Container/bulk cargo interchangeable system

A container/bulk cargo interchangeable system to allow a cargo ship's hold the versatility and option of storing and carrying either ISO containers entirely, or of storing and carrying bulk cargo or break bulk entirely, or of storing and carrying a combination of ISO containers and bulk cargo or break bulk. Sets of two flat platforms may be raised to their vertical upright positions to permit the entire storage of ISO containers; or the sets of flat platforms may be lowered to their horizontal dispositions for the entire storage thereon of bulk cargo or break bulk; or the requisite number of sets of flat platforms may be raised to their vertical upright positions and the remaining sets of flat platforms may be lowered to their horizontal dispositions for storage of ISO containers and bulk cargo or break bulk, respectively.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Technical Field 
This invention relates to a container/bulk cargo interchangeable system 
that affords a cargo ship the versatility and option of either entirely 
storing containers in its cargo compartments; or storing a combination, or 
mixed cargo, of containers and bulk cargo in its cargo compartments; or in 
entirely storing bulk cargo in its cargo compartments. 
2. Background 
In accordance with the International Standard Organization (ISO), a 
standard ISO container is 8'.times.8'.times.40'. Bulk cargo or break bulk 
is cargo that is dimensionally too large to be carried in such ISO 
container. A cargo ship may be equipped to carry only ISO containers and 
thereby is unable to carry bulk cargo or break bulk. A cargo ship, 
carrying ISO containers, must dock at a port of destination that has crane 
facilities for removing such standard ISO containers. If such cargo ship, 
upon reaching its port of destination, is unable to pick up another load 
of ISO containers for transport to another port having crane facilities or 
for return to its home port, such ill-fated cargo ship must waste 
expensive idle time in its port of destination, awaiting another full load 
of standard ISO containers. However, such cargo ship, upon reaching its 
port of destination, may be able to pick up a full load of mixed ISO 
containers and bulk cargo or break bulk, or a full load of strictly bulk 
cargo or break bulk, but unfortunately is unable to do so because it is 
not equipped to carry a combination load of standard ISO containers and 
bulk cargo or break bulk, or a load of strictly bulk cargo or break bulk. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
To contribute to the solution of this discussed problem of the prior art, 
the system of this invention allows and affords a cargo ship the 
versatility of carrying either a full load of standard ISO containers, a 
combination load of standard ISO containers and bulk cargo or break bulk, 
or a load of bulk cargo or break bulk.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
In FIG. 1 of the drawings, reference numeral 1 generally refers to the 
invention. A cargo ship 3 has a number of holds 5, depending, of course, 
upon the size of the ship 3 and the number of ISO containers it stores and 
carries. Hold 5 has vertical side walls 5 defining a compartment 11 for 
storing and carrying ISO containers 7. The vertical side walls 9 fixedly 
carry vertical cell guides 13 to receive therebetween the stacked ISO 
containers 7. The vertical side walls 9 fixedly carry therebetween, in 
horizontal disposition, I-beam platform support structure 15 and laterally 
extending platform support structure 17. The support structures 15 and 17 
are in coplanar relationship. Pintle hinges 19, fixedly carried by the 
support structures 15 and 17, and the flat platforms 21, allow the flat 
platforms 21 to be pivotally articulated and raised or lowered. The bottom 
surfaces 23 of the platforms 21 fixedly carry cell guides 25. Upon the 
flat platforms 21 being raised to their upright vertical positions, the 
cell guides 25 are in alignment with the cell guides 13 carried by the 
vertical side walls 9. The top surfaces 27 of the flat platforms 21 
fixedly carry D-rings 29 mounting winch cables 31. The winch cables 31 are 
operatively connected to conventional winches (not shown), operable in one 
direction to raise the platforms 21 to their vertical upright positions 
and operable in the opposite direction to lower, by force of gravitY, the 
platforms 21 to their horizontal positions with the platforms 21 resting 
upon the support structures 15 and 17. In the horizontal disposition of a 
set of two platforms 21, such two platforms 21 are in coplanar 
relationship. The remaining D-rings 29 on the platforms 21 are utilized to 
lash down bulk cargo or break bulk. 
OPERATIONAL DESCRIPTION 
Preparatory to the cargo ship 3 being employed to entirely store and carry 
ISO containers 7, all the flat platforms 21 are appropriately raised to 
their vertical upright positions. When the cargo ship 3 is employed to 
entirely store and carry bulk cargo or break bulk, the flat platforms 21 
are appropriately lowered in consecutive order to their horizontal 
positions and the bulk cargo or break bulk is appropriately lashed down to 
the D-rings 29. When the cargo ship 3 is employed to store and carry a 
combination or mixed cargo of ISO containers 7 and bulk cargo or break 
bulk, the requisite number of sets of platforms 21 are raised to their 
vertical upright positions to spatially accommodate the ISO containers 7 
and the remaining sets of platforms 21 are appropriately lowered to rest 
in horizontal disposition on the support structures 15 and 17 to store and 
carry the bulk cargo or break bulk.