Abstract:
A pivotally mounted spade connector for attaching an intermodal sea container to a U-shaped vehicle. A sleeve is rigidly connected to the container to receive the spade connector. A ledge is located on the U-shaped vehicle and is received within a groove on the container. The U-shaded vehicle lowers to the ground, backs up to surround the container, the ledge is guided onto the groove, and the spade connector is projected into the sleeve. The container is connected to the vehicle and both are raised in order to transport the container over roads.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to vehicles for transporting goods, and in particular to vehicles for transporting intermodal cargo containers, more particularly, to devices for attaching intermodal shipping containers to vehicles. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Vehicles and trucks of various kinds are widely available for transporting goods. It is known to load trucks by mounting a large intermodal shipping container on a truck. Shipping containers of this type can be transferred from one form of transportation to another without unloading or handling the goods contained therein. Thus a shipping container may be initially loaded, then placed on a truck, transferred to a railroad car, set on a ship, removed to another railroad car, and finally carried by another truck to a final destination, all without handling the goods loaded in the shipping container. Trucks for carrying intermodal shipping containers in this manner are generally quite tall and, consequently, unstable. It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a means for attaching a container to a vehicle that presents a relatively low, wide and stable configuration. 
   Further, cranes or other apparatus have usually been necessary for transferring the containers from one form of transport to another. Such a container could not be easily unloaded from a truck, stored, and reloaded on the truck without additional lifting apparatus. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a vehicle with the means to pick up and set down a large shipping container without auxiliary mechanisms. 
   One form of vehicle for moving containers has a U-frame with rearwardly extending side frames or beams. Such vehicles are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,556,356 to Niva and U.S. Pat. No. 5,879,122 to Voetzke. As explained by Niva, such trucks are driven backward to a container standing on the ground. The open end of the U-frame is moved backwards such that the U-frame will enclose the container on three sides. As mentioned in Niva and as described in Voetzke, a second inner U-frame is then lifted hydraulically to contact the container and lift it into a tort position. Niva seeks to eliminate the second inner lifting frame by providing specialized coupling for connecting hydraulic cylinders on the vehicle directly to specialized brackets on the container. Nevertheless, it is still difficult to provide a method of attachment that can be easily driven around a relatively long container. In both Niva and Voetzke, for example, the containers shown are relatively more narrow near the ground and have a widened top to engage an inner U-frame or special hydraulic lifts while providing clearance near the ground for the first U-flame of the vehicles. Such a shape for the container is suitable for the refuse containers described in Voetzke or the mining containers described by Niva Standardized shipping containers, by contrast, need a rectangular shape so that they can be stacked in ships, for example. It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a U-frame vehicle with the capability to move containers with improved facility for placing the vehicle around a substantially rectangular shipping container and attaching the container to the vehicle. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The Spade Connector for Attaching an Intermodal Container to a Vehicle of my invention comprises a sleeve shaped female part to be rigidly attached to a shipping container and a spade shaped male part to be pivotally attached to a vehicle. The spade is normally carried in a retracted position to protect it from damage while the vehicle maneuvers around the container, but then extends when the vehicle contacts the container so it can be inserted into the sleeve during the attachment operation to secure the container to the vehicle. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a vehicle having a “U” shaped frame with a cargo container. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the “U” shaped vehicle of  FIG. 1  with a plurality of lifting ledges and spade connectors according to the present invention 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of a lifting ledge and a spade connector according to the present invention with the left rear bottom corner of the cargo container of FIG.  1 . 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the right rear bottom corner of the operator&#39;s cab of the “U” shaped vehicle of FIG.  2 . 
       FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the lifting ledge and spade connector assembly of FIG.  3 . 
       FIG. 6  is a top cut away view of the corner of the container of  FIG. 3  with a lifting ledge and spade connector assembly. 
       FIG. 7  is a rear cut away view of the lifting ledge of  FIG. 6  at station A with an “I” beam. 
       FIG. 8  is a rear cut away view of the “I” beam of  FIG. 7  with a sleeve according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 9  is a rear cut away view of the sleeve of  FIG. 8  with a “T” shaped beam. 
       FIG. 10  is a rear cut away view of the container corner and lifting ledge and spade connector assembly of  FIG. 6  at station B. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   I will now describe the preferred embodiment of my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals are used to refer to like parts. 
     FIGS. 1 and 2  show perspective views of a container carrying vehicle  10  which has an operator&#39;s cab  24  in the front, a left rearward projecting frame  22 , a right rearward projecting shaped frame  20 , and also a plurality of spade connectors  14  and lifting ledges  16  according to my invention. A container  12 , is partially enclosed on three sides by the vehicle frames  20 ,  22  and the vehicle cab  24 . It will be understood that the wheels  18  of the vehicle  10  are mounted on a variable height suspension capable of lowering the entire vehicle together with the container  12  onto the ground when the wheels are retracted upward into the vehicle, and also of lifting the entire vehicle along with the container off of the ground when the wheels are extended downward. When the vehicle  10  lifts the container  12 , the weight of the container is primarily supported by a plurality of lifting ledges  16  which are rigidly attached to the rearward projecting frames  20  and  22 , as will be explained more fully below. 
     FIG. 3  shows an exploded perspective view of a lifting ledge  16 , a spade connector  14 , and the left rear bottom corner of a container  12 . It is well known to those knowledgeable in the art that intermodal cargo containers such as the container  12  shown usually comprise “I” or “T” section beams  26  along the bottom side edges to which the container&#39;s walls  28  and floor joists  27  are attached as shown in FIG.  10 . It is also known that such beams have a groove on the side into which the lifting ledge  16  can fit as shown in FIG.  7 . To prevent the lifting ledge  16  from flexing away from the beam  26  while the vehicle is in transport, thus causing the container  12  to become unsupported and fait onto the ground, a spade connector  14  is attached to the lifting ledge  16  which is ad to be received into a sleeve  30  attached to the beam  26  of the container  12  in the manner of a male part into a female part as shown in FIG.  6 . In my preferred embodiment, the sleeve  30  is formed by welding an ordinary flat steel plate  29  to the edges of the beam  26  as shown in FIG.  8 . One knowledgeable in the art will recognize that cargo containers such as the cargo container  12  ran be made of a variety of materials other than steel and that other materials and fastening methods can also be used to manufacture a sleeve. If the beam  26  is “T” shaped in cross section as in  FIG. 9 , a second flat plate  31  should be fastened between the bottom edge of the first plate  29  and the beam  26  to form a box structure as shown in FIG.  3  and FIG.  6 . In  FIG. 10 , the sleeve is shown occupied by the spade  13  of the spade connector  14  on a vertical plane immediately forward of station B of FIG.  6 . 
   One skilled in the art will recognize that beams, sleeves, and box structures can be fastened to a variety of different types of containers. Therefore, the preferred embodiment described above is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. One skilled in the art will recognize that if a container has a box section beam or if the container itself were a simple rectangular box such as a water or fuel tank made of six rectangular steel plates welded together along the edges, slot shaped holes could be cut in the bottom edge of the container or the side of a box beam to accommodate the lifting ledges and spade connectors described above, with or without reinforcing material such as additional steel plates added to the inside of the box or beam, to perform the same function as the sleeve and groove described above without departing from the teachings of this invention. 
     FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of the right rear bottom corner of the operator&#39;s cab  24  of the vehicle  10  of FIG.  2 . The back of the vehicle cab  24  is equipped with a lifting pin  32  which engages an oval shaped hole  33  in the corner of the container  12 . Those knowledgeable in the art will recognize that intermodal shipping containers such as the container  12  in  FIG. 3  are usually equipped with a plurality of identical holes in all eight corners, thus although the left rear corner  37  of the container  12  as shown would normally be carried in the left rear of the vehicle, under special circumstances, such as to prevent entry into the rear cargo doors of the container (not shown), the container  12  could be carried with the left rear corner touching the right rear of the cab  24 , the rear of the container facing forward. Therefore, the lifting pin  32  of  FIG. 4  is capable of engaging the oval shaped hole  33  of FIG.  3 . To prevent the container  12  from sliding award and becoming disengaged from the lifting pin  32  and the plurality of spade connectors  14  during a vehicle acceleration, a retractable spring loaded safety pin  34  is provided in the rearward extending frame  20  near the lifting pin  32  of the cab  24  in such a way that the safety pin  34  of  FIG. 4  is capable of engaging the oval shaped hole  35  of  FIG. 3  when the lifting pin  32  is engaged in the oval shaped hole  33  of FIG.  3 . The safety pin  34  should be beveled on the end like a door latch so that it will automatically retract into the rearward extending frame  20  when struck by the corner  37  of the container  12  and snap outward into the oval shaped hole  35  when the plurality of spade connectors  14  are properly engaged with their sleeves. The safety pin  34  should also be equipped with a remote control retraction mechanism such as an attached electrical solonoid or a pneumatic or hydraulic piston (not shown) so that the container  12  can be disengaged from the vehicle  10  once it is lowered onto the ground. 
   Similar pins should be installed in a symmetrical configuration on the left side of the vehicle cab  24  and the rearward extending frame  22  so that the container  12  will be supported on both sides. Those knowledgeable in the art will recognize that safety pins could also be installed behind the spade connectors  14  on the lifting ledges  16 , but it is preferred that the rearmost lifting ledges have a beveled rear portion  36  to increase the facility for attaching the container  12  to the vehicle  10  as will be discussed in greater detail below. 
     FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the lifting ledge and spade connector assembly of FIG.  3 . The connector  14  is attached to the lifting ledge  16  by a pivot  38 . In my preferred embodiment, both the spade connector  14  and the lifting ledge  16  are made of drop forged or hammered steel though one knowledgeable in the art will recognize that other materials could be used. As an aid in manufacture, the pivot  38  need not be perfectly cylindrical, but should be slightly conic as conic surfaces are easier to fabricate by forging while the manufacture of cylindrical surfaces usually requires a casting method which is more prone to catastrophic failure and requires more complex methods of quality control. A conic surface also provides a tighter fit with less slop, stress, and fatigue when the conic sections are wider near the top than at the bottom as gravity will pull the spade connector downward to compensate for normal wear and tear, thus maintaining a tight fit over the life of the vehicle. To minimize damage to the vehicle or the container during a violent off road collision avoidance maneuver, the strength of the spade  13  should be carefully calibrated to be less than that of the lifting ledge  16  or the sleeve  30 . If the spade  13  breaks away from the pivot  38 , it should be easily replaceable by dropping a new one into the cove  40  in the lifting ledge  16  so that the vehicle can be easily repaired. 
     FIG. 5  also shows a piston chamber  42 , which by means of a connecting rod  43  pushing against a toggle  15 , pivots the spade connector  14  at an angle with respect to the lifting ledge  16  when not engaged with a container. It will be understood that the wheels  18  of the vehicle  10  are independently steerable so as to provide a means to adjust the distance between the right rearward projecting frame  20  and the left rearward projecting frame  22 , the frames  20  and  22  being made of bendable flexible material such as fiberglass reinforced plastic so as to permit such an adjustment. To lift the container  12 , the vehicle  10  is first backed around one end of the container until the container is surrounded on three sides as shown in FIG.  1 . If the vehicle  10  is not in perfect alignment with the container  12 , the bevel  36  on the rearmost lifting ledge  16  attached to the left rearward projecting frame  22 , together with the angled spade  13  and toggle  15 , will contact the corner  37  of the container  12  in such a way as to force the rearward projecting frames  20  and  22  apart to facilitate alignment. A similar bevel (not shown) should be provided on the rearmost lifting ledge on the right rearward projecting frame  20  to facilitate alignment on both sides of the vehicle simultaneously, though one skilled in the art will recognize that similar bevels are not needed on lifting ledges installed in places other than the extreme rear of the vehicle. Once the vehicle and container are properly aligned, the wheels  18  can be independently steered in such a way as move the frames  20  and  22  toward the container  12  as the vehicle moves rearward until the toggle  15  contacts the beam  26 , causing the spade connector  14  to pivot until it is in a position parallel with the beam  26  so that the spade  13  engages the sleeve  30  as shown in FIG.  6 . Similar spade connectors, lifting ledges, and piston chambers should be installed on both sides of the vehicle so that the container  12  is supported on both sides. 
   Those knowledgeable in the art will recognize that although a pneumatic piston chamber  42  is shown, a hydraulic cylinder or other types of springs or flexible materials could also be used to pivot the spade connector  14  without departing from the teachings of this invention. It is well known that pneumatic piston chambers usually contain an internal flexible diaphragm to prevent the leakage of working fluid so they can maintain pressure (or vacuum) continuously without additional effort such as the continuous cycling of hydraulic fluid through a pressure relief valve. A pneumatic piston chamber is therefore preferred over a hydraulic cylinder because it can apply continuous clamping pressure to the spade  13  through the toggle  15  and the pivot  38  to secure the container to the vehicle even when the supply of control fluid is disengaged. Fluid should be supplied through the hose  41  to the piston chamber  42  while the vehicle is in transport to prevent relative movement between the vehicle and container that could result in additional wear and tear of the lifting ledges, spades, and sleeves. Fluid should not be supplied to the chamber while the vehicle is engaging or disengaging the container because such pressure may prevent the spade  13  from pivoting into position to properly engage the sleeve  30 . 
   To ensure that the spade  13  assumes a proper angle to facilitate alignment with the vehicle while a container is being engaged and yet still pivot into proper position to engage the sleeve  30 , a carefully calibrated spring (not shown) should be provided inside the chamber  42  or the chamber should contain a flexible diaphragm (not shown) that performs the same function as a spring to move the connecting rod  43  to an extended position whenever fluid is not supplied to the chamber, the spring or diaphragm being flexible enough to yield when the toggle  15  comes into contact with the beam  26 . Regardless of the type of spring, when fluid is supplied, the chamber should be capable of exerting sufficient force to prevent the spade  13  from pivoting into position to engage a sleeve when a container has a plurality of sleeves. It is intended that when a plurality of sleeves are attached to a side of a container, that fluid should be supplied to the piston chamber until the vehicle is in proper position to engage the container so that a spade will not engage the wrong sleeve, then the supply of fluid should be discontinued until the container is properly engaged, and then fluid should be resupplied to firmly clamp the container to the vehicle. To further restrain relative movement between the container and the vehicle, a friction enhancing surface (not shown) such as knobs, pits, or ridges can be molded or hammered onto the spade  13  and the plate  29  of the sleeve  30  during manufacture. 
   Because the spade connector  14  cannot be visually ins once it is engaged with the sleeve  30 , a safety switch  44  and a wiring harness  45  should be attached to the spade connector  14  which will activate a green indicator light (not shown) inside the operator&#39;s cab  24  when the spade connector is properly engaged. Similar switches, wiring harnesses, and lights should be installed on all the spade connectors on the vehicle. Though a button switch is shown, one skilled in the electrical arts will recognize that many types of switches could also be used. Switches (not shown) should also be attached to safety pins such as the safety pin  34  which will activate separate red lights inside the operator&#39;s cab if the safety pins are not properly engaged in oval holes in the corners of the container. It is preferred that when the vehicle engages the container, the operator should see red lights come on briefly when the safety pins are pushed inward upon contacting the container, followed by the red lights going out when they snap into proper position in the container&#39;s oval holes, then green lights coming on continuously when the spades successfully engage the sleeves on the container. It is believed that the above described system of lights will negate the need for the operator to exit the vehicle to ascertain whether the vehicle is safe to drive, thus allowing a skilled operator to pick up a sealed cargo container and drive away with it in a matter of seconds. This is a design improvement over existing truck semi-trailer chassis that also carry containers, because the need to exit the vehicle to connect air hoses and electrical cables between the semi-tractor and the trailer chassis and also to conduct the legally required fifteen minute pre-trip inspection of the trailer chassis, suspension, lights, tires, wheel bearings, and brakes is eliminated. Thus, a task that in the past required more than fifteen minutes will with my invention require less than fifteen seconds. One skilled in the art will recognize that other methods for providing controls may be selected without departing from the teachings of this invention. 
   Although I have now described my invention in connection with my preferred embodiment, those skilled in the art will recognize that my invention may take other forms without departing from the spirit or teachings thereof. There is a broad variety of vehicles such as cranes, ships, and barges that could also be equipped with my invention to carry containers other than just “U” shaped trucks. The foregoing description is intended, therefore, to be illustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of my invention is to be defined by the following claims: