Container front end construction

Claim 2

In a container for a vehicle or the like, a front corner construction comprising: a front wall, a pair of laterally spaced front corner posts each having a laterally inwardly directed extension attached to a respective opposed end of the front wall, a side corner post being connected with each front corner post, a side wall having a forward portion being connected to each side corner post, each front corner post having a rear extension extendIng laterally of the container and said rear extension including a first force resisting means, each side corner post having a forward extension extending laterally of the container and abuttingly engaging with the rear extension of an adjacent front corner post, said forward extension including a second force resisting means coupling with said first force resisting means of an adjacent front corner post resisting lateral forces on the container side wall, first coupling means on one extension and second coupling means on the other extension adjacent said one extension laterally of the first and second force resisting means cooperative in resisting fore-and-aft forces on the front wall of the container.

Claim 3

The invention according to claim 1, and said first and second force resisting means including tongue means on one extension and groove means on the other extension holding the extensions together.

Claim 4

The invention according to claim 1, and said first and second coupling means including bolt means on each extension holding the extensions together in locked condition.

Claim 5

The invention according to claim 1, and said first and second coupling means including hook groove means on one extension and tongue means on the other extension and cooperating with the first and second force resisting means to hold the extensions together in locked condition.

Claim 6

The invention according to claim 1, and said container including a plurality of intermediate side posts on each side thereof and in longitudinal alignment with one another and with a respective side corner post, said corner side post and said intermediate side posts being mounted on the outside of a respective side wall.

Claim 7

The invention according to claim 5, and said first and second coupling means including bolting means in longitudinal alignment with said side corner post and outwardly of said side wall, said first and second force resisting means including a tongue and groove arrangement on the extension outwardly of the bolting means.

Claim 8

The invention according to claim 1, and said container including a plurality of intermediate side posts on each side thereof in longitudinal alignment with one another and with a respective side corner post, said side corner post and said intermediate side posts being mounted on the inside of a respective side wall.

Claim 9

The invention according to claim 7, and said first and second coupling means including bolting means in longitudinal alignment with said side corner post and inwardly of said side wall, said first and second force resisting means including a tongue arrangement outwardly of the bolting means and inwardly of the side wall.

Claim 10

The invention according to claim 1, and said side wall being a longitudinally extending panel and said side corner post including finger portions extending about and being fixedly attached to said panel.

Claim 11

The invention according to claim 1, and said first and second force resisting means and said first and second coupling means each including a tongue and groove structure cooperating with one another and with the tongue and groove on the opposite side of the car to lock the front wall to a pair of side walls, the tongue and groove of each structure having a vertical sliding relation to one another in their assembling together.

Claim 12

The invention according to claim 10, and the tongue and groove structure defining the first and second force resisting means being laterally inward of the tongue and groove structure of the first and second coupling means, both the structures being in longitudinal alignment with the side wall.

Claim 13

In a container for a vehicle or the like, a front corner construction comprising: a front wall, a pair of laterally spaced front corner posts each having a laterally inwardly directed extension attached to a respective opposed end of the front wall, a side corner post being connected with each front corner poSt, a side wall having a forward portion being connected to each side corner post, each front corner post having a rear extension extending laterally of the container and including a first rearwardly facing groove portion, each side corner post having a forward extension extending laterally of the container and abuttingly engaging with the rear extension of an adjacent front corner post, said forward extension including a second forwardly facing tongue portion extending in and coupling with a groove portion of an adjacent front corner post resisting lateral forces on the container side wall, fastening means on each extension laterally inward of said tongue and groove portions bolting the extensions together and resisting fore-and-aft and lateral forces on the container, said container having a plurality of intermediate side posts, said tongue and groove portions and side fastening means being in longitudinal alignment with said side corner post and said intermediate side posts and being clear of the internal loading area.

Claim 14

In a container for a vehicle or the like, a front corner construction comprising: a front wall, a pair of laterally spaced front corner posts each having a laterally inwardly directed extension attached to a respective opposed end of the front wall, a side corner post being connected with each front corner poSt, a side wall having a forward portion being connected to each side corner post, each front corner post having a rear extension extending laterally of the container and including a first rearwardly facing groove portion, each side corner post having a forward extension extending laterally of the container and abuttingly engaging with the rear extension of an adjacent front corner post, said forward extension including a second forwardly facing tongue portion extending in and coupling with a groove portion of an adjacent front corner post resisting lateral forces on the container side wall, fastening means on each extension laterally inward of said tongue and groove portions bolting the extensions together and resisting fore-and-aft and lateral forces on the container, said container having a plurality of intermediate side posts, said tongue and groove portions and side fastening means being in longitudinal alignment with said side corner post and said intermediate side posts and being clear of the internal loading area.

Claim 15

In a container for a vehicle or the like, a front corner construction comprising: a front wall, a pair of laterally spaced front corner posts each having a laterally inwardly directed extension attached to opposed ends of the front wall, a side corner post being connected with each front corner post, a side wall having a forward portion being connected to each side corner post, each front corner post having a rear extension extending laterally of the container and including a laterally inwardly spaced groove portion and a laterally outwardly spaced protuberance portion, each side corner post having a forward extension extending laterally of the container and abuttingly engaging with the rear extension of an adjacent front corner post, said forward extension including a laterally inwardly spaced forwardly facing tongue portion and a laterally outwardly spaced hook portion, said tongue portion extending in and coupling with a groove portion of an adjacent front corner post resisting lateral forces on the container side wall, said hook portion dovetailing with a protuberance of the adjacent front corner post in resisting fore-and-aft forces on the container front wall, said tongue and groove portions cooperating with said protuberance and hook portion to provide for a vertically slidable interlock at the front corners of the containers.

Claim 16

In a container for a vehicle or the like, a front corner construction comprising: a front wall, a pair of laterally spaced front corner posts each having a laterally inwardly directed extension attached to opposed ends of the front wall, a side corner post being connected with each front corner post, a side wall having a forward portion being connected to each side corner post, each front corner post having a rear extension extending laterally of the container and including a laterally inwardly spaced groove portion and a laterally outwardly spaced protuberance portion, each side corner post having a forward extension extending laterally of the container and abuttingly engaging with the rear extension of an adjacent front corner post, said forward extension including a laterally inwardly spaced forwardly facing tongue portion and a laterally outwardly spaced hook portion, said tongue portion extending in and coupling with a groove portion of an adjacent front corner post resisting lateral forces on the container side wall, said hook portion dovetailing with a protuberance of the adjacent front corner post in resisting fore-and-aft forces on the container front wall, said tongue and groove portions cooperating with said protuberance and hook portion to provide for a vertically slidable interlock at the front corners of the containers.

Claim 17

The invention according to claim 13, and each of said front corner posts having forwardly of the interlock laterally inwardly projecting fingers extending about a respective end of the front wall and each of said side corner posts having rearwardly of the interlock longitudinally rearwardly extending fingers extending about a respective forward portion of a side wall, the interlock being substantially in longitudinal alignment with said side wall.