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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention:
This disclosure pertains to a shock absorbing, damage prevention device for
use in separating and restraining loads during transit. More specifically,
this disclosure shows a highly portable, one piece, corrugated void filler
which is shipped in a so-called knock down or flat configuration and is
assembled in the field to a highly rigid void filler.
(2) Description of the Prior Art:
Prior art void fillers such as those disclosed by the Kinnune U.S. Pat. No.
3,854,426 (1974) disclose honeycomb products which are suspended from and
adapted to extend the full height of the transported product. These void
fillers have met with some limited success but are chronically plagued
with problems involved in initially positioning the void filler to insure
it deploys the full height of the load and thereafter keeping the void
filler in place during transit. Also, costs are prohibitive because of
manufacturing techniques which require not only automatic machinery for
applying adhesive but also extensive cutting and forming machines to
produce the component parts. Further, it has been observed that at the end
of the useful life of the prior art void fillers, there are problems
involved with cleanup and disposal of these large, bulky products which
cannot be reused or easily dismantled.
Another type of so-called void filler is the dunnage plug shown in the
Brucks U.S. Pat. No. 3,421,451 (1969). This structure provides a number of
U-shaped, interlocking, corrugated sections. Because the numerous
component parts are scored and slotted, they are thus compatible only with
the correspondingly slotted and scored members and are prone to being
easily damaged and/or lost.
Another type of void filler or plug is shown in the Carlomagno U.S. Pat.
No. 3,534,691 (1970) and the Latter U.S. Pat. No. 3,464,367 (1969). The
constructions shown in these patents involve box-type units. The '691
patent shows flaps integrally cut therein and extending outwardly for the
purpose of fitting between load members to support the box in position.
The Latter structure shows open top type box members with flanges
extending outwardly therefrom. The top members or caps receive an
accordion-shaped member which extends between the adjacent loads. The
structures shown in the two patents have not met with widespread
acceptance because custom-made dies must be made to cut the required
contours in order that the box sections may be folded together.
Furthermore, these box-shaped sections do not provide interchangeable
parts which can be used when different sized spacings are encountered
between loads.
One other device shown recently in U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,587 (1978) is the
invention of Jansen entitled Load Spacer Support. The device shown in this
patent is a honeycomb type of device having a center portion 42 which
maintains the honeycomb divider and expanded configuration during use. The
Jansen device has not met with widespread acceptance because it is thought
that the costs are high, and, because of the several pieces involved, the
portion which holds the honeycomb members expanded can be misplaced or
lost thus rendering the entire unit workable.
SUMMARY
Today, cases of canned goods, food products, household items, and other
products too numerous to name are transported by truck and railroad
freight cars. These commodities are generally shipped in cardboard boxes
which are stacked on pallets or arranged as so-called unitized loads which
are groups of boxes held together with a wrap such as banding or so-called
stretch wrap or shrink wrap which is a layer of sheet plastic which
encircles or otherwise encloses the group of boxes. The void filler of
this disclosure is adapted for use in separating virtually any arrangement
of boxes during shipment. More specifically, it is particularly designed
for use with shrink wrapped, stretch wrapped, spot glued, and unitized
loads.
Commonly used load separating devices are normally adapted to be suspended
from the roof of the transporting vehicle or attached to certain types of
attaching rails along the sides of the vehicle. Frequently, however, the
transporting vehicle has no provision for the attachment of any damage
prevention device Thus, the product disclosed herein is uniquely suited
for all vehicles regardless of whether the vehicle has any attachment
means for a load separating and damage prevention device on the roof or
sides. Also, a feature of this invention is that it is uniquely suited to
prevent damage to loads without regard to the type of vehicle in which the
load is being transported. Thus the commonly used damage prevention
devices which are custom fitted to the supporting structure on the inside
of the vehicle are only adapted to fit a certain type of vehicle and
cannot be used interchangeably, for example between semitrailers and
railroad vehicles utilizing another manufacture's type of damage
prevention device.
This disclosure pertains to a so-called void filler which may be mounted in
vacant spaces between adjacent loads during transit. The product disclosed
is constructed from corrugated cardboard and includes a central
collapsible core attached in an outer tube that provides a tube in tube
construction. One form of the invention includes flanges extending from
the top of the structure to aid in holding the void filler in position
between stacked loads.
The collapsible diamond shaped core is attached to the top and bottom
within the outer hollow section which has scored sides, a bottom and
flanges to which a cap sheet is attached.
The core is essentially a spreader member which holds the sides apart and
prevents their inward movement. The preferred form of the core is diamond
shape with a foot attached with an adhesive to the top and bottom of the
hollow section. Diagonal legs extend outwardly from the attached parts and
join at each end of the hollow portion in the form of a parallelogram when
the void filler is expanded.
In use, the void filler may be assembled on-site, positioned at the top
portion of a unitized load and adapted to separate the load from an
adjacent, unitized load or from the side or end walls of the transporting
vehicle. When used to separate vertically adjacent loads, the void filler
is suspended by the top flanges. The version which does not have flanges
may be stacked atop each other.
It is an object of this disclosure to provide a highly portable, one piece,
void filler that is easily transported in a knocked down, flat
configuration and does not occupy a large volume and yet can be easily
expanded in the field to fill a large volume and maintain a rigid
configuration during transit to maintain a load in position and absorb
otherwise damaging shocks and forces.
Another object of this disclosure is to provide a void filler which is used
as a one-piece unit and is made as a tube within a tube, each tube located
at right angles to the other tube.
It is yet another object of this disclosure to provide a void filler having
outwardly extending flanges interconnected by a cap sheet which adapts the
void filler to be positioned between vertical loads and/or which can be
bent upwardly to allow the void filler to be wedged between side by side
loads or a wall or be nailed to a side wall of the transporting vehicle.
It is also an object to provide the flanges in such a form (by scoring the
adjacent cap sheet) that when folded into a vertical plane each will
provide a spring effect which assists in holding the void filler in
position.
It is yet another object of this disclosure to provide a one piece void
filler having a collapsing core and folding sides which can be expanded
into a rigid shock absorbing member and which bows outwardly to provide a
spring force to hold the void filler in place.
Another object of this disclosure is to provide a one piece, corrugated
fiber board, void filler which can be easily assembled, stored and shipped
in a completely flat configuration, and, quickly expanded for use in
separating freight with no specialized training of the user.
These and other objects of the disclosure will become apparent to those
having ordinary skill in the art with reference to the following
description, drawings and appended claims.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a pictorial illustration of the void filler;
FIG. 2 is a pictorial illustration of the void filler in a flat, knocked
down, configuration.
FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the void filler;
FIG. 4 is an end view of the void filler in position;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken generally along lines 5--5 of FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is a view showing one application of the void filler;
FIG. 7 shows another way to use the void filler.
FIG. 8 shows a modified form of the void filler;
FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line 9--9 of FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 shows the void filler of FIG. 8 in the collapsed position.
FIG. 11 is a pictorial illustration showing the void filler in position
between a load and a vehicle side wall.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring now to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 1, there is shown a
pictorial illustration of one version of the assembled and expanded void
filler as it would appear in position separating freight during transit.
Essentially, this void filler 10 is constructed from three pieces held
together by an adhesive. A U-shaped housing 14 provides three sides of the
outer enclosure and includes upwardly extending sides 16 which are divided
into an upper and lower portion divided by a scoring bead 18. The scoring
bead is applied by any well known method such as an automatic roller or a
manual device and is intended not to pierce, cut or otherwise weaken the
material but to allow the sides 16 to be easily folded outwardly when it
is necessary to collapse the void filler for storage or shipment by a
user. The top of each side 16 includes laterally and outwardly extending
flanges 20. Thus as shown in FIG. 1, the housing 14 provides a three sided
enclosure having outwardly extending flanges 20.
A cap sheet 22 is attached to each flange 20 by an adhesive although it is
contemplated that a staple, rivet, brad or other mechanical connector
could be also used to join cap sheet 22 to each corresponding flange 20 of
the housing 14 to provide an elongated, outer tube.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a central core member 24 is located in the
interior or hollow portion provided by the housing 14 and associated cap
sheet 22. Core 24 is essentially diamond shaped and has upper and lower
attaching feet 25, 26, respectively which are attached by an adhesive,
staple, brad or other mechanical connector to the bottom 15 of the housing
14 and the underside of cap sheet 22.
Outwardly extending diagonals 28 extend from the upper foot 25 and upwardly
extending diagonals 30 extend from the lower foot 26. Each of these
diagonals converge and form a nose or apex 32 which is formed at a scored
portion to allow the core to bend easily at each nose 32 as the unit is
collapsed for storage. The diagonals act as spacers to keep sides 16 from
collapsing.
The three piece void filler when assembled provides a one piece, unitized
construction which folds into a virtually flat configuration when not in
use and is expanded to form an internally reinforced beam-type structure
which absorbs shock during transport of loads and prevents damage to the
load. This design provides an outer tube consisting of bottom 15, sides 16
and cap sheet 22 having a longitudinal axis 33 (FIG. 1) and an inner tube
or core 24 with axis 33a (FIG. 3). When assembled, the axes 33, 33a are
perpendicular to each other and provide resistance to crushing and
distortion (shear forces).
While the hollow tube-in-tube construction is fine, it is contemplated that
certain modifications could be made. For example, on shorter void fillers
a completely enclosed tube is not mandatory. For example, one half of the
core 24, as shown in FIG. 5, could be used. Also, the diagonals 28, 30
need not be at the angles disclosed but could be more vertical to act as
rigidifying spacers and beams to contact and hold in place the spaced
sides 16. Either single-spacers (FIG. 5 dotted lines) or double spacers
(FIG. 9) could be used. Of course, the spacer(s) would have to be scored
at 41 or pre folded to insure that each would collapse when the tops 22,
22a are urged downwardly towards the bottom 15. If additional spacers were
needed, they could easily be provided along the length of the outer tube
or housing 14.
Flange members 20 in combination with the adjacent portion of the cap sheet
22 not only provide stiffness to the upper portion of the void filler 10
but provide convenient attachment extensions for positioning the void
filler as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.
One use of the expanded, flange type void filler 10 is shown in FIG. 7.
Here the void filler is merely suspended by flanges 20 between adjacent
loads 36 to prevent movement of the load and absorb otherwise damaging
shock. As shown the void filler is easily positioned in place and easily
removed when it is necessary to remove the loads 36.
When the void fillers are expanded from the flat positions in FIGS. 2 and
10, the sides 16 are not perfectly straight but slightly bowed as shown in
Phantom in FIG. 4. When the void filler is inserted into a snug space
between loads as shown in FIG. 7 the sides are bowed outwardly and into
the load 36 and as the sides 16 are flattened and provide a spring force
effect urging sides 16 into the load thus helping the void fillers in
place.
Another use of the void filler is illustrated in FIG. 6. Here, void filler
10 is used between the side of a vehicle 34 and the load 36. In such
position the area of cap sheet 22 adjacent the flange 20 is scored and the
flange 20 is bent upwardly to be positioned in the same plane as the sides
16 of the void filler and thus provide an additional spring effect urging
the flange 20 against the wall 34 for the purpose of holding the void
filler securely in place. On the other hand, in the position illustrated
in FIG. 6 the flange 20 may be nailed to the side wall of the vehicle and
positively held in place where the structure of the vehicle will accept
nailing.
Structurally it is contemplated that a 200 pound double wall corrugated
cardboard or fiberboard would be used for the U-shaped housing 14 and the
cap sheet 22. A 200 pound C-flute, corrugated cardboard or fiberboard is
recommended for use as the core 24. Because the loading applied to the
core is compression loading; as opposed to the shear and abrasion loads
that are applied to the housing 14 and cap sheet 22, it is anticipated
that the core 24 may, at times, be of heavier construction. Also, while
dimensions vary as required by each shipper and the nature of each load,
the type of void filler as shown in FIG. 1 has the following dimensions.
In the expanded position, the distance between the sides 16 is six inches
and the height between the top of cap sheet 22 and the bottom 15 is 16
inches. The cap sheet 22 is 21 and 1/2 inches wide and 40 inches long.
Thus, in the collapsed position the volume occupied by the void filler 10
is 22 inches by 40 inches by approximately 3/4 of an inch thick.
A modified form of the invention is shown which does not utilize the
flanges 20 shown in the earlier illustrations 1-7. The pure tubular
arrangement is shown in FIGS. 8-11. Similar numbers refer to similar
portions of this tubular configuration which, as mentioned earlier, is
merely a configuration that does not utilize flanges 20 shown in the prior
version. The void filler 10 includes an outer tube having a bottom 15 and
upstanding sides 16. Extending along the center portion of each side 16 is
a scoring bead 18 which allows the sides to be folded outwardly into the
flat position shown in FIG. 10. Instead of the cap sheet 22 used in the
earlier described version, the tubular construction shown in FIG. 8
utilizes a top designated 22a which is positioned parallel with the bottom
15 and may be attached to the upstanding, corresponding side 16 by tape
40, an adhesive or the like. It is understood that the outer tube of FIG.
8 may have overlapping sides joined by tape, adhesive, staples or other
mechanical fastener to complete the outer tube. Thus, constructed as shown
in FIG. 8, the outer tube has a longitudinally extending axis designated
33 and also shown in FIG. 9.
The core is also designated by the numeral 24 as essentially identical with
the core shown in the earlier illustration. Consequently, the numerical
identity of the various portions is the same. As with the earlier version
the foot 25 may be attached to the top 22a of the outer tube by a suitable
adhesive, staple or other mechanical fastening means.
Thus, constructed, the void filler disclosed in FIG. 8 provides a one piece
assembly made from but two component members comprising an outer tube with
an inner tube located inside which has an axis at right angles to the axis
of the outer tube. In such position the expanded void filler provides
resistance to crushing of the core 24 and also provides a rigid member
which resists abrasion and shear forces because of the outer tube 10. As
with the earlier described version, the sides 16 are provided with a
spring effect to hold them in position as illustrated in FIG. 11. The
sides bow outwardly as do the sides shown in FIG. 4 and thus when placed
in a tight fitting compartment between adjacent loads or between loads and
a side wall the sides 16 are urged into a vertical position adjacent the
core 24 and a spring force is created which holds the void filler in
position.
As shown in FIG. 11, the void filler may be positioned between the load 36
and an outer wall 34. The individual void fillers shown are stacked one
atop another, however, it is contemplated that the void fillers could be
spaced and held in place by the spring force provided by the sides 16.
As with the earlier described version, this version may be easily assembled
in the field by personnel having no specialized training. The operation of
the void filler is self-explanatory and requires no assembly. Also,
because of the compact configuration as shown in FIG. 10, the knocked down
void filler may be easily stored when not in use or easily transported to
a shipper.
Certain modifications could be made with the above structure by varying the
type of material used or the type of connectors used in assembling the
unit or by various core designs as shown in FIGS. 5,9, and described
above.
The foregoing description and drawings merely explain and illustrate the
invention and the invention is not limited thereto, except insofar as the
appended claims are so limited, as those who are skilled in the art and
have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and
variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention.
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