Receptacles – Freight containers
Patent
1983-03-16
1985-03-26
Pollard, Steven M.
Receptacles
Freight containers
220 4F, 220 6, B65D 8700
Patent
active
045067988
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention is related to a large sized container for shipping of consignments by rail or road, by sea or by air.
The use of shipping containers for transporting goods is nowadays a well established practice, and several millions of such containers are circulating throughout the world. The advantage of using containers is that a consignment can be despatched without requiring any handling on the way.
As a general rule, shipping containers are made in accordance with the prescriptions of the International Standard Organisation (ISO). They are usually designed to be lifted by their four upper corner components. Shipping containers normally have the following dimensions:
length: 20 ft., 30 ft. and 40 ft.
width: 8 ft.
height: 8 ft. and 8 ft. 6 in.
However, due to the complexity and the flow of international trade, returning the empty containers is both complicated and expensive. Attempts have already been made to reduce the problems associated with the return of empty containers by providing hinges between the side panels and the base: the side panels when released collapse against the base, thus reducing the size of the container. Such containers have been described for instance in the French Pat. Nos. 1,593,377 and 70.44.273, in the French Patent Application No. 76.12.282 and in the British Pat. Nos. 2,039,850 and 1,171,654. These containers however have a major drawback: the hinges are subject to corrosion, more particularly under the effect of salt laden air, when the containers are transported by ship. In such circumstances, these containers can rapidly be put out of service.
A shipping container has also been proposed (U.S. Pat. No. 3,401,814) the side panels of which can be entirely dismounted, but which has the disadvantage of being provided with corner posts to hold the side panels in position when the container is assembled. These corner posts when dismounted increase the height of the collapsed container and furthermore require some special means of attachment on the collapsed container. Also, it is difficult to confer to such containers when assembled and loaded the rigidity required to withstand the stresses to which they are submitted, when for instance, the vehicle on which they are transported accelerates, decelerates or stops.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a collapsible shipping container, which would not have the above mentioned defects associated with the containers presently known in the art, and which would be of minimal size when collapsed. The shipping container of the present invention is in accordance with the appended claims.
The drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and also a modification thereof.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the container when assembled.
FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view of the container when dismounted and the components packed together.
FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-section of the container in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a horizontal cross-section of one of the corners of the container in FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is a cross-section of the system used for affixing the side panels to the base.
FIG. 6 is a detailed view of the system used for fastening two dismounted containers together: a number of dismounted containers can be thus packed into a single unit.
FIG. 7 is a view of a portion of the back side of the container.
FIG. 8 is cross-section 8--8 of FIG. 7.
FIG. 9 is cross-section 9--9 of FIG. 7.
FIG. 10 is a detailed perspective view of the system used to fasten the front panel to the base.
FIG. 11 is a side view of an assembled container on the left, and a side view of six containers dismounted and packed into a single unit on the right; this unit has the same size as the assembled container on the left.
FIGS. 12 and 13 show an articulated fastening device related to a modification of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The container illustrated in FIG. 1 is of standard dimensions. This container comprises a base 1, two side panels 2 and 3, one front panel 4
REFERENCES:
patent: 3040925 (1962-06-01), Mills
patent: 3401814 (1968-09-01), Chiswell et al.
patent: 3403806 (1968-10-01), Pohl
patent: 3481503 (1969-12-01), Kloess et al.
patent: 3602388 (1971-08-01), Hurkamp
patent: 3684122 (1972-08-01), Bonomi
Pollard Steven M.
SCC Six-In-One Containers Co., S.A.
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