Abstract:
A shipping assembly for securing and stabilizing a load for truck transportation using recyclable components. The shipping assembly includes multiple support structures positioned about the load with oppositely disposed end cap assemblies to stabilize and protect the load which is comprised of multiple elongated semi-rigid containers.

Description:
This is a CIP patent application of Ser. No. 09/307,870 U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,663, filed May 10, 1999 which is a CIP of Ser. No. 08/998,195 U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,761, filed Dec. 24, 1997. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This shipping assembly relates to shipping of multiple units of elongated packaged material that have little torsional rigidity and is therefore difficult to secure on a flat bed truck or the like without using heavy structural encasement systems of wood and metal banding 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Prior art shipping systems have relied on a variety of crating material such as wood to form rigid bundles of the load. Such systems generate large quantities of waste material that requires costly processing and disposal of including metal components such as strapping, lumber and associated hardware such as nails and the like. Other shipping container systems have been developed for special products, see for example U.S. Pate. Nos. 4,314,783, 2,284,616, 2,283,930 and 1,876,758. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 4,314,783 a quick release load securing device can be seen in which high tension banding is used to secure a load on a railroad car. A release device holds the banding in tension about the load. The release element on the device can be quickly released by engagement with a hammer. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,284,161 is directed to a means and method of assembling metallic articles for shipment. The method employs metal banding that is wrapped about and between the bundles of rod-like materials forming multiple groups that are held in place more easily on the truck. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,283,930 discloses a shipping and assembly system for metallic articles that use multiple spacers between stacked sheets that are then banded together by interweaving bands that extend around each stack and interconnect same together. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 1,876,758 is directed to a shipping method and apparatus that forms stacks of packs separated by wood strips and sheets that are then bound together by upright bracing elements and wires. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A shipping system for securing multiple elongated packages of synthetic siding material into transportable bundles adapted to over the road shipping by truck. The shipping system utilizes interconnecting retaining brackets positioned about groups of packages on a continuous pallet member. The brackets are formed from recyclable process cellulose material in pre-formed structural shapes. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an expanded isometric view of the shipping assembly of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view generally on lines  2 — 2  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged isometric view of a center top portion of the shipping assembly of the invention with portions broken away; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged isometric view of a center bottom portion of the shipping assembly of the invention; 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view on lines  5 — 5  of FIG. 1 with portions broken away; 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view on lines  6 — 6  of FIG. 1 with portions broken away; and 
     FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the shipping container system of the invention on a load ready to be shipped. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a shipping assembly  10  of the invention can be seen having an intermediate support assembly  11  and oppositely disposed end cap assemblies  12 . The intermediate support assembly  11  has a pair of cellulose base pads  13  and multiple pairs of upstanding support tubes  14  with an overlying interconnecting element  15 . The base pads  13  have a honeycomb center of interconnected cellulose bands  16  on edge between upper and lower encasement paper skins  18  as will be well understood by those skilled in the art. As such, the base pads  13  provide a raised insulated surface for a load L illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawings. The upstanding support tubes  14  are of a “Sonoco”* post type in which layers of cellulose paper are wrapped around a mandrel, not shown, and glued and then removed providing a free standing rigid tubular assembly as illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings. 
     The overlying interconnecting element  15  is made from multiple layers of cardboard sheets of longitudinally fluted construction having pairs of oppositely disposed notches  19  and  20  registerable with the upstanding support tubes  14  inwardly from its respective ends  21  and  22 . A baseboard  23  (typically of a hard board fabrication) extends between the respective honeycomb base pads  13  overlying adjacent portions thereof. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1-3 and  6  of the drawings, a plurality of corner flaps  24  can be seen positioned over the free ends of the support tubes  14  and the notches in the interconnecting element  15  as well as the honeycomb base pads  13  respectively. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 5 of the drawings, the end cap assemblies  12  are illustrated for respective engagement over a base assembly having a hereinbefore described honeycomb base pad  13  with pairs of oppositely disposed upstanding support tubes  25  that act as spacers and support elements. The end cap assemblies  12  have preformed two-part construction with a closure  26  defining a top flap  27  and a bottom flap  28  and integral sidewall flaps  29  and  30  extending therebetween all of which are in a dimensional configuration to fit over and enclose the hereinbefore described assembled base assemblies  13  illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings. 
     The top and bottom flaps  27  and  28  are notched inwardly from their respective free ends at  27 A and  28 A so as to effectively be foreshortened. This notching provides a registration space for the respective tube pairs  25  during assembly over the load L. A plurality of independent corner flaps  31  are positioned on the respective corners of the end cap assemblies  12  and extend over the respective ends of the support tubes  25 . A retaining sleeve  32  or alternately banding  36  is positioned over the respective closures  26  securing the pre-positioned corner flaps  31  on the closure assembly. 
     An elongated continuous paper pallet member  13 A overlies the base board  23  of the intermediate support assembly  11  and the base pads  13  in the respective end cap assemblies as best seen in FIGS. 1,  6 , and  7  of the drawings. The paper pallet member  13 A is of the same construction as the hereinbefore described base pads  13  having a honeycomb construction of interconnected cellular bands  16 ′ on edge between upper and lower encasement paper skins  18 ′. To complete the shipping assembly about the load L, a pair of elongated angle edge guards  33  extend along the entire length of the shipping assembly  10  in its respective upper interior corners which, in reality, would be on the outer perimeter upper edges of the load L as shown in broken lines in illustration  6  of the drawings. 
     The elongated angle edge guard pair  33  are formed from cellulose material, specifically cardboard and are of a length greater than that of the load L so that the end cap assemblies will be uniform regardless of the load length inconsistency. It will be apparent that the edge guard pairs  33  are held in place by the overlapping interconnecting element  15  and the top flanges  27  of the respective end cap assemblies. 
     To secure the components of the shipping assembly  10  about the load L a plurality banding strips  35 , preferably of synthetic resin material are employed around the respective intermediate support assembly structures  11  specifically over the transversely aligned corner flaps  29  and their respective support tubes  14  as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings. Additional pairs of banding strips  36 A extend longitudinally around the length of the shipping container assembly  10  engaging the respective end cap assemblies  12  as best seen in in FIG. 1 of the drawings as will be well understood by those skilled in the art. 
     The entire shipping assembly  10  of the invention is then transversely stretch wrapped in elastic synthetic resin film  38  as best seen in FIG. 7 of the drawings to form a continuous monolithic bundle of material. 
     The viability of such cellulose construction components of the shipping assembly of the invention will be self-evident in that they can easily be processed and recycled creating a valuable resource for the end receiver. The shipping assembly  10  defines a stabilization system for the load L formed of multiple elongated containers C which have little torsional rigidity and thus requires special securing structures to provide ease of loading and unloading and stability in shipping. 
     Alternately, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that substitution can be made for certain elements of the shipping assembly  10  of the invention such as to substitute wood, not shown, in place of the vertical support tubes  14  if so desired without changing the structural integrity of the overall shipping assembly. 
     It will thus be seen that a new and useful shipping assembly for non-rigid elongated loads has been illustrated and described and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.