Patent ID: 7056081

Claim:
An improved container lift system for lifting and transporting freight containers, the improved lift system comprising: a lift mechanism including: a support frame; at least one extensible arm; at least one lift attachment coupled to each end of each extensible arm; a bayonet-type twist lock member coupled to each lift attachment; and an actuating means for actuating each extensible arm and each bayonet-type twist lock member; at least a first freight container including: a rigid support structure having a horizontal roof, vertical side walls, a horizontal floor, and at least one door; at least two reinforcement beams, each having a horizontal header coupled to the roof, a pair of vertical side posts coupled to the side walls, and a horizontal footer coupled to the floor, each side post having a transversely interior surface and an opposing transversely exterior surface; a stack casting disposed between each footer and each side post, the stack casting having a horizontal bottom plate and at least one stack aperture passing through the bottom plate, the stack aperture adapted to allow stacking of the first freight container; and a lift casting disposed between each header and each side post, each lift casting including: a horizontal upper plate; and at least one longitudinally elongated lift aperture through the upper plate, the elongated lift aperture being located in an outboard position on the upper plate that is a transverse distance from a center of the header such that an outboard elongated side wall of the elongated lift aperture formed in the upper plate is substantially vertically aligned with the transversely interior surface of each corresponding side post.