GB2089324A - Transport and storage containers - Google Patents

Abstract

A portable container, particularly suitable for use as a storage box on a building site, comprises side walls 10, a back wall 11, an access opening and a door for closing the access opening, a floor panel 13 and a roof panel 14. At least one of the walls 10 is constituted by a metal panel which extends substantially throughout the height of the wall and which is rigidly secured at its upper end directly to the roof panel 14. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Container This invention relates to a container.

"Containers" have been in use for a number of years to facilitate the transport of goods, whereby goods can be loaded into a container in a factory, transported by lorry trailer to a rail or ship container depot, transferred to a railcar, barge or into a ship, unloaded at a further depot, and then usually transported by trailer to the final destination.

To enable widespread use of containers for export markets throughout the world. International Standards have been set as to the design and construction of containers. Usually, the standard design of container provides rigid rectangular metal frameworks which define the shape of the front, back, sides, roof and floor of the container, and heavy gauge steel panels are welded to these frameworks in order to complete the construction of the container.

The provision of the rigid frameworks is necessary so that the assembled container can have sufficient strength to withstand imposed loads e.g. when the container is at the bottom of a stack of loaded containers, and so as to resist any loadings tending to distort the shape of the container. The steel panels which are welded to the frameworks contribute to the overall strength of the container, but basically they are required to fulfill a cladding function.

Standard containers are usually of relatively large dimensions, typically 20ft. by 8ft. by 8ft 6 in. However, there has developed a need to provide containers which fulfill the general requirements as to strength and rigidity (but which may be somewhat smaller than conventional standard containers), and which can avoid, or at least minimise the necessity to provide rigid rectangular metal frameworks as in the standared container.

In addition, there has developed a need to provide "storage boxes" for use on construction sites, which can be used to store expensive tools and equipment, and which are strongly resistant to unauthorised access to the interior. Theft from construction sites is still a major problem, despite considerable attempts to provide locked storage zones on site.

According to the invention there is provided a container comprising side walls, a back wall, an access opening and a door or doors for closing the access opening a floor panel and a roof panel; in which at least one of the walls is constituted by a metal panel which extends substantially throughout the height of the wall and which is rigidly secured at its upper end directly to said roof panel.

By securing the upper end of said one wall directly to the roof panel, it is not necessary to provide a separate horizontal structural member forming part of a rectangular framework, as in the standard construction of container. This reduces the capital cost of the container, and also the fabrication time.

Preferably, each side wall is constituted by a respective one of said metal panels.

Conveniently, the container is provided with four upright posts, positioned one at each corner, and top and bottom rails at the front and back of the container which interconnect the upper and lower ends of the front and back sets of posts respectively. The metal panels may be secured in any convenient manner along their side edges to the posts.

Therefore, while some rectangular frameworks are provided to give structural strength to the container, there is no necessity to provide rectangular frameworks on which the side walls should be supported.

Preferably, each metal panel (forming a side wall) extends downwardly below the floor panel to a position which is at or just above the feet of the posts. When the container is designed for use as a storage box on a construction site, the side walls will extend almost to the ground surface thereby making it very difficult for potential intruders to gain access to the interior of the container.

To facilitate handling of the container by a forklift truck, it is preferred that a pair of spaced sleeve guides be taken through the side walls to extend under the floor of the container.

The roof panel is preferably fabricated in one piece having, at each edge which is joined to the corresponding upper end of a side wall, a downwardly extending flange which terminates in an inwardly stepped formation or angle having a horizontal limb and a vertically downwardly extending limb. The upper end of the side wall is secured, by welding, to the vertical limb of the angle.

The floor panel may be fabricated in any convenient material. When the container is intended for use as a storage box, it may suffice for the floor panel to be made of wood.

The four corner posts may be provided with lifting points at their upper ends to facilitate handling of the container.

The front access opening of the container may be closed by a pair of doors which are hinged to the front corner posts in any convenient manner, and locked in the closed position by any convenient lockable latching mechanism.

One embodiment of container according to the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the container; Figure 2 is a front elevation showing one half of the front of the container; Figure 3 is a sectional elevation taken on a transverse centre line of the container; Figure 4 is a sectional view taken through the roof panel of a container; and Figure 5 shows three detail views of parts of the container shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a container which may be used as a light-weight storage box for use on a construction site, or which may be used in the manner of a conventional container. The container has side walls 10, back wall 1 1, 11, a front access opening which is closed by a pair of hinged doors (one of which is shown at 1 2 in Fig. 2), a floor panel 1 3 and a roof panel 14.

Four corner posts 1 5 are provided which are located one at each of the corners of the container, and these form the major structural supports for the container. Unlike conventional standard containers, no rectangular supporting frameworks are provided for the side walls of the container. Therefore, the side walls 10 are secured rigidly at their upper ends 1 6 directly to the roof panel 14. The side walls 10 are each constituted by a respective metal panel which extends substantially throughout the height of the wall from a position at or just above the ground surface up to the roof panel.The lower end of each metal panel includes a channel shaped portion 17, and the upper end 1 6 of each panel is slightly offset from the general plane of the panel and is secured, by welding, to a down- wardly extending limb 18 of the roof panel 14. The metal panels are secured along their side edges to the corner posts 1 5 in order to complete the fabrication of the side walls.

Sleeve guides 1 9 are taken through the channel shaped portions 1 7 of the side walls and under the floor panel 1 3 to enable the container to be transported by a forklift truck.

Further, the upper ends of the corner posts 1 5 are provided with lifting points to enable handling of the container.

At the front access opening of the container, top and bottom door sills 20 and 21 respectively are provided (see Fig. 5), which interconnect the upper and lower ends of the front set of posts. The doors are hingedly mounted on the front set of posts in any convenient manner, and a lockable latching mechanism 22 of conventional type is provided to lock the doors in the closed position.

Also, there is shown in Fig. 5 a top sill 23 which is provided at the back or fixed end of the container.

To increase the strength of the side and rear panels of the container, the panels may be fabricated with channel shaped pressings 24.

The roof panel 14, shown in section in Fig.

4 is of one piece construction and has, at its edges which are joined to the side walls, downwardly extending flanges 25 which each merge into an angle having a horizontal limb 26 and the vertically extending limb 18 referred to above. The roof panel is readily lowered into position to be secured to the side walls, and also is secured at its front and rear ends to the sills 20 and 23 (see Fig. 5).

The construction of container described above with reference to the drawings can be fabricated relatively cheaply since the amount of structural steelwork involved has been reduced as compared with conventional constructions. It is envisaged that the container will be usable in the manner of a conventional container, as well as for use as a storage box on construction sites. Typically, the container may have dimensions of 8' x 8' X 8' 6", though evidently these dimensions could be increased, or reduced as desired. By virtue of the use of relatively flat panels for the side and back walls of the container, it can be designed to accept windows, if desired, which preferably are made of "unbreakable" synthetic plastics material.

Claims (9)

11. A container comprising side walls, a back wall, an access opening and a door or doors for ciosing the access opening, a floor panel and a roof panel; in which at least one of the walls is constituted by a metal panel which extends substantially throughout the height of the wall and which is rigidly secured at its upper end directly to said roof panel.

2. A container according to claim 1, in which each side wall is constituted by a respective one of said metal panels.

3. A container according to claim 1 or 2, including four upright posts, positioned one at each corner, and top and bottom rails at the front and back of the container which interconnect the upper and lower ends of the front and back sets of posts respectively.

4. A container according to claim 2 or claim 3 when appendant to claim 2, in which each metal panel extends downwardly below the floor panel to a position which is at or just above the feet of the posts.

5. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, in which a pair of spaced sleeve guides are taken through the side walls to extend under the floor of the container, to receive the limbs of a fork-lift truck which is to handle the container.

6. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the roof panel is fabricated in one piece having, at each edge which is joined to the corresponding upper end of a side wall, a downwardly extending flange which terminates in an inwardly stepped formation or angle having a horizontal limb and a vertically downwardly extending limb.

7. A container according to claim 6, in which the upper end of the side wall is secured, by welding, to the vertical limb of the angle.

8. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the floor panel is made of wood.

9. A container according to claim 3, or any one of claims 4 to 8 when appendant to claim 3, in which the four corner posts are provided with lifting points at their upper ends to facilitate handling of the container.

1 0. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the front access opening of the container is closed by a pair of doors which are hinged to front corner posts of the container.