Abstract:
A container ( 10 ) includes a body that has a bottom wall ( 12 ), a top wall ( 20 ), a back wall ( 14 ), and first and second end walls ( 16 ), ( 18 ) wherein the walls ( 12 ), ( 14 ), ( 16 ), ( 18 ), and ( 20 ) of the body define an open front ( 22 ) portion of the container body. The container ( 10 ) further includes a first ( 24 ), top ( 98 ), bottom ( 100 ), side ( 110 ), and diagonal ( 112 ) conveyors supported on the back wall ( 14 ) within the container ( 10 ) for supporting parts ( 28 ) between the conveyors ( 24 ), ( 98 ), ( 100 ), and ( 112 ) for sequentially loading and unloading the parts ( 28 ) on and off the conveyors ( 24 ), ( 98 ), ( 100 ), and ( 112 ). The container ( 10 ) may provide for an effective way for loading and unloading the container with variety of parts comprising different shapes and dimensions.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The subject invention relates to a container for storing parts. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   Numerous containers for storing parts, storage systems, and mechanisms for storing and retrieving articles within the storage area are known in the prior art and are widely used today. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,964,562 to Bernard, II et al and 5,024,318 to Schwarze et al., and disclose a variety of conveyors used in warehouses. 
   The U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,562 to Bernard, II et al. shows an apparatus for exchanging articles that includes an article holder, a vertical mast having a vertical mast axis and a shuttle ring assembly to hold the articles. The apparatus is designed for a warehouse usage. The U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,318 to Schwarze et al shows a conveyor track including carriers supported in the track for holding individual parts wherein each of the parts is supported by the carrier on top or bottom of the part. In addition to the prior art patents cited above, different conventional shipping containers for storing parts are known to be used in the industry today. 
   However, one of areas of continuous development and research is the area of a more advanced design of a convenient and compact storage container with an extra storage space that may provide for storing a wide variety of differently shaped parts that include solid and hollow portions. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
   A container includes a body that has a bottom wall, a top wall, a back wall, and first and second end walls wherein the walls further define an open front portion of the container. The container is characterized by a first conveyor extending in a cantilevered fashion from the back wall to a distal end adjacent the open front within the container for supporting parts and sequentially loading and unloading the parts on and off the conveyor. 
   One of the advantages of the present invention provides for a convenient and compact storage container with an extra storage space. Still another advantage of the present invention provides for storing a wide variety of parts that comprise solid and hollow portions in the container, and ability of an operator to load and unload the parts wherein the operator is positioned outside the container. 
   Accordingly, the container shown in the present invention is new, efficient, and may provide for an effective way of loading and unloading the container with a variety of parts including different shapes and dimensions. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a container; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the conveyor supported on a supplemental post; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the container including a crank extending from the conveyor; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the container that shows first, top, side, and diagonal conveyors; 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of another alternative embodiment of the conveyors; and 
       FIG. 6  is a side view of the conveyor that shows a belt entrained around a gear, a plurality of hooks extending from an outer surface of the belt, and a plurality of tabs extending from an inner surface of the belt to engage with the gear for sequentially moving the belt backward and forward during loading and unloading operations. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring to the  FIGS. 1 through 6 , wherein like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, a container is generally shown at  10 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the container  10  may include a body that with a bottom wall  12 , a back wall  14 , and first and second end walls  16 ,  18 , extending outwardly from the bottom wall  12  and interconnected by a top wall  20  to define an open front  22 . The container  10  is characterized by a first conveyor, generally indicated at  24 , extending in a cantilevered fashion from the back wall  14  to a distal end  26  adjacent the open front  22  within the container  10  for supporting parts, generally indicated at  28 , and sequentially loading and unloading the parts  28  on and off the conveyor  24 . 
   The bottom wall  12  of the container  10  includes four corners  30 ,  32 ,  34 ,  36  and includes front  38 , back  40 , and end  42 ,  44  beams interconnected at the corners  30 ,  32 ,  34 ,  36  wherein the bottom wall  12  is supported on the front  38 , back  40  and end  42 ,  44  beams, respectively. Referring specifically to the structure of the beams, the front  38 , back  40 , and end beams  42 ,  44  comprise channels with a C-shaped cross-section. 
   The container  10  includes a pair of front  48 ,  50  and back  52 ,  54  vertical posts, respectively, at each of the corners  30 ,  32 ,  34 ,  36  of the bottom wall  12  extending upwardly from the intersection of the front  38 , back  40 , and end  42 ,  44  beams to respective tops. The front  48 ,  50  and back  52 ,  54  vertical posts are interconnected with front  56 , back  58  and end  60 ,  62  top beams at their respective tops to support the top wall  20  positioned on the top beams  56 ,  58 ,  60 ,  62 . 
   Shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  3  and  4 , the container  10  may include at least one supplemental beam  64  that extends between the back vertical posts  52 ,  54  wherein the supplemental beam  64  extends between the top  58  and bottom  40  beams. The container  10  includes at least one supplemental post  66  disposed between the back vertical posts  52 ,  54  and extending between the back top  56  and bottom  40  beams. 
   The container  10  may include at least one diagonal beam  68 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , that extends between the back vertical post  54  and the supplemental beam  64  at the respective tops. In addition, the container may include at least one diagonal beam  70  that extends between the back vertical post  52  and the bottom beam  40  at the respective tops. The diagonal beam  68  comprises a hollow tube structure. The bottom  38 ,  40 ,  42 ,  44 , the top  56 ,  58 ,  60 ,  62 , the diagonal  68  beams and the vertical posts  48 ,  50 ,  52 ,  54  comprise a channel with a C-shaped cross-section. 
   The first conveyor  24  extends in a cantilevered fashion from the back wall  14  and supported on the supplemental post  66 . The first conveyor  24  includes a belt  72  that is disposed in an endless loop. As illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 6 , the belt  72  presents an inner  74  and an outer  76  surface and includes a plurality of projections  78  extending outwardly and spaced from one another along the outer surface  76  for cradling the parts  28  between the projections  78 . The projections  78  of the belt  72  extend outwardly to a hook  80  for retaining the parts  28  between and within the projections  78 . The inner surface  74  of the belt  72  may include a plurality of tabs  82  spaced from one another and outwardly extending from said inner surface  74  of the belt  72 . The belt  72  is entrained about a plurality of pulleys  84 . The belt  72  may consist of a flexible material such as rubber, plastic, leather, and the like. 
   The conveyor  24  may include a pair of spaced booms, generally indicated at  86 , to engage the pulleys  84  positioned between the booms  86 . Each of the booms  86  includes a plate  88  having top  90  and bottom  92  edges spaced a distance less than the diameter of the pulleys  84  and an enlarged portion  94  adjacent the back wall  14  and extending a greater distance than the diameter of the pulleys  84 . The booms  86  may include a plurality of axles  96  extending therebetween wherein each axle  96  supports one of the pulleys  84 . 
   In one embodiment of the present invention, the container  10  may include at least one additional top conveyor  98  supported by and extending in a cantilevered fashion from the back wall  14  to the open front  22  within the container  10  and spaced from the first conveyor  24 . The container  10  may include at least one additional bottom conveyor  100  supported on and extending in a cantilevered fashion from the back wall  14  to the open front  22  within the container  10  and positioned below the first conveyor  24 . The top  98  and bottom  100  conveyors are supported on the supplemental post  66  that is disposed between the back vertical posts  52 ,  54  and extend between the back top  58  and bottom  40  beams of the container  10 . The outer surface  76  of each of the first  24 , top  98 , and bottom  100  conveyor belts  72  face the top  20  and bottom  12  walls, respectively. 
   In another embodiment, the container  10  may include at least one additional side conveyor  110  supported on the vertical beam  64  and extending in a cantilevered fashion from the back wall  14  to said open front  22  within the container  10  wherein the side conveyor  110  is, spaced from the first conveyor  24 . The outer surface  76  of the belt  72  of the side conveyor  110  faces the first  16  and second  18  end walls, respectively. 
   In still another embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the container  10  may include at least one diagonal conveyor  112  supported on the diagonal beam  68  and extending in a cantilevered fashion from the back wall  14  to the open front  22  within the container  10  with the outer surface  76  of the belt  72  thereof facing diagonally. 
   The container  10  may take the form of anyone of several embodiments for sequentially loading and unloading the parts  28  on and off the conveyor  24 . In one embodiment, as illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 6 , the container  10  may include a gear  114  positioned between the booms  86  to engage with the tabs  82  spaced from one another and outwardly extending from the inner surface  74  of the belt  72  and a crank  116  extending from the gear  114  for rotating the gear  114  manually around an axis. The crank  116  may be used by an operator  118  for rotating the conveyor belt  72  through the loop for moving the conveyor belt  72  for sequentially loading and unloading the parts  28  on and off the conveyor  24 . In the alternative embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the container  10  may include an electric motor  120  mounted to the conveyor  24  to move the belt  72  for sequentially loading and unloading the parts  28  on and off the conveyor  24 . 
   Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. The invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described within the scope of the appended claims, wherein that which is prior art is antecedent to the novelty set forth in the “characterized by” clause. The novelty is meant to be particularly and distinctly recited in the “characterized by” clause whereas the antecedent recitations merely set forth the old and well-known combination in which the invention resides. These antecedent recitations should be interpreted to cover any combination in which the incentive novelty exercises its utility. In addition, the reference numerals in the claims are merely for convenience and are not to be read in any way as limiting.