Method of containers handling in container yards

• US 3,952,891 A
• Filed: 02/27/1974
• Issued: 04/27/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Shipbuilding & Engineering Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Shipbuilding & Engineering Company Limited
• Inventors: Terayama, Susumu, Mameda, Noriyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Johnson, R. B.
• Application Number:
  US05/446,295
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: 214/152, 214/14, 214/12, 214/15 R, 214/16.4 A
• US Class Current: 414/809
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 63/004 for containers

Abstract

A container yard is provided with a first container handling machine installed in the transferring area of the yard, a second container handling machine free to move in the yard, a vehicle for transferring the container, a gate located in another transferring area of the yard, and a control center responsive to the input and output information of the containers for commanding and supervising the loading and unloading operations of the first and second machines and of the vehicle in the yard. The loading and unloading operations are controlled by a method comprising the steps of taking a corresponding sequence number to the container by the control center, the applied number being retained with the container for a predetermined period and effective only in the container yard, applying a predetermined vehicle number to the vehicle by the control center, the predetermined vehicle number being effective only in the yard and being displayed on said vehicle, displaying the container number and the vehicle number by display means mounted on the first and second loading and unloading machines, thereby enabling the drivers of the loading and unloading machines and the vehicle to mutually confirm the operation command from the control center by utilizing the container number and the vehicle number as a common key word.

Claims

1. In a method for handling containerized cargo in a container yard having a first container handling machine installed in the transferring area of said container yard, a second container handling machine operating in said yard, a plurality of wheeled transport vehicles for transporting the containers within the container yard, each of said container handling machines having controllable display means controllable from a control center, and a control center having computer means for receiving and storing input and output information concerning both the containers being processed by the yard and transport vehicles operating in the yard for commanding and supervising the loading, storing and unloading operations of said first and second container handling machines and of said transport vehicles;

the improved method of handling containers in said container yard comprising the steps of providing a corresponding unique container yard assigned sequence number to each container by said control center and suitably labeling the container with the number, said number being stored in the control center and effective for use only while the container is in said container yard, assigning and applying a predetermined and different vehicle number to each transport vehicle operating within the container yard by said control center, said predetermined vehicle number being stored and used by the control center only while the transport vehicle is within said container yard, and displaying said container number and said vehicle number by said controllable display means mounted on said first and second container handling machines substantially simultaneously in point of time in accordance with an operation command from said control center during each handling operation, thereby enabling the operators of said container handling machines and said transport vehicles to mutually confirm the handling operation command from said control center for each container by utilizing said centrally controlled and substantially simultaneously displayed container number and vehicle number as a common key word.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said container is designated by a specific number previously assigned by a shipper or owner and said predetermined sequence number applied to said container by the container yard control center corresponds to said specific number.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said predetermined vehicle number is applied to said transport vehicles on a portion thereof observable by operators of said container handling machines.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the controllable display means associated with at least one of said container handling machines is positioned in a manner such that it can be additionally viewed and checked from a position exterior said container handling machine and said transport vehicles at the time of loading and unloading containers.