US2183794A - Freight container - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 19, 1939. 0. w. PERIN 2,183,794-

FREIGHT CONTAINER Filed Aug. 17, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I l il. l

Dec. 19, 1939. D, w, PERM 2,183,794

FREIGHT CONTAINER Filed Aug. 1'7, 19:55 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 frzbjerzio7 formal [fife/ 77670 ,z 7ddg afifyz 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 a ain;

D. W. PERIN FREIGHT CONTAINER Filed Aug. 1'7, 1935 Dec. 19, 1939.

Dec. 19, 1939. D. w. PERIN 2,133,794

FREIGHT CONTAINER Filed Aug. 17, 19:55 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Dec. 19, 1939 LINHED STATES 2,183,794 FREIGHT CONTAINER-1 Donald W. Perin, Greenfield, Mass, assignor to Roloff Inc., of Mass, Cambridge, Mass.) a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 1' 7, 1935, Serial 'No. 36,665

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in freight containers and in freight cars for trans-- porting such containers.

The primary object of this invention is to provide in such cars side gates through which the containers are loaded and unloaded means including posts by which the side gates are secured in place and held against weaving and the containers are locked in position upon the cars, the container locking means being operable from either side of the car.

A further object of this invention is to provide upon the inner faces of the side gates of the cars, tracks by which containers of the castor type are guided during the loading and unloading of the cars.

These and other objects will appear from a consideration of the following description of my invention and an examination of the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof and in which Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a freight car embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of a portion of a loaded car showing the containers locked in place with one of the side gates open;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of a locking post and a side gate, the latter being shown open so that containers may be transported thereover;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the inner face of a typical side gate in the opened position and a portion of the car floor;

Figs. 5, 6, and '7 are enlarged cross sectional views taken respectively along the section lines 5-5, G-6, and l''i in Fig. i;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of portions of a post, two adjacent side gates and two containers showing the gates locked to the post and portions of two containers locked in position in a car;

Fig. 9 is a front view of the post and containers, the gates being omitted;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line lfllll in Fig. 8 showing the gate locking mechanism;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the unit on the post by which the gate and container locking instrumentalities are supported and the gates are secured in closed position;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view illustrating 'a por tion of the interlocking means for positioning the gates; and

Fig. 13 is a perspective View of a portion of a gate and the locking instrumentality carried thereby.

The containers 20 here shown are of the .castor continued central beam 652 are inclined beyond the cross type which can be rolled onto and ed the cars 25 without difficulty. It will be understood, however, that containers of other types, e. g., crane or platform handled may be transported by thecars if desired. The containers in the cars are supported upon tracks carried by cross beams 23.

mounted at their ends upon side beams 24 (only one such beam being here shown.)

The car 25 is provided with side gates 26 which when opened serve to guide and support the containers as the cars are loaded and unloaded.

Mounted upon the side beams 24 at the joinders between each two adjacent gates are looking posts 27. Each post comprises a U-shaped channel beam 28 carried by a base 29 which rests upon a side beam 24; a horizontal beam 3?! extending inwardly from the beam 28 and supported'at the other end upon a brace 3! extending from the side beam 24 and a brace 32 extending from an inner longitudinal beam 33 parallel to the side beam 24; and a third brace 3 t extending from the beam 33 to the joinder of the beam 28 and the horizontal beam 3. Each post 21! forms a support for one of the container and gate securing instrumentalities to be'described later.

The gates 26 are hinged upon a plurality of pins 35 carried by the gates which engage brackets 36 mounted on the side beams 24. The outer face of the gate is formed by a plate 3'! reinforced by angle beams 38 which extend along the base and sideedges and along parts of the top edge. The side edges of the plate 31 extend beyond the beams 38 as shown particularly in Fig. 12. Fixed upon the inner face of the gate are a pair of parallel tracks 39 having guide flanges M! at the outer edges thereof. A beam 4! extending across the gate from one side to the other and mounted at its ends on beams 38 serves to strengthen the "gate and insure that the tracks 39 remain in place. The ends of the tracks 39 are secured by rivetsorthe like to the angle beams 38. A

central beam 42 midway between the tracks- 39 is secured to the angle beam 38 at the base edge of the gate and to the cross beam M Supported by the tracks 39 and the central beam 52 are plates 53 and 44. The plate 43 extends from thecross beam 4! and, as shown in Fig. 4 terminates short of the base edge although it could if desired be to that edge. The tracks 39 and beam 4! so that the plate 44 meets the edge of the outer plate 37 as shown particularly in Figs. 6 and 7. The tracks 39 are preferably castings and in order to reinforce the outerends intergral braces indicated in Fig. 4 by dotted lines have been provided.

The tracks 39 (see Fig. 4) of the gates register with tracks 45 carried by the cross beams 23 of the car. Flanges 46 at the inner edges of the tracks serve to position the containers in the cars. Plates 4! carried by the flanges of each pair of the tracks 45 close the spaces therebetween.

Loading or unloading containers provided with casters onto the cars may be carried out by means of the structure thus described as follows. The car being at a platform 48 side gates 26 are lowered to rest thereon (see Fig. 3). The containers guided by the tracks 39 and 45 are thus easily moved between the car and the platform. The plates 43 and 44 being firmly supported by the tracks 39 and central beam 42 form a flooring over which a small tractor can be driven to move the containers.

When loaded onto a car each container is located between the posts 21. Supported upon the top of each post 21 at the forward end of the horizontal beam 30 is a base 50. The base is channular having flanges which extend at the sides of the beams 28 and 30. At the forward end of the base between the flanges 5! is a block 52 having a flange 53 which extends into the channel of the beam 'ZB and an angle member 54 which extends over the block 52. Carried by the member 54 are a pair of sockets 55. A pair of brackets 55 at the rearward end of the base are provided with holes 5'! which register with the interior of the sockets 55. Mounted on the base midway between the angle member 54 and the brackets 56 are a pair of parallel plates 58, spaced a suitable distance apart and provided with holes 59 in register with each other. Similarly holes 65 provided in the block 52 register with holes 6| provided in the angle member 54. As shown particularly in Fig. 11 the base 50 is cast with the flanges 5|, block 52, flange 53, member 55, sockets 55, brackets 56 and plates 58 all integral there-with. It will be understood of course that if desired any or all of these elements may be formed independently and secured to the base in any suitable manner.

Shafts 55 which extend across the car are mounted at their ends in the sockets 55 and brackets 56 of the bases. Suitably fixed at the ends of each shaft between a socket and a bracket is an arm E58 here shown as comprising a sleeve 5?, through which the shaft passes, a latch 68 having an aperture 59 therein and a handle l0. Mounted at the corners of the containers are upwardly and outwardly projecting tongues TI.

The shafts can thus be operated from either side of the car and when moved to the position shown in Figs. 8 and 9 the apertures 69 of the latches t8 engage the tongues H of an adjacent container to secure it in position upon the car. The containers 20 are full sized extending across, the car andthe tongues H at all four corners are engaged by the latches of the two adjacent shafts 55. If half size containers should be used the outer ends only would be engaged but in view of the fact that the containers are also positioned by the tracks this engagement will be found sufficient particularly if the full size container is replaced by two half size containers.

Pivotally supported on a pin 15 carried by the holes 58 of the plates 58 is a handle 16 which passes between the plates 58. Pivoted at one end to the inner end of the handle 16 is a curved bar ll which passes between the plates 58 below the pin l5. At the free outer end of the bar H is mounted a short rod 18 the ends of which project beyond the sides of the arm. At the upper corners of each gate are fixed angle plates 89 each of which carries a block 8! projecting beyond the edge of the gate and having a hole 52 therethrough. The outer edge of the block 8| is provided with a depression 83 defined in part by a curved lip 84 which terminates short of the corner to form a recess 85 (see Fig. 13).

The gates are positioned and locked in place as follows. The flanges 38 at the sides of the gate enter the hollow of the channel beam 28 (see Fig. 12) and the blocks 8! at the corners of the gates enter the space between the block 52 and the angle member 54 (see Fig. The lips 84 of the blocks 8! are received in a curved recess at the lower edge of the angle member 54 and the holes 82 in the blocks register with the holes 50 of the block 52 and the holes 6| of the member 54. The gates having been so located are locked in place by the ends of the rod 18 which are located in the depressions 83 by the lowering of the handle. The end of the bar 'ii enters the pocket formed by the adjacent recesses 85. As a further precaution pins 90 may be inserted in the registering holes BI, 82 and 60 to lock the gates to the posts.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the posts 21 and the base 50 serve to lock both the containers and the side gates of the car in place and to prevent weaving of the gates, and that the gates are provided with tracks by which containers of the castor type are guided to the tracks on the car. It will also be apparent as shown particularly in Figs. 6 and '7 that the tracks 39 and plates 44 are inclined so that they terminate at the edge of the gate. The containers, if of the castor type, and tractors can thus be loaded onto the cars without difficulty and without the use of a skid or other supplementary guiding means.

While one embodiment of this invention has been shown and described I am not limited thereto since other embodiments thereof may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

. I claim:

1. In a car having side gates and adapted to transport a plurality of freight containers, means for locking said gates in closed position comprising a plurality of posts mounted within the car, elements mounted on the corners of the gates and locking means carried by said posts for engagement with said gate elements, said elements including blocks and said means including blocks and angle members, spaced apart to form pockets which receive the blocks of, the gate elements, and pins which secure the gate blocks in the pockets, and means carried by said posts for securing the containers in position in the car.

2. In a car having side gates and adapted to transport a plurality of freight containers, means for locking said gates in closed position comprising a plurality of posts mounted within the car, elements mounted on the corners of the gates and locking means carried by said posts for engagement with said gate elements, said elements including blocks each having a depression therein and said means including blocks and angle members spaced apart to form pockets which receive the blocks of the gate elements, and arms pivotally mounted on the posts and carrying rods, which rods enter the depressions of the blocks of the gates elements when the gates are closed and secure the gates in place, and means carried by said posts for securing the containers in position in the car.

3. In a car having side gates and adapted to transport a plurality of freight containers, means for locking said gates in closed position comprising a plurality of posts mounted upon the floor of the car at the joinder of each two adjacent gates, angle beams projecting from the inner faces of the gates, each of said posts including a U shaped beam so arranged that the flanges of the two gate beams, enter the beam of the post, a locking arm carried by the post, and blocks projecting from the upper corners of the gates, and a handle for actuating said arm and causing it to engage said blocks and secure both the gates in the closed position.

4. In a car having hinged side gates and adapted to transport a plurality of freight containers, tracks transversely extending across the car on which tracks the containers are supported and tracks carried by the inner faces of the gates in a plane spaced therefrom by which when the gates are opened the containers are guided to the tracks on the car when the containers are loaded thereon.

5. In a car having hinged side gates and adapted to transport a plurality of freight containers, tracks transversely extending across the car on which tracks the containers are supported, tracks carried by the inner faces of the gates in a plane spaced therefrom by which when the gates are opened the containers are guided to the tracks on the car when the containers are load-ed thereon and flooring between the tracks on the gates supported by the inner faces of the gates and in the plane of the tracks adapted to support a tractor or other leading means.

6. In a car having hinged side gates and adapted to transport a plurality of freight containers of the casto-r type, tracks transversely extending across the car which receive the castors of the containers, and tracks carried by the inner faces of the gates in a plane spaced therefrom by which, when the gates are opened, the castors of the containers are guided to or from the tracks on the car when the containers are loaded upon or unloaded from the car.

7 In a car having hinged side gates and adapted to transport a plurality of freight containers of the castor type, tracks transversely extending across the carwhich receive the castors of the containers, tracks carried by the inner faces of the gates in a plane spaced therefrom by which, when the gates are opened, the castors of the containers are guided to or from the tracks on the car when the containers are loaded upon or unloaded from the car and flooring between the tracks on the gates supported by the inner faces of the gates and. in the plane of the tracks adapt-'

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