US 2026/0116679 A1 · SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR UNLOADING PALLETIZED CARGO FROM A TRANSPORT CONTAINER, AND ASSOCIATED CONFIGURATIONS OF PALLETIZED GAS CYLINDER CARGO

Abstract

An exemplary palletized cargo unit includes a lower cargo grouping and an upper cargo grouping. The lower cargo grouping may include a base pallet and three layers of gas cylinders disposed thereon. The upper cargo unit may include an intermediate pallet and at least two layers of gas cylinder thereon. The upper and lower groupings are configured to interposingly engage one another in a space-efficient manner, and are separable from one another without disrupting their individual structural integrity. Methods are also provided for efficiently packing a transport container with the maximum number of gas cylinders by way of the palletized cargo units, and safely and efficiently removing the palletized cargo units from the transport container.

Claims40

Dependent claims

1-3. (canceled)

A system for unloading palletized cargo units from a transport container by way of a forklift, the system comprising:
a set of palletized cargo units in a sequential arrangement along a transfer axis within the transport container, the transfer axis extending from a closed end of the transport container to a door threshold of the transport container, each palletized cargo unit in the set having
(a) a transport position within the sequential arrangement;
(b) a base pallet on which a cargo load is supported, the base pallet being configured to receive forks of the forklift when the base pallet is at the door threshold;
and
(c) an extraction line
(i) having a securement end and a terminal end, the securement end being coupled to the base pallet;
(ii) being reconfigurable between a bundled configuration and an extended configuration;
and
(iii) having an extended length when in the extended configuration, the extended length being sufficient to enable the terminal end to extend outward of the door threshold when the palletized cargo unit is in the transport position;
wherein
(a) for each of the palletized cargo units in the set, the base pallet is slidably pullable toward the door threshold away from the closed end by way of line tension applied to the extraction line;
and
(b) the line tension is configured to be applied by way of a line securement element of the forklift;
wherein for the set of palletized cargo units
for each subsequent palletized cargo unit having a preceding palletized cargo unit sequentially disposed closer to the door threshold, the terminal end of the extraction line of the subsequent palletized cargo unit is draggably attached to the preceding palletized cargo unit;
wherein the draggable attachment is configured to cause the terminal end of the extraction line of the subsequent palletized cargo unit to be dragged through the door threshold by way of
(a) the slidable pulling of the base pallet of the preceding palletized cargo unit;
and
(b) removal of the preceding palletized cargo unit from the transport container by the forklift;
and
wherein for each subsequent palletized cargo unit having a preceding palletized cargo unit sequentially disposed closer to the door threshold,
(a) the extraction line of the subsequent palletized cargo unit is the bundled configuration, and
(b) the draggable attachment is configured to allow the extraction line of the subsequent palletized cargo unit to gradually convert from the bundled configuration to the extended configuration during
(i) the slidable pulling of the base pallet of the preceding palletized cargo unit, and
(ii) removal of the preceding palletized cargo unit from the transport container by the forklift.

23 more elements

A system for unloading palletized cargo units from a transport container by way of a forklift, the system comprising:
a set of palletized cargo units in a sequential arrangement along a transfer axis within the transport container, the transfer axis extending from a closed end of the transport container to a door threshold of the transport container, each palletized cargo unit in the set having
(a) a transport position within the sequential arrangement;
(b) a base pallet on which a cargo load is supported, the base pallet being configured to receive forks of the forklift when the base pallet is at the door threshold;
and
(c) an extraction line
(i) having a securement end and a terminal end, the securement end being coupled to the base pallet;
(ii) being reconfigurable between a bundled configuration and an extended configuration;
and
(iii) having an extended length when in the extended configuration, the extended length being sufficient to enable the terminal end to extend outward of the door threshold when the palletized cargo unit is in the transport position;
wherein
(a) for each of the palletized cargo units in the set, the base pallet is slidably pullable toward the door threshold away from the closed end by way of line tension applied to the extraction line;
and
(b) the line tension is configured to be applied by way of a line securement element of the forklift;
wherein for the set of palletized cargo units
for each subsequent palletized cargo unit having a preceding palletized cargo unit sequentially disposed closer to the door threshold, the terminal end of the extraction line of the subsequent palletized cargo unit is draggably attached to the preceding palletized cargo unit;
wherein the draggable attachment is configured to cause the terminal end of the extraction line of the subsequent palletized cargo unit to be dragged through the door threshold by way of
(a) the slidable pulling of the base pallet of the preceding palletized cargo unit;
and
(b) removal of the preceding palletized cargo unit from the transport container by the forklift;
and
wherein for each subsequent palletized cargo unit having a preceding palletized cargo unit sequentially disposed closer to the door threshold, most of the extraction line of the subsequent palletized cargo unit is releasably attached to the subsequent palletized cargo unit when the extraction line is in the bundled configuration.

19 more elements

14:

A system for unloading palletized cargo units from a transport container by way of a forklift, the system comprising:
a set of palletized cargo units in a sequential arrangement along a transfer axis within the transport container, the transfer axis extending from a closed end of the transport container to a door threshold of the transport container, each palletized cargo unit in the set having
(a) a transport position within the sequential arrangement;
(b) a base pallet on which a cargo load is supported, the base pallet being configured to receive forks of the forklift when the base pallet is at the door threshold;
and
(c) an extraction line
(i) having a securement end and a terminal end, the securement end being coupled to the base pallet;
(ii) being reconfigurable between a bundled configuration and an extended configuration;
and
(iii) having an extended length when in the extended configuration, the extended length being sufficient to enable the terminal end to extend outward of the door threshold when the palletized cargo unit is in the transport position;
wherein
(a) for each of the palletized cargo units in the set, the base pallet is slidably pullable toward the door threshold away from the closed end by way of line tension applied to the extraction line;
and
(b) the line tension is configured to be applied by way of a line securement element of the forklift;
wherein
(a) the line securement element is a line catch affixed to the forklift;
and
(b) for each palletized cargo unit in the set, the line tension is configured to be applied by way of the forklift moving away from the door threshold with the terminal end secured to the line catch;
and
wherein the system further comprises
(a) a door threshold sensor affixed to the transport container and configured to detect when a said palletized cargo unit reaches the door threshold during the slidable pulling;
and
(b) a door threshold alarm unit configured to alert the forklift driver of the detection.

20 more elements

17:

A system for unloading palletized cargo units from a transport container by way of a forklift, the system comprising:
a set of palletized cargo units in a sequential arrangement along a transfer axis within the transport container, the transfer axis extending from a closed end of the transport container to a door threshold of the transport container, each palletized cargo unit in the set having
(a) a transport position within the sequential arrangement;
(b) a base pallet on which a cargo load is supported, the base pallet being configured to receive forks of the forklift when the base pallet is at the door threshold;
and
(c) an extraction line
(i) having a securement end and a terminal end, the securement end being coupled to the base pallet;
(ii) being reconfigurable between a bundled configuration and an extended configuration;
and
(iii) having an extended length when in the extended configuration, the extended length being sufficient to enable the terminal end to extend outward of the door threshold when the palletized cargo unit is in the transport position;
wherein
(a) for each of the palletized cargo units in the set, the base pallet is slidably pullable toward the door threshold away from the closed end by way of line tension applied to the extraction line;
and
(b) the line tension is configured to be applied by way of a line securement element of the forklift;
wherein
(a) each palletized cargo unit comprises:
(i) a first array of gas cylinders;
(ii) a second array of gas cylinders disposed above the first array of gas cylinders;
(iii) a third array of gas cylinders disposed above the second array of gas cylinders;
(iv) a fourth array of gas cylinders disposed above the third array of gas cylinders;
and
(v) a fifth array of gas cylinders disposed above the fourth array of gas cylinders;
(b) each of the gas cylinders includes a foot portion, a handle portion, and a tank main axis extending from the foot portion through the handle portion;
and
(c) for each of the first, second, third and fourth arrays of gas cylinders, the handle portion of each gas cylinder in the array is at least partially received by the foot portion of a corresponding one of the gas cylinders in the array disposed thereabove;
and
wherein
(a) each palletized cargo unit comprises an intermediate pallet, the intermediate pallet includes a plurality of handle pass-through apertures;
and
(b) the handle portion of each gas cylinder in the third array at least partially extends through a corresponding one of the handle pass-through apertures.

27 more elements

39:

A palletized cargo unit comprising:
(a) a base pallet configured to receive forks of a forklift;
(b) an intermediate pallet including a plurality of handle pass-through apertures;
(c) a first array of gas cylinders;
(d) a second array of gas cylinders disposed above the first array of gas cylinders;
(e) a third array of gas cylinders disposed above the second array of gas cylinders;
(f) a fourth array of gas cylinders disposed above the third array of gas cylinders;
and
(g) a fifth array of gas cylinders disposed above the fourth array of gas cylinders;
wherein
(i) each of the gas cylinders includes a foot portion, a handle portion, and a tank main axis extending from the foot portion through the handle portion;
(ii) for each of the first, second, third and fourth arrays of gas cylinders, the handle portion of each gas cylinder in the array is at least partially received by the foot portion of a corresponding one of the gas cylinders in the array disposed thereabove;
and
(iii) the handle portion of each gas cylinder in the third array at least partially extends through a corresponding one of the handle pass-through apertures;
and
wherein
(a) each gas cylinder includes a strap aperture at the handle portion;
(b) a lower cargo grouping is defined at least in part by the combination of the base pallet, and the first array, second array and third array of gas cylinders;
(c) an upper cargo grouping is defined at least in part by the combination of the intermediate pallet and the fourth array, fifth array and sixth array of gas cylinders;
(d) a first vertical securement strap extends in closed loop fashion through the base pallet and through the strap apertures of the gas cylinders in the first column of the third array;
(e) a second vertical securement strap extends in closed loop fashion through the base pallet and through the strap apertures of the gas cylinders in the fourth column of the third array;
(f) a first horizontal securement strap extends in closed loop fashion around the third array;
(g) a third vertical securement strap extends in closed loop fashion under the intermediate pallet and through the strap apertures of the gas cylinders in the first column of the fifth array;
(h) a fourth vertical securement strap extends in closed loop fashion under the intermediate pallet and through the strap apertures of the gas cylinders in the fourth column of the fifth array;
and
(i) a second horizontal securement strap extends in closed loop fashion around the fifth array.

23 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for unloading palletized cargo from a transport container, and associated configurations of palletized gas cylinder cargo

Life of this patent

System and method for unloading palletized cargo from a transport container, and associated configurations of palletized gas cylinder cargo

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims40