Container space indicating tape and method
OwnerJames A. Graston, Timothy A. Grastoninventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A container space indicating tape comprising an elongated substrate with an outer surface and an inner surface designed to be longitudinally aligned and attached to the sidewall in a trailer or cargo container. Printed in the outer surface of the substrate are forward and rearward measurement indicators which inform a viewer of the distance and/or the amount of space occupied or available in the trailer or cargo container at a particular reference point or location therein. In the embodiments described herein, the measurement indicators include either English or Metric distance and volume units or the number of pallets. A method of loading cargo using the above tape is also provided.
Claims13
A container space indicator tape for a trailer, comprising:
- a. an elongated substrate having a front edge, a rear edge, an outer surface and an inner surface, said substrate being sufficient in length to longitudinally extend the entire length of a trailer;
- b. an attachment means attached to said inner surface of said substrate thereby enabling said substrate to be attached to a trailer;
- c. a plurality of forward measurement indicators spaced apart and printed on said outer surface of said substrate, each said forward measurement indicator including a marking indicator, a forward distance indicator indicating the distance from said marking indicator to said front edge of said substrate and a rearward distance indicator indicating the distance from the marking indicator to said rear edge of said substrate;
- d. a plurality of forward volume/space indicators printed on said outer surface of said substrate that indicates the amount of storage space from said marking indicator to said front edge of said substrate;
- e. a plurality of rearward volume/space indicators printed on said outer surface of said substrate that indicates the amount of storage space from said marking indicator to said rear edge of said substrate.
A container space indicator tape for a trailer, comprising:
- a. an elongated substrate having an outer surface and an inner surface, said substrate being sufficient in length to longitudinally extend the entire length of a trailer;
- b. an attachment means attached to said inner surface of said substrate thereby enabling said substrate to be attached to a trailer;
- c. a forward pallet indicator printed on said outer surface of said substrate;
- d. a forward cube indicator on said outer surface of said substrate;
- e. a rearward pallet indicator printed on said outer surface of said substrate;
- f. a rearward cube indicator printed on said outer surface of said substrate.
A method of loading cargo onto a trailer, comprising the following steps:
- a. selecting a container space indicating tape, said tape having forward and rearward distance indicators and forward and rearward volume/space indicators printed thereon;
- b. determining the front reference point and rear reference point on the trailer;
- c. longitudinally aligning and attaching said tape to a side wall on the trailer so that said tape begins at said front reference point and terminates at said rear reference point of said trailer;
- d. visually examining the forward and rearward distance and forward and rearward volume/space indicators to determine the distance or the amount of space available in the trailer;
- e. selecting a sufficient amount of cargo to be placed in said trailer in accordance with said forward and rearward measurement indicators;
- and,
- f. loading the cargo onto said trailer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.