Abstract:
Disclosed is a container loading and unloading apparatus, which overcomes a problem of a conventional container in that a special equipment such as a forklift truck, a crane or the like is necessarily mobilized whenever the loading or unloading work is performed because the container is simply a cuboidal rigid body. The present invention makes it possible to perform the loading and unloading works of the container main body at the time of its storage and transportation without a separate loading and unloading equipment by providing a container supporter to secure a space for loading the container main body on a chassis of a freight car, thereby reducing equipments and labor as well as facilitating the loading and unloading works.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a container loading and unloading apparatus, and more particularly to such an apparatus including a container supporter disposed on a lower side of the container, elevation means provided in a chassis of a freight car, and guidance means for compensating a container main body to be placed in position during a loading work.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    It is well known that a container for cargo transportation has a standardized cuboidal shape so as to be easily stacked up for land or marine transportation.  
           [0005]    A forklift truck, a crane or the like is used for loading or unloading the container on or from a freight car in land, and the container ttself serves as a handy warehouse of a kind when it is located on the ground.  
           [0006]    Since the container is simply a cuboidal rigid body, however, it is inconvenient to necessarily mobilize the forklift truck, the crane or the like whenever the loading or unloading work is performed.  
           [0007]    That is, the container is accompanied with frequent loading and unloading works from the viewpoint of its purpose, and one freight car repeatedly transports a plurality of containers while replacing one by another.  
           [0008]    On all such occasions, equipments including the forklift truck, the crane or the like are inevitably needed for the container loading and unloading, thus causing a problem in requiring many equipments and labors to transport or store only one container.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    Accordingly, the present invention has been made to overcome the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a container having a loading and unloading apparatus which an facilitate a container loading or unloading work without a separate special equipment such as a forklift truck, a crane or the like.  
           [0010]    To accomplish this object, there is provided a container loading and unloading apparatus in accordance with the present invention, the apparatus comprising:  
           [0011]    a container support frame provided at a base of a container main body and consisting of a reception frame and a transverse frame;  
           [0012]    an inverted L-shaped container supporter installed in the traverse frame and consisting of a horizontal adjustable supporter, a vertical supporter and a vertical adjustable supporter;  
           [0013]    upper and lower covers formed at an upper end of the vertical supporter and a lower end of the vertical adjustable supporter, respectively;  
           [0014]    upper and lower hanger fittings fixedly mounted in the upper and lower covers, respectively for hanging both ends of a pair of coil springs;  
           [0015]    a fixing device provided at an end of a side surface of the traverse frame for fixing the container supporter;  
           [0016]    a reception groove formed on an outer side of the reception frame for receiving the container supporter;  
           [0017]    a plurality of elevation means provided in a chassis of a freight car, each elevation means constituted by a hydraulic cylinder operating in a vertically upward direction; and  
           [0018]    guidance means disposed in a position corresponding to that of the elevation means.  
           [0019]    Preferably, the fixing device provided in the traverse frame comprises a support case, a fixing pin passing through the traverse frame by way of the support case, an operation pin forming a right angle to the fixing pin and integrated with the fixing pin, a handle joined with both ends of the operation pin, and an elastic repellent spring resiliently supported on the fixing pin.  
           [0020]    It is preferred that the guidance means comprises an engagement fitting formed with a guide hole, and an upward sloping projection formed at an upper end of the hydraulic cylinder, the engagement fitting and the upward sloping projection being provided at the upper end of the elevation means and the base of the container main body in an opposite position to each other, respectively.  
           [0021]    Alternatively, the guidance means may comprise a sloping groove formed at the upper end of the elevation means, and an engagement fitting provided at the base of the container main body and having a downward sloping projection in a position corresponding to that of the sloping groove.  
           [0022]    The hydraulic cylinder as the elevation means is preferably provided in the chassis of the freight car in such a manner that it is positioned at a number of locations of the chassis, respectively and can be elevated in the vertically upward direction.  
           [0023]    According to the constructed container loading and unloading apparatus, the container loading or unloading work at the time of its transportation and storage can be easily performed without the separate equipment such as the forklift truck, the crane or the like, thereby cutting down equipments and labors. As the case may be, it is possible to stack up the containers as it does in the conventional container. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0024]    The above objects, and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings, in which:  
         [0025]    [0025]FIGS. 1 a,    1   b  and  1   c  are side views schematically showing a container unloading work using a container loading and unloading apparatus in accordance with the present invention, respectively;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIGS. 2 a,    2   b  and  2   c  are perspective view schematically showing a container loading work using the container loading and unloading apparatus in accordance with the present invention, respectively;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state that a container supporter as one main part of the container loading and unloading apparatus in accordance with the present invention is in use;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state that the container supporter as the main part of the container loading and unloading apparatus in accordance with the present invention is received in an outer side portion of a traverse frame;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIGS. 5 a  and  5   b  are sectional views of a fixing device for the container supporter as another main part or the container loading and unloading apparatus in accordance with the present invention, respectively;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a vertical supporter and a vertical adjustable supporter in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIGS. 7 a  and  7   b  are sectional views showing an operational state of the vertical adjustable supporter in accordance with the present invention, respectively;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIGS. 8 a  and  8   b  are partially sectional views showing an operational state of elevation means and guidance means as other main carts of the container loading and unloading apparatus in accordance with the present invention, respectively;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIGS. 9 a  and  9   b  are partially sectional views illustrating another embodiment of the elevation means and the guidance means as the main parts of the container loading and unloading apparatus in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0034]    Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a container loading and unloading apparatus in accordance with the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
         [0035]    The container loading and unloading apparatus of the present invention includes a container support frame  10  provided at a base of a container main body  1  and consisting of a reception frame  12  and a traverse frame  14 . An inverted L-shaped container supporter  22  consisting of a horizontal adjustable supporter  16 , a vertical supporter  18  and a vertical adjustable supporter  20  is installed in the traverse frame  14 .  
         [0036]    Upper and lower covers  56 ,  57  are formed at an upper end of the vertical supporter  18  and a lower end of the vertical adjustable supporter  20 , respectively, and upper and lower hanger fittings  53 ,  54  are fixedly mounted in the upper and lower covers  56 ,  57 , respectively so as to hang both ends of a pair of coil springs  55  thereon. A fixing device  24  for fixing the container supporter  22  is provided at an end of a side surface of the traverse frame  14 . On an outer side of the reception frame  12 , there is formed a reception groove  26  which  40  can receive the container supporter  22  therein. A plurality of elevation means  28  are provided in a chassis of a freight car, each elevation means  28  being constituted by a hydraulic cylinder operating in a vertically upward direction. Guidance means  30  is disposed in a position corresponding to that of the elevation means  28  for the purpose of compensating the container main body  1  to be placed in position when it is loaded on the chassis of the freight car.  
         [0037]    The fixing device  24  provided in the traverse frame  14  includes a support case  34 , a fixing pin  34  passing through the traverse frame  14  by way of the support case  34 , an operation pin  36  forming a right angle to the fixing pin  34  and integrated with the fixing pin  34 , a handle  38  joined with both ends of the operation pin  36 , and an elastic repellent spring  40  resiliently supported on the fixing pin  34 .  
         [0038]    The guidance means  30  comprises an engagement fitting  44  formed with a guide hole  42 , and an upward sloping protection  46  formed at an upper end of the hydraulic cylinder. The engagement fitting  44  and the upward sloping projection  46  are provided at the upper end of the elevation means  28  and the base of the container main body  1  in an opposite position to each other, respectively.  
         [0039]    Alternatively, the guidance means  30  may comprise a sloping groove  48  formed at the upper end of the elevation means  28 , and an engagement fitting  52  provided at the base of the container main body  1  and having a downward sloping protection  50  in a position corresponding to that of the sloping groove  48 .  
         [0040]    Of non-explained reference numerals in the drawings, reference numeral “ 60 ” designates a pin for fixing the vertical adjustable support  20 , reference numeral “ 62 ” designates equally-spaced fixing holes formed in the vertical adjustable supporter  20 , reference numeral “ 64 ” designates equally-spaced adjustable fixing holes formed in the horizontal adjustable supporter  16  and into which the fixing pin  34  is inserted, and reference numeral “ 66 ” designates a handle formed in the lower cover  57  which is provided at the lower end of the vertical adjustable supporter  20 .  
         [0041]    As shown in FIGS. 1 a  to  1   c  and FIGS. 2 a  to  2   c,  the container loading and unloading apparatus of the present invention as stated above makes it possible to perform the loading and unloading works of the container main body  1  without a special equipment such as a forklift truck, a crane or the like.  
         [0042]    In order to perform the loading and unloading of the container main body  1 , the container loading and unloading apparatus of the present invention includes the container support frame  10  provided at the base of the container main body  1  for securing a space within which the chassis of the freight car can be located as shown in FIGS.  3  to  7 .  
         [0043]    The container support frame  10  consists of the reception frame  12  provided at the base of the container body in a longitudinal direction of the container main body  1  and the traverse frame  14  formed integrally with the reception frame  12  in a direction intersecting the reception frame  12 , and the inverted L-shaped container supporter  22  is inserted into the traverse frame  12  and is assembled in the container support frame  10  so as to install the container support frame  10  on the ground.  
         [0044]    The container supporter  22  is divided into the horizontal adjustable supporter  16  and the vertical supporter  18 . The horizontal adjustable supporter  16  is inserted into the traverse frame  14 , and the vertical adjustable supporter  20  is inserted into the vertical supporter  18  so that height of the container supporter  20  can be optionally changed.  
         [0045]    That is, the vertical adjustable supporter  20  is fixed to the vertical supporter  18  by the pin  60 , and the vertical adjustable supporter  20  to be fixed by the pin  60  is formed with a plurality of equally-spaced fixing holes  62 , thus being able to optionally change the height of the container supporter  20  as occasion demands by inserting the pin  60  into the selected fixing note  62 .  
         [0046]    If the pin  60  fixing the vertical adjustable supporter  20  to the vertical supporter  18  is removed in such a situation, the vertical adjustable supporter  20  descends downward due to its own weight, but descends only by a certain length because both ends of the pair of inner coil springs  55  are hung on the upper hanger fitting provided in the upper portion of the vertical supporter  18  and on the lower hanger fitting  54  provided in the lower portion of the vertical adjustable supporter  20 , respectively. Consequently, a safety accident can be prevented.  
         [0047]    Also, when an operator lifts the vertical adjustable supporter  20  while grasping the handle  66  provided at the lower end of the vertical adjustable supporter  20  in order to reduce the length of the vertical adjustable supporter  20 , the vertical adjustable supporter  20  can be lifted with a small force because a tensile force of the pair of inner coil springs  55  lessens the own weight of the vertical adjustable supporter  20 .  
         [0048]    The length of the coil springs is preferably equal to or longer than the length of the vertical supporter  18  and the vertical adjustable supporter  20  in a state that the vertical adjustable supporter  20  is completely inserted into the vertical supporter  18 .  
         [0049]    Also, the horizontal adjustable supporter  16  of the container supporter  22  is inserted into and integrally fixed to the traverse frame  14  as is needed, and is formed with a plurality of equally-spaced adjustable fixing holes  64  so as to be able to adjust width of the container supporter  22  and to provided smooth entrance and exit of the chassis of the freight car as occasion demands.  
         [0050]    The fixing device  24  comprising the support case  34 , the fixing pin  34  and the operation pin  36  forming a right angle together and integrated with each other, the handle  38 , and the elastic repellent spring  40  is provided on the side surface of the reverse frame  14 . The fixing pin  34  passes through the traverse frame  14 , the operation pin  36  is fixed to both side plats of the handle  38  to function as a hinge axis, and the elastic repellent spring  40  is resiliently supported on the fixing pin  34  to apply a moving force toward the traverse frame  14  to the fixing pin  34 .  
         [0051]    The operation pin  36  serves as the hinge axis of the handle  38  and the handle  38  serves as a lever. Both ends of the operation pin  36  is rotatably fixed to both side plate of the handle, but the fixed position is biased toward one side of the side plate, so that there is a difference in a distance from the fixed position to the traverse frame  14  between when the handle  38  forms a right angle to the traverse frame  14  and when the handle  38  is positioned horizontally to the traverse frame  14  as shown in FIGS. 5 a  and  5   b.  That is, the fixing pin  34  is pushed in the traverse frame  14  or is removed from the traverse frame  14  by this difference in the distance.  
         [0052]    By operating the handle  38  of the fixing device  24 , therefore, the container supporter  22  can be drawn out from the traverse frame  14  by a desired length, and can be separated from and then inserted again into the traverse frame  14  while being so positioned that one vertical support  18  is received in the reception groove  26  of the reception frame  12  as the case may be.  
         [0053]    As shown in FIG. 6, the so constructed container main body  1  is lifted by the guidance means  30  and the elevation means  28  provided at the base to the container main body  1  and in the chassis of the freight car, respectively.  
         [0054]    The guidance means  30  comprises the guide hole  42  and the sloping projection  46  whose center is coincided with each other when they are engaged with each other. The guide hole  42  is formed in the engagement fitting  44  attached to the base of the container main body  1 , and the sloping projection  46  is formed at the upper end of the hydraulic cylinder constituting the elevation means  28 .  
         [0055]    The elevation means  28  is constituted by the hydraulic cylinder attached to the chassis and elevated in the vertically upward direction, and is generally provided separately from a hydraulic supporter attached to the chassis of a special vehicle, but only the hydraulic cylinder may be provided in order to lift the container main body  1  in some cases.  
         [0056]    Although the guide hole  42  and the sloping projection  46  are depicted as the circular shape and the conical shape, respectively in the drawings, the guide hole  42  may be formed in another shape such as a shape of a triangle, a quadrangle, a pentagon, etc. and the sloping projection  46  may be formed in a shape of a triangular pyramid, a quadrangular pyramid, a pentagonal pyramid, etc. in accordance with the shape of the guide hole  42 . Since the same working effects is achieved in case of these shapes, the guide hole  42  and the sloping projection  46  are not limited to the special shape, and the circular shape of the guide hole  42  and the conical shape of one sloping projection  46  are shown as only one of preferred shapes.  
         [0057]    Since an axis passing through a center of a circle formed by the guide hole  42  and a center axis so the sloping projection  46  are the same axis, coincidence of the center and the center axis with each other indicates that the container main body  1  is loaded in a proper position, and a closed area within the guide hole  42  is a compensation range of the guidance means  30 .  
         [0058]    Now, a description will be given for the guidance action of the container main body  1  to the proper position using the guidance means  30 .  
         [0059]    When the sloping projection  46  ascends by elevating of the elevation means  28 , a side surface, that is, a slope of the sloping projection  46  is interfered by contacting with an inner surface of the guide hole  42  if the center of the guide hole  42  and the center axis of the sloping projection  46  are not coincide with each other.  
         [0060]    If the elevational means  30  is further elevated in such a situation, an external force of the elevation means  30  acts on the engagement fitting  44  formed with the guide hole  42  due to the above-mentioned interference to move the engagement fitting  44  along the slope of the sloping projection  46  until the center of the guide hole  42  and the center axis of the sloping projection  46  are finally coincided with each other, which results in loading of the container main body  1  in the proper position on the chassis of the freight car.  
         [0061]    At this time, it is preferred that the inner surface of the guide hole  42  forms the same slope as that of the sloping projection  46 , diameters of the guide hole  42  and a base of the sloping projection  46  is experimentally determined so as to position the container main body  1  in the proper position, and the diameter of the base of the sloping projection  46  is larger that that of the guide hole  42 .  
         [0062]    Such a guidance means  30  may comprise a sloping groove  48  formed at the upper end of the elevation means  28 , and an engagement fitting  52  provided at the base of the container main body  1  and having a downward sloping projection  50  in a position corresponding so that of the sloping groove  48  as shown in FIGS. 9 a  and  9   b.  The guidance action of this case is one same as the above-mentioned guidance action and so is detailed description will be omitted.  
         [0063]    As described above, the container loading and unloading apparatus of the present invention makes it possible to perform the loading and unloading works of the container main body  1  at the time of its storage and transportation without the separate loading and unloading equipment by providing the container supporter  22  to secure a space for loading the container main body  1  on the chassis of the freight car, thereby reducing equipments and labor as well as facilitating the loading and unloading works.  
         [0064]    While the present invention has been illustrated and described under considering a preferred specific embodiment thereof, it will be easily understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiment, and various changes, modifications and equivalents may be made without departing from the true scope of the present invention.