Freight accommodation on freight carrier – Particular article accommodation – On supporting on-and-off base
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-25
2004-09-21
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Freight accommodation on freight carrier
Particular article accommodation
On supporting on-and-off base
Reexamination Certificate
active
06793448
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a stacking apparatus for shipping containers and more specifically to a stacking apparatus which is adapted to improve the speed and ease with which the stacking can be carried out.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cargo containers for overland and marine freight handling are produced in various standard sizes, including, among others, containers of 20, 40, 45, 48 and 53 feet lengths, as well as 96 inch and 102 inch widths.
These containers are typically provided with mounting fixtures used in securing the containers with respect to various vehicles or other cargo containers. The mounting fixtures are positioned in standard arrangements on both the top and bottom of the containers. For example, a conventional I.S.O. (International Standards Organization) cargo container is 40 feet long and 96 inches wide, and includes mounting fixtures at each of the four upper and four lower corners of the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,027,291 issued on Feb. 22, 2000 to Sain et al. discloses a stacking apparatus for containers which is adapted to enable the secure vertical stacking of at least one row of side-by-side upper cargo containers on top of at least one row of side-by-side differently sized lower cargo containers. This apparatus comprises at least two size adaptive rails. Each of these rails has a plurality of upper and lower mounting fixtures connected thereto so that the rail can be interposed between two rows of upper and lower stacked containers wherein one of the upper or the lower rows of containers is different in size (e.g. width) from the other of the upper or the lower rows of containers. The content of this Patent is hereby incorporated by reference thereto in its entirety.
When loading containers onto a vessel, for example, the containers are picked up and lowered into position using cranes and a device known as a spreader. The spreader is a coupling device adapted to be carried by the crane and to seat on and seize a container. Once engaged by the spreader, the container is easily lifted and placed in position. U.S. Pat. No. 6,129,396 issued to Asada et al. on Oct. 10, 2000, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,663 issued to Hara et al. on Oct. 1, 1996, disclose examples of spreaders and their use. The content of these patents are hereby incorporated by reference.
The spreader is also used to pick up and place the size adaptive rails in position. Two rails are taken at a time. After having secured the pair of rails with the spreader, the crane operator moves them into position over an existing row of containers. The operator then lowers the rails into position so that mounting fixtures on the containers and the rails interconnect with each other.
However, influences such as winds, and pendulous swinging of the spreader and rails due to inertial influences and the like as the crane moves the rails toward the containers, makes it difficult to achieve this precise disposition of the rails in exactly the right position on top of a row of two or more containers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an adaptive rail arrangement which features guide members/features that facilitate the disposition of the rails in position on the upper sides of the aligned row of containers. The present invention is also directed to an adaptive rail arrangement which once in position on a row of containers is additionally/optionally equipped with guide members/features which facilitate the location and placement of the first of the next row of containers on top of the rails.
In one embodiment of the invention, the guide members take the form of corner guides which are provided at one end of each of the rails. As the rails closely approach the tops of a row of containers, the corner guides “cup” the corner of the endmost container of the row. These corner guides are provided with angled surfaces which, once engagement occurs, continuously force and guide the rails toward the required position as they are lowered into place.
With this positioning, the mounting fixtures on the lower side of the rails are aligned and positioned to mate with the mounting fixtures formed on the upper side of the containers onto which they have been lowered. Thus, as the adaptive rails are lowered onto the top of the underlying containers, the connection features engage in one another and enable the adaptive rails to be locked in the appropriate position.
A further embodiment of the invention provides guide skirts on the rails. These can be provided in addition to the corner guides, or used independently. By way of example, in the event that the row of containers onto which the rails are to be lowered span the full width of a container ship, it will be necessary to use a plurality of “pairs” of rails for that row. For example, assume that three rails, placed end to end, are necessary to span each upper edge of the row. The rail in the middle cannot be provided with a corner guide because of interference with the side-by-side placement of the containers. In this instance, side skirts alone can be used on the middle or intermediate rails to facilitate their placement.
A further embodiment of the invention resides in top guide members. One of these guide members is disposed on top of each of the rails that is located over the endmost container of the underlying row of-containers. These top guide members are disposed inwardly of the terminal ends of the rails and are located so as to guide the endmost container of the next row of containers (viz., the row to be disposed on top of the rails) into position. These top guide members have angled surfaces which engage a lower edge of the descending container and force it to move to a position wherein connection features on the lower side of the container become aligned with connection features provided on the upper side of the rails ensuring the appropriate penetration when the container seats on the uppers sides of the adaptive rails.
The above mentioned connection features include both elongate openings and twist lock connectors. The twist lock connectors are devices which extend into the openings and have lock members which can be rotated through 90° and lock the rails and containers together. In that these twist lock devices are well known in the art to which this invention is applicable, no specific description will be given. Reference, however, may be had to U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,227 issued in the name of Hove on Oct. 8, 2002, or U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,743 issued to Metternich on May 21, 2002 for description of such devices. The content of these patents is hereby incorporated by reference.
More specifically, a first aspect of the present invention resides in a method of stacking containers comprising the steps of: forming a first row of first containers; guiding rails to selected positions on opposite edges of the first row of first containers; interconnecting connection features on the rails to connection features on the containers of the first row of first containers; laying a second row of second containers on the rails; and interconnecting connection features on the rails to connection features on the containers of the second row of second containers. The two interconnecting steps can be carried out simultaneously.
In the above method, the step of guiding may comprises the steps of: providing a downwardly depending outwardly flared corner guide at one end of each of the rails; lowering the rails toward the first row of first containers; engaging the corner guides on the rails with corners of an endmost container of the first row of first containers; using the corner guides to force the rails to the preselected portions wherein engagement features on the first row of first containers mate with connection features on the rails on the first row of first containers as the rails continue to be lowered down onto the first row of first containers.
Alternatively, the step of guiding may comprise the steps of: providing a downwardly depending outwardly flared skirt along at le
Dayoan D. Glenn
Foley & Lardner LLP
Gutman H.
ITL Technologies, Inc.
LandOfFree
Adaptive rails for stacking/securing different sized... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Adaptive rails for stacking/securing different sized..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Adaptive rails for stacking/securing different sized... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3253430