Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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COMBINATION LIFT FITTINGS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to lift fittings for use with load assemblies.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
S Cargo containers have become the standard means of transportation of m~teri~l by road, rail and
sea. The col~lail~el~ are alternately trucked, shipped, hauled or stored without the need to handle
the cargo therein. Fully laden conlai~ are simply lifted onto a trailer truck, rail car, freighter
deck, placed in a freighter hold or efficiently stacked in storage yards. In order that conl~l~
can be h~n~led, stacked one upon another and lashed in position, their dimensions and strength
10 have been standardized. Standards have been established with respect to the size and design of
cargo conta l-el~, so that they can be transported anywhere in the world using uniform lifting
points.
Such cargo conla ller~ are usually provided with uniform lift fittings at each corner by which the
conlaillels may easily be grasped and lifted. The lift fittings, also known as corner fittings, corner
15 c~tingC or lifting points, normally include a standardized hollow cubic structure formed with a
cavity and having elongated slots in its top and two of its side walls. Uniform lift fittings are
required, as cargo conta--,el~ are most often lifted and moved by vehicular cranes or marine
cranes, which either load or unload cargo colltaillel~ onto flat bed trucks or railroad cars, or load
or unload ocean-going container vessels.
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Typical of the type of lift fittings used for on-shore shipping, are those described in U.S. Patent
No. 3,027,025 and others as recommended by the International Standardization Or~ni~lion
(ISO); the so-called ISO corner casting. Corresponding lifting devices currently in use include
so-called ISO twistloks, and so-called "crane spreaders" with locking devices, which are generally
5 T-shaped and which are presented in one angular setting to be received by conventional lift
fittings, and are then rotated through 90~ to a locking position prior to lifting operations taking
place, as described in U.S. Patent No. 4,925,226.
A variety of hook designs are capable of enE~ging this type of lift fitting. Generally an elongated
coupling hook is lowered through the slot into the interior of the fitting where it is subsequently
10 rotated to a position l,~ve~e to the length of the slot. Various methods of locking the elongated
hook in this position are subsequently employed which then allows the container to be safely
lifted. In order to expedite the process of en~ging and lifting the containers, rigid overhead
spreaders are generally suspended from a crane for disposition over the container to locate four
hooking devices disposed in vertical ~lignment over the respective slots. After insertion into the
15 respective lift fittings, the hooks are autom~ti~lly rotated into a t~ vel~e position relative to the
elongated slots to be locked into place.
The use of cargo containers has gained almost univel~al acceptance throughout the world. Large
conlai~ have been standardized in the maritime freight shipping industry. They are typically
h~ndled in large ports by loading and unloading derricks. Such derricks usually include spreader
20 bars and an automated clamp or connector for attaching and disconnecting the colllail~c.~.
However, small ports and offshore oil rigs typically use only cranes and small derricks to lift
conla"~els. This is achieved by using a cable hoist, having a central hoist hook with choker cables
rather using spreader bars. The standard ISO corner castings have been specifically design~d for
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use with container spreader bars. Hence, dirr~lel-l corner lifting fittings have been developed for
use when an automatic container spreaders are unavailable, i.e. in small ports or for use offshore.
The various known corner lift fittings satisfy the requirements of the users of the containers, and
enable many types of h~ntlling and securing equipment to be devised and standardized. However,
5 the type of corner lift fitting applied to a given container dictates where the container can be used.
SUMMARY OF THE D~IVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the current invention there is provided a combination lift fitting,
which, when applied to a load to be lifted, comprises an ISO corner casting and an offshore
padeye, whereby said load can be mechanically lifted either with or without spreader bars.
10 It is an object of the present invention to provide novel multipurpose lift fitting.
Another object of the invention is to provide a novel multipurpose lift fitting that can be used for
lifting objects either with or without a spreader bar.
A further object of the invention is to provide a padeye and corner casting combination when
applied to cargo containers for use either offshore or via shipping routes.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a solution to the problem caused when a
shipping container has been badly damaged or is wracked out of square, thereby precluding the
use of an automatic spreader in conjunction with the ISO corner casting, whereby the offshore
padeye can be used. Similarly, when the conlai lers are awkwardly positioned or jammed within
20 the below deck cells of a container vessel, spreader bars cannot be used.
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An additional object of the invention is concerned with the use of the disclosed combination lift
fitting when applied to appropriate positions on various loads to be lifted such as, but not
restricted to; air cargo containers, hyperbaric chambers, flat racks, offshore food contail-~,s,
offshore mini containers, offshore baskets, generator housing units, crane bases, offshore radio
S rooms, composite shipping containers, liquid storage containers, railway/railroad tank car,
vehicles, marine cargo container and pallets.
It is yet a further object of the instant invention to provide a means for lifting an oversized load
such as, but not limited to, a cargo container; by setting the padeye/corner casting at positions on
the load to be lifted recognized ISO lifting points.
10 A further object of the invention is to provide a recessed an offshore padeye that is protected from
mechanical damage such that it cannot become bent or mi.c~ligned during use.
According to the present invention, the foregoing and other objects are attained by the described
combination lift fitting. To attain this objective, the present invention provides a unique
two-component offshore padeye and ISO corner casting.
15 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparetlt when considered in light of
the following drawings which depict ple~ ,d embodiments of the combination lift fitting,
wherein:
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FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of the prior art ISO corner castings being used for hoisting cargo
containers when lifted in conjunction with a spreader bar;
FIG. 2 is a side view of an embodiment of the combination lift fitting of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of an embodiment of the combination lift fitting shown in FIG 2;
5 F~G. 4 is an end view of an embodiment of the combination lift fitting shown in FIG 2;
FIG. S is a side elevation view of the corner post and an embodiment of the combination lift fitting
shown in FIG 2;
FIG. 6 is a cross-section view of the corner post assembly of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a plan view of a container showing an embodiment of the combination l~ft fitting when
10 applied to the corners of the container; (with the corner c~ting.~ on the corners);
FIG. 8 is a plan view of an oversized container showing a further embodiment of the combination
lift fitting when applied to the ISO lifting points.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art ISO corner casting 13, definin~ an elongated slot 15, applied to a load
15 to be lifted 11.
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Embodiments of the apparatus of this invention are illustrated in FIGS 2 through 9.
FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of a prer~lr~d embodiment of the combination lift fitting of the
present invention. The ISO corner casting, generally indicated at 10, comprises a cavity 12
provided inward of a side facing elongated slot 14. The offshore padeye, generally indicated at
16, is attached to the load to be lifted along the base 18, and rear end 20. The padeye 16 is also
attached to the casting 10 along the front end 22 of the padeye 16. The padeye 16 defines a
means for the attachment of lifting apparatus indicated at 24. FIG. 2 also indi~ates the typical
dimensions employed in a pferel,ed embodiment in the instant invention.
FIG. 3 illustrates a plan view of a prcrell~,d embodiment of the combination lift fitting of the
present invention. The ISO corner casting 10, comprises the cavity 12 provided inward of a
upper facing elongated slot 14. The offshore padeye 16, is positioned as in-lirated, being attached
to the load to be lifted along the rear end 20. The padeye 16 is also attached to the casting 10
along the front end 22 of the padeye 16. The padeye 16 defines a means for the attachment of
lifting apparatus, generally indic~ted at 24.
FIG. 4 illustrates an end view of a prer~lred embodiment of the combination lift fitting of the
present invention. The ISO corner casting 10, comprises the cavity 12 provided inward of a
forward facing elongated slot 28. The offshore padeye 16, is positioned as indi~ated
FIG. 5 iUustrates a side view of a p~rel~d embodiment of the combination lift fitting of the
present invention in position on a corner post 30. The ISO corner casting 10, and offshore
padeye 16, being attached to the top of the corner post 32. The corner post to be used in
conjunction with a pl~relled embodiment of the instant invention is typically oversized, as
illustrated in FIG. 5, in order to accommodate both lift fittings.
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FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-section taken along line A-A of FIG. 5. FIG. 6 shows the typical
dimensions employed in a prerelled embodiment on the instant invention.
With the arrangement set forth in a prert;ll~,d embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 7, it is possible to
fulfill a number of the previously specified objects of the instant invention.
