GB2352445A - Freight container doors - Google Patents

Abstract

A freight container (1) has a structure (8) defining a front door opening (6) having two posts (24, 23) to which are hinged respectively a first and a second wing (9, 10) asymmetrical with respect to each other. The first wing (9) is L-shaped and has a bottom portion (12), which is integral with a top portion (13), is of a width substantially equal to the distance between the posts (24, 23), in turn has a frame (14) and an unloading hatch (11) hinged horizontally to the frame (14), and is closed by respective bolts (36, 38) to at least one (23) of the posts.

Description

1 2352445 4 FREIGHT CONTAINER The present invention relates to a freight

10 container, and in particular to a container for transporting bulk freight defined, in general, by powdered material or grain loaded from the top or through an opening at the front end raised by tilting the container.

Containers are known comprising a front door opening which is closed by a first and second wing asymmetrical with respect to each other and hinged vertically to the structure defining the door opening. The first wing is Lshaped, and the second in the f orm of a f lag; and both comprise respective identical rectangular top portions f or closing the upper portion of the door opening, and respective bottom portions for closing the lower portion of the door opening and which are connected by a lock pin. The bottom portion of the L-shaped wing is elongated and comprises a frame and an unloading hatch hinged horizontally to the frame; while the bottom portion of the f lag wing is def ined by an end portion of the vertical post of the wing.

2 Known containers of the above type pose problems when front loading through either of the two wings.

That is, the flag wing can only be opened by releasing the lock pin interposed between the bottom portions of the wings, i.e. the only element securing the projecting portion of the bottom portion of the L-shaped wing.

In any case, when opening the f lag wing only, the bottom portion of the vertical post of the f lag wing leaves an opening in the lower portion of the door opening, through which the material being loaded would come out, so that the container is only partly filled despite being tilted.

Moreover, on account of the particular conformation of the wings and the way the bottom portions are connected, the pressure on the bottom portion of the Lshaped wing is sometimes such as to buckle the L-shaped wing and damage the door seals, thus resulting in leakage of the container or in pollution of the freight by dust and water.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a freight container designed to solve the aforementioned problems in a straightforward, lowcost manner.

According to the present invention, there is provided a freight container comprising a door opening; a structure defining said door opening and comprising two posts; and a first and a second wing asymmetrical with respect to each other and hinged vertically to said posts 3 to close respective complementary portions of said door opening; said first wing being L-shaped and comprising a top portion, and a bottom portion integral with said top portion, of a width greater than that of said top portion, and in turn comprising a frame and an unloading hatch hinged horizontally to said frame; characterized in that said bottom portion is of a width substantially equal to the distance between said posts; and by comprising fastening means interposed between said bottom io portion and at least one of said posts.

A non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure I shows a front view of a preferred embodiment of the freight container according to the present invention; Figure 2 shows a view in perspective of a f ront portion of the Figure 1 container in the open position; Figures 3 and 4 show larger-scale views in perspective of two details in Figure 1.

Number 1 in Figures 1 and 2 indicates as a whole a freight container - in particular for transporting bulk powdered or granular materials, such as minerals, grain, chemicals and similar - which may be mounted on any means of transport, such as ships, railcars, and in particular trucks, for ensuring fast, safe transport of such freight. Container 1 is substantially parallelepipedshaped, and is defined at the top by a roof 2, at the 4 bottom by a floor 3, and laterally by walls 4. At one end 5, container I is provided at the front, according to the invention, with a door comprising a substantially rectangular door opening 6 defined by a peripheral steel 5 section frame 8 integral with roof 2, floor 3 and walls 4; and two asymmetrical wings 9 and 10 hinged vertically to respective vertical posts 24 and 23 of frame 8 to close respective complementary portions of door opening 6 of the same size as wings 9, 10.

wing 9 is substantially L-shaped, and comprises a bottom portion 12 wider than a corresponding substantially rectangular top portion 13 of a width substantially equal to half the width of door opening G. Portion 12 comprises an upside down U-shaped frame 14 formed in one piece with top portion 13; and a transverse unloading hatch 11 hinged horizontally to frame 14, and which shuts against frame 14 to seal the opening defined by frame 14.

Portion 12 is of a width substantially equal to the distance between posts 23 and 24, and occupies a lower portion 15 - shown schematically by the dash line in Figure 2 - of opening 6, so that hatch 11 may be used for freely unloading the freight from container 1.

Wing 10 is defined by a single rectangular wing identical to portion 13, and, together with portion 13, provides for closing an upper portion 20 shown by the dash line in Figure 2 - of door opening 6, which, together with lower portion 15, defines door opening 6 as a whole. Upper portion 20 of opening 6 is therefore sealed in dust- and watertight manner (by means of appropriate known peripheral seals not shown for the sake of simplicity) by two symmetrical elements defined by portion 13 and wing 10; while lower portion 15 is sealed by portion 12 only.

With particular reference to Figure 1, frame 14 comprises a horizontal arm 21 projecting laterally from top portion 13 and which mates in sealed manner with a bottom end portion of wing 10; and a vertical post 22 perpendicular to arm 21 and which mates with post 23.

Post 23 has a C-shaped cross section, defines a vertical groove 25, has a horizontal intermediate slot 26, and comprises an end retaining tab 27 parallel to and a given distance from a front outer surface 28 of post 22.

With reference to Figure 4, post 22 supports integrally a bridgelike retaining element 29 extending in a horizontal plane and defining a through seat 30; and a C-shaped retaining element 31, which is interposed between element 29 and hatch 11, is similar to a further element 31 carried by frame 14, on the opposite side of hatch 11, and comprises two facing arms 33 defining a substantially horizontal seat 34, the bottom arm 33 extending adjacent to element 29 and having a curved end portion 35 extending towards the top arm 33.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, portion 12 is connected. to post 23 by a respective horizontal bolt 36 carried by, 6 and sliding with respect to, frame 14 between a forward engaged position (Figure 1) - in which an end 37 of the bolt extends beyond the outer lateral edge of post 22 to engage tab 27, inside groove 25 - and a withdrawn open 5 position (Figure 3).

With particular reference to Figure 4, portion 12 is also connected to post 23 by a horizontal bar or bolt 38 for fastening hatch 11. More specifically, bar 38 is carried by hatch 11, and comprises an end portion 39 io which extends horizontally beyond the outer lateral edge of post 22 and through slot 26, and carries an integral radial appendix 40 which engages tab 27, inside groove 25, when bar 38 is rotated. Bar 38 also comprises an intermediate portion 41 facing surface 28 and integrally supporting a radial tooth 43 and a radial appendix 44 (Figure 4), which are interposed between hatch 11 and appendix 4 0 so that, when bar 38 is rotated,tooth 43 engages seat 30 to mate with element 29, and appendix 44 engages seat 34 to mate with curved portion 35.

Finally, with reference to Figures 1 and 2, to ensure wings 9 and 10 are fastened correctly, container 1 comprises known bolts 45 carried by portion 13 and wing 10, and the known catches 46 of which are carried at the top by frame 8, and at the bottom - for bolts 45 of wing 10 only - by arm 21.

In actual use, to close door opening 6, wing 9 is first closed by engaging bolts 45 in catches 46, and sliding bolt 36 into the forward position. When hatch 11 7 is closed, intermediate portion 41 of bar 38 engages seat 34 and rests against element 31, so that end portion 39 fits through slot 26 without touching post 23. When bar 38 is rotated about its horizontal axis, appendix 40 5 engages tab 27, tooth 43 engages element 29, and appendix 44 engages curved portion 35 to fasten hatch 11, frame 14 and post 23 to one another. Wing 10 is then closed and fastened by bolts 45, and a lock lever 47 (Figures 1 and 2) of bar 38 is rotated about a horizontal axis, perpendicular to bar 38, to engage and prevent release of one of bolts 45 connected to respective catches 46. Consequently, if lead sealing of the bolts is required to prevent wings 9 and 10 and hatch 11 from being opened in the meantime, only one lead seal need be applied to lock lever 47.

Container I as described therefore provides for opening only wing 10, while at the same time leaving wing 9 and hatch 11 safely closed, so as to front load container 1 through the opening defined by the opening of wing 10. That is, bolt 36 and end portion 39 of bar 38 engage post 23 and not, as in known solutions, wing 10; and, since portion 12 occupies door opening 6 between posts 23 and 24, container 1, once tilted, may be filled almost completely up to the top edge of portion 12 with no loss of freight.

As compared with known solutions featuring only one element for locking frame 14, bolt 36 and portion 39 of bar 38, being independent of each other, provide for 8 fastening portion 12 securely to post 23, while at the same time firmly withstanding the pressure exerted by the freight inside container 1, thus reducing deformation of portion 12 and ensuring effective, long-term performance 5 of the seals.

Bar 38 provides, not only for keeping hatch 11 closed and frame 14 connected to post 23, but also for applying only one lead seal.

Moreover, the fact that post 23 is defined by a io channel section provides for retaining bolt 36 and appendix 40, and for forming a narrower post than in known solutions featuring retaining brackets or appendixes normally requiring a relatively large surface area for welding to the post.

Featuring only two vertically hinged wings 9 and 10, container 1 provides for keeping out dust and water more effectively than three-wing solutions, on account of the seals (not shown) around wings 9 and 10 having only one break - in particular, between frame 14, wing 10 and post 23 - as opposed to at least two in solutions with separate portions 12 and 13. Again on account of frame 14 being integral with top portion 13, the weight exerted by wing 9 on the hinges is better distributed than in solutions in which portion 12 is hinged to frame 8 separately from portion 13, so that the whole of portion 12 hangs free and is hinged along a relatively small height.

Clearly, changes may be made to container 1 as 9 described and illustrated herein without, however, departing f rom the scope of the present invention.

In particular, the bolts, lock appendixes and retaining elements may be other than as described and illustrated.

Claims (1)

1) A freight container comprising a door opening; a structure defining said door opening and comprising two posts; and a first and a second wing asymmetrical with respect to each other and hinged vertically to said posts to close respective complementary portions of said door opening; said first wing being L- shaped and comprising a top portion, and a bottom portion integral with said top portion, of a width greater than that of said top portion, and in turn comprising a frame and an unloading hatch hinged horizontally to said frame; characterized in that said bottom portion is of a width substantially equal to the distance between said posts; and by comprising fastening means interposed between said bottom portion and at least one of said posts. 2) A container as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that said fastening means comprise first and second releasable connecting means. 20 3) A container as claimed in Claim 2, characterized in that said first and second releasable connecting means are independent of each other. 4) A container as claimed in Claim 2 or 3, characterized in that said first releasable connecting means comprise a bolt which rests against a portion of said post.

5) A container as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 4, characterized by comprising a bar for closing said unloading hatch against said frame; said second releasable connecting means comprising a connecting portion carried by said bar.

6) A container as claimed in Claim 5, characterized in that said connecting portion defines an extension of said bar.

7) A container as claimed in Claim 4, characterized in that said post comprises a tab for retaining said connecting portion.

8) A container as claimed in Claim 5, characterized in that said tab is parallel to and a given distance from an outer surface of said frame.

9) A container as claimed in Claim 5 or 6, characterized in that said post has a slot through which said connecting portion fits.

10) A container as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 7, characterized in that said bar carries two radial appendixes for connection to said frame and interposed between said connecting portion and said unloading hatch.

11) A container as claimed in Claim 8, characterized in that said frame carries integrally two retaining elements, each engaged by a respective said radial appendix.

12) A freight container, substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.