GB2238295A

GB2238295A - Storage containers

Info

Publication number: GB2238295A
Application number: GB8926204A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Simeon Martin
Original assignee: KELLY S STORAGE Ltd
Current assignee: KELLY S STORAGE Ltd
Priority date: 1989-11-20
Filing date: 1989-11-20
Publication date: 1991-05-29
Also published as: GB8926204D0

Abstract

A storage container for storing boxes 15 of articles is in the form of a rectangular box having access thereto through openings in a pair of opposite side walls. The openings are closable by means of doors 6, 7. <IMAGE>

Description

STORAGE CONTAINERS This invention relates to storage containers and in particular to containers for storing boxes of articles.

It is well known for articles, such as documents, to be stored in boxes and for a multiplicity of these boxes to be stored in a storage container. A known storage container is in the form of a rectangular box having a narrow door located centrally of the front wall. The boxes to be stored are arranged on shelves extending in the direction from the front wall to the rear wall of the container and projecting inwardly from the side walls of the container.

In use, boxes of articles are stored on the shelves in the container but a gangway remains in the centre of the container in line with the door so that a user can enter through the door into the gangway to remove boxes from the shelves. The need to provide a gangway in the storage container means that the container is never completely full of boxes.

According to the present invention, a storage container is in the form of a rectangular box having a front wall, a rear wall and two side walls, and wherein access to the container is provided through doors on both the front wall and the rear wall.

With this arrangement, boxes of articles can be introduced into, and removed from, the container through the door on the front wall and boxes can be introduced into the container, and removed therefrom, through the door in the rear wall and, in this way, it is not necessary to leave a compartment or gangway within the storage container thereby enabling the container to be filled with boxes.

Preferably, a pair of doors are provided in the front wall, the doors constituting substantially the entire front wall. Furthermore, a pair of doors are conveniently provided in the rear wall, said doors constituting substantially the entire rear wall.

Preferably, a number of horizontal shelves are provided in the container, said shelves extending in the direction from one side wall to the other side wall to enable the boxes to be readily stacked in the storage container.

A vertical internal partition may extend parallel to the front and rear walls to separate the storage boxes which are introduced into the container through the front wall from those introduced into the container through the rear wall.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, it will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front elevation of the container; and Figure 2 is a diagrammatic plan view.

A storage container is in the form of a rectangular box having a timber frame. The box comprises a front wall 1, a rear wall 2, and a pair of side walls 3, 4. The base 5 is in the form of a timber platform raised off the ground to enable the lifting platform of a fork-lift truck to be positioned between the platform and the ground in order to lift the container. The front wall 1 is almost entirely made up of a pair of vertical doors 6, 7 hinged at their edges to the timber frame. The hinges 8 enable the doors 6, 7 to be opened through an angle greater than 900 to give full access to the front of the container.

Shelves 9, 10 extend horizontally between the side walls 3, 4, and a vertical partition 11 divides the interior of the container into two parts. The container is conveniently made up of a timber frame and each door is in the form of a timber frame having a covering of plywood or chipboard.

The rear wall 2 of the container comprises a pair of doors 12, 13 which are hinged at their edges to the timber frame in the same manner as the doors 6, 7 constitute the front wall of the container.

In use, articles, such as documents, are stored in cardboard boxes which, in turn, are stacked in the container. The front door 6, 7 are opened fully to expose the interior of the container and the cardboard boxes 15 are stacked on the shelves 9, 10.

When all the available shelf space has been filled, the doors 6, 7 are closed and locked and the rear doors 12, 13 are fully opened giving access to the rear part of the container and further boxes are entered by the rear of the container on to the shelves 9, 10. Finally, the doors 12, 13 are closed and locked. The container is, thus, filled with the boxes of articles and it is not necessary to provide any form of gangway inside the container because access to the boxes can readily be made through either the front doors or the rear doors of the container.

The dimensions of the container and the dimensions of the cardboard boxes 15 are such that the boxes can readily be stacked on the shelves without wasting storage space. In a convenient arrangement, thirty two boxes are stacked in two layers on each of the shelves. Sixteen boxes are placed on each shelf through the front doors and sixteen boxes are placed on each shelf through the rear doors.

Claims

Claims:

1. A closable storage container in the form of a rectangular box and wherein access to the interior of the container is provided through openings in a pair of opposite side walls of the container, said openings being closable by doors.

2. A closable storage container as claimed in claim 1, in which each of said opposite side walls is substantially vertical and has a pair of doors hinged at opposite vertical edges, said doors serving to close off the or each opening in the wall.

3. A closable storage container comprising a rectangular frame structure supporting a horizontal top, a horizontal base and a pair of opposite vertical side walls, said frame structure also defining a further pair of vertical side walls which are open and each of which is closable by one or more doors.

4. A closable storage container as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the interior of the container is divided into two parts by a vertical partition which extends in a direction parallel to the side walls which are open or have the openings therein.

5. A closable storage container as claimed in any preceding claim, including horizontal shelves in the container.

6. A closable storage container as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the base of the container is a platform which can accommodate the lifting support of a fork-lift truck.

7. A closable storage container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.