Transport apparatus for piece goods

Abstract

The present invention concerns a transport apparatus for piece goods having a collapsible outer frame or housing and receiving pockets which are suspended therein and which include substantially vertically and horizontally extending and interconnected webs of a flexible material. The pockets are suspended on an upper rectangular frame by way of loops or eyes which are connected to the upper portion of at least a part of the flexible webs or are formed by a portion of the webs themselves. The upper rectangular frame includes a front bar, a rear bar and two side struts. The upper frame is releasably coupled to the outer frame, such as by holders on the outer frame, and is releasable easily without using tools from its holders and can be laid down as a whole with the pockets on the bottom of the frame. The lower ends of at least a part of the webs may optionally be fixed to or directly over the bottom of the outer frame.

1 . A transport apparatus for piece goods, comprising: 
 a collapsible outer frame in which receiving pockets are disposed;    the receiving pockets including substantially vertically and horizontally extending and interconnected webs of a flexible material; and    an upper rectangular frame on which the pockets are suspended, the upper rectangular frame including a front bar, a rear bar and two side struts, the upper frame releasably coupled to the outer frame wherein the upper frame is releasable from the outer frame without the use of tools and can be laid down as a whole to a bottom of the outer frame with the pockets disposed at the bottom of the outer frame when the upper frame is laid down.    
     
     
         2 . The transport apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein lower ends of at least a part of the webs are fixed to the bottom of the outer frame.  
     
     
         3 . A transport apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the outer frame includes a rear wall, a left side wall and a right side wall.  
     
     
         4 . A transport apparatus according to  claim 3  wherein the rear wall, left side wall and right side wall each include an upper portion, a lower portion, and a hinge coupling the upper portion to the lower portion, the lower portions of each of the rear wall, right side wall, and left side wall rigidly connected to the bottom of the outer frame.  
     
     
         5 . A transport apparatus according to  claim 4  wherein the hinge for the rear wall is arranged at a different height from the hinges of the side walls and wherein a difference in a height of the hinge of the rear wall and a height of the hinges of the side walls approximately corresponds to one of a thickness of the rear wall or a thickness of the side walls.  
     
     
         6 . A transport apparatus according to  claim 4  wherein a height of the rear wall is at most a depth of the outer frame a height of each of the side walls is at most a width of the outer frame.  
     
     
         7 . The transport apparatus according to  claim 6  wherein a height of the upper portion of the rear wall is at most the depth of the outer frame and a height of the upper portion of each of the sidewalls is at most one-half the width of the outer frame.  
     
     
         8 . The transport apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the upper frame is releasably coupled to the outer frame by holders on the sidewalls and rear wall, wherein when the upper frame is coupled to the outer frame, the holders on the sidewalls are in proximity to ends of the front bar of the upper frame and the holders on the rear wall are in proximity to ends of the side struts.  
     
     
         9 . A transport apparatus according to  claim 8  wherein the holders on the rear wall include recesses in which cranked prolongations of ends of the side struts are received.  
     
     
         10 . A transport apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the vertical webs extend continuously from the upper frame to the bottom of the outer frame and lower ends of at least a part of the vertical webs are secured to the bottom of the outer frame.  
     
     
         11 . The transport apparatus according to  claim 10  wherein the lower ends of the vertical webs that are secured to the bottom of the outer frame include prolongations that are secured to the bottom of the outer frame.  
     
     
         12 . A transport apparatus according to  claim 10  wherein the lower ends of the vertically extending webs that are secured to the bottom of the outer frame are fixed to a rail arranged parallel to and in the proximity of a front edge of the bottom of the outer frame.  
     
     
         13 . A transport apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the front bar and rear bar of the upper frame are round and the pockets are suspended only on the front and rear bars of the upper frame.  
     
     
         14 . A transport apparatus according to  claim 8  wherein the holders on the sidewalls project from recesses in the side walls, each recess having a resilient bias disposed therein that urges the holder projecting from that recess outwardly.