Receptacles – Sectional – Telescoping
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-29
2001-05-08
Castellano, Stephen (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
Sectional
Telescoping
C220S001500, C220S004280
Reexamination Certificate
active
06227397
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a container for a vessel whose height can be adjusted, and more particularly, to a variable height container for a vessel having mobile posts for adjusting the height thereof so that more freight can be easily shipped and the cost for carrying freight can be reduced.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a container for a vessel is a box used for containing freight and is manufactured according to the designated specifications so that it can be used in relation with various transportation methods. By using the container, shipping and discharging work can be mechanized, the cost for packaging can be reduced, and the possibility of theft can prevented. Also, as a number of containers can be piled up on a vessel, a large amount of freight can be transported at once on the sea.
There are many kinds of containers manufactured according to the type of freight such as a refrigerator container, a cold insulation container, a ventilation container, a bulk container, or a tank container in addition to a general dry container. In particular, to carry over-dimension freights such as steel, wood, or pipes and heavy freights such as machines, yachts, factory parts, or mechanical parts, a specially manufactured flat rack container is used. The flat rack container has the upper and lateral sides detached so that the weight of the containers piled up vertically is supported by only the four corner posts thereof.
An example of the conventional flat rack container is shown in FIG.
1
. As shown in the drawing, the conventional flat rack container
110
, in which the upper and lateral sides are detached, consists of a bottom plate
112
on which freight
1
is placed and four corner posts
114
vertically fixed at the four corners of the bottom plate
112
.
Each of the four corner posts
114
has a corner cast
118
formed on the top end thereof. Here, through holes are formed in the upper surface and side surfaces of the corner cast
118
to be hooked by a hook of a spreader
2
which is a container moving apparatus. Thus, when the container is moved, the flat rack container
110
which is directly coupled to the spreader
2
through hooking is lifted and moved by a crane (not shown) at a wharf to be placed on a vessel.
However, when freight contained in the flat rack container
110
is so lengthy in the height than the height of the post of the flat rack container
110
so that the top end of the freight contacts the spreader. Thus, the corner cast
118
is hindered from being hooked by the spreader
2
.
Accordingly, to carry the freight
1
placed in the conventional flat rack container
110
, as shown in
FIG. 1
, a wire rope
7
having a hook
6
installed at the end thereof is used. The hook
6
is hooked into the holes of the corner cast
118
and the container
110
is moved from a vessel. Alternatively, the flat rack container
110
and the freight
1
are separately moved on a vessel and then the freight
1
is loaded in the container
110
on a vessel.
Hence, in the case of the conventional flat rack container
110
, the cost for labor increases and the time for moving the freight is lengthened due to the above wire rope installation work or re-shipping process. Also, there is the possibility the freight in the container may fell out during movement thereof as the wire rope
7
sways and breaks due to the weight of the freight.
Also, as other containers cannot be loaded on and above the conventional flat rack container
110
loaded with high freight exceeding the height of the container as much as height OH, as shown in
FIG. 2
, the over-height container is restricted to be placed on top of the piled containers each having an identical specified container height H or on the bottom surface
4
of a vessel.
Therefore, according to the present transportation cost calculation method, a fee for the unused space S above the over-height container is unnecessarily included in the total cost. Also, as the space for such an over-height flat rack container is actually limited to the top portion of the piled containers, the conventional flat rack container
110
has to wait on the wharf until the appropriate space is prepared. Further, the number of containers to be transported are limited and the containers must be re-loaded at the next harbor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a variable height container for a vessel by which the spreader is directly coupled to the corner cast so that labor cost and the time for shipping can be considerably reduced and shipping work is performed safely.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a variable height container for a vessel by which other containers can be heaped on and above the same so that the cost for unnecessary space can be reduced, and of which the posts and can be folded so that the space for storing the container can be reduced.
Accordingly, to achieve the above objective, there is provided a variable height container for a vessel of which the upper side is open, which comprises a bottom plate where freight is placed, a plurality of fixed posts installed on the bottom plate, a mobile post installed at each of the fixed posts to be capable of moving up and down by being guide by the fixed post to adjust the height of the container, and a fixing means for fixing the mobile post to the fixed post so that the height of the mobile post can be fixed.
It is preferred in the present invention that the mobile post is piston-shaped and slides along the fixed post while a part thereof is inserted into spaced formed in the fixed post, the fixing means comprises a fixing pin concurrently penetrating a pin hole formed in the mobile post and a pin hole formed in the fixed post, and safety pins penetrating one end of the fixing pin to prevent the fixing pin from escaping from the pin holes.
It is preferred in the present invention that the mobile post is piston-shaped and slides along the fixed post while a part of the mobile post is inserted into a space formed in the fixed post, and the fixing means comprises a stopper installed at the mobile post to be capable of moving back and forth to be inserted into or escaped from a hooking groove formed in an inner wall of the fixing post, a cam assembly allowing the stopper to move back and forth while rotating, and a handle connected to the cam assembly for rotating the cam assembly.
Also, it is preferred in the present invention that the fixed post is hinge-coupled to the bottom plate to be capable of being folded, and a fixing means for fixing the position of the fixed post folded is installed at the bottom plate.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3459326 (1969-08-01), Betjemann
patent: 3591033 (1971-07-01), Partridge
patent: 4036361 (1977-07-01), Jacobson et al.
patent: 4714169 (1987-12-01), Keenan et al.
patent: 5370256 (1994-12-01), Fourie et al.
Castellano Stephen
Reed Smith Hazel & Thomas L
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