US1967277A - Refrigerator container for container cars - Google Patents

Description

4 Shegts-Sheet 1 G. C. WOODRUFF REFRIGERATOR CONTAINER FOR CONTAINER CARS Filed Sept.

July 24, 1934.

gwumioz GIPHHHM C WOOD/PUFF July 24, 1934.

G. C. WOODRUFF REFRIGERATOR CONTAINER FOR CONTAINER CARS Filed Sept. 15, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 l I l lllulllll l l r July 24, 1934. G. cjwooDRuFF REFRIGERATOR CONTAINER FOR CONTAINER CARS Filed Sept. 15, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Qm MW. m Q V. m mm Q mv km N m \w um July 24, 1934. G. c. WOODRUFF 1,967,277

REFRIGERATOR CONTAINER FOR CONTAINER CARS Filed Sepi. 15, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented July 24, 1934 UNITED STAT aarmcaaaroa CONTAINER son comma CARS Graham 0. Woodruif, Bronxville, N. Y., assignor to The L. Delaware 0. L. Corporation, a corporation of Application September 15, 1931, Serial No. 562,982

7 Claims.

This invention relates to containers for container cars of that type designed for the shipment in containers of less than car lots, and particuiarly to containers designed to be used in conjunction with drop side container compartment cars in which the containers are adapted to be shifted into and out of the car compartments on lift-type loading and unloading trucks or by suitable hoisting mechanism.

One object of the invention is to provide a container for container cars which is especially constructed to hold a suitable refrigeratingmedium, such as dry ice, whereby the interior of the container may be kept at a predetermined low temperature for the preservation during shipment of perishable goods.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container of this character which provides for a reliable and efiicient circulation of the air through the container and its refrigerating compartment, whereby all portions of the container will be kept at the predetermined low temperature desired.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a container of the character described in which the walls of the container are most efliciently insulated against temperature changes within the container, and whereby the container may be exposed in transit to intense atmospheric heat without materially influencing itsinternal temperature.'

A still further object of the invention is to provide a container made of a composite structure of wood and metal in such a manner as to furnish a container of great strength and resistance to injury, but at the same time of comparatively light weight.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a refrigerator container for container cars constructed in accordance with my invention. j

Fig. 2 is atop plan view of the same with the roof omitted.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section through thecontainer.

Fig. 4 is a vertical'frqnt-to-rear or longitudinal section thereof.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through one of theside walls and portions of the front and rear end walls of the container taken on a plane such asindicatedbylineHofFigi.

Fig. 6 is a similar view through the front wall and door of the container. 1

' Fig. 7 is a vertical section through a portion of the base and front and door of the container.

Fig. 8 is a view on an enlarged scale showing the means for insulating or sealing the spaces between the surfaces of the door and doorway of the container.

In the practical embodiment of my invention I provide a container 1 of oblong or oblong rectangular' form; that shown in the present instance being of oblong rectangular form and providedat its corners with supporting feet 2 and at its top with lifting links 3. In its structural organization the container comprises a bottom .4, side walls 5, front and rear end walls 6 and 7, a ceiling 8 and a roof 9.

The container is preferably one of a composite type of wood, metal and insulating material, the parts being so combined, arranged and connected and reinforced as to provide a container of great strength but of comparatively light weight. The bottom and walls of the container are accordingly constructed of elements of sheet metal and wood combined and reinforced in a novel manner and associated with insulating material to maintainthe interior of the container at a predetermined low temperature.

The bottom wall 4 consists of a lower sheet metal floor sheet 10 and an upper sheet metal floor sheet 11, the upper floor sheet 11 being flanged, as at 12, or of rectangular pan-shaped formation so as to provide a strong and durable type of floor surface lapping the lower portions sills 15 and transverse floor beams or joists 16,

between which sills and beams or joists are placed slabs or sections 1'7 01 a lower layer of corkboard or equivalent insulating material. The sills 13, 14 and 15 are bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the bottom sheet 10, and extending between the sills 14 and 15 and resting thereon and on the beam 16 and the corkboard layer 17, are longitudinally extending floor joists or beams 18 between which are disposed slabs or sections 19 of an upper layer of corkboard. The sets of floor beams 16 and 18 and sections or slabs 1? and 19 of corkboard provide lower and upper insulating layers extending at right angles to each other in Joint-lapping relation, thus providing a highly efllcient' insulating filler between the'floor sheets 10 and 11. A flooring 20 of tongue and grooved wood may overlie the beams or joists 18 and corkboard slabs 19, which flooring will be covered and protected by the upper floor sheet 11.

The walls 5, 6 and? respectively include outer metallic sheets 21, 22 and 23 forming an outer body sheathing, and which sheets are connected and reinforced at their corners by angle metal corner pieces 24 with which are associated pairs of angle metal stays 25 and 26 arranged adjacent each comer piece and forming therewith a hollow metallic comer post. At each corner of the container body are disposed an outer, wooden corner post 27 and an inner wooden corner post 28, each post 27 being disposed between the outer flanges of the stays 25 and 26," while the associated post 28 is fitted between the inner flanges of the stays 25 and 26. This arrangement of hollow metallic posts and outenand inner wooden posts enables the container body to be made of maximum strength at thepcor'ner portions, but of very light weight for its size and strength, and the wooden post elements provide a means whereby certain parts may be bolted or riveted or otherwise firmly united and other parts nailed in place so as to adapt the component elements to be assembled and united in a firm, durable and convenient manner. The parts of the bottom 4 are securely tied and united by Z-shaped longitudinally extending metallic stringers 29 and transversely extending wooden stringers 30 fastened together in an appropriate manner and furnishing a sub-frame beneath the bottom sheet 10 whereby the container may be supported upon a lift-type loading and unloading truck without liability of damage to its bottom As shown, intermediate posts 31 and 32 are provided at the front and rear of the container, and the sills 13 and 15 are notched to receive the posts 31 and joists 16 which are suitably secured thereto and the sills 13, 14 and 15 are bolted or riveted to the sheet 10 and legs 2.-

The walls 5, 6 and 7 consist each of an outer metal sheet 21, 22 or 23, as before described, a lining 33 of tongued-and-grooved boards, vertically disposed bottom layers 34 of corkboard, and a main insulating filling 35 of mattress type,

the insulating mattresses 35 being fastened to and supported in position by furring strips 36 and 3'7 secured to the outer metal sheets and to the linings 33, respectively, and to the front and rear corner posts, if desired. Roof carrying beams 38 are supported upon the front and rear corner posts and fastened to the sidewall sheets and wooden linings and these beams close the spaces at the upper portions of the side walls between the outer sheets and linings. Metal 2- beams 39 are fastened to the beams 38 and in 'clude vertical flanges 40 forming risers offset inwardly from the plane of the outer sheets of the walls 5, 6 and 7 and lying substantially in the plane of the linings of said walls, and these beams 39 support the roof 9. This roof 9 is of inverted V-shape, its sides 41 and 42 sloping from a central point toward the container sides 5 to form a quick-draining form of water-shed. The-roof 9 is elevated sufficiently from the ceiling to provide an insulating space 43 therebetween which may be packed with suitable insulating material. Beams or girders 44 and 45 lie in this space and are fastened to and reinforce the ceiling 8 and risers 40.

The front wall 6 corresponds in construction with the side and rear walls except that it is provided with an inlet or doorway the frame of which is formed of wooden side posts or lambs 46 lying adjacent to the front intermediate posts v 31, a wooden lintel beam 47 and a threshold sill 48 overlying the front sill 14. Flanged metal plates 49, 50 and 51 respectively cover the jambs, lintel and threshold sill and the lintel and threshold strips and their plates 49, 50 and .51 are formed to provide beveled seat faces at the top and bottom and one side of the doorway. A door 52 is provided to close the doorway and comprises an outermetal sheet 53, an inner wooden lining 54 reinforced by stiffening battens 55, a wooden frame formed of pairs of outer and inner stiles 56 and 57 and top and bottom rails 58 and 59 fastened to each other and to the metal sheet and lining, and a blanket insulation 60 disposed between the metal sheet and lining and secured to reinforced furring strips 61. The door is hinged, as at 62, to one of the jambs 46 and may be fastened in any suitable way at its free edge when in closed position to the other jamb, if desired.

Suitable means may be provided for sealing the joints between the marginal edges of the door frame and the door. As shown, a spring-pressed packing element 63 is provided upon one of the opposed surfaces of the door frame and door at the bottom, sides and top of the door to securely close any crevices between the door frame and door when the door is closed. An additional sealing means is also preferably provided comprising a sponge rubber gasket 64 cemented in a groove. formed by Z-plates 65 on the door jambs, lintel and threshold sill, and is engaged by a flange on a metallic packing strip 66 on the door, whereby a continuous marginal seal about the door is effected.

Secured to and suspended from the ceiling 8 is an ice bunker or chamber 67, preferably 'comprising an aluminum casting of a rectangular shape corresponding to that of the container but of less length than width so that its side and end walls are spaced from the side and front and rear walls of the container. The bunker or chamber is of suflicient depth to hold a proper quantity of a'refrigerant, such as dry ice, designed to keep the interior of the container; at a proper low temperature for the preservation of perishable commodities. The bunker is provided in its top with a'flanged inlet, connected with a flanged inlet opening in a part of the roof 9 by means of a hatch or inlet neck 68 adapted to be closed by a suitable insulated plug or stopper 69 and a hinged hatch lid or cover 70, such hatch forming a convenient means whereby the bunker may be replenished with the refrigerant when required. An air circulating duct 71 extends around the sides and ends of the receptacle and communicates with the bunker by means of outlet and return ducts '72 and 73, respectively, whereby cold air or vapor cooled by the refrigerant maybe circuiated and caused to descend into the lading receiving space of the container to cool the same, the rising warm air thus displaced passing upward and being chilled and caused to descend in like manner, so that a continuous cooling and circulation of the cooled air is obtained'.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and mode of operation of my im-" proved refrigerator containers for container cars will be readily understood, and it will be seen that the invention provides containers of this character which are 01' maximum strength to withstand the wear and tear of shipping while at the same time of comparatively light weight, due to the very effective composite construction of the container of wood and metal parts. container is designed to receive perishable commodities to be shipped in less than car lots and to preserve the same against deterioration in transit, the refrigerating means employed being highly reliable and efficient for such purposes and the construction of the container being such that maximum insulation is afforded to adapt the container for exposure to high external heat without in any manner affecting its interior temperature.

While the construction disclosed for purposes of exemplification is preferred, it is to be understood, of course, that changes in the form, proportions and details of construction of the various parts and their mode of assemblage may be varied to considerable degrees within the scope of the appended claims, without departing fromthe spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

What I claim is: 1. A container of the character described having insulated side and front and rear walls and an insulated bottom comprising top and bottom metallic floor sheets, layers of insulation between said sheets, wooden elements associated with said insulation to strengthen and reinforce the same, and stringers arranged upon the underside of the bottom sheet operative to reinforce said sheets and forming supports to rest upon a lifttype loading truck or the like.

2. A container of the character described having hollow insulated walls including a bottom wall, said bottom wall comprising top and bottom metallic sheets, insulating material between said sheets, legs depending from said sheets at the corners of the container, and metallic and wooden floor stringers disposed on the underside of the bottom sheet and secured to and arranged at right angles to each other.

3. A container of the character described having insulated walls including a bottom wall, said bottom wall comprising top and bottom metallic floor sheets, sills resting on the lower floor sheet, a lower layer of floor beams and corkboard slabs resting on the bottom floor sheet in the space surrounded by the beams, an upper layer of floor beams and corkboard slabs disposed upon the first-named layer, and a flooring laid on said upper layer between the same and the top metallic floor sheet.

4. A container of the character described hav- This ing a bottom wall comprising top and bottom metallic floor sheets, layers of insulation filling the spaces between said floor sheets, and wooden elements disposed between elements of each layer of insulation to strengthen and reinforce the same and the floor sheets.

5. A container of the character described having a bottom wall comprising top and bottom metallic floor sheets, layers of insulation filling the space between said floor sheets, wooden elements disposed between elements of the layers of insulation to strengthen and reinforce the same and the sheets, and. stringers arranged upon the underside of the bottom floor sheet to rest upon a lift-type loading truck or the like.

6. A container for container cars having side and front and rear walls formed each of a spaced outer metallic sheet and an inner wooden lining, and a bottom wall formed of top and bottom metallic floor sheets, layers of vertically disposed corkboard arranged in the lower portions of said side and front and rear walls between the methe'side and front and rear walls between the metal sheets and linings above the layers of corkboard, furring strips to which said blanket sheets of insulation are attached, layers of insulation between the top and bottom metallic floor sheets, and wooden elements disposed between elements of the layers of insulation between the floor sheets to strengthen and reinforce the same and said floor sheets.

7. A container for container cars having side and front and rear walls formed each of a spaced outer metallic sheet and an inner wooden lining, and a bottom wall formed of top and bottom metallic floor sheets, layers of vertically disposed corkboard arranged in the lower portions of said side and front and rear walls between the metallic sheets and linings, blanket insulation in the side and front and rear walls between the metallic sheets and linings above the layers of corkboard, furring strips to which said blanket sheets of insulation are attached, layers of insulation between the top and bottom metallic floor sheets, wooden elements disposed between elements of the layers of insulation between the floor sheets to strengthen and reinforce said insulation and said floor sheets, and stringers arranged upon the underside of the bottom sheet to rest upon a lift-type loading truck or the like.

GRAHAM C. WOODRUFF.

tallic sheets and linings, blanket insulation in

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