GB2093806A - Handling equipment for iso containers - Google Patents

Abstract

Equipment for loading an ISO container on to, or unloading it from, a transport vehicle at a location where a power source is not available, comprises a number of easily- assembled, manually-handled components. The separate components comprise for each end of the container (a) a beam 13 to extend across the container, (b) for each corner posts 16 capable of resting on the ground, (c) sleeves 15 mountable on and slidable along the posts, the sleeves being attachable to the container by connection 28-31 (d) components 14a, 14b associated with and facing laterally of the sleeves to receive the ends of the beam, the beam ends being lockable by pins 21 to these components, and (e) manually- powered means 17, 35-38 connecting each sleeve to its associated post and operable to effect sliding of the sleeves 15 along the respective posts 16. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Handling equipment for ISO containers The invention relates to handling equipment for ISO containers such as are used for transporting goods in modern transport systems and the invention provides equipment to enable an operative safely to remove a container of several tons weight, from a vehicle for instance, and lower it to the ground in locations where no power source, such as electricity supply, is available.

According to the invention, equipment for handling an ISO container comprises as separate connectable units: (i) a beam to extend transversely of the container with the ends of the beam projecting beyond the container; (ii) a plurality of posts, each in use to bear by an end on the ground; (iii) a plurality of sleeves, each of the said sleeves being engageable on and slidable lengthwise of a corresponding one of the posts; (iv) means associated with the sleeves and facing laterally securely to receive an end of the beam whereby with the beam ends secured to the sleeves, the beam extends horizontally between the posts; (v) locking means to detachably secure the beam ends to the sleeves, and (vi) manually powered means connecting each said sleeve with its corresponding post and operable to effect sliding of the sleeve along the post.

Each of the components of the equipment may be of limited weight, e.g. less than 100 Ibs, so that the equipment can be readily attached to the container piece by piece if necessary by a single operative, and then used to lift or lower a container load up to about 20 tons.

In one construction of the equipment there are first and second fitments associated with said sleeves, disengageable means to secure each said fitment to the respective sleeve, whereby said fitments are attachable to and removable from the sleeves, the first fitment being rigid with one end of the beam and the second fitment having rigid with it a socket receiving the other end of the beam, there being locking means to secure the said other end of the beam in the said socket. In such construction each fitment may have a plug to be received in use in an ISO casting of a standard ISO container. In this case when assembled the equipment is rigidly secured to the container. The manually-operable power connections are conveniently ratchet chain pull-lifts, whereof the chains have for instance hooked connections on the posts and the ratchet mechanisms are attachable to the brackets.

When the ISO containers of the light-weight variety, for instance having a weight of 1 ton when stuffed, and have below their bases open-ended sockets enabling them to be transported if desired by fork-lift trucks, another construction of the equipment may conveniently be employed. Such equipment may comprise a pair of posts each with an associated one of said sleeves; each said sleeve having rigid with it a cross beam to extend transversely of the respective post, each cross beam having rigid with it a pair of sockets, one at each end of the cross beam, there being a pair of beams to extend transversely of the container, said beams having their ends engageable in and lockable to the said sockets, whereby said beams and the cross beams together form a rectangular lifting frame for a container.In this case the beams are conveniently threaded through the below-base open-ended sockets to locate the beams relative to the container.

In a further construction, the means associated with each sleeve comprises a fitment having a plug to engage a bottom ISO casting of a standard container and is securable rigidly to the sleeve by detachable devices, and there is additionally provided a stabiliser post slidable in and lockable to the fitment, the stabiliser post having at its upper end a downwardly-projecting plug for hooked engagement with an upper ISO casting of the container. In this construction therefore there are plugs engaging the upper and lower ISO castings at each corner of the container.

Some constructions of equipment embodying the above and other features of the invention are detailed in the following description and shown in the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically a stage of attachment of one construction of the equipment to one end of an ISO container, Fig. 2 shows some of the components of the equipment in a exploded view, Fig. 3 shows some of the components assembled to a container, Fig. 4 shows a second form of equipment disassembled proir to fitting to a container, Fig. 5 shows a light-weight container supported and raised by the equipment of Fig. 4, Fig. 6 shows a third form of the equipment attached to one end of a standard ISO container, Fig. 7 shows a component of the form of equipment of Fig. 6 being attached to a container, and Fig. 8 shows details of construction of the form of equipment of Fig. 6.

Referring to Fig. 1 , there is shown an ISO container 10 on a trailer vehicle 11 from which the container is to be removed for example by a single operative 12.

The handling equipment comprises for each end of the container the following components: a beam 1 3 to extend across the container from side to side, fitments 14 by which the beam can be secured rigidly to the container, sleeve-like brackets 1 5 which slide on posts 16, and ratchet chain pull-lifts 17, e.g. standard ratchet lever hoists, for moving the brackets under load along the posts 1 6.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the construction of the components of this embodiment are shown in more detail.

The beam 13 has rigid with one of its ends one of the fitments 1 4a and has the other fitment 1 4b rigidly attachable to the other of its ends by this end being entered into a socket 20 rigid with fitment 14b, the two parts being locked together by peg 21 passing through holes 22, 23 in the socket 20 and beam end respectively. The beam 13 has a handle 24 to facilitate handling.

Each fitment 1 4a, 1 4b has an integral plug 25 shaped to fit the standard elliptical hole in the ISO castings which are built into the container corners.

Each sliding bracket 1 5 has a flange 27 formed with key-hole slots 28 to be engaged by headed bosses 29 on the fitments, and is provided with a peg 30 to engage holes 31, 32 in the bracket 1 5 and the fitment respectively to lock them together when the bosses are at the bottoms of the slots 28.

Each bracket 15 slides on a post 1 6 by the bracket being formed with a squared sleeve section corresponding to the section of the ground-engaging post.

The pull-lift 17 has a hook 35 on the end of its chain to lock on to a bar 36 at the top of the post 16 and has a hook 37 on its ratchet mounting 38 to lock on to a bar 39 on the bracket 1 5.

To assemble the components to a container, such as the container 10, the beam 13 with fitment 1 4a is mounted on the container by engaging plug 25 into the ISO casting at one corner of the container. Next the fitment 1 4b is engaged on the end of the beam 13 and simultaneously its plug 25 engaged in the corresponding ISO casting. The fitment 1 4b is locked to the beam by peg 21.

The brackets 1 5 are now fitted on the posts 16 and the pull-lifts 1 7 attached. The posts with brackets and pull-lifts are now attached to and locked to the fitmentsl4a, 14b, the brackets having been first adjusted to allow the posts to rest on the ground, and by use of the pull-lifts 1 7 the container may be lifted from the trailer vehicle 11 which is then driven away. The container 10 is then gradually lowered to the ground, the four pull-lifts being adjusted step by step in rotation.

Referring now to the embodiment of Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, there is shown a typical lightweight standard container 1 0. Such a container will be 8ft long, 6ft wide and 6ft high and will have a gross loaded weight of about 1 ton. Such a container is commonly provided with open-ended sockets 111 below its base, there being two at each side with a spacing suitable to be engaged by the lifting forks of fork-lift trucks.

The lifting and lowering equipment comprises two beams 112, conveniently of hollow square section, of a length sufficient to extend across the width of the container 10 with their ends projecting at each side. The section of the beams 112 is such as to enable them to pass through the sockets 111.

The equipment further comprises a pair of carriers 113, each comprising a cross beam 11 4 having rigid with it at its ends sockets 11 5 to receive ends of the beams 112. Locking pins 116 are provided to pass through aligned holes 112a, 115a in the beams 112 and sockets 11 5 respectively to detachably secure the beams 11 2 and cross beams 114 of the carriers together to form a rectangular lift frame. Each beam 114 is welded to one surface of a back plate 11 7 on the opposite surface of which is welded a squaresection sleeve 11 8.

The sleeve 11 8 is slidably engaged on a post 11 9 of corresponding cross-section, the post being part of a ground-contacting framework comprising also feet 120 at the ends of a spacer bar 121 and strutting 122 extending from the ends of bar 121 to an apex adjacent the top of post 11 9. It will be seen that the post 11 9 is offset from the plane of the frame formed by the bar 121 and strutting 1 22.

Each sleeve carries winding gear 123, conveniently of the type having a cable 1 24 anchored by one end of the apex of the frame 121, 1 22, to effect sliding of the carrier on the post 119.

In use, the beams 112 are inserted through the sockets 111 on the container 10 and with the carriers 11 3 adjusted to the appropriate height on the posts 11 9, the ends of the beams 112 are inserted in the sockets 11 5 and secured by the locking pins 116.

The equipment is now ready for use by manually operating the winding gear 123 to lift or lower the container 10 as required.

Since the carriers 11 3 and beams 112 form a rigid rectangular frame, the posts 11 9 are held parallel to the walls of the container and thus vertical on level ground. The frames 121, 120 prevent toppling of the posts 119.

Referring now to Figs. 6 to 8, part of the equipment is shown mounted on one end of a container 210, which may weigh about 20 tons when stuffed; corresponding parts will be mounted on the other end of the container.

The equipment shown comprises a beam 213 extending across the width of the container, a ground-contacting post 21 6 at each corner of the container, sleeves 21 5 slidable on the posts 216, chain hoists 217 to move the sleeves 21 5 along the posts, fitment means 214 associated with each sleeve 215 to allow its attachment to the container 210 and to the beam 213, and stabiliser posts 218.

As in the construction of Figs. 1 to 3, the sleeves 21 5 are slidable along the posts 21 6 by means of the standard chain hoists 217 which hook on to the sleeves at 215a (Fig. 8) and have ends of their chains 21 7a hooked on to the tops 21 6a of the posts 216 (Fig. 6).

The fitment means 214 has a plug 225 (Fig. 7) to engage the bottom ISO casting 209, a socket 220 to receive one end of the beam 213, and a peg 221 to pass through holes in the socket and beam end to lock these together. The fitment 21 4 also has a squared sleeve portion 214a to receive slidingly the lower end of the associated stabiliser post 218; the post 218 after adjustment to the height of the container 210 is locked to the fitment 214 by a peg 222 (Fig. 8) passing through holes 223 in the sleeve portion 21 4a and in the post 218.

The post 218 has at its upper end a downwardly-projecting plug 230 offset so as to be engageable with the upwardly-open opening in a standard top ISO casting 208 (Figs. 6 and 7).

To assemble the equipment to the container 210, each post 21 8, with or without the fitment 214 attached, is first hook-engaged with the top ISO casting 208. If not already attached, the fitment 214 is engaged on the post 218 and after adjustment along the post to accommodate the container height peg 222 is inserted to lock these parts together.

The beam 213 is now threaded through the sockets 220 and its ends locked to the sockets by pins 221.

The ground-engaging post 21 6 now has its sleeve 215 adjusted along it by means of the chain hoist to a position such that, with the post 21 6 upright, a spigot 231 (Fig. 8) on the sleeve 215 can be entered into a recess 232 on the fitment 214 and a lug 233 on the fitment 214 can be entered between lugs 234 on the sleeve 21 5.

A peg 235 is now inserted through holes 236, 237 in the lugs 233, 234 respectively, so locking the sleeve 21 5 to the fitment 214.

The container may now be raised and lowered using the chain hoists in turn.

It is found that the individual parts of the equipment can be made suitable for manual handling, so that containers of the kind referred to can be loaded or off-loaded from a vehicle without using power-operated equipment such as electrically-driven or hydraulically-powered hoists or jacks.

Claims (12)

1. Equipment for raising or lowering goods containers of containerised transport systems without the use of a power source, the equipment comprising as separate connectable units: (i) a beam to extend transversely of the container with the ends of the beam projecting beyond the container; (ii) a plurality of posts, each in use to bear by an end on the ground; (iii) a plurality of sleeves, each of the said sleeves being engageable on and slidable lengthwise of a corresponding one of the posts; (iv) fitment means associated with the sleeves and facing laterally of the post to securely receive an end of the beam whereby, with the beam ends secured to the sleeves, the beam extends horizontally between the posts;; (v) locking means to detachably secure the beam ends to the sleeves, and (vi) manually-powered means connecting each said sleeve with its corresponding post and operable to effect sliding of the sleeve along the post.

2. Equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the fitments associated with said sleeve have disengageable means to secure each said fitment to the respective sleeve, whereby said fitments are attachable to and removable from the sleeves, and also have means whereby ends of the beam are rigidly attached to the fitments.

3. Equipment according to claim 2, one fitment having an end of the beam in one with it and the second fitment having rigid with it a socket receiving the other end of the beam, there being locking means to secure the said other end of the beam in the said socket.

4. Equipment according to claim 2, wherein each fitment has an integral socket to receive an end of the beam, there being locking means to secure the ends of the beams in the sockets.

5. Equipment according to claim 2, wherein each said fitting has a plug to be received in use in an ISO casting of a standard ISO container, whereby the equipment on assembly is rigidly secured to the container.

6. Equipment according to claim 2 or claim 3 or claim 5, wherein each said sleeve has a lateral flange with key-hole slots and the fitments have headed bosses to enter the key-hole slots, and wherein there is a removable locking peg to retain the bosses in the key-hole slots.

7. Equipment according to claim 2 or claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the sleeve and fitment have a spigot and recess engagement and also interengaging sleeve and fitment lugs, and there are locking pins securing the lugs together.

8. Equipment according to claim 1 or claim 2 or claim 3 or claim 4, comprising bars on each said ground-engaging post and its respective sleeve, and the manually-powered means comprising for each post a ratchet lever hoist having hooks engageable with the bars.

9. Equipment according to claim 1, there being a pair of said posts each with an associated one of said sleeves; each said sleeve having rigid with it a cross beam to extend transversely of the respective post; each cross beam having rigid with it a pair of sockets, one at each end of the cross beam; there being a pair of beams to extend transversely of the container, said beams having their ends engageable in and lockable to the said sockets, whereby said beams and the cross beams together form a rectangular lifting frame for a container.

10. Equipment according to claim 9, each post forming part of a ground-contacting framework comprising feet at the end of a spacer bar and strutting joining the ends of the spacer bar to an apex adjacent the top of the post.

11. Equipment according to claim 9 or claim 10, the manually-powered means comprising winding gear joining the sleeve and post.

12. Equipment according to claim 1 , the equipment being manually assembled, operated substantially as described with reference to and as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, or Figs 4 and 5, or Figs. 6 to 9 of the drawings.