AU621653B2 - Creation of Inventions and Patents with Artificial Intelligence

AU621653B2 – Collapsible shipping container
– Google Patents

AU621653B2 – Collapsible shipping container
– Google Patents
Collapsible shipping container

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Publication number
AU621653B2

AU621653B2
AU40791/89A
AU4079189A
AU621653B2
AU 621653 B2
AU621653 B2
AU 621653B2
AU 40791/89 A
AU40791/89 A
AU 40791/89A
AU 4079189 A
AU4079189 A
AU 4079189A
AU 621653 B2
AU621653 B2
AU 621653B2
Authority
AU
Australia
Prior art keywords
container
wall
walls
skirting
base
Prior art date
1988-08-23
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)

Expired

Application number
AU40791/89A
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AU4079189A
(en

Inventor
Frank Michael Fisk
Geoffrey Raymond Richter
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)

EUBERT Co Ltd

Original Assignee
EUBERT Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
1988-08-23
Filing date
1989-08-18
Publication date
1992-03-19

1989-08-18
Application filed by EUBERT Co Ltd
filed
Critical
EUBERT Co Ltd

1989-08-18
Priority to AU40791/89A
priority
Critical
patent/AU621653B2/en

1990-03-23
Publication of AU4079189A
publication
Critical
patent/AU4079189A/en

1992-03-19
Application granted
granted
Critical

1992-03-19
Publication of AU621653B2
publication
Critical
patent/AU621653B2/en

2001-02-15
Assigned to IMALCO CONTAINERS PTE LTD
reassignment
IMALCO CONTAINERS PTE LTD
Alteration of Name(s) in Register under S187
Assignors: FISK, FRANK MICHAEL, RICHTER, GEOFFREY RAYMOND

2001-03-29
Assigned to EUBERT COMPANY LIMITED
reassignment
EUBERT COMPANY LIMITED
Alteration of Name(s) in Register under S187
Assignors: IMALCO CONTAINERS PTE LTD

2009-08-18
Anticipated expiration
legal-status
Critical

Status
Expired
legal-status
Critical
Current

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Description

i OPI DATE 23/03/90 APPLN- ID 40791 89 AOJP DA6 2 4 0 P N ER PCT/AU89/00354 INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHE UNDER PE P NT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT) (51) International Patent Classification 4 (11) International Publication Number: WO 90/02084 6/18, 19/12, 88/52 Al (43) International Publication Date: 8 March 1990 (08.03.90) (21) International Application Number: (22) International Filing Date: Priority data: PI 9983 23 Augus PCT/AU89/00354 18 August 1989 (18.08.89) ;t 1988 (23.08.88) (81) Designated States: AT, AT (European patent), AU, BB, BE (European patent), BF (OAPI patent), BG, BJ (OAPI patent), BR, CF (OAPI patent), CG (OAPI patent), CH, CH (European patent), CM (OAPI patent), DE, DE (European patent), DK, FI, FR (European patent), GA (OAPI patent), GB, GB (European patent), HU, IT (European patent), JP, KP, KR, LK, LU, LU (European patent), MC, MG, ML (OAPI patent), MR (OAPI patent), MW, NL, NL (European patent), NO, RO, SD, SE, SE (European patent), SN (OAPI patent), SU, TD (OAPI patent), TG (OAPI patent), US.
Published ith international search report.
(71X72) Applicants and Inventors: RICHTER, Geoffrey, Raymond [AU/AU]; 17 Binnea Street. Coolum Beach, QLD 4573 FISK, Frank, Michael [AU/AU]; 35 Pleasant Drive, Albany Creek, QLD 4035 (AU).
(74) Agents: HALIDAY, Ronald, A. et al.; G.R. Cullen Co., G.P.O. Box 1074, Brisbane, QLD 4001 (AU).
(54) Title: COLLAPSIBLE SHIPPING CONTAINER A131
K.
4 43/ (57) Abstract A collapsible box-type, water-proof shipping container comprising pivoting end walls and bifolding side walls. The end walls pivot inwardly of the container to lie on its base and the side walls fold longitudinally to lie on top of the end walls. The end walls and side walls are completely enclosed within the base structure when collapsed, and the top wall completely seals the side and end walls from the exterior. The collapsed container takes up a volume approximately one quarter of that of the fully erected container and may be locked in its collapsed state. Provision is also made for locking to other containers above and below it.
i i_ i i Li r ii I WVV YWUi’uu 1 PCT/AU89/00354 COLLAPSIBLE SHIPPING CONTAINER FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to containers for the transportation of cargo and bulk material and is particularly concerned with an improved form of collapsible container.
The invention will be described with reference to shipping containers as these are the principal type of containers to which the invention has applicability, however it will be readily appreciated that containers for various uses on land or air may equally well incorporate such improvements; the reference to shipping containers merely being by way of exemplification and simplification of description.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART The transportation of empty containers, as well as their handling and stowage, causes particular problems on board ships as well as on land, and this all adds significantly to overall freight costs. The handling and stowage of empty containers on ships can result in stability and safety complications, and congestions at cargo loading/unloading facilities on the wharf can be significantly increased thereby adding to the turn-around time for shipping. Costs are incurred in transportation whether by ship, land or air due to the same volume of space being taken up as for a full container, and the stowage of empty containers at a depot is no less expensive than the stowage of full containers.
SUBSTITUTE SHEET WO 90/02084 PCr/AU89/0035 4 2 It can be seen from all ti~dse factors that it is in the shipping industry’s interest to have a container which, between the time of transportation of cargo or bulk material, can be reduced in volume and which can easily be handled in such a state. To this end, many forms of collapsible shipping containers have been proposed during recent years, and a selection of the most pertinent prior art is embodied in the following patent specifications: US 3398850, US 3529741, US 3570698, ‘US 3765556, US 3796342, US 4177907, US 4214669, US 4388995, US 4577772 and AU-A-68129/87.
There are, however, a number of problems with all these prior art containers and they therefore have not generally been endorsed by the shipping industry. One major problem is that the containers are not waterproof and the fittings are subject to high rates of rusting. Such rusting is particularly apparent when the containers are in a collapsed state since there is generally no external sealing of the interiors and hinges from the elements. Another major problem is that the inclusion of folding parts results in a considerably weakened structure and the containers do not adequately meet the rigid industry requirements.
Furthermore, containers which appear at first instance to be quite satisfactory are found to be insufficient in withstanding the rough treatment that they are habitually subjected to and after a short time are worthless.
A still further problem with a number of the prior I-i t WO 90/02084 PCU/AU89/00354 3 art containers is that they include a number of separable components which invariably are lost or damaged thereby giving rise to substantial inconvenience and delay.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to provide a collapsible container which obviates or at least minimises the aforementioned disadvantages.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a low cost cola apsible container or, at least, one which falls within the cost structures of the majority of freight industry companies.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible container which meets ISO freight container specifications.
Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible container which has a rigid base construction which counteracts distortion and is of lightweight construction.
The foregoing and other objects of the invention will be fully understood from the following summary and detailed description of the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, there is provided a collapsible box container having a base, two end walls, a top wall and two side walls; said base comprising a rigid reinforced rectangular structure with two opposing <1 WO 90>t, to engage with an appropriate retainer in a cavity formed in the base of a corner post, when the engaging peg is rotated. Rotation of the engaging peg is enabled by a sliding lever which projects a short distance from a curved slotted groove in an outwardly facing side wall of the upper plinth section. The main function of the engaging peg is to prevent lateral movement of the corner post.
In order to enable the end walls to pivot off their associated plinths, suitable hinge rings or the like i I 2 :II -I i WO 90/02084 PCr/AU89/00354 9 are welded adjacent to the inwardly pivoting sides of the posts. Preferably, two hinge rings are welded at the upper intersection of an outer reinforcing base member and the bottom of the upper section of the plinth.
The bottom most portions of the lower sections of the plinths are arranged to extend a short distance below the reinforcing members defining the perimeter of the container in order to ensure that the container is raised from the support surface on which it rests.
When the base has fewer than four fixed skirting walls, the removable walls which are required to make up the number of walls to four may be accommodated in grooved channels. formed by a J-profile or like edging welded to the vertical facing sides of opposing plinths. This construction permits the sliding panel or panels to be readily placed in a vertical location between the opposing fixed skirting walls when the container is collapsed to ensure sealing of the interior from the elements. Surety of sealing may be guaranteed by appropriate placement of rubber strips in the support edging. The sliding panel or panels may be stored beneath the container when the container is erected, in similar arooved channels formed by metal profile extending along the bottom surfaces of opposite edge-defining reinforcing members.
Apart from providing a simple base for the container and a water-tight compartment for all wall L- _i -1 -I I II WO 90/02084 PCT/AU89/00354 components, the base structure is designed so as to transfer the load on the floor to the outer reinforced edge and thereby reduce stress and deformation. The metal panels are suitably formed in such a manner as to carry maximum load for the minimum material weight by taking advantage of metal pressing techniques employed in the automotive industry.
The end walls each comprise a rigid reinforced structure including integral side posts of box iron construction which form the corner posts of the erected container and act as load transmitting points when containers are stacked one on top of another. The side posts include an inner facing pivoting arrangement located on the lowermost section to permit pivoting of the end walls inwardly of the container. This pivoting arrangement may take the form of an angle-iron profile extending from the base of each post wherein the faces of the profile are co-planar with the adjacent sides of the post. A reinforcing spacing bar will suitably extend between such angle-iron profiles on the same end wall at the bottom thereof.
The inwardly facing surface of the angle-iron profile, that is, the surface which is directed towards the i opposite end of the container, is provided with a lug or lugs for alignment between or about the hinge rings formed in t container base. A cylindrical passageway in each lug permits alignment with the hinge rings through which a pivot pin is inserted.
i oli
N
WO 90/02084 PCT/AU89/00354 11 Other conventional pivoting arrangements may equally well be used however it has been found that the above described arrangement is particularly rigid and is not affected by the harsh treatment that shipping containers are put to.
The top reinforcing member of the end wall is conveniently of box-iron construction and extends between the side posts, above their uppermost heights, that is, it does not extend to the outer side edges of the posts. The reason for this is to enable the top wall corner fixing blocks to be firmly accommodated and retained on the top of the posts in the manner to be hereinafter described. Right angle joining plates may conveniently be welded to the inner upper corner of the side walls to provide additional strengthening as well as to ensure adequate sealing. The inner facing surfaces of such plates also pr.”vide suitable locations for the placement of rubber pads to cushion the end walls when they are lowered into the base.
Accommodating lugs are preferably formed on the outwardly facing sides of the corner posts, that is, the sides containing the outer planes of the end walls, for the purpose of providing attachment means for the side walls, as is also described hereinafter.
The faces of the end walls will be constructed according to whether they are intended to function as doorways for loading and unloading the container or whether -r i i container and which are supported by said plinths and locked thereto by keying elements located within the plinths, said side post;3 also including an inner facing pivoting arrangement to permit pivoting of the end walls inwardly of the container; said top wall comprising a rectangular will therefore be described.
most preferably in a diagonal fashion. Such bracing members ,may be flat steel strip, angle iron or the like, which is WO 90/02084 PCT/AU89/00354 welded to each post. Pressed metal panelling may then be they are intended as fixed walls. Obviously there must be at leat one doorway and both fixed and doorway constructionf necessary, a customs will therefore be described.
A fixed wall construction will preferably include suitable bracing members extending between opposite posts, most preferably in a diagonal fashion. Such bracing members may be flat steel strip, angle iron or the like, which is welded to each post. Pressed metal panelling may then be welded to the exterior facing side of the wall to provide any totally sealed construction. If necessary, a customs inspection section which incorporates a removable panel arranged as previously described in connection with the base, may be incorporate in the lowermost portion of the end wall.
A doorway arrangement in the endwall may assume any one of a number of conventional constructions. One preferred construction comprises two outwardly opening doors which take up the entire endwall opening between the side posts and an upper lintel and a lower step. Each door is suitably hinged along a vertical edge to an adjacent post and can be locked to the lintel and the step by conventional push-bar locks.
The top wall comprises a rectangular reinforced j structure which includes forklift tyne pockets and a fixing block at each corner. Each fixing block is adapted for accommodating in the recess formed between the top of a corner post in an end wall and the adjacent horizontal lintel or reiiforcing member in the top of the end wall. The fixing WO 90/02084 PCT/AU89/00354 13 block will generally oomprise a hollow housing with openings to enable securement by conventional locking means contained therein to the base of another container. In addition, an opening in the inwardly facing side of the fixing block enables alignment with a lug projecting into the aforementioned recess from the corner post.
In one embodiment, the fixing blocks include a lower depending section which has one or more openings and which is adapted for accommodation within the confines of the associated plinth. Alignment of the opening or openings in the depending section ‘with matching openings in the wall of the plinth enable a key or pin to be inserted to thereby lock the top wall to the plinth when the container has been collapsed.
The perimeter of the top wall is preferably formed from angle iron so it can snugly fit over the side and end walls. For additional securement, recesses may be formed in the depending edge of the angle iron perimeter, which co-act with lugs formed in the adjacent top reinforcing member of the end walls. Alternatively, J-angle steel edging is welded to the lower depending perimeter of the top wall to provide ~the requisite seal with the side walls of the erected container and the base structure when collapsed. This edging may include a resiliently deformable elastomeric strip to aid in weatherproofing.
The forklift tyne pockets are preferably box The forklift tyne pockets are preferably box _i i r i 43 (57) Abstract i A collapsible box-type, water-proof shipping container comprising pivoting end walls and bifolding side walls. The end walls pivot inwardly of the container to lie on its base and the side walls fold longitudinally to lie on top of the end walls. The end j walls and side walls are completely enclosed within the base structure when collapsed, and the top wall completely seals the side and end walls from the exterior. The collapsed container takes up a volume approximately one quarter of that of the fully erected i container and may be locked in its collapsed state. Provision is also made for locking to other containers above and below it.
WO 90/02084 PC/AU89/0035 4 14 section steel of the same type as in the base, which are welded between the angle iron perimeters in a similar symmetrical arrangement to those in the base. This provides a very rigid, lightweight structure, however additional reinforcing members may be welded in place if extra strength is required for any particular purpose.
The top wall is preferably finished with pressed metal sections which are welded between the reinforcing members to provide a’weather-tight seal. The profile of the metal sections will be chosen so as to produce the greatest strength characteristics and may, for instance, comprise a plurality of parallel corrugations.
Each side wall comprises two rigid reinforced rectangular structures which are longitudinally hinged to each other. The free longitudinal edges are hinged respectively to the inner edge of an adjacent skirting wall and to the longitudinal edge of the top wall. The two rectangular structures which constitute each side wall are preferably identical to one another which, in effect, means that each componentry structure in the container is interchangeable with another. Such identity of structure clearly means reduced costs in building the container and low cost repair should one of the componentry structures become damaged and need replacement.
The rectangular wall structures are hinged toi enable a bifolding action so that upon folding, the upper i being taken up as for a full container, and the stowage of empty containers at a depot is no less expensive than the stowage of full containers.
SUBSTITUTE 8HEET WO 90/02084 PCr/AU89/00354 wall structure folds down and lies over the lower wall structure within the confines of the base of the container.
Hinges capable of enabling such an action are well known.
One preferred form of hinge comprises a three part construction. The one part comprises an eyed flange with cut-outs on one longitudinal edge of the upper wall structure. A similar eyed flange is formed on the upper longitudinal edge of the lower structure, and the third part comprises a metal connector piece having tubular openings which align with the cut-outs in the eyed flanges. Hinge pins are inserted into the eyed flanges and connect each wall structure to the metal connector piece.
The hinges connecting the wall structures to the top wall and skirting wall are also of conventional design.
Ideally, the pins employed are non-corroding to reduce maintenance.
The rectangular wall structures are preferably fabricated from flat plate steel members whiich outline their peripheries, and which are interconnected with an appropriate ii number of flat metal braces. Suitably, such braces extend from the region where the hinges are located to give extra strength to the sidewall sections were it is most needed and where most stress is likely to occur during collapsing and erecting the container.
Angle iron members are preferably welded to each end of each rectangular wall structure for the purpose of i
‘S
1 withstanding the rough treatment that they are habitually subjected to and after a short time are worthless.
A still further problem with a number of the prior WO 90/02084 pCI/AU89/0035 4 16 overlapping the corner posts and being retained thereagainst.
One method of ensuring such retention is to provide openings in the overlapping angle iron members which fit over nubs formed down the edge of the corner posts. The nubs may comprise part of a wedging locking system to enable positive locking and also to enable the compression of the corner post and sidewall together to form a waterproof seal. Ideally, the wedging consists of a sliding action to ensure fast convenient locking and added strength for any additional lifting or movement of the corner section.
The angle iron members enable the container to be weatherproofed. If necessary, a rubber gasket is located in the corner section to ensure such weathertightness and also for the purpose of acting as a shock absorber for any movement of the wall.
The side walls are completed by pressed steel panels welded between the opposing longitudinal flat plate steel members. These panels may be suitably profiled if necessary to provide added strength to the structure.
Preferably, a sealing flap is provided on the inner side of each side wall which overlaps the longitudinal hinging region between the componentry structures. Depending on the material from which the sealing flap is fabricated, it may, if suitably rigid, also act as a wall strengthening member or base. The functions of the sealing flap are thus primarily to keep water or other foreign objects from The ngl iro mebersenale te cntaier o b ~1 i.
provided a collapsible box container having a base, two end walls, a top wall and two side walls; said base comprising a rigid reinforced rectangular structure with two opposing I I i 1 WO 90/02084 PCT/AU89/00354 17 entering the container while acting to provide some additional strengthening to the wall section. Such a flap is therefore ideally fabricated from pressed metal and. is profiled to snugly fit over the hinging region when the side walls are erected. To this end, the lower longitudinal edge of the sealing flap may be permanently fixed to the upper region of the lower side wall structure and may be retained firmly against the lower region of the upper side wall structure by suitable clip means or the like. This construction mitigates any possibility of distortion of the side walls caused by the shifting of loads within the container, and also permits the side wall structures to fold back-to-back without stressing the hinges of the wall.
Another feature of the sealing flap is that it ensures the side wall is maintained upright during erection of the container by the said clip means being located at arm’s reach within the container close to the ends. This also acts as a safety feature as it is not necessary to enter the container when it is in a semi-erected state.
In order to collapse a container constructed in accordance with the preceding description, the top wall is fractionally raised by inserting the tynes of a forklift into the forklift tyne pockets therein. This action unseats the t top wall from the corner posts enabling each end wall to be lowered inwardly of the container after unlocking the base of the posts from their plinths and disengaging the front and ii: V
-I
i 4 SLace-o-ace sections lying within the skirting wall and so that the -adjacent perimeter of the top wall is substantially coplanar with the outer sides of the skirting WO 90/02084 PCT/AU89/00354 18 rear wedging arrangement. The clip means which retain the sealing flaps are then undone and the top wall is lowered toward the base. until it rests on the skirting wall. The front container viewing panel is removed from its housing below the container and inserted into its vertical housing and the plinths are locked to the corner fixing blocks in the top wall. The container is now completely collapsed and may be stacked onto another container and locked thereto by the keying mechanism in ‘the corner fixing block of the other container and the base of the plinth in the container being stacked. In this manner, a pile of containers may be stacked together.
Unstacking and erection of the containers may be carried out in a reverse sequence of steps.
The total time required to erect or collapse a container employing two people and one machine is approximately five minutes.
The structure of the container is such that when erected it is structurally capable of being used in a manner similar to a rigid non-collapsing type container without any special lifting, loading or transportation techniques required.
The container may be designed to collapse within a space one quarter of the erected container height and volume, thereby providing an extremely economical unit for storage or re-transportation to a cargo pick-up area.
tact, most manually performed loading and unloading.
The skirting walls may be fabricated from flat metal plate and welded to the outer edges of the reinforcing I u II (i m m 1 WO 90/02084 PCr/AU89/00354 19 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a perspective view of collapsible container according to the present invention, in an erected state with a cut-away section to reveal some of the internal structure; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the container of Figure 1 with all wall panelling removed except for a section of the top wall and side wall; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the base of the container of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a close-up view of a corner section of the base of Figure 3; Figure 5 is an end-on perspective view of the plinth shown in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a perspective cut-away of the corner section of Figure Figure 7 is a perspective view of a closed end wall of the container of Figure 1; Figure 8 is a close-up perspective view of another pivoting system which may be incorporated in the present invention; Figure 9 is a close-up perspective view of a further pivoting system which may be incorporated in the 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 v M 1 ‘t 1 1 1 1 1 1 t q .S 1 between the shortest sides of the base for additionai strength.
The spaces between the various metal reinforcing i1 I I I~
F.
PCr/AU89/003 54 WO 90/02084 present invention; Figure 10 is a close-up perspective view of a still further pivoting system which may be incorporated in the present invention; Figure 11 is a perspective view of the door end wall of the container of Figure 1, showing one door in position; Figure 12 is a perspective end view of the door end of the container base illustrating a pivoting arrangement for the container of Figure 1; Figure 13 is a perspective view of the top wall of the container of Figure 1, with two metal panels omitted for clarity of corner detail; Figure 14 is a perspective view of a corner of the top wall of Figure 13, viewed from below; Figure 15 is a perspective cutaway view of a corner of Figure 14; u Figure 16 is a perspective view of a side wall of Figure 1 viewed from the inside; Figure 17 is a partial exploded perspective enlarged view of the side wall of Figure 16; Figure 18 is an end view of the hinge illustrated in Figure 17; Figure 19 is an external side view of the container of Figure 1; Figure 20 is a partial perspective view of the door LI i -Li-i_ ii;i-~l: ill I i reinforcing members.
It is also envisaged that the reinforced base structure have one or more plane sheet metal panels welded to I 1 WO 90/02084 PCT/AU89/00354 21 end of the container of Figure 1; Figure 21 is an enlarged perspective view of a wedge/peg lock shown in Figure 12; Figure 22 is a further enlarged perspective view of the arrangement of Figure 21 showing an engaged state; Figure 23 is an enlarged perspective view of a system of interlocking the base to the top side; Figure 24 is an enlarged perspective view of a further system of interlocking the base to the top side; Figure 25 is an enlarged perspective view of a still further system of interlocking the base to the top side; Figure 26 is a perspective view of the container of Figure 2 in a semi-collapsed state; Figure 27 is a perspective view of four collapsed containers of the type illustrated in Figure i, in stacked arrangement; Figure 28 is a sectionalized view of a collapsed stacked container as illustrated in Figure 27 with a lower pin in a stowed location; and Figure 29 is a sectionalized view similar to Figure 28 but with the lower pin locked into a container below.
In all the drawings, like items are referenced by the same numerals. Referring firstly to Figure 1, the collapsible container comprises a base 10, end walls 11, 12, side walls 14 and a top wall 15. The container
K
post.
In order to enable the end walls to pivot off their associated plinths, suitable hinge rings or the like f~t r,
I
’11i i~d
II
PC/AU89/00354 WO 90/02084 22 illustrated in this and subsequent drawings has a doorway 16 in the end wall 11 and is closed at endwall 12 see Figure 2) The container is fabricated from a plurality of rigid reinforcing members as illustrated in Figure 2. These are described in detail in subsequent drawings.
Referring specifically to Figure 3 but also to Figure 2, the base comprises a rectangle defined by eight box steel members 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37; two tyne locatin ockets 38, 39; and four corner plinths 40, 41, 42, 43. These elements are all welded together in a rigid structure. Extending upwardly from three sides are skirting walls 44, 45, 46 (the near one, 46, being indicated by a dotted lead line as only a small section has been illustrated so that the underlying structure can be clearly seen). The upper edge of the skirting wall has a J-channel iron section 4 welded to it and this section is lined on its inwardly facing surface with a rubber seal. The J-channel section is additionally supported by a plurality of equally spaced braces 47 extending upwardly from the box steel members. The space between the reinforcing members is accommodated by pressed steel plates 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53 to provide further strength to the structure.
The corner plinths 40, 41, 42, 43 are illustrated in more detail in Figures 4, 5, and 6, to which reference is now primarily made. Each plinth comp.ises a hollow metal ii .j r reinforcing members.
Apart from providing a simple base for the container and a water-tight compartment for all wall Ig ~I l WO 90/02084 PC/AU89/00354 casting including a cubical casing 54 in its lower portion and a semi-cylindrical housing 55 in its upper portion. The cubical casings raise the base of the container from its resting surface as can be seen in Figure 4.
The semi-cylindrical housing 55 has an upper chamber 56 ‘(see Figures 28 and 29) and a lower chamber 57.
The upper chamber includes a substantially flat outer surface 58 on which a corner post of the container is adapted to bear when the container is erected, and an opening 59 for a locking pin 60 of an adjacent top wall fixing block to extend therethrough for locking purposes (to be hereinafter described in more detail). The lower chamber 57 accommodates a securing pin 61 which extends into the cubical casing 54.
The securing pin has enlarged heads 62, 63 on opposite ends which may be manipulated through correspondingly shaped openings 64, 65 in the cubical casing and interlocked with a container upon which it rests by rotation of the pin 61 about its axis. Manipulation and rotation of the pin 61 is effected by means of a lever 66 which is connected to the head 62 of the pin and projects from the semi-cylindrical housing by way of a slotted groove 67. A sleeve is also provided within the semi-cylindrical housing for the purpose of guiding the pin between its two locations and to prevent lateral movement. Such sleeves have been omitted from the drawings to avoid confusion in the illustrations.
The inner facing edge 68 of the plinth includes pi _1 container base. A cylindrical passageway in each lug permits alignment with the hinge rings through which a pivot pin is inserted.
WO 90/02084 PCT/AU89/00354 24 numbs 69 to assist the rigid securement of the corner post to the plinth as hereinafter described, and hinge rings 1 and 2, are welded at the base of the semi-cylindrical housing for the door hinging mechanism.
Referring to Figure 7, the endwall comprises two posts 70, 71 of box steel separated by a top reinforcing member 72 of box steel and a bottom bar 73. Reinfczcing struts 74, 75, 76 of flat iron strengthen the endwall from distortion and a pressed steel panel 77 of vertically ribbed profile, is welded over the surface except for the bottom region 78 which is open as this is located within the end skirting wall 45 (see Figure Threaded holes 79 are provided for in reinforcing strut 76 for the purpose of connecting the endwall hard against the end skirting wall by means of bolts 80 but these are not generally required as frictional contact is usually sufficient.
The posts 70, 71 are adapted to rest on the adjacent plinths in the base on flat surfaces 81, 82 when the endwall is erected.
Wedge shaped blocks 83, 84 permit pivoting of the endwall inwardly of the container. These wedge blocks are formed on an extension of the posts 70, 71 and are adapted to extend down the inner side of each associated plinth. The extensions on which the wedge blocks are formed are right angle steel sections. Openings 85, 86 accommodate hinge pins 87, 88 which enable the wedge blocks to be hingedly connected th lnhashriatr eciean ig igs1ad2 I ae wlde atthebas ofthesem-cyindica hosin fo -i i I The faces of the end walls will be constructed according to whether they are intended to function as doorways for loading and unloading the container or whether WO 90/02084 PCT/AU89/00354 between the hinge rings 1,2 in the base.
Corner strengthening and sealing plates 89, 90 are welded to the top corners of the endwall and rubber pads 91, 92 are fixed thereto for the purpose of cushioning the endwall when it is lowered into the base.
In order to provide a more positive locking of the posts 70, 71 to their plinths, the alternative locking mechanisms illustrated in Figures 8, 9 or 10 may be employed.
These mechanisms include a tongue member 94, 95, 96 formed as an extension of the flat surfaces 81, 82 of the posts, which engage in complementary shaped recesses in the top of the plinths. Upon engagement, such tongue members are locked to the plinths by pins 97, 98, 99 which pass through aligned openings 100, 101, 102; 103, 104; 105, 106 in the walls of the plinths and in the tongue members.
Referring to Figure 11, the end wall containing the doorway comprises two upright posts 110, 111 of box section with lower extending angle sections 112, 113. The rear lower angle sections also include wedge shaped pivots similar to the closed end wall. A lintel 114 of box section and a step 115 also of box section extend between the posts to provide a rigid structure. The structure includes right angular bracing plates 116, 117.
The pivoting arrangement for this end wall is substantially the same as for the rear closed wall, however the arrangement for achieving this is slightly modified as _I 1: corner post in an end wall and the adjacent horizontal lintel or reinforcing member in the top of the end wall. The fixing r j r
Z
ij r
B
i:t ~i ja j
I;I:
Ee a:~ x.
-Ii* WO 90/02084 pC/AU89/00354 shown in Figure 12. Here the wledge shaped pivots see item 218) are formed as flanges in the extension of the post side walls. Additionally, an opening 219 is.formed in the base of each post so that the locking pin in the plinth can be inserted therein to provide additional rigidity.
Reverting back to Figure 11, the door comprises a rectangular metal panel 118 hinged to each post 110 and 111 (the later not being illustrated as it is the same) by conventional hinges’ 19 (only one of which is showrn). A pull-bar locking system locks the door to the lintel 114 and step 115, Figure 1 3 illusu straate s the top wall of the container. This comprises eight lengths of angle iron 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127 welded together with two box iron tyne pockets 128, 129 and four fixing blocks 130, 131, 132, 133 to form a rigid rectangular structure. The spaces between the reinforcing members are filled in with pressed metal panels, one of which, viz 134, is illustrated.
These panels are welded in place to ensure an internal waterproof and distortion resisting structure. The periphery of the top wall includes a i-channel iron section 200 welded to its periphery and lined on its inwardly facing surface with a r iubber seal 201 (see Figures 14, 28, 29). The corner blocks are cast steel hollow housings which are adapted for locking to the plinths when the container is collapsed as well as to another container when placed on top of it. One may IniU.UUfe a LIb.L.e.L iLL.J.Y Lj.iLi.jIIICIC LIIL o L= aU in weatherproofing.
The forklift tyne pockets are preferably box iM WO 90/02084 PCT/AU89/00354 27 of these is illustrated in more detail in Figure 14 and.
internally, in Figure Openings 135 are provided along the front and rear edges of the top wall for the purpose of inter-locking with lugs 136 formed on the adjacent lintel 114 and top reinforcing member 72 of the end walls.
Reference will now be made to Figures 16, 17, 18 and 19 which show the side walls and their hinging arrangements.
Each side wall comprises two rigid rectangular structures 140, 141 hinged longitudinally together. The structures are formed from flat metal strip 142, 143 connected by end angle iron member 144, 145 and metal braces 146, 147. Infills are provided by profile metal sheeting 148 as shown clearly in Figur 1 .9.
The jointing hinge between the side wall structures comprises eyed flanges 149, 150 on adjoining edges and an eyed metal connector piece 151 hingedly connected to each flange by means of pins 152, 153.
A sealing flap 154 of metal profile, is connected by means of bolts 155 to the eyed flange 150 so that it will push hard against the hinge joint when the wall is erected as shown in Figure 18. A catch 156 enables securement of the sealing flap to the flange 149. The catch may be manually rotated in order to release the sealing flap when the sidewall is to be collapsed.
The rectangular wall structures are hinged to enable a bifolding action so that upon folding, the upper i WO 90/02084 PCT/AU89/00354 28 Hirnges 157, 158 connect the side wall to the inner edge of the top wall to the inner edge of the skirting wall in the base.
The angle iron members 144, 145 are for the purpose of wrapping around the end walls and connecting to a wedge/peg interlocking system as illustrated in Figures 21 and 22 to which references will now be made. This system comprises a plurality of pegs 116 located down the front faces of each post see Figure 11). The pegs each have a surrounding rectangular wedge-retaining slotted housing 162 and associated clamping member 163 (shown in exploded view in Figure 11 but which, in fact, is retained permanently in the slotted housing). The construction is such that eyed wings 164 on the angle iron members 144, 145 fit between the sides of the wedge-retaining slotting housings, and over the pegs 161 as shown in Figure 22. The arrangement is then clamped together by sliding clamping member 163 over the peg.
Figures 23, 24, 25 illustrate various systems of clamping the top wall to the base. In these systems, a slotted extension 170, 171, 172 in the base of the fixing block 173, 174, 175 is accommodated in a recess formed in the top of the adjacent plinth 176, 177, 178 and is locked thereto by pins 179, 180, 181.
Figure 26 is a perspective view showing how the side walls of the container fold during collapsing or erection.
Angle iron members are preferably welded to each end of each rectangular wall structure for the purpose of WO 90/02084 PC/AU89/00354 29 Figure 27 is an illustration of how the collapsed containers of the invention may be stacked together.
Figures 28 and 29 illustrate the locking together of two stacked and collapsed containers illustrated in Figure 27. This is achieved by rotating the locking pin 61 of Figure 28, moving it down through opening 65 into the fixing block 182 of an adjacent container as shown in Figure 29 and rotating the pin to a locking position.
Figure 20 shows where a viewing panel 190 is stowed beneath the container on support 191. It also shows a typical deck lashing point 192 fitted to an overlay of wooden flooring 193 in the bottom of the base and secured to metal sections of the base.
The collapsible, stackable container thus described may be erected by the following sequence of steps: 1. Rotate the pins 60 in the corner fixing blocks 130, 131, 132, 133 to disengage the top wall from the base.
2. Engag3 the tyne pockets 128, 129 in the top wall with suitable lifting equipment such as a forklift or crane, and raise the top wall with attached side walls to fully extend the side walls to a vertical location.
3. Secure the catches p56 to retain the sealing flap rigidly against the sidewall hinges.
4. Disengage the lifting equipment from the tyne pockets.
Raise an end wall by connecting an upper part f I i.
member or base. The functions of the sealing flap are thus primarily to keep water or other foreign objects from ‘1~ a I L. 1 WO 90/02084 PCr/AU89/00354 of it to the lifting equipment and pivoting the wall up onto its plinth.
6. Lift the pins in the plinths and engage in the associated corner posts by rotation.
7. Hammer the wedge/peg sliding locks into position to complete the lock and comprises rubber seals on all side of the door frame.
8. Repeat procedure 5, 6, 7 for the other end of the container.
The container is now upright and sealed against the elements on all sides.

Claims (19)

1. A collapsible box container having a base, two end walls, a top wall and two side walls; said base comprising a rigid reinforced rectangular structure with two opposing skirting walls and internal plinths at each corner terminating below the upper edges of the skirting walls, the said base including forklift tyne pockets extending through the opposing skirting walls; said end walls each comprising a rigid reinforced structure including integral side posts which form the load transmitting features of the erected container and which are supported by said plinths and locked thereto by keying elements located within the plinths, said side posts also including an inner facing pivoting arrangement to permit pivoting of the end walls inwardly of the container; said top wall comprising a rectangular reinforced structure including forklift tyne pockets and a fixing block at each corner; said side walls each comprising two rigid reinforced rectangular structures longitudinally hingedly connected to one another and also hingedly connected to the inner edge of an adjacent skirting wall and a reinforced longitudinal edge of the top wall; whereby the container is collapsible by fractionally raising the top wall, unlocking the side posts from the plinths, pivoting each end wall inwardly of the container so that it assumes a horizontal position between the skirting walls, lowering the top wall while simultaneously collapsing the side walls S*t Figure 9 is a close-up perspective view of a further pivoting system which may be incorporated in the 2 r 32 !ir inwardly of the container so that each side wall folds into two face-to-face sections lying within the skirting wall and so that the adjacent perimeter of the top wall is substantially coplanar with the outer sides of the skirting walls.

2. A collapsible box container as claimed in Claim 1 and including a third skirting wall interconnecting the two oppong skirting walls.

3. A collapsible box container as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 and including a “J-angle” extrusion integral with the upper edge of the skirting walls wherein the shank of the extends upwardly and coplanarly with the outer face of the associated skirting wall.

4. A collapsible box container as claimed in Claim 3 and including a resiliently deformable sealing strip within the “J-angle” extrusion.

A collapsible box container as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the rigid reinforced structure of the base comprises a box beam perimeter with the interposed castce of metal plinths at the corners and box beam tyne locating pockets intersecting the perimeter box beams at two locations symmetrical with the mid-point of the longitudinal edges of the ase.sociated skirting wall.

6. A collapsible box container as claimed in Claim and wherein the spaces between the reinforcing sectionsstructure of the accommodate one or more pressed metal panels. -I 1 i of Figure 1; Figure 20 is a partial perspective view of the door r i WO 90/02084 PCl/AU89/00354 33

7. A collapsible box container as claimed in Claim i, wherein the plinths are hollow metal castings which incorporate in their lower section a fitting for connecting to an adjacent container and in their upper section a peg housing for locking a corner post thereto.

8. A collapsible box container as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the peg in the upper section is manipulable between a housed position within the upper section and a partially extended position therefrom, by means of a lever extended through a slotted groove in the side of said upper section; said lever being arranged so as to enable rotation of the peg when in a partially extended position for the purpose of locking to the corner post.

9. A collapsible box container as claimed in Claim 7, and wherein the upper section also includes a secondary housing for accommodating a mating element formed as an extension of the fixing block of the top wall for the purpose of locking the top wall to the base.

A collapsible box container as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the secondary housing and the mating element are interlocked by a pin.

11. A collapsible box container as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the pivoting arrangement on each side post comprises ar, angle-iron profile extending from the base of the post on which a curved inwardly facing surface is provided for hinged attachment to locating rings formed integrally with the base ,I t.ne sam uL L jf– -1 collapsible container comprises a base 10, end walls 11, 12, side walls 14 and a top wall 15. The container

12. A collapsible box container as claimed in Claim 1, wherein one of the end walls incorporates a doorway; said doorway including two outwardly opening doors hingedly connected to opposite side posts.

13. A collapsible box container as claimed in Claim 12, whether the other of the two end walls is a fixed wall.

14. A collapsible box container as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the perimeter of the top wall is fabricate& from angle profile metal, intersected by cast metal fittings at each corner and box section tyne locating pockets symmetrically arranged to extend between the longer sides; and wherein the spaces between all these reinforcing members 34 contains one or more pressed metal plates.plinth.

A collapsible box container as claimed in Claim 1, and including a sealing flap on the inside of each side wall which overlaps with the longitudinal hinging region between the two rigid reinforced compo nentry wall structures.

16. A collapsible box container as claimed in Claim wherein the sealing flap is fabricated from pressed metal and is profiled to snugly fit over the hinging region whens the side walls of the container are erected.

17. A collapsible box container as claimed in Claim 16, wherein the lower longitudinal edge of the sealing flap is permanently fixed to the upper inner edge of the lower sidewall structure and is adapted for firm retention against -r i, I r in more detail in Figures 4, 5, and 6, to which reference is now primarily made. Each plinth comprises a hollow metal V1!~ WO 90/02084 PCT/AU89/00354 the lower inner edge of the upper side wall structure by clip means.

18. A collapsible box container as claimed in Claim 1, which has the dimensions, when erected of a standard shipping container.

19. A collapsible box container as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 18, which, when collapsed, takes up approximately one quarter of the space of a standard shipping container. A collapsible box container substantially as herein described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings. ch’; ;L ;li

AU40791/89A
1988-08-23
1989-08-18
Collapsible shipping container

Expired

AU621653B2
(en)

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AU40791/89A

AU621653B2
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1988-08-23
1989-08-18
Collapsible shipping container

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AUPI998388

1988-08-23

AUPI9983

1988-08-23

AU40791/89A

AU621653B2
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1988-08-23
1989-08-18
Collapsible shipping container

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AU4079189A

AU4079189A
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1990-03-23

AU621653B2
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AU621653B2
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1992-03-19

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AU40791/89A
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AU621653B2
(en)

1988-08-23
1989-08-18
Collapsible shipping container

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Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party

Publication number
Priority date
Publication date
Assignee
Title

US4214669A
(en)

1979-01-15
1980-07-29

Mcquiston William W

Cargo container

AU7922982A
(en)

1981-01-09
1982-07-15

Juan Bautista Bigliardi

Collapsible shipping container

AU2595988A
(en)

1987-11-25
1989-06-01

Michael Gallagher

A collapsible freight container

1989

1989-08-18
AU
AU40791/89A
patent/AU621653B2/en
not_active
Expired

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party

Publication number
Priority date
Publication date
Assignee
Title

US4214669A
(en)

1979-01-15
1980-07-29
Mcquiston William W
Cargo container

AU7922982A
(en)

1981-01-09
1982-07-15
Juan Bautista Bigliardi
Collapsible shipping container

AU2595988A
(en)

1987-11-25
1989-06-01
Michael Gallagher
A collapsible freight container

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AU4079189A
(en)

1990-03-23

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