Abstract:
A temporary, secured divider is provided to partition a cargo container into a secured compartment and a non-secured compartment, allowing for the secured transport of cargo that does not occupy the entire container. Also provided is a container for such secured transportation and methods and systems of secured transportation of a partial cargo load.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a cargo container, and, more particularly, to a cargo container divided to provide a secured compartment.  
         [0002]     Conventional cargo containers, such as trailers for tractor-trailer vehicles, are typically filled with cargo for single destination. If the cargo container is to contain cargo for multiple destinations, the cargo is often co-mingled or conventional movable bulkheads installed to separate the cargo.  
         [0003]     For some cargos, it is desired to provide security so that the cargo is not lost, stolen, or vandalized, etc. Sometimes, the nature of the cargo is to remain confidential, requiring security. Also, some government regulations require special documentation and security for selected cargo to document handling procedures. Sometimes, there is damage to cargo by multiple handling and transfers typical on long haul transportation. In these and other situations for which security is required for the cargo, conventionally the entire cargo container is locked to provide the required security.  
         [0004]     If the cargo to be transported under secure conditions does not fill the selected cargo container, then space within the cargo container is not fully utilized because the entire container must be locked to provide the required security for the cargo. Moreover, customers may be charged for the use of space not constructively used.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The present invention provides a container for transporting cargo. The container has first and second opposing, essentially parallel walls, and a bottom and a top extending between and essentially perpendicularly to the first and second walls. Part of the container is secured for secure transport of selected cargo, while the remainder of the container is available for other secured or non-secured cargo. This is accomplished by providing a securable, temporary, removable divider within the container that separates the container into at least a first compartment and a second compartment. The divider is lockable such that cargo may be placed into the first compartment and the removable divider installed and locked to provide security for the cargo in the first compartment. Other cargo, whether secured or non-secured, may be placed into the second compartment and the remainder of the container. The non-secured cargo may then be transported to a destination, removed, and the secured cargo continue to its destination without underutilizing the available space in the container due to securing the entire container to provide security for the secured cargo.  
         [0006]     The temporary divider is installed by constructing a base unit configured with a groove to receive a bulkhead and to rest on the bottom of the container. The bulkhead is configured to rest in the base groove and to extend essentially from the first wall to the second wall of the container and essentially from the container top to the container base. The bulkhead is held in place by at least one removable first bar extending from the first wall of the container to the second wall of the container adjacent or very close to a first side of the bulkhead and at least one removable second bar extending from the first wall of the container to the second wall of the container adjacent or very close to a second side of the bulkhead, opposite of the first side of the bulkhead. These bars support the bulkhead and prevent substantial movement of the bulkhead when the container is being transported. Preferably, both bars are adjacent to the bulkhead on opposite sides.  
         [0007]     A lock cooperates with the at least one second bar to secure the second bar in place in the container such that the second bar and the bulkhead may not be removed to provide unauthorized access to the cargo in the first compartment.  
         [0008]     The invention also includes the lockable divider, a method for constructing the lockable divider, and methods for secure transport of cargo. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]     In the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, embodiments of the invention are illustrated, which, together with a general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description given below, serve to exemplify the principles of this invention, wherein:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a container in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is an elevational view of the interior of a container in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a base portion of the divider in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the interior of a container in accordance with the present invention; and  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is a detailed illustration of the area A indicated on  FIG. 4 ; and  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the interior of a container with a secured divider in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]     The present invention is directed to a container for secure transportation of cargo in which the secured cargo does not require use of the entire container. The invention is applicable to any transportation container, including a trailer, a rail car, an air cargo hold, a boat cargo hold, or a cargo container for air transport, ocean transport, road transport, or rail transport, or transport by any other vehicle or manner. The transportation container may be placed into another transportation container, such as a container placed into a cargo hold, of the container may be the cargo hold itself. The invention will be described in an exemplary manner as it relates to a trailer for use in a tractor-trailer vehicle combination for over-the-road transportation.  
         [0017]      FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment of the present invention in which a container  10  has a secured divider  12  separating the container  10  into a first secured compartment  14  and a second non-secured compartment  16 . In this embodiment, the container is a trailer for a tractor-trailer transportation combination.  
         [0018]     The secured divider  12  extends from a bottom  18  of the container to a top  20  of the container and from a first wall  22  of the container to a second wall  24  of the container. The secured divider  12  may abut these surfaces, or may be up to a few inches away from these surfaces.  
         [0019]      FIG. 2  illustrates an interior of the container  10 . In this embodiment, the container  10  is a deck trailer having three horizontal E-track channels  26  extending along the first wall  22  and the second wall  24 . The secured divider  12  includes a base  30  adjacent the bottom  18  of the container and first bars  32  releaseably engaged with the E-track channels  26  on the first wall  22  and the second wall  24 . Secured cargo  28  is placed into the container  10  prior to erecting the secured divider  12 . The secured cargo  28  must generally be properly blocked and braced, regardless of the positioning of the secured divider  12 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 3  illustrates the base  30  having a groove  36 .  
         [0021]      FIG. 4  illustrates the secured divider  12  with a bulkhead  38  inserted into the groove  36  of the base  30  and a second bar  40  releaseably engaged in the E-track channels  26  on the first wall  22  and the second wall  24  on an opposite side of the bulkhead  38  from the first bars  32 . The second bar  40  is secured and prevented from removal by one or more locks  42 .  
         [0022]      FIG. 5  is a detailed view of a portion of  FIG. 4 , illustrating a lock  42  engaged with the second bar  40  to prevent its removal from the E-track channel  26 .  
         [0023]      FIG. 6  illustrates the secured divider  12  in place to secure the secured cargo  28  (not illustrated in this Figure) and secured by locks  42 . Non-secured cargo  44  may be placed in the non-secured compartment  16  after assembly of the secured divider  12  in the container  10 . Notification  46  is placed on the sealed secured divider  12  to provide information about the secured cargo  28 , the secured divider  12 , the origin and destination of the secured cargo  28 , serial numbers of the locks  42 , and any other information desired.  
         [0024]     In a preferred embodiment, the E-track channels  26  are standard E-track channels found on conventional deck trailers. Other channels, rails, etc. may be used to secure the first bars  32  and the second bar  40  to the first wall  22  and the second wall  24 , such as A-track, S-track, F-track, or any horizontal rail having slots disposed thereon to enable engagement with the first bar  32  and second bars  40 . The rail/track need not be disposed horizontally, but horizontal disposition provides greater flexibility in placement of the secured divider  12 . Alternatively, the manner of engagement of the bars  34 ,  40  may be integral with the first wall  22  and the second wall  24 . The engagement of the bars  34 ,  40  with the first wall  22  and the second wall  24  may be made in any conventional manner without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, except as further described herein.  
         [0025]     The first bars  32  and the second bar  40  are, preferably, deck bars having an extendable portion  48  designed to interlock with openings in the E-track channels  26  to extend across the width of the container  10 . Except as described below, the deck bars are conventional deck bars. Any number of first bars  32  and second bars  40  may be used. Preferably, there are two first bars  32  disposed on a first side of the secured divider  12  toward the secured cargo  28  and one second bar  40  disposed on a second side of the secured divider  12  toward the non-secured cargo  44 .  
         [0026]     The locks  42  may be of any design suitable to prevent removal of the second bar  40  and subsequent removal of the bulkhead  38  to prevent unauthorized access to the secured cargo  28  in the first, secured compartment  14 . As discussed above, there may be space between the secured divider  12  and the walls  22 ,  24  and/or bottom  18  and top  20 , but this space is insufficient to allow access to the secured cargo  28  in the first, secured compartment  14 . Alternatively, the secured divider  12  may fit flush against these surfaces such that there is no space between these surfaces and the secured divider  12 .  
         [0027]     In a preferred embodiment the locks  42  are rod locks, each having a unique serial number associated therewith, that can only be destructively removed, such as by bolt cutters. A first rod lock  42  is placed in cooperation with second bar  40 , preferably near where the extendable portion  48  attaches to the E-track channel  26  on the first wall  22 , and a second rod lock  42  is placed in cooperation with the second bar  40 , preferably near where the extendable portion  48  attaches to the E-track channel  26  on the second wall  24 .  
         [0028]     The extendable portion  48  is locked with the rod lock  42  to prevent removal of the second bar  40 . This may be accomplished by drilling a hole in the extendable portion  48  such that the rod lock  42  may be placed therethrough to secure the second bar  40 . Other varieties of locks, such as a padlock, a combination lock, cable ties, cable seals, bolt seals, lead and wire seals, or any other lock or seal, may be used without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. The lock  42  is placed to prevent removal of the second bar  40  and the bulkhead  38  to prevent unauthorized access to the secured cargo  28  in the first, secured compartment  14 . The lock  42  need not cooperate with the extendable portion  48  of the second bar  40 , nor is the second bar  40  required to have an extendable portion  48 . The lock  42 , however, must cooperate with the second bar  40  to prevent removal of the second bar  40  without first removing the lock  42 .  
         [0029]      FIG. 3  illustrates a preferred embodiment of the base  30  in which a first board  50  is secured between two second boards  52 . The first board  50  has a width less than the width of the second boards  52 , such that when they are secured together with the first board  50  sandwiched between the second boards  52 , a groove  36  is created capable of receiving bulkhead  38 . The first board  50  and the second boards  52  may be secured in any conventional manner, such as with nails, screws, brads, rivets, staples, adhesive, or any other method of securing without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. A base  30  is not required for the secured divider  12 , but, preferably, such a base  30  is provided. Preferably, the dimensions of the first board  50  are 1 inch×8 inches×8 feet and the dimensions of the second boards  52  are 2 inches×12 inches×8 feet. Preferably, the boards  50 ,  52  are secured by four four-inch self-tapping screws.  
         [0030]     To construct the secured divider  12 , the base  30  is constructed as described above. The secured cargo  28  is loaded into the container  10  prior to constructing the secured divider  12 . The linear space occupied by the secured cargo  28  is measured such as with a tape measure or by any other conventional manner of measuring the linear feet of the space occupied by the secured cargo  28 . Preferably, this measurement begins at one end of the container  12  and extends axially in container  12  to the place at which the secured divider  10  is to be constructed. The linear feet occupied by the secured cargo is then recorded.  
         [0031]     At least one first bar  32  is attached to the first wall  22  and the second wall  24 . In a preferred embodiment, the first bar  32  is a conventional deck bar and is attached to an E-track channel  26  extending along the first wall  22  and the second wall  24 , as described above. As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , in a preferred embodiment there are two first bars  32  attached to the E-track channels  26  in the first wall  22  and the second wall  24 . In a container not having E-track channels  26 , the first bar  32  may be attached to the first wall  22  and the second wall  24  in any conventional manner without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Also, any number of first bars  32  may be placed across the width of the container  10  and attached to the first wall  22  and the second wall  24 .  
         [0032]     The base  30  may be constructed prior to attaching the first bar  32  to the first wall  22  and the second wall  24  or after such attachment. The base  30  may be constructed before or after loading of the secured cargo  28  into the container  10 . However, it is preferred that the secured cargo  28  be loaded into the container  10  prior to attaching the first bar  32  to the first wall  22  and the second wall  24 . Before or after the attachment of the first bar  32  to the first wall  22  and the second  24 , but after loading the secured cargo  28 , the base  30  is placed on the bottom  18  of the container near the vertical plane in which the first bar  32  is disposed.  
         [0033]     The bulkhead  38  is then placed in the groove  36  of the base  30  such that the first side of the bulkhead  38  is abutting or near the first bar  32 . Preferably, the bulkhead  38  includes two pieces of plywood, each placed into the groove  36  of the base  30 , and they may be interlocked together. Most preferably, the dimensions of the plywood is 4 feet×8 feet×⅝ inch.  
         [0034]     After placement of the bulkhead  38  in the groove  36  of the base  30 , the bulkhead  38  is preferably fastened to the base  30  by use of nails, screws, brads, rivets, staples, adhesives, or any other securing method without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. This may be done at any time after the bulkhead  38  is placed into the groove  36  of the base  30 . Preferably, a portion of the nails are left exposed to more easily permit removal of the nails at the destination. Preferably, the nails are conventional 4-inch common nails.  
         [0035]     After placement of the bulkhead  38  into the groove  36  of the base  30 , the second bar  40  is attached to the first wall  22  and to the second wall  24  abutting or near the second side of the bulkhead  38 , opposite the first bar  32 . As with the first bar  32 , the second bar  30  is preferably attached to the first wall  22  and the second wall  24  by use of E-track channels  26 . The second bar  40  is preferably placed adjacent to and abutting the bulkhead  38 , but location of slots in the E-track channels  26  may not allow placement of the second bar  40  adjacent to the bulkhead  38 . The second bar  40  is placed near enough to the bulkhead  38  to prevent removal of the bulkhead  38  and unauthorized access to the secured cargo  28  in the first, secured compartment  14 . As with the first bar  32 , any number of bars may be used. Preferably, there is a single second bar  40 . After placement of the second bar  40 , it is locked with the lock  42  to prevent removal of the second bar  40 .  
         [0036]     The serial number or other identifying information associated with the locks  42  are recorded such that when the secured cargo  28  arrives at its destination, the consignee may verify that the locks  42  in place upon arrival of the shipment are the same locks that were placed at the destination of the shipment. This guarantees that the locks have not been changed. By use of locks that must be destroyed to remove, such as rod locks, cable ties, cable seals, bolt seals, lead and wire seals, etc., the presence of the identical lock upon arrival at the destination also ensures that the locks have not been removed and that the secured cargo  28  has not been tampered with.  
         [0037]     The identifying information of the locks, such as the serial number, is placed on a notification  46  that is affixed to the bulkhead, as illustrated in  FIG. 6 . The notification  46  may also contain information such as the consignor, the consignee, the linear footage of the secured cargo  28 , the destination, the origin, and any other information desired.  
         [0038]     A consignor requests that cargo be transported from an origin to a destination in a secured manner and then delivered to a consignee. Conventionally, charges for shipment of cargo are based upon the weight of the cargo and the distance that the cargo must be shipped. Charges for shipment of secured cargo conventionally are for the entire container, because the entire container must be secured/locked to provide shipment of the secured cargo.  
         [0039]     In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the charge for shipping the secured cargo  28  is based upon the linear feet occupied by the secured cargo  28  as described above, and the distance which the secured cargo  28  is to be shipped. In this way, a consignor pays only for the actual space used when transporting secured cargo instead of the entire container that is to be secured, as is the conventional manner of payment.  
         [0040]     In the manner described above, several secured dividers  12  may be assembled and installed in a single container  10  to provide security for secured cargo  28  from multiple consignors or that have multiple destinations. Logistics, such as the order of loading and unloading of the cargo, may be determined on a case-by-case basis by one of ordinary skill in the art.  
         [0041]     Once the secured divider is installed, non-secured cargo  44  may be loaded into the available space in the container  10 , and the consignors of the non-secured cargo are charged for shipment in a conventional manner. This improves the utilization of the space in the container  10  by providing a secured compartment  14  for transportation of secured cargo  28  and a non-secured compartment  16  for transportation of non-secured cargo  44  that does not require the security of the secured cargo  28 .  
         [0042]     In transit, the secured cargo  28  is not transferred to another container and does not co-mingle with any other secured cargo  28  or non-secured cargo  44 , although the container  10  itself may be transferred, such as from boat to trailer. The secured cargo  28  is not accessed during transit.  
         [0043]     Upon arrival at the destination for the secured cargo  28 , the consignee or its representative verifies that the lock  42  is the same as the lock  42  installed at the origin, such as by verifying the recorded serial number. Then the secured divider  12  is disassembled, providing access to the secured cargo  28  for its removal from the container  10 . This requires removal of the lock  42 . In the case of locks such as rod locks, bolt seals, cable ties, etc., this requires destruction of the lock  42 .  
         [0044]     The cargo control system of the present invention provides secured transportation of cargo, as described above, by construction of a secured divider  12  in a container  10  having three horizontal E-tracks using the following materials: two 2 inches×12 inches×8 feet boards or pieces of lumber; one 1 inch×8 inches×8 feet board or piece of lumber; four 4-inch self-tapping screws; two 4 feet×8 feet×⅝ inch pieces of plywood or chipboard, preferably interlocking; two 4-inch common nails; two rod locks having unique serial numbers; one notification sticker for recordation of the serial numbers; and three deck bars.  
         [0045]     The invention has been described with specific materials of construction and specific dimensions. Any conventional material or dimensions of the material may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Also, the container  12  has been described with the only access to the first, secured compartment  14  being by removal of the sealed divider  12 . In another embodiment, access to the first compartment  14  is also available through a door or other portal in the first wall  22  or the second wall  24 , in addition to removal of the sealed divider  12 . In this case, the door or other portal must also be secured by one or more locks  42  to prevent unauthorized access to the secured cargo  28 .  
         [0046]     While the present invention has been illustrated by the above description of embodiments, and while the embodiments have been described in some detail, it is not the intention of the applicants to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the invention to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of the applicants&#39; general or inventive concept.