Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02372827 2001-11-O1
WO 00/68036
Freight System for the Transport of Gravure Paper Rolls
PCT/EP99/03109
The invention relates to a freight system for the transport of gravure rolls
arranged
horizontally in a land vehicle, particularly a railway car, to the port and
for subsequent
shipment.
Gravure paper rolls, also called gravure rolls, which may have different
measurements,
are needed to make printed paper, particularly magazines and newspapers.
Transport
presents difficulties, particularly if the gravure rolls have larger
measurements, with
widths of 2.60 m to 3.60 m, diameters of 1.25 m, and weights of 3,500 kg and
6,000 kg.
Such types of "jumbo" gravure rolls have, until now, been placed in an upright
or
horizontal position using gripping devices in the railway car and then
reloaded
repeatedly in conventional ships for shipment. Because of the repeated
handling of
each individual gravure roll, which is protected only by a cover, there is
great danger of
damage, so much so that enormous hauling distances, namely to the US,
frequently
involve rejected goods, which in the end can no longer be used for production
of
printed work. Moreover, in the previous transport concept, it was a
disadvantage to
have to gather at least 320 tons of gravure paper rolls for shipment before
the transport
process itself could get under way, so that at the printing press, it was not
possible to
have a "just-in-time" delivery of the gravure rolls that have only just been
required. A
transport duration of six weeks is to be disadvantageously taken into account,
with the
disadvantage being associated with maintaining the corresponding stock on
site.
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2
The applicant has therefore considered loading gravure paper rolls into
containers and
transporting them in containers. This is still possible for an upright
arrangement of
gravure paper rolls with a roll width of up to 2.60 m, but not for larger
gravure paper roll
widths, for which an upright arrangement in the container is not possible
because the
container height is too low. Transporting the rolls in a horizontal position
is also ruled
out because the loading width of the container is only 2.35 m, making it
impossible to
place two gravure rolls with a diameter of 1.25 m each side by side in the
container,
since this would require a loading width of 2 x 125 m = 2.5 m.
The purpose of the invention lies in facilitating transport in standardized
freight
containers of gravure rolls with widths of more than 260 cm, particularly 290
cm to 360
cm, and, in so doing, avoiding the above-mentioned disadvantages of the known
transport of these products while utilizing, to the fullest extent possible,
the loading
space available in the standardized freight container, in which the handling
of the
gravure rolls is supposed to be carried out damage-free over the entire
hauling distance
over land and sea.
The invention is solved according to the invention through a freight system of
the type
mentioned at the start, characterized by a known standardized container that
can be
placed on the land vehicle as well as on the ship, to accommodate the gravure
rolls, in
which each gravure roll is stored horizontally on its own loading frame and
two parallelly
adjacent gravure rolls are stored such that they are offset with regard to one
another in
the heights thereof, i.e. stored such that they are diagonal to one another.
With this
freight system, gravure rolls can be placed in a horizontal position in the
freight
container in such a way that the loading space is utilized to the fullest
extent possible,
even when loading gravure rolls with widths greater than 260 cm, in which
handling
facilities engage solely on the loading frame, thereby avoiding any danger of
damage to
the sensitive gravure rolls.
In order to achieve the offset in a simple manner, and consequently, the
inevitable
decrease of the loading width desired for gravure rolls arranged side by side,
it is
suggested in a suitable embodiment of the invention to provide a loading frame
for the
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surface storage of a first gravure roll in the container and a second loading
frame for the
raised storage of the second gravure roll, in which the storage levels of the
two loading
frames are distanced from one another in height at least by the radius of the
gravure
rolls. A low lift platform track, or preferably, a heavy-duty Ameiset, can be
used in
accordance with a subsequently described feature combination as a conveyor for
loading and unloading the containers with gravure rolls stored on loading
frames in the
above manner.
This freight system makes it altogether possible to achieve much shorter
transport times
of only approximately 14 days from the European place of manufacture of the
gravure
rolls to the printing office in the US, making a single container shipment
possible without
additional costs; also, the individual gravure rolls need to be handled less
and this
handling, moreover, is carried out in such a way that the gravure roll itself
is not touched
by the handling tool, resulting in more favourable transportation costs,
particularly also
due to the decrease in the storage charges, making a "just-in-time" delivery
logistically
executable.
Special loading frames have been developed for the transport of the above-
described
jumbo paper rolls. These are distinguished according to the invention by a
lower frame
placed on the surface, possibly with feet, with which a structure placed over
it is placed
with a support for horizontal storage of the gravure roll at the desired
height. According
to an advantageous embodiment of the loading frame according to the invention,
the
structure consists of two bearing elements placed with their front ends on the
lower
frame, with said elements connected on one end with the lower frame and
holding the
support at the other end. The bearing elements can also be made height-
adjustable, for
example in a telescopic manner. The bearing elements are advantageously stored
in
the lower frame such that they can swivel, so that the structure is
collapsible. Because
the loading frame is collapsible in this manner when not in use, the loading
frame
according to the invention can be brought back folded in a freight container
in great
~ Translator's note: The Gem~an term "Schwerlastameise" could not be found in
standard references. It seems likely,
however, that this is a reference to a type of pallet transporter, forklift,
or other such equipment from a Swiss
company, Ameise GmbH.
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numbers after the transport of the gravure rolls. For example, it is possible
to effect a
return of up to 70 loading frames in a standard container.
According to another advantageous embodiment of the loading frame according to
the
invention, the stabilizing structure exhibits struts that extend in the
loading state
between the two bearing elements and are fixable.
According to the above description, a loading frame for the surface storage of
a first
gravure roll and a second loading frame for the raised storage of the second
gravure roll
are to be designed, in the course of which its support in the height vis-a-vis
the lower
frame is offset essentially by at least the radius of the gravure roll to be
accommodated.
As a result, the gravure rolls can be arranged in a standard freight container
with the
greatest possible packing density. According to another proposal of the
invention, the
support is designed with a curved surface, adjusted to the diameter of a
gravure roll to
be accommodated, preferably to a diameter of approximately 125 cm. As a result
of the
curved surtace, with the radius of curvature adapted to the corresponding
radius of the
gravure roll to be accommodated, gravure rolls can be stored in a secure
manner that
prevents rolling, and may also be transported, as well as handled, without
damage.
Here, the bearing surface can be suitably designed as non-slip, preferably
provided with
a non-slip coating, thereby further increasing the security of the storage of
the gravure
roll placed on the loading frame on the one hand, one, and on the other,
reducing the
risk of damage to the gravure rolls caused by the loading frame itself.
Finally, belt straps
for fixing the gravure roll can be placed on the side of the lower frame.
In order to enable a conveyor, in a simple manner, to grasp the above-
mentioned
loading frame with gravure roll and to load or unload a container,
longitudinal guides are
provided on the lower frame, with said guides making it possible for a load
suspension
device of the conveyor, extending under the lower frame in loading position,
to be
securely accommodated lengthwise, i.e. parallel to the longitudinal axis of
the gravure
roll. In this way, the transport of the loading frame, including the gravure
roll, is made
possible for weights of more than six tons.
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A method for loading freight containers with gravure rolls is suggested
procedurally with
the present invention, wherein the gravure rolls are loaded in a horizontal
position on
one loading frame each, and then arranged one after the other in the freight
container in
such a way that two parallelly adjacent gravure rolls are stored such that
they are offset
with regard to one another in the heights thereof, and are arranged
overlapping one
another crossways, in which the difference in the height of the arrangement of
the two
gravure rolls preferably corresponds at feast to the radius of a gravure roll.
Through the
offsetting in the height, the crosswise arrangement overlapping one another is
possible,
thereby reducing the total storage width. The offsetting of the two parallel
adjacent
gravure rolls in terms of the height and the overlapping in the width result
in a diagonal
arrangement of, the gravure rolls, as a result of which even gravure rolls of
greater
widths can be transported procedurally with standard freight containers under
the
greatest possible utilization of loading space. In the process, every handling
process for
a gravure roll takes place in combination with the appropriate loading frame,
in the
course of which it is appropriate to fix the gravure roll to the loading frame
with straps,
for example.
Finally, the present invention suggests a conveyor, particularly a forklift, a
heavy-duty
Ameise, or the like, for loading and unloading freight containers with gravure
rolls
placed on loading frames, with said forklift formed by an extended load
suspension
medium of up to 3 m for grasping the loading frame from below, parallel to the
longitudinal axis of the gravure roll, having a lifting capability of up to
six tons, a lifting
height of up to 10 cm, and an underclearance of up to 20 cm.
Other details, features, and advantages of the invention arise from the
following
description of the appropriate drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the
invention are schematically illustrated. The drawings show:
Fig. 1 a schematic representation of the problem and the solution principle of
gravure
roll transport in the container according to the invention;
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Fig. 2 an internal view of a container partially loaded with two gravure rolls
placed on
loading frames;
Fig. 3 a perspective representation of a loading frame in lengthwise
direction;
Fig. 4 the loading frame of Fig. 3 in a transverse perspective;
Fig. 5 the loading frame of Fig. 1 for the surface storage and of Fig. 4 for
the raised
storage with gravure rolls resting thereon; and
Fig. 6 a schematic, perspective side view of a heavy-duty Ameise for the
loading and
unloading of containers with gravure rolls placed on loading frames.
Fig. 1 illustrates the existing problem in transporting gravure paper rolls
whose
diameter is 1.25m and which cannot be loaded upright in the container because
of their
width, which is greater than 2.60m, since the container height is too low. The
loading
width of a standard container is 2.35m. Two gravure rolls, each with a
diameter of
1.25m, however repuire a loading width of 2.50m in the horizontal arrangement,
which
is therefore the only one possible. They therefore do not fit into the
container, as
schematically shown in the left illustration of Fig. 1.
The illustration on the right shows the solution according to the invention to
the problem
of loading in the standard container 1, in a horizontal arrangement, such
gravure rolls
with a loading width of 2.35 m and a loading height of 2.60 m. The two
illustrated
gravure rolls 2,3, which could have a width of 2.90 m to 3.60 m, which exhibit
a
diameter of 1.25m and a weight of 3,500 kg to 6,000 kg, are arranged in a
horizontal
position in the container, in which the second roll 3 is placed above the
first roll 2, so
that a diagonal loading principle is achieved. By offsetting the two gravure
rolls 2,3
arranged parallel adjacent in the heights thereof, i.e., the raised storage of
the second
gravure roll 3, an overlapping arrangement -- seen crosswise -- is arranged,
with said
arrangement reducing the loading width of the two gravure rolls 2,3 to the
loading width
of the container of 2.35m, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing.
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In order to achieve, in a simple manner, the offsetting of the two parallel
adjacent
gravure rolls 2, 3 in the heights thereof, and in crosswise direction, to
facilitate an
arrangement to one another, which is overlapping, thereby reducing the loading
width,
loading frames 4,5 for the horizontal storage of the gravure rolls 2,3 are
used according
to Fig. 2 of the drawing. In the process, a loading frame 4 having only a
modest height
allows a surface placing of the gravure roll 2, while the support of gravure
roll 3 on the
loading frame 5 takes place at a height that is above the horizontal centre
plane of the
gravure roll 2, so that the arrangement overlapping one another is facilitated
crosswise
with the desired total width reduction of the storage. Each loading frame 4 or
5 exhibits
a lower frame 6 made of a welded frame made of steel and a structure 7
connected with
the lower frame 6, which provides a bearing surtace 8 above the lower frame 6
for the
horizontal storage of a gravure roll 2 or 3. The bearing surtace is at ground
level for the
storage of gravure roll 2, i.e. placed lying directly on the lower frame 6,
while the bearing
surface for the storage of gravure roll 3 is raised above the horizontal
centre plane of
the gravure roll 2.
Figs. 3 and 4 show the appropriate constructional design of the loading frame
for the
increased gravure roll storage.
According to Figs. 3 and 4, the loading frame 5 exhibits an essentially
rectangular lower
frame 6 with a bearing surface 8 thereon. The structure 7 bearing the surface
8 is made
of two bearing elements 9 placed with their front ends on the lower frame 6,
with said
bearing elements connected on one end with the lower frame 6 and supporting
the
bearing surface 8 on the other end. The bearing elements 5 are made of a
welded
frame, which has four rods 10 running vertically to the lower frame 6 in the
loading
state. The bearing surface 8 is welded with these through a connecting
crossbeam 14,
which is curved. The curvature is adapted to the cylindrical shape of the
gravure roll 3 to
be accommodated. Each bearing surface 8 is provided with a non-slip coating 11
made
of a sandblasted linoleum. To increase the stability, the structure 7 exhibits
four braces
12, which are placed in a detachable manner, and in the loading state, extend
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diagonally between the two bearing elements 9. These inner braces 12 of the
loading
frame are each supplemented by a centrally arranged outer brace 13, which
connects
the lower frame 6 with the cross-sectional crossbeam 14, which is welded to
the upper
ends of the rods 10 and in each case supports the bearing surface 8.
The bearing elements 9 are stored such that they can swivel (not illustrated)
in their
bearings on the lower frame 6 so that after unclamping the braces 12, 13, it
becomes
possible to swing the structure into the inner space of the loading frame that
is then
freed, and consequently fold the loading frame in order to carry out an empty
transport
in a space-saving manner.
Fig. 5 of the drawing shows again in greater detail the loading frame 4 for
the ground
storage of the gravure roll 2 and the loading frame 5 for the increased
storage of the
gravure roll 3 to one another, in which the loading frame 4 can be modified in
such a
way that, instead of a complete lower frame in a reduced form, only two
support
brackets 15, 16 are used for the gravure roll 2, with each support bracket
exhibiting a
cross-member 17 adapted to the curve of the gravure roll 2, and with said
cross-
member being fastened to the bearing surface 8.
Fig. 6 shows, in a schematically perspective side view, a conveyer 18, with a
so-called
Ameise, for loading and unloading containers 1 with gravure rolls 2, 3
arranged on
loading frames 4, 5. In the process, the conveyer 18 exhibits two parallelly
running load
suspension devices 19 whose height can be adjusted, with a length of up to
3.0m, a
lifting height of up to 10cm, an underclearance of up to 20 cm, and a lifting
capacity of
up to 6 tons. The seating position of a person operating the conveyer is
elevated to
improve the view when maneuvering for loading or unloading.
With its load suspension devices 19, the conveyer 18 takes hold of the
respective lower
frame 6 of the lengthwise loading frame already provided with the gravure
roll, in which
the load suspension devices 19 are driven into the longitudinal guides 20
beneath the
lower frame 6 and then by moving in height, raises the loading frame with the
gravure
roll in its entirety. This makes it possible to avoid any direct hard impact
of a hoist or the
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like with the gravure roll and to carry out all handling for loading and
unloading carefully,
without touching the actual goods.
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Reference list
I Standard container 18 Ameise
2 Gravure roll 19 Load suspension device
3 Gravure roll 20 Longitudinal guides
4 Loading frame
Loading frame
6 Lower frame
7 Structure
8 Bearing surface
9 Bearing elements
Rods
11 Linoleum coating
12 Rods
13 Outer rod
14 Cross-member
Support bracket
16 Support bracket
17 Cross-member
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