US 6,142,727 A · Methods relating to lift-liners

Abstract

A system provides a lift-liner for efficient transport of units of bulk cargo (especially bulk cargo that is radioactive hazardous material waste), and economical disposal of the lift-liner for storage of the waste therein. The cargo is transported in the lift-liner from a remediation site to a railroad siding, during transport on a railroad gondola car, from the gondola car to a waste storage site, and within such storage site to a storage cell, in which the lift-liner and the waste therein are placed. The units are defined by the lift-liner, which is capable of containing up to ten tons of the waste. A container of the lift-liner is provided with straps connected to four walls and a bottom between corners of the container. The straps receive more than ten tons of vertical lifting force from a lift grid having a connector vertically above and aligned with each strap. The straps assist the container in containing the waste and apply vertical forces to the walls and to the bottom to lift the container from a surface. Embodiments of the lift-liner are provided for waste in the form of contaminated dirt, and for contaminated demolition materials. Methods include steps for providing the lift-liner with the container and the straps, and for loading the gondola car efficiently with fewer than ten units (of ten tons each) to minimize the number of unit loading operations needed to fill the gondola car.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method of defining a liftable container for a unit of bulk cargo having a weight of at least eight tons, the method comprising the operations of:

providing a bulk cargo unit container comprising a flexible container made from sheet-like material that defines a three dimensional enclosure having an open top, a plurality of opposite sides including opposite first and second sides and opposite third and fourth sides, and at least one bottom between the opposite sides;
the at least one bottom being a continuous extension of the respective first and second sides or the respective third and fourth sides;
the container defining a volume sufficient to contain at least eight tons of the bulk cargo;
and
providing a lifter with the container, the lifter comprising a plurality of straps, each of the straps being formed separately from the container, each of the straps being provided with opposite strap ends having a separate respective first and second connector loop, each of the straps having a continuous uncut length between the strap ends, at least five of the straps being arranged to extend uncut in a uniformly spaced parallel relationship in a continuous path along and being secured to the first opposite side and extending in the continuous path and being secured to the bottom and extending in the continuous path along and being secured to the second opposite side with the respective loops and the corresponding strap ends extending away from the container;
at least three of the straps being arranged to extend uncut in a uniformly spaced parallel relationship in a continuous path along and being secured to the third opposite side and extending in the continuous path and being secured to the bottom and extending in the continuous path along and being secured to the fourth opposite side with the respective loops and the corresponding strap ends extending away from the container;
the securing to the bottom of the at least five straps and the at least three straps being to arrange the respective at least five straps and the respective at least three straps in the respective uniformly spaced parallel relationship and extending into intersection with each other across the bottom to define a grid of continuous uncut separate straps secured to the continuous bottom;
the respective loops of the lifter being able to receive an aggregate of at least eight tons of lifting force;
the straps being capable of collectively applying to the container at least eight tons of lifting force.

6 more elements

A method of lifting a unit of bulk cargo having a weight of at least eight tons, the method comprising the operations of:

providing at least one central lift point to which at least one lifting force is applied;
providing a first container for a unit of the bulk cargo, the container being flexible and made from sheet-like material that defines a three dimensional enclosure having an open top, a plurality of opposite walls, and a bottom;
a first pair of the walls being opposite to each other;
a second pair of the walls being opposite to each other;
the container defining a volume sufficient to contain at least eight tons of the bulk cargo;
securing a plurality of straps to the container, each of the straps being secured in a continuous path along one of the opposite walls and extending in the continuous path along the bottom and extending in the continuous path along another of the opposite walls, each of the straps having a first coupling adjacent to the top and the one opposite wall and having a second coupling adjacent to the top and the other opposite wall;
the straps being in such number and being made from such material that the straps are capable of collectively applying to the container at least sixteen thousand pounds of lifting force;
the plurality of straps being provided in a first set of at least five straps extending in the continuous paths along and being secured to one of the opposite walls of the first pair of walls and extending in the continuous paths along and being secured to the bottom and extending in the continuous paths along and being secured to the other opposite wall of the first pair of walls;
the plurality of straps being provided in a second set of at least three straps extending in the continuous paths along and being secured to one of the opposite wall of the second pair of walls and extending in the continuous paths along and being secured to the bottom and extending in the continuous paths along and being secured to the other of the opposite walls of the second pair of walls;
the securing of the first and second sets of straps providing the straps uniformly spaced from each other with the straps of one set crossing the straps of the other set on the bottom to define generally equal areas of the bottom of the container, wherein each of the generally equal areas is bounded on four sides by the straps;
placing the bottom of the container on a support surface with the walls substantially vertical and the top open;
placing the bulk cargo having a weight of at least eight tons into the container through the open top;
dividing the lifting force into a plurality of substantially vertical upward forces, the aggregate of the substantially vertical upward forces being sufficient to lift the container off the support surface;
and
simultaneously applying one of the plurality of substantially vertical upward forces to each of the first and second couplings, the aggregate of the substantially vertical forces applied to all of the couplings being at least eight tons.

12 more elements

A method of fabricating a container for lifting a unit of bulk cargo having a weight of a least eight tons, the method comprising the operations of:

defining a three dimensional enclosure having an open top, a plurality of walls including opposite first and second walls defining a length and opposite third and fourth walls defining a width, and a bottom defined by at least one uncut member that is an extension of at least a portion of the respective opposite first and second walls or of the respective opposite third and fourth walls;
the enclosure defining a volume sufficient to contain at least eight tons of the bulk cargo;
the enclosure having an outside surface;
and
providing on the outside surface at least eight straps formed separately from the enclosure, each of the straps extending uncut between opposite strap ends in a continuous path along and being secured to a first of the walls and extending in the continuous path along and being secured to the bottom and extending in the continuous path along and being secured to the second wall opposite to the first wall;
the opposite strap ends extending separately away from the walls;
the continuous paths of at least five of the straps being parallel to each other, the continuous paths of at least three of the straps being parallel to each other;
the straps being made from such material that the strap ends are capable of collectively receiving an aggregate of at least eight tons of substantially vertical lifting force and via the at least five straps and the at least three straps collectively applying to the container at least eight tons of lifting force.

5 more elements

A method of fabricating a container-lifter for lifting a unit of bulk cargo having a weight of at least eight tons, the method comprising the operations of:

defining a hollow rectangular parallelepiped-shaped flexible enclosure having a plurality of walls, a bottom, and a corner between adjacent ones of the walls;
a first pair of the walls being opposite to each other, a second pair of the walls being opposite to each other;
the enclosure defining a volume sufficient to contain at least eight tons of the bulk cargo;
the enclosure having outside surfaces extending between adjacent ones of the corners;
the walls being arranged at right angles to each other and to the bottom;
defining separately from the enclosure a first group of straps, each of the straps having a first end and a second end, the first group of straps comprising at least five straps;
defining separately from the enclosure a second group of straps, each of the straps having a first end and a second end, the second set of straps comprising at least three straps;
providing on the outside surfaces of the first pair of the walls of the enclosure the first group of straps;
each of the straps of the first group extending parallel to each other and along and being connected to the outside surface of a first wall of the first pair of walls and of the bottom and of a second wall of the first pair of walls;
providing on the outside surfaces of the second pair of the walls of the enclosure the second group of straps;
each of the straps of the second group extending parallel to each other and along and being connected to the outside surface of a third wall of the second pair of walls and of the bottom and of a fourth wall of the second pair of walls;
the straps being made from such material that the straps are capable of collectively applying to the container at least eight tons of lifting force;
and
the straps of the first group and of the second group each being uniformly spaced from the other and crossing the bottom and on the bottom being at right angles with respect to each other.

11 more elements

A method of defining a unit of bulk cargo having a weight in excess of eight tons, the method comprising the operations of:

providing a bulk cargo unit container comprising a flexible container made from sheet-like material that defines a three dimensional enclosure having an open top, a plurality of opposite sides, and a bottom;
a first pair of the sides being opposite to each other;
a second pair of the sides being opposite to each other;
the container defining a volume sufficient to contain in excess of eight tons of the bulk cargo;
and
providing the container with a plurality of straps, each of the straps extending in a continuous path along and being secured to one of the opposite sides and extending in the continuous path along and being secured to the bottom and extending in the continuous path along and secured to another of the opposite sides;
the straps being in such number and being made from such material that the straps are capable of collectively applying to the container more than sixteen thousand pounds of force;
the plurality of straps being provided in a first set of five straps extending in the continuous paths along and being secured to one of the opposite sides of the first pair of sides and extending in the continuous paths along and being secured to the bottom and extending in the continuous paths along and being secured to the other opposite side of the first pair of sides;
the plurality of straps being provided in a second set of three straps extending in the continuous paths along and being secured to one of the opposite sides of the second pair of sides and extending in the continuous paths along and being secured to the bottom and extending in the continuous paths along and being secured to the other of the opposite sides of the second pair of sides;
the providing of the first and second sets of straps providing the straps in the sets of straps uniformly spaced from each other with the straps of one set crossing the straps of the other set on the bottom to define generally equal areas of the bottom of the container, wherein each of the generally equal areas is bounded on four sides by the straps.

7 more elements

A method of defining a unit of bulk cargo having a weight of at least eight tons, the method comprising the operations of:

providing a bulk cargo unit container comprising a flexible container made from sheet-like material that defines a three dimensional enclosure having an open top, a plurality of opposite sides, and a bottom;
a first pair of the sides being opposite to each other;
a second pair of the sides being opposite to each other, the container defining a volume sufficient to contain at least eight tons of the bulk cargo;
and
providing the container with a plurality of straps, each of the straps extending in a continuous path along and being secured to one of the opposite sides and extending in the continuous path along and being secured to the bottom and extending in the continuous path along and secured to another of the opposite sides;
the straps being in such number and being made from such material that the straps are capable of collectively applying to the container at least eight tons of lifting force;
the plurality of straps being provided in a first set of at least five straps extending in the continuous paths along and being secured to one of the opposite sides of the first pair of sides and extending in the continuous paths along and being secured to the bottom and extending in the continuous paths along and being secured to the other opposite side of the first pair of sides;
the plurality of straps being provided in a second set of at least three straps extending in the continuous paths along and being secured to one of the opposite sides of the second pair of sides and extending in the continuous paths along and being secured to the bottom and extending in the continuous paths along and being secured to the other of the opposite sides of the second pair of sides;
the providing of the first and second sets of straps being effective to provide the straps in the sets of straps uniformly spaced from each other with the straps of one set crossing the straps of the other set on the bottom to define generally equal areas of the bottom of the container, wherein each of the generally areas is bounded on four sides by the straps.