Abstract:
A shipping container for holding a plurality of parallel panels, the shipping container including a floor, a generally upright rear wall, and a frame supporting the floor and the rear wall at right angles to each other for vertically supporting the parallel panels. The edges of the panels can be supported by the floor and rear wall, with the panels being supported in parallel planes perpendicular to the planes of the rear wall and floor. The floor can have numerous parallel grooves for receiving the panel edges and numerous upwardly protruding holding members slidably disposed along a direction transverse to the floor grooves and received panel edges. The holding members can have a relaxed position for permitting removal of the panels and the gripping position for inhibiting movement of the panels. One shipping container has three sets of holding members each slidably disposed along a direction transverse to the floor grooves and received panel edges, with one of the three sets being disposed on an opposite side of the received panel edge, for holding the received panel edge therebetween. Each set of holding members can be coupled to a respective transverse carrying member, wherein the holding member can be more pliable and resilient than the carrying member. In some shipping containers, the transverse carrying members are slid transversely by being operably coupled to cams disposed and carried on a camshaft. The shipping containers provide secure, releasable containment of various sizes of glass panels in the same container, together with simultaneous release of multiple panes.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to shipping containers and storage containers. More specifically, the present invention relates to containers for securely supporting panels, which can include glass pane panels. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Insulating glass units employed in windows and doors commonly are manufactured by sandwiching a peripheral spacer between aligned, parallel sheets of glass. One such construction is shown in Larsen, U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,716. The finished units are packaged and shipped to another location in which the glass units are provided with appropriate frames to form finished windows and doors. The insulating glass units, to which frames will be attached, often are produced to fill specific orders which may call for a variety of different sized units to be produced. To fill a particular order, pairs of individual glass panes are collected and stored in an appropriate rack so that the pane pairs can be readily accessed. 
     During the assembly operation, the pane pairs are provided with a peripheral spacer that spaces the panes from one another, the between-pane space being filled with air or other insulating gas such as argon. One pair of panes may be of a given size, whereas the next pair of panes may be larger or smaller, as the order requires. Once the pane pairs have been assembled to form insulating glass units, these units then are transported to a framing operation where the appropriate frames are applied. Here, also, one insulating glass unit may be of a given size whereas the next unit may be larger or smaller as required by the order. 
     A problem arises in the transportation of the individual glass panes, and of the insulating glass units formed by pane pairs. To support vertically aligned glass sheets against breakage during transportation, various containers have been proposed. One such container, referred to as a “harp” rack, comprises a floor, an end wall supported at right angles to the floor, and a series of parallel, curved rods extending from an upper edge of the wall to a lower, forward edge of the floor, the rods being spaced from one another by a distance enabling glass sheets to be inserted between the rod pairs. Although containers of this type are appropriate for conveying vertically aligned glass sheets for very short distances, as across the flat floor of a factory, they are quite inadequate to support glass units against breakage during shipment when the containers are subjected to bumps and jolts, since the individual glass units can move upwardly and forwardly parallel to their planes as well as from side-to-side. The container itself, as described, can be wrapped horizontally with a heat-shrinkable plastic film in an effort to stabilize the sheets, but if sheets of different sizes and shapes are intermingled, only the larger sheets will be supported. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,206 provides a shipping container which supports each glass panel against movement in its plane, and additionally enables articles of different sizes and shapes to be positioned next to each other in a predetermined order. The shipping container allows individual articles to be inserted and removed without disturbing the other articles. A received panel has one corner disposed near the intersecting floor and rear wall of the container, with an opposite, free corner being diagonally opposite the first corner. The free corner is generally secured with an elastic, resilient, elongated restraint. The elongated elastic restraints are typically each brought to bear at a free corner of the inserted glass panel. The elongated elastic restraints, while highly advantageous, must typically be individually secured and released from the free corners of the glass panels. 
     What would be advantageous is a shipping container not requiring the individual securing and releasing of each contained panel, but rather providing for simultaneous securing and releasing of each and all contained panels. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a shipping container for holding a plurality of parallel panels, where the panels have a length dimension, a height dimension, and a width disposed orthogonally to the length and height dimensions, with the panels having parallel major surfaces terminating at peripheral side edges. The shipping container can include a floor, a generally upright rear wall, and a frame supporting the floor and rear wall in planes that intersect at approximately a right angle for vertically supporting the plurality of parallel panels with the edges of the panels being supported by the floor and rear wall. The panels can be supported in parallel planes that are perpendicular to the planes of the rear wall and the floor. 
     Shipping containers according to the present invention can have one or more sets of grippers mounted along the floor and/or rear wall to support and releasably grip the edges of the panels. The gripper have a gripping position for inhibiting movement of the panels and a relaxed position for permitting removal of the panels. The grippers can provide for gripping and/or releasing of multiple panels at the same time, not requiring securing and releasing each panel individually. A shipping container can have sets of rigid, stationary or immobile grooves along the floor and/or rear wall which can also capture and support the panel peripheral edges. In some embodiments of the invention, the grippers are formed of one or more sets of outwardly protruding holding members which bear against the sides of the received panels edges transversely, so as to force the panels sideways against immobile grooves and/or other, opposing holding members which may also bear upon the received panels from the opposite direction. In some embodiments, the holding members are formed of a softer, pliable material than the rigid portions of the floor and rear wall. 
     In some embodiments, the floor has a plurality of parallel bottom grooves for receiving the panel edges along the panel length, the grooves being disposed along the longitudinal dimension. The floor can also have a first plurality of upwardly protruding bottom holding members slidably disposed along a direction transverse to the bottom grooves and received panel edges. The plurality of bottom holding members can have a relaxed position for permitting removal of the panels and a gripping position for inhibiting movement of the panels. 
     In some shipping container embodiments, the floor further includes a second plurality of bottom holding members, also slidably disposed along a direction transverse to the bottom grooves and received panel edges. The second plurality of bottom holding members can also have a relaxed position for permitting removal of the panels and the gripping position for inhibiting movement of the panels. The first and second plurality of bottom holding members can be disposed on opposite sides of the panel edges, with the first and second bottom holding members being disposed closer together in the gripping position than in the relaxed position. Preferably, the first and second plurality of bottom holding members are longitudinally offset from each other, rather than directly opposed. In other embodiments, the first and second plurality of bottom holding members are respectively coupled to first and second transverse bottom carrying members transversely and slidably disposed along the floor. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the invention, three sets of bottom holding members are coupled respectively to three transverse bottom carrying members transversely and slidably disposed along the floor, wherein the first, second and third transverse carrying members have a first position for urging the holding members into the relaxed position and a second position for urging the holding members in to the gripping position. In some embodiments, the first, second and third transverse bottom carrying members are operably coupled to a mechanical linkage such as a longitudinally disposed camshaft, with the first, second and third transverse carrying members being respectively operably coupled to first, second and third cams. The first, second and third cams can be carried on the longitudinally disposed camshaft such that rotating the camshaft in a first direction urges the first, second, and third transverse carrying members to a relaxed position away from confronting peripheral surfaces of a panel, and rotating the camshaft in the second direction urges the first, second, and third transverse carrying members to the gripping position. Here, the first and third carrying members may move together, that is, in unison, in the same direction while the second carrying member, sandwiched between the others, moves in the opposite direction. 
     In one embodiment, the rear wall also includes similar, side holding members for releaseably holding the received panel edges along the rear wall. In another embodiment, the shipping container includes a removable front wall. The front wall can be removed and at least partially received within the rear wall. The rear wall is adapted to receive the removed front wall, such that setting the front wall atop the rear wall extends the height of the rear wall. 
     One shipping container includes three rows of grippers along each of the floor and rear wall. Each of the sets of grippers can include three sets of transversely moveable holding members for bearing on opposite sides of a received panel edge. Individual, transversely moveable carrying members are supportably coupled to each of the sets of holding members. The transversely moveable carrying members can be operably coupled to rotatable cams carried on a camshaft. One shipping container includes a first, longitudinal camshaft disposed under the floor and a second, vertical camshaft disposed behind the rear wall. The camshafts can be rotated with respective handles for manually opening and closing the grippers. The invention thus provides a container for releasably securing holding panels, for example, glass panels of various sizes within the same sized container. Multiple glass panels can be secured and/or released along one edge simultaneously. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shipping container or rack having a floor, a rear wall, a front wall or extension, and a glass panel contained within; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the shipping container of FIG. 1, having the front wall or extension added atop the rear wall; 
     FIG. 3A is a highly diagrammatic, fragmentary, transverse cross-sectional view of a gripper holding panel; 
     FIG. 3B is a highly diagrammatic, fragmentary, top view of one gripper according to the present invention, including a transversely moveable holding member; 
     FIG. 3C is a highly diagrammatic, fragmentary, top view of another gripper according to the present invention, including two, offset and opposed, transversely movable holding members, 
     FIG. 3D is yet another highly diagrammatic, fragmentary, top view of a gripper according to the present invention, including three opposed, transversely movable holding members; 
     FIG. 4 illustrates a fragmentary, end, perspective view of the shipping container of FIG. 2, having opposed, transversely movable holding members disposed between immobile floor grooves or slots; 
     FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, perspective view of a glass panel disposed within one immobile slotted region and one moveable gripping region, as illustrated in FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the shipping container of FIG. 2, viewed from the rear; 
     FIG. 6B is a fragmentary, perspective view of the rear of the container of FIG. 6A, showing the middle gripper control assembly in further detail; 
     FIG. 6C is a perspective view of a shipping container similar to that of FIG. 6A, but having the horizontal cam shaft coupled to the vertical cam shaft through pinion gears; 
     FIG. 6D is a perspective, detailed view of the pinion gear, of FIG. 6C; 
     FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, perspective view of the handle, camshaft, upper cam, and central control arm regions of FIG. 6B; 
     FIG. 8 is a fragmentary, cutaway, side view of the cams and camshaft of FIG. 7, disposed between the cutaway control arms; 
     FIG. 9 is a fragmentary, top, cutaway view of the cam shaft of FIG. 8; and 
     FIG. 10 is a bottom, rear, perspective view of the frame and control assemblies of the shipping container of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The following detailed description should be read with reference to the drawings, in which like elements in different drawings are numbered identically. The drawings, which are not necessarily to scale, depict selected embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Several forms of invention have been shown and described, and other forms will now be apparent to those skilled in art. It will be understood that embodiments shown in drawings and described above are merely for illustrative purposes, and are not intended to limit scope of the invention as defined in the claims which follow. 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a shipping container or rack  20  having generally a floor  22 , an upright rear wall  24 , and an upright front wall or extension wall  26 . Floor  22  is supported by a frame  23 , and rear wall  24  is supported by a rear wall frame  25 . Front wall or extension  26  is supported by a frame  27 . Frame  27  includes posts  66  which are slidably received within holes  62  in frame  23 . Stacking posts  31  may be seen atop rear wall  24  and front wall  26 . Stacking posts  31  can be used to stack the glass racks on top of each other, where the stacking posts can be received within the bottom portion of a rack positioned above. 
     A glass panel  28  may be seen contained within shipping container or rack  20 . Glass panel  28  has generally a length as indicated at  30 , and a height as indicated at  32 . Glass panel  28  also has a width or thickness. Glass panel  28  may be considered to have a first major surface  90  and a parallel second major surface  92 . Rack  20  has generally a longitudinal dimension as indicated at  34 , a vertical dimension along rear wall  24  as indicated at  36 , and a transverse dimension along floor  22  as indicated at  38 . 
     Floor  22  may be seen to have multiple sets of grippers  40  which may releasably hold panel edges carried within rack  20 . Rack  20  includes ridged or grooved bottom surfaces  42  which can be immobile and disposed between bottom grippers  40 . In one embodiment, floor  22  has immobile floor or bottom grooves or slots  50  within immobile side walls in the immobile slotted floor region  42 , and also bottom grooves or slots  52  disposed within the moveable or closeable grippers  40 . The panels or glass panels may be received within both grooves or slots  50  and  52 . 
     Rear wall  24  may be seen to have numerous sets of stationary, immoveable side grooves or slots  54  within immobile side slotted region  46 , and numerous side slots or grooves  56  within moveable or closeable side grippers  44  also carried on the back wall. Front wall or extension  26  may also be seen to have slots or grooves  68 , shown from the rack front in FIG.  1 . In the example illustrated, glass panel  28  may be seen to be higher than upright rear wall  24 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 2, rack  20  is further illustrated, having front wall or extension  26  removed from frame mounting holes  62 , and inserted atop rear wall  24 . The slots or grooves  68  within extension  26  are further illustrated. Holes or apertures  98  may also be seen in FIG. 2, which can be used to receive the tines of a forklift. As may be seen from inspection of FIG. 2, extension  26  now renders the rear wall higher than glass panel  28 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 3A, a gripper according to the present invention is illustrated generally. A glass panel  28  may be seen disposed within a groove or slot  101  formed between a first upright or upwardly protruding holding member  102  and a second upright or upwardly protruding holding member  104 . First upward holding member  102  may be seen to have an inward surface  106  and second upwardly protruding holding member  104  may be seen to have a inward surface  108 . Glass panel  28  may be seen to have an edge  29  held within groove or slot  101  formed between inward surfaces  106  and  108 . Glass panel edge  29 , in the embodiment illustrated, may be seen to rest on floor  110 . In various embodiments of the invention, upwardly protruding holding member surfaces  106  and  108  may both travel inwardly toward glass panel  28  in some embodiments, and have only one inward surface travel inwardly in other embodiments. Travel of first upward holding member  102  is indicated by a transverse travel arrow  112  in FIG.  3 A. 
     Referring now to FIG. 3B, a highly diagrammatic illustration of another gripper is shown. Glass panel  28  may be seen from a top view, as disposed within a groove  126  formed between longitudinally disposed immobile upwardly protruding members  120 . A single, moveable, upwardly protruding holding member  122  is also illustrated, adapted to travel in the transverse direction to hold glass panel  28 , as indicated at  124 . Immobile, upwardly protruding members  120  may be seen to have an inward surface  128 , and movable holding member  122  may be seen to have an inward surface  130 . The transverse movement of moveable holding member  122  may be seen to urge inward surface  130  against glass panel  28 , thereby forcing an glass panel  28  against immobile holding member inward surface  128 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 3C, glass panel  28  is disposed within groove or slot  126  between immobile holding members  128 . Transversely slidable holding member  122  is illustrated as in FIG.  3 B. In the embodiment of FIG. 3C, a second transversely moveable holding member  123  is also illustrated. Transversely slidable holding members  122  and  124  may be seen to close in on glass panel  28  from opposite or opposed directions. In the embodiment illustrated, first slidable holding member  122  and second slidable holding member  123  are longitudinally offset from each other. 
     Referring now to FIG. 3D, glass panel  28  is illustrated as disposed between three transversely slidable holding members. Holding members  122  and  123  are as discussed previously, with respect to FIG.  3 C. In this, preferred embodiment, a third transversely slidable holding member  125  is included. Outer or outside holding members  123  and  125  may be seen to be urged against glass panel  28  on a first major surface while first transversely slidable holding member  122  may be seen to be urged against a second major surface of glass panel  28 , opposed to the other, parallel major surface. The three, upward holding members may be seen to form a stable support for glass panel  28 . In a preferred embodiment, immobile upward holding members such as immobile upward holding members  128  of FIG. 3C are also included. In an alternate embodiment, the three transversely slidable holding members  122 ,  123 , and  125  alone are used to secure glass panel  28 , within the groove or slot formed between the opposed transversely slidable holding members. 
     In preferred embodiments of the invention, within a gripper, both sides of the gripper are moveable toward the panel held within, from opposite sides. Approaching the gripped panel from both sides requires less or no transverse movement of the panel. In racks having an engaging bottom surface, such as rubber, forcing a glass panel transversely can impart stress to the panel near the periphery, as the edge may be stationary, and the moving gripper may apply force to the glass panel within the periphery, above the edge. When both sides of a gripper move toward the glass sheet, the sheet may have to move much less, if at all. In embodiments having resilient grippers, even if the glass sheet is not perfectly centered, both gripper sides may be able to apply force to grip the sheet without requiring transverse movement of the sheet. 
     FIG. 4 illustrates an end, perspective view of shipping container or rack  20  including floor  22  and rear wall  24 . Floor  22  may be seen to have immobile, bottom slotted regions  42  and bottom gripper regions  40 . Immobile regions  42  may be seen to have bottom grooves  50  disposed along the longitudinal direction, and, in the embodiment illustrated, grippers  40  may be seen to be formed of a set of transversely slidable, upwardly protruding holding members. Grippers  40  include a first transversely slidable set of holding members  40 A, a second transversely slidable set of upward holding members  40 B, and a third transversely slidable set of upward holding members  40 C. Slidable holding members  40 A,  40 B, and  40 C may be seen to have longitudinally oriented grooves  52  formed between upwardly protruding members or fingers  204 . Slidable holding members  40 A may be seen, in the embodiment illustrated, to be formed of a flexible substrate or material  202  formed over a more rigid, slidable transverse carrying member  200 . In one embodiment, fingers or upward members  204  are formed of a pliable, resilient, rubber material, and the more rigid slidable support member  200  is formed of a metal, for example, steel. The bottom grooves  52  formed between upward holding members  204  may be seen to be aligned with the bottom grooves  50  formed in the immobile holding portions  42  on rack floor  22 . 
     Grooves  52 , and other slots and groves in the present invention may have different dimensions in various embodiments. In one embodiment, the grooves and slots of the present invention are sized to fit individual glass panes. In another embodiment, the grooves and slots are sized to accept insulating glass units composed of a pair of spaced glass panes and a peripheral spacer. Some embodiments have closeable grippers which have an open position large enough to accept insulating glass units, and a closed position small enough to firmly hold the peripheral edge of a single glass pane. 
     The grooves or slots according to the present invention preferably have groove or slot walls that engage the inserted panels near or adjacent the panel edge or periphery. The panel periphery may be considered to be a zone or margin near the panel edge. The periphery may be considered to extend no more than about 8, 6, and 4 inches from the panel edge, in various embodiments of the invention. In particular, where the slots extend between moveable holding members of a gripper, the grippers preferably extend no higher than about 8, 6, or 4 inches from the panel edges, in various embodiments of the invention. 
     Inspection of FIG. 4 shows that transversely slidable gripping portions  40 A,  40 B, and  40 C may be opened and closed so as to increase and decrease the width of groove  52  formed between upward holding members  204 . Grippers  40  may thus be switched between an open or relaxed position and a closed or gripping position. A panel, for example, a glass panel, may be visualized as extending entirely through bottom grooves  52  and bottom grooves  50 , extending back to rear wall  24 , into fixed or immobile side grooves  54  and closeable side grooves or slots of  56 . Inspection of FIG. 4 also illustrates that inner gripper row  40 B has upward holding members  204  inclined rightward, and outer slidable gripper rows  40 A and  40 C are angled leftward. Rows  40 A,  40 B, and  40 C are thus inclined to hold a glass panel disposed within grooves  52 . In some embodiments, upward holding members  204  are formed of a sufficiently pliant material so as to significantly straighten upon being urged against a glass panel disposed within grooves  52  after the grippers  40  are switched to a closed or gripping position. 
     Referring now to FIG. 5, glass panel  28  may be seen disposed within bottom slots  50  of immobile slotted floor portion  42  and bottom groove or slot  52  formed between fingers or upward holding members  204 . Transversely slidable gripping rows  40 A,  40 B, and  40 C are as previously discussed with respect to FIG.  4 . In the embodiment illustrated, inner gripping row  40 B and outer gripping rows  40 A and  40 B have been urged together to capture and support the peripheral edges of glass panel  28 . Immobile grooved region  42  may be seen to include an unused portion to the front of glass panel  28 . The unused portion of grooved region  42  illustrates the flexibility of the present invention, allowing for various sized pieces of glass to be carried in the same rack. 
     FIG. 6A is a perspective view of shipping container  20  as seen from the rear. Shipping container  20  includes rear upright wall  24  having front wall or extension  26  inserted atop the rear wall. Post  66  of front wall or extension  26  may be seen to be received within receiving brackets or angle irons  230 . Container  20  has generally a rear frame assembly  232 , including a top gripper control assembly  234 , a middle gripper control assembly  236 , and a lower gripper control assembly  238 . A vertical camshaft  242  may be seen extending between a top journal  246  and a bottom journal  244 , and coupled to a handle  250  for rotating camshaft  242 . In the embodiment illustrated, each of the gripper control assemblies includes a top transversely slidable portion  240 A, a middle transversely slidable portion  240 B, and a lower transversely slidable control portion  240 C. The middle, transversely slidable control portion  240 B forms the inner slidable portion, and portions  240 A and  240 B form the outer slidable portions. Each of the gripper control assemblies  234 ,  236  and  238  control the opening and closing of the transversely moveable gripping portions on the rear wall of container  20 . Each of the slidable portions  240 A,  240 B, and  240 C, can control an individual row of protruding holding members, as discussed with respect to FIG.  4  and FIG.  5 . 
     A lower, horizontal camshaft  260  may be disposed under floor  22 , and coupled to a handle  262 . In the embodiment illustrated, handle  262  is a spring-biased, pivoted scissor member handle having a jaw  264  for releaseably engaging teeth  268  in a locking wheel  266 . Handle  262  may be used to rotate lower camshaft  260  to the desired position, and then locked into position. In one embodiment, vertical camshaft  242  also has a locking wheel and handle assembly, not shown to better illustrate container rear frame  232 . A rear side grooved portion  270  of rear wall  24  is visible in FIG. 6A, visible between control assemblies  234 ,  236 , and  238 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 6B, middle gripper control assembly  236  is illustrated in further detail. Gripper control assembly  236  includes generally slidable control portions  240 A,  240 B,  240 C, as introduced in FIG.  6 A. Control assembly  236  may be considered to have at least three layers, proceeding from outward to inward, proceeding from the rear toward the inside of the container. Control assembly  236  includes an upper, transversely slidable control arm  246 A, a middle, transversely slidable control arm  246 B, and a lower transversely slidable control arm  246 C. Slidable control arms  246 A,  246 B, and  246 C may be seen to be slidably received within mounting brackets  248 A,  248 B and  248 C, respectively. Mounting bolts  255  may be seen extending through slidable control arms  246 A,  246 B,  246 C. A mounting plate layer  254  may be seen to be disposed beneath slidable control arms  246 A,  246 B,  246 C. Mounting plate  254  may be seen to have slots  250 A,  250 B, and  250 C formed to the right of mounting plate  254 . Slots  250 A and  250 C are shown in phantom, as they are beneath slidable control arms  246 A and  246 C. 
     Similarly, on the left side of control assembly  236 , slots  252 A,  252 B, and  252 C, are formed through mounting plate  254 . A top cam  244 A may be seen secured to vertical camshaft  242 , with middle and lower cams  244 B and  244 C not visible in FIG.  6 B. Control arm  246 A may be seen to include an arcuate portion  258 A extending to the far side of cam  244 A. Similarly, control arms  246 B and  246 C may be seen to include arcuate portions  258 B and  258 C, respectively, extending to the far side of the enclosed cam. Middle control arm arcuate portion  258 B may be seen to include a far extent, as indicated at  259 B. Portion  259 B may be understood to slide freely over mounting plate  254 , not being fixed to mounting plate  254 . Control arms  246 A,  246 B and  246 C may be seen to function as cam follower elements, being slid to the left and to the right by the urging of the off-center cams included within the arcuate extending portions of the control arms. 
     Included beneath mounting plate  254  is a rigid, slidable, carrier for carrying the moveable holder members. An example of a slidable carrier material is seen in carrier  200  in FIG. 4, for carrying flexible fingers or holding members  204 . Carrier  200  can be secured to bolts  255 . In one example, carrier  200  is fixedly attached to bolt  255 , extending through a longitudinal slot  250 A and fixedly attached to control arm  246 A. The rotation of vertical camshaft  242 A thus rotates off-center or non-circular cam to  244 A against arcuate control arm portion  258 A, thereby sliding control arm  246 A through bracket  248 A. The sliding control arm  248 A, being coupled to bolt  255  and through mounting plate  254  to carrier  200 , may thus move carrier  200  from left to right along the length of slot  250 A, thereby moving holding fingers  204  left and right. Control arms  246 B and  246 C can operate in a similar fashion. Rotating vertical camshaft  242  using handle  250  can thus open and close, or grip and relax, the holding members about the panel articles held within the grooved or slotted surfaces of the rear wall of container  20 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 6C and 6D, another shipping container for  420  is illustrated in a perspective view similar to that of FIG.  6 A. Shipping container  420  is similar to shipping container  20  of FIG. 6A, but having a longer handle, and having the horizontal and vertical cam shafts coupled together through pinion gears. Shipping container  420  includes upright rear wall  24 , extension  26 , and floor  22 . The rear frame assembly of shipping container  420  includes top gripper control assembly  234 , middle gripper control assembly  236 , and lower gripper control assembly  238 , as previously discussed with respect to FIG.  6 A. 
     A long handle  450  may be seen coupled to vertical cam shaft  242 . Vertical cam shaft  242  can be rotatably received within a sleeve or bearing  444 , allowing the vertical cam shaft to extend down to a vertical cam shaft pinion gear  462 . FIG. 6D illustrates vertical cam shaft  242  being received within sleeve or bearing  444 . A horizontal cam shaft  460  can be fixed to a collar  406  which can in turn be coupled to a horizontal cam shaft pinion gear  461 . Horizontal cam shaft  460  preferably rotates freely relative to plate  402 , and can extend within a cavity in plate  402  in some embodiments. Rotating vertical cam shaft  242  may be seen to rotate pinion gear  462 , thereby rotating pinion gear  461 , and horizontal cam shaft  460 . In this way, handle  450  may be used to rotate both the vertical cam shaft  242  and horizontal cam shaft  460 , thereby closing grippers on both the rear wall and floor of shipping container  420 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 7, handle  250  may be seen to include a channel  253  for receiving a lever arm  264  when handle  250  is pivoted about pivot  257 . Handle  250  may thus be folded into a more compact position for shipping. Upper control arm  246 A is illustrated, with arcuate portion  258 A extending around to the far side of upper cam  244 A. Cam  244 A may be seen to be disposed off-center relative to vertical camshaft  242 . Control arms  246 A,  246 B, and  246 C may be understood to slide relative to mounting plate  254 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 8 and 9, vertical camshaft  242  is shown having cams  244 A  244 B, and  244 C attached to the camshaft. Control arm arcuate portions  258 A,  258 B, and  258 C, shown in cutaway, may be seen to have their respective positions determined by the position of the enclosed cam. The rotation of camshaft  242  thus determines the configuration of the respective cams, and translates the enclosing cam follower elements or control arms left and right depending on the configuration of the cams and the degree of rotation of camshaft  242 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 10, shipping container  20  and frame  23  are illustrated in a bottom, perspective view. Container  20  includes a floor  22 , a rear wall  24 , and a front wall  26 , as previously described. Control assemblies  234 ,  236 , and  238  are as previously described. A horizontal, lower camshaft  260  may be seen to control assemblies  334 ,  336 , and  338  for opening and closing the grippers of the floor of shipping container  20 . 
     An exemplary, non-limiting use of one rack embodiment may now be described. Handles  250  and  262 , illustrated in FIG. 6A, may be swung to an open position, to open the grippers in the floor and side wall. Panels, which can be glass sheets of various sizes, may have their peripheral edges disposed within the slots in the floor and rear wall. The slots in the rear wall can provide support against swaying for one vertical edge each various size sheets. This support can be provided even in racks not having any moveable grippers along the rear wall. The rack can be populated with numerous glass sheets, all preferably urged against the corner intersection of the floor and rear wall. In some methods, the height of the panels is limited to be less than the height of the rear wall and front walls. A glass rack having sufficiently short glass panels can have other racks stacked on top of it. After inserting the panels into the rack, the handles can be swung to a closed position, to close the grippers on the panel peripheral edges disposed within the grippers. The rack may then be moved, for example, with a forklift, to a truck for further transportation. After arriving at the desired location, the rack can be removed from the truck with a forklift, the handles swung to the open position, and the panels removed.