Patent Application
20160082875
The present invention relates generally to the field of cargo containers and more specifically to an adjustable bulkhead that can be used to divide a cargo container into two or more separate compartments.
Cargo containers, such as those used in shipping, on railcars, and pulled by tractor trailers have sufficient volume to hold large quantities of cargo. However, this generous capacity is often greater than that required by individual clients. Consequently, a single cargo container can be used to ship goods for multiple clients at once. Such consolidation allows both the carrier and clients to benefit from economies of scale.
However, for a variety of reasons, the carrier and clients may wish to avoid the co-mingling of goods. For example, co-mingling increases the risk of errors and delays at the point of delivery as goods have to be sorted and separated. Furthermore, separating cargo into discrete, measurable compartments allows carriers to more accurately apportion pro rata fees to clients.
The bulkhead is mounted inside the container by means of two cross bars 130 that extend across the width of the container. These cross bars insert into either a horizontal track 140 or a vertical track 141 along the walls of the container, allowing the position of the bulkhead to be adjusted along the length of the container. The cross bars are coupled to the bulkhead by means of angle brackets 150.
The cross bars are further comprised of two bars 131, 132 that, when combined, span the width of the container. These two bars are joined together by a collar 135 that is integral with one of the bars. The other bar is then slidably disposed into the collar and locked in place with a spring clip 136 to join the bars 131, 132 together to form the cross bar 130.
Unfortunately, the bulkhead in this prior art design is vulnerable to several structural weaknesses that could result in the bulkhead becoming damaged or dismounted during transportation, resulting in comingling of cargo or even damage to cargo.
As can be seen clearly in
Another mechanical weakness of the prior art bulkhead assembly is the use of a collar and pin to join the two halves of the cross bars. Due to the presence of the collar 135 the subcomponent bars 131, 132, do not directly mate with each other but rather lay end to end inside the collar. The only mechanical link securing the bars 131, 132 together is the spring clip 136 inserted into the collar. Needless to say, the potential forces exerted against that pin could be substantial under rough transportation conditions, resulting in a mechanical failure of the pin and separation of the bars 131, 132. Such separation would effectively uncouple the two halves 101, 102 of the bulkhead.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a bulkhead assembly for cargo containers that overcomes the mechanical weaknesses of the prior art and provides sufficiently robust support under rough transportation conditions.
The present invention provides a bulkhead assembly for dividing a cargo container into multiple compartments. In one embodiment of the present invention the bulkhead includes two panels that span the width and height of the cargo container when placed adjacent to each other. Each panel has one or more angle brackets mounted to it. Each angle bracket is bent at an approximately 90° angle, forming a base section and a perpendicular flanged arm. The base section is mounted to the back face of the panel, and the flanged arm inserts through a slot in the panel and projects from the front face of the panel. A backing plate can also be mounted on the front face of the panel and coupled to the base section of the bracket via carriage bolts and nuts.
In one embodiment of the invention two cross bars at different heights are slid through openings in the flanged arms of the angle brackets. These cross bars span the width of the container and couple the bulkhead to tracks mounted on the walls of the container, thereby securing the bulkhead in place. The cross bars can be coupled to multiple points along these tracks, allowing the position of the bulkhead to be adjusted along the length of the container.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the cross bar is further comprises of two sections of tubing, wherein one section is partially slidably disposed into the other. They are held together from contact friction, which can be increased by means of a tack weld on one of the tubing sections.
The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Referring to
The bulkhead assembly 200 includes the bulkhead proper, comprised of two panels 221, 222 that span the width and height of the cargo container. The specific material and thickness used for the bulkhead panels can vary depending on the needs of the user, but for many applications standard ⅝-inch plywood will suffice. Conceivably, the bulkhead of the present invention could comprise a single panel in the case of small cargo containers. The present example assumes application to a larger container such as that used with a tractor trailer, which would make a single panel unwieldy for day to day operations.
These bulkhead panels 221, 222 are anchored to the walls of the container by means of a cross bar comprising at least two sub-bars 231, 232 that span the width of the container when connected. The bars 231, 232 can be made from steel tubing, cast aluminum housing, or other materials possessing suitable strength-to-weight properties.
The cross bars 231, 232 are coupled to the bulkhead by means of angle brackets 210 made from, e.g., 3/16-inch mild steel or other suitable material. The angle brackets 210 are bent at an approximately 90° angle, thereby forming a base section 211 and a flanged arm 212. The base section 211 of the angle bracket is placed on the back side of the bulkhead as shown (see also
The flanged arm 212 of each bracket passes through a slot in the bulkhead to project in front of the bulkhead as shown. The cross bars 231, 232 are then fed through openings in the flanged arm (shown more clearly in
In the present example, four such angle brackets are used across the width of the bulkhead, two on each panel. Less or more brackets may be used depending on the width of the bulkhead and container in question.
The configuration of the present invention provides considerably greater structural stability than prior art designs. If the cross bar bows under strain and exerts perpendicular force away from the bulkhead (such as shown in
Conversely, if the cross bar exerts perpendicular force toward the bulkhead there is potential for the base section 211 to be pushed away from the bulkhead. However, such movement is limited by the presence of the cross bars 231, 232 on the opposite side of the bulkhead. By sandwiching the bulkhead panels 221, 222 between the bracket base section 211 and the cross bars 231, 232, the present invention ensures that the cross bar cannot be separated from the bulkhead.
The tightness of the fit between the tubes 231, 232 is provided by a small differential between their diameters. The tightness of the fit is further reinforced by means of a tack weld 400 on one of the tubes.
The cross bars 231, 232 are then fed through the angle brackets 210 and adjusted and locked into place. The cross bars are mounted to tracks 1041 along the walls 1021 of the container. The process is repeated depending on the number compartments into which the container will be divided.
The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention, the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that numerous variations will be possible to the disclosed embodiments without going outside the scope of the invention as disclosed in the claims.
