Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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STATIONARY SHIPPING CONTAINER ORIENTED WITH LONGITUDINAL
AXIS PERPENDICULAR TO A SUPPORTING SURFACE
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Canadian Application No.
2,845,235 filed March 7,
2014, the contents of which are incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to shipping containers. In particular,
the present invention
relates to shipping containers oriented with a longitudinal axis perpendicular
to a supporting
surface. Other aspects of the invention will become apparent to those of skill
in the art upon
reviewing the present specification.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
[0003] Throughout the world, goods are shipped in a wide variety of shipping
containers. The
containers are typically constructed of steel or aluminum with dimensions that
comply with
standards set by the International Organization for Standardization ("ISO").
Standardized
shipping container dimensions facilitate the handling and shipping of the
containers by trucks or
other equipment. The height of standard shipping containers is typically 8.5
feet (2.59 meters)
for a standard container or 9.5 feet (2.90 meters) for a high-cube container.
[0004] Shipping containers comprising a metal (e.g. steel) frame and enclosing
a tank container
are used for transport of liquids worldwide, wherein the metal frame has
dimensions of a
conventional ISO shipping container.
[0005] Shipping containers are increasingly not only used for transport, but
as permanent or
semi-permanent containers or housing for goods located at a site. Shipping
containers composed
of environmentally resistant materials such as metal can make suitable
shelters for a variety of
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goods, and using such containers for long- or short-term storage of goods can
save costs
associated with erecting a building, especially in remote locations.
[0006] In some cases, goods including liquid goods are optimally stored in a
vertical or upright
orientation. Examples include sand filters, biofilters, trickling filters,
chemical feed systems, and
liquid storage tanks. Nevertheless, storing or sheltering such items using the
current art
necessitates erecting a building or temporary shelter at the site to
accommodate the item. This
can be costly and time-consuming.
[0007] Further, a site may have limited space allotted for the storage of
goods. In the current art,
shipping containers used to store goods at a site are oriented exclusively
with their longitudinal
axis parallel to a supporting surface (i.e. in a "horizontal" orientation).
Using one or more
horizontally oriented shipping containers for storage can have the
disadvantage of consuming a
large proportion of the area of a site which would otherwise be usable for
other purposes.
[0008] Sites where storage is required are currently at a disadvantage without
access to a
relatively inexpensive, portable storage unit that leaves a relatively small
footprint at the site and
is capable of storing goods in an upright orientation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate at
least one of the above-
mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.
[0010] In a first aspect, provided is an environmentally resistant shipping
container removable
from a supporting surface, the shipping container having a longest dimension
of at least 3 meters
defining a longitudinal axis of the shipping container, wherein the shipping
container is oriented
with the longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular to the supporting
surface.
10011] In a second aspect, provided is the use of an environmentally resistant
shipping container
removable from a supporting surface, the shipping container having a longest
dimension of at
least 3 meters defining a longitudinal axis of the shipping container, wherein
the shipping
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container is oriented with the longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular
to the supporting
surface.
[0012] In a third aspect, provided is a method for removably installing an
environmentally
resistant shipping container on a supporting surface, the shipping container
having a longest
dimension of at least 3 meters defining a longitudinal axis of the shipping
container, the method
comprising orienting the longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular to the
supporting surface.
[0013] Other advantages of the invention will become apparent to those of
skill in the art upon
reviewing the present specification.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference
to the
accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like parts, and
in which:
[0015] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vertical conventional shipping
container showing a
longitudinal axis and two transverse axes;
[0016] Figure 2 is a top-view of a vertical conventional shipping container;
[0017] Figure 3 is an embodiment of an anchoring mechanism used to secure a
shipping
container in a vertical orientation;
[0018] Figure 4 is a computer-generated view of Figure 3;
[0019] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a vertical conventional shipping
container supported at
its base by a horizontal conventional shipping container;
[0020] Figure 6 is a top view of four vertical conventional shipping
containers supported at their
bases by a horizontal conventional shipping container;
[0021] Figure 7 is a perspective view of a vertical conventional shipping
container secured by
anchors to a horizontal surface and supported at its base by a horizontal
conventional shipping
container secured by anchors to the horizontal surface;
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[0022] Figure 8A is a perspective view of two adjacent vertical conventional
shipping containers
secured by anchors to a horizontal surface and stabilized by brackets;
[0023] Figure 8B is a schematic view (left) and computer-generated view
(right) of the brackets
of Figure 8A;
[0024] Figure 9 is a top view of four vertical conventional shipping
containers secured by
anchors to a horizontal surface and stabilized by brackets and further
supported at their bases by
a horizontal conventional shipping container secured by anchors;
[0025] Figure 10 is a perspective view of the shipping containers of Figure 9;
[0026] Figure 11 is a schematic view of a vertical shipping container being
used to store a liquid
storage tank or sand filter;
[0027] Figure 12 is a schematic view of a vertical shipping container fitted
with an access ladder
and platform and storing a sand filter;
[0028] Figure 13 is a perspective view of a vertical shipping container
secured by tethers to a
horizontal surface;
[0029] Figure 14 is a perspective view of a vertical shipping container fitted
with an access
ladder and platform;
[0030] Figure 15 is a perspective view of two vertical shipping containers
securely mounted by
brackets to the face of a horizontal shipping container secured by anchors to
a supporting
surface;
[0031] Figure 16 is a perspective view of a vertical frame shipping container
enclosing a tank
container;
[0032] Figure 17 is a top-view of a vertical frame shipping container
enclosing a tank container;
[0033] Figure 18 is a perspective view of a vertical frame shipping container
enclosing a tank
container and supported at its base by a horizontal conventional shipping
container;
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[0034] Figure 19 is a top view of four vertical frame shipping containers each
enclosing a tank
container and supported at their bases by a horizontal conventional shipping
container;
[0035] Figure 20 is a perspective view of a vertical frame shipping container
enclosing a tank
container, secured by anchors to a horizontal surface and supported at its
base by a horizontal
conventional shipping container secured by anchors to the horizontal surface;
[0036] Figure 21A is a perspective view of two adjacent vertical frame
shipping containers, each
enclosing a tank container, secured by anchors to a horizontal surface and
stabilized by brackets;
[0037] Figure 21B is a schematic view (left) and computer-generated view
(right) of the brackets
of Figure 21A;
[0038] Figure 22 is a top view of four vertical frame shipping containers,
each enclosing a tank
container, secured by anchors to a horizontal surface, stabilized by brackets
and further
supported at their bases by a horizontal conventional shipping container
secured by anchors;
[0039] Figure 23 is a perspective view of the shipping containers of Figure
22;
[0040] Figure 24 is a perspective view of a vertical frame shipping container
enclosing a tank
container and secured by tethers to a horizontal surface;
[0041] Figure 25 is a schematic view of a vertical shipping container
enclosing a tank container
and fitted with an access ladder and platform; and
[0042] Figure 26 is a perspective view of a vertical frame shipping container
enclosing a tank
container securely mounted by brackets to the face of a horizontal
conventional shipping
container secured by anchors to a supporting surface.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0043] In one of its aspects, the present invention provides an
environmentally resistant shipping
container removable from a supporting surface, the shipping container having a
longest
dimension of at least 3 meters defining a longitudinal axis of the shipping
container, wherein the
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shipping container is oriented with the longitudinal axis substantially
perpendicular to the
supporting surface. Preferred embodiments of this shipping container may
include any one or a
combination of any two or more of any of the following features:
= the shipping container is configured substantially as a rectangular
cuboid;
= the shipping container is secured to the supporting surface with one or
more anchors;
= the one or more anchors are coupled to the shipping container at one or
more of the
corners of the rectangular cuboid abutting the supporting surface;
= two anchors are secured to each longitudinal face of the rectangular
cuboid, and each
anchor is positioned at a comer of the rectangular cuboid abutting the
supporting
surface;
= the supporting surface comprises concrete or cement;
= the shipping container is supported at its base by an environmentally
resistant second
shipping container removable from the supporting surface, the second shipping
container having a longest dimension of at least 3 meters defining a second
longitudinal axis of the second shipping container, wherein the second
shipping
container is oriented with the second longitudinal axis substantially parallel
to the
supporting surface;
= the shipping container is mounted atop the second shipping container and
secured to a
top face of the second shipping container;
= the shipping container is supported by a building or structure;
= the top face of the shipping container comprises one or more doors;
= the shipping container stores one or more items;
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= the one or more items is liquid, solid, water, wastewater, a liquid
storage tank, a dry
product, a bioreactor tank, a water tower, an anaerobic reactor, a liquid
chemical feed
or dosing system, a powder chemical feed or dosing system, a dry powder, an
aeration tank, an air stripping tank, a moving bed reactor, a sequencing batch
reactor,
a sand filter, a multimedia filter, a ceramic filter, a carbon filter, a
biofilter, or a
biotrickling filter;
= the shipping container comprises an inlet port or outlet port for the
flow of a liquid;
= the shipping container is bracketed to an environmentally resistant third
shipping
container removable from a supporting surface, the third shipping container
having a
longest dimension of at least 3 meters defining a longitudinal axis of the
third
shipping container;
= the shipping container is configured as a metal frame; and/or
= the shipping container encloses a tank container.
10044] In another of its aspects, the present invention relates to use of an
environmentally
resistant shipping container removable from a supporting surface, the shipping
container having
a longest dimension of at least 3 meters defining a longitudinal axis of the
shipping container,
wherein the shipping container is oriented with the longitudinal axis
substantially perpendicular
to the supporting surface. Preferred embodiments of this use may include any
one or a
combination of any two or more of any of the following features:
= the shipping container is configured as a rectangular cuboid;
= the shipping container is secured with one or more anchors to the
supporting surface;
= the one or more anchors are secured to the shipping container at one or
more of the
corners of the rectangular cuboid abutting the supporting surface;
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= two anchors are secured to each longitudinal face of the rectangular
cuboid, and each
anchor is positioned at a corner of the rectangular cuboid abutting the
supporting
surface;
= the supporting surface comprises concrete or cement;
= the shipping container is supported at its base by an environmentally
resistant second
shipping container removable from the supporting surface, the second shipping
container having a longest dimension of at least 3 meters defining a second
longitudinal axis of the second shipping container, wherein the second
shipping
container is oriented with the second longitudinal axis substantially parallel
to the
supporting surface;
= the shipping container is mounted atop the second shipping container and
secured to a
top face of the second shipping container;
= the shipping container is supported by a building or structure;
= the top face of the shipping container comprises one or more doors;
= the shipping container is used to store one or more items;
= the one or more items is liquid, solid, water, wastewater, a liquid
storage tank, a dry
product, a bioreactor tank, a water tower, an anaerobic reactor, a liquid
chemical feed
or dosing system, a powder chemical feed or dosing system, a dry powder, an
aeration tank, an air stripping tank, a moving bed reactor, a sequencing batch
reactor,
a sand filter, a multimedia filter, a ceramic filter, a carbon filter, a
biofilter, or a
biotrickling filter;
= the shipping container comprises an inlet port or outlet port for the
flow of a liquid;
= the shipping container is bracketed to an environmentally resistant third
shipping
container removable from the supporting surface, the third shipping container
having
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a longest dimension of at least 3 meters defining a longitudinal axis of the
third
shipping container;
= the shipping container is configured as a metal frame; and/or
= the shipping container encloses a tank container.
[0045] In another of its aspects, the present invention relates to method for
removably installing
an environmentally resistant shipping container on a supporting surface, the
shipping container
having a longest dimension of at least 3 meters defining a longitudinal axis
of the shipping
container, the method comprising orienting the longitudinal axis substantially
perpendicular to
the supporting surface. Preferred embodiments of this method may include any
one or a
combination of any two or more of any of the following features:
= the shipping container is configured substantially as a rectangular
cuboid;
= the shipping container is secured with one or more anchors to the
supporting surface;
= the one or more anchors are coupled to the shipping container at one or
more of the
corners of the rectangular cuboid abutting the supporting surface;
= two anchors are secured to each longitudinal face of the rectangular
cuboid, and
wherein each anchor is positioned at a corner of the rectangular cuboid
abutting the
supporting surface;
= the supporting surface comprises concrete or cement;
= the shipping container is supported at its base with an environmentally
resistant
second shipping container removable from the supporting surface, the second
shipping container having a longest dimension of at least 3 meters defining a
second
longitudinal axis of the second shipping container, wherein the second
shipping
container is oriented with the second longitudinal axis substantially parallel
to the
supporting surface;
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= the shipping container is mounted atop the second shipping container and
secured to a
top face of the second shipping container;
= the shipping container is supported with a building or structure;
= the top face of the shipping container comprises one or more doors;
= the further step of storing one or more items in the shipping container;
= the one or more items is liquid, solid, water, wastewater, a liquid
storage tank, a dry
product, a bioreactor tank, a water tower, an anaerobic reactor, a liquid
chemical feed
or dosing system, a powder chemical feed or dosing system, a dry powder, an
aeration tank, an air stripping tank, a moving bed reactor, a sequencing batch
reactor,
a sand filter, a multimedia filter, a ceramic filter, a carbon filter, a
biofilter, or a
biotrickling filter;
= the shipping container comprises an inlet port or outlet port for the
flow of a liquid;
= the further step of bracketing the shipping container to an
environmentally resistant
third shipping container removable from the supporting surface, the third
shipping
container having a longest dimension of' at least 3 meters defining a
longitudinal axis
of the third shipping container;
= the shipping container is configured as a metal frame; and/or
= the shipping container encloses a tank container.
10046] Referring to Figures 1-2, shown is a conventional shipping container
102 comprising a
longitudinal axis and transverse axes, wherein the longitudinal axis is
oriented perpendicular to a
supporting surface 104 (referred to herein as a "vertical" shipping container
102). This
orientation can be contrasted with the regular orientation of a shipping
container 102 (referred to
herein as a "horizontal" shipping container 102; see e.g. Figure 5) wherein
the longitudinal axis
of the shipping container 102 is oriented parallel to the supporting surface
104. Herein the term
"longitudinal axis" refers to the axis of a shipping container 102
corresponding to the longest
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dimension (i.e. the length) of the shipping container 102. For example, in the
case of a shipping
container 102 approximating the shape of a rectangular cuboid (i.e. having six
rectangular faces
and parallel opposite faces, also known in the art as a "rectangular prism";
see for example
Figures 1 and 16), the longitudinal axis corresponds to the length of the
shipping container 102
when oriented normally (i.e. in a "horizontal" orientation) and the transverse
axes correspond to
the height and width dimensions of the shipping container 102 when oriented
horizontally. As
shown in Figure 1, the present subject matter contemplates a shipping
container 102 wherein the
normal length of the shipping container 102 becomes the height when the
shipping container is
oriented vertically.
[0047] Referring to Figures 16-17, shown is another embodiment of a vertical
shipping container
102 wherein the shipping container 102 comprises a metal (e.g. steel) frame
configured
substantially as a rectangular cuboid. In this embodiment the metal frame
shipping container 102
(herein "frame shipping container") encloses a tank container 122. As in
Figure 1, the
longitudinal axis of the frame shipping container 102 is oriented
perpendicular to the supporting
surface 104, in contrast to the regular orientation of the shipping container
102 wherein the
longitudinal axis of the shipping container 102 is oriented parallel to the
supporting surface 104.
[0048] Herein the term "shipping container" encompasses a conventional
shipping container
(e.g. depicted in Figure 1) as well as a shipping container 102 comprising a
metal frame (e.g.
depicted in Figure 16) traditionally used to secure a tank container 122
during transport.
Preferably the dimensions of the outer surface of the shipping container 102
define a rectangular
cuboid of standard (e.g. ISO-specified) dimensions. Examples of ISO-specified
lengths for the
shipping container 102 include 10 feet (3 meters), 20 feet (6.10 meters), 28
feet (8.53 meters), 40
feet (12.19 meters), and 48 feet (14.63 meters); current ISO-specified heights
include 8.5 feet
(2.6 meters) and 9.5 feet (2.90 meters). Typically the shipping container is
composed of an
environmentally resistant material, preferably metal.
[0049] Herein the term "substantially" refers to acceptable deviations of from
0-10 degrees to
the angles which are inherent in the definitions of the terms "perpendicular",
"parallel", and
"rectangular cuboid".
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100501 The term "tank container" as used herein refers to an intermodal
container used for the
transport of liquids, gases, and solids (e.g. powders), as is known in the
art. Typically the tank
container is composed of a layer of metal (e.g. stainless steel) which may be
lined with an
insulating and protective layer (e.g. of polyurethane and aluminum).
100511 Preferably the shipping container 102 is portable. Herein the term
"portable" refers to the
nature of the shipping container 102 as a structure designed to be transported
from place to place.
Although the present invention contemplates a shipping container 102 which
remains stationary
in a vertical orientation for an extended period of time, the shipping
container 102 typically at all
times remains portable since it can be unsecured from a supporting structure
or surface, placed in
a horizontal orientation, and loaded onto a transport vehicle for movement to
a different location.
Accordingly the shipping container 102 is typically at all times removable
from the supporting
surface 104.
100521 It is contemplated that at the time of transport to or from a site the
shipping container 102
is horizontally oriented (i.e. oriented with its longitudinal axis parallel to
the ground) and may
contain goods (e.g. a tank container 122) or be empty. The shipping container
102 may be
transported to a position on the site where a shipping container 102 is
desired to be oriented
vertically. Once at the desired position, one end of the shipping container
102 may be lifted (e.g.
using a crane) until the longitudinal axis of the shipping container 102 is
substantially
perpendicular to the supporting surface 104. Once vertical, the shipping
container 102 remains
stationary and can be supported in various manners described below, such as
with one or more
horizontal shipping containers 102, a building or structure, anchors 106,
brackets 802, tethers
1302, or any combination of such securing means. If it is desired to move the
vertical shipping
container 102, then the securing means can be released and the upmost end of
the shipping
container 102 can be lowered to the ground in a controlled manner (e.g. using
a crane), following
which the horizontal shipping container 102 can be transported to a new
location. Thus the
shipping container 102 is oriented vertically when convenient or necessary,
but is not oriented
vertically during shipment.
1005311 In the case of a shipping container 102 comprising a metal frame,
typically a tank
container 122 is secured within the frame shipping container 102 by means well-
known in the art
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when the shipping container 102 is shipped to a site. Accordingly when the
frame shipping
container 102 is oriented vertically the tank container 122 enclosed and
secured within the frame
shipping container 102 is also oriented vertically, as is evident in Figure
16.
[0054] Referring to Figures 3-4, a shipping container 102 (e.g. a conventional
or frame shipping
container 102) can be supported in a vertical orientation using anchors 106.
An anchor 106 can
comprise a connector 302 with a flange 312 fitted into an eyelet 304 formed in
the material of the
shipping container 102. The connector 302 can be mounted to the supporting
surface 104 with an
anchoring rod 306 that projects through an aperture 314 in the arm of the
connector 302. The
anchoring rod 306 can be fastened to the connector 302 by a fastener 308 such
as a nut along
with supporting and load-distributing washers 310 and 316.
[0055] The connector 302, connecting rod 306, fastener 308, and washers 310,
316 are typically
composed of an environmentally resistant material such as metal. One or more
eyelets 304 can
be constructed in the shipping container 102 in a manner familiar to a person
skilled in the art, or
in some cases the one or more eyelets 304 may comprise pre-existing pores or
perforations in the
material of the shipping container 102.
[0056] In an example embodiment, the supporting surface 104 comprises concrete
or cement and
the connecting rod 306 is threaded into the supporting surface 104 using
external threads on the
base of the connecting rod 306 and corresponding internal threads on the walls
of a recess 318
formed in the supporting surface 104. Alternatively, for more permanent
embodiments, the
connecting rod 306 can be mounted vertically in concrete or cement.
[0057] One or more anchors 106 can be used to support a shipping container 102
in a vertical
orientation. In an example embodiment (see Figures 1, 2, 16, and 17), anchors
106 are secured at
each of the bottom comers of each longitudinal face of a shipping container
102 configured
substantially as a rectangular cuboid.
[0058] The anchoring mechanism displayed in Figures 3 and 4 represents just
one manner of
support for a shipping container 102 oriented with its longitudinal axis
perpendicular to a
supporting surface 104. The present subject matter comprises any and all
manners of supporting
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or securing a shipping container 102 in a vertical orientation, including
without the use of
anchors 106. Referring to Figures 5 and 18, a vertical shipping container 102
can be supported at
its base by one or more shipping containers 102 oriented in the regular
"horizontal" manner (i.e.
with the longitudinal axis oriented parallel to the supporting surface 104).
The vertical shipping
container 102 can be positioned at any coordinate along the longitudinal axis
of the one or more
supporting horizontal shipping containers 102. In another embodiment
illustrated in Figures 6
and 19, a horizontal shipping container 102 supports the vertical orientation
of multiple shipping
containers 102 (e.g. a conventional or frame shipping container 102), thus
further reducing the
total shipping container 102 footprint at a site. Where one or more vertical
shipping containers
102 are supported by a horizontal shipping container 102, one or more anchors
106 can be used
to secure the vertical shipping container 102 and/or horizontal shipping
container 102 to the
supporting surface 104 (see e.g. Figures 7, 10, 20, and 22). It is also
contemplated that a vertical
shipping container 102 can be supported by a building or structure.
100591 Figures 15 and 26 illustrate an embodiment that reduces the storage
footprint at a site
further still by securely mounting (e.g. using brackets 802) one or more
vertical shipping
containers 102 to the top face of a horizontal shipping container 102 that can
be secured to a
supporting surface 104 with anchors 106. In this embodiment, access to the
vertical shipping
container 102 may be provided by an access ladder (e.g. ladder 1202; see
Figures 12 and 25) that
extends to the base of the horizontal shipping container 102.
100601 Referring to Figures 8A-B and 21A-B, adjacent vertical shipping
containers 102 can be
supported with one or more harnessing brackets 802. In one embodiment, each of
two or more
vertical shipping containers 102 is secured to a supporting surface 104 using
one or more
anchors 106 and also harnessed to at least one adjacent vertical shipping
container 102 with one
or more brackets 802. In an example embodiment, each bracket 802 comprises two
connectors
302, a bracketing rod 806, and two or more fasteners 308. Each connector 302
can have a flange
312 fitted into an eyelet 304 in a shipping container 102. Where two flanges
312 are fitted into
eyelets 304 of adjacent vertical shipping containers 102, the bracketing rod
806 can be inserted
through an aperture 314 in the arm of each connector 302 and the connectors
302 can be
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harnessed using fasteners 308 that adhere to the bracketing rod 806 (e.g.
using corresponding
threads on the fasteners 308 and bracketing rod 806) and tighten against each
connector 302.
[0061] Brackets 802 can be used to harness and stabilize two or more vertical
shipping
containers 102 where no support is available at the base of the shipping
containers 102, or can
confer additional stability where one or more adjacent vertical shipping
containers 102 is
supported at its base (e.g with anchors as in Figures 8 and 21 and/or with
horizontal shipping
containers 102 as in Figures 9-10 and 22-23). Moreover, as shown in Figures 9-
10 and 22-23,
vertical shipping containers 102 can be further supported by harnessing one or
more vertical
shipping containers 102 to a horizontal shipping container 102 with one or
more brackets 802.
[0062] Figures 13 and 24 illustrate a further embodiment of a vertical
shipping container 102
wherein tethers 1302 are used to secure the shipping container 102 in a
vertical orientation. Each
tether 1302 can comprise for example wire cable and can be secured to the
shipping container
102 and the horizontal surface 104 using known means such as a thimble and
ferrule.
[0063] As will be apparent from the above description, the present invention
contemplates both a
solitary vertical shipping container 102 (i.e. a freestanding shipping
container 102 which is not in
contact with another shipping container 102) and a vertical shipping container
102 which is at
least partly supported in a vertical orientation by one or more adjacent
shipping containers 102
(either horizontally or vertically oriented). In the case of a solitary
vertical shipping container
102, the shipping container 102 can be maintained in a vertical orientation
using one or a
combination of the means described herein, including with anchors 106 and/or
tethers 1302.
[0064] In preferred embodiments, the vertical shipping container 102 at all
times is removably
supported in a vertical orientation to retain its portable aspect. For
instance, when anchors 106 or
brackets 802 are used to stabilize the vertical shipping container 102, the
anchors 106 and/or
brackets 802 are preferably removably affixed to the shipping container 102.
In this way the
shipping container 102 can be reversibly oriented in horizontal and vertical
positions at a
particular site according to the need for a vertical shipping container at the
site.
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[0065] A shipping container 102 oriented with its longitudinal axis
perpendicular to a supporting
surface 104 can be used to store any type of item(s). For a conventional
shipping container 102,
examples are items that may be optimally stored upright such as liquid storage
tanks, dry product
(solids), bioreactor tanks, water towers, anaerobic reactors, liquid or powder
chemical feed or
dosing systems, dry powders, aeration tanks, air stripping tanks, moving bed
bioreactors,
sequencing batch reactors, sand, multimedia, ceramic, and/or carbon filters,
biofilters,
biotrickling filters, long items such as pipes, tubes, and rods, among many
others. Figure 11
illustrates an example embodiment of a liquid storage tank or sand filter 1102
being stored in a
vertical conventional shipping container 102. In the case of a vertical frame
shipping container
102 enclosing a tank container 122, the tank container 122 can be used to
store any type of
liquids and some types of solids. In preferred embodiments the vertical
orientation of the tank
container 122 within the vertical frame shipping container 102 facilitates the
upright
configuration of devices or apparatuses within the tank container 122.
Examples of contents of
the tank container 122 enclosed by a vertical frame shipping container 102
include bioreactor
tanks, water towers, anaerobic reactors, liquid or powder chemical feed or
dosing systems, dry
powders, aeration tanks, air stripping tanks, moving bed bioreactors,
sequencing batch reactors,
sand, multimedia, ceramic, and/or carbon filters, biofilters, biotrickling
filters, among many
others.
[0066] Further, the vertical shipping container 102 need not always be used
for storage and can
act as a permanent or semi-permanent housing at a site.
[0067] Custom modifications can be made to a shipping container 102 (or to a
tank container
122 enclosed within a frame shipping container 102) to facilitate storage of
particular goods or
items. Such modifications can be introduced when the shipping container 102 is
in a horizontal
orientation or after it has been oriented with its longitudinal axis
perpendicular to a supporting
surface 104. In an example embodiment, a conventional shipping container 102
is modified to
receive, store and dispense a liquid such as water. The interior of the
conventional shipping
container 102 can be sealed using for example a water-impermeable liner, and
liquid can be
pumped into the vertical shipping container 102. The shipping container 102
can be further
modified to include inlet and outlet ports to facilitate the influx and efflux
of liquid. For example,
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an inlet port can be positioned on a side or top face of the vertical shipping
container 102, and
can be designed to accommodate a duct or conduit connected to a pump/water
source. An outlet
port can be constructed near the bottom of the vertical shipping container 102
to accommodate
for example a fitting or a duct leading away from the shipping container 102.
[0068] With regard to access to the interior of the shipping container 102, in
an example
embodiment the top face of a conventional shipping container 102 comprises
doors 202 attached
to the shipping container 102 by hinges 204 (see Figure 2). The shipping
container 102 (e.g.
conventional or frame shipping container 102) can be retrofitted to include
access ports or
flanges for additional access to the interior of the shipping container 102
and/or enclosed tank
container 122 (i.e. in the case of a frame shipping container 102 enclosing a
tank container 122).
Figures 12, 14 and 25 illustrate example embodiments wherein a vertical
shipping container 102
has been fitted with an access ladder 1202 and platform 1204 to provide ready
access to the
contents (e.g. sand filter 1102 or tank container 122) of the shipping
container 102.
[0069] While this invention has been described with reference to illustrative
embodiments and
examples, the description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense.
Thus, various
modifications of the illustrative embodiments, as well as other embodiments of
the invention,
will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to this
description. It is therefore
contemplated that the appended claims will cover any such modifications or
embodiments.
[0070] All publications, patents and patent applications referred to herein
are incorporated by
reference in their entirety to the same extent as if each individual
publication, patent or patent
application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by
reference in its
entirety.
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