US2638354A - Support for containers - Google Patents

Description

y 1953 H. J. LARSON EI'AL 2,638,354

. SUPPORT FOR CONTAINERS I Filed Aug. 10, 1951 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented May 12, 1953 OFFICE 2,638,354. y Y .surron'r FOR CONTAINERS.

Harold J. Larson and George-.B..Devereaux, Brooklyn, N. Y.

. Application August 10, 1951:, Serial No. 241-,364

5 claims. (01. 280-44) This invention relates. to supporting means for heavy containers which may vary in size from. containers, to. be rolled. over. a floor to containers. which constitute truck or. freight. car bodies.

An object of the invention is to. provide. simple and. efficient means for handling containers of the. above type. I v

Another object. is. to provide. acontainer which normally is held in place by its own weight, but which may be readily converted to a rolling container when desired.

Another object is to providev a roller mounting for containers in which the, rollers. are. readily retracted to provide a stationary support. 5

Another object is to provide a. container support of the above type in: which the weight of the container is distributed over a comparatively large; areaof the supporting surface.

Various other objects, and advantages will be apparent as the nature of the invention is more fully: disclosed. I

The novel features which are characteristic of the'inventio'n will be better understood by refe'rring to, the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which a specific embodiment thereof hasbeen set forth for purposes of illustration.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a container embodying the present invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are partial transverse sections of the container taken on the lines 2-2 and 3-3 respectively of Fig. 5;

Fig. 4 is a detail view roller support;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the container;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section taken on the line (i-6 of Fig. 5 showing the rollers in rolling position; and

Fig. 7 is a similar section on a larger scale showing the rollers in non-rolling position.

Referring to the drawings more in detail the invention is shown as applied to a container which may constitute a box to be rolled on a factory floor or may constitute a portion of a freight car body. The contanier Ill is shown as provided with a bottom wall II carrying on each side a longitudinal rail I2 having a plurality of vertically elongated slots I3 formed therein for the purpose to be described. A slide I is positioned against each rail I2 and is provided with a horizontal flange I6 which is adapted to slide in the channel formed between the bottom wall II and a guide plate It. The slides I5 are provided with a lower surface I9 in which recesses are formed illustrating one form of 2. in positions toregister with the vertically elongatedslots I3 of the rails 12.

A plurality of rollers 25 are mounted, in suitable bearing not. shown on axles 25 which extend through the: vertically elongated: slots I3 of the rails; t2 and are held beneath the under surfaces IQ of the slides I5. The surfaces I9 are adapted. to? hold the. rollers spacedv from the bottom wall II in pcsitionto roll on a supporting surface. The rollers 25 extend preferably across substantially the entire; width of the container III so as to dis: tribute the weight over. a substantial area and are provided with reduced end. portions 21 to provide clearance for the flanges I6 when the rollers are in rolling position.

When the slides I5 are shifted to bring the notches 29 into registration with the axles 26 clearance is provided which allows the rollers to be retracted so that the bottom wall II of the container rests on the top surfaces of. the rollers. In. this positionthe. weight.- of the container and contents. is. transferred through the rollers to the supporting; surface.. Since the axles. 26. are. confined against. longitudinal displacement by the slots I3 of the rails I2 the rollers are prevented from rotation and the container is fixed against movement.

In order to shift the slides I5 from rolling to non-rolling positions or vice versa, racks 30 are attached to each slide I5 and are engaged by pinions 3| which are attached to a shaft 32, extending across the bottom of the container and journalled in the rails I2. The shaft 32 may be rotated by suitable means as by a handle 33 located at one end of the shaft and on the outside of the container II).

The container is preferably provided with a strengthening frame 48 extending upwardly from the rails I2, which it may carry at its top with eyes #52 adapted to receive lifting hooks. The rails I2 may also carry shackles 43 to receive hooks for securing the container in place when necessary.

In the operation of this device the slides I5 may be assumed to be shifted to the position shown in Fig. '7 wherein the container rests on the top surfaces of the rollers 25 and the weight of the container and contents is transmitted by the rollers to the floor. The rollers are now in non-rolling position and the container is fixed on the floor. When the container is to be shifted to a different location it may be raised as by inserting lifting hooks through the eyes 42 and lifting the container sufficiently to lift the rollers from the floor. This allows the axles 26 to drop to the lower end of the vertically elongated slot IS in the side rails l2 as indicated in Fig. 1. The slides [5 are then shifted by a suitable actuation of the handle 33 to bring the lower surfaces I9 of the slides over the axles 26. The rollers are then retained in rolling position as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 and the container may be rolled over the supporting surface or may be placed on a flat car and rolled into place. When it is so positioned the slides are again actuated, either with or without lifting the weight from the rollers, to bring the notches 20 into registration with the axles 26 and thereby permit the container to again rest on the surface of the rollers.

In the case of comparatively light containers the slides 16 may be provided with a cam surface 56 to permit the same to be shifted from non-rolling to rolling position without first removing the weight of the container therefrom.

It is to be noted that when in non-rolling position the flanges l9 rest upon the reduced end portions 2'! of the rollers so that the weight of the container and contents may be distributed along the entire length of the roller. This distributes the weight uniformly over the supporting surface so as to reduce the load concentration thereon.

It is to be understood of course that in the above device the specific construction will vary according to the dimensions of the container and the load to be carried. Also power means may be provided for shifting the slides from rolling to non-rolling positions so as to eliminate the necessity for removing the weight of the container therefrom prior to such shifting.

Various changes and modifications may be made as will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. A container having a fiat bottom wall, a plurality of rollers extending substantially across said container beneath said wall, bearing means at the ends of said rollers, side rails disposed below and along the sides of said bottom wall, said side rails having a depth less than the diameter of said rollers, whereby they are free from the supporting surface at all times, said end roller bearing means being mounted in said side rails, and means shifting said bearing means vertically in said side rails between an upper position wherein said fiat bottom wall rests on the surfaces of said rollers and said rollers rest on said supporting surface to carry the entire weight of said container, and a. lower position wherein said rollers are spaced below the bottom wall of said container whereby the rollers are free to roll on said supporting surface.

2. A container, as set forth in claim 1, in which said bearing means comprises axles extending through said rails and supporting said rollers.

3. In a container, as set forth in claim 1, slides extending along said rails having lower surfaces engaging said bearing means to hold the same in said lower position, said slides having recesses therein to register with said bearing means to provide clearance to permit said rollers to assume said upper position, and means shifting said slides to bring said recesses into or out of registration with said bearing means.

4. A container, as set forth in claim 3, in which said last means comprises racks carried by said slides and pinions engaging said racks to actuate the same.

5. A container, as set forth in claim 3, in which said slides are provided with cam surfaces to facilitate the shifting of said bearing means between said upper and lower positions.

HAROLD J. LARSON. GEORGE B. DEVEREAUX.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 170,379 Klunzinger Nov. 23, 1875 491,664 Roberts Feb. 14, 1893 1,857,468 McGinness May 10, 1932

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