US3842757A

US3842757A - Suspendible load spacer

Info

Publication number: US3842757A
Application number: US00357502A
Authority: US
Inventors: W Kinnune
Original assignee: Western Kraft Corp
Current assignee: Western Kraft Corp
Priority date: 1973-05-04
Filing date: 1973-05-04
Publication date: 1974-10-22
Anticipated expiration: 1991-10-22

Abstract

A suspendible load spacer including an expandable-contractible honeycomb spacing structure which is placeable between a pair of loads that are to be held apart. Openings adjacent the top of this structure are used to receive one or more freely inserted elongated suspension members which, when so inserted, extend beyond the lateral margins of the spacing structure to overlie and rest on the tops of such loads, thus to suspend and retain the spacing structure between the loads.

Description

United States Patent [191 Kinnune, Jr.

' SUSPENDIBLE LOAD SPACER' [75] Inventor: William P. Kinnune, Jr., Portland,

Oreg.

[73] Assignee: Western Kraft Corporation,

Portland, Oreg.

221 Filed: May 4, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 357,502

[521 US. Cl. ..l05/486, 105/367, 105/467 [51] Int. Cl 361d 45/00 [58] Field of Search 105/367, 369 B; 52/32,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,581,675 6/1971 Kauffman 105/367 X 3,618,535 11/1971 Hess 105/369 B Primary ExaminerM. Henson Wood, Jr. Assistant Examiner-Gene A. Church Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Kolisch, Hartwell, Dickinson & Stuart 5 7 ABSTRACT A suspendible load spacer including an expandablecontractible honeycomb spacing structure which is placeable between a pair of loads that are to be held apart. Openings adjacent the top of this structure are used to receive one or more freely inserted elongated suspension members which, when so inserted, extend beyond the lateral margins of the spacing structure to overlie and rest on the tops of such loads, thus to suspend and retain the spacing structure between the loads.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures SUSPENDIBLE LOAD SPACER BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention pertains to a suspendible load spacer of the type which may be used, for example, to hold apart a pair of adjacent loads, such as stacks of cartons, in a railroad boxcar, or other freight container.

In the loading of a freight container, such as a boxcar, it often happens that the loads placed therein do not completely fill the available horizontal storage space. Frequently, there are left one or more generally planar vertical spaces between closely adjacent loads, which spaces should be filled with something sturdy in order to prevent potentially damaging load movement during transit.

Various sorts of load spacers or fillers have been proposed in the past, and the present invention concerns an improved form of load spacer which may conveniently be used for the purpose indicated. In particular, the invention relates to a suspendible-type load spacer which can readily be hung for use between a pair of spaced-apart loads, and, when no longer needed, easily removed and compactly stored for later use. i

The proposed load spacer preferably comprises a vertically expandable-contractible, honeycomb-like cardboard spacing structure which may be placed between loads, and suspended there by one or more elongated, relatively rigid suspension members which extend removably through openings in the structure to rest on the tops of the loads. The suspension members may take any one of several different forms, depending on the intended use.

The various objects and advantages attained by the invention will become apparent with a reading of the disclosure below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary top perspective view of a load spacer constructed according to the invention placed in use between two stacks of cartons.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevationfurther illustrating upper portions 'of the load spacer of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view'of the load spacer of FIGS. 1 and 2 in a fully collapsed condition, suitable for storage.

FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 are views somewhat similar to FIG. 1 showing three different modifications of the inventlon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Turning now to the drawings, and referring first to FIG. 1, indicated generally at 10 and 12 are two stacks of cartons, or loads, spaced apart by an upright generally uniform-width gap, or space, 14. These stacks, with the space between them, might typically be found in a load container such as a railroad boxcar after loading of the boxcar. Stacks l0, 12 are essentially the same height. Stack 10 is shown only in phantom outline so as better to reveal a load spacer 16 which has been placed between the stacks. Spacer 16 is constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Spacer 16 includes, essentially, three different kinds of components, namely: an expandable-collapsible honeycomb, or spacing means, 18; an elongated stiffening rib 20, which is joined to and extends a substantial distance along the top piece in honeycomb 18; and a pair of elongated suspension members, or bars, 22.

Honeycomb 18 herein is conventional in construction, and comprises elongated uniform-width strips of sheet material, such as double-faced corrugated paper board-these strips being arranged generally in a stack, and being joined to vertically adjacent strips at spaced and staggered positions. With such construction, the honeycomb, when placed as shown in FIG. 1, can ex- I pand vertically downwardly, with adjacent strips in the honeycomb bending relative to one another to form the open, multiple-cellular configuration illustrated in FIG. 1. The number of strips used in the honeycomb is a matter of choice. Also a matter of choice is the width of the strips. Typically, a sufficient number of strips is included to permit a spacer to expand easily between about 46 feet. Strip widths for different spacers are chosen to accommodate the usual packing gaps found between loads. Convenient widths have been found to be 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 inches.

Rib 20 is preferably formed of wood, such as apiece of wood lath, and is secured as by gluing to the top sheet, or strip, 18a in honeycomb 18. While the incorporation of a rib, such as rib 20, is desirable in some instances to stiffen or rigidify the top strip in a load spacer, it should be appreciated that there are other circumstances where such a rib need not be employed. Further, there may be yet other situations where suitable additional stiffening, if needed, can be obtained simply by making the top piece in the honeycomb from a double layer of paper board.

Bars 22 herein are formed of substantially the same material as rib 20.

As has already been mentioned, FIG. 1 illustrates spacer 16 in an operative condition between

stacks

10, 12. In this condition bars 22 have been inserted in a pair of longitudinally spaced

openings

23, 25 in the honeycomb which are immediately beneath top strip 18a, and adjacent opposite ends of ribs 20. The bars are positioned with their opposite ends extending beyond the opposite sides of the honeycomb, and over the tops of cartons in the stacks. The bars, thus extending through openings in the honeycomb, may be thought of as being in vertically captured positions therein. These bars, through resting on the cartons, suspend the remaining parts in the spacer as shown, with the honeycomb expanded downwardly and hung in the space between the stacks.

The spacer, thus, prevents cartons in the two stacks from shifting toward one another. With the opposite ends of bars 22 bearing down on the cartons, and with the honeycomb bearing downv on the central portions of the bars, the bars remain relatively stable in position during transit, and assure good performance reliability of the spacer throughout transit.

When it is desired to remove the spacer from use, this is done simply by lifting it or moving it laterally out of space 14, removing bars 22, and then collapsing the honeycomb. The spacer may be stored as shown in FIG. 3, with bars 22 lying along opposite sides of rib 20, and bound thereto and to the honeycomb by a tie band 24. To return the spacer to use, the tie band is removed, the honeycomb expanded, bars 22 reinserted in openings, such as openings, or apertures, 23, 25, adjacent the top of the honeycomb, and the spacer then 3 placed between loads, and suspended therebetween, as shown in FIG. 1.

It should be appreciated that in some cases it may be desirable to use a lesser or a greater number of suspending bars. For example, there may be some kinds of loading conditions where a single bar, inserted through a central upper opening in the honeycomb, will suffice. Then, too, there may be instances where more than two bars, for example, three bars, may be wanted.

FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 illustrate several other modifications of the invention, wherein, instead of using elongated slender bars, such as bars 22, employed for this purpose are elongated, relatively broad flat sheets, such as those shown at 26 in these figures. A sheet 26 might typically be formed from the same sort of material used in the strips in the honeycomb. FIG. 4 illustrates a single sheet 26 being used in an opening, or aperture, 27 in honeycomb 18, FIG. 5 a pair of such sheets in

openings

23, 25, and FIG. 6 three of such sheets in openings, 23, 25, 27. As was true in the case of bars 22, the opposite ends of sheets 26 extend beyond the opposite sides of honeycomb 18 to overlie and rest on cartons in the stacks.

. Where, instead of using an upper stiffening rib such as rib 20, a double layer of paper board is used at the top of a honeycomb, this double layer may beformed in such a way as to provide narrow openable slits, or openings, therein which may be used to receive either a bar 22 or a sheet 26. Such construction is not specifically illustrated herein, inasmuch as it is believed to be readily envisionable from averbal description of it.

There is thus provided a load spacer construction which is extremely simple to use and convenient to store. Because of the relatively large bearing surfaces afforded for a suspension member, be it a bar or a sheet, when such is, in use, these suspension members remain reliably in place during transit of a load, thus assuring reliable performance of a spacer.

While several embodiments and modifications of the invention have been described herein, it is appreciated that other modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

it is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

l. A suspendible load spacer for holding apart a pair of adjacent laterally spaced loads comprising spacing means removably placeable between such loads,

means adjacent the top of said spacing means defining an aperture which opens to laterally opposite sides of the spacing means, and

an elongated, unitary, relatively rigid suspension member removably insertable into and through said aperture to a vertically captured position therein, wherein its opposite ends extend beyond said opposite sides of the spacing means, said suspension member, when so inserted, and with said spacing means placed between a pair of loads, being adapted to rest with each of its opposite ends seated on a different one of the loads, thus to suspend and retain the spacing means between the loads,

said suspension member being adjustable in said aperture to an infinite number of different angular and projecting positions relative to said spacing 5 means, adjustment of the position of said suspension member relative to said spacing means simultaneously adjusting the positions of its said opposite ends relative to such loads.

2. The spacer of claim 1, wherein said spacing means comprises an expandable-contractible honeycomb structure.

3. The spacer of claim 2, wherein said aperture comprises one of the openings in said honeycomb structure.

a plurality of elongated, unitary, relatively rigid suspension members, each removably insertable into and through a different one of said apertures to a vertically captured position therein where its opposite ends extend beyond said opposite sides of said structure, each suspension member, when so inserted, and with said structure placed between a pair of loads, being adapted to rest with each of its opposite ends seated on a different one of the loads, thus to suspend and retain the structure between the loads, each of said suspension members being adjustable in an aperture toan infinite number of different an gular and projecting positions relative tosaid spacing means, adjustment of the position of a suspension member relative to said spacing means simultaneously adjusting the positions of the suspension member's opposite ends relative to such loads.

Claims

1. A suspendible load spacer for holding apart a pair of adjacent laterally spaced loads comprising spacing means removably placeable between such loads, means adjacent the top of said spacing means defining an aperture which opens to laterally opposite sides of the spacing means, and an elongated, unitary, relatively rigid suspension member removably insertable into and through said aperture to a vertically captured position therein, wherein its opposite ends extend beyond said opposite sides of the spacing means, said suspension member, when so inserted, and with said spacing means placed between a pair of loads, being adapted to rest with each of its opposite ends seated on a different one of the loads, thus to suspend and retain the spacing means between the loads, said suspension member being adjustable in said aperture to an infinite number of different angular and projecting positions relative to said spacing means, adjustment of the position of said suspension member relative to said spacing means simultaneously adjusting the positions of its said opposite ends relative to such loads.

4. A suspendible load spacer for holding apart a pair of adjacent laterally spaced loads comprising an expandable-contractible honeycomb spacing structure removably placeable between such loads, said structure including a plurality of spaced-apart apertures therein adjacent the top thereof opening to laterally opposite sides of the structure, said apertures being on substantially the same level in the structure, and a plurality of elongated, unitary, relatively rigid suspension members, each removably insertable into and through a different one of said apertures to a vertically captured position therein where its opposite ends extend beyond said opposite sides of said structure, each suspension member, when so inserted, and with said structure placed between a pair of loads, being adapted to rest with each of its opposite ends seated on a different one of the loads, thus to suspend and retain the structure between the loads, eAch of said suspension members being adjustable in an aperture to an infinite number of different angular and projecting positions relative to said spacing means, adjustment of the position of a suspension member relative to said spacing means simultaneously adjusting the positions of the suspension member''s opposite ends relative to such loads.