GB2156313A

GB2156313A - A transportable container

Info

Publication number: GB2156313A
Application number: GB08406896A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Eric Sidney Evans
Original assignee: CONPATENT Ltd
Current assignee: CONPATENT Ltd
Priority date: 1984-03-16
Filing date: 1984-03-16
Publication date: 1985-10-09
Also published as: GB8406896D0

Abstract

The container comprises a load bearing base structure (10), a case 11 which may be of plastics material and a frame (16) releasably clamping the case to the base. The case has at least one door (15) for gaining access to the interior of the case. Preferably the frame is made of tubular members (26, 27) and lifting slings are attached to the base through the depending frame members (27). A safety harness may be attached across the case opening just inside the doors to prevent spillage of goods when the container is opened and platforms (29) may be provided to facilitate stacking. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A transportable container This invention relates to a transportable container.

Containers are well known receptacles for the transportation of materials in both on and off shore environments. Known containers comprise an all steel welded box with front access double doors. These containers have a steel base to which are welded a rear, top and two side panels. The four corners are of folded steel sections, two of which support the door hinge mechanism.

Lifting by crane is via steel rope slings attached to the top of the corner posts, and alternatively by stacker trunks whose forks locate with fork slots in the base of the container.

The sides of the container are square to the base and the top, are of welded construction and are subjected to heavy and frequent impact. Hence, structural damage is frequent which, even for the minor instances of damage, renders the total container inoperable whilst being repaired.

When being loaded and unloaded these containers can be placed close together and being vertical sided with no clearance, afford no escape from a crushing injury to the slinging operator, caught in heavy sea operating conditions.

Displacement of the contents due to the environment are commonplace and when the doors are opened in their unloading situation spillage of the contents can cause a hazard to the operators, in addition to the probable waste of and damage to materials.

In their stacked condition the wire lifting ropes and rings are vulnerable to damage as a result of the limited clearance between the top of the lower and base of the upper container. Similarly in their parked positions any wire slings that fall down the side of the container become vulnerable to damage from adjacent vertical containers.

The corners of the containers in plan, elevation and section are square and produce at their junctions a sharp edge causing considerable identation under impact conditions.

The invention provides a transportable container comprising a load bearing base, a case, and a frame releasably clamping the case to the base, the case having at least one openable closure for gaining access to the interior thereof.

Preferred and/or optional features of the invention are set forth in claims 2-21.

The term "rectangular" as used herein is intended to include something which is square.

The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of a container according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the case of the container.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the case of the container, Figure 4 is a side elvational view of the load bearing base of the container, Figure 5 is a plan view of the base of the container, Figure 6 is a detail view of a hinge section of one of the doors of the container.

Figure 7 is a detail view showing the method of fastening the frame to the base and showing a lifting bar, and Figure 8 is a perspective detail view of a turnbuckle clamp and part of a safety harness.

Referring firstly to Figure 1 of the drawings, the container shown therein comprises a load bearing base 10, a case 11 having a floor 12, sides 13 and a top 14, two openable doors 15, and a frame 16 releasably clamping the case 11 to the base 10.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5 the base comprises a welded hollow cruciform structure 17 with mild steel angled members 18 welded thereto to define a rectangular marginal portion. The cruciform structure 17 defines two pairs of mutually perpendicular fork lift tunnels 19 which allow the base to be lifted by a fork lift truck approaching any one fo the sides of the base. A frame locating tubular guide 20 is welded to each corner of the base and a pair of lifting bars 21 are secured to the base by welding and extend across the entire length of each of two opposite sides of the base above the cruciform structure 17 (to which they are welded) and project at opposite ends into two of the guides 20.

The case 11 and doors 15 are preferably moulded in plastics material. The floor 12 and top 14 of the case 11 are of rectangular shape and the sides 13 of the case 11 and doors 15 define the sides of a truncated pyramid which are inclinded to the vertical preferably by not less than 2". The inclined sides 13 and doors 15 afford a degree of protection from a crushing injury to the slinging operator and the inclined sides 13 also provide for ease of removal of the case 11 from its mould.

As best shown in Figures 2 and 3 the upper and side edges of the case define elongate concaves recesses 22 for receiving the frame members of the frame 16.

The floor 12 of the case 11 has a plurality of raised parallel ribs 23 which are inclined downwardly away from the case opening. The ribs 23 support a load contained within the case and aid unloading and cleaning of the case. The floor 12 also has a drainage channel 24 which locates in a recess 25 (see Figure 4) provided in one of the angled members 18 of the base 10.

The frame 16 comprises four upper tubular frame members 26 and four depending tubular members 27. The frame members 26 and 27 are secured together, by welding, at the four upper corners of the frame. The frame members 26 and 27 are received in the elongate recesses 22 in the case 11, but protrude therefrom in order to extend above the top of the case 11 and outwardly beyond the sides of the case 11. The lower ends of the depending frame members 27 project through respective frame locating tubular guides 20 and are externally screw threaded for engagement with internally screw threaded clamping caps 28 which tension the frame 16 about the case 11.

Outwardly extending stacking platforms 29 are welded to the four upper corners of the frame for supporting the legs of the frame of a like container.

The platforms 29 have one or more (as shown two) arcuate upstanding lugs 30 for locating the legs of the like container and an elongate slot 31 for a purpose which will be explained hereinafter.

An elongate hinge tube 32 (see Figures 1 and 6) is secured to or formed integrally with each of the two doors 15. The hinge tubes 32 are mounted about respective depending frame members 27 and between mild steel tubular pivots 33. The pivots 33 can be adjusted axially on the frame members 27 and fixed into position by Allen screws. An oilite bush 34 is provided between each pivot 33 and the respective hinge tube 32 to act as a bearing.

A compressible seal is fitted to the periphery of each door 15 to seal to the case opening which is reinforced with a U section member along the head and jambs.

Each door has a locking mechanism comprising a shaft 35 mounted for angular movement about its axis in sleeves or brackets 36 secured to the door. The shaft is turned by a hand lever 37 and has carrier members 38 at opposite ends which cooperate with keeper members 39 secured to the base 10 and to the upper end of the case 11. The carrier members 38 and keeper members 39 may be of the type more particularly described, for example, in British Patent specification 1002214.

Flexible elongate lifting members in the form of wire slings 40 are connected to the ends of the lifting bars 21 within the depending frame members 27. As shown in Figure 7, the ends of the lifting bars extend into the frame members 27 through a slot 41. A thimble 42 at the end of the sling 40 is mounted between shoulders 43 urged together by lock nuts 44 which are accessed for tightening purposes through a clearance slot 45 provided in the frame locating tubular guide 20. The sling enters the depending frame member 27 through the slot 31 formed in the stacking platform and it will be seen, therefore, that the slings are protected by the frame members 27.

Figure 7 also shows that the clamping cap 28 is formed of plastics material encapsulating a metal former 28' and that the clamping cap has two holes 46. These holes 46 are for receiving location pegs of a cap tightening spanner. Also Figure 7 shows that a centering member 50 is provided to prevent lateral movement between the guides 20 and respective frame members 27 and to present an even base for clamping cap 28.

Resilient packing material (not shown) is disposed between the base 10, case 11 and frame 16.

The edge of the case opening is fitted with turn buckle clamps 47 (see Figure 8) for securing a safety webbing or harness 48 across the opening.

The harness is provided with metal rimmed eyelets 49 which are held by the clamps 47. The harness 48 will prevent goods from spilling out of the container when the doors are opened.

The forklift tunnels 19 may have bell mouths provided by angled frames (not shown), welded to the angled members 18, which guide the forks of the lifting truck into the tunnels. The angled frames protect the leading edges of the tunnels and prevent damage to the container by forming a fixed distance piece between the base 10 and the mast of the lifting truck.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the apended claims. For example, the case 11 need not be of plastics material but could be of metal or a combination of both metal and plastics material.

Claims

1. A transportable container comprising a load bearing base, a case, and a frame releasably clamping the case to the base, the case having at least one openable closure for gaining access to the interior thereof.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises an upper frame portion corresponding in shape to the top of the case, and a plurality of depending legs releasably fastened to the base at their lower ends.

3. The container of claim 2, wherein the top of the case and the upper frame portion are generally rectangular when viewed in plan, and the frame has four legs depending from the corners of the upper frame portion.

4. The container of anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the sides of the case define the sides of a truncated pyramid.

5. The container of claim 4, when dependent on claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the upper frame portion has outwardly extending stacking platforms for supporting the legs of the frame of a like container.

6. The container of claim 5, wherein each stacking platform has one or more upstanding lugs for locating the legs of the like container.

7. The container of anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the case is moulded at least in part in plastics material.

8. The container of anyone of the preceding claims wherein the frame members are received in elongate recesses extending along the upper and side edges of the case.

9. The container of claim 8 wherein the frame is formed of tubular members.

10. The container of claim 9, wherein he frame members extend above the top of the case and outwardly beyond the sides of the case.

11. The container of claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the base is provided with means to which flexible elongate lifting members, passing through depending legs of the frame, can be anchored.

12. The container of anyone of claims 9-11, wherein the at least one openable closure is a door pivoted about one of the tubular members of the frame.

13. The container of anyone of claims 9-12, wherein the base has frame locating tubular mem bers through which the lower ends of depending tubular frame members project, and the lower ends of the depending tubular frame members are externally screw-threaded and are engaged by internally screw-threaded members below the frame locating members.

14. The container of anyone of the precedingclaims, wherein, the or each openable closure is provided at its periphery with a compressible seal.

15. The container of anyone of the preceding claims, wherein means are provided for fastening the openable closure or closures in closed position.

16. The container of anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the base is provided with at least one pair of fork lift tunnels.

17. The container of anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the case includes a floor which is mounted on the load bearing base.

18. The container of claim 17, wherein the floor has a plurality of raised parallel ribs inclined downwards away from the case opening.

19. The container of anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the case has means for releasably fastening a safety harness across the entire inside face of the case opening.

20. The container of claim 19, wherein said releasable fastening means are turn buckle clamps.

21. The container of anyone of the preceding claims, wherein resilient packing material is disposed between the base, frame and case.

22. A transportable container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.