AU2020104370A4

AU2020104370A4 - Transport Cage

Info

Publication number: AU2020104370A4
Application number: AU2020104370A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Chris Aviso
Original assignee: Atrada Group Pty Ltd Trading Tradesales AS
Current assignee: Atrada Group Pty Ltd Trading Tradesales AS
Priority date: 2020-12-29
Filing date: 2020-12-29
Publication date: 2021-03-18
Anticipated expiration: 2028-12-29

Abstract

A transport cage has a side wall which is arranged to open in at least two directions: about a vertical hinge extending along a side wall and about a horizontal hinge extending across a centre line. 4/4 18 20 16 2 2 542 12 2 1 108 202 10~ 16 5 Fig. 9

Description

4/4

2 20 18 16 2

542 12 2 1

108

202

10~ 5 16

Fig. 9

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

Invention title:

"TRANSPORT CAGE"

Applicant:

ATRADA GROUP PTY LTD

Associated provisional applications:

The following statement is a full description of the invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:

"TRANSPORT CAGE"

Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a transport cage or stillage, such as a cage located atop a transport pallet.

Background to the Invention

[0002] It is known to provide transport cages, also known as stillages or pallet cages, which allow goods to be stored within for ease of transport. Typically such cages are formed from a steel frame having a wire mesh. It is common for the cages to have three fixed panels, and one hinged panel to permit access.

[0003] The hinged panel is often formed in vertically spaced sections, which are joined at a horizontal hinge. In this way, the panel can be effectively folded in half to permit access into the cage. The panel may also include a horizontal hinge at a base of the cage, allowing the panel to be opened completely.

[0004] In an alternative arrangement, the hinged panel may have a vertical hinge located along a side wall of the panel. In such an arrangement the panel operates as a door to the cage.

[0005] The present invention seeks to provide a transport cage with more flexibility of access than those of known stillages.

Summary of the Invention

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a transport cage having at least one side wall which can be opened, the side wall having a vertical hinge along one lateral edge and at least one horizonal hinge extending across the side wall.

[0007] The side wall may include a lower portion which is hinged to a first corner post of the transport cage and arranged to latch to a second corner post of the transport cage. The lower portion preferably includes an upwardly extending post at a first end thereof, the upwardly extending post being hinged to the first corner post.

[0008] The side wall preferably includes an upper portion which is hinged to the lower portion by the horizonal hinge. The upper portion may be arranged to latch to the upwardly extending post when in a raised configuration.

[0009] It is preferred that the vertical hinge has two parallel hinge axes.

[0010] The transport cage preferably has two opposed side walls, each of which is an opening side wall.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011] It will be convenient to further describe the invention with reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention. Other embodiments are possible, and consequently the particularity of the following discussion is not to be understood as superseding the generality of the preceding description of the invention. In the drawings:

[0012] Figure 1 is a perspective of a transport cage in accordance with the present invention, shown in a closed configuration;

[0013] Figure 2 is a front view of the transport cage of Figure 1;

[0014] Figure 3 is a perspective of a hinge pin within the transport cage of Figure 1;

[0015] Figure 4 is a perspective of the transport cage of Figure 1; shown in an outwardly opened configuration;

[0016] Figure 5 is a perspective of the transport cage of Figure 1; shown in an inwardly opened configuration;

[0017] Figure 6 is a perspective of the transport cage of Figure 1; shown during lowering;

[0018] Figure 7 is a perspective of the transport cage of Figure 1; shown in a lowered configuration;

[0019] Figure 8 is a perspective of the transport cage of Figure 1; shown in an outwardly opened and lowered configuration; and

[0020] Figure 9 is a perspective of the transport cage of Figure 1; shown in a collapsed configuration;

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

[0021] Referring to the Figures, there is shown a transport cage 10 having a base 12 including lifting slots 14. The transport cage 10 has two opposed fixed side walls 16 alternated with two opposed opening side walls 18. The transport cage 10 has two first corner posts 20 diagonally spaced apart, and two second corner posts 22 in alternate corners.

[0022] Each fixed side wall 16 extends between a first corner post 20 and a second corner post22.

[0023] The two opening side walls 18 are mirror-images of each other, and thus will be described with reference to a single opening side wall 18.

[0024] The opening side wall 18 has a lower portion 24, representing a lower half of the opening side wall 18. The lower portion 24 has a generally rectangular frame 26, having a first side member 28 opposed to a second side member 30, and an upper frame member 32 opposed to a lower frame member 34. A wire mesh 36 extends through the frame 26.

[0025] The lower portion 24 extends across the transport cage 10, with the first side member 28 being adjacent a first corner post 20 and the second side member 30 being adjacent a second corner post 22.

[0026] The first side member 28 includes a lower vertically oriented sleeve 38 located on an outer face of the first side member 28 near a lower end thereof.

[0027] The lower portion 24 includes a latch 40 located along the upper frame member 32, at the end of the second side member 30.

[0028] An upwardly extending post 42 extends from the upper frame member 32 immediately above the first side member 28 to a top of the opening side wall 18. The upwardly extending post 42 is fixed to the upper frame member 32. The upwardly extending post 42 has two upper vertically oriented sleeves 44 which are aligned with the lower vertically oriented sleeve 38 of the first side member 28. The upper vertically oriented sleeves 44 are vertically spaced along an outer side of the upwardly extending post 42, one being located near the lower portion 24 and one being located near a top of the upwardly extending post 42.

[0029] The upwardly extending post 42 has am upper extension 46 at a topmost end. The upper extension 46 includes an aperture 48 facing along the opening side wall 18, the aperture 48 being arranged to receive a latch as will be described below.

[0030] The opening side wall 18 has an upper portion 50. The upper portion has a generally rectangular frame 52, having a first side member 54 opposed to a second side member 56, and an upper frame member 58 opposed to a lower frame member 60. A wire mesh 62 extends through the frame 26.

[0031] The upper portion 50 extends across the transport cage 10, with the first side member 54 being adjacent the upwardly extending post 42 and the second side member 56 being adjacent the second corner post 22.

[0032] The lower frame member 60 includes two horizontally oriented sleeves 64 located on an outer face of the lower frame member 60. The horizontally oriented sleeves 64 are laterally spaced, and have a common axis.

[0033] The upper frame member 58 includes two latches 66 located on an upper surface of the upperframe member 58, one above the first side member 54 and one above the second side member 56. The latches 66 are each arranged to slide along the upper frame member 58 from a free position wherein the ends of the latches 66 are inside the lateral edges of the upper portion 50 and an engaged position whereby the ends of the latches 66 extend beyond the lateral edges of the upper portion 50.

[0034] The lower portion 24 includes two loops 68 which are fixed by suitable means (such as welding) to an outer face of the upper frame member 32. The loops 68 are arranged to pass within the horizontally oriented sleeves 64 of the upper portion 50, thus creating a horizontal hinge with a hinge axis located on the outside of the opening side wall 18, just above the upperframe member 32. It will be appreciated that the upper portion 50 can readily rotate about this horizontal hinge from a closed position as shown in Figures 1 to 5, through a partially lowered position as shown in Figure 6 to a completely lowered position as shown in Figure 7.

[0035] The upper portion 50 can be fixed in the closed position by engagement of the latches 66 within the aperture 48 of the upper extension 46 of the upwardly extending post 42 on one side, and a similar aperture 70 located at an upper end of the second corner post 22.

[0036] The first corner post 20 has three vertically oriented sleeves 72 spaced along its height, on a side oriented towards the opening side wall 18.

[0037] The opening side wall 18 includes a pin 76 which creates a vertical hinge for the opening side wall 18.

[0038] The pin 76 can be seen in Figure 3. The pin 76 is formed around two parallel axes, the axes being spaced apart by the width of the first corner post 20. The pin 76 is formed generally from tubular steel sized to located within the vertically oriented sleeves 38, 44, 72.

[0039] The pin 76 is formed from two identical components, a first member 78 and a second member 80. Each of the first member 78 and the second member 80 has an outer elongate portion 82 and an inner elongate portion 84. The outer elongate portion 82 is joined to the inner elongate portion 84 by a transverse join 86. The arrangement is that the inner and outer elongate portions 82, 84 extend along parallel, spaced axes, with the axis spacing being determined by the transverse join 86.

[0040] Each inner elongate portion 84 has a transverse connection point 88 located about 20% of the distance from an inner end 90 of the inner elongate portion 84. The arrangement is such that the first member 78 connects to the second member 80 at the respective transverse connection points 88, such that the outer elongate portion 82 of the first member 78 is co-axial with the inner elongate portion 84 of the second member 80 and vice versa.

[0041] Each outer elongate portion 82 has a hook 92 located about 20% of the distance from an outer end 94 of the outer elongate portion 82. The hook 92 is formed as a 90° bend, with an open end 96 of the hook 92 oriented towards, and co-axial with, the inner elongate portion 84.

[0042] The pin 76 thus has six exposed ends which are able to be received within various vertically oriented sleeves 38, 44, 72. A first set of exposed ends comprising the open end 96 of the hook 92 of the first member 78, the inner end 90 of the inner elongate portion 84 of the first member 78, and the outer end 94 of the outer elongate portion 82 of the second member 80 all lie along a first axis, and are all oriented in the same direction. Similarly a second set of exposed ends comprising the open end 96 of the hook 92 of the second member 80, the inner end 90 of the inner elongate portion 84 of the second member 80, and the outer end 94 of the outer elongate portion 82 of the first member 78 all lie along a second axis, spaced from the first axis, and are all oriented in the same direction, opposed to those of the first axis.

[0043] The pin 76 is inserted into the first corner post 20, with the first set of exposed ends locating within the vertically oriented sleeves 72 of the first corner post 20. The pin 76 is thus able to rotate relative to the first corner post about a first vertical axis.

[0044] The opening side wall 18 can be positioned by lowering its vertically oriented sleeves 38, 44 onto the second set of exposed ends of the pin 76. The opening side wall 18 is thus able to rotate relative to the pin 76 about a second vertical axis.

[0045] The opening side wall 18 is able to rotate relative to the first corner post 20 about both axes. It will be appreciated that the opening side wall 18 can readily rotate about these vertical axes from a closed position as shown in Figures 1 and 2, outwardly through 180° to an outwardly opened configuration as shown in Figures 4 and 8, and inwardly through 90° to an inwardly opened configuration as shown in Figure 5.

[0046] It will be appreciated that the opening side wall 18 is able to be maintained in the closed position by the latch 40 of the lower portion 24 and the second latch 66 of the upper portion 50. These latches 40, 66 extend into apertures 70 of the second corner post 22 in order to lock the opening side wall 18 in its closed position.

[0047] In a preferred embodiment of the invention the first corner posts 20 and the second corner posts 22 are hinged about lower ends thereof, such that the transport cage 10 can be dropped from the inwardly opened configuration of Figure 5 to a collapsed configuration as shown in Figure 9.

[0048] Modifications and variations as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

Claims 1. A transport cage having at least one side wall which can be opened, the side wall having a vertical hinge along one lateral edge and at least one horizonal hinge extending across the side wall.
2. A transport cage as claimed in claim 1, wherein the side wall includes a lower portion which is hinged to a first corner post of the transport cage and arranged to latch to a second corner post of the transport cage.
3. A transport cage as claimed in claim 2, wherein the side wall includes an upper portion which is hinged to the lower portion by the horizonal hinge.
4. A transport cage as claimed in claim 3, wherein the lower portion includes an upwardly extending post at a first end thereof, the upwardly extending post being hinged to the first corner post, and wherein the upper portion is arranged to latch to the upwardly extending post when in a raised configuration.
5. A transport cage as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the vertical hinge has two parallel hinge axes.

ATRADAGROUPPTYLTD By its Patent Attorneys ARMOUR IP

P2401AUO0