Shipping Container Support Arrangement

Abstract

A support member 40 spans a corner of a door frame of shipping container 10, the door frame having two lateral members 34 and two beam members 32. The first beam member is preferably a header rail and the first lateral member is ideally a corner post. There may be a corner casting 22. The support member may be permanently secured, preferably being welded to the lateral and beam members. There may be a reinforcement member 60 that is ideally configurable between an operative position and a non-operative position. In the operating position, the reinforcing member may be able to transfer force between the beam and lateral members. The reinforcing member may have an elongate member 62 having longitudinal ends, the first end ideally being a mounting member 50 which can movably mount the reinforcing member to the support member. The mounting member may be slidably mounted on the support member, ideally being a sleeve. The sleeve may surround an outer surface of the support member.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a shipping container support arrangement and a method of supporting a shipping container. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION The invention relates to ISO style shipping containers which are also known as intermodal containers, freight containers and shipping containers. The term shipping container / container will be used throughout this specification in order to refer to these containers consistently. The shipping containers are supplied in an empty state and are then filled with goods for transporting, generally by shipping, to a different country. In particular, the shipping containers may be manufactured and filled with goods in Asia and then shipped to Europe for the distribution of the goods. However, once in Europe, it may not be cost effective to send the empty shipping containers back to Asia in order to re-use the shipping containers. In general, more goods are transported from Asia to Europe than from Europe to Asia. This inequality means that there may be an oversupply of empty shipping containers in Europe. Empty shipping containers may be used in a static location in order to provide a storage container. These storage containers may be used to store equipment and apparatus at a fixed site. The storage sites may therefore have rows of shipping containers arranged side by side and / or end to end with at least one accessible door at one end of the shipping container for access purposes. In order to make optimum use of the area at a storage site, it is often preferred to arrange the side walls of the shipping containers / storage containers adjacent to each other and also to have a further row located behind in which the two rows of shipping containers are located (front) end to (front) end. Conventional shipping containers have a pair of doors at one or at both ends. These doors are pivotally mounted at the sides of the container and meet in the middle at the ends of the container. The doors are secured in a closed position by using rotatable locking rods which engage within keeps at the longitudinal ends thereof. In an end-to-end arrangement, only the doors at one end may be operational or the shipping container may be provided with or adapted to have a single end with access doors. In the shipping mode of use, shipping containers would be sat on solid and flat surfaces for the doors to operate correctly. This ensures that the walls of the shipping containers are kept straight, and that the integrity of each container structure is maintained. The normal operation would entail the doors of each container being opened on a flat surface (e.g. a road trailer chassis), and on long haul routes the doors of each container may be opened only a few times a year. At the end of their working life, shipping containers are normally disposed of in a secondary market to provide domestic site storage. When a shipping container is used for storage, the container remains static, and its doors are often opened and closed on a daily basis. However, when the container becomes loaded, the heavy weight can push the container in to ground. This can result in an end frame of the container being twisted out of square and the doors of the container becoming misaligned with the end frame. This misalignment of the doors within the frame is commonly known as racking and prevents the doors from operating correctly. Each container door has at least one locking rod with a door cam located at each end, which in use retains and locks the door in a closed position. Each door cam cooperates with a dedicated keeper device arranged on the end doorframe of the container. Known anti-racking devices are attachable to both the door cams and door keepers to maintain the integrity of the end doorframe. Furthermore, the racking of the end door frame also prevents the correct operation of a security cowl / locking box attached to the misaligned doors, because the security cowl welded to the right-hand door no longer correctly overlaps the steel staple welded to the left-hand door. It is an aim of the present invention to overcome at least on problem associated with the prior art whether referred to herein or otherwise. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a shipping container comprising an access doorway defined by a door frame, the door frame comprising: two lateral frame members, and two beam members extending between the lateral frame members, wherein a first lateral frame member and a first beam member form a first corner for the door frame, the shipping container comprising a support member which spans the first corner and wherein the support member is secured to the first lateral frame member and to the first beam member. The first beam member may comprise a header rail or header bar. The first beam member may comprise a threshold rail or threshold bar. The first lateral frame member may comprise a first corner post. The second lateral frame member may comprise a second comer post. The corner between the first lateral frame member and the first beam member may comprise a (first) corner fitting or corner casting. The support member may be permanently (un-detachably) secured to the first lateral frame member and the first beam member. The support member may comprise a metal. The support member may be welded to the first lateral frame member and to the first beam member. The support member may comprise a (metal) rod. The support member may comprise a panel member. The support member may comprise a gusset panel. The gusset panel may comprise a first side, a second side and a third side wherein the first side may extend adjacent to the first lateral frame member, the second side may extend adjacent to the first beam member and the third side may extend from the first lateral frame member (across the corner) to the first beam member. The gusset panel may provide a section of a reinforcement panel. The gusset panel may be substantially triangular and planar. The gusset panel may comprise a right angled triangle. Preferably the shipping container comprises a reinforcement member. The reinforcement member may be arranged, in use, to reinforce the support member. The reinforcement member may be configurable from a first (operative) position to a second (non-operative) position. Preferably in the operative position the reinforcement member reinforces the support member and may be able to transfer forces between the first beam member and the first lateral support member. Preferably in the non-operative position the reinforcement member may be in a non-reinforcing (storage) position and may be unable to transfer forces between the first beam member and the first lateral support member. Preferably the reinforcement member shares forces with the support member which are being transmitted from the first beam member to the first lateral support member when the reinforcement member is in the operative position. Preferably the forces being transmitted through the support member are reduced by reconfiguring the reinforcement member from the non-operative position to the operative position. The reinforcement member may comprise an elongate member having a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end. A first end of the reinforcement member may comprise a mounting member to movably mount the (first end of) reinforcement member. The mounting member may be movably mounted to the support member and may enable the mounting member to move along the support member. The mounting member may be slidably mounted to the support member. The mounting member may be movable along the support member between a first end of the support member and a second end of the support member. The mounting member may comprise a sleeve section. The sleeve section may partially or completely surround an outer peripheral surface of the support member. The sleeve section may comprise a substantially cylindrical member. A second (free) end of the reinforcement member may comprise engagement means which may be removably engageable with cooperating engagement means provided by the door frame and preferably by the first lateral frame member. The second end of the reinforcement member may comprise a lug position which may be removably engageable with an engagement member provided by the doorframe. The engagement member may comprise a projection or raised engagement surface. The engagement member may comprise a socket. The second end of the reinforcement member may be engageable with the reinforcement means of the door frame to place the reinforcement member in an operative position and the second end of the reinforcement member may be disengageable with the reinforcement means of the door frame to place the reinforcement member in a non-operative position. The reinforcement member may comprise an elongate member which is movably connected to the mounting member by articulating means or an articulating mechanism. The elongate member may be movably connected to the mounting member. The elongate member may be pivotally mounted to the mounting member. The reinforcement member may comprise an abutment surface to abut the door frame. The abutment surface may be located at the opposite end of the reinforcement member compared to the engagement means or engagement member. Preferably the engagement means or engagement member may be arranged to engage one of the first lateral frame member and the first beam member and the abutment surface may be arranged to abut the other of the first lateral frame member and the first beam member. The abutment surface may be movable towards and away from the first lateral frame member or the first beam member. The reinforcement member may be moved from a non-reinforcing position to a reinforcing position. Preferably in the non-reinforcing position the abutment surface is spaced from a corresponding abutment surface provided by one of the first lateral frame member or the first beam member. Preferably in the reinforcing position, the abutment surface of the reinforcing member abuts (and directly contacts) the abutment surface provided by one of the first lateral frame member or the first beam member. Preferably the shipping container comprises a front end, two lateral sides, and a rear end. The door frame may be provided on the rear end. The shipping container may comprise a sole or single door frame which may be provided on the rear end. According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of converting a shipping container from a transportation configuration to a storage configuration, the shipping container comprising an access doorway defined by a door frame, the door frame comprising: two lateral frame members, and two beam members extending between the lateral frame members, wherein a first lateral frame member and a first beam member form a first corner for the door frame, the method comprising securing a support member to the shipping container to span the first corner and wherein the support member is secured to the first lateral frame member and to the first beam member. Preferably the method comprises mounting a reinforcement member to the support member by locating a mounting member of the reinforcement member around the support member. The method may comprise detachably securing the support member between the first lateral frame member and the first beam member. The method may comprise moving the reinforcement member to an operative position to enable forces to be transferred through the reinforcement member between the first beam member and the first lateral member. The method may comprise moving the reinforcement member to a non-operative position to prevent any forces being transferred through the reinforcement member between the first beam member and the first lateral support member. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will now be described by the way of example only, with the reference to the drawings that follow, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rear end of a preferred embodiment of a shipping container in accordance with the present invention. Figure 2 is a perspective view of a front end of the preferred embodiment of a shipping container in accordance with the present invention. Figure 3 is a schematic view of a rear comer section of a shipping container (doors not shown for clarity). Figure 4 is a schematic view of a corner section of a shipping container (doors not shown for clarity) comprising a support member in accordance with the present invention. Figure 5 is a schematic view of a corner section of a shipping container (doors not shown for clarity) comprising a mounting member of a reinforcement member arranged on the support member in accordance with the present invention. Figure 6 is a schematic view of a corner section of a shipping container (doors not shown for clarity) comprising a support member and a reinforcement member arranged in an operative position in accordance with the present invention. Figure 7 is a perspective view of a corner section of a shipping container (doors not shown for clarity) comprising a reinforcement member in a non-operative (disengaged) position in accordance with the present invention. Figure 8 is an end view of two corner sections of a shipping container (doors not shown for clarity) wherein each corner section comprises a support member and a reinforcement member arranged in operative positions in accordance with the present invention. Figure 9 is an end view of four corner sections of a shipping container (doors not shown for clarity) wherein each corner section comprises a support member and a reinforcement member arranged in operative positions in accordance with the present invention. Figure 10 is a perspective end view of an of a corner section of the shipping container (doors not shown for clarity) comprising a second embodiment of a support member in accordance with the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The container 10 of the present invention is configured so that it can be repurposed after initial transportation, for example as a storage unit, or a building such as an office, residential or commercial space. In particular, the present invention aims to provide a conventional ISO shipping container that can be manufactured and then filled with goods a first country (for example, a country in Asia). The shipping container is then used to transport the goods through purely conventional means (for example, a container ship and road / train haulage) to a second country (e.g. a European country). The present invention relates to a structural support arrangement for the shipping container 10. The present invention provides a structural support arrangement which is compact, robust and simple to use. The present invention is for use in bracing an end frame of a shipping container 10, for example the support braces the end frame to prevent it from becoming twisted out of square when the container houses a heavy load. One aim of the present invention is to support the door frame of a shipping container 10 and provide an anti-racking mechanism. Specifically, the present invention provides a support member 40 for at least one corner of the doorway of a shipping container 10. The corner of a shipping container 10 is configured to be perpendicular to enable the doors 19 to operate and function. If this corner is forced out of this substantially 90 degree configuration, then the door(s) 19 may not operate and / or function as required. This may occur due to the substantial forces placed on the shipping containers 10 during transportation (e.g. when multiple shipping containers 10 may be stacked on each other) and / or these forces may also be incurred in storage configurations. Furthermore, such movement of the corners may be exacerbated if the shipping container 10 is resting on an uneven or relatively soft surface. Figure 1 and Figure 2 show a shipping container 10 comprising a floor, side walls 12, 14, end walls 16, 18, and a roof 20. The walls 12, 14, 16, 18, floor and roof 20 together define an interior (internal) space of the shipping container 10. The terms “outer”, “outermost”, “outwardly” etc. and “inner”, “innermost”, “inwardly” etc. are used in this specification and are used with reference to the shipping container unless otherwise specified. Each corner of the container 10 has standard ISO castings (comer casting) 22 for securing the container 10 in position. The floor, walls 12, 14, 16, 18 and roof 20 of the container 10 are formed of corrugated sheeting. The corrugated sheeting comprises corrugated steel sheeting of the kind typically used in shipping containers. The sheeting is joined to frame members or beams 24 that form a frame of the container 10. Part of the frame forms a rear header bar / rail 32 (beam) located along the upper edge of the rear wall 18 of the shipping container 10 and a threshold bar / rail 33 located along a lower edge of the rear wall 18. Part of the frame also forms a front header bar 26 located along the upper edge of the front wall 16 of the shipping container 10. The front header bar 26 also provides a mounting area for an array of vents 30. At least one of the walls, in particular the rear wall 18, is fitted with an access door 19 and, in the preferred embodiment a pair of doors 19 are arranged to provide access to the interior of the container 10. The doors 19 are also formed from corrugated sheeting. The shipping container provides 10 a doorway defined by a door frame. The door fame comprises two lateral frame members in the form of the comer posts 34, and two beam members extending between these lateral frame members. Specially, a header beam / rail 32 and a threshold beam / rail 33 extend between upper and lower ends of the respective ends of the corner posts 34. Accordingly, the door fame provides a quadrilateral shape and specifically includes four corners each of which comprises a perpendicular (90 degree) corner. One or more of these corners are arranged to be strengthened for anti-racking purposed by the present invention. For example, a support member 40 or a combination of a support member 40 together with a reinforcement member 60 may be provided for anti-racking purposes in a single corner only or in two corners (diametrically opposite or directly opposite (both upper comers or both lower corners)) or in three corners or in all four comers. The door frame provides an access / opening space for goods to pass into or out of the shipping container 10. The use of a movable reinforcement member 60 aims to maximise this opening space for access purposes during loading / unloading but the reinforcement member 60 can then be engaged and operated for the remaining time when goods are not being loaded / unloaded. However, the use of a reinforcement member 60 also reduces the size and dimensions required for the primary support member 40 since the reinforcement member 60 can supplement the strength of the comer(s) most of the time other than during loading / unloading. For example, the benefit of the reinforcement arrangement means that the support member can be kept relatively small and compact. The present invention may be used with containers having different configurations. For example, containers with one end providing doors 19 or with both (longitudinal) ends providing doors 19 (tunnel containers) and / or containers having one or more doors 19 along one and / or both side walls. In the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the shipping container 10 has a rear longitudinal end 18 on which the access door(s) 19 are located. The front longitudinal end 16 and the two lateral side walls 12, 14 are all sealed walls with no access doors. Such shipping containers 10 are used on storage sites for primarily for storage purposes rather than for transportation purposes. As shown in Figure 3, the container 10 comprises a standard ISO casting 22, a rear header bar 32 and a rear corner post 34. In particular, the rear end provides a doorway for the door(s) 19. The doorway or door frame comprises a lateral door frame member in the form of the corner post 34 and a header frame member in the form of the header bar 32. The lateral door frame member and the header frame member converge and / or form a corner for the doorway. This corner comprises a perpendicular corner to accommodate a corner of a door (e.g. a perpendicular corner of the door). As mentioned above, the present invention provides a support member 40 for this corner and to retain the relative angles between the lateral door frame member and the header bar. In addition, in some preferred embodiments, extra support is provided by a reinforcement member 60. This reinforcement member 60 is movable between an operative position and a non-operative position. For example, when in the operative position, the reinforcement member 60 may restrict and reduce the opening provided by the doorway. Accordingly, the reinforcement member 60 can be moved to a non-operative position to maximise the space through the doorway. This can be beneficial when filling or emptying the shipping container. The support member 40 providing the primary support to the corner comprises a linear bar which is rigid and preferably formed of a metal (e.g. steel). The support member 40 is elongate and comprises a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end. The support member 40 is arranged to span across the corner and specifically extends between the lateral frame member 34 and the header frame member 32. The ends of the support member 40 are secured (permanently) to the lateral frame member 34 and the header frame member 32. In particular the support member 40 is welded to both the lateral frame member 34 and the header frame member 32. However, in some embodiments, the support member 40 may comprise a gusset panel (see Figure 10) or planar / panel member which may infill the corner partially or completely. The corner and the support member 40 are reinforced further using a reinforcement member 60 which can be selectively moved between an operative (reinforcing) position and a non-operative (non-reinforcing) position. When in the operative position, the reinforcement member 60 may partially obstruct the free space through the doorway and, therefore, the reinforcement member 60 can be moved (e.g. temporarily) to a non-operative position whilst the shipping container 10 is being filled / emptied. In a stable storage / transportation configuration, the reinforcement member 60 may be engaged in the operative position. The reinforcement member 60 is spaced away from the corner and this enables the leverage and reinforcement of the reinforcement member 60 to be optimised. For example, a reinforcement member 60 located between the support member 40 and the corner would have reduced leverage geometry. Accordingly, the present invention optimises the ability to reinforce the support member 40 and the corner. In addition, since the reinforcement member 60 is movable, the position required for this optimisation does not impact upon the opening space during loading / unloading of the shipping container 10. The engagement means 64 (projection / protuberance) provided on the comer post 34 locates to one side of the first end 41 of the support member 40 and the corner 70 locates to a second opposite side of the first end 41 of the support member 40, as shown in Figure 6. The engagement means 64 may locate distally from the corner 70 compared to the first end of the support member 40 (which locates proximally to the corner 70 compared to the first end 41). For example, if the engagement means 64 was located proximally, then the physical position of the reinforcement member 60 would not reduce the access space through the doorframe for loading / unloading and hence the reinforcement member 60 may be permanently secured in such a position. However, this proximal placement would result in decreased leverage which would decrease the reinforcement function provided by the reinforcement member 60. As described above, it is advantageous to maximise the access space through the doorway and this access space may be defined by inward facing surfaces of the or each support member 40 together with the inward facing surfaces of the lateral frame members 34, the header bar 32 and the threshold bar 33. When one or more reinforcement member 60 is engaged, the access space may be decreased due to the position of the reinforcement member(s) (being located away from or distally of the support member 40 relative to the corner). In this configuration, the access space through the doorframe is defined by inward facing surfaces of the or each reinforcement member 60 (and inward facing surfaces of any support member 40 not reinforced by an associated reinforcement member 60) together with the inward facing surfaces of the lateral frame members 34, the header bar 32 and the threshold bar 33. A preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 4. The rear header bar 32 is horizontal and substantially perpendicular to the substantially vertical rear corner post 34. The rear header bar 32 extends across the rear upper edge of the shipping container 10. A first longitudinal end of the rear header bar 32 locates at or towards a first corner casting 22 and the second longitudinal end locates at a or towards a second corner casting 22. A first upper end of the rear corner post 34 locates at or towards the first corner casting 22 and a second lower end of the rear corner 34 locates at or towards a third corner casting 22. A fourth corner casting 22 is also provided in the fourth corner and a threshold rail / beam / bar 33 extends between the third corner casting 22 and the fourth corner casting 22. The first longitudinal end of the rear header bar 32 is welded to a side wall of the first corner casting 22. The first upper end of the rear corner post 34 is welded to the bottom surface of the first corner casting 22. As shown in Figure 4, a support member 40 is located between the rear header bar 32 and the rear corner post 34. A first end 41 of the support member 40 is attached to the inner surface of the rear corner post 34. A second end 43 of the support member 40 is attached to the inner surface of the rear header bar 32. The first end 41 of the support member 40 is angled, for example substantially 45° relative to the inner surface of the rear corner post 34 and extends towards the rear header bar 32. The second end 43 of the support member 40 is angled, for example substantially 45° from the inner surface of the rear header bar 32 and extends towards the rear corner post 34. In the present invention, the support member 40 is in the form of a linear bar that extends between the rear header bar 32 and the rear corner post 34 and spans the corner of the door frame. The support member 40 is formed from a metallic round bar. The bar further comprises an outer diameter of within the region of 25 mm (i.e. 1 inch). The support member 40 directly transfers forces from the header bar 32 to the side or lateral door frame member 34. The normal operation of the container 10 is the shipping of goods worldwide. In this shipping environment the container would always sit on a solid, flat surface. The normal operation of the container 10 would entail the two end doors 19 (see Figure 1) of the container 10 being opened on a flat surface (e.g. a road trailer chassis), and on long haul routes the container doors 19 may be opened a few times a year. At the end of its useful working life, the container 10 is then be disposed of in a secondary market to provide domestic site storage. In this storage environment, the container 10 remains static at one storage location, whereby the doors 19 are often open and closed daily. In this storage environment, the container 10 is typically placed on ground conditions that are not optimal for the normal operation of the container 10. When the container is in this storage mode of use, the container typically weighs approximately two tons. When the container is in position, packing pieces (e.g. timber, paving slabs and etc) are placed under the bottom corner castings 22 to ensure that the door end frame of the container 10 is both level and square and therefore allowing the two end doors 19 of the container 10 to open and close without any problem. When the container 10 is used for storage, there are significantly different stresses placed upon the structure of the container, to when the container used for shipping goods overseas. When the container 10 stores heavy loads, the weight of the load can push the packing located underneath the container 10, into softer ground. In this situation the door frame becomes twisted and out of square. This twisting of the door frame is known as racking and results in the door cams on the two end doors 19 being pushed out of alignment with the cooperating keepers arranged upon the end door frame, and thereby preventing the two end doors 19 from closing properly, if at all. The present invention is particularly for use by a manufacturer of the container for providing a support member 40 between the rear header bar 32 and the rear corner post 34. The support member 40 provides the effect of holding the angles at each corner of the end door frame. Wien a heavy load is stored within the container 10, the support member 40 will typically hold the supported corner at an angle of 90°. The support member 40 maintains the door frame integrity by preventing the end door frame from being twisted out of square and therefore prevents the two end doors 19 from becoming subsequently racked. When placed upon uneven ground, the container 10 may still become racked, but in the present invention the incurred mechanical stresses will be transferred down the container structure 10 and will have no adverse racking effect on the end door frame. Furthermore, the container 10 normally comprises a security cowl / lock box 42 (see Figure 1) as means of preventing the theft of any stored items stored within the container 10. The lock box 42 is typically added to the two end doors 19 of the container 10. The lock box comprises of staple welded to the left-hand door, which in use is overlapped by a cowl welded to the right-hand door. A high security padlock is then attached to the lockbox 42 assembly to lock the end doors 19 in their closed positions. When the end doorframe becomes racked, the staple and cowl of the lock box 42 are also pushed out of alignment. Accordingly there is insufficient space left within the lockbox 42 to cooperate with the locking of the padlock. The racking of the end door frame not only prevents the two end doors 19 from opening and shutting correctly, but the racking also prevents the lock box 42 from working, which subsequently impacts the security of the customer’s property. In use, the support member 40 maintains the integrity of the end doors frame when the two end doors 19 are opened for the access and loading of storage items within the container 10. The bracing of the end door frame corners provided by the one or more support members 40 will also ensure that the door locking staple and cowl components of the lockbox 42 are aligned in their correct positions, thereby enabling the two end doors 19 of the container to be properly closed and padlocked. The present invention provides a reinforcement arrangement for the support member 40 located in one or more comers of the door frame of the shipping container 10. As shown in Figure 6, the support member 40 further comprises a reinforcement member in the form of a bracing stay 60 comprising an elongate member attached to a mounting member in the form of a sleeve 50 engaged with the support member 40. The bracing stay 60 comprises a linear strut member 62 (elongate member) welded at a first end to the outer side surface of the sleeve 50. The strut member 62 is formed from a round metallic bar. The second end of the bracing stay 60 comprises engagement means which may be in the form of a lug or surface 61 to cooperate with engagement means, for example a protuberance 64, lug, stop etc. arranged to provide a mechanical stop upon the inner surface of the rear corner post 34. Alternatively, the second end of the bracing stay 60 cooperates with a socket located within the inner surface of the of the rear corner post 34. The socket may also be arranged on a top surface of the protuberance 64. The strut member 62 is angled so that it extends away from the sleeve 50 at an angle of approximately 5° with respect to the supporting element 40. The first end of the reinforcement member 60 may be provided by the sleeve 50. The first end may provide an abutment surface 63 which is arranged to contact and abut the inner surface of the header bar 32. Accordingly, if the abutment surface 63 of the first end is spaced from the header bar 32, then the support member 40 may solely transfer the forces from the header bar 32 to the corner post 34. However, if the abutment surface 63 of the reinforcement member 60 contacts and abuts the header bar 32 then a portion or share of the forces may also be transferred through the reinforcement member 60 to the surface 61 of the second end engaged to the corner post 34 such that the anti-racking function of the support member 40 is reinforced. The strut member 62 may also be in the form of a flat metallic hinge plate that is welded at one end to the outer surface of the sleeve 50. The aim of the bracing stay 60 is to augment the support member 40 and thereby augmenting the anti-racking effect provided by the support member 40. As shown in Figure 5, the reinforcement member 60 comprises a mounting member in the form of a sleeve 50 that is slidable along the length of the support member 40 in the directions indicated by arrows 52 and 54. The sleeve 50 comprises an inner diameter that cooperates with the outer diameter of the support member 40. The sleeve 50 is substantially shorter than the length of the support member 40. The sleeve 50 is in the form of a round metallic tube, however other forms of metallic tube may be utilised e.g. square tube, triangular tube, or the like. The inner diameter of the sleeve 50 may be oversized to potentially provide an annular space or gap between the outer surface of the support member 40 and the inner periphery of the sleeve 50. This may assist when the reinforcement is in a non-operative position and allow the elongate member 62 to be placed in a beneficial non-obstructing position. In the preferred embodiment, the sleeve 50 is a compete ring and extends around the full periphery of the support member 40. The sleeve 50 is thereby located on to the support member 40 before both ends of the support member 40 are welded across the corner. In other embodiments the sleeve 50 may be incomplete and not fully extend around the support member 40. In an alternative embodiment, the sleeve 50 may comprise two pieces which are bolter together around the support member 40. For example, the sleeve 50 may consist of a first half-ring member and a second half-ring member with each extending through substantially 180 degrees. Free end(s) of the half ring members may include flanges which may be secured together using bolts or the like. In some further alternative embodiments, the two part-ring members may be coupled together (e.g. with an articulating or pivoting mechanism) such that the two part-ring members may be pivoted to a closed / complete ring configuration and secured to engage around the support member 40 or pivoted to an open / incomplete ring position for removal from the support member 40. As shown in Figure 7, the sleeve 50 is rotatable about the support member 40 in the direction indicated by arrow 66. In this non-operative position, the second end of the bracing stay 60 no longer cooperates with the inner surface of the rear corner post 34. The sleeve 50 is then free to locate unhindered to the lower end of the support member 40. In this position, the sleeve 50 is positioned in a parked position towards or adjacent to the inner surface of the rear corner post 34. This enables the elongate member 62 to be moved to a non-obstructing position. The bracing stay 60 may be pivotably attached to the support member 40 and is rotatable between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the bracing stay 60 is rotated about the support member 40 to a position where the free end of the bracing stay 60 abuts the top surface of the protuberance 64 arranged on the inner surface of the rear corner post 34. The free end of the bracing stay 60 may also engage and cooperate with a receiving socket arranged within the inner surface of the rear corner post 34, or the top surface of the protuberance 64. When moving the bracing stay 60 to the first position, the sleeve 50 is free to slide along the supporting 40 to an upper parked position. The bracing stay 60 holds the sleeve 50 in close proximity towards or adjacent the inner surface of the rear header bar 32. When the mechanical stresses are applied to the end door frame of the container 10, the rear header bar 32 will move against and abut the sleeve 50. The bracing stay 60 abutting both the inner surface of the rear corner post 34 and the inner surface of the rear header bar 32 has the effect of providing an additional resistance to the mechanical stresses which are induced by the racking of the end frame when the container 10 Is loaded. When in a second position, the bracing stay 60 is rotated about the support member 40, wherein the free end of the bracing stay 60 does not abut the top surface of the protuberance 64, or does not cooperate with a receiving socket arranged within the inner surface of the rear corner post 34. Moreover, the sleeve 50 is not held in close proximity to the inner surface of the header bar 32 and is free to slide along the support member 40 to a lower parked position, when not in use. When at the low position, the sleeve 50 is located towards or adjacent the inner surface of the rear corner post 34 and the free end of the bracing stay 60 extends into a free space beyond the rear corner post 34. The bracing stay 60 can be rotated in two directions about the support member 40. The first rotatable direction is rotating the bracing stay 60 clockwise about the support member 40. This rotation is possible when the doors 19 of the shipping container 10 are open. The second rotatable direction is rotating the bracing stay 60 anti-clockwise about the support member 40. This rotation is required when a closed door 19 of the shipping container 10 prevents the bracing stay 60 from being rotated in the first rotatable direction. When in the second position, the bracing stay 60 does not provide any resistance to the mechanical stresses applied to the end doorframe of the container 10, which are induced by racking. However, the swivelling of the bracing stay 60 to the second position does provide the effect of providing additional dimensional space available to the end door frame of the container 10, during the loading and unloading of goods / storage items to and from the container 10. When fitting the support member 40 to the container 10, the support member 40 is welded at both ends to the rear corner post 34 and rear header bar 32 respectively. The support member 40 is arranged to span across a corner of the end frame of the container at angle of 45° degrees relative to the rear corner post 34 and 45° degrees from the rear header bar 32. The aim of this method of assembly is to attach both the support member 40 and the bracing stay 60 to a container when it is no longer used as a shipping container, and before it is subsequently used as a storage container. However, in an alternative method of assembly, both the supporting container 50 and the bracing stay 60 may be attached to the container during its initial use as a shipping container. In an alternative method of assembly, the strut member 62 is welded to the sleeve 50, prior to both the sleeve 50 being located about the support member 40, and the support member40 being subsequently welded into position on the end doorframe. In an alternative method of assembly, the support member 40 and bracing stay 60 are assembled and retrofitted to the end frame of a container 10, which is used as a static storage container. The retrofitting of the support member 40 and bracing stay 60 to the end frame of the container is provided by plurality of welded attachments. In a further embodiment of the invention, the use of the support member 40 to brace one corner of the end door frame is sufficient to prevent the racking of the end door frame. The bracing of one corner of the end door frame will also hold each of the three comers of the end door frame at a 90° angle. As shown in Figure 8, two support members 40 and two bracing stays 60 are employed to brace the two top corners of the end door frame and may be sufficient to prevent the racking of the end door frame under the mechanical forces incurred by loads located within the container 10. The bracing of the top comers of the end door frame will also hold each of the two bottom corners of the end door frame at a 90° angle. As shown in Figure 9, four support members 40 and four bracing stays 60 are employed to brace the four comers of the end door frame and may be sufficient to prevent the racking of the end door frame under the substantially large mechanical forces incurred by very heavy loads located within the container 10. The bracing of the four corners of the end door frame will hold each corner of the door frame at a 90° angle. In alternative embodiment of the present invention, the support member 40 comprises a substantially triangular shaped flat metallic plate that is welded along a top edge to the inner surface of the top corner casting 22 and welded along a vertical edge to the inner surface of the rear corner post 34. Moreover, the flat metallic plate further comprises a round supporting bar that is welded along the unattached hypotenuse edge of the metallic plate. Furthermore, the flat metallic plate may also be in the form of a gusset plate arranged between the rear header bar 32 and the rear corner post 34. Furthermore, the support member 40 may be in the form of a metallic angled iron arranged between the rear header bar 32 and the rear corner post 34. As shown in Figure 10, an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the support member 40 may comprise of a substantially triangular shaped honeycomb or meshed metallic structure that is welded to along a top edge to the inner surfaces of both the top corner castings 22 and the rear header bar 32, and welded along a vertical edge to an inner side wall of the rear corner post 34. The honeycomb or meshed metallic structure may be in the form of a gusset plate arranged between the rear header bar 32 and the rear corner post 34. A door keep device 68 is located upon the rear surface of the rear header bar 32, which in use cooperates with a locking rod to lock a door 19 (see Figure 1) of the container 10 in closed position (see Figure 1). In some embodiments, The support member 40 may comprise a metallic flat plate welded to both a side surface of the top corner casting 22 and a side surface of the rear header bar 32 and a surface of the corner post 34 (lateral frame member). A locking rod is arranged on the door 19 (see Figure 1) of the container 10, which cooperates with a keep device 68 (see Figure 10) to lock the door 19 of the container 10 in a closed position. In summary, the present invention provides an anti-racking mechanism comprising a support member 40 which extends across a corner of a door frame of a shipping container 10. A reinforcement member 60 is selectively and manually movable between an operative position and a non-operative position which reinforces the integrity of the corner and assists in the anti-racking function. However, this reinforcement member 60 can be moved to a non-operative position such that access through the doorframe can be maximised and access is not overly restricted by the anti-racking arrangement. In the non-operative position the reinforcement member 60 remains attached to the support member 40 and this prevents the reinforcement member from being lost.

Claims

1. A shipping container comprising an access doorway defined by a door frame, the door frame comprising:two lateral frame members, andtwo beam members extending between the lateral frame members, wherein a first lateral frame member and a first beam member form a first corner for the door frame, the shipping container comprising a support member which spans the first corner and wherein the support member is secured to the first lateral frame member and to the first beam member.

2. A shipping container according to Claim 1 in which the first beam member comprises a header rail.

3. A shipping container according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the first lateral frame member comprises a first corner post.

4. A shipping container according to any preceding claim in which the corner between the first lateral frame member and the first beam member comprises a corner casting.

5. A shipping container according to any preceding claim in which the support member is un-detachably secured to the first lateral frame member and the first beam member.

6. A shipping container according to Claim 5 in which the support member is welded to the first lateral frame member and to the first beam member.

7. A shipping container according to any preceding claim in which the support member comprises a gusset panel.

8. A shipping container according to any preceding claim in which the reinforcement member may be arranged, in use, to reinforce the support member.

9. A shipping container according to Claim 8 in which the reinforcement member is configurable from an operative position to a non-operative position.

10. A shipping container according to Claim 9 in which, in the operative position, the reinforcement member reinforces the support member and is able to transfer forces between the first beam member and the first lateral support member.

11. A shipping container according to Claim 9 or Claim 10 in which, in the non-operative position, the reinforcement member is in a non-reinforcing position and is unable to transfer forces between the first beam member and the first lateral support member.

12. A shipping container according to any one of Claim 8 to Claim 12 in which the reinforcement member comprises an elongate member having a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end.

13. A shipping container according to any one of Claim 8 to Claim 13 in which a first end of the reinforcement member comprises a mounting member to movably mount the reinforcement member to the support member.

14. A shipping container according to Claim 13 in which the mounting member is movably mounted to the support member and enables the mounting member to move along the support member and wherein the mounting member is slidably mounted to the support member.

15. A shipping container according to Claim 13 or Claim 14 in which the mounting member comprises a sleeve section.completely surround an outer peripheral surface of the support member.

17. A shipping container according to any one of Claim 8 to Claim 16 in which a second end of the reinforcement member comprises engagement means which is removably engageable with cooperating engagement means provided by the door frame.

18. A shipping container according to any one of Claim 17 in which the second end of the reinforcement member comprises a lug portion which is removably engageable with a projection provided by the door frame.

19. A shipping container according to Claim 13 or any one of Claim 14 to Claim 18 when dependent upon Claim 13 in which the reinforcement member comprises an elongate member which is movably connected to the mounting member by articulating means.

20. A shipping container according to Claim 19 in which the elongate member is pivotally mounted to the mounting member.

21. A shipping container according to any one of Claim 8 to Claim 20 in which the reinforcement member comprises an abutment surface to abut the door frame.

22. A shipping container according to Claim 17 or any one of Claim 18 to Claim 21 when dependent upon Claim 17 in which the abutment surface is located at the opposite end of the reinforcement means compared to the engagement means.

23. A shipping container according to Claim 22 in which the engagement means is arranged to engage one of the first lateral frame member and the first beam member and the abutment surface is arranged to abut the other of the first lateral frame member and the first beam member.reconfiguration to a storage configuration, the shipping container comprising an access doorway defined by a doorframe, the doorframe comprising:two lateral frame members, andtwo beam members extending between the lateral frame members, wherein a first lateral frame member and a first beam member form a first corner for the door frame, the method comprising securing a support member to the shipping container to span the first corner and wherein the support member is secured to the first lateral frame member and to the first beam member.

25. A method of converting a shipping container from a transportation configuration to a storage configuration according to Claim 24 comprising:mounting a reinforcement member to the support member by locating a mounting member of the reinforcement member around the support member,detachably securing the support member between the first lateral frame member and the first beam member,moving the reinforcement member to an operative position to enable forces to be transferred through the reinforcement member between the first beam member and the first lateral member, andmoving the reinforcement member to a non-operative position to prevent any forces being transferred through the reinforcement member between the first beam member and the first lateral support member.

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