Method and Apparatus for Shipping and Storing Cargo

This invention relates to cargo handling procedures and equipment, and more particularly to a conventional bulk container and to a unique specially designed knock down smaller container, a plurality of which are efficiently stowable in the bulk container and adapted to protect and safeguard the goods en route to separate consignees.

Over the past century a wide variety of proposals have been made for knock down crates and containers usable to confine and protect goods and merchandise during transit. Initially such containers were designed for use in shipping a particular item in smaller bulk quantity. Many of these were reusable and returnable to the sender in knockdown condition. In recent years it has become common practice to construct cargo containers to hold quantities as large or substantially larger than railway cars and suitable for shipment by rail, ship and heavy duty truck trailers. Special equipment has been developed for transferring such containers between ship, railway car and trailer. Such containers are heavy, efficient and convenient where the contents are in transit between a single consignee and a single consignor. However, major quantities of cargo move in lots occupying only a minor portion of modern bulk cargo containers. Such shipment present serious problems involving security, handling, damage, loss by theft and costly labor problems, which problems are not avoided by shipping cargo containers heretofore proposed, representative ones of which are disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 525,157; 1,163,696; 2,457,842; 2,775,360; 3,040,925; 3,107,024; 3,182,846; 3,221,921; 3,306,487; 3,382,998; 3,386,605; 3,401,814; 3,760,970; 3,883,026; 3,966,285; 4,171,059; 4,422,558; 4,452,366; 4,506,789. No one of these prior constructions evidences any suggestion for a container shipping system wherein a smaller knock down tamper proof containers are specially designed for convenient and efficient stowage and shipment of the goods of individual consignees in a conventional large capacity cargo container.

In view of the foregoing shortcomings and deficiencies of prior practices for the expedited and protective shipment of bulk cargo, it is the purpose of this invention to provide a more efficient simplified and more secure equipment and mode of shipping cargo from the point of origin to multiple destination points. For this purpose there is provided a uniquely designed smaller container sized for the most efficient and effective stowage of multiple ones thereof in a conventional larger container. Preferably the smaller containers are of knock down design in which the top and the bottom provide protective covers for the remaining components if there is need for returning these empty to receive new shipments. The lightweight sidewall panels include tubular elements crosswise of their ends having interfitting telescopic engagement with portions of the top and bottom and held assembled thereto by separable fasteners. These tubular columns are designed to carry the load of the container along with its contents. The upper and lower lateral corners of the container are formed with channels extending therealong and opening outwardly and lengthwise to firmly seat a load lifting device. Such devices may consist of suspension hooks or a low height dolly insertable endwise of the lower corners and effective to lift the container clear of the floor and then along the floor. Thus, a container and its contents can be carried in suspension from its upper lateral corners or by suitable lifting means inserted into the lower corner channels.

The front end of the container is equipped with one or more doors which, when closed lie inwardly of the front edge of the top and have hinges embracing at least a major portion of one of the front corner columns. When closed these doors cannot be detached by removal of the hinge pins or otherwise, but, when open, can be readily separated at the hinge joint to provide more unobstructed access to the interior. The container components are held detachably assembled by fasteners accessible only from the interior of the container and all joints between components include gasketing to provide weather tight protection. Each container is sized to make more sufficient use of a portion of a conventional container and the portions of the container bottom between its sidewalls is designed for maximum strength and free of channels for forklift prongs or the like lifting equipment.

In view of the foregoing it is a primary object of this invention to provide an improved system, mode and apparatus for the shipment and handling of cargo.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved mode for utilizing large capacity cargo containers in combination with one or more smaller cargo containers for the shipment of goods of different consignees in separate tamper proof knock down containers.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a cargo container constructed for the efficient utilization of space in a larger container and capable of being loaded and unloaded thereinto by load lifting equipment insertable along the lower lateral corners thereof.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved knock down cargo container having provision for the use of lifting devices along either the upper or the lower lateral corners thereof.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved knock down container equipped with detachable tubular load transmitting columns at the four corners thereof and including provision for connecting container lifting devices to members rigidly attached either to the upper or lower ends of pairs thereof.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a knock down container sized for efficient stowage crosswise of a larger cargo container and provided with channels along the lateral corners thereof to receive load lifting dolly means.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a knock down cargo container having tubular load transmitting load columns at one end and fixed to respective side panels and wherein tamper proof doors for the container are detachably connected to said tubular columns.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a knock down cargo container wherein the top and bottom units are designed for enclosing the rear end and two side wall panels as well as two door panels when disassembled and are constructed, when assembled, to provide a weather tight shipping container.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a knock down cargo container wherein the lateral sides thereof are equipped with outwardly opening channels adapted to receive load lifting devices for the container.

There and other more specific objects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawing to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawing in which two preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated:

FIG. 1 is perspective view of a first illustrative embodiment of the smaller cargo container forming a part of the invention shipping system;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic showing of the principal components of the FIG. 1 container disassembled and positioned for compact packaging;

FIG. 3 is a front end elevational view of FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along line 4--4 on FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are cross sectional views on an enlarged scale taken along lines 5--5 and 6--6 on FIG. 3 showing operating details of the door locking devices;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along line 7--7 on FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along line 8--8 on FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the container door and its hinge assembly with the door being shown in partially open position;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of one of the door hinges with the hinge shown in the process of being assembled;

FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of the container taken along line 11--11 on FIG. 3 and showing portions of the lower corner broken away and indicating in a general way how upper and lower load lifting devices can be utilized to handle the container;

FIG. 12 is a rear elevational view of the container taken along line 12--12 on FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a cross sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along line 13--13 on FIG. 3;

FIG. 14 is a cross sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along line 14--14 on FIG. 11;

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary elevational view showing two of the smaller containers in stacked position with the corner portions of each broken away;

FIG. 16 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing a plurality of the smaller containers enclosed in a larger shipping container with portions of the latter broken away to show the position of the load lifting channels for the smaller container; and

FIG. 17 is a cross sectional view similar to FIG. 14 but showing a second embodiment of the smaller container wherein the upper load lifting channels are incorporated in the top rather than in the two side panels.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 16, there is shown the container shipping system provided by this invention and generally indicated by 10 in FIG. 16. This system comprises a conventional major cargo container 11, there shown as fully occupied by four smaller demountable containers 12, 12. The large container 11 is of any well known suitable construction and typically of a size occupying a railway flat car, a large truck trailer, or of the type commonly transported by freight ships. Such containers are handled by large size gantry cranes and having an access door 13 either at one end or sometimes along areas of a sidewall. As herein shown, containers 12 are sized to make efficient and maximum utilization of a cross sectional portion of the main container with only sufficient clearance to permit insertion and removal through the access opening provided in the large container, such as the door-equipped opening 13 shown in FIG. 16.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 8, there will be described the major components of the knock down smaller container 12. These components comprise a bottom 14, a top 15, two side panels 16, 16, a rear end panel 17 and a pair of doors 18, 18.

The structural details of bottom 14 are best shown in FIGS. 2 and 11 through 14. Except for the front end wall, the bottom is deep cup-shaped with its side walls formed of heavy gauge sheet metal 20 along its sides and across its rear end, the upper edges being turned inwardly as indicated at 21 in FIG. 14. Channel shaped stringers (FIGS. 11 and 13, extend crosswise of the bottom and are welded to the bottom side walls. Plywood decking 23 (FIG. 13), preferably bonded on its upper face to galvanized sheeting or the like, is secured to stringers 22. The opposite lateral corners of bottom 14 are provided with channels 25, 25 having downwardly and outwardly facing upper wall 26 here shown as formed of heavy gauge metal having a concave or arcuate surface disposed as shown with its opposite edges connected by welds 27 (FIG. 14) to the adjacent walls of the bottom. The recesses or channels 25, 25 are sufficiently high to accommodate a specially constructed low height dolly, not shown, having an elongated main frame supported by vertically adjustable chassis wheels adapted to be inserted endwise through the open ends of channels 25. These dollies have a length corresponding to a major portion of the length of container 12 and can be manipulated after insertion to engage surfaces 26 of the channels and lift the bottom and the container together with its content clear of a supporting floor. Once a dolly or other lifting device is engaged with the downwardly and upwardly sloping surfaces 26, the lifting device is held securely captive and against outward displacement from channels 25.

An important feature of bottom 14 is the provision of tubular sockets formed by short lengths of pipe 29, these pipes or sockets being open-ended and rigidly secured to all four corners of bottom 14 by welds all adjacent walls of the bottom including in particular the top walls 26 of recesses 25. As herein shown by way of example, top walls 26 are formed of extra heavy stock and have a downwardly facing concave surface 26 to seat a load lifting device whether of the dolly type, grapple hooks, a sling device or the like. The concave surfaces serve to center the lifting device as well as to avoid any possibility of its disengagement from the channel while in a lifting mode.

Top 15 comprises a four sided perimeter frame 32 shaped as is best shown in FIGS. 1, 13 and 14 and includes a down turned rim which overlaps and telescopes about the upper rim edges of panels 16 and 17. The center opening is closed by upwardly crowned lightweight panelling 33, formed of plywood coated with resin or other sealing material and which may include an outer metal skin bonded thereto. Welded to the interior of the down turned rim of the top is an inwardly projecting flange 36 having a layer of gasketing material 37 (FIGS. 4,5) bonded to the outer face thereof. A plurality of channel shaped stringers 34 have their opposite ends resting on and welded to flange 36 serve to reinforce and support the top panel 33. Rigidly welded to the corners of frame 32 are four posts 38 having chamfered bosses 39 and 40 projecting from their opposite ends for purposes which will become evident presently.

The sidewall panels 16, 16 along either side of the container will now be described with particular reference to FIGS. 4, 8, 11 and 14. Each side panel has an angle iron frame 41. Plywood panelling 42 is riveted or otherwise securely anchored to the flanges of frame members 41 lying in the outer plane of the panel member and the inwardly extending flanges of the frame are provided with holes to receive fastener bolts. Gasketing material 43 is secured to the outer surfaces of these flanges to render the same water tight when bolted to other adjacent components. Panels 42 are formed of suitable lightweight high strength material such as plywood coated with resin and may include sheet metal outer surfaces for greater protection against abrasion and damage.

Welded to the upright forward ends of panels 16 are respective tubular members 29 and additional angle iron members 45. Tubular members 29 are welded to the edges of a respective flange of each of the angle irons 41, 45, in a manner best shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. As there shown, the flange of frame members 41 projecting toward one another, lie in a generally common bisector plane through the two tubular members whereas the transversely extending flange of angle iron members 45 are welded to the innermost wall of members 29 at a point generally 90 degrees from the point of attachment of flanges of frame members 41. These flanges of members 45 lie in a common plane forming the jam for door panels 18 when the latter are in closed position. Bonded to the outer surfaces of the door jamb is a layer of suitable gasketing material 46.

An important structural feature of side panels 16, 16 is best illustrated in FIGS. 11, 13 and 14 and comprises high strength, load lifting channel members 50, 50, having a wide slot 51 opening outwardly through their outer wall and rigidly welded to frame members 41 and to the tubular members 30 in cutouts shaped to seat the adjacent inner wall portions of members 50 as is made clear by FIG. 14. As herein shown by way of example, channel members 50 are formed of thick walled tubing, having a portion of the outer sidewall cut away sufficiently to receive grappling hooks or the rollers 53 of a load lifting device indicated at 54 (FIG. 14). Such devices may be inserted laterally through slots 51 or from either open end of channel members 50.

The rear end panel 17 will now be described and is best shown in FIGS. 1 and 8. This panel has a heavy gauge metal frame 58 which embraces the entire rear end of the container by reason of narrow legs 59 (FIG. 8) which extend around each rear corner and terminate in inwardly extending flanges 60. Flanges 60 extend inwardly from all four edges of frame 58 and are provided with holes to receive bolts 62 several of which are shown in FIG. 8. These bolts pass through similar flanges extending inwardly from bottom 14, top 15 and each of the side panels 16. Gasketing material 63 is clamped between the flanges and is preferably bonded to one of the flanges. Also welded to frame members 58 are inwardly extending flanges 64 which terminate at the upper and lower inwardly extending flanges 60 and are welded thereto. The two rear tubular members 30 are also rigidly welded to frame members 58 and open through the upper and lower flanges 60 of the frame member to which they are welded. The large center opening defined by frame 58 is closed by a panel 75 formed of lightweight plywood material coated with resin and preferably bonded to a metal skin. This panel is riveted or otherwise securely mounted against the inner face of frame 58 as is made clear by FIG. 8. As is best shown in FIGS. 1 and 13, each upper corner of the rear panel frame 58 has a short length of the slotted tubular channel member 50' welded to it in alignment and registry with the adjacent end of channel member 50 in the side panels 16. Channel 50' is of the same size as the main channel 50 and is welded to the adjacent one of the tubular members 30 and to all contiguous portions of the rear panel frame 58.

The door assemblies 18 closing the front end of the container will now be described by reference to FIGS. 1 and 5 through 9. Each of the door panels has an angle iron frame to which a plywood panel 69 is rigidly secured as by rivets. When closed, the doors 18 lie in a plane inwardly of the front edge of the container top with the inner surface generally tangent to the inner sides of the two corner tubular members 30, 30. Each door is provided with a semitubular hinge leaf having a close embracing fit about a major portion of the outer surface of one of the tubular members 30. Each hinge leaf 70 closely embraces approximately one half of the exterior of members 30 and includes a plurality of brackets 71 welded thereto and provided with integral hinge pins 72 the lower exposed ends of which are detachably socketed in a hinge leaf bracket 73 (FIG. 9) welded to the exterior of tubes 30 and to the adjacent area of frames 41 of side panels 16, 16.

As is made clear by FIG. 8, when the doors are closed, the innermost ends of the arcuate hinge leaves 70 are positioned well inwardly of a vertical plane through the centers of tubular members 30, 30. For this reason, the door panels cannot be detached by removing or drilling away the hinge pins 72. However, when the doors are opened outwardly to a position such as that shown in FIG. 9, either door can be lifted vertically until the hinge pins 72 are separated from the stationary hinge leaves 73.

Simple means for locking each of the door panels snugly closed with the gaskets surrounding each of the perimeters compressed snugly against the door jamb are shown in FIGS. 5-7. The outwardly extending flanges of the angle iron door frames 68 are spaced sufficiently apart to accommodate a pair of slide bars 75, each having a pair of slots 76 along the midlength held slidably captive to the frame member by shouldered rivets 77. FIG. 5 shows one of the slide bars 75 mounted along the upper corner of the door frame and FIG. 6 shows a similar slide bar mounted along the lower corner of the door. The remote ends of these bars are cut away along an inclined surface indicated at 78 and have a camming and locking engagement with tubular detents 79 welded to the frames of the container bottom 14 and top 15 respectively. Bars 75 and the door frame member 68 are provided with openings 80 which are in alignment when the slide members are extended to their locking position, at which time a padlock 81 can be assembled through holes 80 to lock the bars in locking position. A bridging strip 81 (FIG. 8) is welded along the inner face of one door frame to overlap the gap between the edges of the two doors and is designed to compress a strip of gasket material 82 bonded to the inner face of the other door edge to provide a weather tight joint when the doors are closed.

In addition to bolts 62 interconnecting the flanges of the principal panels to one another, there is provided means for locking the opposite ends of tubular members 30 at the corners of the container to bottom 14 and top 15. These comprise pins 84 best shown in FIG. 13. Thus the chamfered lower ends 40 of the posts 38 welded to the corners of top 15 are sized to have a snug telescopic fit within the upper ends of the four corner tubes 30. Both the posts and tubes 30 are provided with transverse bores to receive shouldered locking pins 84 inserted from the interior of the container and provided with cotter pins 85 or the like extending through pins 84 and into aligned holes in a bracket 86 secured to the side of tube 30. Likewise, posts 88 are welded to and project beyond the lower ends of members 30. Posts 88 and the tubular sockets 29 in the container bottom are provided with aligned holes to receive locking pins 84 identical with similar pins just described thereby locking pins 84 in assembled position. Both the smaller end and the shoulder of pins 84 are tapered or chamfered to facilitate insertion of the pins which, when installed have a close fit with the holes in tubes 24, 30 and posts 40 and 88. As will be evident, pins 84 in cooperation with the tubular members 30, serve to transmit the major portion of the weight of the container and its contents when channels 50 are used to lift the container.

Referring to FIG. 17, there is shown a second preferred embodiment of the smaller container wherein the same or similar components are designated by the same reference character as in FIGS. 1 through 16, but are distinguished therefrom by the addition of a prime. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment essentially in that the container top 15' is deeper and modified to incorporate the two channels 50' having the longitudinally extending slot 51' opening through its outer lateral side wall portion of top frame 32'. The posts 38' at the four corners of the top are substantially longer than in the first embodiment and have a portion of the outwardly facing sidewall of each notched to seat one of the channel members 50'. These posts are welded to the juxtaposed surfaces of the channel members as well as to all contiguous portions of the top frame. From the foregoing it will be evident that the upper channel members 50' are formed in one piece along the full length of each lateral side of the container top and are an integral part of the top rather than a part of the side wall and rear end wall panels as in the first embodiment.

FIG. 2 shows the principal parts of the container of the first embodiment disassembled and positioned for snug packaging in collapsed condition. The components are stacked as there shown and then strapped or otherwise suitably secured together in a compact bundle for transport to a place of reuse. The components of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 17 are adapted to be similarly packaged when not in use.

When readying one of the smaller containers for use, the operator removes the strapping and unstacks the components. One sidewall panel is then uprighted along one side of bottom 14 following which the rear panel and the other side panel are similarly uprighted and positioned along the rear and other side edge of the bottom. In each instance the posts 88 at the lower ends of these panels are inserted in sockets 29 at the corners of the bottom and several bolts 62 are inserted across the adjacent flanges of the respective panels to hold them in an upright position. The top 15 is then lifted into position and its posts 40 are lowered into the upper ends of the tubular members 30 of the three panels. The operator then proceeds to assemble each of the fastener bolts 62 and to tighten all snugly. Either before or after completing this operation the several locking pins 84 are inserted from the interior of the container and secure to them against disassembly by the insertion of the cotter pins 85. The final operation is to assemble each of the door panels 18 by supporting each in an open upright position and lowering their hinge pins 72 into the holes in the stationary hinge brackets 73.

The container is now in readiness to receive cargo and to have its doors locked closed by the extension of the two locking bars 75, into their respective sockets 79 to cam them snugly closed against their gaskets after which the padlocks are inserted and snapped closed as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. When the doors are closed the seals along all edges of the doors are held compressed by camming action of the locking bars 75 on sockets 79 and the entire container and its contents are weather tight and may be stored and shipped without risk of moisture reaching the cargo.

The loaded containers 12 and 12' are readily moved using conventional sling and grapple equipment having hooks engageable in channels 25 extending along the lower corners of the containers or within channels 50 extending along the upper lateral corners. During other than short hauls containers 12 will be loaded into bulk cargo containers 10 shown in FIG. 16 through its access doors 13. Movement of containers 12 into and out of these bulk containers is best accomplished using a specially constructed dolly, not shown, insertable through the open ends of channels 25. Such dollies are inserted while the chassis frame is in a lowered position out of contact with top surface 26 of channels 25. Once the dollies are in position, the chassis frame is securely elevated in engagement with the surfaces 26 whereupon the dolly is employed to move container 12 into or out of the main container 10.

While the particular method and apparatus for shipping and storing cargo herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the detail of construction or design herein shown other than as defined in the appended claims.