SHIPPING CONTAINER

• US 3,561,634 A
• Filed: 09/11/1968
• Issued: 02/09/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert A. Meldrum
• Original Assignee: Robert A. Meldrum
• Inventors: Meldrum, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US04/767,566
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• US Class Current: 220/1.5
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/12 specially adapted for transport associated with vehicles, see the relevant subclasses of B60 - B64

Abstract

A universal high-strength shipping container having its wall panels supported adjacent their peripheral edges by a parallelepiped skeleton metal frame within the container. The frame is constructed from a plurality of elongated structural members rigidly welded at the corners of the container only, and the wall panels are each removably secured along their edges to the adjacent structural members of the frame. The container may be employed in any orientation, and includes improved means for securing the wall panels in tamper proof, hermetically sealed relation on the frame.

Claims

1. A universal high-strength material handling and shipping container comprising six rigid wall panels supported in substantially rectangular parallelepiped configuration by a rigid metal frame, said frame including an elongated structural member extending along each of the dihedral angles defined by said wall panels within the container, said elongated structural members being rigidly joined only at the corners of said container to define a universal skeleton frame contained wholly within the container and capable of supporting the container when oriented to position any of said wall panels to act as the bottom wall of said container, a plurality of threaded fasteners on each of said structural members at spaced intervals along the length thereof, said threaded fasteners on each said structural member being arranged in two longitudinal rows with the fasteners in one of said rows having their longitudinal axes extending substantially perpendicular to one adjacent wall and the fasteners of the other of said rows having their longitudinal axes extending substantially perpendicular to the other adjacent wall of the container, said rows of fasteners cooperating to define six substantially rectangular arrays of fasteners on said frame one adjacent the periphery of each wall panel of the container, cooperating threaded members for threadably engaging said fasteners to retain said panels on said frame, said threaded fasteners and said cooperating threaded members being capable of transferring loads in a direction perpendicular to their longitudinal axes to transfer bending loads from said structural members to said panels within the plane of the panels, said panels being removable individually to permit said container to be loaded and unloaded from any side thereof, and mounting means on at least selected ones of said elongated structural members of said frame for mounting load supporting members extending between two said structural members to support articles within said container on said structural members, said mounting means being independent of and spaced inwardly from said wall panels.

2. The container defined in claim 1 wherein said wall panels each comprise a rectangular peripheral frame defined by four elongated structural members rigidly welded together at the corners of the panel, an inner and an outer cover sheet welded around their periphery to said rectangular frame, and a plurality of openings formed in and extending through said rectangular frame at spaced intervals therearound, said cooperating threaded members being mounted within said openings.

3. The container defined in claim 1 wherein said threaded fasteners comprise a plurality of threaded bores formed in said structural members at spaced intervals along the length thereof, and said cooperating threaded members comprise bolt means rotatably supported within openings in said wall panels at spaced intervals therearound in position for said bolt means to threadably engage said threaded bores.

4. The container defined in claim 2 further comprising rub board mounting means rigidly supported at spaced intervals around the outer surface of said rectangular frame, and elongated wooden rub boards removably supported on said rub board mounting means on at least selected ones of said panels, said rub boards overlying and concealing said fastener means and providing protection for said container aGainst damage during handling.

5. The container defined in claim 4 further comprising skid boards mounted on the bottom panel of said container, said skid boards being secured to said panel through said rub board mounting means.

6. The container defined in claim 1 further comprising resilient bumper means supported between and projecting outwardly from the contiguous edges of said wall panels in position to receive and absorb impact loads applied at the edges of said container.

7. The container defined in claim 6 further comprising gasket means positioned between said structural members and said wall panels, said gasket means including a pair of elongated flanges of resilient material disposed in substantially right-angled relation to one another and integrally joined along one edge thereof to said bumper means.

8. The container defined in claim 1 wherein said mounting means comprises a plurality of openings formed in each of said structural members along an inner surface thereof whereby said load supporting members may be releasably supported adjacent and parallel to any of said wall panels.

9. In a material-handling container having at least two adjacent walls secured in angled relation adjacent their contiguous edges to an elongated structural member extending along said contiguous edges within said container, the improvement comprising sealing gasket means extending along the structural member and engaging the inner surface of said walls adjacent said contiguous edges to form a seal therewith, said gasket means including a pair of elongated flanges of resilient material disposed in substantially right-angled relation to one another when installed, and resilient bumper means integrally formed with said gasket means along one edge of each said flange, said bumper means being supported between said contiguous edges and projecting outwardly therefrom in position to receive and absorb impact loads applied at the edge of the container.

10. The material-handling container as defined in claim 9 wherein said bumper means has a generally triangular cross section with two faces thereof being disposed in substantially right-angled relation to one another in position to engage the peripheral edges of said adjacent wall panels, and the third face being outwardly convex to provide a smooth rounded corner for said container.

11. In a material-handling container as defined in claim 9 the further improvement wherein said container is of substantially rectangular parallelepiped configuration with the adjacent walls thereof being joined adjacent their respective contiguous edges to an elongated structural member extending therealong within said container, said sealing gasket means extending along each of said structural members and said resilient bumper means supported between and projecting outwardly from adjacent contiguous edges of said walls along each edge of said container.

12. A universal, high-strength material-handling and shipping container of substantially rectangular parallelepiped configuration, said container comprising, in combination, six generally rectangular panels removably supported one on each side of a rigid welded metal frame to define the sides of the container, said frame including an elongated structural member extending adjacent each interior edge of said container with adjacent structural members being rigidly joined in right-angled relationship at the interior corners of the container, and a removable one-piece sealing gasket formed of a resilient, flexible material positioned on said frame and extending along each of said structural members to provide a seal along the periphery of each of said side panels.

13. The material-handling container as defined in claim 12 further comprising resilient bumper means on said sealing gasket and projecting outwardly therefrom between contiguous edges of adjacent panels to absorb impact loads applied along the edges of said crate.

14. In a material-handling container as defined in claim 13 the further improvement wherein said bumper means and said sealing gasket are formed as a unitary structure.

15. A universal high-strength material-handling and shipping container comprising wall panels removably supported in substantially rectangular parallelepiped configuration by a metal frame confined within the container enclosure, said frame including an elongated structural member extending along each of the dihedral angles defined by said wall panels, said structural members having their ends rigidly joined to define a universal skeleton frame, threaded captive fastener means mounting said wall panels on said frame, said fastener means connecting each said peripheral edge portion of each said wall panel to one of said structural members at spaced intervals therealong, whereby said structural members are reinforced against bending loads applied from within the container by two wall panels secured thereto at right angles to one another, and resilient molding means defining the peripheral edges of said container, said molding means including an elongated member extending along each said peripheral edge and having integrally molded thereon a pair of flanges disposed in substantially right-angled relation to one another and providing an interface between adjacent edges of said wall panels and said skeleton frame.

16. The container defined in claim 15 further comprising means on said internal skeleton frame for supporting telescoping loading bars extending between opposing structural members, said mounting means permitting small incremental adjustment of the position of the loading bars to compartmentize the container interior to any desired cubage and to provide support for articles within the container.

17. The container defined in claim 16 wherein said mounting means comprises a plurality of openings formed in the inner surface of each said structural member, said openings being positioned inward from the inner surface of said wall panels to provide mounting and securement of the bars independently of said wall panels.

18. The container defined in claim 17 wherein said wall panels each comprises inner and outer cover sheets providing smooth substantially continuous surfaces spaced apart by a peripheral frame to form a void between said inner and outer cover sheets for the containment of thermal insulating material, said frame being contoured to abut said container edge molding to prohibit direct contact of the wall panel outer surface with the container internal frame members to provide an enclosure possessing maximum resistance to thermal change.