GB2065076A - Container terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

A container terminal includes two container yards 3 and 4 adjacent a dockside 12, container passageways 7 to 10 along which an inward bound container 1 on a chassis 2 may be removed from the container yards or an outward bound container may be transferred into the yards. Elevated transfer tracks 15, 16, 20 extend through each yard and to and along the dockside and are at such a height that a container on a chassis may pass underneath them. Containers are transferred between a container ship 11 and the container yards by means of container transfer trucks running on the elevated transfer tracks. Transfer cranes 5, 16 transfer the containers between the yards and the transfer trucks and container cranes 13, 14 transfer them between the ship and the transfer trucks. Movement of containers between the exterior of the terminal and the container yards therefore does not interfere with the movement of containers between the container yards and the ship. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Container terminal The present invention relates to container termi nals.

In existing container terminals, container transfer tracks extend between the freight berth, normally a dockside, and the container yards so that the containers awaiting ocean departure are transferred from the yards to the shipside and loaded onto a container ship and the containers off-loaded from a container ship are transferred to the yards for inland movement. These transfer tracks must be so arranged that the containers may be parked or stacked in a predetermined pattern. As a result, the track system is of necessity very complex and the container handling efficiency is therefore low. In order to improve or update existing containerterminals for more efficient handling of containers, the transfer and handling of containers must be completely suspended whilst the work is carried out.

In order to overcome the above and other problems encountered in conventional containerterminals, the present invention proposes the construction of an elevated container transfer track system above the existing chassis aisles or passageways between the dockside and container yards so that the transfer of containers between the dockside and container yards is not interrupted by the transfer of containers into and out of the container yards. As a result, the container transfer and handling efficiency can be remarkably improved.

Thus in accordance with the present invention a container terminal comprises at least one container yard adjacent a freight berth, at least one chassis passageway along which outward bound containers may be transferred into the container yard and inward bound containers may be transferred therefrom, at least one elevated container transfer track extending from the container yard to the freight berth and on which at least one container transfer truck may run, the height of the or each elevated transfer track being such that a container on a chassis in the chassis passageway may run beneath it, at least one first crane for transferring the containers between the container yard and a transfer truck on the elevated transfer track, and at least one second crane for transferring the containers between a freight carrier at the freight berth and a transfer truck on the elevated transfer track at the freight berth. The invention is applicable to rail head or canalhead terminals, but is particularly applicable to marine terminals in which case the freight berth is constituted by the dockside and the freight carrier by a container ship. The elevated container transfer track system in accordance with the present invention can be constructed in existing containerterminals without interrupting their operation.

Further features and details of the invention will be apparent from the foliowing description of two specific embodiments which is given by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure lisa plan view of a first embodiment of a container terminal in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view along the line A-A in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevation in section, on an enlarged scale of part of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a plan view of a second embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 5 is a sectional view along the line B-B in Figure 4.

Figures 1 and 2 show a container terminal generally designated a in which containers for ocean departure are stored until a container ship arrives and in which inland bound containers off-loaded from a container ship are stored pending their removal, e.g. by lorry. Reference numeral 1 denotes a container; 2 is a container chassis; 3 and 4 are container storage yards; 5 and 6 are transfer cranes; 7 to 10 are chassis passageways; 11 is a container ship; 12 is a dockside; 13 and 14 are container cranes; and 15 to 20 are elevated transfer tracks (best seen in Figures 2 and 3) which are higher than the height of a chassis 2 when on the chassis passageways 7 to 10 and which extend from the container yards 3 and 4 to the dockside 12.Reference numeral 21 (Figure 3) designates an unladen transfer truck; 22 is a chassis passageway which passes beneath the cranes 13 and 14; 23 is the front legs of the container crane 14; 24 is its rear legs; 25 is a main trolley; 26 is an auxiliary trolley; 27 is a gate; 28 is an office; 29 is a track scale; and 30 is a container freight station.

The container 1 for ocean departure is carried on the chassis 2 and delivered to the container terminal a. The chassis 2 runs along the chassis passageway 8 in the container yard 3 and stops at a predetermined container spot. Then the transfer crane 5 is moved to this spot to lift the container 1 off from the chassis 2 and transfer it to a predetermined address or slot. When the container ship 11 is tied up to the dockside 12, the containers awaiting ocean departure are loaded by the container cranes 13 and 14.

More specifically, the outbound containers are lifted by the transfer crane 5 in a predetermined order onto the truck 21 (See Figure 3) running on the elevated track 15. The truck 21 travels on the elevated tracks 15, 17 and 19, in that order, and stops adjacent the containercrane 13. The crane 13 loads the container 1 on the container ship 11. The elevated tracks 15 to 20 are laid as shown in Figure 1 and the transfer truck 21 runs in the directions indicated by the arrows. The height of these elevated tracks 15 to 20 is so determined that the chassis 2 carrying a container 1 can freely travel through the container yards 3 and 4with the container 1 passing freely underneath the elevated tracks and not hitting them.Two of the elevated tracks 19 and 20 extend parallel to each other and with the ship 11 alongside the dockside 12 so that the container cranes 13 and 14 can load and off-load the containers on the transfer truck 21 running on the elevated tracks 19 or 20, thereby considerably improving the loading and off-ioading efficiency. In this embodiment of the invention, the elevated tracks 19 and 20 are shown as being laid behind the rear legs 24 of the container cranes 13 and 14, i.e. on the left hand side in Figure 2, but it will be appreciated that they may be installed between the front and rear legs 23 and 24 or at any other suitable place. The transfer truck 21 may be of the wheeled or tyred type. Instead of the transfer cranes 5 and 6 and the container cranes 13 and 14 shown in Figures 1 and 2, any other suitable container handl ing equipment may be used.In addition to the equipment and facilities described above, the container terminal a further includes the other facilities and equipment which are conventional and which are operated fully or partially automatically. The handling of inland bound containers off-loaded from the container ship 11 is performed in reverse sequence to that described above and will therefore not be described.

The container terminal a of the first embodiment has only one berth, but the container terminal a of the second embodiment has two such berths 31 and 32 as seen in Figure 4. The berth 31 has two container yards 33 and 34 while the berth 32 has two yards 35 and 36. These container yards 33 to 36 are substantially similar in construction to those designated 3 and 4 and described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Elevated transfer tracks 39 to 47 extend from these yards 33 to 36 to the dockside 12. Reference numerals 37 and 38 designate container ships; 48 to 51 are container cranes; and 52 to 55 are transfer cranes.The elevated track 39 extends alongside the container yards 33 and 34 next to the dockside and is connected by the track 45 to the track 42 extending along the berth 32 so that containers may be transferred from the yards 33 and 34 along the first berth 31 to the second berth 32 and loaded on the container ship 38. In like manner, in orderto transfer containers from the yards 35 and 36 along the second berth 32 to the first berth 31 and load them onto the ship 37, the innermost track in the container yard 36 (i.e. remote from the dockside) is connected through the track 46 to the innermost track in the yard 34. The track 45 is also connected by a crossover track 47 to the track 43 so that containers from the yards 33 and 34 may be routed to either the track 42 or43 and loaded by either of the container cranes 50 and 51.The number of berths may be increased to more than two and the number of container yards per berth may be increased or decreased in accordance with requirements.

As described above, the elevated transfer tracks connecting the dockside and the container yards are built in the container chassis passageways in the container yards at such a height that the free passage of a chassis carrying a container is permitted beneath the transfer tracks and the elevated transfer tracks do not communicate with the chassis passageways. As a result, the pier handling of containers can be much simplified and the handling efficiency of the container terminal can be considerably improved. In addition, the automation of the transfer cranes in the yards, the container cranes on the dockside and the control system of the elevated transfer tracks can be much facilitated.Since the containers can be freely transferred through the container yards to and from the dockside or berths by means of the elevated transfer tracks so that it is not necessary to drastically change the existing container handling system. In addition, the chassis can freely run through the container yards so as to place outbound containers in position and remove inland bound containers. The elevated transfer track system is very simple in construction and therefore its operation is also simple. Furthermore the chassis are permitted to move to the dockside below the container cranes so that if it should be necessary the containers may be directly moved to the container cranes without passing through the container yards.

The containers are usually stacked to from one to four high and the top of the elevated transfer tracks in the preferred embodiments is at the height equal to 2.5 times the height of the containers so that the distance by which containers must be lifted when placing them in, or removing them from, the container slots is reduced as compared with the case when the containers are lifted directly on and off the chassis. As a result, the container handling efficiency is improved and energy is saved. In addition, the distance by which the containers must be lifted onto and from the transfer trucks by the transfer cranes and the container cranes can be reduced by a distance equal to the height of the elevated transfer tracks. As a result, the tendency of the containers to sway can be reduced and the engagement of the crane lifting attachment with the container can be facilitated.At the dockside the containers are transferred by the transfer trucks running on the elevated transfertracks while in the container yards they are transferred on the chassis running on the ground so that there exists no interaction between the containers being loaded onto or off-loaded from the container ship and the containers being transferred in the yards. As a result, there will be no traffic congestion and no waiting for signals at traffic crossings. In addition to the chassis passageways, the elevated transfer tracks extend from the yards to the dockside. Therefore existing container yards in which not only chassis but also straddle carriers and transfer cranes are used for handling the containers can be modified into containerterminals in accordance with the present invention without interrupting their operation.

Typically a container is about 2.5 m high, in particular 2.438 m and a chassis is about 1.2 m high or more. The height of the underside of the elevated transfer tracks must therefore be at least equal to the sum of these two dimensions and preferably rather more, e.g. 4 m or more.

Claims (5)

1. A container terminal comprising at least one container yard adjacent a freight berth, at least one chassis passageway along which outward bound containers may be transferred into the container yard and inward bound containers may be transferred therefrom, at least one elevated container transfez track extending from the container yard to the freight berth and on which at least one container transfer truck may run, the height of the or each elevated transfer track being such that a container on a chassis in the chassis passageway may run beneath it, at least one first crane for transferring the containers between the container yard and a transfer truck on the elevated transfer track, and at least one second crane for transferring the containers between a freight carrier at the freight berth and a transfer truck on the elevated transfer track at the freight berth.

2. A container terminal as claimed in Claim 1 in which the or each elevated container transfer track extends both to and along the freight berth.

3. A container terminal as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which one elevated transfer track extends to the freight berth for each of the second cranes.

4. A container terminal as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which a chassis passageway extends along the freight berth below the or each second crane.

5. A container terminal substantially as specifically herein described with reference to Figures 1,2 and 3 or Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.