Intermodal container

• US 5,816,423 A
• Filed: 12/08/1995
• Issued: 10/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stoughton Trailers LLC (Stoughton Trailers Acceptance Co. LLC)
• Original Assignee: Stoughton Trailers LLC (Stoughton Trailers Acceptance Co. LLC)
• Inventors: Fenton, Gary L., Sill, Gerald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pollard, Steven M.
• Application Number:
  US08/569,554
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 220/1.5, 220/54, 220/77, 220/84, 410/54, 410/77, 410/84
• US Class Current: 220/1.5
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/121 ISO containers

Abstract

An intermodal container having a nonstandard length and a plurality of lock-receiving fittings for interconnecting the container to other intermodal containers or to a support surface. The container also includes stacking points for supporting the weight of one or more other containers stacked thereon. The fittings and the stacking points are laid out on the container so that it is interfaceable with a wide variety of standard length intermodal containers.

Claims

1. An intermodal container comprising a frame, said frame including exactly three stacking points, said exactly three stacking points including a front stacking frame, a rear stacking frame, and an intermediate stacking frame positioned between said front and rear stacking frames, each of said front, rear and intermediate stacking frames forming one of said stacking points, each of said front, rear and intermediate stacking frames including a pair of vertical stacking posts, each of said stacking posts including upper and lower end portions, a pair of upper lock-receiving fittings each mounted on said upper end portion of one of said stacking posts, and a pair of lower lock-receiving fittings each mounted on said lower end portion of one of said stacking posts, and said frame including additional lock-receiving fittings spaced from said stacking points so as to be independent thereof,

a top wall mounted on said frame, said upper lock-receiving fittings of each of said stacking points being positioned in said top wall,

a bottom wall mounted on said frame, said lower lock-receiving fittings of each of said stacking points being positioned in said bottom wall, said additional lock-receiving fittings being positioned in said bottom wall so that said lock-receiving fittings positioned in said bottom wall outnumber said lock-receiving fittings positioned in said top wall,

a pair of opposite side walls mounted on said frame, said side walls extending vertically between said top and bottom walls to form a box-like structure, each of said stacking posts being positioned in one of said side walls

a front wall supported by said front stacking frame, and

a rear wall supported by said rear stacking frame.

2. An intermodal container as set forth in claim 1 wherein said intermediate stacking frame is positioned closer to said front stacking frame than to said rear stacking frame.

3. An intermodal container as set forth in claim 1 wherein said intermediate stacking frame is positioned closer to said rear stacking frame than to said front stacking frame.

4. An intermodal container as set forth in claim 1 and further including a downwardly opening tunnel section in said bottom wall, said tunnel section extending rearwardly from said front wall, and wherein said intermediate stacking frame includes upper and lower crossmembers, said upper and lower crossmembers extending horizontally between said stacking posts of said intermediate stacking frame, said lower crossmember forming a lateral rear end portion of said tunnel section, and wherein said additional lock-receiving fittings spaced from said stacking points are positioned between said front and intermediate stacking frames.

5. An intermodal container as set forth in claim 1 wherein said intermodal container includes exactly six of said lock-receiving fittings positioned in said top wall, and exactly eight of said lock-receiving fittings positioned in said bottom wall.

11. An intermodal container as set forth in claim 1 wherein all of said lock-receiving fittings are simultaneously useable to secure said intermodal container to a support surface and to secure another container on top of said intermodal container.

6. An intermodal container configured to interface with other intermodal containers of various lengths, said intermodal container comprising

a top wall,

a bottom wall,

a front wall,

a rear wall,

a pair of opposite side walls extending vertically between said top and bottom walls to form a box-like structure,

a frame on which said top, bottom, and side walls are mounted, said frame including longitudinally spaced apart front and rear stacking frames, and an intermediate stacking frame positioned intermediate said front and rear stacking frames, each of said front, rear and intermediate stacking frames including a pair of upper corners, and a pair of lower corners, and each of said front, rear and intermediate stacking frames forming a stacking point, and wherein said front wall is supported on said front stacking frame and said rear wall is supported on said rear stacking frame,

means for interlocking another container in stacked relation on said intermodal container, said means for interlocking the other container in stacked relation including a plurality of connectors in said top wall, each of said upper corners of said front, rear and intermediate stacking frames including one of said connectors in said top wall, and

means for interlocking said intermodal container to a support surface, said means for interlocking said intermodal container to the support surface including a plurality of connectors in said bottom wall, said connectors in said bottom wall outnumbering said connectors in said top wall, each of said lower corners of each of said front, rear and intermediate stacking frames including one of said connectors in said bottom wall, and a pair of said connectors in said bottom wall are spaced from said stacking points and are independent thereof,

and wherein all of said connectors are useable simultaneously to secure said intermodal container to the support surface or to secure another container on top of said intermodal container.

7. An intermodal container as set forth in claim 6 wherein said pair of said connectors in said bottom wall that are spaced from said stacking points are positioned intermediate said front stacking frame and said intermediate stacking frame.

8. An intermodal container as set forth in claim 6 wherein said intermodal container includes exactly six of said connectors in said top wall, and exactly eight of said connectors in said bottom wall.

9. An intermodal container as set forth in claim 6 wherein said frame includes exactly three of said stacking points.

10. An intermodal container comprising

a frame, said frame including exactly three stacking points, and said frame including a front stacking frame, a rear stacking frame, and an intermediate stacking frame between said front and rear stacking frames, each of said front, rear and intermediate stacking frames including a pair of vertical stacking posts, each of said stacking posts including upper and lower end portions, a pair of upper lock-receiving fittings each mounted on said upper end portion of one of said stacking posts, and a pair of lower lock-receiving fittings each mounted on said lower end portion of one of said stacking posts, and said frame including additional lock-receiving fittings spaced from said stacking points so as to be independent thereof, and each of said front, rear and intermediate stacking frames,

a top wall mounted on said frame. said upper lock-receiving fittings of each of said stacking points being positioned in said top wall,

a bottom wall mounted on said frame, said lower lock-receiving fittings of each of said stacking points being positioned in said bottom wall, including a downwardly opening tunnel section, said tunnel section extending rearwardly from said front stacking frame, wherein said intermediate stacking frame includes a lower crossmember, said lower crossmember extending horizontally between said stacking posts of said intermediate stacking frame, and said lower crossmember forming a lateral rear end portion of said tunnel section, and wherein said additional lock-receiving fittings are positioned between said front and intermediate stacking frames, and

a pair of opposite side walls mounted on said frame, said side walls extending vertically between said top and bottom walls to form a box-like structure, each of said stacking posts being positioned in one of said side walls.

12. An intermodal container comprising

a frame, said frame including a plurality of stacking points, each of said stacking points including a pair of vertical stacking posts, each of said stacking posts including upper and lower end portions, a pair of upper lock-receiving fittings each mounted on said upper end portion of one of said stacking posts, and a pair of lower lock-receiving fittings each mounted on said lower end portion of one of said stacking posts, and said frame including additional lower lock-receiving fittings spaced from said stacking points so as to be independent thereof, said additional lower lock-receiving fittings being positioned between a pair of said stacking points,

a top wall mounted on said frame, each of said upper lock-receiving fittings being positioned in said top wall,

a bottom wall mounted on said frame, each of said lower lock-receiving being positioned in said bottom wall, and

a pair of opposite side walls mounted on said frame, said side walls extending vertically between said top and bottom walls to form a box-like structure, each of said stacking posts being positioned in one of said side walls.

13. An intermodal container as set forth in claim 12 wherein said frame includes exactly three of said stacking points, wherein the frame includes a front stacking frame, a rear stacking frame, and an intermediate stacking frame between said front and rear stacking frames, each of said front, rear and intermediate stacking frames including a pair of said vertical stacking posts and forming one of said stacking points, wherein said container includes opposite longitudinally spaced front and rear ends, wherein said front stacking frame is positioned at said front end of said container, and said rear stacking frame is positioned at said rear end of said container.

14. An intermodal container as set forth in claim 13 wherein all of said upper and lower lock-receiving fittings are useable simultaneously to secure said intermodal container to a support surface and to secure another container on top of said intermodal container.

15. An intermodal container as set forth in claim 14 wherein said frame includes exactly six of said upper lock-receiving fittings, and exactly eight of said lower lock-receiving fittings, and wherein said additional lock-receiving fittings are positioned between said front and intermediate stacking frames.

16. An intermodal container as set forth in claim 12 wherein said frame includes a front stacking frame, a rear stacking frame, and an intermediate stacking frame between said front and rear stacking frames, each of said front, rear and intermediate stacking frames including a pair of said vertical stacking posts and forming one of said stacking points, wherein said bottom wail includes a downwardly opening tunnel section, said tunnel section extending rearwardly from said front stacking frame, wherein said intermediate stacking frame includes a lower crossmember, and said lower crossmember extending horizontally between said stacking posts of said intermediate stacking frame, said lower crossmember forming a lateral rear end portion of said tunnel section, and wherein said additional lower lock-receiving fittings are positioned between said front and intermediate stacking frames.

17. An intermodal container comprising

a frame, said frame including exactly three stacking points, each of said stacking points including a pair of vertical stacking posts, each of said stacking posts including upper and lower end portions, a pair of upper lock-receiving fittings each mounted on said upper end portion of one of said stacking posts, and a pair of lower lock-receiving fittings each mounted on said lower end portion of one of said stacking posts, and said frame including additional lock-receiving fittings spaced from said stacking points so as to be independent thereof,

a top wall mounted on said frame, said upper lock-receiving fittings of each of said stacking points being positioned in said top wall,

a bottom wall mounted on said frame, said lower lock-receiving fittings of each of said stacking points being positioned in said bottom wall, and

a pair of opposite side walls mounted on said frame, said side walls extending vertically between said top and bottom walls to form a box-like structure, each of said stacking posts being positioned in one of said side walls.

18. An intermodal container as set forth in claim 17 wherein said intermodal container has a non-standard length, and wherein said stacking points are positioned so that said non-standard length intermodal container can by positioned in double-stacked relation with a variety of standard length intermodal containers.