System and process for improving container flow in a port facility
First Claim
1. A container handling facility having a landside for receiving vehicles and a waterside for servicing marine vessels and having quay cranes in a quayside area for loading and unloading containers from the marine vessels, said container handling facility comprising:
- multiple container stacks, each of said container stacks having first and second distinct and spaced access areas, said first access area being disposed adjacent the waterside to facilitate the transfer and buffering of containers between marine vessels and said container stacks, and said second access area being disposed adjacent the landside to facilitate transfer of containers between vehicles and said container stacks;
each of said container stacks having first and second mobile cranes mounted on a common track to move containers in and out of the container stack, under normal operating conditions said first mobile crane servicing said first waterside access area and said second mobile crane servicing said second landside access area of its respective container stack;
a plurality of intra-facility waterside vehicles to lift and transport containers along variable routes between the quayside area and said first waterside access areas of said container stacks; and
an electronic intra-facility vehicle identification system to identify an intra-facility vehicle to receive at least one container at one of said first waterside access areas.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and process for improving container flow within a port facility, including improved equipment and software for controlling operation and flow of the equipment in the part facility. The system may include a port facility geographically arranged to separate land operations and water operations. Land operations such as over-the-road missions and rail missions may use landside access areas positioned at one end of a yard including rows of container stacks. Water missions such as loading/discharging a vessel may use waterside access areas positioned at the opposite end of the yard. Automated cranes linked with a terminal operating system may pick/drop/shuffle containers and/or refrigerated containers (“reefers”) within the container stacks. Shuttle trucks may be used to pick/drop containers at quayside access points and the waterside access areas. The shuttle trucks may utilize shared wheelpaths. Software systems may be used to implement various principles of the invention.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A container handling facility having a landside for receiving vehicles and a waterside for servicing marine vessels and having quay cranes in a quayside area for loading and unloading containers from the marine vessels, said container handling facility comprising:
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multiple container stacks, each of said container stacks having first and second distinct and spaced access areas, said first access area being disposed adjacent the waterside to facilitate the transfer and buffering of containers between marine vessels and said container stacks, and said second access area being disposed adjacent the landside to facilitate transfer of containers between vehicles and said container stacks; each of said container stacks having first and second mobile cranes mounted on a common track to move containers in and out of the container stack, under normal operating conditions said first mobile crane servicing said first waterside access area and said second mobile crane servicing said second landside access area of its respective container stack; a plurality of intra-facility waterside vehicles to lift and transport containers along variable routes between the quayside area and said first waterside access areas of said container stacks; and an electronic intra-facility vehicle identification system to identify an intra-facility vehicle to receive at least one container at one of said first waterside access areas. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A container handling facility having an improved container flow, said container facility comprising:
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multiple container stacks, each of said container stacks having first and second distinct and spaced access areas, said first access areas being disposed adjacent a waterside area for servicing marine vessels to facilitate transfer and buffering of containers between the marine vessels and said container stacks, and said second access area being disposed adjacent a landside area for receiving vehicles to facilitate transfer of containers between the vehicles and said container stacks; each of said container stacks having first and second means, mounted on a common track, for moving containers in and out of the container stack, said first moving means servicing said first waterside access area and said second moving means servicing said second landside access area of its respective container stack; means for controlling at least one of said moving means, said controlling means being disposed remote from said at least one moving means; means for lifting and transporting containers along variable routes between a quayside area having one or more quay cranes to load or unload containers from marine vessels and said first waterside access areas of said container stacks; and means for identifying said lifting and transporting means at one of said first waterside access areas.
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Specification