US2674206A

US2674206A - Shoring construction

Info

Publication number: US2674206A
Application number: US51420A
Authority: US
Inventors: Scott Carl William
Original assignee: TOTE ENGINEERING Inc
Current assignee: TOTE ENGINEERING Inc
Priority date: 1948-09-27
Filing date: 1948-09-27
Publication date: 1954-04-06
Anticipated expiration: 1971-04-06

Description

April 6, 1954 c. w. scoTT 2,674,206

SHQRING CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 27, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet l (Ittomegs April 6, 1954 A c. w. scoTT SHORING CONSTRUCTION 5 I Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 27 1948 S M m.

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April 6, 1954 c. w. SCOTT 2,674,206

SHORING CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 27, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 3nnentor 0498A. WILL/49M B I a? 6: attornegs April 6, 4 c. w. SCOTT SHORING CONSTRUCTION 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed sa 27, 1948 nventor CHI-2L MAL/441M 9002';-

M w M Gttomeg! April 6', 1954 c. w. scoTT SHORING CONSTRUCTION 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 27, 1943 r m 3 Q H 0 o 0 0 0 o o 0 m o 0 0 0 0 O 0 0 m ,Q. W w\ v \& .Q Q o o 0 o o 0 o 0 .Q NV, 0 D, O O 0 O 0 ,Q Q [QQIIL ATTOEA/IFVf E Patented Apr. 6, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHORING CONSTRUCTION Carl William Scott, Kirkland, Wash.,- assignor to Tote Engineering, Inc., Seattle, Wash., a corporation of Washington Application September 27, 1948, Serial N 0. 51,420

7 Claims. (Cl. 105-369) 1 My invention relates'to a method of shoring packaged merchandise, a shored transportation unit, and -a device for shoring the same.

While my inventionis applicable to shoring dise the merchandise must be shored so as to be protected against damage. Damage. is often caused whena freight car is hit with aheavy force, as impact between two relatively moving cars. In the yarding of freight when a heavy impact or force. results on a freight car during connecting o-r disconnecting the same from an engine or a car, the term humping is generally, applied. Also damage to the contents of freight cars often'occurs because of sudden stop- .ping orstarting of the freight cars and because of non-uniform operation of the brakes of theof the damage to the merchandise resulted fromthe subsequent impacts as the cargo was not then'properly shored.

It is an object of my invention to employ a resilient member between packages making up the load. This resilient member not only shores the load butconsolidates it by moving spaced packages relatively toward each other and. against a relatively fixed part of the freight car, as the bulkhead.

In employing the term packaged merchandise herein, I am distinguishing from bulk cargo shipped without a container in a shipping space and including merchandise in a container or package and regardless of the shape or size of the external surfaces of the package. Thus I will include but not be limited to filled cases-includingcases, boxes, barrels and the like; filled As distinguished 2 crates and crated articles; and uncrated articleswhich are capable of being handled as units. Also the-Shipping Container and Ship* ping Construction described and illustrated in Patent No. 2,648,428, August 11, 1953, of Frank J. White and myself, will be illustrated and described herein as-said-shipping bin can readily be shored for transportation by following my present invention.

The present invention is characterized and itis an object thereofto provide an inflatable pneumatic member which is inflated to a relatively low pressure, such as less than one pound per square inchand'which has a very substantial surface area so that total pressure is substantial and the same isdissipated over a. substantial cargo area toshore the cargo andmove the same into the desired shoredrelation in the freight car.

The above mentioned general objects-of my invention together with others inherent in the same areattained by thedevices'illustrated in the accompanying drawings, throughout which like reference numerals indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoring device embodying my invention;

Fig.-2 is a fragmentary detached view illus-v trating a corner of the device shown in Fig. -l of the drawings;

Fig. 3 is:a fragmentary sectional view on a larger scale than Fig. 2 and-taken substantially on broken line 3--3of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view showing a shoring device of this invention in deflated form and positioned between units representing cargo;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 except ashoring device is shownininfiated form;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to'Fig. 5 except that .two shoring devices are employed;

type of cargo which has been positioned in a freight car and prior to shoring of the cargo; and with the shoring device positioned differently than in Figs. 8 and 9; and

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 except that the cargo has been shored.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, the shoring device of my invention comprises two substantially rectangular face members l which are secured together at their edges as by overlapping, sewing and vulcanizing. As is illustrated in Fig. 3, the stitchings l I may be employed. A plurality of hanger tabs l2, see also Fig. l, are employed and they may be secured to the face members [0 by the stitchings H. The hanger tabs l2 are provided with metallic eyelets I3 into which may be inserted rods I4, see Figs. 4 to 7, 8 and 9. Valve members I5 function as means whereby the shoring devices may be inflated to the desired air pressure and said pressure retained. Preferably the valve i5 is of common construction as employed in connection with automobile tires and is vulcanized to an end portion of one of the face members [0. Also preferably reinforced corners 20 are provided.

The shoring device may be in the nature of a single tube device, in the manner of a bicycle pneumatic tire without an inner tube, or a casing with a bladder or tube therein, in the manner of a football with a bladder therein, an automobile tire casing with a tube therein, etc. Devices wherein a casing functions both as a casing and the tube or devices employing a separate casing and an inner tube are of such well known and common construction that it is believed that no further detailed explanation of the construction of the shoring device is needed. In View of the fact that the shoring devices may have substantially low pressures involved, as hereinbefore described, the shoring devices of my invention are readily adapted for a single tube construction and such is generally illustrated in the drawings.

Thus, I have illustrated in Figs. and 11 of the drawings the same freight oar illustrated in connection with Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawings and a similar load except that the shoring device I0 is disposed between the cargo and one of the bulkheads or rigid walls H of the freight car I8. By the use of my invention in this way the shoring device I0 is first placed in the freight car and adjacent one wall I! thereof. Thereafter, the cargo is placed in the car and the shoring device II! is caused to expand and consolidate the load into a unit and to urge the unit against the opposite end H of the freight car l8. This is not the preferred form of my invention as the use of the invention in this way requires openings through an end wall I! so that the shoring device l0 may be inflated to carry out the method of my invention. However said Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate that the shoring device I!) may directly or indirectly exert its pressure against one or both of the rigid walls l1.

Referring now to the devices illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9, the cargo or load of packaged merchandise is illustrated as the shipping bins l6 of our said co-pending application. The side walls of the bins l6 are bulged outwardly in accordance with the invention of the said Patent No. 2,648,428. In originally locating the bins H5, or any other load or cargo to be shored in accordance with this invention, no effort need be made to pack or place the same relatively tight in the freight car. As is illustrated in Fig. 8 of the drawings there may be spaces between the bins I 6 and between the bins l6 and the relatively rigid walls II, which may be in the nature of bulkheads of the freight car numbered generally as l8. Then a space is provided, preferably substantially at the longitudinal midportion of the freight car I8 to dispose the load or cargo in two units. This is preferable as it is common practice to have freight cars with the door openings closed by doors l9 at such location so that the car can be loaded from the middle and toward the respective walls or bulkheads I1. Then the pneumatic shoring device is suspended by placing rods H8 in eyelet i3 and suspendingly supporting rods l4 by the bins I 6 as is illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings. When inserted, the shoring device will be deflated as is indicated in said Fig. 4 and in Fig. 8. Upon inflation of the shoring device it will assume the position shown in Figs. 5 and 9 of the drawings and the various units comprising the cargo, as bins 16, will be relatively moved toward each other and the load and shoring devices will assume the positions shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings.

It is desirable to provide a device which will extend substantially the full width of a car and to the heighth of the load. Thus in practice the shoring devices of my invention are substantially 60 inches by 96 inches and 10 inches in thickness when inflated. Also the said shoring devices are preferably not elastic such as would be present if they were formed of rubber alone. Thus when the shoring devices are inflated as illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 9, they do not bulge upwardly or downwardly, over or below the load which they are shoring.

If desired, two shoring devices may be employed between the units of a load as is indicated in Figs. 6 and 9 of the drawings. Also, if a shorter load is encountered, the units may be folded back on themselves as is illustrated in Fig. '7 of the drawing. Also, by having the tabs l2 on the four edges, the units can be suspended by the cargo and with their longer dimension, horizontal or vertical as desired. In said Fig. '7 the shoring device has been disposed with a longer dimension folded back on itself. The advantage of using two units as is illustrated in Figs. 6 and 9 of the drawings is one of safety. The shoring units are preferably not reinforced to inflate to a rectangular shape in section when not reacting against walls or cargo. Thus if one of the shoring devices should become punctured, then the other would expand in thickness and decrease in length and would function to shore the load but of course at approximately one half the pressure because of the decreased contact with the surface of the load. Instead of providing a plurality of units, a unit having a plurality of inflatable members therein may be employed. Preferably the shoring devices are inflated to relatively low pressures such as one pound per square inch where the surface area involved is that previously described. As the impact on the shoring devices can be substantially greater, upon shifting of the cargo, than the internal pressure within the shoring device. the shoring devices should be made to withstand a bursting pressure of substantially ten pounds per square inch.

As will now appear, the shoring devices of my invention edge or move the shored cargo, as bins i6, resiliently toward the bulkheads I! not only for initial shoring but to restore them to such a position if they are dislodged by reason of impact. Thus the cargo is shored and re-shored continuously'during transportation to withstand successive impacts; Preferably the resilient pressureis provided by pneumatic means as such permitsa uniform distribution of. the pressure over an uneven surface of,- a cargo block.

As is indicated in Fig. 8 of the drawings, two units are provided comprising packaged merchandise. As an example, the unit toward the left comprises 12' pack'ages, while the unit toward the right comprises packages. There are spaces. between the various packages of each unit'and generally spaces between a unit and. the relatively rigid end walls of the ship ing compartment such as is indicated toward the left of Fig. 8. After stowing the packaged merchandise into the shipping compartment as above indicated, then next I dispose an inflatable pneumatic member, or members [0, in the space between two units and consolidate the packages into units and urge the units against the opposite spaced apart relatively ri id walls, ll, by inflating the inflatable pneumatic member or mem bers, HJ. While preferably the articles or packages of merchandise are initially stowed to provide a plurality of units, yet it will be obvious that at least 1 unit of packaged merchandise may be provided with the inflatable pneumatic member In contacting the bounding surface of a unit which is furthest removed from the adjacent relatively rigid wall against which the unit is to be urged and the other side of the inflatable member may have its pressure resisted by the opposite relatively fixed wall either directly, through another unit of packages of merchandise, or otherwise.

Obviously changes may be made in the forms, dimensions, and arrangements of the parts of my invention without departing from th principle thereof, the above setting forth only preferred forms of embodiment of my invention.

Iclaim:

1. The method of shoring packaged merchandise in a shipping compartment having oppositely disposed spaced apart relatively rigid walls, comprising disposing said packages in said compartment in units with spaces between packages of a unit and a space between units; disposing an inflatable pneumatic member in said space between units; and consolidating said packages into units and urging said units in opposite directions and against the relatively rigid Walls of said compartment by inflating said inflatable pneumatic member, said inflated pneumatic member, after being inflated, also functioning to return said packaged merchandise to its shored position after being moved therefrom by impacts to the shipping compartment.

2. The method of shoring packaged mercham disc in a shipping compartment havin oppositely disposed spaced apart relatively rigid walls, comprising disposing said packages in said compartment in at least one unit with spaces between packages, a space between the unit and the adjacent relatively fixed wall, and a space adjacent the bounding surface of such unit furthest removed from said adjacent relatively fixed wall; disposing an inflatable pneumatic member in said space adjacent said one bounding surface of such unit and with one surface of the pneumatic member contacting said unit and the other surface thereof supported by the opposite relatively fixed wall; and consolidating said packages into a unit and urging said unit against said adjacent relatively rigid wall by indise in-a shipping compartment having oppo-- sitely disposed spaced apart relatively rigid walls, comprising disposing said packages in said compartment in at least one unit with spaces between packages, a space between the unit-and-the adjacentrelatively fixed Wall, and a space adjacent the bounding surface of such unit furthest removed from said adjacent relatively fixed wall; suspendingly supporting an inflatable pneumatic member in said space adjacent said one bounding surface of such unit and with one surface of the pneumatic member contacting said unit and the other surface thereof supported by the opposite relatively fixed wall; and consolidating said packages into a unit and urging said unit against said adjacent relatively rigid wall by inflating said inflatable pneumatic member, said inflated pneumatic member, after being inflated, also functioning to return said packaged merchandise to its shored position after being moved therefrom by impacts to the shipping compartment.

4. The method of shoring packaged merchandise in a shipping compartment having oppositely disposed spaced apart relatively rigid walls, comprisin disposing said packages in said compartment in at least one unit with spaces between packages, a space between the unit and the adjacent relatively fixed wall, and a space adj acent the bounding surface of such unit furthest removed from said adjacent relatively fixed wall; disposing an inflatable pneumatic member in said space adjacent said one bounding surface of such unit and with one surface of the pneumatic member contacting said unit and the other surface thereof supported by the opposite relatively fixed wall; and consolidating said packages into a unit and urgin said unit against said adjacent relatively rigid wall by inflating said inflatable pneumatic member to an air pressure of about one pound per square inch, said inflated pneumatic member, after being inflated, also functioning to return said packaged merchandise to its shored position after being moved therefrom by impacts to the shipping compartment.

5. A shored loaded shipping compartment comprising two relatively rigid oppositely disposed walls; packaged merchandise in said compartment; and an inflated pneumatic member reacting against one of said relatively rigid walls, disposed against some of said packages, and urging said packages toward each other and toward the opposite relatively rigid wall, said inflated pneumatic member, after being inflated, also functioning to return said packaged merchandise to its shored position after being moved therefrom by impacts to the shipping compartment.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein the pneumatic member is suspendingly supported by the packaged merchandise, said inflated pneumatic member, after being inflated, also functionin to return said packaged merchandise to its shored position after being moved therefrom by impacts to the shipping compartment.

7. A pneumatic shoring device for shoring a plurality of units of a cargo block having uneven surfaces in a shipping compartment having oppositely disposed spaced apart relatively rigid walls, comprising rectangular cargo engaging surfaces for sustaining air under relatively low pressure therebetween and for engaging uneven surfaces of a cargo block; and means for sustaininglysupporting said device between units of the cargo block so that upon inflation of said shoring device the units of the cargo will be consolidated and resiliently supported against movement in a horizontal plane, said inflated pneumatic member, after being inflated, also functioning to return said packaged merchandise to its shored position after being moved therefrom by impacts to the shipping compartment.

8 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Miller Dec. 16, 1913 Monesmith Jan. 27, 1914 Ward Aug. 10, 1915 Hahn Oct. 12, 1915 Dains Aug. 23, 1927 Reeves July 3, 1928 Loney Oct. 14, 1941 Price Apr. 14, 1942 Couse Sept. 21, 1948