Modular Construction Supply Materials Container System and Method of Providing Same

Abstract

The present invention is a system for transporting and storing construction materials for a job site using a tractor trailer having a plurality of openings, a container having a frame carrying support feet for being received into the tractor trailer openings, a plurality of attachment points carried by the frame on the floor of the interior of the container, a plurality of shelves carried by the interior of the container; and a door carried by the container having a lock.

Claims

1. A system for transporting, storing, and securing construction materials for use at a job site comprising: a set of four containers each having a frame, sides, roof, and door, said containers configured so that four of said containers can be placed on a tractor trailer in a 22 arrangement; a plurality of tracks carried by said frames and arranged within the interior of each container and having attachment points attached to said tracks used for securing items to the interior of each container; a plurality of shelves attached to one side of said interior of each container for receiving and carrying materials taken from the group consisting of: plumbing, pipes, conduit, gutters, wiring, moulding, and any combination of these; and, a lock carried by said door for securing said materials within each container to help prevent unauthorized access.

2. The system of claim 1 including a plurality of stems carried by said roof used for lifting each container;

3. The system of claim 1 including: an electromechanical member for locking and unlocking said lock; and, a transceiver in electronic communications with said electromechanical member for sending and receiving information from a remote site so that a lock combination can be reset from said remote location by transmitting a reset lock command to said electromechanical member and unlocking said lock by transmitting an unlock command from said remote location; and,

4. The system of claim 1 including: a GPS receiver for receiving GPS information from orbiting satellites attached to said container; and, a transmitter in electronic communications with said GPS receiver for receiving location information from said GPS and transmitting said location information to a remote location.

5. The system of claim 4 including a communications receiver in electronic communications with said transmitter for receiving a location request command from said remote location and actuating said transmitter to send location information to said remote location.

6. The system of claim 1 including alarm sensors taken from the group consisting of: foil, wires, proximity, heat, lock, temperature, and any combination of these.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said alarm sensor is in electronic communications with a transmitter so that said alarm sensor can transmit alarm information to a remote location.

8. The system of claim 6 including a solar panel in electronic communications with said alarm sensors to power said alarm sensor.

9. The system of claim 1 including a forklift carried by said tractor trailer for removing and replacing containers to and from said tractor trailer.

10. The system of claim 1 including a crane carried by said tractor trailer for removing and replacing containers on and off said tractor trailer.

11. The system of claim 1 including construction tools arranged in the interior of said container taken from the group consisting of: pipe wrenches, thread chaser, flaring tools, thread seal tape, pipe clamp, pipe snake, propane torch, tongue-and-groove pliers, hacksaw, metal file, basin wrench, adjustable wrench, tubing cutter, fire-resistant cloth, safety glasses, dust mask, tape measure, pencil, level, drop cloth, ladder, caulk and/or wood putty, hammer, finishing nails, power drill, bits, pneumatic nail gun, nail set, c-clamp, sandpaper, circular saw, screwdrivers and nut drivers, wire strippers, fishing tools, measuring devices, labeling machines, power drills and drivers, hammer/drills, power saws, and any combination of these.

12. A system for transporting, storing, and securing construction materials for use at a job site comprising: a set of four containers each having a triangular frame, sides, roof, and door, said containers configured so that four of said containers can be placed on a tractor trailer in a 22 arrangement; a plurality of tracks carried by said frames and arranged within the interior of each container and having attachment points attached to said tracks used for securing items to the interior of each container

13. The system of claim 12 including a plurality of shelves attached to one side of said interior of each container.

14. The system of claim 12 including a plurality of support feet attached to said frame for supporting said container above the ground.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein each of said support feet includes an opening defined in said support foot for receiving lifting items taken from the group consisting of: hooks, chains, straps and any combination of these;

16. The system of claim 12 wherein said tractor trailer includes a tractor trailer bed having a plurality of openings for receiving support feet of said container.

17. The system of claim 12 including a forklift carried by said trailer for removing and replacing containers to and from said trailer.

18. The system of claim 12 including a crane carried by said trailer for removing and replacing container to and from said trailer.

19. A system for transporting, storing and securing construction materials for use at a job site comprising: a set of containers each having sides, a roof, and a door, said containers configured so that said containers can be placed on a tractor trailer in a 22 arrangement; a plurality of shelves attached to said interior wall of at least one container; and, a lock carried by said door for securing said construction materials within each container to help prevent unauthorized access.

20. The system of claim 19 including: a plurality of support feet attached to said container for supporting said container above the ground; and, said tractor trailer includes a plurality of openings for receiving said support feet of said containers.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The construction designed to carry out the invention will hereinafter be described, together with other features thereof. The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention is shown and wherein:

[0023] FIG. 1 is a perspective of components of the invention;

[0024] FIG. 2 is a perspective of components of the invention;

[0025] FIG. 3 is a perspective of components of the invention;

[0026] FIG. 4 is a side view with cutout view of the invention;

[0027] FIG. 5 is a perspective of components of the invention;

[0028] FIG. 6 is a top down view of components of the invention;

[0029] FIG. 7 is a side view of components of the invention;

[0030] FIG. 8 is a top down view of components of the invention; and,

[0031] FIG. 9 is a side view of components of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] This invention is directed to specialized containers for the delivery of construction supplies to a job site. In one embodiment, specific-sized containers exist for delivering millwork products and mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) products. In one embodiment, the container would be a standard sized container such as used in shipping including the 20, 40, 45 and 48 foot in length variety with a width of about 8 feet and height between 6 and 12 feet. In one embodiment, the container can be between 4 and 10 feet wide, between 12 and 20 feet long, and 6 and 12 feet high. The container would be of an appropriate size to be transported on a semi-trailer truck such as a cargo trailer having two rear axles. The cargo trailer can use a king pin carried by a horseshoe-shaped quick-release coupling device (fifth wheel or a turntable hitch) at the rear of the towing engine that allows easy hook up and release. In this arrangement, the trailer cannot move by itself because it only has wheels at the rear end, hence the name semi-trailer. A semi-trailer with a forward axle, provided by the towing engine, to carry half the load weight. Typically, a semi-trailer is equipped with landing gear 52 (FIG. 9) which include legs that can be lowered to support it when it is uncoupled. This allows the towing engine to be used for multiple trailers so that the trailer itself can be left at various locations including construction or job sites.

[0033] Referring to FIG. 1, in one embodiment, frame 10 includes a perimeter 11 and bottom support grid 13 having slats. In one embodiment, the frame is manufactured from metal such as steel and can include a solid steel bottom. The frame can have predetermined lifting holes 18a through 18d on all four sides for loading/offloading by a forklift, crane, and the like. The forks of the forklift would be received in the lifting holes to lift the container for moving and placing the container where desired. This is particularly beneficial when multiple containers are placed on a trailer such as in the configuration with multiple containers shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The lifting holes receive the forks of the fork lift and allow the container to be moved and otherwise manipulated. Offloading can be performed using a forklift 48 (FIG. 9) such as the 6,500# moffett lift or crane boom 50 outfitted with forks, lifting straps, hooks, and the like.

[0034] The platform can include support feet 15a through 15c which can be an planar configuration, angled configuration, partial square configuration, square configuration, or solid configuration. A support foot can include a foot opening 17 that can be used to secure the container to a trailer, secure the container to other containers, receive hooks or straps for lifting or securing the container to an anchor affixed to a physical location where the container is placed.

[0035] In one embodiment, a floor panel 19 can be received by the frame and supported by the frame to provide a floor to the container. The bottom support grid can provide additional support to the floor panel. Referring to FIG. 2, the grid and frame can receive a wood floor 12. To prevent construction materials and tools from shifting during transport, the wood floor can have tracks 30a through 30d spaced at predetermined locations along the floor. Attachment point 32 can be included in a track for securing items to the floor. In one embodiment, the floor include a plurality of inserts that are carried by the grid wherein the tracks are carried by the grid and protrude upwards to allow for items to be tied down using attachment points 32. In one embodiment, the attachment points are taken from the group consisting of loops, hooks, rings, snaps, and the like. In one embodiment, the tracks, including the attachments points, are recessed below the floor surface. In one embodiment, the attachments points are removablely attached to the grid, tracks or floor so that the attachments can be moved, changed or removed entirely. An attachment cover can be included which covers the opening in the tracks that receives the attachment point.

[0036] Referring to FIG. 3, walls 14 are carried by the frame. The sides themselves can be made from material taken from the group consisting of metal, stainless steel, fiberglass, wood, synthetics and the like. A roof 16 is carried by the walls and can be a semi-transparent or transparent material allowing light to penetrate the interior of the container eliminating the need for an artificial light source as well as reducing the weight of the container over traditional solid metal containers. In one embodiment, a portion of the roof is semi-transparent or transparent reducing the need for artificial light, while also providing opaque materials for structural support and attachment points. The semi-transparent or transparent portion can be of any shape and can be carried by the opaque portion of the roof. For example, roof portions 33a and 33b can be semi-transparent or transparent while roof 16 could be opaque.

[0037] The ceiling can have tracks 34a through 34c spaced at predetermined locations with attachments for receiving tie-down poles, securing members, and the like. The top outside corners of the container can have lifting connections 28a through 28c for connecting chains, straps, etc. to the container to allow for loading and offloading by crane or other lifting device. The lifting connections can be stems with openings for receiving straps or hooks, loops, rings, and the like. In one embodiment, the vertical attachments can be carried by vertical support beams 36a through 36c to provide the ability to tie-down items to the side of the interior of the container. The attachment members can be removable secured to the vertical support beams or ceiling tracks.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 4, a rear roll-up door 20 can be included as one side of the container. A lock 22 can be attached to the door to allow the door to be secured in a closed position. In one embodiment, the lock is electronic. Since the container is locked, the construction material and tools can be delivered at least one day before being installed in the construction cycle with minimal risk of loss. Further, a receiver 26 can be in electronic communications with the electronic lock so that combination or code reset information can be transmitted from a remote location to the container thereby changing the lock, opening the lock or disallowing all access to the lock. The lock can include a sensor indicating whether the lock is opened or closed. A transmitter can be included with the receiver 26 so that the status of the lock can be transmitted to a remote location. A sensor can be included with the container that can determine the status of the lock, motion detection inside the sensor, proximity sensors for determine if anything is approaching the container, temperature, movement and the like. The information gathered from the sensor can be transmitted to a remote site when polled from the remote sight of upon a trigger event such as the sensor detecting movement.

[0039] The container may contain a GPS tracking device 24 that can determine the container's present location as well as transmit the location of the container to the remote site. The floor, sides, and roof of the container can include penetration sensor device that can determine whether the floor, sides or roof has been breached. For example, wire 21 or other conductive material such as foil can be contained on or within the floor, sides or roof so that when the wire of foil is broken, a detector 23 can send an alarm that can be transmitted to a remote site. Further, an alarm 25 can be included with the container that can be activated when certain events occur such as a breach attempt, the lock being opened, motion detected, or even an indication of a low power supply that can be included with the transmitter 26, GPS 24 or separately included. The alarm can have an audio or visual signal and can have a delayed activation or silent activation. Solar panels 27 can be included in the roof or within the container (receiving light from the semi-transparent or transparent portions) to power the various electronic devices associated with the container. A heat sensor can be included for determining when the interior of the container reaches an undesirable level.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 5, one embodiment includes specifically sized shelves on the interior left side of the container. Shelves 42a through 42d are spaced at predetermined shelf depths that can span the entire length of the container at predetermined heights to secure long-length construction materials during transport. For example, moulding generally has a standard length of 8 feet. The container, if it is 9 feet in length, would accommodate sufficient moulding in eight foot sections for building a structure. Shelf support member 41a and 41b can both help support the shelves as well as function as a barrier to prevent the moulding from falling off the shelves. With the door opened, the moulding can be moved in a direction shown as 43 to place and remove moulding from the shelves in the container. Further, the securing attachments on the floor and roof can be used to secure moulding in the shelves. If should be understood that while moulding has been used as an example, other construction material such as conduit, plumping, wiring, gutters, pipes, and the like would be similarity manipulated, secured and arranged.

[0041] Referring to FIGS. 6, 7, and 8, when transporting containers, a flatbed tractor trailer 40 can be used. In one embodiment, the tractor trailers will have a minimum deck height of 32 inches. Four containers 46a through 46d can be delivered by one tractor trailer so that a single tractor trailer dispatch, with one driver, can be used to deliver multiple containers to a job site or multiple job sites. The tractor trailer bed can be made from wood and include precut holes 44 for receiving the support feet of the container. This allows the containers to be placed in an identical position each time the container is loaded to eliminate the error of the container not being loaded in accordance with DOT regulations.

[0042] Prior to placement on the trailer for delivery to the construction site, the container is preloaded with construction materials in accordance with the particular job. For example, a residential home would include in a container load-out plumbing, gutters, conduit and moulding. Additionally, one container could include material for exterior work such as gutters while another container could include materials for interior work including moulding and plumbing. Tools can also be included in the container and can be taken from the group of: pipe wrenches, thread chaser, flaring tools, thread seal tape, pipe clamp, pipe snake, propane torch, tongue-and-groove pliers, hacksaw, metal file, basin wrench, adjustable wrench, tubing cutter, fire-resistant cloth, safety glasses, dust mask, tape measure, pencil, level, drop cloth, ladder, caulk and or wood putty, hammer, finishing nails, power drill, bits, pneumatic nail gun, nail set, c-clamp, sandpaper, circular saw, screwdrivers and nut drivers, wire strippers, fishing tools, measuring devices, labeling machines, power drills and drivers, hammer/drills, power saws, and any combination of these.

[0043] In one embodiment, specifically for millwork, the container can be 18 L4 W and could range from 9-12 H. Every 2 will have a metal track with holes to insert a tie-down pole. The ceiling will have the same bracing for the tie-down as the inside floor. Four shelves 10 wide on the inside left wall that span the entire length of the container and are placed at the following heights: 2, 4, 6 and 7. These shelves would be used to store mouldings for delivery.

[0044] In one embodiment, specifically for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP Containers), dimensions could range from 12-18 L4 W and could range from 8-12 H. Every 2 feet a metal track with holes to insert a tie-down pole will be present on the floor. Four shelves 10 wide on the inside left wall can span the entire length of the container and are placed at the following heights: 2, 4, 6 and 7. These shelves would be used to store PVC pipe and any other long-length products.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 9, a trailer carrying a plurality of containers is shown. The trailer can include a forklift 48 carried on the back of the trailer to facilitate the transportation, removal and loading of the container on and off the trailer. The forklift can be driven down an included ramp or can be stored on a lifting apparatus that allows the forklift to be raised and lowered onto and off of the trailer.

[0046] Further, a crane 50 of other similar lifting device can also be included with the trailer. A sling 52 or other lifting to attachment means can be used in cooperation with the crane and used to lift, remove or load containers on the trailer.

[0047] While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.