Vehicle transportation module

• US 20030095844A1
• Filed: 11/01/2002
• Published: 05/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trailer Bridge Incorporated (Seacor Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Trailer Bridge Incorporated (Seacor Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Shahani, P. W., Heim, Ralph W., Morley, J. Edward
• Granted Patent: US 6,890,136 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 410/4
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2585/6867 automobiles
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/121 ISO containers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/127 open-sided container, i.e. having substantially the whole side free to provide access, with or without closures B65D88/129, B65D90/008 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/542 Ramps forming part of the container ramps per se B65G69/28; for ambulances A61G3/061; for vehicles in general B60P1/43

Abstract

A module for receiving motorized vehicles for transportation. The module includes a driver-side side wall, a passenger-side side wall parallel to and laterally spaced from the driver-side side wall, and a bottom support structure extending between the side walls for supporting at least one vehicle located thereon. The module further includes a roof spaced from the bottom support structure such that the roof and the bottom support structure are arranged to closely receive a single layer of vehicles therebetween.

Claims

1. A module for receiving motorized vehicles for transportation comprising:

a driver-side side wall;

a passenger-side side wall parallel to and laterally spaced from said driver-side side wall;

a bottom support structure extending between said side walls, said bottom support structure being reinforced sufficiently to support at least one motor vehicle located thereon; and

a roof spaced from said bottom support structure such that the distance between said roof and the top of a motor vehicle located on said bottom support structure in said module is less than about 1 foot.

2. The module of claim 1 wherein at least one of said side walls includes an opening that is located to receive a door of a vehicle therethrough when said vehicle is received in said module.

3. The module of claim 1 wherein a vehicle can be driven into said module when said module is located on an external surface.

4. The module of claim 3 further comprising an inclined surface extending from said bottom support structure to a point adjacent a bottom of said module, said inclined surface being shaped to guide a vehicle from said external surface onto said bottom support structure.

5. The module of claim 4 wherein said inclined surface is entirely located between said side walls.

6. The module of claim 1 wherein said side walls are spaced apart a distance to closely receive said vehicle therebetween.

7. The module of claim 1 wherein said bottom support structure includes a longitudinally extending driver-side wheel pan and a longitudinally extending passenger-side wheel pan for receiving and guiding a set of wheels of a vehicle.

8. The module of claim 7 wherein said wheel pans are offset from a longitudinal center of said module toward said passenger-side side wall.

9. The module of claim 7 wherein said driver-side wheel pan is sized to relatively closely receive the driver-side wheels of a vehicle therein, and wherein said passenger-side wheel pan is sized to receive the passenger-side wheels of a range of vehicles having varying widths.

10. The module of claim 7 wherein said bottom support structure includes a walkway located adjacent said driver-side side wall.

11. The module of claim 7 wherein said bottom support structure includes a plurality of cross beams for supporting said walkway and said wheel pans.

12. The module of claim 7 wherein said bottom support structure includes an aperture for receiving the gooseneck of a chassis therethrough.

13. The module of claim 1 wherein said module has a length such that said module can closely receive three vehicles therein.

14. The module of claim 1 wherein said module has a length such that said module can closely receive a predetermined number of vehicles therein, and wherein at least one of said side walls includes a set of openings, each opening corresponding to a door of one of said predetermined number of vehicles such that a door of each vehicle can be opened into a corresponding opening.

15. The module of claim 14 wherein said door of each vehicle is the front driver-side door.

16. The module of claim 1 wherein said module is shaped to be stacked upon another said module, and wherein said module is shaped to have another module stacked thereupon.

17. The module of claim 16 further comprising a set of corner castings located at each corner of said module for receiving a set of twist locks for coupling said stacked modules together.

18. The module of claim 1 further comprising a pair of upper corner castings located at the upper corners of said module and a pair of lower corner casting located at the lower corners of said module.

19. The module of claim 18 further comprising a pair of upper intermediate castings adjacent said roof and a pair of lower intermediate castings adjacent said bottom support structure, and wherein said upper intermediate upper castings are longitudinally spaced apart about 40 feet to receive a standard spreader therebetween and wherein said lower intermediate upper castings are longitudinally spaced apart about 40 feet to receive a standard spreader therebetween.

20. The module of claim 1 wherein said driver-side side wall includes a plurality of lower openings to provide access to said bottom support structure.

21. The module of claim 1 further comprising an end wall extending between said side walls and extending between said roof and said bottom support structure.

22. The module of claim 1 wherein said side walls are made of corrugated metal.

23. The module of claim 1 wherein said module has a length of about 53 feet, a width of about 8 feet 6 inches, and a height of about 6 feet.

24. The module of claim 1 wherein at least one of said side walls includes a plurality of bottom openings to provide a worker located externally of said module access to said bottom support structure for placing securements in said module.

25. A module for receiving and transporting motorized vehicles comprising an enclosure having a roof, a generally rectangular cross section and a central space for receiving at least one motorized vehicle therein, said enclosure having an end opening providing access to said central space, said enclosure being sized to closely receive a predetermined number of vehicles in a single layer therein such that the space between said roof of said enclosure and the top of said at least one vehicle is less than about 1 foot.

26. The module of claim 25 wherein a vehicle can be driven into said module when said module is located on an external surface.

27. A module for receiving motorized vehicles for transportation comprising:

a driver-side side wall;

a passenger-side side wall parallel to and laterally spaced from said driver-side side wall;

a bottom support structure extending between said side walls, said bottom support structure being reinforced sufficiently to support at least one motor vehicle located thereon;

an internal ramp for guiding said motor vehicles onto said bottom support structure; and

a roof spaced from said bottom support structure such that said roof and said bottom support structure are arranged to closely receive a single layer of vehicles therebetween.

28. A module for receiving motorized vehicles for transportation comprising:

a driver-side side wall;

a passenger-side side wall parallel to and laterally spaced from said driver-side side wall;

a bottom support structure extending between said side walls, said bottom support structure being reinforced sufficiently to support at least one motor vehicle located thereon; and

a roof spaced from said bottom support structure to closely receive a single layer of vehicles therebetween, said module having a height of less than about 8 feet.

29. A method for loading vehicles for transportation comprising the steps of:

providing a module including a driver-side side wall, a passenger-side side wall parallel to and laterally spaced from said driver-side side wall, a bottom support structure extending between said side walls for supporting at least one vehicle located thereon, and a roof spaced from said bottom support structure such that said roof and said bottom support structure are arranged to closely receive a single layer of vehicles therebetween;

locating said module on an external surface;

driving said vehicles from said external surface onto said bottom support structure in said module; and

securing said vehicles in said module.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein said module includes an integral, internal ramp upon which said vehicle are driven during said driving step.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein said driver-side side wall includes at least one opening, and wherein the front driver-side door of a vehicle located in said module is opened into said opening when a driver exits or enters said vehicle.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein said driver-side side wall includes a plurality of openings that correspond to the front driver-side door of each vehicle received in said module.

33. The method of claim 29 wherein said roof is spaced from said bottom support structure such that said the distance between the roof of a motor vehicle on said bottom support structure and said roof is less than about 1 foot.

34. The method of claim 29 wherein said securing step includes a worker or apparatus placing securements in said module by reaching through an opening in said module while the worker or apparatus is located externally of said module.

35. A method of transporting vehicles comprising the steps of:

providing a first module and a second module, each module having a driver-side side wall and a passenger-side side wall, each driver-side side wall having a plurality of openings formed therein;

driving a predetermined number of vehicles into each module such that a front driver-side door of each vehicle is located adjacent one of said openings in the associated driver-side side wall; and

arranging said first and second modules such that said driver-side side walls of each module are adjacent each other such that said openings are generally shielded from external elements.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein each module includes an inclined surface extending from said bottom support structure to a point adjacent a bottom of said module, and wherein each vehicle is driven upon said inclined surface during said driving step, said inclined surface guiding said vehicle from an external surface onto said bottom support structure during said driving step.

37. The method of claim 35 further comprising the step of repeating said providing and driving steps for a plurality of modules, and arranging said plurality of modules such that the openings of each module face inwardly such that said openings are generally shielded from external elements.