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Description  |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a load spacer for filling the void between
articles or containers of freight and the side walls of the vehicle or
container containing the freight which may be collapsed to a compact
package for shipment or storage but can be readily expanded for use. More
particularly, this invention relates to an improved suspension system for
suspending the load spacer between articles of freight and the sides of
the freight-containing container.
In the loading of a freight container such as a railway boxcar or other
freight shipping vehicle or container, it frequently happens that the
loads placed therein do not completely fill up the available storage
space. Thus, there are left one or more vertical spaces between unit loads
of goods and the walls of the shipping container. These spaces should be
filled to prevent side shifting of the loads during transit which could
cause damage to the load. In some instances, it is desired to space the
load from the walls of the shipping container, for example, to prevent the
load from contacting the rough walls of the container or nails or
splinters in the wall and possibly being torn open.
Prior to the present invention, various forms of load spacers or void
fillers have been proposed for filling the vertical spaces between closely
spaced adjacent unit loads of goods. One particular form of load spacer is
the collapsible, honeycomb structure in which a stack of rectangular
strips of sheet material, for example, corrugated paperboard are glued to
adjacent strips at spaced and staggered positions such that when expanded
the strips define a honeycomb structure having a plurality of cells. These
load spacers typically include provision for suspending the spacer either
from the roof of the container or from the tops of a pair of spaced
articles of freight. The honeycomb structure then expands downwardly
between the articles under its own weight, or it is pulled downwardly to
the bottom of the stack. When no longer needed, the load spacer may then
be removed and stored in the collapsed condition for later use. Patents
representative of this state of the art include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,862,607;
3,842,757; 3,823,675; 3,618,535; and 3,593,671.
Although prior workers have addressed themselves to the problem of
suspending the load spacer between the articles of freight, a particular
problem that has continued to plague the art has been to provide a load
spacer for use between an article of freight and the vertical side wall of
the container in which the freight is placed. That is, in such systems as
those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,618,535; 3,593,671; and 3,842,757, wood
slats are provided at the top of the load spacer which extend laterally
beyond the sides of the load spacer. The load spacer is then suspended
between the closely adjacent spaced loads with the portions of the wood
slats extending beyond the sides of the spacer resting on the tops of the
loads on either side of the spacer. However, these systems cannot be used
at the ends or sides of the load since it is impossible to suspend the
spacer by cantilevering one end of the suspension member from the top of
the load of freight. Moreover, the vehicle and contained load vibrate
during transportation such that the load spacer inserted between the load
and side wall of the container tends to fall therebetween and collapse.
One possible solution is to insert hanger wires through two top cells of
the load spacer with the wires then being hooked to the top of the load
itself or to an overhead rail on the side or top of the container. Such
load spacers, however, have disadvantages in that the wires are sometimes
difficult to work with, they require provision of an overhead suspension
rail, they add expense to the load spacer, they increase the difficulty of
shipping stacks of load spacers, they must be attached to the container or
to the load before the load is put in place, and they generally increase
the difficulty in placing and suspending the load spacer during loading of
the freight containing vehicle. Another proposed solution is to take a
center load spacer, fold back one side thereof and actually nail it to the
wall of the container. This system suffers from the obvious disadvantage
that the installer must actually nail the load spacer to the container. In
addition to their use being limited to containers having wooden walls,
they greatly increase the time for installing the load spacer as well as
making its removal difficult. Moreover, after a number of nailings, such
load spacers are no longer usable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An objective of the present invention has been to provide an improved
suspension system for a load spacer of the expandable-collapsible type
such that the load spacer may be used between the load and the side walls
of the container which is simple in construction, yet strong, which
possesses improved reliability thereby minimizing the possibility that the
load spacer will be dislodged in use, which is quickly and easily
installable without the need for nailing the spacer to a side wall or
suspending it by hanger wires thereby resulting in substantial time
savings in installing the load spacer, which may be installed even after
the load is placed in the container, and which is collapsible to a compact
form for ease and efficiency of shipping.
To this end, the load spacer of the present invention includes an
expandable and collapsible honeycomb structure having a top and generally
planar sides which is adapted to be suspended from the top of a load with
the weight of the honeycomb structure tending to elongate it in a vertical
direction between the load and the side wall of the container. The load
spacer is constructed from a stack of rectangular strips of sheet material
which are secured to adjacent strips at spaced and staggered positions
such that the strips define a honeycomb structure having a plurality of
cells when expanded. A generally planar suspension member is laminated to
the top of the honeycomb structure and includes portions extending
laterally beyond the sides of the honeycomb structure. A score line is
provided in the suspension member running along its length, the score line
being located generally at one side edge of the honeycomb structure.
Further, this score line is cut completely through at either end and two
additional score lines are provided running perpendicularly to it from its
ends to the outer edge of the suspension member. The portion of suspension
member lying outboard of the long score line is bendable along this score
line to a position generally perpendicular to the planar top surface of
the suspension member, and the ends of this side portion are bendable
inwardly along the transverse score lines and over the top surface of the
suspension member to provide a pair of flaps extending perpendicularly to
and inwardly of the bent side portion. The bottom edges of these flaps
contact the top of the suspension member to prevent the bent side portion
from being bent beyond its generally perpendicular position. A wire
extends along the length of this side portion between the long score line
and its outer edge. This wire is bendable, such that on bending of the
flaps inwardly, the wire also bends to hold the flaps in their bent
position until bent back.
In use, the load spacer is shipped in a collapsed and compact form with the
suspension member lying generally across the top of the honeycomb
structure. To install the load spacer, the installer simply bends the one
side portion along the long score line to its vertical position
perpendicular to the top surface of the suspension member. He then bends
the two flaps inwardly along the transverse score lines. On bending of the
flaps, the wire is also bent and holds the flaps in position. The bottom
edges of the flaps contact the top surface of the suspension member to
prevent the vertical side portion from being bent beyond the
perpendicular. The load spacer is then cantilevered from the top of the
load by means of the planar portion extending beyond the other side of the
structure with the vertical side portion lying against the vertical side
wall of the container. The vertical side portion lying against the
vertical side wall of the container prevents the load spacer from slipping
down between the load and the side wall such that the cantilevered
position of the load spacer is maintained throughout use even when
subjected to extreme vibration during transport of the container and load.
To reuse the load spacer, it is merely necessary to remove it from between
the load and the side wall of the container, collapse the honeycomb
structure, bend the flaps outwardly until they again lie in planar
relation to the remainder of the vertical side portion, and then bend that
side portion to its flat position. As may be seen, it is not necessary to
physically attach the load spacer of this invention to the side wall of
the container nor is it necessary to provide any sort of hanging wires or
other suspension means to suspend the load spacer from overhead.
Among the many advantages provided by the improved load spacer of this
invention are the simple procedure for installing the load spacer, the
substantial time savings over prior art systems in installing the load
spacer, the fact that the spacer can be placed in position after the load
is in position whereby the installer can readily see what width load
spacer is needed, the elimination of external hanging means, the
compactness of the load spacer in its collapsed condition providing for
ease and efficiency of shipping stacks of load spacers, and the ease with
which it can be removed and collapsed after use and then reused.
These and other objectives of the present invention will become more
readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view partly in section of a typical load
arrangement illustrating the application of the load spacer of the present
invention.
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the load spacer of the present
invention shown in FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to FIG. 1, in a typical load arrangement for shipping unit
containers or articles of freight, stacks of articles of freight 10 are
placed on the floor 12 of a shipping vehicle such as a railway boxcar
having vertical end and side walls (hereinafter referred to collectively
as "side walls"), portions of these walls being designated in FIG. 1 by
the number 14. The stacks 10 are separated from each other and from the
walls of the shipping container by generally planar spaces 16. A center
load spacer 18 which is generally an expandable and collapsible honeycomb
structure is positioned between the spaced stacks of articles of freight
10 to prevent sideways shifting of these loads. As shown in FIG. 1, the
side load spacers 20 of the present invention are placed between the
articles of freight 10 and the side walls 14 of the shipping container
with the honeycomb structure 22 extending downwardly and filling the void
16 therebetween. As is well known, such honeycomb structures are very
strong in a direction transverse to the planar sides thereof.
Referring now in addition to FIG. 2, the honeycomb structure 22 of the side
load spacer 20 is formed of a stack of rectangular strips of sheet
material 24 which are secured to adjacent strips at spaced and staggered
intervals, as at 26 as, for example, by gluing the strips together. The
sheet material is preferably formed of chipboard but may be other
material, for example, paperboard either corrugated or uncorrugated. The
width of the glue line is indicated by the designation "w" in FIG. 2. When
the stack of strips of sheet material is expanded, the sheet material 24
therefore defines a vertical and horizontal array of adjacent cells 27
having the generally honeycomb cellular configuration, a top 28 and
generally planar sides 30 and 32. The number and size of strips used in
the spacer is a matter of choice. Typically, a sufficient number of strips
are used to permit the spacer to expand to fill a void six to eight feet
high. A convenient width is about 8 inches and a convenient length is
about 48 inches.
The side spacer 20 includes a suspension member 34 laminated to the top
strip 28 of the stack of strips. This suspension member is a generally
planar member again formed of a suitable material such as chipboard or
paperboard either corrugated or uncorrugated and includes one side portion
36 extending laterally beyond one of the planar sides 30 of the stack of
strips of sheet material forming the cellular configuration and a second
side portion 38 extending laterally beyond the other side 32 of the
honeycomb structure 22. A score line 40 is provided in the suspension
member 34 generally at the top edge of the side 32 of the honeycomb
cellular structure 22. The score line 40 runs along a portion the length
of the second side portion 38, however, a length at either end is cut
completely through the material, for example, by die cutting, as
illustrated at 42. Where the die cut portions 42 meet, the ends of the
longitudinal score line 40, the second side portion 38 is also scored in a
transverse direction as at 44, thus defining a center section 46 and two
end portions referred to hereinafter as flaps 48. The score line 40
permits the center section 46 to be bent in an upward direction
(illustrated by the arrow in FIG. 2) to a generally vertical position
wherein that section is generally perpendicular to the planar top surface
of the suspension member 34 (FIG. 1). Further, the transverse score lines
44 permit the flaps 48 to be folded inwardly to the position shown in FIG.
1 wherein the flaps 48 lie generally perpendicular to the upwardly bent
center section 46 and also to the top surface of the suspension member 34.
A wire 50 (shown in phantom) such as a 12 gauge mild steel wire, which is
easily bendable by hand, passes through the center of the side portion 38
and extends longitudinally therealong from edge to edge. When the flaps 48
are bent inwardly, the wire 50 is likewise bent and serves to maintain the
flaps in their folded position during use.
The advantages of the present invention can be appreciated by the few
simple steps needed to install the load spacer. Once the load is in place,
the installer merely bends the side portion 38 along the score line 40
into its upward and vertical position. He then bends the flaps 48 inwardly
along the score lines 44 to a position wherein they are generally
perpendicular to the center section 46 of the side portion 38. He then
places the load spacer in the void 16 with the side portion 36 resting on
the top of the load 10 and the center section 46 lying against the side
wall 14. The honeycomb structure 22 is then permitted to expand downwardly
by gravity or the installer may assist in its expansion by pulling it
downwardly. With these few simple steps, the load spacer has been
installed.
As may be seen in FIG. 1, the side load spacer 20 is suspended from the top
of a load 10 by resting the side portion 36 of the suspension member 34 on
the top of the load 10 with the side portion 38 being in its inwardly bent
position and the flaps 48 being bent inwardly over the top surface of the
suspension member. The center section 46 of the side portion 38 then lies
against the vertical side wall 14 of the container to prevent the load
spacer from slipping down between the load and the vertical side wall 14
as would otherwise occur due to vibration of the load and load spacer
during use. Moreover, it will be appreciated that the inwardly bent flaps
48 prevent the center section 46 from passing beyond the perpendicular or
being folded down onto the top face of the suspension member 34. Thus, the
flaps 48 serve as a means to maintain this center section 46 in its
generally perpendicular position during use. As set forth above, the bent
wire 50 maintains the flaps in the desired position.
It may be further appreciated from FIG. 1 that the load spacer of the
present invention does not require any overhead suspension means and may
be placed between the side wall of the container and the load after the
load is in place. This permits the user to select a load spacer of proper
width since he can readily observe the width required after the load is
placed in the container.
After use, the load spacer 20 may be easily collapsed for storage by simply
removing it from its position in the container, collapsing the honeycomb
structure 22, folding the flaps 48 outwardly to a position wherein their
surfaces are planar to the surface of the center portion 46 and then
folding that center portion downwardly such that the entire top surface of
the suspension member is again planar. This permits a number of load
spacers to be stacked one upon another for convenient, efficient, and
compact shipping or storage.
Although the invention has been described in terms of certain presently
preferred embodiment, it will be appreciated that other forms could be
adopted while achieving many of the advantages of the present invention.
For example, instead of employing the flaps, it is possible to place wires
in a direction transverse to that shown in FIG. 2 with the wires extending
across the score line such that when the side portion is bent in an upward
position the wires tend to maintain it in that position. Similarly, the
wire 50 could be eliminated by provision of tabs on the flaps 48 which
would be captured in slots in the suspension member to hold the flaps in
place.
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