GB2128591A

GB2128591A - Stackable storage containers

Info

Publication number: GB2128591A
Application number: GB08326687A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Floyd
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-10-05
Filing date: 1983-10-05
Publication date: 1984-05-02
Also published as: GB8326687D0; GB2128591B

Abstract

Storage containers (10, 11) are provided which may be stacked in columns of four wherein at least the top three containers (11) have slidably removable bottom plates (11A). The column with the plates (11A) removed is placed below a duct or conveyor delivery discharge, each plate (11A) to be inserted into tracking grooves (12) of a container (11) when the level of goods/material delivered from said duct or conveyor reaches the top of each subjacent container. The column is made mobile by resting on a wheeled trolley (14). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Storage containers This invention relates to a method of handling, and containers for holding goods/material for example shredded natural material such as tobacco.

In a sequence of stages in manufacturing cigarettes from tobacco, there is a stage whereat shredded tobacco is fed through ducts or the like to a store room wherein it is collect in bins and held for use in a further stage of admixing different shredded grades and/or qualities to obtain a desired blend. Heretofore, due to lack of available space in such store room, these bins have been manhandled from collection location to storage location, and then from storage location as required to emptying location into blending machinery. Manhandling of the bins is required since there is not enough room to enable mechanical handling apparatus to be used.The above described sequences of stages is labour intensive since each bin is filled individually by placing below a duct delivering air-entrained shredding tobacco and once filled, is stored in stacks, of at least four bins high and thereafter emptied individually, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of handling, and containers for holding, goods in order to reduce the amount of manhandling of containers.

According to the present invention, there is provided first and second storage containers to be used together in a stackable columnar formation, the first container having a bottom and an upstanding wall surround, and the second container having a wall surround similar in vertical and horizontal cross-sectional dimensions to the first container surround withtracking grooves in said surround to receive a slidably removable bottom plate, the bottom of the wall surround of the second container being stackable with top of the wall surround of the first container.

Preferably, a series of containers may be provided similar to the second container, each stackable with another.

Further according to the present invention, a method of handling goods material comprises the steps of providing first and second storage containers as provided in the second next preceding paragraph, stacking the wall surround of the said second container on top of the upstanding surround of the first container, locating said stacked first and second containers below a discharge end of a goods/material delivery duct or conveyor, energising said conveyor to discharge goods/material into the open top of the stacked containers, and as the goods/material delivered thereinto fill up to the top of the surround of the first container, inserting the bottom plate of the second container into its pertaining tracking grooves, de-energising said conveyor when the level of goods/material reaches the top of the second container, and moving the filled stacked containers to a storage location.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying schematic drawing which shows a side elevation of a stacked column of containers.

Referring to the drawings, a first type rectangular container 10 and a series of three second type rectangular containers 11 are provided to be used together in stackabie columnar formations. The first type container has a bottom 1 OA and an upstanding surround 1 OB, each second type container 11 has a wall surround 1 B similar in vertical and horizontal cross-sectional dimensions to the first container surround 1 OB with a slidably removable bottom plate 1 A located in tracking grooves 12 in said surround 11 B. A downwardly-extending skirt 1 3 is provided peripherally around the bottom edge of the surround 11 B to assist in stacking and to prevent dislodgement of a suprajacent stacked container from its subjacent container.In a modification, only short length corner skirts are provided. A wheeled trolley 14 is provided of suitably dimensions to enable the first type container 10 to sit on top of it and a rim 15 is provided on the trolley 1 4 to hold the container 10 thereon. Alternatively, four castors on wheels may be secured, one at each corner, under bottom 10A.

In use, a stacked column of a first type container 10 surmounted by three second type containers 11 are provided. All the bottom plates 1 A are removed and the stack is located below a discharge end of a goods/material delivery duct or conveyor. The duct or conveyor is energised to discharge goods/material into the open top of the stacked containers. As the goods/material delivered thereinto fill up to the top of the surround of the lowermost container 10, a bottom plate 1 A is inserted into the tracking grooves 1 2 of the lowermost of the three second type containers 11, and the other bottom plates 1 A are inserted as the surrounds 11 B are successively filled with goods/material untii the uppermost container 11 is filled.The duct or conveyor is deenergised and the stacked column of containers is moved to a storage location and a second similar empty stacked column of containers is located under the discharge end of the duct or conveyor and the cycle is repeated.

As the full stacked containers are required, each column is moved to the required location and each container is manhandled and emptied; care being taken in the manhandling to prevent the bottom plates 1 A from slipping or falling out of their pertaining tracks.

In a modification, all four containers are of the second type, care being taken to ensure the bottom plate of the lowermost container is always in full registry in the pertaining tracking grooves of the surround prior to goods being fed thereinto.

1. First and second storage containers to be used together in a stackable columnar formation, the first container having a bottom and an upstanding wall surround, and the second

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Storage containers This invention relates to a method of handling, and containers for holding goods/material for example shredded natural material such as tobacco. In a sequence of stages in manufacturing cigarettes from tobacco, there is a stage whereat shredded tobacco is fed through ducts or the like to a store room wherein it is collect in bins and held for use in a further stage of admixing different shredded grades and/or qualities to obtain a desired blend. Heretofore, due to lack of available space in such store room, these bins have been manhandled from collection location to storage location, and then from storage location as required to emptying location into blending machinery. Manhandling of the bins is required since there is not enough room to enable mechanical handling apparatus to be used.The above described sequences of stages is labour intensive since each bin is filled individually by placing below a duct delivering air-entrained shredding tobacco and once filled, is stored in stacks, of at least four bins high and thereafter emptied individually, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of handling, and containers for holding, goods in order to reduce the amount of manhandling of containers. According to the present invention, there is provided first and second storage containers to be used together in a stackable columnar formation, the first container having a bottom and an upstanding wall surround, and the second container having a wall surround similar in vertical and horizontal cross-sectional dimensions to the first container surround withtracking grooves in said surround to receive a slidably removable bottom plate, the bottom of the wall surround of the second container being stackable with top of the wall surround of the first container. Preferably, a series of containers may be provided similar to the second container, each stackable with another. Further according to the present invention, a method of handling goods material comprises the steps of providing first and second storage containers as provided in the second next preceding paragraph, stacking the wall surround of the said second container on top of the upstanding surround of the first container, locating said stacked first and second containers below a discharge end of a goods/material delivery duct or conveyor, energising said conveyor to discharge goods/material into the open top of the stacked containers, and as the goods/material delivered thereinto fill up to the top of the surround of the first container, inserting the bottom plate of the second container into its pertaining tracking grooves, de-energising said conveyor when the level of goods/material reaches the top of the second container, and moving the filled stacked containers to a storage location. An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying schematic drawing which shows a side elevation of a stacked column of containers. Referring to the drawings, a first type rectangular container 10 and a series of three second type rectangular containers 11 are provided to be used together in stackabie columnar formations. The first type container has a bottom 1 OA and an upstanding surround 1 OB, each second type container 11 has a wall surround 1 B similar in vertical and horizontal cross-sectional dimensions to the first container surround 1 OB with a slidably removable bottom plate 1 A located in tracking grooves 12 in said surround 11 B. A downwardly-extending skirt 1 3 is provided peripherally around the bottom edge of the surround 11 B to assist in stacking and to prevent dislodgement of a suprajacent stacked container from its subjacent container.In a modification, only short length corner skirts are provided. A wheeled trolley 14 is provided of suitably dimensions to enable the first type container 10 to sit on top of it and a rim 15 is provided on the trolley 1 4 to hold the container 10 thereon. Alternatively, four castors on wheels may be secured, one at each corner, under bottom 10A. In use, a stacked column of a first type container 10 surmounted by three second type containers 11 are provided. All the bottom plates 1 A are removed and the stack is located below a discharge end of a goods/material delivery duct or conveyor. The duct or conveyor is energised to discharge goods/material into the open top of the stacked containers. As the goods/material delivered thereinto fill up to the top of the surround of the lowermost container 10, a bottom plate 1 A is inserted into the tracking grooves 1 2 of the lowermost of the three second type containers 11, and the other bottom plates 1 A are inserted as the surrounds 11 B are successively filled with goods/material untii the uppermost container 11 is filled.The duct or conveyor is deenergised and the stacked column of containers is moved to a storage location and a second similar empty stacked column of containers is located under the discharge end of the duct or conveyor and the cycle is repeated. As the full stacked containers are required, each column is moved to the required location and each container is manhandled and emptied; care being taken in the manhandling to prevent the bottom plates 1 A from slipping or falling out of their pertaining tracks. In a modification, all four containers are of the second type, care being taken to ensure the bottom plate of the lowermost container is always in full registry in the pertaining tracking grooves of the surround prior to goods being fed thereinto. CLAIMS

1. First and second storage containers to be used together in a stackable columnar formation, the first container having a bottom and an upstanding wall surround, and the second container having a wall surround similar in vertical and horizontal cross-sectional dimensions to the first container surround with tracking grooves in said surround to receive a slidably removable bottom plate, the bottom of the wall surround of the second container being stackable with top of the wall surround of the first container.

2. Containers as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the containers are rectangular and a series of containers are provided similar to the second container, each stackable with another.

3. Containers as claimed in Claim 2, wherein each second container has a downwardlyextending skirt peripherally around the bottom edge of the surround to assist in stacking and to prevent dislodgement between stacked containers.

4. Containers as claimed in Claim 2, wherein each second container has four downwardlyextending corner skirts projecting from the corners of the botton edge of the surround to assist in stacking and to prevent dislodgement between stacked containers.

5. Containers as claimed in Claims 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein a wheeled trolley is provided of dimensions suitable to enable the first container to sit thereon whereby a stacked column of containers is made mobile.

6. Containers as claimed in Claims 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein four castors or wheels are secured to underneath the bottom of the first container, one at each corner whereby a stacked column of containers is made mobile.

7. A method of handling goods/material comprises the steps of providing first and second storage containers as provided in the second next preceding paragraph, stacking the wall surround of the said second container on top of the upstanding surround of the first container, locating said stacked first and second containers below a discharge end of a goods/material delivery duct or conveyor, energising said conveyor to discharge goods/material into the open top of the stacked containers, and as the goods/material delivered thereinto fill up to the top of the surround of the first container, inserting the bottom plate of the second container into its pertaining tracking grooves, de-energising said conveyor when the level of goods/material reaches the top of the second container, and moving the filled stacked containers to a storage location.

8. Containers substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

9. A method of handling goods/material substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.