Material or article handling – Process – Of loading or unloading load-transporting type vehicle and...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-01
2002-04-30
Keenan, James W. (Department: 3652)
Material or article handling
Process
Of loading or unloading load-transporting type vehicle and...
C414S396000, C414S911000, C180S125000, C108S055300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06379107
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a pallet for transporting a heavy article like a steel material, contained in a transporting receptacle, such as a container. More particularly, the present invention relates to a pallet for a coil-shape heavy article for transporting a heavy article like a coiled steel plate in a transporting receptacle, for example, a container, that allows the cargo to be easily secured, prevents the cargo from being damaged, and reduces the cost, as well as being suitable to be moved by a carrying vehicle (particularly a levitation-type carrying vehicle).
Also the present invention relates to a carrying vehicle, and more particularly, to a carrying vehicle with which a heavy article can easily be introduced into a container without damaging the floor of the container.
Moreover, the present invention relates to a stage for introducing/discharging a heavy article to and from a transporting receptacle and a method of introducing/discharging a heavy article. More particularly, the present invention relates to a stage for introducing/discharging a heavy article to and from a transporting container to introduce a heavy article into a transporting receptacle (in particular, a container) mounted on a chassis by using a carrying vehicle or the like, a method of introducing a heavy article into a transporting receptacle, such as a container, mounted on a chassis and a method of discharging the heavy article from a transporting receptacle.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
A steel plate to be coiled for handling (hereinafter called as a “coil”) usually has a large weight (about 5-10 metric tons for overseas and about 10-30 metric tons for domestic areas) as compared with a cargo which is loaded/unloaded in a usual manner. Therefore, the coil is usually moved by a large forklift or suspended by a large crane or the like.
When the coils are sea-transported, the coils in a state of bulk cargoes are usually shipped on a conventional ship. In the transportation performed by the aforementioned method, each coil packed with the rust preventive paper or steel plates is loaded and unloaded as a unit.
However, the transport ship for transporting the bulk cargoes has been conventionally used for transporting a large quantity of cargoes at one time. Therefore, a vast space is required to temporarily store the transported cargoes in a large quantity. Moreover, operations, such as fixation (called “lashing”) of the cargoes, must be performed whenever the transporting means is changed.
Under the above-mentioned circumstance, containerized transportation of the coils has been required. If the cargoes are accommodated in containers so as to be transported, the cargoes are protected by the containers and, therefore, flaws can be reduced. Moreover, the time required to complete the shipping operation can be shortened because the cargoes are handled in units of the containers and the interest rate of the products can be lowered because the time required to transport the product can be shortened.
Any one of a variety of containers may be selected to meet the purpose. Among the various containers, dry containers are containers which are possessed in a largest number, the cost of each of which is the lowest and which can be made available very easily. The dry container exhibits satisfactory air tightness. If a low humidity can be maintained in the inside portion of the container when the container is tightly sealed, the low humidity can be maintained during tight sealing. Therefore, dew condensation is not generated in the coil, thus preventing formation of rust.
Since the dry container has an opening in the side surface thereof, the crane or the like for suspending and moving the cargo cannot introduce the coil into the dry container. As in the case where the large forklift capable of moving a heavy coil has a main body that is larger than the opening of the dry container. Therefore the coil cannot be introduced deeply into the dry container.
To solve the above-mentioned problem, flat containers having no ceiling and open-top containers having the ceilings which can be opened can be available. Since the above-mentioned containers have poor air tightness, outside moisture is undesirably introduced into the container. Therefore, close packing is required to prevent formation of rust. Moreover, the costs of the foregoing containers are higher than those of the dry containers. Since the foregoing containers do not exist in a sufficient number, the containers cannot easily be reserved. Moreover, the open-top containers usually encounter difficulty in opening the ceilings thereof as compared with the dry containers.
Even if the dry containers are employed, use of packing materials, such as wood, which easily contain water causes water in the packing material to be vaporized. As a result, vapor is condensed on the ceiling or the like, causing vapor to be dropped onto the coil. Therefore, rust is easily formed.
Since usual coils are held such that the axes of the coils are oriented horizontally, the coils are easily rolled. To prevent rolling, the coils are secured to the floor, walls or the like with ropes or wood members. The foregoing operation requires great labor and excessively long time.
When heavy articles, such as the steel-plate coils, are exported, the physical distribution of the heavy articles with the dry containers must follow the procedure below.
Initially, the heavy article is, by a forklift or the like, introduced into the dry container directly placed on the floor. Then, the container is lifted by a machine, such as a crane or a large forklift, which is capable of lifting the container, so as to be placed on a chassis (a car for carrying the container). Then, the chassis is transported to a marshalling yard (a portion in which containers having cargoes which must be shipped are placed).
If the heavy article, such as the coil, can directly be introduced into an empty transporting receptacle, such as a container, placed on the chassis, time required to complete the transportation and labor cost can greatly be saved.
Since the chassis has a suspension, the height of the floor of the dry container is, however, lowered whenever one heavy article is introduced into the dry container placed on the chassis. Therefore, a stepped portion is formed between the height of the floor of a container freight station on which the heavy articles, which must be introduced, are placed and the forklifts or the like run and the floor of the dry container. As a result, introduction of the heavy article by using the carrying vehicle, such as the forklift, which runs on the surface of the floor, cannot easily be performed.
The above-mentioned problem becomes critical as the diameter of each wheel of the carrying vehicle is reduced and the minimum road clearance is lowered. When the heavy article is introduced into the container by using the carrying vehicle, such as the forklift, the size of the carrying vehicle is limited to a size with which the carrying vehicle can be introduced into the container. Therefore, the minimum road clearance and the diameters of the wheels cannot be enlarged. The limitation of the size of the carrying vehicle may cause another problem of limiting the weight of the heavy article which can be introduced by the carrying vehicle.
In case of using the air-levitation-type carrying vehicle, the distance from the floor to the bottom surface of the carrying vehicle is rapidly changed when the carrying vehicle passes on the stepped portion. In such a case, there is the possibility that the bottom surface of the carrying vehicle is brought into contact with the floor.
Hitherto, the coil-shape thin plates are exported without using the container on the ground of the reason to be described later. In the foregoing case, each coil as a unit is loaded, unloaded and stored separately.
In order to prevent the flaw resulting from the lifting operation using a tongue, the flaw resulting from interference between cargoes, and rust formed during the transportation or in a
Aoki Tatuhiko
Itou Nobuaki
Iwasaki Nobuo
Tsuruta Kouichi
Keenan James W.
Toyota Steel Center Co., Ltd.
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