WO2015081373A1

WO2015081373A1 - Transport container

Info

Publication number: WO2015081373A1
Application number: PCT/AU2014/001095
Authority: WO
Inventors: Anthony NOSKE
Original assignee: Noske Anthony
Priority date: 2013-12-04
Filing date: 2014-12-04
Publication date: 2015-06-11

Abstract

There is disclosed a container for transporting elongate cargo comprising: a body having a base portion extending between two end portions, each end portion comprising at least an upright end wail and a floor for supporting a respective end of the elongate cargo thereon, the floor of each end portion is configured to be located above the base portion such that the elongate cargo is elevated above a surface of the base portion when the elongate cargo is loaded within said container.

Description

TRANSPORT CONTAINE

RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority from Australian provisional patent Application No, 2013904700 filed 4 December 2013, the entire contents of which are incorporated, herein by reference.

FIELD OF IN VENTION

The present invention relates generally to a container tor the transport of elongate cargo, and in particular, to a container for the transportation of logging materia! by rail and/or road and/or sea.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Timber products are used in a variety of industries ranging from construction where raw or minimally treated timber is used, through to furniture where the timber may be processed and dressed as required. Whatever the purpose, timber is generally sourced from dedicated plantations or forests where trees are harvested in large numbers for further processing, depending upon the final product.

The types of trees that are harvested for timber processing may vary depending upon the properties of the wood required. For construction of flooring in domestic and commercial buildings, a hardwood may be required for its durability and surface texture, whilst for a more intricate piece of furniture softwood may be required to enable the wood to be turned on a lathe and the like. Similarly, the type of tree being harvested may be a native tree or an introduced tree, which may have an effect on the price of the raw material to cater for a variety of economic needs of the end consumer.

Whatever the type of tree being harvested, the process of harvesting a tree generally requires felling the tree and delimbmg the tree to remove branches and the like, leaving behind a log. The logs are then typically transported to a processing point where they are collected and loaded onto a transport vehicle for transport from the forest to a further processing point. The further processing point may be a mill, where the logs are processed, or a port o delivery station where the logs are transported via road, rail or sea, to a remotely located processing plant.

The transportation of logs from a plantation or forest is typically formed by a truck or semi-trailer that is fitted with racks or bolsters provided on the truck bed or tray. The logs are typically placed in the racks or bolsters and contained in a loose bundle. Straps or chains are then typically placed around the loose bundle of logs and the tray of the truck, to restrain them in the bundle form for transportation. in most situations, the above referenced means of containing and transporting the logs has been largel affective. As the logs are essentially arranged in an elongate manner, they tend to settle in a nested arrangement that caters for irregular shapes of the logs. Typically, as the logs are in contact, there is friction created between the logs that extends along their length and prevents the logs from sliding along their longitudinal axis whe contained in a nested bundle.

However, for some types of logs, such as bluegum logs or logs taken from trees of younger of of different ages, the logs are typically of a smaller diameter and are less regular in form. This presents a number of issues in the handling of such logs for transportation as not only are the logs more difficult to sort and load onto the vehicle, but when arranged in a bundle the logs tend not to nest together as well thereby resulting in a bundle having a lower density that reduces surface friction between logs and which also results in a less efficient transportation arrangement, with less net wood weight carried by the transportation device in the same cubic space.

Further to this, where the logs have been debarked (i.e. have had the bark removed prior to transport), a layer of sap generally forms over the surface of the log. This layer can be quite slippery thereby making the logs difficult to handle when loading/unloading the logs and can also significantly reduce the surface friction between logs when arranged in a bundle. This can pose a significant safety issue during transportation of the log on a conventional truck as upon acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle individual logs can slide in a longitudinal within the bundle. In extreme cases such logs could slide in a forward direction to contact or pass through the truck cabin and compromise the safety of the driver, or could slide in a rearward direction and off the vehicle and into the path of following vehicles.

Thus, there is a need to provide a container for receiving and retaining logs therein for transport m a safe and convenient manner.

The above references to and descriptions of prior proposals or products are not intended to be, and are not to be construed as, statements or admissions of common general knowledge in the art. in particular, the above prior art discussion does not relate to what is commonly or well known by the person skilled in th art, but assists in the understanding of the inventive step of the present invention of which the identification of pertinent prior art proposals is but one part.

STATEMENT OF IN VENTIO

The invention according to one or more aspects is as defined in the independent claims. Some optional and/or preferred features of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

Accordingly, in one aspect of the invention there is provided a container for the transport of elongate cargo, such as logs, comprising: a body having a base portion extending between two end portions, each end portion comprising at least an upright end wall and a floor for supporting a respective end of the elongate cargo thereon, the floor of each end portion is located above the base portion so as to elevate the elongate cargo above the surface of the base portion when the elongate cargo is loaded within said container .

In an embodiment of this aspect of the invention, each end portion comprises a pair of side walls that extend orthogonal to the end wal l to define an open space into which the respective ends of the elongate cargo are received.

The side walls and end wall of the end portions may be made from a mesh material to facilitate air flow theretlirough so as to reduce drag or w d resistance during transport of the container.

The floor of each end portion may be configured to increase friction between the floor and the elongate cargo received thereon, in a preferred form, the floor of each end portion may comprise at least one layer of friction inducing material, said material may include a surface textured to maximise friction between the surface thereof and the logs in contact therewith.

The side walls and end wall of the end portions typically define an upper periphery of the container. One or more locking mechanisms ma be provided on the upper periphery of the container and on the underside of the base to facilitate engagement of the container with a conventional transport vehicle and/or to facilitate stacking of containers in a vertical manner. The transport vehicle may be a conventional road vehicle, rail vehicle or a sea vehicle. in one form of the present invention, each of the side walls and end wall of the end portions may be formed integral with the base. In another form of the invention, each of the side walls and end wall of the end portions may be formed separately to the base so as to be movably position able with respect to the base.

In another embodiment of the present invention, each end portion is pivotally mounted to the base portion so as to be movable between a first position where the upright end wall extends substantially orthogonally with respect to the base portion, and a second position where said upright end wall extends substantially parallel with respect to said base portion. The end portions may be movable to the second position when the container is empty to reduce drag or wind resistance created by the end portions during transport of the container when empty.

In another embodiment of the present invention, each end portion is detachably mounted to the base portion. Each end portion may be detached from the base portio when the container is empty so as to reduce drag or wind resistance created by the end portions during transport of the container when empty.

Accordingly, i a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a cage member for transporting elongate cargo, comprising: a upright end wall, a pair of side walls that extend orthogonal to the end wail, and a floor for supporting an end of the elongate cargo thereon, the floor being configured to be elevated above a support surface upon which the cage is to be supported for transport.

The floor may be configured to increase friction between the floor and the elongate cargo received thereon. In a preferred form, the floor may comprise at least one layer of friction inducing material, said material may include a surface textured to maximise friction between the surface thereof and the logs in contaet therewith.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be better understood from the following non-limiting description of preferred embodiments, i which:

Fig. 1 is a side perspective vie of a container in accordance with an embodiment of the present inv ention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the container of Fig. I loaded with logs for transportation;

Fig. 3 is a top view of the container of Fig, 1 ;

Fig. 4 is an end of the container of Fig. 2 loaded with logs for transportation;

Fig. 5 is a side view of an another embodiment of a container in. accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a side view if the embodiment of the container depicted in Fig. 6 with the ends in a folded position; and

Fig. 7 is a side view of a vehicle employing another alternative embodiment of a container arrangement in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred features of the present invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is to be understood that the features illustrated in and described with reference to the drawings are not to be construed as li miting on the scope of the invention.

The present invention will be described below in relation to its application for use in the forestry industry, for transporting harvested logs between a plantation or forest and a delivery depot, such as a processing plant or port. However, it will be appreciated that the present invention could be used in the transportation of a variety of materials other than harvested logs, especially where the goods being transported have an elongated form that make it difficult to contain the goods in conventional container arrangements.

Referring to Fig. 1 , a container 10 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is shown. The container 10 generally comprises a substantially rectangular body 12 having a pair of opposed ends 14 separated by a base 15. The base 15 may comprise a plate of metal, such as steel or the like, that extends between the ends 14. The opposed ends 14 are in the form of an open frame or cage having a pair of laterally extending side walls 16 and an end wall 18. The side walls 16 and end walls 18 may be formed from a variety of materials and are substantially complete so as to function as an enclosure. In one embodiment, the side walls 16 and end walls 18 are each enclosed by a mesh material 1 a, such as a steel mesh or wire lattice and reinforced by stmt members 16b, shown as crossover support struts. In another embodiment_., the side walls 16 and end wall 1.8 of the ends 14 may be formed from a sheet of composite material that may be strengthened with a material such as eviar® or the like, or may be formed from a punched sheet of metal material, as required. Each end 14 has a floor 17 that is raised above the upper surface of the base 15 in the manner as shown. The floor 17 may be formed from a friction inducing material, such as a composite material that may be surface roughened, such that logs carried by the container 1.0 are arranged within the container to be supported by the floor 17 at each end 14 thereof.

As is shown in Fig. 2. in this arrangement the logs 5 carried by the container 10 are supported at their ends on the floor 17 of the ends 14 and due to the upper surface of the base 15 being lower that, the floor 17, a gap 20 is formed between the upper surface of the base 15 and the lowermost log 5, as shown. The purpose of the gap 20 wi ll be described in more detail below.

As is evident from the figures, the container 10 has open sides that extend between the ends 14, In this arrangement the outer surface of the end walls 18 may be separated by a distance of approximately 6100 mm to define the length of the container 10, and the height of the side walls 16 and end walls 18 may be approximately 2850 mm to define the height of the container 10. The distance between the side wal ls 16 of each of the ends 14 may be separated by a distance of approximately 2500 mm to define a width of the container. It will be appreciated that the height, length and width of the container 10 may vary depending upon the type and size of logs being transported, as well as to adapt to changes in the standard size of railway carriages and trailers, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art

In order to load the container 10 with logs 5, in the manner as shown in Fig. 2, the container is positioned on a transport vehicle, such as' on a trailer of a truck. Each log is typically pre-cut into lengths of, for example 5400 mm, to be loaded into the container 10. Typically, a conventional crane is employed to load the logs into the container such that the ends of the logs are located within each end 14 of the container 10, as shown in Fig. 2. Once the logs 5 are loaded into a bundle, restraint straps 21 are located around the bundle of logs and tightened to secure the logs together. The restraint straps 21 may remain in place until the logs are delivered to their final destination, as the logs will be moved by moving the container 10, rather than the logs themselves. Due to the presence of the gap 20 formed between the lowermost logs 5 and the base 15, the restraint straps 21 are able to be easily positioned about the bundle of logs and tightened as required. It will be appreciated that the restraint straps 21 may be in the form of chains and other similar means, rather than conventional strap.

Once the bundle of logs 5 is loaded in the container 10, the container 10 can be simply transferred between road, rail and sea freight modes as required. This is achieved using standard container handling equipment and each of the containers 10 are fitted with standard ISO container locks 22 to facilitate secureraent of the container 10 to the road, rail or sea transport vehicle in a conventional manner. In this regard, the provision of the locks 22 on an upper surface and lower surface of the container enables multiple containers 10 to be stacked on top of each other as required, in a safe manner that meets standard safety requirements.

Upon reaching the final destination, the container 10 is able to be unloaded by simply decoupling the restraint straps 21 to enable the individual logs to be unloaded using standard log handling equipment, such as a crane or the like. This can be performed with the container 10 securely located on the vehicle and locked in position thereon by locks 22. Where a forklift device is employed, the forklift can be simply positioned under the logs 5 by utilisation of gap 20 to accommodate the forklift without requiring any additional steps to raise the logs off the base 15 of the container.

Alternatively, the container 10 is able to be removed from the vehicle fully laden with the cargo and stored until the logs are required for processing. The logs can then be reloaded and the container returned to the next loading point when required.

It will be appreciated that the container 10 of the present invention offers significant advantages in terms of safety and substantially reduces the likelihood of individual logs becoming released from the bundle of logs in the event of a sudden deceleration/acceleration of the vehicle or the vehicle undertaking a steep incline. As the ends 14 function to form an enclosure about the ends of the logs 5, even if a log became released from the bundle it would come into contact with either of the end walls 18, thereby preventing it from further longitudinal movement. As shown in Fig. 4, as the end walls 18 are enclosed, which may be through the provision of a sheet material or through the use of a mesh material 18a, the logs are prevented from any further longitudinal movement thereby preventing the log from contacting the cabin of the vehicle or becoming released onto a road behind the vehicle.

The provision of mesh material 16a and 18a formed on the side walls 16 and end walls 18 respectively function to provide a substantially open structure that reduces wind drag during transportation. As air is able to freely pass through the side walls 16 and end wails 18 of the container 10, the amount of wind drag associated with the container 10 is minimised, which helps to ensure that the transport vehicle retains desirable fuel efficiency which can be significantly reduced where the end walls 16 and side walls 14 are closed and prevent passage of ai r therethrough.

An alteraative embodiment of a container 30 of the present, invention is depicted in Figs, 5 and 6. In this embodiment, each of the ends 32 is separately mounted to the base 35, by way of a pivot hinge 33. The pivot hinge 33 enables the ends 32 to pivot between an upright position as depicted in Fig. 5, and a horizontal position as depicted in Fig. 6. In the upright position, th ends 32 are able to perform their function to store logs as discussed above. The side walls 34 and end walls 31 are able to be formed from a enclosed material such as a sheet metal or composite material as required. In this arrangement, when the load has been removed from the container 30, the ends 32 are able to be moved to the horizontal position as depicted in Fig. 6 to reduce the amount of wind drag experienced by the vehicle. In another embodiment, the ends 32 may be detachable from the base 35, such that when the container is not in use, the ends 32 may be stored in a manner that reduces wind drag on the vehicle.

Fig. 7 depicts yet another embodiment of the present invention, in this embodiment, a vehicle 2 in the form of a truck having a trailer 3 employs individual ends 40 to form a storage compartment for storing logs 5 therein, in this arrangement, the ends 40 are not connected by a base or plate, but are rather separately secured to the trailer 3 in a spaced apart manner to accommodate the logs therein. In this arrangement, the floor of each of the ends 40 is raised such that there is a gap provided between the bed of the trailer 3 and the lowermost logs to facilitate handling of the logs 5. In this arrangement, the ends function to enclose the ends of the logs so as to prevent logs slipping in a longitudinal direction. Restraints straps 42 are able to be used to secure the logs in a conventional manner, When the load has been removed from the vehicle 2, the ends 40 are able to be removed and stowed so as to prevent any wind drag that may result.

It will be appreciated that the ability of the container 10 to be used interchangeably with a road vehicle, rail vehicle and/or sea vehicle ensures that use of road vehicles to transport the logs can be minimised. There is no need for the use of specific, purpose built log trailers or wagons which have been shown to cause significant damage to roads which creates significant infrastructure costs for governments and the like to repair and maintain the roads. By providing a container that can be simply lifted off a standard container road vehicle or trailer and be placed on a rail vehicle, the usage of road vehicles, of any type, to transport the logs can be minimised to between the plantation/forest and the rail depot,

Further to rids, by providing the ends of the container to be enclosed so as to contain the togs, road safety is enhanced. The enclosed ends function to conceal the nature of the material being carried i the containers from vehicles located behind tire truck. Traditionally, with the open ended nature of conventional log transports, vehicles travelling behind the trucks have indicated a reluctance to travel in close proximity to the vehicle due to the impression that the logs may slide out of the rear of the trai ler into the path of the vehicle . Such a reluctance to travel at an appropriate distance to overtake a log transport truck can cause unnecessary vehicle congestion on di roads, which may cause accidents. By providing an enclosed container for receiving and storing the logs, there is an immediate perception of safety and security of the load, providing vehicles with a degree of security to travel at safe and effective distances behind logging trucks.

Throughout the specification and claims the word "comprise" and its derivatives are intended to have an inclusive rather than exclusive meaning unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise. That is, the word "comprise" and its derivatives will be taken to indicate the inclusion of not only the listed components, steps or features that it directly references, but also other components, steps or features not specifically listed, unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise.

Orientational terms used in the specification and claims such as vertical, horizontal, top, bottom, upper and lower are to be interpreted as relational and are based on the premise that the component, item, article, apparatus, device or instrument will usually be considered in a particular orientation, typically with the container uppermost. it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations may be made to the methods of the invention described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

The claims defining the invention are as follows:

1. A container for transporting elongate cargo comprising: a body having a base portion extending between two end portions, each end portion comprising at least an upright end wall, and a floor for supporting a respective end of the elongate cargo thereon, the floor of each end portion is configured to be located above the base portion such that the elongate cargo is elevated above a surface of the base portion when the elongate cargo is loaded within said container.

2. A container according to claim I , wherein each end portion comprises a pair of side walls that extend orthogonal to the end wall to define an open space into which the respective ends of the elongate cargo are received.

3. A container according to claim I or claim 2, wherein each end portion is pivotally mounted to the base portion so as to be movable between a first position where the upright end wall extends substantially orthogonally with respect to the base portion, and a second position where said upright end wall extends substantially parallel with respect to said base portion.

4. A container according to claim 3, wherein the end portions are movable to the second positio when the container is empty to reduce drag or wind resistance created by the end portions during transport of the container when empty.

5. A container according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein each end portion is detachably mounted to the base portion.

6. A container according to claim I or claim 2, wherein the side walls and the end wail of the end portions are made from a mesh material to facilitate air flow therethrough so as to reduce drag or wind resistance during transport of the container.

7. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the floor of each end portion is configured to increase friction between the floor and the elongate cargo received thereon.

8. A container according to claim 7, wherein the floor of each end portion comprises at least one layer of friction inducing material.

9. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the side wails and end wall of the end portions define an upper periphery of the container.

10. A container according to claim 9, wherein one or more locking mechanisms are provided on the upper periphery of the container and the underside of the base to facilitate engagement of the container with a conventional transport vehicle and/or to facilitate stacking of containers in a vertical manner.

1 1. A container according to claim 10, wherein the transport vehicle may be a conventional road vehicle, rail vehicle or a sea vehicle.

12. A container according to claim 2, wherein each of the side walls nd end wall of the end portions are formed integral with the base.

13. A container according to claim 2, wherein each of the side walls and end wall of the end portions are formed separatel to the base so as to be movably positionable with respect to the base.

14. A container according to claim 2, wherein the side walls and end wall of the end portions comprises a continuous surface.

15. A cage member for transporting elongate cargo, comprising: an upright end wall, a pair of side walls that extend orthogonal to the end wall, and a floor for supporting an end of the elongate cargo thereon, the floor being configured to be elevated above a support surface upon which the cage is to be supported for transport.

16. A cage member according to claim 15, wherein the floor is configured to increase friction between the floor and the elongate cargo received thereon.

17. A cage member according to claim 1 , wherein, the floor comprises at least one layer of friction inducing material, said material having a surface textured to maximise friction between, the surface thereof and the logs in contact therewith.