Abstract:
A method and apparatus for stabilizing cargo within a transport container. First and second tubular elements are provided having generally cylindrical bodies and bearing members at a terminal end which can react against opposing surfaces within the transport container and stabilize cargo within the container. An extension mechanism allows for the extension and selective translation between the first and second tubular members allowing the apparatus to extend and fill the space between opposing surfaces within the transport container and stabilize the cargo. A method for stabilizing cargo within a transport container includes providing an extensible load stabilizer having first and second tubular elements, each having a bearing member, positioning the load stabilizer between opposing surfaces within the transport container, and extending the tubular members with respect to each other, and stabilizing a surface of cargo against an opposing surface.

Description:
RELATED PATENTS 
       [0001]    This application relates to U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,802 entitled “Cargo Restraint System for a Transport Container” issued on Jul. 18, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 6,227,779 entitled “Cargo Restraint Method for a Transport Container” issued on May 8, 2001; U.S. Pat. No. 6,607,337 entitled “Cargo Restraint System” issued on Aug. 19, 2003; to U.S. application Ser. No. 11/127,193 filed May 12, 2005 and entitled “Adjustable Load Stabilizer Method and Apparatus” and application Ser. No. ______ entitled “Adjustable Load Stabilizer Apparatus Method and Apparatus” filed Jul. 23, 2006 all of common inventorship with the subject application. The disclosure of application Ser. No. 11/127,193 and application Ser. No. ______ are hereby incorporated by reference as though set forth at length. 
     
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for stabilizing cargo during transportation. More particularly, this invention relates to a novel method and apparatus for stabilizing and restraining undesired movement of drums, boxes, rigid and flexible containers, palletized or not palletized, within the interior of a transport container or the like with respect to each other and/or with respect to the internal walls of the container. 
         [0003]    Most shipments for transport are placed in enclosures such as ship cargo holds, intermodal containers, truck trailers, truck bodies, railroad box cars, and the like. Examples of cargo in containment enclosures include fifty five gallon closed head drums, super sacks or plastic reinforced bags, plastic wrapped bundles, cased goods, metal coils, specialty heavy paper rolls, plastic or metal containers mounted on pallets, etc. Although each individual component of cargo may be quite heavy and stationary at rest, the mass of a transport load can produce considerable momentum force as a ship, railroad car, truck trailer or truck body is placed in motion, stops, or changes direction. 
         [0004]    During ocean shipping, cargo within cargo holds or intermodal containers are subjected to wave forces including: yaw, pitch, heave, sway, and surge. Depending upon weather conditions and the size of the vessel, cargo can experience various magnitudes of shifting forces throughout the course of a transoceanic voyage. 
         [0005]    In another transport context, railroad trains are made-up by individual box cars being rolled together in a switching yard. When a railroad car is rolled into a stationary string of cars, the impact causes the car couplings to lock together with a jolt. This impact can apply a significant force to cargo within the rail car. Moreover, during transport, railroad cars and overland transport vehicles are subject to braking forces, bumps, centrifugal forces on curves, vibration, dips in the track or road, swaying, run-in or run-out forces, etc. 
         [0006]    In overland truck/trailer transport there are frequent brake and acceleration forces imparted to the trailer and its contents, certrifical forces around curves, turning forces, uneven road surfaces, roadway transition junctions, roadway grades, etc. 
         [0007]    Each of these forces has the potential to impart a substantial force to cargo during transport. When cargo contacts other cargo or the interior walls or doors of a container, the force necessary to reduce its momentum to zero must be absorbed by the goods and/or the container. Such forces can result in damage to the cargo, damage to the interior walls or doors of the container, damage to the cargo packaging, and may even create dangerous leaks if the cargo is a hazardous material. Accordingly, it is undesirable to permit cargo to gain any momentum independent of other cargo or a transport container. This can be accomplished by stabilizing the cargo within the container with respect to other cargo and/or the internal walls of the container so that the cargo and container are essentially united and operationally function as a single object during transport. 
         [0008]    In order to stabilize cargo with respect to other cargo and the internal walls of a transport container or cargo hold, various forms of load containments, load spacers and void fillers have been used to fill the spaces between cargo and between cargo and the internal walls of an intermodal container, box car, cargo hold, truck trailer, etd. Often, load containment enclosures are secured to the floor or sides of the transport container and prevented from moving with respect to each other by specially fabricated wood or steel framing, floor blocking, rubber mats, steel strapping, or heavy air bags. A variety of dunnage materials and void fillers has been used to prevent the movement of cargo with respect to other cargo and the internal walls of the transport container. Each of these previously known systems has limitations associated with cost, lack of strength, amount of labor required for installation, time expended for installation, lack of flexibility, securement integrity, transportability and storage of spacer elements, etc. 
         [0009]    Further to the above, in the past, various dunnage materials have been utilized within transport containers to eliminate unwanted movement or shifting of a load. Drums, boxes, or other containers have been restrained in several different ways. Primarily, cargo has been stabilized by the use of void fillers such as collapsible cardboard frames or cells. These systems use strips of corrugated cardboard configured and assembled to expand into solid rectangular frames or cells of various forms and sizes and incorporate honeycomb and/or diamond-shaped cells for space and strength considerations. These systems while useful for known rectangular voids can exhibit impaired performance due to size and/or dimension variance. Moreover curved surfaces can not be accommodated well with rectangular shaped void fillers. The difficulty in applying various rectangular units to irregular shapes and the on site adjustment for varying sizes of voids to be filled, the unsuitability of corrugated board to absorb strong compression forces, and the use of materials not fully resistant to moisture can impair use of this type of dunnage void filler system. 
         [0010]    Other known means of restraint such as the use of inflatable dunnage bags used alone or in combination with collapsible void fillers have tended to exhibit the disadvantage that air bags are subject to rupturing, leakage and loss of air pressure, or simply contraction and securement loosening in low temperature environments. 
         [0011]    In addition to the above, other restraining systems known in the past often required additional elements and equipment which tended to be cumbersome to store, arduous to handle and/or install, and often required a degree of skilled labor in application. 
         [0012]    Finally, in certain instances wood block and bracing has been used in the past to fill voids and secure loads; however, wood bracing is somewhat time consuming to install and often requires skilled or semi-skilled labor which is often contracted out to third parties. In addition certain wood materials are not suitable for international transport without fumigation which increases the overall cost of the securement system. 
         [0013]    Consequently, a need exists for securing cargo in cargo holds, transport containers, box cars, truck trailers and the like that is functionally effective, cost-efficient, and labor-efficient. Still further a need exists for load stabilization systems that have enhanced strength characteristics under a variety of environments, exhibit flexibility for loads of various types and sizes and limit cargo shifting within a container. 
         [0014]    The problems suggested in the preceding are not intended to be exhaustive but rather are among many which may tend to reduce the effectiveness of load stabilizer methods and apparatus appearing in the past. Other noteworthy problems may also exist; however, those presented above should be sufficient to demonstrate that load stabilizing systems appearing in the past will admit to worthwhile improvement. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    One embodiment of the invention comprises a method and apparatus for stabilizing cargo within a ship hold, transport container, box car, truck trailer, and the like with respect to other cargo and the internal walls of the container by the selective application of mutually extendible void filler cylinders. More specifically, stabilization is achieved by application of extension members, which are adjustable with respect to each other. Each extension member is coupled to a base which is designed to fit into an abutment or bearing member for direct or indirect positioning against a face of cargo or an internal wall of a transport container. Securement is achieved by extending the two extension members with respect to each other to fill in a void between the face of opposing cargo surfaces or an internal wall of a container and a cargo surface, or the like. A locking mechanism may be advantageously used to hold the two extension members in position. 
     
     
       THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    Other aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  is an axonometric view showing the interior of a railcar with cargo stabilized, both laterally and longitudinally, within the container in accordance with the subject invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is an axonometric view showing the interior of a transport container secured to a flatbed of a truck or truck trailer, with cargo stabilized within the container in accordance with the subject invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention showing a first tubular member, a second tubular member, and two bearing elements; 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the embodiment of the invention depicted in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  is a view of one side of the base that is attached to one of the two tubular members; 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  is side view of a base like the one shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 7  is a view of an opposite side of a base like the one shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0024]      FIG. 8  is a side view of one tubular member; 
           [0025]      FIG. 9  is a rotated side view of a tubular member like the one shown in  FIG. 8 ; 
           [0026]      FIG. 10  is side cross-sectional view of a tubular member used in one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0027]      FIG. 11  is an end view of a tubular member used in one embodiment of the invention; 
           [0028]      FIG. 12  is an opposite end view of a tubular member used in one embodiment of the invention; 
           [0029]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of a tubular member used in one embodiment of the invention; 
           [0030]      FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view of a tubular member like the one shown in  FIG. 13 ; 
           [0031]      FIG. 15  is a rotated cross-sectional view of a tubular member like the one shown in  FIG. 14 ; 
           [0032]      FIG. 16  is an end view of a tubular member used in one embodiment of the invention; 
           [0033]      FIG. 17  is a perspective view of a locknut used in one embodiment of the invention; 
           [0034]      FIG. 18  is a cross-sectional side view of a locknut used in one embodiment of the invention; 
           [0035]      FIG. 19  is a front view of the locknut shown in  FIG. 17 ; and 
           [0036]      FIG. 20  is a back view of the locknut shown in  FIG. 17 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Context of the Invention 
       [0037]    Turning now to the drawing wherein like numerals indicate like parts,  FIG. 1  shows an axonometric view of an operating environment  100  of the invention. In this, a railcar  102  is shown as a type of container that may be encountered. Railcars are used to transport a wide range of materials including many that must be protected from impact against the railcar walls as well as other cargo within the railcar. Cargo  104  must be protected from a variety of shifting forces during transit as noted above. One particular force encountered in railcars specifically is the impact force created when two railcars are “humped” or handle by a switching engine to in order to make up a train and secure a solid coupling connection as at  106 . In addition run-in and run-out forces occasioned over grades can be substantial. The form of container  102  shown here is merely illustrative and the subject invention can be used to advantage in ship cargo holds, intermodal containers, and the like. 
         [0038]    A partially cut away portion of  FIG. 1  depicts various size and shapes of cargo  104 , which are stabilized against each other and against the internal walls of the container  102  by load stabilizers  108  in accordance with the subject invention. 
         [0039]      FIG. 2  shows another operational context  200  of the invention. In this context, container  204  is secured to a trailer towed by tractor  202 . Cargo  206  is subject to a wide range of overland road forces that must be protected against. The braces  208 , in accordance with the subject invention, serve to provide both lateral and longitudinal securement of the cargo from impact with other cargo and with the walls of the container  204 . 
       Void Filler and Load Stabilizer 
       [0040]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the subject void filler invention  300 . In this tubular member  302  is a female member inserted into male tubular member  304 . Member  302  is externally threaded to match the internal threads of member  304 . Due to this threading, member  302  can be extended or retracted longitudinally by turning either or both of members  302  and  304 . In one embodiment, are double threaded and two rows of threads start in diametrically opposing positions. In another embodiment three threads can be started at the same time. Depending on the pitch of the threads and the coefficient of friction of the material and weight of the unit the two members may be advantageously self separating by gravity. This means that the device  300  is turned on its end and the members  304  and  302  are cause to spin relative to one another, the bottommost member will continue to turn until disengaged with the topmost member without extra input of energy to maintain the spin. 
         [0041]    Bearing members  306  comprise the surfaces that will directly or indirectly abut against or contact cargo or the walls of a transport container. These bearing members are selectively removable in one embodiment and are connected at point  308  to members  302  and  304  (connection point on member  304  not shown. The bearing member  306  is released from the tubular member  302  by sliding it out of securing slots that are detailed below. However, this is not the only attachment mechanism that may be used. The bearing members may be permanently affixed to members  302  and  304  by injection molding the entire void filler  300 . They also may be screwed or bolted into position or turned into position and locked with a ratchet type mechanism. Any securing method that reliably attaches the tubular member to the bearing member is appropriate. The outside of bearing member  306  shows contours  310  cut into the bearing member. These contours are present due to the injection molding process, they allow the bearing member to be broken from the form after cooling. Once extended, void filler  300  holds it position by being locked with locknut  312 . Locknut  312  is moved into position with a tool or by hand and secured against the female tubular member  304  to prevent further rotation and disengagement with cargo in a transport container. 
         [0042]    When the detachable embodiment is used, then this invention provides the additional benefit of being easy to ship to its destination. For example, drop-down type cardboard void fillers can be shipped at approximately  100  pieces per pallet. The subject invention can be shipped at between  900  and  1000  pieces per pallet. This is due to its configuration and the ability to stack the bearing member elements and closely pack the tubular members. 
         [0043]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the void filler  400  of the subject invention. Tubular member  402  inserts into tubular member  404  and is selectively telescoped by turning the two members relative to one another. Bearing member  406  comes into contact with cargo and with the walls of a transport container to prevent damage of contents during shipping. Tubular member  402  attaches to base  408  by sliding into a slot at point  408 . Please note that as above, any type of connection mechanism could be used here including permanent attachment. Locknut  412  is used to secure the two tubular members at a particular extension. When the proper size of the void filler  400  is reached, locknut  412  is turned into place and tightened either by hand or using a tool and prevents further movement of the tubular members with respect to one another. Note that this nut may be any configuration to fit any type of tightening tool or to more easily tightened by hand. 
         [0044]      FIG. 5  is a detailed schematic of the apparatus bearing member  500  with the side shown facing in toward the tubular members from  FIG. 4 . Tubular members, such as  402  and  404 , attach to the bearing member  500  in position  502 . The tubular member is placed over ramp  504 , then it can be slid down into position  502  by ensuring that the edge of the tubular member, to be detailed below, fits under slot  508  on each side. Once in position, ramp  504  ensure that the tubular member will not inadvertently slide out of its attachment with the bearing member. Dimple  506  is slightly raised and gives additional security to the attachment of the tubular member. 
         [0045]    For added strength, the bearing member  500  is reinforced. Reinforcement rings  510  and  512  provide circumferential reinforcement by being placed around the outside of the bearing member as well as in a position between the outside of the bearing member and the center of the bearing member, as  512 . There is no limit to the number of rings that may be used, the more rings, the greater the ability of the bearing member to withstand outside stresses. Additionally, reinforcement elements  514  provide radial reinforcement. Again, there can be any number of reinforcement elements depending on the desired strength. Elements  510 ,  512  and  514  are made of the same material as the remainder of the bearing member but are thicker and provide greater support. Nail holes  516  allow the bearing member to be secured to any surface into which nails can be driven. These may be actual holes, or they may be portions of the bearing member that are thin with respect to the rest of the bearing member and allow nails to be easily driven through. 
         [0046]    The subject invention may be constructed of a wide range of materials. In one embodiment, the tubular members are molded from a high density polyethylene and the bearing members are constructed of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS.) The subject invention can be constructed of any one, or any combination of the following materials: polyvinyl chloride (PVC), ABS, polyethylene, and polystyrene. This lists is not meant to be exhaustive, any material that provides the requisite strength and reliability for protecting cargo may be used to advantage. 
         [0047]      FIG. 6  shows a side view of a bearing member  600  such as the one shown in  FIG. 5 . Tubular members such as  402  and  404  fit in slot  606  and are held in place by ramp  610 . Dimple  608  also helps to hold the tubular member securely in place. They are released by slightly bending the bearing member to slide the tubular member over ramp  610 . Nail hole  604  is shown extending only partially through bearing member  600 . A nail can be driven through this and into a surface. Optional adhesive element  612  allows the bearing member to be adhered to a container wall or opposing cargo so it can be easily extended into place by one person. Typically, this adhesive will be on a bearing member attached to a male tubular member so the female member is free to turn into position. 
         [0048]      FIG. 7  shows an opposite side of a bearing member  700  such as the one shown in  FIG. 6 . Surface  702  is smooth and contacts either the container wall or a surface of cargo in the container. Dimple  704  and holes  706  are products of the injection molding process and are not required for the function of the void filler although dimple  704  does provide extra security for the inserted tubular member on the opposite side as described above. The primary requirement for this surface is that is not have protrusions extending out that would damage the cargo. However, in another embodiment, the user may require a mechanical connection with the cargo and damage is not an issue, in this case, protrusion off the bearing member could be used to secure the bearing member to the surface. Optional adhesive element  708  allows the bearing member to be removeably affixed to either a cargo surface or a container wall. 
         [0049]      FIGS. 8 and 9  show two side views of a female tubular member such as element  404 . In  FIG. 8 , a male tubular member is inserted at point  802  and extends and retracts from that point. Contours  804  allow the female member  800  to be turned and tightened into position. Lip  808  is slid into place under the slots of the bearing member such as those shown as element  508  in  FIG. 5 . These slots fit into space  810  and hold the member  800  in position. Optional lip  806  rests above the bearing member slots and provides additional security to the attachment. In  FIG. 9 , a male tubular member is inserted at point  902  and extends and retracts from that point. Contours  904  allow the female member  900  to be turned and tightened into position. Lip  908  fits into the rounded portion of space  502  in  FIG. 5 . It may alternatively rest next to ramp  504  thus holding the tubular member in place. The shape of lip  908  allows it to be inserted in a bearing member and prevents any turning that may result from a circular type arrangement. Optional lip  906  rests above the bearing member slots and provides additional security to the attachment. 
         [0050]      FIG. 10  is a cross sectional view of a female tubular member  1000  such as the ones shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . Outer surface  1002  may have contours to assist in hand tightening when extending the tubular members with respect to one another. Threads  1004  are designed to correspond to threads on a male tubular member and in one embodiment, are set at a pitch to make the device self driving when an initial turning force is applied. As shown above, slots on the bearing member fit in at space  1006  to hold the tubular member in place. 
         [0051]      FIG. 11  is an end view of a female tubular member  1100  such as the ones shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . In one embodiment, the tubular member is double threaded as shown at point  1102 . Lip  1104  rests above the slots in the bearing member as described above.  FIG. 12  is a view from the opposite end of a female tubular member such as the one shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . In one embodiment, this is double threaded as shown at point  1202 . Lip  1204  fits into a bearing member such as the one shown in  FIG. 5 . The flat sides of this lip  1204  correspond to the flat sides in area  502 . This configuration causes the tubular member to fit in place and prevents any turning of the tubular member with respect to the bearing member member. Lip  1206  is circular and adds stability to the void filler by resting on top of slots  508  of a bearing member. 
         [0052]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of a male tubular member  1300  such as element  402  of  FIG. 4 . Threads  1302  extend along the body of the tubular member and correspond to threads in a female tubular member such as element  404 . In one embodiment, both tubular members are double threaded. In another embodiment, these threads are set at a pitch that allows the tubular members to be self driving when the void filler is assembled and a turning force is applied. Lip  1306  slides into place on a bearing member as described above in the description of the male member. The slots of the bearing member fit in space  1308  and lip  1304  rests on top of the bearing member slots for additional stability. 
         [0053]      FIG. 14  shows a cross-sectional view of a male tubular member  1400  such as the one designated as element  402  in  FIG. 4 . Threads  1402  correspond to the internal threads of a female tubular member. Lip  1406  fits into slots on a bearing member as described above and lip  1404  rests on the slots on a bearing member for stability as described above. 
         [0054]      FIG. 15  shows a view of the same member shown in  FIG. 14  but turned 90°. This view of a male tubular member  1500  shows threads  1502  as well as lips  1504  and  1506 . The slots on the bearing member fit into spaces  1508 . This view shows that the lip  1506  has flat sides to allow for fitting into the bearing member as described above. 
         [0055]      FIG. 16  shows a top view of male tubular member  1600 . This corresponds to the top view of female tubular member  1200  in  FIG. 12 . Threads  1602  fit into a female tubular member and lips  1604  and  1606  fit into a bearing member as described above. 
         [0056]      FIG. 17  is a perspective view of a locknut  1700  such as the one labeled  412  in  FIG. 4 . Threads  1702  correspond to the threads of a male tubular member, such as element  402 . Contours  1704  allow the locknut to turned into place by hand and may take a variety of forms. The locknut may also be shaped to correspond to a turning tool and tightened into place with that tool. 
         [0057]      FIG. 18  is a cross sectional side view of the same locknut, labeled  1800 . Threads  1802  and contours  1804  correspond to those described above regarding  FIG. 17 . 
         [0058]      FIG. 19  is another view of a locknut  1900  such as the one illustrated in  FIGS. 17 and 18 . Threads  1902  and contours  1904  correspond to those described above regarding  FIG. 17 . 
         [0059]      FIG. 20  is a cross sectional view of a locknut  2000  such as the one shown in previous figures. Threads  1902  and contours  1904  correspond to those described above regarding  FIG. 17 . Note reinforcing spines radiating out to provide additional stability and strength for the locknut  2000 . 
         [0060]    A method is detailed in which to use the use the subject invention. There is no particular order implied in the steps of the method and they can be performed in any suitable order. In one embodiment, the base member attached to a male tubular member is placed flush with a piece of cargo or another surface in the transport container. While this is held in place, the female tubular member with attached base is turned in relation to the male tubular member. This extends the female tubular member toward another surface or cargo in the transport container. The female tubular member is turned until the second base member is in contact with the opposing surface and tightened sufficiently. A locknut on the male member is then turned into position to secure the void filler at the desired length. 
         [0061]    This method is not exhaustive and can be practiced on any of the embodiment described above. The void filler will be extended using the selected extension mechanism and held in place. 
         [0062]    The preceding description has been presented only to illustrate and describe the invention and some examples of its implementation. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to any precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible and would be envisioned by one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the above teaching. 
         [0063]    The various aspects were chosen and described in order to best explain principles of the invention and its practical applications. The preceding description is intended to enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and aspects and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims; however, it is not intended that any order be presumed by the sequence of steps recited in the method claims unless a specific order is directly recited.