GB2155309A

GB2155309A - Storage or transport container

Info

Publication number: GB2155309A
Application number: GB8503198A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Cameron James Mitchell
Original assignee: Ross and Bonnyman Engineering Ltd
Current assignee: Ross and Bonnyman Engineering Ltd
Priority date: 1984-02-10
Filing date: 1985-02-08
Publication date: 1985-09-25
Also published as: GB8503198D0; GB2155309B; GB8403599D0

Abstract

The present invention provides a storage and/or transport container 1 of the wire mesh type provided with at least one detachable shelf 6. The container 1 has a wall comprising a plurality of vertical wires 4 and horizontal wires 5 secured to one side of the vertical wires 4. The shelf 6 has at least two spaced apart shelf-support portions 7 engagable with a said horizontal wire 5 member and at least one wall engagement means comprising a cranked inverted generally U-shaped member 15 having an upstanding central portion at or in proximity to one edge of said shelf for engagement with and around a shelf retaining means 16 comprising an indentation in a vertical wire 4 on its side remote from the shelf 6 and the horizontal wires 5, said indented portion 16 being substantially accommodated within the thickness of the wall. The shelf may comprise two sections 7,8 hinged together at 9. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Storage or transport container This invention relates to storage and/or transport containers such as wheeled pallets of the wiremesh or wire-frame type of container and in particular to the provision of shelving in such containers.

Containers of the above-mentioned type are widely used in the retail and distribution fields for the handling of goods. In order to maximise the usefulness of such containers it is desirable that the shelving used therein should be readily adaptable for use with different shapes and sizes of goods.

Known shelving systems generally rely on the provision of more or less cumbersome and protruding support and restraint means which can interfere with the goods and/or with cleaning and general handling of the container.

It is an object of the present invention to avoid or minimize one or more of the above disadvantages.

The present invention provides a storage and/or transport container of the wire mesh type and provided with at least one detachable shelf, said container having at least one wall means comprising a plurality of horizontally spaced apart vertical wire members and a plurality of vertically spaced apart horizontal wire members secured to one side of the vertical wire members, and said at least one shelf having at least two spaced apart shelf support portions engagable with a said horizontal wire member and at least one wall engagement means comprising a cranked inverted generally U-shaped member having an upstanding central portion at or in proximity to one edge of said shelf for engagement with and around a shelf retaining means provided on a respective said vertical wire member, said shelf retaining means comprising an indentation in said vertical wire member on its side remote from the shelf and the horizontal wire members, the indented portion of said vertical wire member being substantially accommodated within the thickness of the wall means made up of said vertical and horizontal wire members. With a shelf construction of the present invention, a shelf can be simply and reliably secured in a goods container in a detachable manner whilst at the same time maintaining a relatively 'clean' wall construction which does not interfere with cleaning or full loading of the container when the shelf is removed and does not give rise to injury to goods or users through snagging thereof.

Preferably the shelf has at least two said wall engagement means spaced apart from each other and conveniently respective wall engagement and shelf support means are provided by unitary members.

Further preferred features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description given by way of example of a preferred embodiment illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a general side elvation of a milk-carton trolley of the invention; Figure 2 is a general plan view of a shelf of the trolley of Fig. 1; and Figure 3 is a side elevation of the shelf of Fig. 1 showing its relation to the side walls of the trolley.

Fig. 1 shows a trolley 1 of wire mesh type construction suitable for use in the transport and storage of milk cartons (not shown) in a supermarket or the like. The trolley 1 has a wall 2 made up of a peripheral structural member 3 filled in with a plurality of horizontally spaced apart vertical wire members 4 and a plurality of vertically spaced apart horizontal wire members 5.

6 The trolley is provided with two identical shelves at different levels 6A, 6B. As may be seen in more detail in Figs. 2 and 3 each shelf 6 is made up of two sections comprising a support section 7 and a folding section 8 hingedly connected 9 so as to be supported in a horizontal load bearing position by the support section 7 and form together therewith a continuous load bearing surface 10. When it is required to increase the depth of storage space in part of the container the folding section 8 can be folded up and over to lie flat on the support section 7 in a stowed position and then retained in this position by engagement of a catch means in the form of a park loop 11 at the free edge 12 of the folding section 8, with the side wall 2.

The support section 7 is provided along its edge 13 remote from the folding section 8, at the ends of respective parallel spaced apart wire members 14 of the main body of the shelf section, with wall engagement means 15. The latter are constituted by a cranked inverted generally U-shaped structure formed in the terminal portions of the wire member 14. The vertical members 4 of the wall 2 are provided with indentations 16 above horizontal wire members 5 (on which the shelf is supported see below), the indentations being formed in the vertical members 4 by lateral displacement of a short section out of the principal plane of the vertical members 4 in the wall into the principal plane of the horizontal wire members 5 joined thereto.In use of the shelf, the inverted U-shaped portion wall engagement means 15 are received generally within the indentations 17 retaining the shelf against lateral or downward pivotal movement. At the cranked portions 18 at the ends of the Ushaped portion limbs 19 the terminal portions of the shelf wire members are supported on the adjacent horizontal wire wall member 5, said cranked portions 18 constituting shelf support portions.

Thus it will be noted that the shelf support portions and the shelf retaining means are simply and economically provided simultaneously in unitary members formed in horizontal wire members of the shelf and which indeed at their other ends provide the principal parts of the hinge connection 9 between the two shelf portions 7, 8.

It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made to the above described embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. Thus the shelves need not be hinged nor of wire-form construction. On the other hand additional support to the shelves may be provided along their other edges.

Claims

1. A storage and/or transport container of the wire mesh type and provided with at least one detachable shelf, said container having at least one wall means comprising a plurality of horizontally spaced apart vertical wire members and a plurality of vertically spaced apart horizontal wire members secured to one side of the vertical wire members, and said at least one shelf having at least two spaced apart shelf support portions engagable with a said horizontal wire member and at least one wall engagement means comprising a cranked inverted generally U-shaped member having an upstanding central portion at or in proximity to one edge of said shelf for engagement with and around a shelf retaining means provided on a respective said vertical wire member, said shelf retaining means comprising an indentation in said vertical wire member on its side remote from the shelf and the horizontal wire members, the indented portion of said vertical wire member being substantially accommodated within the thickness of the wall means made up of said vertical and horizontal wire members.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1 the shelf has at least two said wall engagement means spaced apart from each other.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein respective wall engagement and shelf support means are provided by unitary members.

4. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein one limb of said 'U'-shaped member is free whereby said limb may be releasably hooked around said vertical wire member retaining means for mounting and demounting of said shelf.

5. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said shelf is comprised of a plurality of intersecting wire frame members and wherein one limb of said U-shaped member is formed integrally with, in continuation of, a said wire frame member,

6. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said shelf is comprised by a first section bearing said wall engagement means and a second section hingedly connected to said first section so as to be movable between a stowed position against said first section and a deployed position extending outwardly from said first section.

7. A container as claimed in claim 6 wherein said shelf is comprised by a plurality of first wire frame members extending parallel to the hingeing axis and a plurality of second wire frame members extending transversely of said first wire frame members, at least two of said second wire frame members of the first section having loop means at their distal ends through which extends a connecting one of said first wire frame members close to a hingeing side one of said first wire frame members of the second section which extends above said at least two first wire frame members, whereby said second section can pivot about said connection wire frame member and be supported against further pivoting beyond its deployed position by interengagement of said at least two second wire frame members and said hingeing side first wire frame member.

8. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein said shelf retaining means is constituted by an off-set portion in said vertical wire member.

9. A container as claimed in claim 8 wherein said portion is off-set substantially into the plane of said horizontal wire members.

10. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 which container has a base provided with at least two support wheels.

11. A container substantially as described hereinbefore with particular reference to the accompanying drawings.