GB2334949A

GB2334949A - Storage array for swap bodies

Info

Publication number: GB2334949A
Application number: GB9804793A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nicholas Robert And Macwhirter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-03-07
Filing date: 1998-03-07
Publication date: 1999-09-08
Also published as: WO1999044920A2; AU3265599A; WO1999044920A3; GB9804793D0

Abstract

A storage array for swap bodies 10A, 10B which are inserted into and removed from the array by a spreader 11 having grapple arms, comprises a number of rows (A, B, C, Figure 1) each defined by opposing pairs of substantially vertical grapple arm tracks 2A to 2D. Preferably, at least one pair of horizontal frame members 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B are arranged either side of at least one of the rows, where at least one or more of the pairs of frame members are supported above the ground, and have removable supports 16, e.g. hinged plates, arranged so as to support a swap body on a pair of frame members. Preferably the grapple arms end in feet 14B-14D having guide paddles (18A, 18B, Figure 3B). Preferably each track has a vertical guide, e.g. a C shaped channel, to guide a grapple arm, and a horizontal guide, e.g. a window 17B, to guide the foot of a grapple arm. Preferably there are four tracks, each has flippers or a tapered surface at its upper end to aid in guiding the arms into the tracks, and each track accommodates an entire grapple arm foot. A ship having such a swap body storage array and a spreader designed to load and unload swap bodies and to specifically cooperate with the tracks of the array are also described.

Description

The present invention relates to a storage rack for swap bodies.

Swap bodies are widely used as an alternative to containers and are formed from a metal frame with the sides formed from a canvas or similar material. Like containers, they can be moved by a crane operating a spreader. Such a spreader operates opposing grapple arms pivoted to the spreader, each arm having feet to engage the base of the frame of a swap body.

Unlike containers, they cannot be stacked up one on another as they do not have the strength of containers. If it is desired to transport swap bodies by container ship, they can only be stacked in one layer on top of containers or on decks of other ships. This limits the number of swap bodies which can be transported by sea by any one ship. Also when storing swap bodies at a depot on land, they cover a large ground area as they cannot be stacked.

The invention seeks to provide a storage rack for swap bodies which may be used in the holds of ships or on land.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a storage rack system for swap bodies which are inserted into and removed from the rack by a spreader with grapple arms, said rack comprising a) at least one rack row in which swap bodies are stored defined by opposing pairs of substantially vertical grapple arm tracks extending from the floor or ground b) at least one pair of horizontal frame members either side of the or each row, one or more pairs of said horizontal frame members being supported above the ground, and c) removable support means adapted to support a swap body on a pair of horizontal frame members.

Preferably the removable support means are plates hinged to the horizontal frame members.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a storage rack system for swap bodies which are inserted into and removed from the rack by a spreader with grapple arms having grapple feet which engage in the underside grapple pockets of a swap body, said rack comprising at least one rack row in which swap bodies are stored, said row being defined by opposing pairs of substantially vertical grapple arm tracks extending from the floor or ground.

Preferably the grapple arm tracks include vertical guide means to guide the grapple arms vertically to ensure the grapple feet clear the swap body when the spreader is being removed or placed over the swap body, and horizontal guide means to guide the grapple feet in and out of the grapple pockets.

Preferably each vertical guide means includes a channel to receive the foot of a grapple arm lowered to pick up a swap body, each channel including horizontal guide means in the form of one or more windows through which the foot can pass to engage the swap body to be raised.

Preferably each channel is generally C-shaped. Preferably the foot of each grapple arm has a pair of projections or paddles to support and guide the foot in the C-shaped channel.

Preferably there are four grapple arm tracks. Guide means such as flippers or tapered surfaces or edges may be provided at the top of the tracks to guide grapple arm feet into the track, such as the C-shaped channel. Preferably each track accommodates an entire grapple foot.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a spreader for swap bodies, said spreader having grapple arms and grapple feet engageable in swap body grapple pockets, said grapple feet being extendible to engage in a pocket. Preferably each grapple foot includes a plate which reciprocates in and out of a foot base.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a spreader for swap bodies, said spreader having grapple arms extending from a spreader base member, said base member being adjustable in size to increase or decrease the distance between grapple arms. The grapple arms may be pivoted to the spreader base.

The invention also relates to a ship incorporating the above rack.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of part of a storage rack system, Figure 2 shows a perspective view of one rack row of Figure 1 with a swap body being lowered therein with a spreader, and Figures 3A and 3B show a perspective view of grapple feet and arms in and exiting the tracks.

Referring to Figure 1 there is shown a rack system 1 having three rack rows A,B,C of any desired length which may for example be in the hold of a ship or in a storage depot on land.

Each rack row is designed to accommodate two vertical layers of swap bodies which are inserted into and removed from the rack by a spreader with grapple arms. The grapple arms have feet which engage in the underside grapple pockets of a swap body.

Each rack row A,B,C is defined by opposing pairs of vertical grapple arm tracks in the form of C-shaped channels 2A,2B and 2C,2D; 3A,3B and 3D,3C; and 4A,4B and 4C,4D respectively.

These channels extend vertically from the floor of the ship or the ground of a depot. Tracks 2B,2D,3B,3D,4B,4D may be taller than tracks 2A,2C,3A,3C,4A,4C.

Rack row A has two pairs of horizontal frame members 5A,5B and 6A,6B either side of the channel, with horizontal frame member pairs 6A,6B being supported above the ground by posts 7A,7B,7C,7D. Similarly rack row B has horizontal support members 5B,SC and 6B,6C, and rack row C has horizontal support members 5C,5D and 6C,6D. Cross beams 8A-8F and 9A-9F may also be provided to support the rack.

Referring to Figure 2, there is shown a swap body 1 OA on the floor in row A and swap body 10B being lowered into row A by a spreader 11 connected to a crane (not shown) by wires 12.

Spreader 1 1 has four grapple arms 13A,13B, 13C,13D pivoted to the spreader base having grapple feet 1 4A, 1 4B, 1 4C, 1 4D which engage in the underside grapple pockets of a swap body. Hydraulic rams 15A,15B,15C,lSD control the arms l3A-I3D. To pick up the swap body, the arms are moved apart by the rams, the spreader lowered over the swap body and the arms pulled together so that the feet engage with the grapple pockets. This is well known in the art.

Swap body lOB is supported on the horizontal frame members 6A,6B by removable support means in the form of plates 16 hinged to the members 6A,6B. The plates 16 can be raised to a near vertical position to allow the lower swap body 10A to be raised and lowered in and out of the rack, and the plates can be lowered to a generally horizontal position to support an upper swap body lOB. Movement of the plate may be a manual operation or performed by mechanics or hydraulics.

Channel 2B has an upper and lower window 1 7A, 1 7B. Identical windows are provided in channels 2A,2C,2D. Referring to Figures 3A,3B there is shown part of channel 2B showing window 1 7A and foot 1 4B (Feet I 4A, 1 4C, 1 4D are identical). Foot 1 4B has a pair of projections or paddles ISA, I 8B which are of a size to pass through the windows 1 7A, 1 7B (see Figure 3B) but prevent the feet from exiting the opening of the C-shaped channel 2B when not adjacent a window.

In use, the support plates 16 are first raised to the vertical position and swap body 10A is lowered until the spreader feet 14B, 14D enter the C-shaped channels 2B,2D. The top of the C-shaped channels 2A,2B,2C,2D may be shaped, e.g. tapered or "funnel" shaped or with flippers, to assist in engaging the feet into the channels. As mentioned above, channels 2B and 2D may be taller than channels 2A,2C so that the two grapple feet 14B,14D can be engaged before the next two grapple feet 1 4A, 1 4C to make the task easier for the spreader operator.

As the swap body is lowered so the grapple feet 14A,14C enter C-shaped channels 2A,2C. All channels 2A-2D then guide the swap body to the floor with the paddles however outside the C-shaped channels (as shown in Figure 3B). The grapple arms are then opened and the paddles pass through the lower windows with the feet withdrawn into the C-shaped channel.

The spreader can then be raised with the C-shaped channels containing the grapple feet preventing the feet damaging the swap body. Support plates 16 are then lowered to the horizontal position and the second swap body lOB can be lowered onto the support plates.

The grapple arms are then opened with the paddles passing through the upper windows.

The support plates may include "twist locks" 16A (well known in the art) to lock the swap body to the plates.

The swap bodies can be removed by reversing the process so that the grapple feet on an empty spreader are contained within the C-shaped channel when the spreader is lowered, and the paddles pass through the windows when the arms are brought together so that the feet enter the grapple pockets.

The C-shaped channels form vertical guide means and the windows horizontal guide means for the grapple arms and feet. Instead of a C-shaped channel with windows, other types of vertical and horizontal guide means could be used.

The support means could take a different form to hinged plates 16, and the support means could be adjustable in position along the horizontal frame members or increased in number to suit different dimensions of swap bodies.

The rack of the invention could take a different form to that shown. For example each rack channel could have just the grapple arms tracks with the vertical and horizontal guide means.

The swap bodies if stacked more than one high could be supported apart vertically by means other than horizontal frame members.

In order to make the or each rack row as narrow as possible, it may be desirable to modifv known spreader feet so that they are extendible to engage in a grapple pocket of a swap body, but can be reduced in size when raising or lowering the spreader without the swap body.

Preferably each grapple foot includes a plate which reciprocates in and out of a foot base. This would allow the grapple arm tracks to be smaller. In this respect it may also be desirable to make the base of the spreader to which the grapple arms are attached to be adjustable in size to increase or decrease the distance between grapple arms once the arms are in engagement with the swap body. This would mean that less space would be required either side of the swap body than with the known spreader construction where the spreader arms are pivoted to the base member. With an adjustable spreader base, the grapple arms may still be pivoted to the spreader base in the normal way.

Also it will be seen that the grapple arm tracks in rows A,B,C are staggered to reduce space between the rack rows. If desired however tracks could be in a common line or each track could be common to adjacent rows, i.e. one track could be designed to guide a grapple arm in either one of adjacent rows.

Whilst the rack shown above allows for only two layers of swap bodies, it could easily be designed for one or more than two layers of swap bodies. It could have any number of rows and could be designed to accommodate various sizes and types of swap bodies. Further modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A storage rack system for swap bodies which are inserted into and removed from the rack by a spreader with grapple arms, said rack comprising at least one rack row in which swap bodies are stored defined by opposing pairs of substantially vertical grapple arm tracks extending from the floor or ground at least one pair of horizontal frame members either side of the or each row, one or more pairs of said horizontal frame members being supported above the ground, and removable support means adapted to support a swap body on a pair of horizontal frame members.
2. A storage rack system as claimed in claim 1, in which the removable support means are plates hinged to the horizontal frame members.
3. A storage rack system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the spreader has grapple feet which engage in the underside grapple pockets of a swap body.
4. A storage rack system as claimed in claim 3, in which the grapple arm tracks include vertical guide means to guide the grapple arms vertically to ensure the grapple feet clear the swap body when the spreader is being removed or placed over the swap body, and horizontal guide means to guide the grapple feet in and out of the grapple pockets.
5. A storage rack system as claimed in claim 4, in which each vertical guide means includes a channel to receive the foot of a grapple arm lowered to pick up a swap body, each channel including horizontal guide means.
6. A storage rack system as claimed in claim 5, in which the horizontal guide means is in the form of one or more windows through which the foot can pass to engage the swap body to be raised.
7. A storage rack system as claimed in claim 6, in which each channel is generally C-shaped.
8. A storage rack system as claimed in any of claims 3 to 7, in which the foot of each grapple arm has a pair of projections or paddles to support and guide the foot in the channel.
9. A storage rack system as claimed in any of claims 3 to 8, in which there are four grapple arm tracks.
10. A storage rack system as claimed in any of claims 3 to 9, in which guide means such as flippers or tapered surfaces or edges is provided at the top of the tracks to guide grapple arm feet into the track.
11. A storage rack system as claimed in any of claims 3 to 10, in which each track accommodates an entire grapple foot.
12. A storage rack system for swap bodies, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.
13. A ship incorporating a storage rack system for swap bodies as claimed in any preceding claim.
14. A spreader for swap bodies, said spreader having grapple arms and grapple feet engageable in swap body grapple pockets, said grapple feet being extendible to engage in a pocket.
15. A spreader as claimed in claim 14, in which each grapple foot includes a plate which reciprocates in and out of a foot base.
16. A spreader for swap bodies, said spreader having grapple arms extending from a spreader base member, said base member being adjustable in size to increase or decrease the distance between grapple arms.
17. A spreader as claimed in claim 16, in which the grapple arms are pivoted to the spreader base.
18. A spreader for swap bodies substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.
19. A storage rack system for swap bodies which are inserted into and removed from the rack by a spreader with grapple arms having grapple feet which engage in the underside grapple pockets of a swap body, said rack comprising at least one rack row in which swap bodies are stored, said row being defined by opposing pairs of substantially vertical grapple arm tracks extending from the floor or ground.