Transport refrigeration unit with removable power pack frame

In a transport refrigeration unit including an exterior section adapted to be mounted on the front face of a transport trailer or the like, an interior section including a refrigerant evaporator adapted to project rearwardly from the top, rear part of said exterior section into said trailer, and including a refrigerant compressor and at least an internal combustion engine for driving said compressor, a construction and structural arrangement of elements for said unit comprising:

• said exterior section is of generally rectangular box shape and of significantly greater height than width, and includes a refrigerant condenser generally vertically disposed at the upper front face of said exterior section;
• said exterior section includes means defining a front opening having a height from closely adjacent the bottom of said exterior section to closely adjacent the lower edge of said condenser, and a width for substantially the width of said exterior section;
• power pack frame means disposed in the lower portion of said exterior section for mounting, in separated relation and independently, at least both said engine and said compressor at vertically displaced levels, said engine being located with its base at a substantially lower level than the level of the base of said compressor;
• said engine and compressor being disposed with their output and input ends, respectively, projecting in directs toward each other and with the compressor input end overlying said engine output end, each of said ends including first pulley means connected by first belt means lying in a vertical plane transverse to the width of said exterior section for driving said compressor input means from said engine when it operates;
• said power pack frame means includes an engine mount section including front and rear bottom horizontal rails to which said engine is secured, and front and rear vertical gusset members of generally rhomboid shape extending from closely adjacent one side of said exterior section for a major part of the length of said frame means and having said engine mounted in nested relation therebetween, said frame means including upper rail means extending from said gusset members to adjacent the other side of said section, said upper rail means supporting compressor mounting means.