are transported and handled as a whole, rigid structure by being lifted and/or pushed by a suitable lifting device with hydraulic lift arm(s) and/or by a chain drive and/or by a cable/wire drive onto the truck chassis and/or trailer and/or semi-trailer. Due to the rigid structure of the detachable containers/bins, which are commonly produced of steel (rarely, of fibre glass and stainless steel material), the whole container/bin has to be loaded and to be transported as one, totally erected unit. That means, that the suitable lift truck can load and transport only one rigid and empty container/bin either onto the truck chassis itself and/or trailer itself and/or semi-trailer itself at the same time, which is an inefficient procedure.

In order to remedy this inadequate situation by transporting/handling of such inefficient loads, the -in the following - described invention was developed in order to enable a more cost-effective and more evironmentally friendly transport of empty containers/bins i.e. to a place of reloading with goods/waste or - i.e. after unloading of the containers/bins - back to a yard etc.: A detachable container/bin, which is used for loading, unloading, dumping/tilting and transport of payload - such as waste, scrap and other load -, with a collapsible structure, which allows to stack them during an empty condition, and having at least four sides and a bottom plate. The detachable, collapsible containers/bins, which are handled by a hook lift and/or cable and/or chain lift device and/or skip loaders, may have varied lengths and widths of their subframe rails/skids. The containers/bins have a subframe structure, on which either no or provisions (such as receptacles) for a lift truck's locking device(s) (i.e. hydraulically, pneumatically, electrically or manually operated drive) and/or for a graded and/or for a variable and/or for a fixedly mounted lift truck's locking device(s) (i.e. C-Locking/DIN 30722-1, CHEM TS 17 etc.) is/are mounted and/or provided - either on the front and/or rear side and/or on the longitudinal sides in order to handle and/or (if applicable) to secure all the detachable containers/bins, which can be handled with a suitable lifting device -equipped with and/or without locking device(s) (i.e. by hydraulically, pneumatically, electrically or manually operated drive), during handling (i.e. dumping/tilting and transport).

The subframe of the collapsible containers/bins may have a vertical/upright mast (Layout: Forming up an „A“ and/or „H“) only at the front side and/or at the rear side, which may be either horizontally foldable to the inner portion of the container/bin and/or with a rigid/fixedly mounted and/or with a detachable layout with vertical/upright mast at the front side, which gives shelter to the needed hook receptacle/bar - in order to be handled by a hook lift - and which is needed as connection to the hook lift arm either by handling and/or during the transport. Furthermore, the said collapsible containers/bins may have devices (such as hook eyelets, pins, pivots, fork receptacles etc.) in order to enable either a handling and/or transport by any kind of appropriate lifting devices (i.e. hook lift, cable or chain driven, forklifts, cranes etc.). In order to ensure a loading and unloading of the detachable and collapsible containers/bins, their subframe may be either equipped with two rolls at the rear side and/or two rolls at the front side and/or with foldable and/or rigid posts at the rear side and/or front side and/or longitudinal sides of the said containers/bins. Enabling a safe transport of the collapsed, detachable, stacked and empty containers/bins either onto a truck chassis and/or trailer and/or semi-trailer, the subframe may have securing devices (such as for twist-locks, for mechanically operated rear and/or front lockings, for C-Lockings, hookeyes etc.).

The structure of the containers/bins - namely: the longitudinal side walls, the rear side with either one wing door (on the left or right side hinged) and/or with two wings door and/or designed with a swing door (either at the bottom or top side hinged) as well as the front wall of the containers/bins -are collapsible around the horizontal axis in order to achieve either a flat and/or stackable unit. Each vertical side (such as longitudinal, front and rear side(s)) and/or the bottom side and/or the top side may have either one or more portions. The sides may have either hinged connection(s) and/or similar devices with the same function to the rigid, horizontal bottom plate(s), which is/are either fixedly mounted onto the subframe of the collapsible containers/bins and/or which may be edged and strengthened by a frame below and/or above the said bottom plate. Furthermore, each vertical side and/or portion of it may also be fixedly connected by either one or more hinge(s) and/or similar devices with the same function to an upper, horizontal frame, which may have devices/provisions (such as hook eyelets, eyes, hooks etc.) - either used for erecting the collapsed containers/bins to the use state (loading/unloading/dumping/ tilting/handling and transporting) and/or for folding of the erected containers/bins to a flat condition by means of a lifting device (such as hook lift, cable or chain driven lift, forklift, crane, skip loader etc.) either for storage on a site and/or transport by truck and/or trailer and/or semitrailer.

Due to the fact, that the upper frame, which is fixedly connected to the vertical sides of the containers/bins either by hinges and/or by similar devices, covers only a small portion of the container's/bin's top side, the user is either enabled to load and/or (if applicable) to unload the collapsible containers/bins from the top side by using suitable devices (i.e. forklift, excavator, crane etc.).The horizontal, upper frame may have also one or more - either hinged and/or similar connection(s) to one or more, either foldable and/or hinged and/or sliding rigid cover(s)/lid(s) and/or flexible cover(s)/lid(s) (i.e. tarpaulin: made of fabrics etc.) and/or a combination of it and/or portion(s) of it - of the containers/bins. The manually and/or hydraulically and/or electrically and/or pneumatically operated cover(s)/lid(s) and/or a combination of it may have one or more portions for opening and closing of the top side of collapsible containers/bins. The upper frame may have either the function of enabling the erection and/or of enabling the collapsing and/or of being the guard rails for the rolls of collapsed containers/bins, which may have to be loaded for stacking onto and/or unloaded from the container/bin below. Therefore, and in order to ensure that the containers/bins have to follow the pushed and/or pulled direction correctly and to avoid incidents by being pushed and/or pulled out of the proper direction, the upper frame may have to be construed either with a vertical/upright profile at the outer sides and/or inner sides and/or one of it and/or with an indentation - used as guidance and for securing. Furthermore, the upper frame may have also either vertically mounted plates (Stoppers) at one side - namely: the front end of the longitudinal sides, so called: guard rails - in order to stop and to secure the detachable containers/bins as well as to avoid from being pushed out of the intended position during loading/unloading and transport and/or other devices, which fulfill these functions (Stop and Secure of the containers/bins).

In order to flatten the erected containers/bins by collapsing either the longitudinal sides, the front side as well as the rear side and/or only the longitudinal sides as well as the rear side by using a suitable lifting device (such as a hook lift, skip loader, forklift etc.), the lift device (i.e. hook lift arm) may have to be lowered down in order to be attached with a proper hoist (such as a chain etc.). Afterwards, the lifting device may have to be positioned either near by and/or close to and/or above the erected, detachable container/bin. In order to adhere the commonly used safety regulations etc. and to avoid possible incidents the suitable lifting device may have to be extended in the height higher than and/or above the erected container/bin, which should be collapsed for being either stacked and/or stored and/or transported. Afterwards, the authorized staff may have to connect the proper connection device(s) (i.e. approved lifting chains etc.) with the - on the upper frame -provided fix points (i.e. hook eyelets, eyes etc.) in order to achieve a safe connection between the lifting device and the structure (here: upper frame) of the container/bin, which should be collapsed down to a flat condition. The according lift device may have to be lifted until a point/condition, that the hoist (chain etc.) is taut and tight - enabling the lift device to bear the structure of the erected container/bin and to avoid an unexpected and accidental collapse of the - still - erected container/ bin.

In order to proceed with the collapsing the container's/bin's vertical front side, which may have to be construed either as one portion and/or of two and more, vertically separated portions and/or of two and more, horizontally separated, by hinges connected portions, which allow the collapse down, may have to be folded inwards/inside (approx. 90°) the container/bin until these portion(s) form a planar/level with the longitudinal side(s). Therefore, the locking pins between “A” or “H” mast have to be unlocked. The front side of the container/bin may have to be construed hingeable as one portion - foldable either inside and/or outside - and/or of more portions - foldable either inside and/or outside - and /or of one and/or of more detachable panels. In the case of using one or more detachable panels, these panels may have to be removed before collapsing. Furthermore, the container/bin may have a rigid/fixed front side, which is either not removable and/or not foldable and/or not collapsible. In order to enable a collapse down of the remaining portion of a container/bin with a rigid/fixed front side, the according locking devices (such as security pins, bolts etc.) - either mounted on the front side and/or on the longitudinal side(s) and used as a connection between front side and longitudinal side(s) - have to be removed in order to enable an unlocking and release of the remaining portion(s) of the container/bin for collapsing downwards. By using a collapsible container/bin with a rigid front side the above, previously described upper frame may not have either a rigid/fixed and/or hinged connection with the front side - the front side may have locking devices (such as security pins, bolts etc.) - either mounted on the front side and/or on the upper frame and used as a safe connection between front side and upper frame. In order to ensure a “smooth” and safe operation by collapsing down and erecting a container/bin with a rigid/fixed front side, the front side may have either guard rail(s) and/or indentation(s) and/or a combination of it, in order to direct the upper frame (i.e. equipped with pin(s) and/or with roller(s) and/or roller bearing(s) etc.), either properly down (by collapsing) and/or up (by erecting) as well as to avoid an uncontrolled operation.

The rear side, which may have either one and/or two and more portions, either as one portion and/or of two and more, vertically separated portions and/or of two and more, horizontally separated, by hinges connected portions, which allow the collapse down, may have to be folded inwards/inside (approx. 90°) until these portion(s) form a planar/level with the longitudinal side(s). The rear side of the container/bin may have to be construed hingeable as one portion - foldable inside - and/or of more portions - foldable inside - and/or of one and/or of more detachable panels and/or a combination of it. In the case of using one or more detachable panels, these panels may have to be removed before collapsing.

Furthermore, as the last step, the locking device(s) of the container's/bin's vertical/upright post/mast may have to be unlocked by detaching/removing either the securing pins and/or bolts and/or similar devices and/or one of it. The vertical/upright hook post(s) at the front and/or rear side of the hook lift container/bin bearing the hook receptacle/bar/hook eye, which may have either a hinged and/or bolted and/or one of it connection to the subframe, may have to be folded inwards/inside (approx. 180°) onto the container's/bin's flattened side walls - reaching a horizontal position onto. In cases the vertical/upright mast(s)/post(s) may only have a bolted connection to the subframe, the according bolts/screws may have to be disconnected in order to detach the vertical/upright mast(s)/post(s), which may have either the so called, being state-of-the-art “A” and/or “H” design and/or similar layout(s)/design(s) with the same function.

Therefore, and in order to reduce the previously erected, for the transport and/or storage unneccessary height of the empty containers/bins and to enable achieving an environmentally friendly and cost-effective solution - by having the opportunity to load and to transport more of being stacked, collapsed containers/bins either with one and the same truck chassis and/or trailer and/or semi-trailer whilst a tour as possible by using the previously known and actually, commonly used containers/bins - the detachable containers/bins are laid out as collapsible and/or stackable units. Therefore, the invention supports users of operating easily collapsible containers/bins to save and to reduce running costs (i.e. in regard to fuel, driving personnel, tolls etc.) and to enhance the productivity of their trucks and driving personnel by saving unnecessary, inefficient and expensive time, which could be used instead of for - i.e. - the carrying out of additional, profitably orders.

Claims (5)

1. Claims The changes described in the “Description”, and others, may be made in the Collapsible Container/ Bin described herein without departing from the scope hereof. It should thus be noted that the matter contained in the attached description or shown in the accompanying drawings should be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. The following claims are intended to cover all generic and specific features described herein, as well as all statements of the scope of the present method and system, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall there between. What is claimed is: A Collapsible Container/Bin with various layouts, dimensions and/or volumes - having a structure to be handled by hook lift/hook loader, chain/cable loader and/or skip loader devices -, which is detachable and suitable for loading/unloading and handling (transport/dumping/tilting) of various payloads and to be collapsed down (= empty transport) and to be erected (= transport of payload) by trucks/lorries/vans, trailers and semi-trailers equipped with appropriate lifting equipment -, comprising:

   1. A Collapsible Container/Bin, which is used for loading, unloading, dumping/tilting and transport of payload - such as waste, scrap, gravel and other load -, with a collapsible structure, which allows to stack them on each other during an empty condition (e.g. transport) - by placing the bin's rear rolls on the longitudinal sides of the upper frame, which may have also a guard rail - and having at least two subframe rails/skids, four collapsible sides and a rigid bottom plate.
2. 2. The Collapsible Container/Bin of claim 1 - further comprising the equipment of a vertical/ upright mast (Layout: Forming up an „A“ and/or „H“) only at the front side and/or at the rear side, which may be either horizontally foldable to the inner portion of the container/bin and/or with a rigid/fixedly mounted and/or with a detachable layout or combination of it.
3. 3. The Collapsible Container/Bin of claim 1 - having subframe rails/skids and a top structure (e.g. lid/cover/revolving frame etc.), on which either on one or on both components provision(s) (such as receptacles, hookeyes etc.) for a connection with a lift truck's lifting device(s) and/or with a fixedly mounted truck's lifting device(s) or combination of it is/are mounted and/or provided - either on the front and/or rear side and/or on the longitudinal sides or combination of it - to enable the erection and/or the collapse of the said container/bin.
4. 4. The Collapsible Container/Bin of claim 1 - further comprising the vertical, longitudinal side walls, the rear side with either one wing door and/or with two wings door and/or designed with a swing door as well as the front wall of the containers/bins - having each either one and/or more portions and are collapsible around the horizontal axis, which allow the collapse down by folding them inwards/inside (approx. 90°) until these portion(s) form a planar/level.
5. 5. The Collapsible Container/Bin of claim 1 - having sides with either hinged connection(s) to the bottom structure and/or upper frame and/or similar devices and/or detachable panels with according locking devices (such as security pins, bolts etc.) and/or either a rigid/fixed or foldable front side with according locking devices or combination of it.