EP1080022B1

EP1080022B1 - Open-sided cargo freight container

Info

Publication number: EP1080022B1
Application number: EP99922359A
Authority: EP
Inventors: David Colebrook
Original assignee: Sea Containers Services Ltd
Current assignee: Sea Containers Services Ltd
Priority date: 1998-05-20
Filing date: 1999-05-19
Publication date: 2004-03-31
Anticipated expiration: 2019-05-19
Also published as: GB9810891D0; WO1999059899A1; GB2337509B; DE69916048T2; GB2337509A; EP1080022A1; DE69916048D1; AU3945899A

Description

This invention relates to an open-sided cargo freight container, particularly but not specifically, of the type which is an independent container and which can be transferred from one carrying vehicle (e.g. road, rail or Maffi-type truck/cassette vehicle) to another, or may be stored individually or as part of a limited stack of such open-sided cargo freight containers, two or more containers high. Reference throughout this specification to "container" is to be taken as reference to an open-sided cargo freight container of the above described type.
Open-sided containers are themselves well known, being provided with an elongate rectangular base on which is mounted a floor with two opposed fixed upstanding end walls having standard ISO fittings either at each corner thereof for containers of 40 ft (12.19 m) or when the length of the container is approximately 44 ft (13.6 m), at locations along the side rail intermediate the end walls for connecting the container to a vehicle or to other containers when stacked one upon the other. A roof member extends between and is supported on uppermost free ends of the end walls, respectively. Top and bottom side rails extend along the length of each elongate side edge of the roof and of the base, respectively, and form an integral part of the roof and base.
Side curtains are provided being slidably mounted on the elongate top side rail. The curtains are horizontally tensioned by being wound around an elongate bar which is located adjacent one end wall and which lies parallel to the end wall. The elongate bar is rotatably fixed between the roof and the base for rotation about a longitudinal axis of the bar. When the curtain is in an extended position, the curtain is attachable along a free, vertically extending edge to the end wall at an opposed end of the container. A lower elongate edge of the curtain is provided with a plurality of straps with tensioning buckles which are arranged to hook onto the bottom side rail, respectively, of the container.
Vertical posts, in use, intermediate the end walls extend between the top and bottom side rails to prevent excessive deflection of the top rail when the buckles along the bottom of the side curtain are tensioned to provide a secure side wall for the container.
The particular problems sought to be overcome with such containers are to reduce the weight and structural depth of the base so as to provide more loading space within the container. However, reduction of the weight and structural depth results in the base being made weaker and thereby more susceptible to distortion when being grapple lifted or sling lifted, or when placed on excessively uneven ground. When such containers are lifted by a hoist in engagement with appropriate sling lift fittings, or by grappling hooks and chains attached to grappling points located symmetrically along each side intermediate the respective ends of the container or on placing the containers on uneven ground, the top side rail can buckle under compressive forces transmitted through the end walls caused by bending and twisting about longitudinal and transverse axes of the container both as a result of the inherent weight of the container and the weight of goods which are loaded into the container. These problems have been overcome to some extent by the introduction of various fixed stays which either extend between the top and bottom side rails or at an angle between the bottom rail and an end wall, for example, by the provision of fixed diagonal stays which are fixedly mounted towards a free upper end of the end walls and the bottom side rail at each end and along both sides, respectively of the container. The difficulties with such structures are that access through the open sides of the container is restricted because of the presence of the fixed stays. Therefore, although the angled stays do have the effect of supporting the end walls and reducing the bending of the container base when lifted or when stood on uneven ground, the fixed stays prevent the easy loading or removal of goods into or from the open container, or, if removed, require the detachment of the whole stay.
GB-A-1286832 describes a container of the type wherein the base comprises a generally rectangular frame having posts upstanding from each corner thereof, each post having on an upper end thereof a stacking boss and the frame having recesses, in its underside, located directly below the posts for receiving stacking bosses of a similar container in its collapsed condition; a pair of end walls having respective end columns pivotally connected to a respective end pair of the posts so that the end walls can each pivot about an axis generally parallel to the plane of the base; and a respective strut which can extend between each end column of each end wall and a longitudinal member of the frame. The preamble of claim 1 is based on this prior art.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an open-sided cargo freight container in which the above-mentioned disadvantages have been substantially eliminated.
According to the present invention there is provided an open-sided cargo freight container comprising an angled stay arranged to be interconnected between a bottom side rail of the container and a portion of an end wall remote from the bottom side rail, wherein the angled stay is detachably mounted at one end thereof for detachment from the container and at an opposite end is pivotally mounted so that one end may be detached from the container and the stay pivoted about the opposite end to provide side access into the inside of the container for loading and unloading thereof, the interconnected angled stay in cooperation with the roof structure limiting flexing of a flexible base of the container.
Conveniently the angled stay is pivotally mounted to the portion of an end wall and detachably mounted to the bottom side rail of the container.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention an end of the angled stay is attachable to a bottom side rail of the container such that a predetermined freedom of movement is permitted between the end of the angled stay and the bottom side rail when the stay is connected to the rail.
Conveniently, the bottom side rail of the container comprises a clevis and pin means for co-operating with an elongate aperture provided towards that end of the angled stay which is attachable to the bottom side rail.
This embodiment has the advantage that when the container is in an unloaded state the pin takes up an intermediate position within the length of the elongated aperture in the angled stay. When the container is in a loaded state and supported on a road trailer or other vehicle, the base of the container will acquire a small curvature when viewed from the side, and the clevis pin will move along the elongate aperture, so that the pin is not subject to any significant load. The pin may therefore be easily withdrawn or inserted to allow disconnection and re-connection of the angled stay to the bottom rail, to provide unobstructed access to the inside of the container.
Similarly, when the loaded container is placed on moderately uneven ground, the base of the container may acquire a small curvature but the elongate aperture will allow easy disconnection and re-connection of the angled stay.
However, when the loaded or partly-loaded container is handled by grapple lift, sling lift or other appropriate means, the elongate aperture will allow the base to acquire some degree of elastic curvature, until the clevis pin comes under load so that the angled stay acts as a lattice girder to give the container the rigidity to withstand the loads imposed on the container during handling.
Similarly, when a loaded or partly-loaded container is placed on excessively uneven ground, the angled stays will come under load to prevent excess deflections which could otherwise result in permanent damage to the container.
Conveniently, the end of the stay closest to the top rail is attached to a universal swivel joint to enable the stay to be pivoted in any direction of the stay outwardly and upwardly relative to the bottom side rail upon release of a pin of the clevis and pin means from the bottom side rail.
Preferably, the pin has an attached handle to facilitate insertion and removal of the pin.
Conveniently the pin is captive within the clevis.
Preferably, intermediate posts are located to extend between the top and bottom side rails so as to prevent buckling of the top rail when it is under compression forces and also serve to support the roof members against downward tension from the taut liner curtain tensioned (in a vertical direction in use) by lever buckles so as to be effective as a load restraining side wall.
During operation under excessive loads the base of the container may begin to flex beyond the allowed limits whereupon the angled stays become effective and provide the necessary strength so that the container can be safely lifted or placed on very uneven ground without damage. The "slotted hole" or elongated aperture and clevis connection with the bottom side rail enables the base to flex within acceptable limits.
An alternative to the slotted hole would be a screw length adjuster (turn buckle) or other length adjuster, but this would involve considerable operational difficulties in adjusting the length when the adjuster is under substantial load.
Therefore, there is disclosed an open-sided container in which the function of the angled stays is to strengthen the corner posts against longitudinal racking loads caused by the weight of the container or of goods located within the container in use. The angled stays used in connection with the present invention rely on the roof structure extending between the end walls to give a deep lattice girder effect, allowing a structural lightening of the base of the container without substantially affecting the strength of the container, thereby enabling substantial cost savings in manufacture, reduction in weight of the container, and strengthening of the container.
The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a partial side elevational view of one end of an open-sided container in accordance with the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a partial side elevational view of an uppermost corner of the container of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a partial side elevational view of a connection between an angled stay and bottom side rail of the container of Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the bottom side rail along line D-D of Fig. 1, and
Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view along line A-A of Fig. 3.

In the figures like reference numerals denote like parts.
Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a side elevational view of part of an elongate open-sided cargo freight container 1 having an elongate rectangular base 2 and an end wall 3 at each elongate end of the base. Each end wall is fixed to the base 2 and extends upwardly in Fig. 1 to support at its free end 5 a roof structure 6 extending between the end walls 3 and overlying the base 2.
A movable intermediate post 7 is arranged to extend between the roof and base to provide support for the roof and to prevent buckling of the roof when the roof structure is placed under compressive forces during lifting or placing the open-sided container on uneven ground. Further support is given to the structure via an angled stay 8 arranged to extend at an acute angle to the elongate base 2 towards the junction of the end wall 3 and roof 6. A similar such angled stay is located on the opposite side of the container and is identical in structure to the angled stay 8. A similar such stay to the angled stay 8 is also located on each side of the opposite end of the container not shown in Fig. 1.
The stay 8 is of an elongate rectangular box section (120 mm x 35 mm) for maximum efficiency of weight and strength. As shown in Fig. 1 the box section angled stay is connected at one uppermost end to a universal joint 10 located at a junction of the end wall 3 and the roof 6. Fig. 2 illustrates detail of a vertically extending swivel 11 and a horizontally extending pivot 12 which together allow the stay 8 to be detached from the lower side rail 2, to be pivoted upwardly in the direction of arrow 13 about pivot 12 and then to be swung about swivel 11 in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the sheet of paper containing the drawing and then in an arc about the pivot 12 until the stay extends outwardly and is rested on the ground, for example on which the container is standing, with the stay 8 projecting downwardly from the universal joint 10 and resting on the ground on an outer side of the end wall 3 (Fig. 1.), thereby to allow easy access to the inside of the container to load or unload the container.
An opposed end 14 of the angled stay 8 is tapered inwardly and has a curved outermost end 20. A locating pin and locking arrangement 23, 24 is mounted on the base side rail 2 so that a pin 23 projects inwardly of the container successively through a clevis plate 24A, through an elongate aperture 21 in the stay 8 and through the side rail 2 to provide a clevis-type connection.
A more detailed illustration of the connection and fixing of the pin 23 is shown in each of Figs. 3 to 5. Referring to Fig. 3, there is shown an end 14 of angled stay 8 connected to a portion of the bottom side rail 2. Aperture 21 lies at an angle of approximately 45 degrees relative to a longitudinal axis of the side rail 2 to allow the base to bend to a predetermined extent before pin 23 engages one or the other of the opposite ends of the elongate aperture 21 and limits the amount of any subsequent relative movement between the angled stay 8 and the base.
Pin 23 has a handle 24 attached to the pin 23 at its outermost end as shown in the cross-sectional views of Figs. 4 and 5. The handle 24 has a guide shaft part 23A which guides and captivates the pin 23. The guide shaft 23A projects through and outwardly of a guide 25 fixed to an inner surface of a centre web of the bottom side rail which has an I-shaped cross-section.
Turning to Fig. 5 there is illustrated the withdrawal of the pin 23 and the handle 24 from the clevis plate 24A of the side rail 2 and it can be seen from Figs. 3 and 5 that upon releasing a latch part 31 the pin 23 can be withdrawn while the guide shaft 23A remains held captive within the guide 25 by a split pin 30.
The angled stay 8 is of a rectangular box section structure being longer in the longitudinal direction of the container than in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, that is from side to side of the container. A tapered end 20 of the stay which is for connection to the side rail 2 is either an integral part of the stay, or alternatively may be a pre-formed part for insertion into a hollow space within the stay 8 and welding to the stay.
To lift the container, grapples attached to a hoist may grip a grapple plate 43 welded to the side rail at grapple lifting points.
Grapple protection plates 40 are provided adjacent the grapple lifting points on the container base. The plate 40 is hooked onto the top of the bottom side rail and serves to protect a side curtain 41 of the container from the grapples when the container is moved. A portion of the side curtain 41 is shown in Fig. 1 to illustrate the relationship between the grapple protection plate and curtain when the curtain is extended along the side of the container. The curtain lies behind the grapple protection plate but at least one strap is connectable to a top edge 47 of the grapple protection plate.
Adjacent each grapple lifting point is provided a further welded plate 45 having an aperture 46 therein and alternatively the container may be sling lifted and plate 45 provides a convenient point for attaching the sling lifting apparatus.
The curtain is provided with a strap and buckle arrangement to secure the lower end of the curtain adjacent the side rail 2.
When the side curtain is fully extended the buckles and straps of the side curtains are interconnected with the bottom side rail resulting in tension in the top rail of the container which then has a tendency to buckle under bending forces and to distort the shape of the container. Similarly, it is possible by placing the container on uneven ground for the base to flex, again causing the top rail to buckle. The provision of the side post 7 is substantially to avoid undue buckling of the top rail relative to the bottom side rail where the top rail is insufficiently strong to resist buckling itself.
The arrangement of the "slotted hole" connection at the bottom of the angled stay is of particular value in that it allows the base to flex within acceptable limits. For example, when supported on a chassis the chassis will flex to some extent and this is quite normal, or alternatively when the container is supported on reasonably even ground. However, when the container base would otherwise flex beyond predetermined limits, that is, when being grapple lifted or being sling lifted or when placed on excessively uneven ground, then the angled stays come into play and provide the necessary strength so that the container can be safely lifted or also be placed on very uneven ground without being damaged. Alternatively, instead of the slotted hole a screw (turn buckle) length adjuster can be utilized. However, this involves considerable operational time and expense and therefore the slotted holes as described above with reference to the drawings provide an advantageous means of achieving a variable length connection of the angled stay with the lower side rail.
Use of diagonal side stays in the prior art has been to strengthen corner posts against longitudinal racking loads etc. in containers having no roof structure. This usage is entirely different in its purpose and effect from the present invention, wherein the angled stays rely on the roof structure to give a deep lattice girder effect, whereupon the base structure is advantageously made lighter. This bears no relation to the use of diagonal stays in a flat rack having no roof structure.
The intermediate movable posts 7 extending between the top and bottom side rails in use conveniently have a dual function. The posts stabilize the roof side rail against buckling (in a vertical direction) under compression forces experienced during lifting of the container by grapple, and support the roof side rail against downward tension from the taut liner curtain. This curtain is normally tensioned by powerful lower buckles in order to be effective as a load restraining side wall.
Although the elongate aperture has been described as being located at the bottom end of the angled stay to engage with a clevis pin in the base side, it will be understood that alternatively the elongate aperture can be in the base side, angled as appropriate, with the pin as part of the diagonal stay.

Claims

An open-sided cargo freight container (1) comprising an angled stay (8) arranged to be interconnected between a bottom side rail (2) of the container and a portion of an end wall (3) remote from the bottom side rail, the angled stay (8) being detachably mounted at one end (14) thereof for detachment from the container and at an opposite end (10) being pivotally mounted so that one end (14) may be detached from the container and the stay (8) pivoted outwardly about the opposite end (10) to provide side access into the inside of the container for loading and unloading thereof, characterized in that the freight container further comprises a fixed roof structure (6) and in that the interconnected angled stay (8), in cooperation with the roof structure (6), limits flexing of a flexible base of the container.
An open-sided cargo freight container (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the angled stay (8) is pivotally mounted to the portion of an end wall (3) and detachably mounted to the bottom side rail (2) of the container.
An open-sided cargo freight container as claimed in claims 1 or 2, wherein an end (14) of the angled stay (18) is attachable to a bottom side rail (2) of the container such that a predetermined freedom of movement is permitted between the end of the angled stay and the bottom side rail when the stay is connected to the rail.
An open-sided cargo freight container as claimed in claim 3, wherein the bottom side rail (2) of the container comprises a clevis (24A) and pin (23) means for co-operating with an elongate aperture (21) provided towards that end (14) of the angled stay (8) which is attachable to the bottom side rail.
An open-sided cargo freight container as claimed in any of claims 3 or 4, wherein the end (10) of the stay (8) closest to a top rail is attached to a universal swivel joint (11,12) to enable the stay to be pivoted in any direction of the stay outwardly and upwardly relative to the bottom side rail (2) upon release of a pin (23) of the clevis and pin means from the bottom side rail.
An open-sided cargo freight container as claimed in claim 5, wherein the pin (23) has an attached handle (24) to facilitate insertion and removal of the pin.
An open-sided cargo freight container as claimed in any of claim 5 to 6, wherein the pin (23) is captive within the clevis (24A).
An open-sided cargo freight container as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein intermediate posts (7) are located to extend between the top and bottom side rails so as to prevent buckling of the top rail when it is under compression forces and also to serve to support roof members against downward tension from a taut liner curtain (41) tensioned in a vertical direction in use by lever buckles so as to be effective as a load restraining side wall.