Abstract:
This lock chamber defines an elongated storage compartment with a pair of openings at the opposite ends of the same. One opening is for receiving merchandise to be stored in the compartment, while the other opening is for retrieving the merchandise from the compartment. Several partitions extend across the compartment and are longitudinally adjustable within the same. The doors and the partitions can be locked. Preferably, the compartment is formed by a semi-trailer which is located with the merchandise retrieving opening in communication with the opening of a loading deck of a grocery store or the like. The lock chamber can receive several successive loads of merchandise of different volumes and delivered by trucks at hours of the day when the personnel operating the loading dock is not available.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a lock chamber, more particularly to such chamber forming a compartment for receiving merchandise at one end and for delivering the loaded merchandise at the other end. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It frequently happens that delivery trucks are retarded in their delivery schedule and arrive at the merchandise receiving dock of a supermarket, a drug store, or any other retail store or the like, out of normal business hours with no personnel available for receiving the merchandise. This can be very expensive to the delivery company, so much so that the delivery trucks often come from a long distance. 
     OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     It is therefore the general object of the present invention to provide a lock chamber which will obviate the above mentioned disadvantages. 
     A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a lock chamber capable of receiving frozen, and temporarily storing fresh and dry merchandise, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, without the intervention of the merchandise receiving personnel and which can take place with complete safety. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a lock chamber of the character described which can be either in the form of a merchandise receiving, theft proof room inside the receiving building, or in the form of a semi-trailer to be parked at the merchandise receiving dock of the receiving supermarket or the like organisation. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a locking chamber of the character described provided with adjustable partitions, each provided with locks, for successively receiving merchandises of variable volumes delivered by successive delivery trucks. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a lock chamber of the character described provided with means to make it theft-proof and which can be remote controlled by authorised personnel of the shipping company. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a lock chamber of the character described which can be selectively refrigerated under the control of the authorised personnel of a delivery company. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The lock chamber of the present invention comprises a storage structure for receiving merchandise having wall means defining a storage compartment therein, said wall means including top and bottom walls, a pair of opposed side walls and a pair opposite first and second end walls, said first end wall defining a merchandise receiving opening and said second end wall defining a merchandise retrieving opening, and a lockable door for each opening, whereby said compartment can be loaded through said merchandise receiving opening and unloaded through said merchandise retrieving opening and each door locked when said compartment contains merchandise. 
     Preferably, said compartment is elongated and has a uniform cross-sectioned area between said end walls and has openable and closable partitions within said compartment which, when closed, are parallel to said end walls, to form sub-compartments including a first sub-compartment defined by a first partition and the end wall with said merchandise retrieving opening, and partition position adjusting means to adjust the individual position of said partitions relative to one another and relative to said end walls to vary the volume of said subcompartments, whereby said first subcompartment can be loaded with merchandise when all of said partitions are opened and further including blocking devices to block each partition in adjusted position and locks carried by said partitions and operable to unlock said partitions only from their side facing said merchandise retrieving opening whereby said sub-compartments can be successively loaded through said merchandise receiving opening starting from said first sub-compartment with all of said partitions in opened position and the next sub-compartment can be loaded after closing and locking of the partition defining said first sub-compartment and all of said sub-compartments can be unloaded through said merchandise retrieving unlocked and by opening the door of said merchandise retrieving opening and by successively unlocked and opening said partitions. 
     Preferably, the storage structure is a wheeled trailer including retractable, stabilising, height adjustable struts and hitching means at one end wall for hitching said trailer to a road tractor. 
     Preferably, the lock chamber further includes an additional merchandise receiving opening made in at least one of said side walls adjacent said one end wall, an additional door for said additional merchandise receiving opening and locking means for said additional door. 
     Preferably, each door is an overhead door and further including a door operating electric motor for each door. 
     Preferably, each of said partitions include a pair of panels each having a laterally outer portion and a laterally inner portion, and said partition position adjusting means include a pair of top and bottom parallel tracks extending along and close to each side wall and normal to said end walls, top and bottom sleeve members longitudinally displaceable on and guided by said tracks, and said laterally outer portions of each panel pivoted to said top and bottom sleeve members for movement between an opened position extending along a related side wall and a closed position extending across said compartment and in which said laterally inner portion of said pair of panels meet together, said locks carried by said laterally inner portions of said pair of panels and said blocking means carried by said laterally outer portions of said pair of panels. 
     Preferably, said third locking means include stop lugs carried by said panel and coming in blocking contact with said side walls in the closed position of said panels. 
     Preferably, second locking means include a lever pivoted to the laterally inner portion of one panel, a lever retainer fixed to the laterally inner portion of the other panel, both said lever and said lever retainer located at the face of said panels looking towards said merchandise retrieving opening, a spring-loaded plunger carried by said lever retainer and biased towards entrance into a registering hole of said lever to lock said lever within said lever retainer and a lever operating arm secured to said lever and located at the opposite face of said panels to pivot said lever towards its locked position. 
     Preferably, the lock chamber further includes track supports fixed to said side walls and to said tracks at short intervals, said sleeve members being longitudinally split to clear said supports. 
     Preferably, the first locking means further includes an electronic circuit system normally stopping operation of the motor operating the door for said merchandise receiving opening and causing said operation when activated by recognition of a personal identification code number. 
     Preferably, said lock chamber is provided with refrigerating means for refrigerating said compartment, said electronic circuit system also serving to operate said refrigerating means when activated by recognition of a personal identification code number. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ANNEXED DRAWINGS 
     In the annexed drawings, 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the lock chamber of the invention in the form of a semi-trailer parked at the merchandise receiving dock of an establishment; 
     FIG. 2 is a top-plan view of the arrangement of FIG.  1  and showing additional possible positions of the semi-trailer; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the semi-trailer showing the same hitched to a road tractor shown in dotted line; 
     FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section of the semi-trailer in parked position at the merchandise receiving dock also shown in section; 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-section taken along line  5 — 5  of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial view taken in area  6  of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 7 is an enlarged partial view taken in area  7  of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 8 is a cross-section of the elements shown in FIG.  6  and showing a partition panel in opened position; 
     FIG. 9 is a top-plan section of the elements shown in FIG.  8  and showing the partition panel in opened position; 
     FIG. 10 is a view of the same elements as in FIG.  9  and showing the partition panel in closed position; 
     FIG. 11 is a plan section taken along line  11 — 11  of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 12 is a top plan view taken in area  12  of FIG. 11; 
     FIG. 13 is a partial plan section and top-plan view taken in area  13  of FIG. 11; 
     FIG. 14 is a partial elevation taken in area  14  of FIG. 12; 
     FIG. 15 is a partial section taken along line  15 — 15  of FIG. 14; 
     FIG. 16 is a partial elevation taken in area  16  of FIG. 12; 
     FIG. 17 is a partial section taken along line  17 — 17  of FIG. 16; 
     FIG. 18 is a partial view similar to that of FIG.  17  and showing another position of the locking lever and spring loaded plunger; 
     FIG. 19 is a view similar to that of FIG. 18 showing how the spring loaded plunger is retracted to allow opening of the locking lever; 
     FIG. 20 is a partial cross-section of the bottom wall of the semi-trailer and a partial elevation of two adjacent partition panels in opened position; 
     FIG. 21 is a partial cross-section taken along line  21 — 21  of FIG.  20  and also partially showing a trailer stabilising strut in operative position; 
     FIG. 22 is a cross-section of the trailer bottom wall and showing a trailer stabilising strut in operative position and in raised inoperative position in dotted line; and 
     FIG. 23 is an exploded, perspective, schematic view of the different elements of the semi-trailer operated by an electronic control system including means to lock the doors and operate the refrigerating system. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown merchandise receiving section or loading dock A of a supermarket, pharmacy, general merchandise store, hardware store or any other type of merchandise receiving organisation. This loading dock is normally provided with several doors B closing door openings C and the latter having a door sill S. A personnel entrance E with a stairway W is normally also provided. 
     The lock chamber of the present invention is shown at  2 , it is in the form of a semi-trailer provided with rear wheels  4  and stabilising struts  6 . 
     The semi-trailer or lock chamber  2  is further provided with a conventional hitch  8  at the front-end thereof for hitching the semi-trailer to a road tractor T. The lock chamber  2  forms an elongated compartment defined by a top wall  10 , a bottom wall  12 , a pair of side walls  14 , a front-end wall  16  and a rear-end wall  18 . This compartment has a uniform cross-sectional area between end walls  16  and  18 . 
     A front merchandise receiving opening  20  is formed in the front-end wall  16 , said opening  20  capable of being completely closed by a door  22 . The rear-end wall  18  is provided with the back merchandise retrieving opening  24  capable of being closed by a door  26 . Preferably, additional merchandise receiving openings are provided adjacent the front merchandise receiving opening  20 . These additional openings are indicated at  28  being made in the side walls  14  adjacent the front-end wall  16 . Openings  20 ,  24  are nearly as wide as end walls  16  and  18  and extend down to bottom wall  12  as shown in FIGS. 1,  4  and  5 . Each of the lateral merchandise receiving openings  28  is provided with a door  30 . Doors  22 ,  26  and  28  are preferably overhead doors of conventional construction each operated by an electric motor  32  and guided over rollers  34 . 
     The lock chamber  2  in the form of a semi-trailer can be towed by a road tractor T and parked in front of a door B of loading dock A so that its merchandise retrieving opening  24  will be in communication with the door opening C. 
     Delivery trucks D can therefore be brought in communication with either the front merchandise receiving opening  20  or anyone of the lateral merchandise receiving openings  28  depending on the available space as shown in FIG. 2 so that merchandise from the delivery truck can be transferred to the lock chamber  2  as shown by full line arrows F in FIG.  2 . 
     The delivered merchandise can remain in theft-proof condition within the lock chamber  2  until receiving personnel is available to open door B of the loading dock A and also the merchandise retrieving opening  24  at the back of the semi-trailer so that merchandise can be transferred to the receiving building in accordance with dotted line arrow G. 
     Referring to FIGS. 4,  11  and  5  to  10 , it is seen that lock chamber  2  formed by the semi-trailer is provided with a plurality of partitions each formed by two partition panels  36  consisting of a frame  38  across which is secured a screen  39 . Each partition panel has top and bottom hinge pins  40  at its laterally outer portion which are hinged to top and bottom sleeves  42  which are longitudinally slideable on top and bottom tracks  44  secured along each side wall  14  by closely spaced track supports  46 . The sleeves  42  are longitudinally split to clear the track supports. 
     The laterally inner portion of each partition panel is provided at its central or middle portion with a stop lug  48  adapted to come in frictional contact with a horizontally extending centre bar  15  secured to each side wall  14 . Stop lugs  48  clear the centre bars  15  when the partition panels  36  are pivoted to their opened position extending along the side walls  14 . 
     The lower end portion of each laterally inner part of each partition panel  36  is fitted with a roller  49  in rolling engagement with the bottom wall  12 . 
     The laterally inner portion of each partition panel  36  is provided at middle height of the panels with a locking system which comprises a panel locking lever  50  engageable with a lever retainer  52  which carries a spring-loaded plunger  54 . The lever retainer  52  is secured to a plate  53  secured to one of the partition panels  36 ; the spring loaded plunger  54  is engageable with a hole  51  made in the panel locking lever  50 . The latter is secured at its inner end to a lever pivot pin  56  which extends across the other of the partition panels and within a tube  57 a which is secured to opposite reinforcing plates  57  secured to the other partition panel  36  on opposite sides of the same. The other end of the pivot pin is secured to an activating arm  58  with a handle  59  at its outer end. Panel locking lever  50  is formed at its lower edge with a bevel  60  to clear the spring loaded plunger  54  when the lever  50  is pivoted to its locking position. It is clear that the activating arm  58  is on the side of the partition panels  36  looking towards the front merchandise receiving opening  20  of the lock chamber  2  while the panel locking lever  50  together with its spring loaded plunger  54  is located on the side of the partition panels looking towards the back of the trailer, that is towards the merchandise retrieving opening  24 . Therefore the partition panels can be unlocked only from the receiving section or loading dock A. 
     Referring to FIGS. 21 and 22, it is seen that each strut  6  is pivoted by means of a pivot bolt  62  by a bracket  63  which is secured to the underside of the bottom wall  12 . Strut  6  is secured in operative up-right position by means of a locking bolt  64 , but can be pivoted to a raised, inoperative position shown in dotted line in FIG.  22  and retained in this inoperative position by means of a pin (not shown) engaging registering holes made in an ear  66  fixed to the strut and an ear  68  fixed to the bottom wall  12 . Strut  6  is provided with a ground engaging pad  70  secured to the end of a piston rod  72 , the piston  74  of which is located within a cylinder  76  defined by the inside of the strut and by a cylinder end wall  78 . The cylinder is provided a fluid filling valve  80 . 
     As shown in FIG. 3, in the elevated position of the struts, the semi-trailer can be moved over a road by the tractor T and in their operative up-right position as is shown in FIG. 4, the struts can be adjusted so as to raise the lock chamber to a level with the wheels  4  off the ground and with the bottom wall  12  at the level of the sill S of the selected door opening C of the loading dock A. 
     Referring to FIGS. 3,  5  and  23 , lock chamber  2  is provided with a refrigerating unit indicated at  82  suspended from the bottom wall  12  and having a cool air feeding duct  84  and air return duct  85 . These ducts may have branches for cooling selected longitudinally spaced areas of the lock chamber, each branch being controlled by a suitable damper (not shown). The cooled areas are provided with temperature sensors  86 . The inside of the lock chamber is illuminated by lamps  88 . 
     In accordance with the invention, an electronic control system  90  is carried by the semi-trailer. Its control buttons  92  and card receiving slot  93  are accessible from the exterior of the lock chamber. Therefore, a magnetic card  94  can be inserted into slot  93  and a personal identification code number entered into the system  90  through the buttons  92 . In this manner, an authorised person can activate the motors  32  at the merchandise receiving openings  20 ,  28  and start operation of the refrigerating unit  82 . The temperature sensors  86  serve to operate the refrigerating unit so as to maintain the temperature within the compartment of the lock chamber at a set temperature or to maintain individual temperatures in the sub-compartments defined by the partition panels  36  provided the latter are heat insulated instead of having screens  39 . 
     Junction boxes  96  are provided in the circuits between the control system  90 , the temperature sensors  86  and the refrigerating unit  82 . 
     The control system  90  can also be operated by a remote control radio emitter  98  and a radio receiver  100  connected to the control system  90 . Remote control  98  is provided with buttons  99  corresponding to the buttons  92  on the control system  90  and can operate the latter without having to use a magnetic card. 
     The over-hang door  26  of the back merchandise retrieving opening  24  is operated by a push button switch  102  which is disposed inside the loading dock A. 
     The lock chamber, in accordance with the invention, operates in the following manner. The driver of a delivery truck D who carries the remote control  98 , when approaching lock chamber  2 , operates the remote control  98  by pushing the control buttons  99  so as to enter his personal identification number which is transmitted through radio receiver  100  the control unit  90  and so as to open one or the other of the doors  22  or  30  and have access to the compartment defined by the lock chamber  2 . 
     The same operation can be effected by accessing unit  90  and using magnetic card  94  and buttons  92 . 
     The first delivery of merchandise is transferred to the sub-compartment next to the back of the lock chamber. After completion of the first delivery, the partition panels  36  nearest to the back wall  18  of the lock chamber are longitudinally moved along tracks  44  while in their opened position to come close to the load of merchandise just delivered and then they are closed whereby the stop lugs  48  carried by the partition panels engage the centre bars  15  and lock the closed panels in longitudinally adjusted position, then the closed partition panels  36  are locked from the outside of the loaded sub-compartment by rotating activating arm  58  so that the spring-loaded plunger  54  engages hole  51  in panel locking lever  50 . 
     Successive delivery trucks then can deliver successive loads in the adjustable volume sub-compartments of the lock chamber. 
     Whenever personnel is available at the loading dock, the over-hang door B which rides on rollers Ba is opened and push button switch  102  is operated from the inside of the loading dock A to open the door  26  of the merchandise retrieving opening  24  to have access to the nearest sub-compartment defined between said door and the nearest partition panels  36 . Once the first sub-compartment is unloaded, access to the next sub-compartment is obtained by pulling on the spring loaded plunger  54  to permit opening of the panel locking lever  50  whereby the partition panels  36  can be opened in a direction towards the back of the trailer as shown in FIG. 11 to gain access to the following sub-compartment. The unloading operation is repeated for each of the loaded sub-compartments. 
     Lock chamber  2  of the present invention could be made inside the building receiving section A instead of being incorporated in a semi-trailer as shown.