Transport apparatus

Abstract

The invention provides transport apparatus for transporting a plurality of cars. The apparatus comprises a container ( 1 ) and a plurality of removable lifting trays ( 34 ). The container ( 1 ) has corrugated side walls ( 2,4 ). The apparatus includes a plurality of reinforced side regions ( 22 ) at or adjacent the side walls ( 2,4 ), the reinforced regions ( 22 ) include a plurality of mounting means ( 30 ). The apparatus also comprises at least two removable lifting trays ( 34 ) for supporting a car thereon, each tray being suitable for supporting either front or rear wheels of a car. Each tray ( 34 ) includes locating means ( 40 ) on opposite sides thereof. The reinforced side regions ( 22 ) and trays ( 34 ) are arranged such the trays can be secured between reinforced side regions using by engaging the locating means ( 40 ) and mounting means ( 30 ) of the reinforced regions ( 22 ) to secure the tray ( 34 ) relative to the container ( 1 ) such that a car supported on said trays may be suspended off the floor during transport of said container.

1 . A freight container having corrugated side walls, end walls, a floor, a roof, doors in one end wall and means for supporting cars inside the container, the car supporting means comprising load carrying columns associated with respective corrugations of the side walls and a plurality of trays each for receiving either the front or the rear wheels of a car, wherein the trays have latching means adapted to latch the trays to load carrying columns on opposite sides of the container at any one of a range of possible latching positions at different heights on the columns.  
   
   
       2 . A freight container as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the load carrying columns include apertures with which the latching means may engage.  
   
   
       3 . A freight container as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the load carrying columns are permanently attached to the container walls.  
   
   
       4 . A freight container as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the latching means comprise spring loaded bolts which are biased to a predetermined position.  
   
   
       5 . A freight container as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the container further comprises false floor panels comprising floor latching means on opposite sides thereof, the load bearing columns further comprising floor mounting means with which floor latching means can be engaged to secure the false floor panels relative to the container such that a false floor, above the container floor is created.  
   
   
       6 . A freight container as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the floor of the container includes recessed channels substantially parallel with the walls of the container such that portions of the underside of a flat base of a pallet on said floor are accessible for moving apparatus.  
   
   
       7 . A freight container as claimed in  claim 6 , the apparatus further including moving apparatus, said moving apparatus being adapted such that tines of the moving apparatus may be located substantially within the channels with a top surface of the tines below the floor of the container such that the tines may be positioned below a pallet resting on the floor, the tines being adapted such that top surface may be raised above the floor to raise the pallet off the floor.  
   
   
       8 . A method of supporting cars in a freight container which has corrugated side walls, end walls, a floor, a roof and doors in one end wall, wherein the front wheels of a car to be transported in the container are located on a first tray extending from side to side of the container and the rear wheels are located on a second tray also extending from side to side of the container the trays are raised towards the roof of the container, with one of the trays being raised to a different height than the other, and the trays are latched at respective different heights to load-carrying columns located in the corrugated side walls, so that the car is supported at an angle to the floor of the container.  
   
   
       9 . A method as claimed in  claim 8 , in which the raising the trays includes at least two raising stages, the first being raising the trays at substantially the same level and latching the trays to the load-carrying columns, then releasing one tray and altering the height of that tray before latching the tray to the load-carrying columns at a different height.