US1564419A - Method and apparatus for transferring containers - Google Patents

Description

Dem 8,1925

' L564Al9 H. w. KIRCHNER METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING CONTAINERS Filed Jan. 27; 1922 2 sneaksneet 1.

:\ I r -W.Kz'rchner 2 y M 'A-Zt) 1,564,419 H. w. KIRCHNER 4 METHOD AND APPARATUS Foa'mnusmname couums'ns mad 1am 27, [1922 -2 snaez-sneeg -2 I72 ven 2'07 Hen ry Wffz'rchzz er Patented Dec. 8, 1925.

UNITED STATES HENRY W. KIRCHNER, O]? ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSFER/RING CONTAINERS.

Application filed January 27, 1922. Serial No. 532,245.

To all whom it may concern Belt known that I, HENRY WV. KmoHNnn, a c1t1zen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri,-have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Meth' ods and Apparatus for Transferring Containers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application.

My invention relates to the transportation of merchandise and in particular to the systems of handling merchandise in which it is shipped in containers loaded by the consignor and only unloaded by the consignee; the merchandise during the shipment being transferred from warehouse to truck, to railroad car or barge, to truck and to delivery terminal in the original containers.

Such a method of transportation and the containers used therein are'illustrated in prior Patent No. 1,349,209, issued to me August 10, 1920.

The object of my invention is to facilitate the transfer of the containers from the Warehouse to a truck, car or barge, and vice versa.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a selected embodiment ofmy invention, I show my apparatus and method as applied to the unloading of a container from a truck to a warehouse, and in these draw- 1ngs- Figure 1 is an elevation of the truck and inclined trackway lcadin into the warehouse which is sectioned to etter illustrate the operation.

Figure 2 is a view showing the manner of supporting the inclined track.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of a detail of the transfer apparatus. a

Figure 4: is a view of the same detail looking .at right angles to Figure 3.

Figures 5 and 6 are, respectively, side and top views of the latch shown in Figure 4:.

The truck indicated at the right hand side of Figure 1 has a platform 1 upon which are mounted the box-like containers 2 an 3. The warehouse 4 is provided with a floor 5, at approximately the same level' as the truck platform, althou h the-height of this floor is immaterial, and tially larger than the side or end of the a doorway substanlargest containers to be transported. An overhead track preferably consisting of a single rail 6 is suspended from the ceiling 7 of the warehouse andvextends outwardly and downwardly therefrom, terminating preferably in a horizontal portion spaced some distance from-the warehouse doorway and a suflicient distance above the roadway to permit the movement of a loaded truck beneath the track. Mounted upon the track is a trolley comprising wheels 9, a frame 10, a beam 11, and container engaging hooks 12 and brackets 13. The hooks 12 are pivoted on the ends of beam 11 and latches 14 are provided to engage the upper ends of hooks 12 to lock them in vertical or inclined position.

The containers 2 and 3 are provided with upstanding cars 15 provided with openings adapted to receive the inwardly bent ends of hooks 12, as indicated in Figure 1. Brackets 13 are adapted to engage the top of the container, when hooks 12 are secured to the container ears, to prevent tilting of the container on the trolley relative to track 6.

When the truck is backed into the position shown in Figure 1 asmany trolleys as are necessary are run out to the end of the overhead track and individually secured to the containers carried by the truck. The truck is then backed to the position indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1. This movement of the truck carries containers 2 and 3 and their trolleys with the truck until one of the trolleys reaches the upwardly inclined portion of track 6. Continued horizontal movement of the container being due to the further backing of the truck causes the container to be lifted from the truck platform as indicated at 16 and 17, all, the load now being carried by the trolleys. When the truck has pushed the containers far enough for the trolleys to have reached the upper horizontal portion of the overhead track, the containers may be manually pulled into the Warehouse and run through same and an opening on the opposite side and down a similarlv inclined track to a flat car or barge, or the containers may d be stored in the warehouse either by leavin," them suspended fromitrack 6 or by provi iu'g dollies such as indicated at 1B, in

which case the trolley may be disengaged and the container moved about the warehouse,independentlyof the overheard tracks.

' It will be noted that the truck is provided with a pushing member 19 adapted to engage the side of the container and positively move the same whether or not the container is resting upon the truck platform. Memher 19 is preferably provided with aroller 20 so as to offer the minimum resistance to the upward movement of the container when the incline in the track is reached. It is obvious that by properly positioning the truck, containers may be unloaded from the warehouse onto the truck without the use of a lifting derrick. Of couse a railway car or other carrier may be utilized in combination with the warehouse and track in the same manner as the truck shown.

Various modifications in the arrangement and in the details of my construction will be suggested and may be used without departing from the spirit of my invention, as expressed in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an overhead carrier device, a track, a trolley thereon, load suspending elements on said trolley, and a load engaging bracket rigid with said trolley and adapted to contact with a load at spaced points to prevent tilting of the latter relative to said trolley.

2. In an overhead carrier device, a track, a trolley thereon, elements on said trolley for pivotally suspending a load, and depending members rigid with said trolley located at opposite sides of the pivotal axis, provided by said elements, for engaging the load to prevent its tilting.

3. In combination, a carrier, an overhead track having an upwardly inclined portion, a load engaging trolley mounted on said track and including pivoted hooks spaced transve:sely of said track and adapted to swing toward each other to engage a load, and means for locking said hooks in load enga ing or disengaging position.

i. n combination, a truck, merchandise containers carried thereon, means for unloading said containers from said truck comprising an overhead track extending from said truck horizontally and upwardly, a

rigid container-suspending trolle on said track, and a member on said trucli adapted to engage a suspended container so as to push against said container to move the same and said trolley along said track so as to lift the container from the truck.

5. In a load container suspending trolley, spaced wheels, a rigid frame depending therefrom, a pair of hooks for securing a container at spaced points, and a bracket extending transversely of the line between said hooks and adapte to engage a container secured b said hooks to prevent tilting of the container on the trolley.

6. In combination, a truck, means for unloading contairers from said truck comprising an overhead track extending from said. truck horizontally and upwardly, and a member on said truck adapted to engage a container which is on the truck and is secured to said trolley and to push same and said trolley along said track, thereby lifting the container from said truck, said member being provided with anti-friction elements to eliminate resistance to the rise of the container when engaged therewith during the pushing operation.

7. In a load container suspending trolley, a rigid frame, a pair of hooks pivoted on said frame and extending rearwardly therefrom and toward each other, and releasable means for ,positively holding said hooks either in container engaged or in container disengaged position.

, 8. In an overhead transfer container for merchandise containers, a track, a traveling trolley mounted on said. track at spaced points to avoid tilting thereon and including rigid frame members extending longitudinally and transversely of the track, container.

suspendin elements at theends of one of said mem ers, and container engaging elements at the ends of the other of said members.

signature this 24th day of January, 1922.

HENRY W. KIRCHNER.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my I

Images