Transport linking frames
View Patent ↗Frames and attachments thereto and methods of use thereof for the support and/or releasable securing of cargo and/or cargo containers upon and/or to cargo containers and/or cargo container transports and/or lifting devices. Linking frame ( 10 ) may be used upon and/or beneath containers that possess insufficient mutually corresponding mounting-points to otherwise enable them to be vertically stacked and secured together. Parallel longitudinal beams ( 11 ) are joined by shorter lateral beams ( 12 ). Attached directly or indirectly, protruding outward the outer side surfaces of said framework, are connectors ( 13 ) able to correspond upwardly and/or downwardly with various mounting-point layouts as provided upon the surfaces of cargo transport equipment.
1. A transport linking frame for the literally symmetrical vertical linking of one or a linearly aligned pair of cargo containers having a first length and having a first layout of mounting-points to one or a linearly aligned pair of cargo containers having a second length and having a second layout of mounting-points, the transport linking frame comprising
two parallel longitudinal beams ( 11 );
a plurality of literal beams ( 12 ) shorter that the longitudinal beams ( 11 ) and connecting the longitudinal beams ( 11 );
a plurality of connectors ( 13 ) for connecting to containers;
characterised in that the connectors are bi-acting connectors ( 13 ) protruding laterally outwards from the longitudinal beams ( 11 ), the bi-acting connectors ( 13 ) being spaced longitudinally along the frame to correspond with mounting points of a plurality of lay-outs on cargo containers, and the bi-acting connectors ( 13 ) including at least two opposed acting surfaces ( 51 , 55 ) arranged to mate with container mounting points of containers above and below the transport linking frame, said acting surfaces ( 51 , 55 ) being either female acting surface containing locking apertures ( 52 ) or alternatively being male acting surfaces containing internal channels retaining a rotatable spindle or spindles having locking-cones ( 61 ) at one or each end, each locking-cone ( 61 ) having a control-lever ( 63 ) enabling it to be rotated.
2. A transport linking frame an claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of bi-acting connectors ( 13 ) are attached protruding outwards from the longitudinal beams ( 11 ) to enable them to be removed from said framework and then to be attached to alternative positions along a lateral or longitudinal axis of said linking frame.
3. A transport linking frame as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of bi-acting connectors ( 13 ) are attached protruding outwards from the longitudinal connectors ( 13 ) to be slid to alternative positions along a lateral and/or longitudinal axis of said linking frame.
4. A transport linking frame as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of bi-acting connectors ( 13 ) are attached protruding outwards from the longitudinal beams ( 11 ) to enable them to be unlocked from said linking frame, thereupon to be rotated around a horizontal axis and then to be re-locked to mid linking frame.
5. A transport linking frame ma claimed in claim 1 , wherein each locking-cone ( 61 ) of a male acting-surface of a bi-acting connector ( 13 ) attached to said frame, when not required to connect with the mounting-point of a cargo container, is capable of retention within said bi-acting connector ( 13 ) and, when required to operate, is capable of being raised above said outer surface for the purpose of releasably securing to a mounting-point of cargo container.
6. A transport linking frame as chimed in claim 1 , said plurality of connectors ( 13 ) further including a plurality of male bi-acting connectors ( 13 ) attached to said linking frame, wherein the control-lever ( 63 ) the for the operation of the rotatable locking-cone ( 61 ) of the male bi-acting connectors are joined by means of a hinged ( 64 ) connecting-rod system ( 65 ) to the control-lever ( 63 ) of one or more other rotatable locking-cones ( 61 ) of other male bi-acting connectors ( 13 ) affixed to said linking frame at other horizontally-opposed positions, thereby enabling mid control-lever ( 63 ) to be operated in unison, said connecting-rod system being located between the levels of the upper and lower acting surfaces of the bi-acting connectors ( 13 ) affixed to said linking frame.
7. A transport linking frame as claimed in claim 1 , wherein both of the outwardly-opposed acting-surfaces ( 51 , 55 ) of bi-acting connectors ( 13 ) attached to said linking frame are female and comprise uni-acting cargo container corner castings that are configured so as to be capable of receiving locking cones from above and that are conjoined with uni-acting cargo container corner castings that are configured so as to be capable of receiving locking cones from below.
8. A transport linking frame as claimed in claim 1 , wherein there is provided upon the exterior of any of the frame's vertical surfaces, or emerging from exit apertures within any of said surfaces, extending means to enable said linking frame to be releasably secured laterally with one or more other linking frames or one or more cargo containers or a means of transport to which said linking frame is not otherwise releasably secured, said extending means being located between the levels of the upper and lower acting-surfaces of the bi-acting connectors affixed to said linking frame.
9. A transport linking frame as claimed in claim 1 , wherein there is provided upon the upper horizontal surface of said linking frame a floor for the support of general cargo, the upper surface of said floor being no higher than a level flush with the uppermost upward-acting surfaces ( 51 ) of bi-acting connectors affixed to said linking frame, the outer edges of said floor being shaped so as not to impede the mobility or operation of said bi-acting connectors ( 13 ).
10. A transport linking frame as claimed in claim 1 , wherein there is provided attachment points or ratchets for use in the securement of cargo loaded to the upper surface of said linking frame.
11. A transport linking frame as claimed in claim 1 , wherein them is provided removable cargo retention means that are able to be releasably secured to the upper surface of said linking frame by way of mounting-points at their lower ends or edges that are able to secure to the upward-acting surfaces ( 51 ) of bi-acting connectors ( 13 ) affixed to said linking flame.
12. A method using a linking frame of the present invention to vertically stack a first tier of container's upon a second tier of container/s and releasably secure said containers indirectly to form a single unit for transport or lifting purposes, said containers having mutually different lengths or mounting-point layouts, wherein one or more of said containers within one or both of said tiers is provided with one or more pairs of mounting-point between its longitudinally outermost corners and to provide a space between the mated surfaces of said tiers of containers in which to safely operate the control-levers of mated portable twist-locks and to clearly observe whether said control-levers are locked or unlocked, which said method comprises: lifting a container or pair of linearly aligned containers of a first tier onto a frame of the present invention; releasably securing said container/s to the upper surface of said frame by way of all upward-acting surfaces of bi-acting connectors provided upon said frame being connected with all mutually corresponding mounting-points of said container/s; lifting said combination of container/s and frame onto a second tier of a container or pair of linearly aligned container; releasably securing the lower surface of said frame to the upper surface/s of said second tier of container/s by way of all downward-acting surfaces of bi-acting connectors provided upon said frame being connected with all mutually corresponding mounting-points of said second tier of container/s, the control-levers of said bi-acting connectors being clearly visible and safely operable through voids provided adjacent to said bi-acting connectors of a frame of the present invention.