Container cargo system and process

Abstract

A system of transporting and process of handling cargo efficiently utilizing water trade lanes and appropriate apparatus. The system enables the optimum use of apparatus in such a way as to handle cargo most efficiently between land and water as well as from port to port; a close-functioning system with each piece of apparatus matched to the others specifically to work together collaboratively; including river or ocean port slips, traversing gantry cranes and vessels; includes the actual handling of cargo at each port by the apparatus as well as transporting cargo between the originating ports and the destination ports; first at the ports where the cargo surrounds the vessels in the port slips on three sides for maximum efficiency when transshipping cargo via the gantry cranes; then when the vessels themselves are transporting cargo between ports, the method includes apparatus which provides optimum handling of cargo by addressing and resolving, via vessel configuration, the problems of the vagaries of channel characteristics, primarily depth changes, but also lock sizes in shallow draft waters; the vessels designed to transport cargo in short sea and ocean sea states and then return to shallow draft conditions, if required; note that all apparatus continues to be compatible with legacy (traditional) apparatus; thus total efficiency for handling and transporting cargo with our system using our process, compared to present systems and processes, is significantly enhanced.

1 . A system of barging comprising: 
 a. buoyant barge vessels having hull, walls and cargo space that is self-powered or towable,    b. trade lane networks of inland upstream shallow draft waterways, inland downstream deep draft brown water rivers and short sea blue water oceans,    c. adjacent said trade lane network port slips having the same water levels, and three dry access sides, and one wet access side,    d. adjacent said port slips having a loading/unloading area surrounding all four sides. and,    e. within said loading/unloading area gantry traversing cranes.    
     
     
         2 . The barging vessels of  claim 1  further comprising connected in tandem towing or pushable, a 200 foot tugs, 400 foot barge vessels, 600 foot barge vessels, compatible when joined, to fit within 1,200 foot river locks, and able to be larger vessels outside the river locks.  
     
     
         3 . The barging trade lane network of  claim 1  further comprising said barging vessels compatible with low water levels, ice, flooding, locks and fast flowing water.  
     
     
         4 . The barging port slips of  claim 1  further comprising said barging vessels compatible with barging trade lane networks, and also capable of accommodating all types of legacy barges.  
     
     
         5 . The barging loading/unloading area of  claim 1  further comprising said barging vessels and said barging trade lane networks compatible with said barging port slips.  
     
     
         6 . The barging gantry traversing cranes of  claim 1  further comprising compatibility with said barging vessels and said barging trade lane networks and said barging slips comrpatible with said barging loading/unloading areas.  
     
     
         7 . A process of compatible cargo barging comprising: 
 a. unloading cargo from external freight suppliers onto compatible barging loading/unloading areas,    b. loading cargo from loading/unloading areas onto compatible barging vessels,    c. transporting said compatible barging vessels with cargo from pickup port slips at point “a” to delivery port slips at point “b” via said compatible trade lane networks,    d. unloading cargo from said compatible barging vessels onto compatible barging loading/unloading areas, and    e. loading cargo from said compatible barging loading/unloading areas onto external freight deliverers.    
     
     
         8 . The unloading of cargo of  claim 7  further comprising use of compatible gantry traversing cranes  
     
     
         9 . the loading of cargo of  claim 7  further comprising use of a compatible gantry traversing cranes.  
     
     
         10 . The transporting of  claim 7  further comprising use of said, a compatible buoyant barging vessels having hull, walls and cargo space that is self-powered or towable.  
     
     
         11 . The transporting of  claim 7  further comprising use of said compatible barging slips having four access sides and same water levels.  
     
     
         12 . The transporting of  claim 7  further comprising use of said compatible trade lane networks having inland upstream shallow draft waterways, inland downstream deep draft brown water rivers, and short sea blue water oceans.