Cargo-transfer apparatus and method
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Abstract
Apparatus and method for cargo transfer. The method and apparatus encompass a shipping terminal with a marine-side and a land-side and a computer-controlled multi-level cargo-sled storage structure placed between the two sides. Cargo is received on the land-side from a land vehicle, transferred onto a cargo sled, which is then stored in the cargo-sled storage structure. When ready for shipping, the cargo sled is retrieved from the storage structure and stuffed into a cargo container on the marine-side, which is then loaded onto a ship. Method and apparatus reduce by up to a factor of eight the required number of cargo containers required to efficiently service shipping vessels.
Claims3
A method of transferring cargo between a ground transport and a marine vessel, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) transporting land-transported cargo in said ground transport to a land-side cargo apron of a first marine terminal equipped with an automated retrieval-and-storage system (ASIRS), a cargo sled storage structure, and a cargo sled that is movable into and out of said cargo-sled storage structure by said automated retrieval-and-storage system;
- b) removing said land-transported cargo from said ground transport;
- c) loading said land-transported cargo onto said cargo sled and moving said cargo sled into said cargo-sled storage structure;
- d) moving said cargo sled from said cargo-sled storage structure onto a marine-side cargo apron and loading said cargo sled into a marine-side cargo container;
- e) loading said marine-side cargo container onto said marine vessel;
- and
- f) transporting said marine-side cargo container to a second marine terminal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.