Patent ID: 7172382

Claim:
A loading assembly for use with a transport container having an open end, comprising: a load bin sized to be inserted into a transport container through an open end thereof, the load bin including a floor, two side walls, and a movable front wall; a barrier assembly including a wall disposed within the load bin, spaced from the movable front wall thereof, wherein the load bin and the barrier assembly cooperate to define a volume configured to hold an unpalletized load of sufficient size to fill the transport container to capacity in a single operation, and wherein the load bin and the barrier assembly further cooperate to define a top opening for receiving an unpalletized load; a stationary support structure including a base support disposed below the load bin and a pair of upstanding side supports disposed on opposing sides of the load bin; and a drive mechanism coupled to the load bin to move the load bin into the transport container through the open end thereof and to retract the load bin from the container; wherein the barrier assembly is configured to engage the stationary support structure when the drive mechanism has moved the load bin into the transport container, to lock the barrier assembly adjacent to the open end of the container, such that when the drive mechanism thereafter retracts the load bin from the container, the wall of the barrier assembly retains the unpalletized load within the container.