GB2625764A

GB2625764A - Modified shipping container

Info

Publication number: GB2625764A
Application number: GB2219585.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Narasimhamurthy Prakashkumar
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2022-12-22
Filing date: 2022-12-22
Publication date: 2024-07-03
Also published as: GB202219585D0

Abstract

A shipping container 001 comprising corner castings 006a-f in each corner; an opening 004 in the top side 005 nearer to the back side of the container 001; and an opening (009, Fig. 2) in the bottom side (010, Fig. 2) nearer to the front side of the container 001. The container 001 may have a door to cover the front side of the container 001, and a door to cover the back side of the container 001. All sides of the container 001, including the doors, may be insulated; and the container 001 may comprise a mechanical means to move solids located within the container 001.

Description

Modified shipping container

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Field of invention:

[1001] This invention relates to a design of a container comprising shipping container corner castings in each corner, an opening in the top side nearer to the back side of the container, an opening in the bottom side nearer to the front side of the container, door to cover the front side, and door to cover the back side. The corner castings referred herein is either standard shipping container corner castings used in manufacturing shipping container or a custom-made corner casting or any means which mainly facilitates hooking, lifting, moving the container and to stack equally sized such containers one above the other.

Description of the related art:

[1002] US10271486B2 disclosure relates to insulated modular containers modified for high yield plant production.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[1003] A standard shipping container comprise standard shipping container corner castings in each of its total eight corners, and door to cover its front side. The former mainly facilitates hooking, lifting, moving the container and to stack equally sized such containers one above the other. The latter allows access to load goods into the container and to unload the goods from the container.

[1004] The invented design is a modification to the top side and to the bottom side of such standard shipping container. An opening in the top side nearer to the back side of the container facilitates loading of the solids, such as mineral aggregates, wood chips etc., into the container while the doors covering the front side and the back side are closed. An opening in the bottom nearer to the front of the container facilitates unloading of the solids from the container while the doors covering the front side and the back side are closed.

[1005] A mechanical means inside such container moves the solids that are loaded into the container from the opening in the top side located nearer to the back of the container, to reach the opening in the bottom side located nearer to the front side of the container. Thus, solids can be continuously or intermittently loaded from the top side and unloaded from the bottom side of the container.

[1006] The invented design facilitates stacking plurality of such modified equally sized containers. This is similar to the stacking of equally sized shipping containers in a shipping container yard.

[1007] The loading of the solids begins with the top most container in the stack which is herein referred to as the first container. The solids unloaded from the opening in the bottom side nearer to the front side of the first container is received from the opening in the top side nearer to the back side of the second container which is stacked below the first container. The solids unloaded from the opening in the bottom side nearer to the front side of the second container is received from the opening in the top side nearer to the front side of the third container which is stacked below the second container. This descending flow pattern of the solids from the first container to the second container, and to the third container can be continued in containers stacked below the third container. The descending solids reach and exit from the bottom container equipped with the mechanical means to move the solids like other containers in the stack. Such bottom container is herein referred to as the last container within a stack.

[1008] The entire stack becomes an enclosed single large scale production equipment to continuously perform various processes with moving solids. Mainly it can maintain required process conditions by the following additional measures: from keeping the front side door and the back side door of all the containers in the stack in closed position, from sealing any gap between the perimeter edge of the two contacting openings, from fixing a rotary valve to the opening in the top side of the first container in the stack, and from fixing a rotary valve to the opening in the bottom side of the last container in the stack.

[1009] The advantage of the invented design is a modular designed container which can be quickly and cost effectively manufactured in factory in greater numbers. Plurality of such modular designed container are quickly and cost effectively installed in a production site to become a large-scale production equipment, similar to the quick moving and stacking of shipping containers in a shipping container yard. Necessary auxiliaries are quickly and cost effectively connected after stacking the containers to make the entire stack to work as a single large-scale production equipment.

[1010] An aspect of the invented design provides the said opening in the top side, said opening in the bottom side, door covering the front side, and door covering the back side of a standard shipping container which comprise standard shipping corner castings in each of its total eight corners.

[1011] Another aspect of the invented design comprises standard shipping corner castings or similar means fabricated to the corners of a custom-built container comprising eight corners in total. Such custom-built container comprises said opening in the top side, said opening in the bottom side, door covering the front side, and door covering the back side.

[1012] Yet another aspect of the invented design is the distance between the back side edge of the container and the first perimeter edge of the said opening in the top side is either lesser than 5 meters or greater than 5 meters. This distance mainly depends on the length of the container and the space required by the mechanical means to move the solids within the container from the back side of the container to the front side of the container.

[1013] Yet another aspect of the invented design is the distance between the front side edge of the container and the first perimeter edge of the said opening in the bottom side is either lesser than 5 meters or greater than 5 meters. This distance mainly depends on the length of the container and the space required by the mechanical means to move the solids within the container from the back side of the container to the front side of the container.

[1014] Yet another aspect of the invented design is the minimum width of each said openings is 0.005 meter. The width of the opening mainly depends on the particle size of solids that flow through the opening.

[1015] Yet another aspect of the invented design is the insulation to all sides of the container.

[1016] Yet another aspect of the invented design is a modified reefer shipping container which is normally used for cold storage and transport wherein all sides are already insulated.

[1017] Yet another aspect of the invented design is the door covering the front side of the container and the door covering the back side of the container.

[1018] Yet another aspect of the invented design is a mechanical means within the container to move the solids from the back side to the front side of the container. Such mechanical means is hidden from the view in Fig. land Fig. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[1019] Fig. 1 mainly illustrates the top side (005) of the container (001) which is either a standard shipping container or a custom-built container comprising eight standard shipping corner castings, of which only seven (006a to 006f) can be viewed in the drawing. (002) represents the back side edge and (007) represents the front side edge of the container. (004) represents the opening in the top side. (003a) represents the first perimeter edge and (003b) represents the second perimeter edge of the opening (004). The distance between (002) and (003a) is either lesser than 5 meters or greater than 5 meters. The distance between (003a) and (003b) is minimum 0.005 meter.

[1020] Fig. 2 mainly illustrates the bottom side (010) of the container (001). (009) represents the opening in the bottom side. (008a) represents the first perimeter edge and (008b) represents the second perimeter edge of the opening (009). The distance between (007) and (008a) is either lesser than 5 meters or greater than 5 meters. The distance between (008a) and (008b) is minimum 0.005 meter.

Claims

Claim 1 A container design comprising shipping container corner castings in each corner, an opening in the top side nearer to the back side of the container, and an opening in the bottom side nearer to the front side of the container.Claim 2 The container as in claim 1 comprise door to cover the front side of the container and door to cover the back side of the container.Claim 3 All sides of the container including the doors which cover the front side and the back side of the container as in claim land claim 2 are insulated.Claim 4 The container as in claim 1, claim 2, and claim 3 comprise a mechanical means to move the solids within the container.