U.S. patent number 3,661,293 [Application Number 04/802,391] was granted by the patent office on 1972-05-09 for rectangular freight container for international combined traffic, particularly for flowable bulk goods.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Westerwalder Eisenwerk Dr. Paul Gerhard KG. Invention is credited to Helmut Gerhard, Hans-Helmut Reichmann.
United States Patent |
3,661,293 |
Gerhard , et al. |
May 9, 1972 |
RECTANGULAR FREIGHT CONTAINER FOR INTERNATIONAL COMBINED TRAFFIC,
PARTICULARLY FOR FLOWABLE BULK GOODS
Abstract
A rectangular transcontainer for flowable goods, comprising a
frame closed in itself and a tank liquid-tight on all sides,
wherein part cylindrical outwardly cambered wall elements are
connected to said frame in such a manner as to form therewith a
liquid-tight box girder resistant to bending, twisting and
buckling, the connections and fittings for access to the interior
of the tank being located within the contour of said frame.
Inventors: |
Gerhard; Helmut
(Weitefeld/Sieg, DT), Reichmann; Hans-Helmut
(Wahlbach/Siegen, DT) |
Assignee: |
Westerwalder Eisenwerk Dr. Paul
Gerhard KG (Weitefeld Sieg, DT)
|
Family
ID: |
25756403 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/802,391 |
Filed: |
February 26, 1969 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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|
|
|
|
Nov 14, 1968 [DT] |
|
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P 18 08 755.3 |
Feb 27, 1968 [DT] |
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W 41 737/81c |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
220/650; 220/668;
220/1.5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
88/128 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
88/12 (20060101); B65D 88/00 (20060101); B65d
007/04 (); B65d 007/44 () |
Field of
Search: |
;220/71,5,5A,9A,1.5,1B,18,83,22 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Schwartz; Raphael H.
Claims
What we claim is:
1. A rectangular transcontainer for flowable goods provided with
corner fittings for stacking and lifting, comprising a rectangular
outer frame having profiled frame members, said frame comprising
vertical struts and horizontal beams sub-dividing the wall faces of
the transcontainer into individual bays, each bay containing one
part-cylindrical outwardly cambered wall panel connected to said
frame members so as to form unitarily therewith a liquid-tight tank
resistant to bending, twisting and buckling, openings for access to
the interior of said tank located within the frame contour, and
wherein several adjacent wall panels consist of a continuous steel
sheet strip outwardly cambered section-wise and attached to said
struts from the inside.
2. A rectangular transcontainer for flowable goods provided with
corner fittings for stacking and lifting, comprising a rectangular
outer frame having profiled frame members, said frame comprising
vertical struts and horizontal beams sub-dividing the wall faces of
the transcontainer into individual bays, each bay containing one
part-cylindrical outwardly cambered wall panel connected to said
frame members so as to form unitarily therewith a liquid-tight tank
resistant to bending, twisting and buckling, openings for access to
the interior of said tank located within the frame contour,
stiffeners attached to said wall panels from the outside for
reinforcing major bays of the wall panels, and wherein said
stiffeners and associated panels form hollow passages and are
provided with connections for heating contents of the
transcontainer.
3. A rectangular transcontainer for flowable goods provided with
corner fittings for stacking and lifting, comprising a rectangular
outer frame having profiled frame members, part-cylindrical
outwardly cambered wall panels connected to said frame members so
as to form unitarily therewith a liquid-tight tank resistant to
bending, twisting and buckling, openings for access to the interior
of said tank located within the frame contour, and wherein the
cambered wall panels at the bottom of said tank are reinforced by
curved tension straps.
4. A rectangular transcontainer for flowable goods provided with
corner fittings for stacking and lifting, comprising a rectangular
outer frame consisting of frame members, part-cylindrical outwardly
cambered panels connected to the frame members to form unitarily
therewith a tank for the flowable goods in the form of a
rectangular box girder resistant to bending, twisting and buckling,
openings for access to the interior of said tank, and covers for
the openings located within the frame contours, wherein some said
cambered wall panels have margin portions with smaller radii of
curvature than those of their camber and extending into the
interior of said transcontainer.
5. A rectangular transcontainer for flowable goods provided with
corner fittings for stacking and lifting, comprising a rectangular
outer frame having profiled frame members, said frame comprising
vertical struts and horizontal beams sub-dividing the wall faces of
the transcontainer into individual bays, each bay containing one
part-cylindrical outwardly cambered wall panel connected to said
frame members so as to form unitarily therewith a liquid-tight tank
resistant to bending, twisting and buckling, openings for access to
the interior of said tank located within the frame contour, guide
plates leading obliquely towards a discharge port of said
transcontainer in order to facilitate the discharging of flowable
goods of solid bulk type.
6. A rectangular transcontainer for flowable goods provided with
corner fittings for stacking and lifting, comprising a rectangular
outer frame consisting of frame members, part-cylindrical outwardly
cambered wall panels connected to the frame members to form
unitarily therewith a tank for the flowable goods in the form of a
rectangular box girder resistant to bending, twisting, and
buckling, openings for access to the interior of said tank, and
covers for said openings located within the frame contours, wherein
a recess is arranged in an end wall of the tank and a hole is
provided in a juxtapositioned lower transverse beam, and a filling
and discharge socket is mounted on said end wall in said recess and
a hose coupling attached to said socket, through which hole the
hose coupling is accessible from the outside.
7. A rectangular transcontainer for flowable goods provided with
corner fittings for stacking and lifting, comprising a rectangular
outer frame having profiled frame members, said frame comprising
vertical struts and horizontal beams sub-dividing the wall faces of
the transcontainer into individual bays, each bay containing one
part-cylindrical outwardly cambered wall panel connected to said
frame members so as to form unitarily therewith a liquid-tight tank
resistant to bending, twisting and buckling, openings for access to
the interior of said tank located within the frame contour, and
said frame members are hollow and are of substantially rectangular
cross-sections.
8. A transcontainer as claimed in claim 7, wherein the lower
horizontal beams are provided with longitudinal recesses on their
lower outer edges.
9. A rectangular transcontainer for flowable goods provided with
corner fittings for stacking and lifting, comprising a rectangular
outer frame consisting of frame members, part-cylindrical outwardly
cambered panels connected to the frame members to form unitarily
therewith a tank for the flowable goods in the form of a
rectangular box girder resistant to bending, twisting and buckling,
openings for access to the interior of said tank, and covers for
the openings located within the frame contours, wherein the bottom
of the tank comprises cambered wall panels descending step-wise
from horizontal lower beams of said frame to the sole level of said
transcontainer and resting on longitudinal bottom stiffeners.
10. A transcontainer as claimed in claim 9, wherein said frame has
transverse intermediate beams provided with holes near the bottom
of said tank to allow for complete discharge.
11. A rectangular transcontainer for flowable goods provided with
corner fittings for stacking and lifting, comprising a rectangular
outer frame consisting of frame members, part-cylindrical outwardly
cambered panels connected to the frame members to form unitarily
therewith a tank for the flowable goods in the form of a
rectangular box girder resistant to bending, twisting and buckling,
openings for access to the interior of said tank, and covers for
the openings located within the frame contours, comprising a
manhole socket on top of said transcontainer, an inwardly cambered
lid mounted tightly on said socket, and a pressure relief valve and
safety valve member mounted in the hollow of said lid.
12. A transcontainer as claimed in claim 11, comprising a flat
closeable cover for said lid.
13. A rectangular transcontainer for flowable goods provided with
corner fittings for stacking and lifting, comprising a rectangular
outer frame having profiled frame members, two end walls, two side
walls, a top wall, a bottom wall, vertical struts connected to said
outer frame and spaced to sub-divide the side walls into individual
bays, each bay containing a part-cylindrical outwardly cambered
wall panel, each of said wall panels presenting a concave surface
to the interior of the transcontainer and a convex surface to the
exterior thereof, said wall panels being connected to the frame
members and the vertical struts to form unitarily therewith a
liquid-tight tank resistant to bending, twisting and buckling, at
least one selectively closable opening for access to the interior
of said tank, and the outermost extent of the wall panels and the
at least one opening being all within the contour defined by the
rectangular outer frame.
14. A transcontainer as claimed in claim 13, wherein the frame has
corner struts which are of circular cross-section.
15. A transcontainer as claimed in claim 13, wherein the frame has
corner struts which are of semicircular cross-section.
16. A transcontainer as claimed in claim 13, wherein the frame has
corner struts which are of triangular cross-section.
17. A transcontainer as claimed in claim 13, wherein transverse
external ribs are provided at the wall panels at the bottom of said
tank for engagement by a fork-lift truck.
18. A transcontainer as claimed in claim 13, comprising surge
baffles arranged in the interior of said container.
19. A transcontainer as claimed in claim 13, wherein said panels
consist of a corrosion-resistant metal of the group consisting of
stainless steel and aluminum alloys.
20. A transcontainer as claimed in claim 13, wherein said frame
members, at least on their portions exposed to the interior of said
tank, consist of stainless steel.
21. A transcontainer as claimed in claim 13, wherein said frame
members, at least on their portions exposed to the interior of said
tank, are covered with stainless steel.
22. A transcontainer as claimed in claim 13, comprising stiffeners
reinforcing major bays of the wall panels.
23. A transcontainer as claimed in claim 22, wherein said
stiffeners are attached to said panels from outside.
24. A transcontainer as claimed in claim 13, wherein the end walls
each comprise a plurality of part-cylindrical outwardly cambered
wall panels, said wall panels being contained in individual bays
formed in part by vertical struts connected to the outer frame.
25. A transcontainer as claimed in claim 24, wherein one of the end
wall panels has at its bottom a recess and comprising a filling and
discharging socket for said transcontainer arranged in said
recess.
26. A transcontainer as claimed in claim 24, wherein the top and
bottom walls each comprise a plurality of part-cylindrical
outwardly cambered wall panels, said wall panels being contained in
individual bays formed in part by horizontal beams connected to the
outer frame, and wherein said wall panels are also connected to
said horizontal beams.
27. A transcontainer as claimed in claim 26, comprising partition
walls arranged between intermediate beams and intermediate
struts.
28. A transcontainer as claimed in claim 13, wherein the top and
bottom walls each comprise a plurality of part-cylindrical
outwardly cambered wall panels, said wall panels being contained in
individual bays formed in part by horizontal beams connected to the
outer frame, and wherein said wall panels are also connected to
said horizontal beams.
29. A transcontainer as claimed in claim 28, wherein said
horizontal beams extend at right angles to the axes of curvature of
the associated wall panels.
30. A transcontainer as claimed in claim 28, wherein the bottom of
said tank consists of panels cambered about the longitudinal
direction of the tank.
31. A transcontainer as claimed in claim 30, wherein said frame has
transverse intermediate beams provided with holes near the bottom
of said tank to allow for complete discharge.
32. A transcontainer as claimed in claim 28, wherein the top wall
of said tank comprises panels cambered outwardly about the
longitudinal direction of the tank.
33. A transcontainer as claimed in claim 32, wherein upper
transverse intermediate beams are disposed perpendicularly to said
horizontal beams, said intermediate beams being connected to said
wall panels and said outer frame, and wherein holes are provided in
said intermediate beams.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a rectangular freight-container
for international combined traffic (hereinafter referred to as
"transcontainer" or briefly as "container"), designed particularly
for flowable bulk goods.
As well known, the main advantage of the container transport of
piece goods consists in dispensing with transloading work in ports,
railway yards and lorry transloading terminals, since the
containers as a whole can be loaded as units in a very short time
without intermediate transport or storage of the goods contained
therein and without having to touch the plurality of individual
freight pieces.
It is obvious to make use of the advantages in saving time, better
utilization of space and weight as well as exchangeability of the
transport means likewise in the transport of bulk liquids. The
transport of liquids and other flowable goods offers, however,
special problems as compared with the transport of piece goods or
coarse grained bulk goods. These problems consist particularly in
their generally high specific weight as compared with piece goods,
the liberation of inertia forces within the container, when
accelerating, braking or in curves owing to the movements of their
own of the liquids to be transported as well as increased risk of
overturning owing to the high specific weight and inertia forces,
when the center of gravity of the entire mass of the vehicle,
particularly road vehicles, lies too high.
Hitherto bulk transport of liquids has been made generally in
tanker ships, railroad tanker trucks, tanker lorries, or in tanks
placed on normal platform trucks, or in box-shaped small
containers, which could be placed on normal platforms. For a
change-over to trans-container traffic, low liquid containers of
the usual construction having circular or oval cross-sections have
been fitted into box-shaped standard containers with stiff frames,
such as described e.g. in a prospectus of the firm Sea-Land
Service, Inc. The cross-section of the container thus should form a
square or rectangle circumscribed to the cross-section of the
liquid tank. A rectangular shape is preferable since when loading a
liquid having the metric specific weight of 1 the utilization of a
square standard cross-section of 2,435 .times. 2,435 mm (8 feet
.times. 8 feet) would exceed the trackloads permitted for the
actual standard lengths for which the standardized loading
equipment in ports and other trans-loading places are provided.
The possibilities offered by the use of liquid transcontainers even
considerably exceed the known advantages of normal piece good
containers. Normally transcontainers having a single chamber will
be used for a uniform liquid charge. Accordingly liquid
transcontainers with their contents can be deposited at their
destination as storage tanks, in exchange for corresponding empty
transcontainers. The construction of special storage containers on
the site is no longer required.
While the transport of flammable and non-flammable liquids was
possible hitherto only by the aid of expensive and often
custom-built tank-saddle vehicles, the use of transcontainers for
fuel and other liquids permits the use of the same motor vehicles
as can be used also for the transport of other containers and
loads. Instead of an expensive tank saddle vehicle, shipping and
forwarding operators can transport solid or liquid goods according
to requirements by the aid of liquid trans-containers with the use
of the same vehicle.
The known liquid containers comprising a cylindrical or oval liquid
tank mounted in a square or rectangular piece goods container have,
however, inter alia the disadvantage that the container space is
not fully exploited since unused wedge shaped spaces remain empty
at the eight corners outside the arcuate wall portions enclosing
the liquid tank. The unused space is further increased by the
spacing required between the outer boundaries of the container and
the extreme points of the cylindrical or oval tank body. Thus 40 to
50 percent of the total volume available remain unused.
For this reason parallelepipedon-shaped liquid tanks, the useful
volume of which approximates as much as possible the prescribed
outer boundaries of the container are preferable to those of
circular or oval cross-section.
Such constructions may be based on the experience gained hitherto
in the construction of stationary self-supporting box-shaped liquid
tanks. In view of the inertia forces occurring upon movements of a
vehicle or ship the stability of the walls (pressure resistance)
has an importance which exceeds that of stationary rectangular
tanks. The same applies to any surge baffles and internal partition
walls as well as to built-in structures for reducing the so-called
free liquid surface areas.
While the walls of stationary box-shaped liquid tanks have merely
to stand a certain test pressure, transcontainers must additionally
afford a certain stacking possibility. Since support reaction
forces occur at the eight corners, a sufficiently stiff
construction of the vertical edges is of particular importance.
These edges have to be made more resistant to buckling and twisting
than those of ordinary box-shaped containers. Since also the
hoisting forces when transpositioning the containers are applied to
the corners thereof only, the container has to be constructed as a
whole as a stiff box girder capable of resisting bending; the
international standard regulations ISO/TC 104 or DIN 15190 have to
be adhered to.
Finally, in view of the liquids to be transported the internal
surfaces should be as smooth as possible, in order to allow easy
discharging, cleaning and disinfection while avoiding points of
corrosion attack.
With ordinary piece good containers as well as with some stationary
liquid tanks often beads of channel or semi-circular section are
used for stiffening the walls. Such beads would, however, buckle
more readily than cambered walls owing to the special dynamic
loading of transcontainers for liquids under otherwise equal
conditions, and would tend to permanent deformations, particularly
when the transcontainer is filled but partly. Bead profiles would
also make the cleaning of the interior of the transcontainer more
difficult.
Completely flat walls are in consideration only in conjunction with
additional profiles welded to them, involving increase in weight,
since otherwise they could easily buckle.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION.
The invention has accordingly the object of providing a rectangular
freight transcontainer complying with international standards, for
flowable goods, comprising a frame closed in itself consisting of
profiled sections, and a tank liquid-tight on all sides, wherein
the space available within the prescribed dimensions is better
exploited than hitherto, and wherein at the same time the
conditions set forth hereinabove can be fulfilled.
This is attained by a transcontainer according to the invention in
that outwardly cambered part-cylindrical wall elements are
connected to a frame in such a manner that they form together with
the latter a box girder which is liquid-tight and resistant to
bending and twisting and offers great safety against buckling, and
that the required connections and fittings of the access openings
of the transcontainer are accommodated within the contours of the
said frame.
While in the constructions hitherto known the frame, the liquid
tank and the support saddles form separate structural elements,
which though fixedly connected to each other have to fulfil
different tasks, in the transcontainer according to the invention
the frame and the wall elements of the liquid tank are integrated
into a unit which can withstand the two main stresses suffered by a
freight container for flowable goods simultaneously. One of these
stresses results from externally applied substantially static
hoisting and support reaction forces, and the other from the
substantially dynamic inertia forces originating from the contents
of the container. For taking both kinds of stresses according to
the invention the frame members as well as the wall elements are
used, these two kinds of components mutually assisting each other.
This integral construction not only results in an outstanding
exploitation of space, but also in a reduction of the dead weight
as compared with equivalent known liquid containers of the same
stability.
The term "liquids" covers in this context all flowable goods of
every description such as flour, cement and the like.
Preferably, the profiled sections of the frame extend at right
angles to the axes of curvature of the associated wall elements, at
least on those faces thereof which are adjacent to curved edges of
said wall elements. The curved edges of the wall elements thus meet
everywhere corresponding external faces of the frame sections, so
that nowhere wall elements of different camber can meet one
another. Consequently the loading space has no acute angles or
wedges. Thus faultless cleaning and internal coating are made
possible.
The frame sections are accordingly made preferably as angular
profiles of open or closed cross-section, at least so far as they
do not run parallel to the axis of curvature of the cambered wall
elements. In the case of closed cross-sections they may be used at
the same time for heating the contents of the container.
In particular, the frame is preferably composed of four corner
struts resistant to buckling and capable of taking the stacking
load, and of two upper and two lower longitudinal and transverse
beams. Eight corner fittings of cast steel form the junctions of
the longitudinal and transverse beams with the corner struts
meeting them there. Depending on the length and height of the
container the longitudinal beams are additionally connected
horizontally by intermediate transverse beams and vertically by
internal struts. In the lateral and frontal bays of the frame thus
formed outwardly cambered wall elements are welded, which
considerably increase the section modulus thereof in both axial
directions and the stiffness thereof. Major bays are reinforced by
additional stiffeners.
The bottom of the container preferably consists of cambered troughs
arranged in one or more steps descending towards the sole line and
resting on longitudinal bottom stiffeners. The internal partitions
are interrupted at sole level to allow complete discharge of any
remnants. For the transport of flowable bulk goods, the discharge
of which is effected by tipping, the arcs of curvature of the
cambered bottom elements may be positioned transversely of the
longitudinal axis of the container. In this case the otherwise
convenient chamfering of the lower transverse beams for
establishing a slide chute surface may be dispensed with. The
ceiling consists of several trough-shaped wall elements cambered in
the longitudinal or transverse direction, the shape of which
safeguards a reserve volume for thermal expansion during
transport.
When braking and accelerating as well as upon ship movements the
internal beams have the effect of hampering surging. It is possible
without difficulty to build in additional standing or suspended
partition walls or surge baffles in the bays formed by the
intermediate beams and struts.
According to a development of the invention the manhole required
for entering into and for cleaning the interior of the container is
provided with a lid, which in contrast to known constructions is
cambered inwardly. Consequently it does not protrude beyond the
frame contour, and moreover devices for regulating, airing and
venting, for measuring etc. may be arranged in the hollow of the
lid. Moreover, the internal camber of the manhole lid serves to a
limited extent as a spill tray.
The discharge ports and their valves are preferably arranged in a
re-entrant portion of an end wall of the container. When the
container has to serve for the transport of flowable solid bulk
goods and is to be discharged by tipping, oblique guide plates may
be provided in the regions of the lower transverse beams and of the
end walls, which lead to the discharge opening and prevent the
formation of dead corners.
As the material for the wall elements, particularly stainless
chromium-nickel steel alloys are in consideration because of their
corrosion resistance. Provided the frame sections are not in
contact with the charge, they may be constructed of less expensive
carbon steel. If desired, the frame sections may be covered on
their faces inside the container with stainless steel sheets.
Alternatively coating with synthetic substances is possible. Also
light metal alloys are in consideration as materials for the frame
sections and wall elements.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL. VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS.
Further details of the invention are disclosed in the following
description of some embodiments thereof illustrated by way of
example in the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of a preferred embodiment of
the transcontainer according to the invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-section thereof on the line A--B of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a corresponding cross-section of a slightly modified
embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a partial horizontal section on the line C--D of FIG.
2.
FIG. 5 is a partial vertical section on the line E--F of FIG.
2.
FIG. 6 is a section on a larger scale of the discharge device.
FIG. 7 is a section on a larger scale of the lid of the
manhole.
FIG. 8 and 9 show details of the connections between struts and
wall elements.
FIG. 10 shows a modification for the transport of flowable solid
bulk goods.
FIGS. 11 to 14 show various embodiments of strut constructions.
FIGS. 15 to 19 show various possible connections. between wall
elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The transcontainer for flowable goods illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 7
comprises a closed frame consisting of four corner struts 1 taking
the stacking load and resistant to buckling, two lower transverse
beams 2, two upper transverse beams 3, two lower longitudinal beams
4 and two upper longitudinal beams 5. Eight corner fittings 6
conforming to the international standards ISO-TC 104 are made of
cast steel; they serve for hoisting and anchoring the
transcontainer and form the junctions of the longitudinal and
transverse beams with the vertical corner struts meeting one
another there. Depending on the length and height of the
transcontainer the longitudinal beams 4, 5 are additionally
connected horizontally by lower intermediate beams 7 and upper
intermediate beams 8, and vertically by intermediate struts 9.
The struts and beams are formed in the embodiment illustrated by
hollow profiles of substantially rectangular cross-section;
however, the lower longitudinal beams 4 are provided on their outer
lower edges with recesses 10, so that these beams have inverted
L-profiles, so as to allow transport by portal lifting trucks
engaging them there.
If desired the struts and beams may be at least partially open or
closed profiles of non-rectangular cross-section. For example the
corner struts 11 according to FIG. 11 consist of an open profile of
angular cross-section; in FIG. 12 the corner strut 12 is a profile
of circular cross-section; and in FIG. 13 the corner strut is a
profile of semi-circular cross-section 13 with stiffening
extensions 14, while in FIG. 14 the corner strut 15 is a profile of
triangular cross-section. Likewise, intermediate struts may have
profiles 16 of circular cross-section in accordance with FIGS. 17
and 18, or profiles of angular cross-section 17 in accordance with
FIG. 19.
Outwardly cambered wall elements 18 are welded to the struts and
beams of the frame, so as to increase considerably the section
modulus thereof in both main directions of the wall and the
stiffness of the assembly. The axes of curvature of the wall
elements on the side and end walls are preferably positioned
vertically and those of the wall elements of the ceiling of the
container extend preferably in the longitudinal direction of the
container. Each wall element is surrounded from all sides by frame
elements (struts and beams), the axes of curvature of all the wall
elements being positioned at right angles to the curved edges of
the adjacent wall elements and to the adjoining faces of the frame
profiles. Accordingly nowhere will elements cambered in different
directions meet one another, a frame element being always arranged
between any such wall elements.
By the connections of the upper and lower longitudinal beams and
vertical intermediate struts with the outwardly cambered wall
elements the side walls of the transcontainer have acquired the
properties of rigid girders and reliably prevent any undesirable
bending thereof even under full load. Major wall elements 18 are
reinforced by additional stiffeners. The latter consist in the
preferred embodiment of U-profile sections 19 welded on from
outside. Instead, they may consist in accordance with FIGS. 15 and
16 of arcuate portions of smaller radii of curvature formed
integral with the wall elements, namely either in accordance with
FIG. 15 of arcs 20 having their axes of curvature outside the
container or in accordance with FIG. 16 of arcs 21 the axes of
curvature of which lie inside the container. Alternatively profiles
of circular or angular cross-section similar to FIGS. 18 and 19 or
of any other cross-section may be welded as stiffeners to the wall
elements. In a similar way additional stiffening of the corner
struts may be effected by integral angular or arcuate flanges 22,
as shown in FIG. 11. The adjoining flanges are in this case welded
to each other at 23.
The wall elements are in general butt-welded to the frame elements.
The wall elements can then be prefabricated and mounted
individually or in sectional construction. Alternatively a whole
wall may consist of continuous steel sheet panels 13 cambered
outwardly in sections, to each of which supporting stiffeners are
welded from outside. This manner of construction has the advantage
of simplified protection from corrosion.
The wall elements 18 may be joined seamlessly also on the edges of
the container as shown in FIG. 13 at 23.
Moreover, it is possible in accordance with FIG. 14 to attach the
wall elements to an oblique face 24 of a profiled corner strut 15
of triangular cross-section.
The ceiling of the transcontainer consists in the embodiment
illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of three identical wall elements 18,
cambered about the longitudinal directions and reinforced by two
stiffeners 25. By this shape a volume reserve is afforded for
thermal expansion during the transport of a full container. The
intermediate beams 8 are provided with cut-outs 26 for equalization
of pressure.
The bottom of the container consists in the embodiment of FIG. 2 of
two cambered wall elements 27 descending in two steps towards the
sole level and resting on two longitudinal bottom stiffeners 28.
These bottom stiffeners 28 likewise consist in the present
embodiment of U-profile sections welded to the wall elements from
outside. These bottom stiffeners may, if desired, be used for
heating the contents of the container (like the other stiffeners
and hollow profiles of the frame). The transverse intermediate
beams 7 of the frame are cut out at 29 at sole level for allowing
complete discharge of any remnants.
Depending on the load to be taken, the directions and shapes of
camber and the number of the cambered wall elements as well as of
the stiffeners on the ceiling and bottom may vary. For example in
the modified embodiment of FIG. 3 the bottom and ceiling of the
container consist in singly cambered wall elements 27a and 18a,
respectively, In the case of single curvature cambers the
longitudinal wall stiffeners may be dispensed with. If necessary,
the cambered wall elements of the bottom may be reinforced by
welding on one or several tension straps 52 to the circumference of
the camber.
For liquid containers which are not subdivided into compartments
the axes of curvature of the bottom elements have to lie parallel
to the longitudinal axis of the container for the purpose of
allowing discharging without remnants. For liquid containers
subdivided by partition walls 30 in the regions of the intermediate
beams 7, 8 and intermediate struts 9 into individual compartments
(FIG. 4), and for single-compartment containers for flowable solid
bulk goods, which are to be discharged by tipping the containers,
it is, however, convenient to arrange the axes of curvature of the
bottom wall elements transversely of the longitudinal axis of the
container.
Moreover transverse ribs may be provided on the bottom for
engagement by fork-lift trucks.
Since the ceiling has to be designed for the same pressure loads as
the bottom these possible constructions may likewise be applied to
the ceiling of the container.
In the bays formed by intermediate beams and intermediate struts,
the mounting of additional flat or cambered partition walls 30
(FIG. 4) or of standing or suspended surge baffles 51 (FIG. 5) is
possible without difficulty. Such suspended surge baffles are
particularly advantageous for reducing the so-called free surface
area of liquid contents of the container, which determines the
inertia forces occurring when braking and accelerating and
particularly upon ship movements. Besides, the intermediate beams
have already a surge damping effect.
All internal edges and weld seams are rounded and ground so that
good and easy cleaning and, if desired internal coating are made
possible.
As the material for the wall elements, primarily stainless
chromium-nickel steel alloys are used because of their corrosion
resistance. The frame elements may be made of less expensive carbon
steel provided they are not in contact with the goods of the
charge. In order to protect the portions of the frame elements
facing towards the interior of the container from corrosion these
portions may be made of stainless steel; for example in FIG. 8 the
corner support 1 is composed of an outer angular profile 31 of
carbon steel and an inner angular profile 32 of stainless steel
which are welded to each other at their corners. The wall elements
18, likewise consisting of stainless steel, are then welded to the
inner angular profile 32. Alternatively the corresponding portions
of frame elements consisting of carbon steel may be covered with
stainless steel sheet. For example in FIG. 9 the corner strut 1
consists of a hollow profile of rectangular cross-section of carbon
steel, and the stainless steel wall elements 18 abut flanges 33
likewise consisting of stainless steel, which extend to the inner
corner of the corner strut 1 and are welded to each other
there.
The openings required for entering and cleaning the interior and
the fittings for discharging, filling, warming or cooling or for
measuring are arranged, for optimum utilization of space and for
protection from being damaged, on reentrant portions of the wall
faces or in the corners of the transcontainer.
Preferably a recess 34 of a semi-cylindrical or cambered shape
corresponding to the internal pressure is provided on an end wall
of the container for accommodating a fitting for the filling and
discharging of the container, which fitting comprises a filling-
and discharging- socket 35 on the lower part of the end wall, to
which socket a cock 36 with hose coupling 37 is screwed. The hose
coupling 37 is accessible through a corresponding opening 38 in the
lower transverse beam 2 of the container. This sunken arrangement
of the filling- and discharging- fittings has the further advantage
that the recess 34 can be easily sealed by customs offices.
The lid of the manhole is likewise so constructed that it occupies
as little space as possible and can be sealed in a simple way by
customs offices. For this purpose the lid 39 is cambered inwardly
and is provided with suitable sockets 40, 41 for airing and venting
and for safety valves 42. The lid rests, with a seal 43 interposed,
on the upper edge of a short manhole socket 44, which has to be
made only high enough to afford space to the attachment means 45,
46. The ceiling 47 is somewhat recessed in the surroundings of the
manhole, as shown in FIG. 5, so that the upper edge of the lid of
the manhole does not lie at a higher level than the beams 3 and 8
of the frame. The lid and the fittings mounted in the hollow
thereof are closed by a flat plate 48 and thus secured against
being tampered with. In the hollow of the lid there could collect
any liquid leaked from the valves.
When the transcontainer is to be used for flowable solid bulk
goods, a larger outlet port 49 (FIG. 10) is to be provided in the
recess 34, and the transcontainer may be emptied preferably by
tipping. In order to avoid dead corners forming on both sides of
the discharge port, in this case oblique guide plates 50 are fitted
on both sides of the outlet port and if desired in the region of
the lower transverse beams.
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