Abstract:
A transportation container includes an upper section having a plurality of sidewalls defining a space dimensioned to receive oversized cargo for transport and a base section adapted to mate with a standardized interface of a transportation vehicle for supporting the upper section.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/645,636 filed Jan. 21, 2005. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates generally to containers for shipment of cargo and more particularly to containers for shipment of oversized cargo that does not fit within standard enclosed shipping containers. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Throughout the world, goods are shipped via a wide variety of transportation methods in metal containers. Typically, the containers used are constructed of steel or aluminum and have dimensions that comply with standards set by the International Organization for Standardization (“ISO”). Standardization allows the containers to be handled by mechanical equipment, regardless of location or manufacturer of the container or equipment. 
   Standardization also allows the same container to be used on various forms of transportation. This is particularly advantageous because it allows the cargo to be transferred between transportation forms without a lengthy process of unloading and re-loading the container itself. For example, a loaded container may be off-loaded from a ship by an overhead crane and loaded directly onto a truck or rail car. 
   While most goods can be transported in standard-dimension containers, some cargo is simply too large to fit within a standard container. Also, it has not been efficient to construct oversized containers for these goods because such oversized containers would not meet the dimensional standards for shipping containers. Typically, therefore, oversized goods are individually loaded on flat-bed rolling stock for overland transportation or individually loaded and secured on cargo ships for sea transportation. In certain cases, flat-bed rail cars have been fitted with canopies to cover the cargo. An example of such a modified flat-bed rail car is shown in  FIG. 1 . This approach has proven undesirable, however, because the flat-bed cars so modified are not available for general use in providing railroad-transportation services when not being used for oversized cargo. Rather, once modified, the rail cars have limited application to oversized cargo. 
   The inability to use containers for oversized goods has disadvantages. Specifically, the goods must be individually loaded onto rolling stock at the point of manufacture and then unloaded and re-loaded at each point of transfer between transportation forms. For example, oversized goods loaded on a flat-bed rail car must be individually unloaded from the rail car and then individually loaded onto a cargo ship for sea transportation. Also, the inability to use a container may result in the goods being exposed to weather during transport or may require individualized protection, such as canopies or tarpaulins, to be used to protect the goods from the weather. 
   A need exists therefore for a shipping container that would accommodate oversized goods while still meeting critical dimensional standards for standardized containers. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   To meet the foregoing needs, the present invention provides a shipping container that has a base section having a width of a standard shipping container and an upper section that has a width greater than the width of the base section. The base section is configured to interface with rolling stock designed for transportation of standard shipping containers. The base section has length and width dimensions of standard shipping containers. For example, the base section has a width to fit within the well of a railroad well car and a height that is greater than the depth of the well. At the four lower corners of the base section are standard container corner fittings. These fittings permit the container of the present invention to interface with existing equipment for handling and securing standard shipping containers. 
   The shipping container of the present invention has an upper section connected to the base section, with the upper section having a width greater than that of the base section. When installed on a railroad well car, the width of the upper section is at least as wide as the width of the well, and may even be wider than the width of the rail car. The width of the upper section allows oversized cargo to be loaded into and shipped within the container. The present invention is also advantageous because the outer dimensions remain fixed regardless of the cargo being transported. This is especially important for rail transportation, where special clearances may be required for oversized shipments. Because the outer dimensions are fixed using the present invention, once an oversized container has been cleared for a particular route, it need not undergo the same clearance procedure when a different cargo is subsequently transported over that route. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows a prior-art flat-bed rail car modified to incorporate a canopy to enclose oversized cargo. 
       FIG. 2  shows an end view of a preferred embodiment of the oversized container according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  shows a side view of a preferred embodiment of the oversized container according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  shows a side view of the oversized container loaded on a railroad well car. 
       FIG. 5  shows an end view of an alternative embodiment of the oversized container according to the present invention wherein an auxiliary floor is installed within the container. 
       FIG. 6  shows a side view of a reinforced frame forming the side of the base section in the alternative embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 7  shows an end view of another alternative embodiment of the oversized container according to the present invention wherein the base portion is external to the container. 
       FIG. 8  shows a side view of the alternative embodiment of  FIG. 7 . 
       FIG. 9  shows an end view of another alternative embodiment of the oversized container according to the present invention wherein the base portion is external to and detachable from the container. 
       FIG. 10  shows a side view of the alternative embodiment of  FIG. 9 . 
       FIG. 11  shows a portion of the alternative embodiment of  FIG. 9  loaded on a truck. 
       FIG. 12  shows a side view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention demonstrating one exemplary variation in container construction. 
       FIG. 13  is an end view of the alternate embodiment shown in  FIG. 12 . 
       FIG. 14  shows a side view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention demonstrating another exemplary variation in container construction. 
       FIG. 15  is an end view of the alternate embodiment shown in  FIG. 14 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific preferred embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. To avoid detail not necessary to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the description may omit certain information known to those skilled in the art. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims. 
   The use of shipping containers for transportation of cargo is well known, as it provides a convenient technique for transporting the cargo through multiple transportation methods. The present invention provides a container that retains the inter-modal functionality of shipping containers but accommodates certain oversized cargo that does not fit within standard-width shipping containers. 
   Referring to  FIG. 2 , the preferred embodiment of the oversized shipping container  10  includes a base section  12  and an upper section  14 , which has a width that is greater than the width of the base section  12 . Preferably, the base section  12  and upper section  14  define an interior volume of the container. Base section  12  contains a bottom wall  18  and two side walls  20 . Typically, base section  12  will have a width of 96 inches or 102 inches, the two standard widths for shipping containers. Base section  12  has a height that is greater than the depth of the well in a railroad well car.  FIG. 4  shows oversized container  10  loaded on a typical railroad well car. 
   Referring again to  FIG. 2 , upper section  14  of container  10  includes an upper wall  22  and two side walls  24 . Upper section  14  also includes two connection wall sections  26 , which connect the base-section side walls  20  with the upper section side walls  24 . Also, container  10  preferably has chamfered upper corners walls  28 , which enable the container to meet certain clearance requirements for tunnels and other obstructions when the container is used for rail transportation. 
   As with standard containers, the oversized container  10  includes four upper corner fittings  30 , which are configured and spaced according to standard container specifications to interface with standard overhead container cranes and other machinery used for lifting and moving standard shipping containers. Oversized container  10  also includes four lower corner fittings  32 , which are located at the four corners of bottom wall  18 . The lower corner fittings  32  are configured and spaced according to standard container specifications to interface with mechanical locks and hold-down equipment on rolling stock or ships or on top of other containers. 
     FIG. 3  shows a side view of the preferred embodiment of oversized container  10 . Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that during lifting operations, a mechanical crane or similar machine (not shown) will engage the container  10  through mechanical locks at the four upper corner fittings  30 . Much of the structural load associated with lifting operations will pass through four corner posts  34  ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ), one of which is located at each corner of the container. In a standard shipping container having a rectangular cross section, the corner posts are straight members. Because oversized container  10  has upper section  14  having a width greater than the width of base section  12 , corner posts  34  are typically not straight members, as shown most clearly in  FIG. 2 . 
   Referring again to  FIG. 3 , oversized container  10  preferably has a frame that includes two lower longitudinal support members  36  extending the length of the container at the lower extent of base section side walls  20 . Similarly, two upper longitudinal support members  38  preferably extend the length of the container at the upper extent of chamfered upper corner walls  28 . In addition, container  10  preferably includes medial longitudinal support members  40  at opposite extents of each upper section side wall  24 . Preferably, the primary structures of the frame for container  10 , including the corner posts  34 , the longitudinal support members  36 ,  38 , and  40 , as well as upper and lower end support members  42  and  44 , respectively, are made of steel, although other materials such as aluminum could be used. 
   Upper and base section side walls  24  and  20 , as well as upper wall  22 , are typically made of corrugated steel, although, again, other materials such as aluminum could be used. As an alternative to corrugated material, smooth surface materials, including laminated or composite materials, can be used for the walls of the container. Because in the preferred embodiment, the weight of the cargo is supported by the lower wall  18 , the lower wall  18  is sufficiently rigid to support the cargo without appreciable bending or deformation. 
   The oversized container  10  can be of any length, although typical lengths for containers are 20 feet, 28 feet, 40 feet, and 48 feet. On typical overhead-lift equipment, the interface points for lifting containers are spaced either 20 or 40 feet apart along the longitudinal axis of the equipment. Accordingly, if the oversized container  10  is 20 or 40 feet in length, the upper corner fittings are located at the extents of the length of container  10 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . If oversized container  10  has a length that is not a multiple of 20 feet, upper corner fittings  30  are spaced at 20 or 40 foot spacing, centered along the length of the container. For example, for a container that is 48 feet in length, the corner fittings will be spaced apart 40 feet, with each fitting located 4 feet from the nearest end of the container. 
   Referring again to  FIG. 2 , in the preferred embodiment, each end  16  of the oversized container  10  is fitted with two doors  46 , each of which is secured to a corner post  34  by a plurality of hinges  48  adjacent the upper section side wall  24 . The doors  46  on each end  16  of the container will include locking mechanisms (not shown) that are well-known in the art. 
   Other configurations could be used, however, for loading and unloading cargo. For example, rather than (or in addition to) end doors, the container  10  alternatively could be configured such that the upper wall  22  is removable using overhead equipment. This would allow for the cargo to be loaded into the container from above. In this alternative configuration, all or portions of the chamfered upper corner walls may also be removable with the upper wall  22 . 
   In an alternative embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 5  (with the end doors removed), an auxiliary floor  50  is installed between the base section  12  and the upper section  14  to divide the container volume into a base compartment  52  and an upper compartment  54 . In this alternative embodiment, because the weight of the cargo stored in the upper compartment  54  would be supported by the floor  50 , the structure associated with the base section wall  20  would need to be reinforced to transfer the weight to the lower corner fittings  32 . 
   For example, as shown in  FIG. 6 , two support frames  56  located on opposite longitudinal sides of the base compartment  52  includes longitudinal upper beams  58  and longitudinal lower beams  60  connected by a plurality of base support posts  62 . In this embodiment, diagonal braces  64  are included between support posts  62  to resist shearing loads. 
   In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , base compartment  52  could be used for a variety of purposes. For example, base compartment  52  could be used for storage of cargo in addition to the cargo stored in upper compartment  54 . Base compartment  52  could alternatively be used to house a variety of equipment for use in the container. In some applications, it would be desirable for the oversized container  10  to provide electrical power for the cargo located within the container. The base compartment would provide a convenient location to house one or more electrical generators to provide the power for the container. In such a configuration, those skilled in the art would recognize that provision would be required to vent the exhaust gases produced by the power-generation equipment. In other applications, it may be desirable to provide the container with a climate-controlled environment. For these applications, refrigeration and/or heating equipment could be located in the base compartment  52  for controlling the environment in upper compartment  54 . Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, if a climate-controlled environment for container  10  is required, it would be preferable for the container doors to be capable of being sealed tightly and for the walls to be made of insulating materials. 
   A second alternative embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . In this embodiment, oversized container  110  has a base section  112  and an upper section  114 . In this embodiment, the base section  112  does not enclose a volume internal to the container. The upper section  114  includes a floor  116 , which is substantially planar. Upper section  114  includes two side walls  118 , an upper wall  120 , and chamfered upper corner walls  122 . The base section  112  is a mechanical support having a height of at least the depth of the well of a railroad well car. In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , base section  112  includes two longitudinal floor support beams  124 , one on each side of base section  112 . Base section  112  includes four corner support posts  126  to provide the primary structural support between lower corner fittings  132  and the longitudinal floor support beams  124 . In this embodiment, base section  112  also includes truss structures  134  to provide structural support to corner support posts  126 . 
   A third alternative embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 . In this embodiment, oversized container  210  has a base section  212  and an upper section  214 , which are detachable from each other. Base section lower corner fittings  232  are located on the bottom of base section  212 , and base section upper corner fittings  240  are located on the top of base section  212 . Base section upper corner fittings  240  are positioned to correspond to the location of upper section lower fittings  242 . The configuration of base section upper corner fittings  240  and upper section lower fittings  242  allows the upper section  214  to be stacked on base section  212  and locked in place using standard container locking mechanisms used for stacking standard shipping containers. These locking mechanisms are well-understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art. 
   During transportation by rail, when oversized container  210  is secured in a well car, base section  212  is necessary so that the upper section  214 , which has a width greater than the width of the well of the well car, is positioned above the sides of the well car. However, if the cargo must also be shipped by truck or other form of transport, it may be desirable to reduce the overall height of the container. Accordingly, base section  212  can be detached from upper section  214  by removing the locking mechanisms that secure base section upper corner fittings  240  to upper section lower corner fittings  242 . Once detached, upper section  212  can be loaded onto the truck or other vehicle and secured using upper section lower fittings  242 , which are spaced at the appropriate dimensions to be secured using standard container-securing equipment located on the truck or other vehicle. By way of example,  FIG. 11  shows oversized container  210 , with base section  212  detached, loaded on a truck for ground transportation. 
   A fourth alternate embodiment of the present invention is depicted in  FIGS. 12 and 14 . In particular, an oversized cargo container  310  is shown which includes full size vertical doors  311  for the ingress and egress of cargo. Additionally, an alternate corrugated construction is utilized for container sidewalls  312 . Container  310  further includes vertical reinforcing posts  313  and fittings  314 , which are spaced from vertical end-posts  315  and which provide for lifting and fastening of container  313  from an associated transportation platform. The dimensions of container  310  shown in  FIGS. 12 and 13  are representative, and may vary from design to design, and required for a particular application. 
   A fifth embodiment is shown in  FIGS. 14 and 15 . Here, an oversized cargo container  410  is depicted that utilizes partial vertical doors  411 , which extend upward from auxiliary floor  412 , for accessing the container interior. Container  410  is also includes sidewalls  413  that are constructed from an alternate corrugated material. Fastening and lifting of container  410  are facilitated by vertical end-posts  414  and fittings  415 . The dimensions of container  410  shown in  FIGS. 14 and 15  are exemplary only, and may vary from actual design to actual design, as required for the given application. 
   Although an embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described in detail herein, along with certain variants thereof, many other varied embodiments that incorporate the teachings of the invention may be easily constructed by those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the specific form set forth herein, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as can be reasonably included within the spirit and scope of the invention.