Method of handling and storing containers at a shipping terminal

Claim 2

In a method of handling containers to be loaded in compartments of a carrier located at a terminal which also includes a temporary storage housing having a plurality of storage compartments and computer means having a memory bank, the steps of placing in the memory bank of the computer means a listing of all the containers to be loaded on the carrier and their assigned compartments in the carrier, placing in the memory bank of the computer means a listing of all of the compartments in the carrier and their arrangement therein, identifying each container as it enters the terminal and transmitting such identification to the computer means to form a listing whereupon said computer means, with reference to said listings in its memory bank, assigns each container to a compartment in said storage housing, inserting each container in its assigned location in the storage housing, placing in the memory bank of the computer means information which identifies the storage housing compartments in which each container is located, and subsequently removing said containers from the storage housing compartments and transferring them to the particular compartments of the carrier as determined by said listings.

Claim 3

In a method for operating a shipping terminal having an input/output station disposed adjacent to a transportation mode and a carrier station disposed in spaced relation to the input/output station and adjacent to a carrier, a storage housing having storage compartments therein, a container transport means for moving containers from said housing to said carrier station and vice versa, stacker means for moving containers into and out of the compartments, a common control center including computer means and means at the carrier station for transferring containers between the carrier and the carrier station; the steps of feeding into the computer means at the control center data comprising listings of all the compartments in the carrier and their arrangement therein, feeding into the computer means at the control center further data comprising the identity of each incoming container at the input/output station, moving an identified container from the input/output station into the housing, placing said identified container into the housing compartment in which it is to be stored as directed from the computer means at the control center, feeding into said computer means at the control center confirming data from the stacker moving means that a given container has been stored aS directed, feeding into the computer means at the control center additional data comprising information that identifies containers to be loaded aboard a carrier, moving selected containers from the housing to the carrier station in accordance with directions given by the computer means at the control center to said container transport means, signalling said transferring means from said computer means at the control center to indicate where the selected containers are to be loaded aboard said carrier and then loading the containers from said carrier station aboard the carrier.

Claim 4

In a method for operating a shipping terminal having an input/output station disposed adjacent to a transportation mode and a carrier station disposed in spaced relation to the input/output station and adjacent to a carrier, a storage housing having storage compartments therein, a container transport means for moving containers from said housing to said carrier station and vice versa, stacker means for moving containers into and out of the compartments, a common control center including computer means and means at the carrier station for transferring containers between the carrier and the carrier station; the steps of feeding into the computer means at the control center data comprising listings of all the compartments in the carrier and their arrangement therein, feeding into the computer means at the control center further data comprising the identity of each incoming container at the input/output station, moving an identified container from the input/output station into the housing, placing said identified container into the housing compartment in which it is to be stored as directed from the computer means at the control center, feeding into said computer means at the control center confirming data from the stacker moving means that a given container has been stored aS directed, feeding into the computer means at the control center additional data comprising information that identifies containers to be loaded aboard a carrier, moving selected containers from the housing to the carrier station in accordance with directions given by the computer means at the control center to said container transport means, signalling said transferring means from said computer means at the control center to indicate where the selected containers are to be loaded aboard said carrier and then loading the containers from said carrier station aboard the carrier.