Column and deck construction for vehicle shipping apparatus

Claim 1

IN A DEVICE FOR TRANSPORTING AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES THE COMBINATION COMPRISING MEANS FORMING A LOWER DECK FOR SUPPORTING AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES, A PLURALITY OF UPRIGHT COLUMNS DISPOSED ALONG EACH SIDE OF SAID LOWER DECK WITH AT LEAST ONE OF SAID COLUMNS ON EACH SIDE OF SAID DECK HAVING WEIGHT SUPPORTING STRUCTURAL PORTIONS ARRANGED TO FORM A HOLLOW ENCLOSED PORTION PROVIDING AN UPRIGHT CONDUIT, A GENERALLY IMPERFORATE UPPER DECK SUPPORTED ON SAID COLUMNS ABOVE SAID LOWER DECK FOR SUPPORTING AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES, SAID UPPER DECK HAVING GENERALLY RIGHT ANGULAR CURB PORTIONS INCLUDING AN UPRIGHT FLANGE FOR RE-INFORCING SAID DECK, SAID CURB PORTIONS FORMING TROUGHS EXTENDING ALONG THE SIDE EDGES OF SAID DECK ADJACENT THE INNER SIDES OF SAID COLUMNS AND HAVING OUTLET OPENING THEREIN COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID CONDUIT COLUMNS AT MUTUALLY OVERLAPPING PORTIONS OF SAID CURB PORTIONS AND SAID COLUMNS FOR CONDUCTING RAIN WATER AND THE LIKE COLLECTING ON SAID UPPER DECK DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID COLUMNS, SAID CONDUIT COLUMNS HAVING OUTLET OPENINGS THEREIN ADJACENT THE LOWER ENDS THEREOF.