US 3,980,196 AGranted

Lining of containers for bulk cargo

AssigneeUnited States Lines, Inc.

InventorsJohn T. Paulyson, John P. Travis

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Abstract

A pair of flexible, load distributing, front cross members, a rear frame, and a rear bulkhead mounted on the rear frame, mount and securely retain a flexible bag as a liner within a freight container, truck trailer or the like, to adapt the container for bulk cargo transport. The front cross members retain the front end of the liner bag in generally rectangular configuration and are secured at opposite ends to structural members of the container, thus supporting the front end of the bag against displacement and possible damage or rupture, and transmitting the bag forces to the structural members. The rear frame and a curved bulkhead mounted thereon support the rear end of the bag and similarly prevent its rupture or collapse during loading and tilt-unloading. The laterally curved rear bulkhead also acts as a funnel to completely evacuate the bag contents during tilt-unloading through an opening therethrough. The arrangement is inexpensive and easy to install and, although all of its components may be disposed of after a single use, at least the cross members and the frame components can be reused.

Claims20

Dependent claims

In a cargo container of the type having a floor, side walls, a roof, a rear doorway and a front wall, said front wall having a pair of laterally spaced portions resistent to displacement toward each other and disposed adjacent one of said floor and said roof, a liner bag adapting the container for receiving bulk cargo, and supporting means for supporting said liner bag within the container, comprising front supporting means including a flexible, load distributing cross member extending transversely and continuously substantially across said front wall of the container, said cross member being flexible in the sense that it is deformable under load applied in lateral direction along the length thereof to distribute said load substantially uniformly therealong, means securing said cross member at one of its ends to one of said portions and at its opposite end to the other of said portions, said liner bag having respective transversely extending upper and lower front end attachments areas, one of said liner front end attachment areas being connected to and extending along said cross member, and retaining means retaining the other of said liner front end attachment areas substantially adjacent to and extending transversely substantially across said front wall of the container at a height location spaced from said cross member whereby, when said container is tilted to unload said bulk cargo via its said rear doorway, said cross member retains the liner front end attachment area connected thereto in position substantially adjacent to said front wall and said cross member is held under tension.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.