GB2147276A

GB2147276A - Transportation container with collapsible end walls

Info

Publication number: GB2147276A
Application number: GB08415104A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ernesto Tosetto
Original assignee: Cobra Containers SpA
Current assignee: Cobra Containers SpA
Priority date: 1983-09-30
Filing date: 1984-06-13
Publication date: 1985-05-09
Also published as: DE3422634A1; IT8368008A0; GB8415104D0; FR2552738A1; GB2147276B; FR2552738B1; DE3422634C2; IT1205394B

Abstract

A container for transport of goods has a platform 3 and two end headers 2 which can fold down flat over the platform when the container is not in use. Each header 2 is supported on a pair of spaced levers 7 swinging about pivot axis 5 which are coupled by links 16 to the free ends of a semi-elliptical spring 17 which is held by a bracket 18 on the longitudinal centre line of the platform and whose plane of flexure is parallel to the plane of the platform. Spring 17 counterbalances the weight of the header 2 as it is swung about axis 5. Locking pins 26 with heads 30 serve to secure the headers 2 in the upright working position. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Transportation container with collapsible end walls The present invention relates to a container of the type comprising a support platform and a pair of end headers of headpieces, each of which is substantially turnable about an axis parallel to the plane of the said platform to be displaced from a first, working position in which it is substantially vertical and orthogonal to this platform, and a second, rest position in which it is substantially above the platform itself and parallel thereto.

For the purpose of being able easily to displace each of the said headers from the first to the second said positions, containers of the type indicated normally include balancing means operable to balance the weight of each of the headpieces. Such means are normally constituted by coil springs, one end of which is connected to a bracket rigidly fixed to the platform and the other end of which is connected to a suitable region of the header, which is located above the pivot axis first mentioned; in this way when the header is turned to be displaced from the first to the second position, the moment generated by the weight about the said pivot axis is counterbalanced by a resilient moment generated as a result of the elongation of the first mentioned springs.

Containers of the type described have various disadvantages.

Since the moment due to the weight to be counterbalanced with the balancing means first mentioned is very great, numerous springs of rather large dimensions are required, which gives rise, if the counterbalancing must be absolute, to a significant bulk, in particular on each side of the container in correspondence with the platform; otherwise, if the bulk of such springs is reduced, the balancing means are not able to produce a complete counterbalancing.

Further, the first mentioned springs are arranged laterally on each platform, and therefore can project with respect thereto, with the risk of being easily damaged during transport and handling operations of the container. Finally, the presence of such springs makes it difficult to fit the locking means with which such containers are normally provided, and which operate to lock each header in the vertical position when it is in its working configuration; such means, normally constituted by rods with vertical axes which are movable axially and rotatable about their axes, are usually positioned in the region of the platform which is exactly that occupied by the springs of the balancing means.

The object of the present invention is that of providing a container of the type first indicated, which will be free from the described disadvantages.

According to the present invention there is provided a container comprising a support platform and a pair of end headers, each of which is in the form of a rectangular panel and substantially pivotable about a pivot axis parallel to the plane the said platform to be displaced from a first, working position, in which it is substantially vertical and orthogonal to the said platform and a second, rest position, in which it is located substantially above the said platform and parallel thereto, the said container further including resilient means operable to balance the said weight of each of the said headers when it is displaced from the said first to the said second position, characterised by the fact that the said resilient means include at least one semi-elliptic spring disposed within the interior of the said platform, in such a way that the plane of flexure of the said semi-elliptic spring is parallel to the plane of the said platform, each of the said headers being connected to the said semi-elliptic spring by means of a lever arrangement.

For a better understanding of the present invention a particular embodiment thereof will now be described in detail, with reference to the attached drawings, in which: Figures 1 and 2 are longitudinal sections of an end part of the container of the invention in the working and the rest positions; Figure 3 is a sectioned side view of the container of the invention; and Figure 4 is a sectioned plan view of the container of the preceding Figures.

The container of the invention substantially comprises a platform, generally indicated 1, to which are pivoted two headers 2, one at each end of the platform itself.

The platform 1, which can have any suitable structure, conveniently includes a pair of longitudinal members 3, each of which can be formed, for example, by a double T-section (I-beam) 4. Each header is substantially in the form of a rectangular panel and can have any suitable structure.

Each header is pivotable about an axis the line of which has been indicated with the reference numeral 5, which is located within the platform 1 and at a certain distance from the support plane 6 of the platform itself. For this purpose each header 2 is rigidly conneced to a pair of levers 7 comprising a pair of arms 8, 9 which lie at a small angle to one another, conveniently 45" as can be clearly seen in Figure 1; between the said two arms there is disposed a pivot pin 10 operable to allow the pivotal movement of the lever itself with respect to the platform, conveniently in the manner indicated in Figure 4. As is seen in this Figure, each pivot pin is housed within a bush 11 rigidly connected to the I-beam 4 and to a plate 12 connected to the beam itself.

For the purpose of balancing each header 2 when it is displaced from the working position shown in Figure 1 in which it is substantially vertical and orthogonal to the platform 1, to the rest position indicated in Figure 2, in which it is located, on the other hand, above the platform itself and parallel thereto, there are provided balancing means, generally indicated 15, which as well as the levers 7, comprise a pair of link rods 16 and a semi-elliptic spring 17. This latter is disposed in such a way that its plane of flexure lies substantially parallel to that of the platform 1; the spring is disposed within the interior of the platform itself, and as is clearly seen in Figures 3 and 4 it is secured in place in the middle of the platform by means of a bracket 18.One end of each link rod 16 is pivoted to a free end of the semi-elliptic spring 17, whiist the other end is pivoted to the arm 9 of one of the levers 7, as is clearly seen in Figure 1.

Conveniently, in the upper flange 19 of each longitudinal member 3 there is formed a slit 20 able to allow the housing within it of a corresponding lever 7.

The container of the invention further includes an end wall 25 (Figure 1) disposed below a corresponding header 2 and fixed with respect to the platform 1. With this constructional arrangement, when each header is in its vertical working position it rests on the said wall.

The container of the invention further includes locking means operable to lock each of the headers 2 in the working position; such means substantially comprise a rod 26 having a vertical axis, axially movable and rotatable about its own axis, which is supported by a plate 27 connected to a pair of walls 28 which define, with a bottom wall 29, a box of substantially parallelepiped form for the rod 26. This latter is free to displace axially and rotate within a hole in the plate 27 and is provided with a head 30 which can be inserted into a corresponding hole formed in a bottom wall (not shown) of the header 2.

This rod 26 is provided with a threaded end section on which a nut 31 can be screwed, and with an operating lever 32 which controls both the axial translation and the rotation thereof.

According to the invention the vertical axis of each rod 26 is disposed substantially in correspondence with a corner of the platform 1 and, as can be seen from Figures 3 and 4, this axis is substantially in correspondence with the intersection of the median plane of a header 2 and the mid plane of one of the longitudinal members 3 of the platform 1.

The container of the invention can be utilised in the following manner.

When the container is in its working position illustrated in Figure 1, each header 2 is in the vertical configuration and is locked stably to the platform 1 by means of the locking means first mentioned comprising the rod 26; in this configuration, not shown, the head 30 of the rod is inserted into the corresponding perforation formed in the lower wall of the header 2 and turned in such a way as to be displaced at least partly over the edges of this wall. Further, the nut 31 of this rod has been tightened against the wall 27 in such a way as to cause a predetermined force on the rod itself.

When the container is to be converted from the said working position to the rest position the nut 31 is first released and subsequently the rod 26 is made to turn by means of the lever 32 in order to release the head 30 from the associated hole and subsequently this rod is caused to translate vertically downwardly; in this way the header 2, no longer locked by the locking means, is free to turn about the pivot axis 5. When it is displaced from the first to the second configuration first mentioned the balancing means are able effectively to counterbalance the moment generated by the weight of the plate itself. In fact, during this rotation, the end of the arm 9 of each lever 7 will apply to the corresponding link rod 16 an axial force which is balanced by the flexural deformation of the semi-elliptic spring 17.Therefore, during the rotation of the header 2 about the pivot axis 5, each lever 7 will be in balance between the moment generated by the weight of the header itself and the moment generated by the resilient deformation of the semi-elliptic spring 17.

It will therefore be apparent that with the constructional arrangement described a very rigorous counterbalancing can be obtained since a semi-elliptic spring of sufficient dimensions to counterbalance the moment generated by even a very heavy header can be disposed within the interior of the platform 1; the various parts of the balancing arrangement are completely housed within the interior of the platform 1 and therefore do not give rise to external encumbrances, nor are they exposed to actions which could cause them damage. The arrangement which is thus obtained is moreover very compact and of extremely reduced bulk.

The arrangement of the balancing means which has been devised, with the container of the invention,then allows locking means for each header 2 to be fitted in a position in which they are entirely accessible and in which they can effectively exert locking action on the headers themselves. In fact, as has been described, because of the position of the pivot axis 5 and the conformation of the balancing means, the vertical axes of the rods 26 can be disposed substantially at the intersection of the vertical mid planes of the headers 2 and the longitudinal members 3, that is to say in correspondence with the corners of the container. In this way the box in which each of the rods 26 is housed (substantially derived from the assembly of walls 28 and 29) can be open towards one of the major sides of the container 4 from which the rod itself is easily accessible; moreover it is apparent that the locking action is particularly effective if the locking forces exerted by the rods 26 have lines of action which coincide exactly with the intersections of the vertical mid planes of the headers 2 and the longitudinal members 3.

It is also apparent that the described embodiment of the present invention can be modified and varied both as to form and to arrangement of the various parts without departing from the scope of the invention itself.

Claims

1. A container comprising a support platform and a pair of end headers each of which is in the form of a panel and is substantially pivotable about a pivot axis parallel to the plane of the said platform to be displaced from a first, working position, in which it is substantially vertical and orthogonal to the said platform, and a second, rest position, in which it is located substantially above the said platform and parallel thereto, the said container further including resilient means operable to balance the weight of each of the said headers upon displacement from the said first to the said second position, characterised by the fact that the said resilient means include at least one semi-elliptic spring disposed within the interior of the said platform in such a way that the plane of flexure of the said semi-elliptic spring lies parallel to the plane of the said platform, each of the said headers being connected to the said semi-elliptic spring by means of a lever arrangement.

2. A container according to Claim 1, characterised by the fact that the said semi-elliptic spring is disposed substantially orthogonally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the platform and is fixed to the middle of this, and in that the said lever assembly includes a pair of link rods each of which has a first end pivoted to a corresponding free end of the said semi-elliptic spring and the other end pivoted to a lever turnable about the said axis and rigidly connected to a header.

3. A container according to Claim 2, characterised by the fact that the said axis is positioned within the interior of the said platform and beneath the support plane of the platform itself, each of the said link rods being disposed inside the platform itself and with their axes substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the platform.

4. A container according to Claim 3, in which the said platform includes at least a pair of longitudinal members disposed laterally and in the direction of the said longitudinal axis, characterised by the fact that each of the said link rods is disposed within a corresponding longitudinal member and has a pair of end forks one of which is pivotally connected to the said lever and the other to the said free end of the semi-elliptic spring.

5. A container according to one of Claims from 2 to 4, characterised by the fact that each of the said levers has two arms lying at an angle of substantialy 45" to one another and a pivot pin disposed between them, operable to support the said lever with respect to the said pivot axis.

6. A container according to any preceding Claim, including locking means operable to lock each of the said headers in the said first working position; the said locking means including a rod having a vertical axis movable axially and turnable about its axis, the said rod being provided with a head which can be introduced into the interior of a perforation in a wall of the said header to lock the header with respect to the platform, characterised by the fact that the said vertical axis of each of the said rods is disposed at a corner of the said platform and substantially in the mid plane of a header and a mid plane of one of the said longitudinal members of the platform.

7. A container according to Claim 6, characterised by the fact that each of the said rods is supported by a small horizontal plate connected to three vertical side walls which define a box for the said rod, the said box being disposed substantially in the mid plane of a header and in the mid plane of one of the said longitudinal members of the platform and being open towards one of the major sides of the container.

8. A container substantially as described and illustrated in the attached drawings.