BASE FRAME FOR A SHIPPING CONTAINER

Abstract

The invention relates to a base frame for a shipping container, comprising a front end and a rear end separated by a bolster, the front end of the base frame comprising a pair of bottom side rails or beams and a pair of gooseneck rails or beams positioned in a longitudinal direction of the container, the rear end of the base frame extending from a door sill to the bolster, where the gooseneck rails extends continuously from a front sill to the bolster and that a number of bows extends continuously from a bottom side rail in one side of the front end of the base frame to a bottom side rail in an opposite side of the front end of the base frame.

Description

The invention relates to a base frame for a shipping container, the base frame comprising a front end and a rear end separated by a bolster, the front end of the base frame comprising a pair of bottom side rails or beams and a pair of gooseneck rails or beams positioned in a longitudinal direction of the container, the rear end of the base frame extending from a door sill to the bolster.

BACKGROUND

A shipping container usually comprises a pair of side walls, a rear end, a front end, a roof, a floor and a base frame. The base frame comprises two longitudinal bottom side rails and a plurality of parallel bottom cross members on which the floor is resting and to which cross members the floor is secured by fastening means. In the end of the floor and base frame placed in the front end of the container a cross member being heavier than the ordinary cross members forms one end of a so called gooseneck area of the container. Such a heavier cross member is often called a bolster. The bolster forms a transition between the flooring in a main part of the container and the flooring in the gooseneck part of the container. The flooring in the gooseneck part or front end of the container covers the area from the bolster to a front panel of the container and from one side of the container to the other side. In the gooseneck part there is also cross members called outriggers, but here the cross members extends crosswise from the bottom side rail to a gooseneck rail. The gooseneck is normally provided with two parallel gooseneck rails extending from the container front to the bolster. Under the flooring and between the gooseneck rails is formed a tunnel, called the gooseneck tunnel.

A most commonly used dry container flooring material is hard wood, which is becoming a scarce resource. Consequently there is a need to find or develop alternative flooring systems which are able to meet the mechanical requirements set forth by ISO standards.

Most of these alternative flooring systems are consisting of a number of profiles or slabs that, put together, forms the flooring.

For example the state of the art floor construction makes use of three different dimensions of wooden floor plates. Large floor plates of a dimension of L×W (length×width) 2400 mm×1160 mm can be used from the door end of the container to the bolster. Since the distance from the door end of the container and to the bolster normally is 8588 mm only three floor plates having the above dimensions can be placed side by side in pairs (the inner width of the floor in the container is 2×1160 mm) leaving a gap to the bolster of 1388 mm. Therefore a pair of floor plates having a dimension of L×W 1388 mm×1160 mm must be provided to complete the flooring from the door sill to the bolster.

On each side of the gooseneck formed by two gooseneck rails extending from the container front to the bolster, on which rails a steel plate is fastened, a third dimension of wooden floor plates are used. The dimension of these floor plates are L×W 1626 mm×636 mm. These floor plates are fastened on the outriggers extending from the bottom side rail to the gooseneck rail.

The gooseneck can also be manufactured as a bended type where rails and floor is formed from a plate and bended into a panel.

Above dimensions of floor plates hinder the full use of a modular system, since neither length nor width of the two areas are dividable with each other.

An ISO container—and the Gooseneck area in particular, is defined by guidelines set by ISO. The relatively heavy Gooseneck, due to ISO restrictions regarding the physical dimensions to fit with chassis design and to keep the permanent set of the gooseneck flooring within a prescribed limit therefore opens up for a need for an alternative design approach which accommodates above challenge.

State of the art flooring elements show dimensions of flooring in the outrigger area being different from modules of the remaining flooring elements. The same applies to the second dimension of floor plates used between the door sill and the bolster.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to provide a base frame with sufficient strength and flexibility in order to use a flooring system, where the flooring elements can be provided as modular flooring elements

By providing the gooseneck end of the container with a steel floor covering the length from the bolster to the front sill (front end of the container) and covering the width from a bottom side rail in one side to a bottom side rail in the other side of the container and at the same time change the position of the bolster so the distance from the door sill at the rear end of the container to the bolster is a module of full and half lengths of wooden flooring plates it is possible to reduce the need for several different sizes of floor plates.

This is further possible by changing the position of the bolster, as mentioned above, and at the same time completely changing the base - and floor-design of the area from bolster to front panel to comprise an all steel structure. Consequently the only required system composition is a system that covers the area from door sill to bolster. Hereby the need for traditional outrigger flooring is eliminated as well as it is obtained that a module of common dimensions of wooden flooring plates having a module of full lengths of for example 2400 mm can be used. This, at the same time, shortens the required length of the full length of the floor panels to 8400 mm, or in case of plywood flooring to, 3×2400 mm+1×1200 mm in length compared to originally 11940 mm, or in case of plywood flooring originally 3×2400 mm+1×1388 mm+2×1626 mm in length. Resulting in a reduced amount of floor board types from 3 to 2 dimensions where one is half size of the other.

Another example of common plate lengths is plywood plates having a dimension of length×width: 2440 mm×1220 mm.

Hereby it is possible to provide a base frame with sufficient strength and flexibility in order to use a flooring system, where the flooring elements can be provided as modular flooring elements and reducing the need for hard wood floor plates.

The added flexibility by introducing a generic gooseneck design from bolster to the front panel of the container accommodates the use of various flooring systems from door sill to bolster.

Some further advantages obtained by the invention are that the amount of outrigger and gooseneck parts are practically halved compared to standard design and the layout will preferably have a few long welding beats, making it suitable for automatic welding.

Long and closed profiles make the system more suitable for surface treatment.

The consumption of wood for flooring is reduced and thereby also the use of fungicide and insecticide is reduced.

Further the amount of sealants in floor area is reduced considerably.

This is achieved by that the gooseneck rails extends continuously from a front sill to the bolster and that a number of bows extends continuously from a bottom side rail in one side of the front end of the base frame to a bottom side rail in an opposite side of the front end of the base frame.

In an embodiment of the base frame the bows are secured to an underside of a steel floor in the front end of the base frame and the gooseneck rails are secured to ridges or tops of the bows.

In an embodiment of the base frame the bows are secured to an underside of a steel floor in the front end of the base frame and the gooseneck rails are provided with cut-outs substantially corresponding to the shape of the bows.

In an embodiment of the base frame the gooseneck rails are secured to the bows by welding.

In an embodiment the base frame comprises a pair of gooseneck rails or beams, extending from the front sill/front end of the container and to the bolster. The two gooseneck rails form a gooseneck tunnel. Between the gooseneck rails in the gooseneck tunnel a number of cross members are provided in the form of bows having reduced height compared to known outriggers/cross members. Between the gooseneck rails and the bottom side rails at each side of the gooseneck tunnel also a number of bows having reduced height compared to known outriggers/cross members are provided. Here the bows placed between the bottom side rails and the gooseneck rails can be full length aligned longitudinally across the base frame in order to facilitate welding to the steel floor plate, but this will not be a requirement.

In an alternative embodiment a distance between bows are greater for bows placed at an end of a gooseneck tunnel facing a front sill of the base frame than bows placed in the end of the gooseneck tunnel facing the bolster.

In an alternative embodiment the bows are placed running continuously from bottom side rails in one side and to bottom side rails at the opposite side of the base frame.

In an alternative embodiment an outrigger is provided between the bottom side rail and an outrigger rail and an outrigger is provided between the outrigger rail and the gooseneck rail.

The gooseneck rails can then be placed and welded to ridges or top of the bows or the gooseneck rails can be provided with cut-outs substantially corresponding to the shape of the bows leaving sufficient space so that the gooseneck rails can be in contact with the steel flooring plate in the gooseneck as well as with the contour of the bows. When the gooseneck rail is welded to such a floor frame, a base frame with a high strength and rigidity is achieved and at the same time the weight is kept low compared to state of the art base frames.

In this embodiment the gooseneck rails can be a half profile supported by a number of gussets placed on ridges of the bows or under the floor plate in a direction perpendicular to the open side of the gooseneck rail

In an embodiment of the base frame the bolster is provided with a shelf portion, which shelf portion is placed in a distance from the door sill for supporting an end of a floor plate, which distance is a module of full and half lengths of a floor plate.

The shelf portion comprises a supporting part being substantial horizontal on which supporting part the end of a floor plate can rest. By substantial horizontal is meant between -5 and 5 degrees in relation to a horizontal direction.

The shelf portion also comprises an abutment part. The abutment part forms a kind of stop to which the floor plates can adjoin. The abutment part is substantially vertical. By substantial vertical is meant between 85 and 95 degrees in relation to a horizontal direction.

In an alternative embodiment the shelf portion is formed by an end of the steel flooring of the gooseneck part of the container, which steel flooring comprises a steel plate provided with a shelf portion, the steel floor and thereby the shelf portion is fastened to and supported by the bolster.

In an alternative embodiment the shelf portion is formed by an L-shaped profile, which profile is fastened to and supported by a number of bolster gussets distributed along the length of the bolster.

In an alternative embodiment the shelf portion is formed by the bolster.

In an alternative embodiment the shelf portion is supported by a number of bolster gussets.

In an alternative embodiment the shelf portion is formed by an L-shaped profile, which profile is fastened to a number of gussets supporting the bolster.

In an alternative embodiment the steel flooring is provided with a nose portion in form of a slight downward sloping end of the floor facing the rear end of the container. The downward sloping of the nose portion is in the interval including 1° to 10° in relation to the floor. In an embodiment the sloping of the nose portion is 4°.

The sloping part of the nose portion provides that the edge of the nose portion abuts the floor plate and is able to compensate for deviation in thickness of different floor plates. Further the sloping part of the nose portion provides a kind of ramp making it more convenient to pass over the transition between the floor at the rear of the container and to the steel floor in the gooseneck part or front end of the container, when handling goods to be transported within the container.

In an embodiment the nose portion is chamfered in order to avoid cargo being caught on the slope and to make cleaning more easy.

In an alternative embodiment the floor plate in the rear part of the container abuts the steel floor above the bolster in such a way that the height of the surfaces of the floor plate and the steel floor are substantially aligned.

In an alternative embodiment the steel flooring is fully welded to the bottom side rails and to a front sill.

The base frame of the gooseneck portion of the container can be provided in different configurations all reducing or eliminating the need for wooden flooring in the outrigger area.

In an embodiment the base frame comprises a pair of gooseneck rails or beams, extending from the front panel/front end of the container and to the bolster. The two gooseneck rails forms a tunnel called a gooseneck tunnel. Between the gooseneck rails in the gooseneck tunnel a number of cross members called bows having reduced height compared to known outrigger/cross members are provided. Between the gooseneck rails and the bottom side rails at each side of the gooseneck tunnel an outrigger rail is placed. This will form a structure strong enough to only have a few cross members in the form of outriggers and possibly only one outrigger at each side of the base frame and extending from the bottom side rail to the outrigger rail and one outrigger at each side of the base frame extending from the outrigger rail to the gooseneck rail.

When provided with an all steel floor plate the structure is strong enough even though the dimensions in the base frame is reduced compared to earlier known base frames for containers.

In another embodiment the base frame comprises a pair of gooseneck rails or beams, extending from the front panel/front end of the container and to the bolster. The two gooseneck rails forms a gooseneck tunnel. Between the gooseneck rails in the gooseneck tunnel a number of cross members in the form of bows are provided having reduced height compared to known outriggers. Between the gooseneck rails and the bottom side rails at each side of the gooseneck tunnel a number of outriggers are provided. In order to save material but still to be able to provide sufficient strength to the outrigger section, the outriggers can be shaped as L-profiles or similar profiles. The outriggers can also form a closed profile with the flooring.

Hereby it is possible to manufacture a base frame for a shipping container where the floor type is easily configurable.

Further embodiments and advantages are disclosed below in the description and in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described more fully below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 shows schematically a prior art container floor seen from above, inside the container;

FIG. 2 shows schematically a lengthwise cut through a container close to the side of the container;

FIG. 3 shows schematically a perspective bottom view of a base frame of the front part of the container;

FIG. 4 shows schematically a sectional view along the line D-D in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows schematically a side view of the base frame for the front end of the container, the bolster and a floor plate;

FIG. 6 shows schematically a sectional cut-out of the bolster area shown in the circle in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 shows schematically a sectional cut-out of an embodiment of the bolster area;

FIG. 8 shows schematically a sectional cut-out of another embodiment of the bolster area;

FIG. 9 shows schematically a perspective bottom view of an embodiment of a base frame of the front part of the container;

FIG. 10 shows schematically a sectional view along the line D-D in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 shows schematically a perspective bottom view of an embodiment of a base frame of the front part of the container; and

FIG. 12 shows schematically a sectional view along the line D-D in FIG. 11;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Now convenient embodiments of the invention will be described.

A shipping container relating to prior art comprises a pair of side walls, a front end 2, a rear end 3, a roof, a floor A;Q, R, T and a base frame 1. The base frame 1 comprises two longitudinal bottom side rails 7 and a plurality of parallel bottom cross members on which the floor is resting and to which cross members the floor is secured by fastening means. In the end of the floor R, T and base frame 1 placed in the front end 2 of the container a cross member 4 being heavier than the ordinary cross members forms one end of a so called gooseneck area T, R of the container. Such a heavier cross member is often called a bolster 4. The bolster 4 forms a transition between the flooring Q in a main part of the container and the flooring R, T in the gooseneck part of the container. The flooring in the gooseneck part or front end 2 of the container covers the area from the bolster 4 to a front panel or front sill 6 of the container and from one side of the container to the other side. In the gooseneck part there is also cross members called outriggers, but here the cross members extends crosswise from the bottom side rail 7 to a gooseneck rail. The gooseneck is normally provided with two parallel gooseneck rails extending from the container front to the bolster 4. Under the flooring and between the gooseneck rails is formed a tunnel, called the gooseneck tunnel.

Such A traditional 40 feet (12192 mm) dry container with gooseneck could require following floor dimension:

Outrigger area (R+R at each side of T): L×W: 3252 mm×636 mm

Rear end from door sill to bolster (3×A+Q): L×W: 8588 mm×2320 mm

This shows that the flooring elements for covering the outrigger area are not modules of flooring elements for covering the rest of the floor in the shipping container. Common dimensions for such elements are typically length×width: 2400 mm×1160 mm.

The floor area in prior art 40 feet (12192 mm) dry containers as shown in FIG. 1 will then be covered by floor plates of six standard plates A having L×W: 2400 mm×1160 mm, two floor plates Q cut in a dimension of L×W: 1388 mm×1160 mm and four floor plates R for the outrigger area each cut in a dimension of L×W: 1626 mm×636 mm. The area above the gooseneck rails and the gooseneck tunnel is covered by a metal plate T.

Another example of common plate lengths is plywood plates having a dimension of length×width: 2440 mm×1220 mm.

The invention relates to a base frame 1 for a shipping container, which container is shown in FIG. 2 where the container is cut lengthwise close to one sidewall in such a way that it is possible to see a floor. The base frame 1 comprises a front end 2 and a rear end 3 separated by a bolster 4 and a pair of bottom side rails or beams 7 extending at each side at the bottom of the container from the front end 2 and to the rear end 3. The base frame 1 comprises in the rear end 3 to the bolster 4 a plurality of parallel bottom cross members 5 on which the floor A, B is resting and to which cross members 5 the floor is secured by fastening means. The cross members 5 supports flooring plates A, B to reduce downward depression of the flooring. The cross members 5 are welded to the bottom side rails 7.

In the front end 2 the base frame 1 comprising the bottom side rails 7 also comprises a front sill 6 forming the front end of the base frame 1 and a pair of gooseneck rails or beams 9 positioned in a longitudinal direction of the container which direction is parallel with the bottom side rails 7. One or more floor elements C, 11 are fastened to the gooseneck rails 9.

FIG. 3 shows the base frame 1 from the bottom side, showing the underside structure of the front end of the base frame 1.

The base frame 1 comprises a pair of gooseneck rails 9, extending from the front sill 6 and to the bolster 4. The two gooseneck rails 9 form the gooseneck tunnel 8. Between the gooseneck rails 9 in the gooseneck tunnel 8 a number of cross members are provided in the form of bows 51 having reduced height compared to known outriggers/cross members. Between the gooseneck rails 9 and the bottom side rails 7 at each side of the gooseneck tunnel 8 also a number of bows 51 having reduced height compared to known outriggers/cross members are provided.

The bows 51 can be placed between the bottom side rails 7 and the gooseneck rails 9 and between the gooseneck rails 9 in the gooseneck tunnel 8.

In another embodiment the bows 51 can be full length aligned longitudinally across the base frame in order to facilitate welding to the steel floor plate, but this will not be a requirement. The bows 51 can run in full length from one bottom side rail 7 to the other bottom side rail 7. The gooseneck rails 9 can then be placed and welded to ridges (or the top) of the bows 51 or the gooseneck rails 9 can be provided with cut-outs substantially corresponding to the shape of the bows 51 thereby leaving sufficient space so that the gooseneck rails 9 can be in contact with the steel flooring plate 11 in the gooseneck as well as with the contour of the bows 51. The gooseneck rails 9 can be welded to both steel floor 11 and bows 51 or the gooseneck rails 9 can be welded to the bows 51 alone.

When the gooseneck rails 9 are welded to such a floor frame, a base frame 1 with a high strength and rigidity is achieved and at the same time the weight is kept low compared to state of the art base frames.

The construction can further be strengthened by providing the gooseneck rails 9 with a number of gussets 53, which gussets 53 are welded to the gooseneck rail 9 and to the underside of the floor 11 or to the gooseneck rail 9 and to the top/ridge of a bow 51.

In FIG. 4, a sectional view along line D-D in FIG. 3 is shown.

In an embodiment of the gooseneck end of the container as shown in FIG. 5, the flooring 11 in form of a steel floor is placed on the gooseneck rails 9 and further supported by outrigger rails 10 and covers the gooseneck end of the container from the front sill 6 to the bolster 4. The floor 11 is fastened to the bolster 4 and the end of the floor 11 facing towards the rear end 3 of the container is provided with a shelf portion 12 as shown in FIG. 6, which shelf portion 12 for supporting an end of a floor plate is placed in a distance from a door sill 61 at the rear end of the container, which distance is a module of full and half lengths of a floor plate A.

The shelf portion 12 comprises a supporting part 13 being substantial horizontal on which supporting part the end of a floor plate B rests. By substantial horizontal is meant between −5 and 5 degrees in relation to a horizontal direction.

The shelf portion 12 also comprises an abutment part 14. The abutment part 14 forms a kind of stop to which the floor plates B can adjoin. The abutment part 14 is substantially vertical. By substantial vertical is meant between 85 and 95 degrees in relation to a horizontal direction.

The floor 11 and the shelf portion 12 is supported and stabilised by a number of bolster gussets 15 distributed along the length of the bolster 4 from one side of the base frame 1 to the other. The floor 11 and the shelf portion 12 can be fastened to the gussets 15 by welding or other suitable fastening means.

The gussets 15 are formed by plate and fastened preferably by welding to the bolster 4 in order to strengthen the bolster profile.

In an alternative embodiment as shown in FIG. 7, the shelf portion 12 is formed by an L-shaped profile, which profile is fastened to and supported by a number of bolster gussets 15 distributed along the length of the bolster 4. The bolster 4 can be formed by an L-shaped steel profile where a height of one of the legs in the L corresponds substantially to a height of the gooseneck rail 9.

The back of the L of the bolster is welded to the gooseneck rails 9 and to the outrigger rails 10 if outrigger rails 10 are needed.

The bolster gussets 15 are placed inside the L in the bolster 4 and at a top corner of the gussets 15 facing away from the bolster 4 a cut in the gussets 15 are made for the gussets 15 to be able to supporting the shelf portion 12 either formed by the steel floor 11 or by an L-shaped steel profile.

In the embodiment where the shelf portion 12 is provided by an L-profile, the steel floor 11 can be provided with a kind of nose portion 17 in form of a slight downward sloping end of the floor 11 facing the rear end 3 of the container. The downward sloping of the nose portion 17 is in the interval including 1° to 10° in relation to the floor 11. In an embodiment the sloping of the nose portion 17 is 4°.

The nose portion 17 extends from where the floor 11 abuts and is supported by the abutment part 14 of the shelf portion 12 as shown in FIG. 7 and toward the rear end 3 of the container. The nose portion 17 is formed in such a way that its length is sufficient to cover a gap between the floor plate B and the abutment part 14 of the shelf portion 12 and further to extend a distance from the edge of the floor plate B. The nose portion 17 is preferably not longer than the supporting part 13 of the shelf portion 12 seen in lengthwise or crosswise direction of the container.

The sloping part of the nose portion 17 provides that the edge of the nose portion 17 abuts the floor plate B and is able to compensate for deviation in thickness of different floor plates B.

In an embodiment the nose portion 17 is chamfered in order to avoid cargo being caught on the slope and to make cleaning more easy.

In an alternative embodiment the floor plate B in the rear part of the container abuts the steel floor 11 above the bolster 4 in such a way that the height of the surfaces of the floor plate B and the steel floor 11 are substantially aligned.

The purpose with the gap between the floor plate B and the abutment part 14 of the shelf portion 12 is to take up lengthwise tolerances due to board dimension tolerance and relating to material elongation properties of the floor plates B.

In an embodiment the gap between the floor plate B and the abutment part 14 is provided with a resilient member 16, for example in shape of a foam block or another flexible material able to compensate for longitudinal elongation of the floor plates B in the rear part of the container (from the bolster 4 to the rear end 3 of the container).

In a further embodiment the shelf portion 12 is formed by the bolster 4 as shown in FIG. 8. Here the bolster 4 is formed with an L-shaped lower part and an L-shaped upper part. The L-shaped upper part forms the shelf portion 12 where the supporting part 13 of the shelf portion is substantially parallel with the base part of the L in the L-shaped lower part of the bolster 4 and the abutment portion 14 is substantially parallel with the upright part of the L in the L-shaped lower part. The bolster profile 4 is preferably formed in one part. The largest opening of the profile is facing the gooseneck rails 9. The bolster profile 4 can be provided with a number of gussets 15 distributed along the length of the bolster 4 and within the bolster profile 4 if increased strength of the bolster 4 is needed.

In this embodiment also the gap between the floor plate B and the abutment part 14 is provided with a resilient member 16, for example in shape of a foam block or another flexible material able to compensate for longitudinal elongations of the floor plates B in the rear part of the container (from the bolster 4 to the rear end 3 of the container).

In an alternative embodiment of the gooseneck end of the container, the flooring 11 in form of a steel floor is placed on the gooseneck rails 9.

In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the base frame 1 comprises gooseneck rails 9 extending from the front end of the container (front sill) 6 and to the bolster 4. The two gooseneck rails 9 form a tunnel 8 called a gooseneck tunnel. Between the gooseneck rails 9 in the gooseneck tunnel 8 a number of cross members called bows 51 having reduced height compared to known bows are provided. Between the gooseneck rails 9 and the bottom side rails 7 at each side of the gooseneck tunnel 8 an outrigger rail 10 is placed, which outrigger rails 10 are substantial parallel with the gooseneck rail and the bottom side rails 7. This will form a structure strong enough to only have a few cross members in the form of outriggers 52 and possibly only one outrigger 52 at each side of the base frame 1 and extending from the bottom side rail 7 to the outrigger rail 10 and one outrigger 52 at each side of the base frame 1 extending from the outrigger rail 10 to the gooseneck rail 9.

In FIG. 10, a sectional view along line D-D in FIG. 9 is shown.

In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the base frame 1 comprises a pair of gooseneck rails 9, extending from the front sill 6 of the container and to the bolster 4. The two gooseneck rails 9 form a gooseneck tunnel 8.

Between the gooseneck rails 9 in the gooseneck tunnel 8 a number of cross members in the form of bows 51 are provided having reduced height compared to known outriggers or cross members. Between the gooseneck rails 9 and the bottom side rails 7 at each side of the gooseneck tunnel 8 a number of outriggers 52 are provided.

In order to save material but still to be able to provide sufficient strength to the outrigger section, the outriggers 52 can be shaped as L-profiles or similar profiles. The outriggers 52 can also form a closed profile with the flooring 11. Here the floor 11 forms one side of the profile.

In all embodiments of the gooseneck end of the base frame 1 the bows 51 can be placed with a non-uniform mutual distance. The distance between the bows 51 in a direction along the length of the container can decrease with the distance from the front sill 6 in such a way that the greater distance from the front sill 6 the bow 51 is situated, the less distance to the next bow 51 until the bolster 4 is reached.

The same apply to the outriggers 52 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 11.

In FIG. 12, a sectional view along line D-D in FIG. 11 is shown.

The steel floor 11 can be fully welded to bottom side rails 7 and front sill 6 or tack welded. The floor 11 can also be riveted or fastened by other mechanical means.

Following the floor 11 is sealed by sealant or foam tape to cover gaps between the gooseneck steel floor 11 and bottom side rails 7 and front sill 6.

Claims

1. A base frame for a shipping container, comprising a front end and a rear end separated by a bolster, the front end of the base frame comprising a pair of bottom side rails or beams and a pair of gooseneck rails or beams positioned in a longitudinal direction of the container, the rear end of the base frame extending from a door sill to the bolster, wherein the gooseneck rails extends continuously from a front sill to the bolster and that a number of bows extends continuously from a bottom side rail in one side of the front end of the base frame to a bottom side rail in an opposite side of the front end of the base frame.

2. The base frame according to claim 1, wherein the bows are secured to an underside of a steel floor in the front end of the base frame and that the gooseneck rails are secured to ridges or tops of the bows.

3. The base frame according to claim 1, wherein the bows are secured to an underside of a steel floor in the front end of the base frame and that the gooseneck rails are provided with cut-outs substantially corresponding to the shape of the bows.

4. The base frame according to claim 2, wherein the goose-neck rails are secured to the bows by welding.

5. The base frame according to claim 1, wherein the bolster is provided with a shelf portion, which shelf portion is placed in a distance from the door sill for supporting an end of a floor plate, which distance is a module of full and half lengths of a floor plate.

6. The base frame according to claim 5, wherein the shelf portion is formed by an end of the steel floor of the gooseneck part of the container.

7. The base frame according to claim 5, characterised in that wherein the shelf portion is formed by the bolster.

8. The base frame according to claim 5, wherein the shelf portion is supported by a number of bolster gussets.

9. The base frame according to claim 5, wherein the shelf portion is formed by an L-shaped profile, which profile is fastened to a number of gussets supporting the bolster.

10. The base frame according to claim 5, wherein the steel flooring is provided with a nose portion in form of a slight downwards sloping end of the floor facing the rear end of the container, which sloping is in an interval including 1 to 10° in relation to the floor.

11. The base frame according to claim 5, wherein the steel floor is fully welded to the bottom side rails and to a front sill.

12. The base frame according to claim 1, wherein a distance between bows are greater for bows placed at an end of a gooseneck tunnel facing a front sill of the base frame than bows placed in the end of the gooseneck tunnel facing the bolster.

13. A base frame for a shipping container, comprising: a front end and a rear end separated by a bolster, the front end of the base frame comprising a pair of bottom side rails or beams and a pair of gooseneck rails or beams positioned in a longitudinal direction of the container, the rear end of the base frame extending from a door sill to the bolster where the gooseneck rails extends continuously from a front sill to the bolster, wherein a number of bows extends continuously from a bottom side rail in one side of the front end of the base frame to a goose neck rail.

14. A base frame for a shipping container, comprising: a front end and a rear end separated by a bolster, the front end of the base frame comprising a pair of bottom side rails or beams and a pair of gooseneck rails or beams positioned in a longitudinal direction of the container, the rear end of the base frame extending from a door sill to the bolster, where the gooseneck rails extends continuously from a front sill to the bolster, wherein between the gooseneck rails and the bottom side rails at each side of a gooseneck tunnel an outrigger rail is placed, which outrigger rails are substantial parallel with the gooseneck rail and the bottom side rails.

15. The base frame according to claim 14, wherein an outrigger is provided between the bottom side rail and an outrigger rail and an outrigger is provided between the outrigger rail and the gooseneck rail.

16. The base frame according to claim 14, wherein the outriggers are shaped as L-profiles.

17. The base frame according to claim 14, wherein the outriggers form a closed profile with a floor where the floor forms one side of the closed profile.