AU742174B2 - Improvements in or relating to freight containers - Google Patents

Description

Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

ooooo g o oo ooo *o Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Invention title: ANDERS REINLI ANDERS REINLI MADDERNS, 1st Floor, 64 Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO FREIGHT

CONTAINERS

Details of Associated Provisional Application No: PQ 2240 dated 17 August 1999 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me.

(PatAU131

I

This invention relates to freight containers for shipping freight, and more specifically to a freight transportation container having a floor, a roof, a pair of closed ends and at least one open side which can be closed by means of sliding curtains, the container being adapted to accept standard size pallets for transporting same by land, sea or air. The invention is specifically directed to freight containers of the type which are designed to be top lifted using conventional lifting equipment which attaches to four mutually spaced lifting locations on the container roof.

It is of course well known to ship palletised cargo or freight using closed box-shaped containers having a length of forty feet and which are designed to be top lifted at •each of its four upper corners, the lift attachment points being designed so that when o the container is lifted, load forces are transferred downwardly through corner pillars o to the base of the container. Similar box-type containers having a length of forty eight feet are also well known in the industry, the advantage with the forty eight foot containers being that an additional four pallets of cargo or freight can be loaded for essentially the same cost. However, due to the fact that conventional freight container lifting equipment is designed to top lift containers which do not exceed forty feet, these larger containers are required to be bottom lifted. Bottom lifting of containers is a less preferred procedure in the transportation industry, mainly due to S 20 the fact that the top lifting loading technique is far quicker and easier.

With conventional closed box-type containers where palletised goods are loaded through an end access door, the unloading of the container is severely restricted in that the pallets must be removed in the reverse order in which they are loaded into the container. Consequently it is not possible for pallets which were loaded first into the container to be removed without first removing the subsequent loaded pallets. It will be appreciated that this greatly restricts the flexibility of the operator responsible for the delivery of the freight to customers.

In an effort to obviate the above stated problem, it is known to produce top lifted open sided freight containers having a length of forty feet wherein the opposite sides of the container can be closed and opened by means of sliding concertina type curtains, such an arrangement allowing the pallets to be loaded and removed from either side and essentially in any order. Once again the four lifting points are located at each of the four upper corners of the container.

It would be advantageous to be able to use a top lifted open sided container having a length which exceeds forty feet and which is adapted so that it can still be lifted by existing loading equipment which includes a plurality of spreader arms which locate on top of the roof of the container and attach to two pairs of lift attachment points spaced forty feet apart. This would provide additional floor space and avoid the necessity for any change to be made to existing top lift loading equipment.

eooooo It is the main object of the present invention therefore, to provide an open sided freight container which can be top lifted using conventional lifting equipment and which has a length exceeding that of a conventional top lift freight container, and which still has a size and shape which are compatible with most standard size rail and road transportation vehicles.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a top liftable, open sided container which permits freight or cargo to be loaded from either side of the 20 container and the sides then closed off in a secure and safe manner.

oooo Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a top liftable, open sided container having its top lift attachment points spaced from the end walls of the container and wherein the opposite end sections of the container between its end walls and the top lift attachment points are designed to stiffen the construction of the container and minimise flexing of its end walls.

Broadly according to this invention therefore, there is provided a top liftable freight container generally cuboidal in shape including: a load bearing floor; a roof above the floor; first and second opposite ends walls; 3 a first side, openable to form an unobstructed access opening for loading having dimensions approximating the internal height and width of the container; a second side opposite the first side; a first pair of lifting attachment points mounted on opposite sides of the roof spaced from the first end; a second pair of lifting attachment points mounted on opposite sides of the roof at or spaced from the second end; a first load bearing point located on the roof adjacent one of the lifting attachment points of the first pair; a second load bearing point located on the floor underneath the first load bearing point; S•a load bearing connecting member connecting the first and second load bearing points, the connecting member removable from the first and second load bearing points; wherein the container can be lifted by the first and second pairs of lifting attachment points, whereby the connecting member functions to transmit floor load so from the second load bearing point to the first load bearing point.

Preferably the connecting member is pivotably mounted to the first end for rotation through at least 90 degrees from a closed position engaging and connecting the first 20 and second load bearing points and partially obstructing access to the inside of the container, to an open disengaged position which does not obstruct access to the inside of the container.

Preferably the connecting member forms part of a door preventing access to the inside of the container from the space between the connecting member and the first end wall when the connecting member is in its closed position.

Preferably the connecting member includes T-shaped lugs at each end and the first and second load bearing points each include a slot, wherein the heads are receivable in the slots to form a mechanical connection between the load bearing points.

Preferably a locking means is provided for prevention of unintended disengagement of the T-shaped lugs from their respective slots. Such a locking means preferably includes: an upper sliding pin mounted on the connection member co-operable at a distal end thereof with a pin receiving support mounted to the roof adjacent the first load bearing point; a lower sliding pin mounted on the connection member co-operable at a distal end thereof with a pin receiving support mounted to the floor adjacent the second load bearing point, a rotatable handle mounted between and connected to the proximal ends of the upper and lower pins, wherein the connection is such that rotation of the handle in one direction causes vertical downward movement of the upper pin and simultaneous upward movement of the lower pin to disengage both pins from their respective receiving supports.

Desirably each open side of the container is provided with a slidable concertina type S flexible curtain which is able to be fully closed only when the access doors or gates are in their closed, locked positions. Consequently if one of the gates is not properly locked after loading the pallets into the container, the operator will be unable to close the curtain. This minimises the risk of a container being transported when the load is not properly secured.

With this invention, a freight container can have a length greater than forty feet and which is still capable of being top lifted using conventional lifting equipment. Also hinged access doors or gates on opposite sides of the container adjacent the ends thereof can be used. When closed, these gates can serve to structurally connect the top lift attachment points to the floor or base of the container, while performing a secondary function of restraining the end walls of the container from tendency to move with respect to the base of the container, thereby reducing incidence of cracking. The gates, when locked in their closed positions, effectively stiffen the opposite end sections of the container.

In order to more fully explain the present invention, a preferred embodiment thereof is described hereinunder in some further detail with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a freight container showing one of its access doors or gates in its locked, closed position, produced in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the access door or gate in an unlocked, partly opened position: Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the container shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view illustrating the locking mechanism which locks the access door or gate in its closed position; while Figure 5 is an end elevational view of the locking mechanism shown in Figure 4.

With reference to the drawings, there is shown a freight container 10 of generally cuboidal shape having a solid floor or base 11, a closed roof or top 12, closed opposite end walls 13 and a pair of opposite open sides 14 which, in this embodiment, are closable by means of concertina type flexible curtains (not shown) which slide along tracks fixed to and coextensive with upper rail members 15 which extend between opposite upper end corners of the container As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the roof 12 is provided with four mutually spaced apart top lift attachment points 16, there being two such points 16 on each side 14 of the container, with each attachment point 16 being spaced from a respective corner post 17 by a distance d, which is small relative to the overall length of the container.

Hinged to each corner post 17 of the container is a swinging access door or gate which can be swung between a fully open position where it provides clear access to the interior of the container 10 and a closed position wherein it extends parallel to the side 14 of the container and locates on the inner side of its associated flexible curtain when the curtain is fully closed.

Each gate or door 20 has, an integral part thereof, a structural frame connecting member 21 which extends along its outer vertical margin, the frame member 21 terminating at each of its opposite ends in a T-shaped lug formation 22 which, when the gate 20 is fully closed, interlocks with a respective slotted engagement plate 23, 24 fixed to the upper rail 15 and bottom channel side rail 25 respectively. The connections between the opposite ends of the member 21 and the roof and floor of the container are designed so that during lifting of the container, the frame member 21 becomes a load bearing connecting member and functions to transfer loading forces applied to the roof 12 to the container base 11 lifting forces which might otherwise cause damage to the roof 12. It will be realised that the structural frame member 21 must be capable of being detached from its end point connections on the floor and roof of the container and being moved away from the side of the container o so that it does not impede the loading or unloading of the palletised cargo.

•0o° S.In this embodiment the connections between the opposite ends of the structural frame member 21 and the floor and roof of the container 10 coincide with the attachment points 16, thereby enabling direct transference of the lifting forces o..o S downwardly through the structural load bearing connection member 21 to the base 11.

In order to lock each of the access doors or gates 20 in their fully closed positions, each gate 20 is provided with a manually operable locking mechanism 28 which includes a rotatable handle 29 which terminates at its inner end in a circular plate which is mounted for rotation about a transverse horizontal axis 31 to a mounting bracket 33 fixed near the lower end of the frame member 21, for movement between locked and unlocked positions. A toggle linkage mechanism comprising links 36, 37 and 38 operatively interconnects the rotary handle 29 to upper and lower vertical locking pins 40, 41, the locking pins 40, 41 being guided for vertical sliding movement between locked and unlocked positions. In the locked position, the upper 7 locking pin 40 lockingly engages in a pin receiving support in the form of a hole formed in the upper plate 23, while the lower locking pin 41 lockingly engages in a hole formed in lower engagement plate 24. Rotation of the handle 29 effects simultaneous vertical sliding movement in opposite directions of the locking pins 41. A stop pin 43 secured to plate 30 cooperates with an abutment surface 44 on the periphery of the bracket 33 in order to limit the extent of angular movement of the handle. In this embodiment when the locking mechanism 28 is in its locked condition, the stop pin 43 abuts against the abutment surface 44 and prevents the handle from being further rotated, while when in its unlocked condition, the stop pin 43 abuts against an upper edge portion of the profiled bracket 33.

In this embodiment the connection between the upper lug formation 22 and its engagement plate 23 is designed so that the side curtain cannot be pulled across the gate so as to fully close off the side of the container unless the gate is in its locked condition. This minimises the risk of a container being transported when the load is not properly secured.

It will be appreciated that different types of connections between the ends of the structural frame connection member 21 and the floor and base of the container could be used and need not be confined to the form of connection described hereinabove.

In a variation to the above described embodiment, the side walls of the container may be designed so that the access doors or gates are mounted on one side only thereof, with the other opposite side being provided with fixed structural posts which extend between the roof and base of the container in line with their respective lift attachment points. This would allow the container to be loaded or unloaded from one side only.

In another variation to the above described embodiment, two of the four lifting attachment points 16 may be located directly above, rather than spaced from, their respective corner posts. With this variation, there would only be a single side access door 20 (or two if two open sides are used). This construction would produce an asymmetric container with a large side access door (approximately eight foot wide).

It should also be appreciated that the width of the access doors or gates may vary and may include panels secured on either side of the structural frame member 21.

In a simplified embodiment of the invention without side access doors or gates, not shown, the structural frame member (or members) may take the form of a simple separable column releasably connecting load bearing points on the floor and roof of the container.

.ooooi A brief consideration of the above described embodiment will indicatethat the invention provides a very simple and effective arrangement for increasing the pay load space of a freight container without the need to alter the positioning of its top lift attachment points in the roof thereof, and which still allows both sides of the container to be easily and fully accessed during loading and unloading operations despite the inclusion of intermediate vertical structural members extending between the floor and roof of the container on opposite sides thereof.

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Claims (13)

1. A top liftable freight container generally cuboidal in shape including: a load bearing floor; a roof above the floor; first and second opposite ends walls; a first side, openable to form an unobstructed access opening for loading having dimensions approximating the internal height and width of the container; a second side opposite the first side; a first pair of lifting attachment points mounted on opposite sides of the roof 10 spaced from the first end; a second pair of lifting attachment points mounted on opposite sides of the roof at or spaced from the second end; a first load bearing point located on the roof adjacent one of the lifting attachment points of the first pair; "15 a second load bearing point located on the floor underneath the first load bearing point; a load bearing connecting member connecting the first and second load bearing points, the connecting member removable from the first and second load bearing points; wherein the container can be lifted by the first and second pairs of lifting attachment points, whereby the connecting member functions to transmit floor load from the second load bearing point to the first load bearing point.

2. A top liftable freight container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the connecting member is pivotably mounted to the first end for rotation through at least 90 degrees from a closed position engaging and connecting the first and second load bearing points and partially obstructing access to the inside of the container, to an open disengaged position which does not obstruct access to the inside of the container.

3. A top liftable freight container as claimed in 2 wherein the connecting member forms part of a door preventing access to the inside of the container from the space between the connecting member and the first end wall when the connecting member is in its closed position.

4. A top liftable freight container as claimed in any one of claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein the connecting member includes an enlarged head at each end and the first and second load bearing points each include a slot, wherein the heads are receivable in the slots to form a mechanical connection between the load bearing points.

A top liftable freight container as claimed in claim 4 wherein the enlarged heads are T-shaped lugs. oo f

6. A top liftable freight container as claimed in either of claim 4 or 5 including a 10 locking means for prevention of unintended disengagement of the heads of the S S e connection member from their respective slots.

7. A top liftable freight container as claimed in claim 6 wherein the locking means includes: S.an upper sliding pin mounted on the connection member co-operable at a distal end thereof with a pin receiving support mounted to the roof adjacent the first load bearing point; oeoo a lower sliding pin mounted on the connection member co-operable at a distal end thereof with a pin receiving support mounted to the floor adjacent the second load bearing point, a rotatable handle mounted between and connected to the proximal ends of the upper and lower pins, wherein the connection is such that rotation of the handle in one direction causes vertical downward movement of the upper pin and simultaneous upward movement of the lower pin to disengage both pins from their respective receiving supports. 11

8. An improved top liftable freight container including: a floor; a roof; a pair of closed end walls; and a pair of opposite open sides closable by flexible curtains, the roof being provided with two pairs of spaced apart lifting attachment points to allow the container to be lifted, the lifting attachment points of each pair being transversely aligned and located on opposite sides of the container intermediate said ends thereof, each said pair being spaced inwardly from a 10 respective said end wall by a distance which is small relative to the length of the container, the improvements including: a plurality of access doors or gates, each hingedly mounted along one of its vertical sides to a respective vertical corner post of the container for swinging movement between open and closed positions, wherein each said door or gate is 15 provided with a vertically extending structural connecting member extending between the floor and roof of the container, with the opposite ends of the connecting member, when the door or gate is in its closed position being arranged to respectively connect to the container floor and a respective said lift attachment point in the container roof such that, during lifting of the container, the connecting member 20 becomes a load bearing member and functions to transfer loading forces to the °ooo° container floor; and releasable locking means for locking each said access door or gate in its closed position.

9. A top liftable freight container as claimed in claim 8 wherein the connecting member on each of the access doors or gates form an outer side frame member of the door and terminates at each of its opposite ends in a T-shaped lug which, when the door is closed, interlocks with an engagement plate on the side of the container.

A top liftable freight container as claimed in either of claims 8 or 9 wherein there are two access doors or gates at each end of the container on opposite sides thereof.

11. A top liftable freight container as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 10 wherein the releasable locking means includes an upper vertical locking pin arranged to lock an upper portion of the gate to the container roof, a lower vertical locking pin arranged to lock a lower portion of the gate to the floor, manually operable handle means rotatably mounted on the gate, and a toggle linkage mechanism operatively connected between the handle means and the locking pins, arranged and constructed t: •so that rotation of the handle means effects simultaneous length-wise contra sliding .i movement of the locking pins between their locked and unlocked positions. S

12. A top liftable freight container as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 11 including a slidable concertina type flexible curtain on each open side which is able soot to be fully closed only when the access doors or gates are in their closed, locked positions.

13. A top liftable freight container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. :••0oo Dated this 17th day of August, 2000. ANDERS REINLI By his Patent Attorneys MADDERNS