Method and apparatus for containerized shipment of automobiles

A portable and collapsible car rack for loading and shipping cars in a standardized intermodal container, said rack comprising:

• (a) a lower tier for receiving a car, said tier having a first and a second end, and defining a pair of wheel receiving channels for said car and a first longitudinal axis;
• (b) an upper tier for receiving a second car, said upper tier formed of first, second and third beam members, said second beam member defining a pair of wheel receiving channels for a car and a second longitudinal axis, said upper tier being pivotally mounted to said lower tier by said first beam member at a first end thereof to define a pivot axis, so that the upper tier may be pivoted about said pivot axis from a first collapsed position wherein said first and second longitudinal axis overly one another, to a second erected position with said second longitudinal axis forming an acute angle with said first longitudinal axis,
• (c) a first knuckle defined by said upper tier between said first beam member and said second beam member, said first and second beam members being joined together at said first knuckle to define a first obtuse angle to enhance the vertical clearance between said upper and lower tiers when said upper tier is pivoted into its second erected position, said first knuckle and said first beam member defining a clearance space for an end of a car to be received by said lower tier;
• (d) a second knuckle defined by said upper tier between said third beam member and said second beam member, said second and said third beam members being joined together at said second knuckle to define a second obtuse angle, said third beam member defining a car ramp for receiving a car which is driven onto said upper tier when said upper tier is collapsed into its first position;
• (e) a pair of inner rails and a pair of outer rails formed at said second knuckle of said upper tier which together form a pair of wheel receiving channels of said car ramp and which join with said wheel receiving channels of said second beam member, with the outer rails defining said second knuckle as a second outer knuckle and with said inner rails of each wheel receiving channel defining a separate inner knuckle further from said second end than said second outer knuckle, said inner knuckle providing additional undercarriage clearance for cars driving thereover;
• (f) a folding vertical frame at said second end of said lower tier to support said upper tier in said second erected position and thereby define a second car receiving space therebetween when said vertical frame is secured to said tiers;
• and
• (g) means for securing said cars to said tiers for shipment.