GB2039850A - Collapsible Container - Google Patents

Abstract

A collapsible dry cargo container comprises a base 1, a pair of side walls 3, 4 hinged to the base for folding down one over the other onto the base, each side wall including a corner post 9, capable of carrying loads, at each end, an end panel 15, and a foldable end wall 18 comprising two door panels 62a, 62b. The panel 15 and one door panel 62b are hinged to respective corner posts 9 in such a manner that they may be swung around to lie against the outer surface of the respective side wall 4. A detachable roof member 11 has an outer frame 13, 14 capable of being coupled to the upper ends of the corner posts 9 when the side walls are erect and of being coupled to corners of the base when the side walls are folded down with the end panel 15 and door panels 62a, 62b lying on top of the side wall 4 to which they are hinged. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Collapsible Container This invention relates to collapsible dry cargo containers and more particularly to such containers which comply with international standards (I.S.O.). In respect inter alia, of external dimensions, strength, resistance to racking forces, internal cargo-space dimensions and loading doorway dimensions. In addition, it is important that such containers when erected will have the same degree of water tightness as conventional non-collapsible containers.

A collapsible dry cargo container according to the present invention comprises a base, a pair of side walls hinged to the base for folding down one over the other onto the base, each side wall including a corner post, capable of carrying loads, at each end, and panel means for each end of the container, each end panel means being hinged to a corner post in such a manner that it may be swung around to lie against the outer surface of the respective side wall, and a detachable roof member having an outer frame capable of being coupled to the upper ends of the corner posts when the side walls are errect and of being coupled to corners of the base when the side walls are folded down with each end panel means lying on top of the side wall to which it is hinged.

With this arrangement, the depth of the end panel means can be greater than that of the side walls thereby permitting the end loading doors to have the full height (and width) offered by conventional non-collapsible containers.

The end panel means at one or each end may comprise a pair of doors.

Where conventional rotary vertical locking bars are mounted on the end panel means for engaging lugs on the roof frame and base, the ends of the locking bars preferably retractible within the periphery of the end panel means. For this purpose, the bars may be pin-jointed at two positions on opposite sides of an operating member for the locking bar.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 to 4 are perspective views showing successive stages in collapsing a container according to the invention, Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the erect container, Figure 6 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale on the line VI--VI of Figure 5, Figure 7 is a horizontal section on line VIl-VIl of Figure 5, Figure 8 is a vertical section on the line VI VIII of Figure 5, Figure 9 shows the top right hand corner of Figure 5 on an enlarged scale.

Figure 10 is an end elevational view of the container, and Figure 11 is a vertical cross section through the container in its collapsed condition.

The container shown in the drawings has a fabricated steel base 1 having a standard bottom corner casting 2 at each corner.

A pair of opposite side walls 3, 4 are hinged to the base 1 about horizontal axes 5 and 6 (Fig. 11) by extensions 7 and 8, axis 5 being higher than axis 6. Each side wall has a corner post 9 of relatively massive construction at each end and arranged to bear, when upright on a stub corner post 10 of the base 1, the lower end of each stub corner post 10 being welded to one of the bottom corner castings 2.

A roof 11 has a peripheral frame formed by side members 12 and end members 13 with top corner castings 14 at each corner.

A pair of end walls 1 5, 18 are hinged along one vertical edge by hinges 62 to a different vertical edge of the side wall 4. A pair of stays 1 6, 1 9 are fitted between each end wall 1 5 or 1 8 and the side wall 4. Each stay 1 6 or 1 9 is pivoted to the respective end wall 1 5 or 1 8 at one of its ends and its other end is formed to engage in a different one of a pair of catches 1 7, 20 respectively fixed to the outside of the side wall 4.

When engaged in its respective catch 1 7 or 20 each stay 1 6 or 1 9 will hold its respective end wall 1 5 or 18 at an angle of approximately 1300 to the side wall 4.

The second end wall 1 8 is divided along its central vertical axis into two parts 64a, 64b which are hinged together by hinges 21. This enables the end wall 18 to be folded on itself to allow access to the interior of the container and is more convenient than an end wall formed in a single piece since less space, external to the container, is required to allow the end panel to be swung into an open position. Each of the end walls 1 5, 1 8 has along its free vertical edge a series of conventional fastening plates 22, each of which engages upon a corresponding fastening pin 23, carried by the corner post 9.

Each end wall 1 5 or 18 is furnished with three vertical rotary locking bars 24 which serve to hold the end walls 1 5, 18 in their closed positions.

Each locking bar 1 5 or 18 comprises an upper control rod 25, a lower control rod 26 and an operating handle 27 linked to the control rods 25, 26 by pin joints 74, 75 respectively. First and second securing clips 28 and 32 are attached to the end wall 15 or 18 for holding the handle 27 when in the locked position or when the locking bar is in the retracted position as will be described below. Five guide brackets 29a-29e fixed to the end wall 1 5 or 1 8 retain the control rods 25, 22 26626. The upper bracket 29a and the lower bracket 29e allow substantially no lateral movement of the upper and lower control rods 25, 26. Whereas the middle three brackets 29b, 29c, 29d, allow limited movement in a lateral direction.All the brackets 29a-29e permit rotation of the control rods 25, 26 about their axis. The control rods 25, 26 are shaped at their outer ends into locking parts 30 which can engage behind lugs 31a, 31b on the end members 12 of the peripheral frame of the roof 11.

Each rotary locking bar can be retracted to within the periphery of the end walls 1 5, 18 to allow the walls of the container to be folded over each other when the container is in its collapsed state. This is achieved in the following manner.

When the locking parts 30 of each locking bar 24 are free from the lugs 31 a, 31 b each end wall 1 5 or 18 can be swung outwards on its hinges 62. By movement of each angle 27 first in a horizontal piane so that it lies close to the end wall 1 5 or 18, and then in an upwards direction each locking bar 24 is retracted to within the periphery of the end wall 15 or 18. The lateral movement afforded by the inner three guide brackets 29b, 29c, 29d allows the control rods 25, 26 to pivot at their outer guide brackets 29a, 29e and at the pin joints 74, 75 so that they lie in a canted position with the locking parts 30 retracted to within the periphery of the end wall 1 5 or 18.A second securing clip 32 is attached to the end wall 1 5 or 18 in such a position as to hold the handle 27 in the position appropriate to the locking bar being in its retracted state.

The watertight sealing between the various parts of the container is achieved in the following manner. Each side wall 3,4 has along its upper edge a channel 33. Fixed in the bottom of each channel 33 and extending its whole length is a hollow rubber sealing strip 35 which, when the roof 11 is in position upon the side walls 3, 4, provides a watertight joint between the roof 11 and each respective side wall 3, 4. At its lower edge each side wall 3, 4 has a lip 37 projecting outwardly from a downward extension of the inside face of the side wall and extending for the whole length of the side wall. The lip is so designed that, when the side wall is in its erect position the lip 37 lies below a similar lip 39 formed along the respective upper longitudinal edge of the base 1 and projecting inwardly from an upwards extension of the outer side of the base.Each side wall 3, 4 has a rubber sealing strip 41 fitted to its lower horizontal edge and extending for the whole length of the side wall 3, 4. Each sealing strip 41 is shaped to have three tongues (Figure 6) which serve, when the respective side 3, 4 is moved into its erect position, to wipe any water which may have gathered from the top of the respective lip 39.

When the side walls 3, 4 are erect the seals 41 serve to make a watertight joint between each side wall 3, 4 and the base 1.

The end walls 1 5, 1 8 are fitted with rubber sealing strips 61 along their vertical edges including one of the adjoining vertical edges of the halves 64a, 64b of the end wall 18, in order to provide a watertight joint around the end wall 1 8.

For providing temporary support for the side walls in the erect position during erection or collapsing of the container while the roof 11 is removed and the end walls 1 5, 1 8 are swung out from the base, the following arrangement is provided.

As can be seen in Figure 8 each stub corner post 10 of the base 1 has within it a bolt 43 capable of vertical movement in a passage 46. At the lower end of bolt 43 there is attached by a pivoting joint 45 a positioning pin 44. When the positioning pin 44 is in a vertical position, with its free end resting on the bottom corner casting 2 and its axis vertical, the bolt 43 is held in a raised position such that it protrudes beyond the top surface 82 of the base 1. A socket 47 is formed in each corner post 9 for receiving the upper end of the bolt 43 such that when the side wall 3 or 4 is in its erect position and the bolt 43 is in its raised position the side wall 3 or 4 is locked in this position.When the positioning pin 46 is pivoted to lie along the upper face of the bottom corner casting with its axis horizontal the bolt 43 is withdrawn to within the periphery of the base 1 so that the side wall 3 or 4 can be raised or lowered.

A ring 54 for attachment of a hoisting rope is secured to the mid-point of each side member 1 2 of the roof 11.

The container is held together in both its erect and its collapsed states and two or more containers may be stacked upon each other, when in their collapsed states, in the following manner.

Referring to Figures 11, 12 and 13 each corner post 9 has in its upper end a socket 48 of rectangular cross-section. A cylindrical cross-hole 49 is formed, through the walls of the socket 48, in each corner post 9. The roof 11 has adjacent to its four corners four locating tongues 50 which, when the roof 11 is in position on the erect corner posts 9, project into the sockets 48. Each locating tongue 50 has in it a circular cross-hole 53. A bolt 51 passes through a bolt guide 52 fitted to the end member 13 near each corner of the roof 11.

When the roof 11 is in position the bolts 51 can be inserted into the cross-holes 49, 53 to lock the roof in position.

Each stub corner post 10 also has in it a circular hole 78 with its axis horizontal and parallel to the ends of the base 1. When the side walls 3, 4 and the end walls 1 5, 18 are folded into the base 1 the roof 11 can rest upon the stub corner posts 10 and can be secured thereto by the engagement of the bolts 51 in the holes 78.

A roof-securing hook 56 is pivoted to the midpoint of each side member 12 at a pivot 58.

When the container is in the erect state the hooks 56 can engage screws 60 fitted to the side walls 3, 4. When the container is in the collapsed state they can engage screws 83 fitted to the base.

For securing together collapsed containers in a stack, four linking plates 65, as can be seen in Figure 9, each having it in a circular bolt-hole 67, are pivoted on pivots 66 to the side members 1 2 of the roof 11. Each side member 12 has in it, close to each end, a cavity 68 for receiving a linking plate 65 so that it is retracted completely within the side member 12. Each linking plate 65 can be pivoted from the retracted position to a raised position (shown in chain-dotted lines in Figure 9) in which it rests upon the adjacent top corner casting 14 with the axis of the circular bolt-hole 67 horizontal and parallel to the adjacent end member 13 of the roof 11.

When two or more collapsed containers are to be secured together in a stack the linking plates 65 of each lower container are pivoted into their raised positions so that when another container is placed on top the linking plates 65 protrude into the corner castings 2 of the other container.

As can be seen in Figure 8 the base 1 is furnished with a bolt 63 which has a radially projecting handle 79 and which is slidable axially in respective aligned holes 70, 80 in each corner casting 2 and in a guide plate 69 fixed to the base 1. When two collapsed containers are stacked on top of one another the holes 70, 80 are aligned with the hole 67 in the linking plate 65 of the lower container protruding into the corner casting 2.

A first and second pair of locating brackets 71, 72 are fitted to the base 1 adjacent to each bolt 63. The locating brackets have in them aligned holes 81 in which a fastener 73 can slide. When the bolt 63 is slide towards the outer edge of the container into the linking plate hole 67 the handle 79 of the bolt 68 can be located between the first pair of locating brackets 71 and held there by sliding the fastener 73 in front of the handle 79 into a position in which it extends through both the holes 81 of the first pair of locating brackets 71 and through one hole 81 only of the second pair of locating brackets 72. The fastener 72 can be slid from in front of the handle 79 when it is desired to release the handle 79 in order to be able to withdraw the bolt 63 from the linking plate 65.When so withdrawn the handle 79 can be located between the second pair of locating brackets 72 and secured there by the fastener 73 which is slid in front of the handle and passes through both holes 81 in the second pair of locating brackets 72 and one hole only of the first pair of locating brackets 71.

When the container is in its erect position it can be used in the conventional manner for the transport of goods. The rubber seals 35, 41, 61 ensure that the container is as water tight as a conventional non-collapsible container.

To allow more efficient transport when empty the container is collapsed in the manner shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4. Each of the vertical rotary locking bars 24 is disengaged from the lugs 31 a, 31 b on the roof end members 13 and each handle is positioned to retract the control rods 25, 26 to within the periphery of the end wall 1 5 or 18 and secured in the second securing clip 32. After withdrawal of the bolts 51,the roof 11 is removed with the aid of the rings 54. The end walls 15, 18 are then each swung outwardly on the hinges 62 until the stays 1 6, 19 can be engaged in the catches 1 7, 20 and the walls 15, 18 are thus held each at an angle of approximately 1 30C to the side wall 4. During these operations the side walls 3, 4 are temporarily supported by the bolts 43.After withdrawal of the two bolts 43 supporting it, the side wall 4, together with the end walls 15, 18 supported by the stays 16, 1 9 is pivoted about the axis 6 until it lies horizontally within the base 1 . The stays 1 6, 1 9 are then freed from the catches 17, 20 and the end walls 15, 18 are folded on top of the side wall 4. Next, after withdrawal of the two remaining bolts 43, the side wall 3 is pivoted about the axis 5 until it too lies horizontally within the base covering the end walls 15, 18. Finally, the roof 11 is lowered onto the stub corner posts 10 and the bolts 51 are engaged in the holes 78 in the stub corner posts 10.

Two or more collapsed containers can be stacked one upon another and secured together by the locking plates 65 and the bolts 63 and can thus be transported with considerable saving of space.

To erect the container from the collapsed condition the operations described above are performed in reverse.

Claims (5)

Claims

1. A collapsible cargo container comprising a base, a pair of side walls hinged to the base for folding down one over the other onto the base, each side wall including a corner post, capable of carrying loads, at each end, and panel means for each end of the container, each end panel means being hinged to a corner post in such a manner that it may be swung around to lie against the outer surface of the respective side wall, and a detachable roof member having an outer frame capable of being coupled to the upper ends of the corner posts when the side walls are erect and of being coupled to corners of the base when the side walls are folded down with each end panel means lying on top of the side wall to which it is hinged.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein the end panel means at one or each end may comprise a pair of doors.

3. A container according to claim 1 or 2, comprising rotary vertical locking bars mounted on the end panel means for engaging lugs on the roof frame and base, wherein the ends of the locking bars are retractible within the periphery of the end panel means.

4. A container according to claim 3 wherein the bars are pinjointed at two positions on opposite sides of an operating member for the locking bar.

5. A collapsible cargo container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.