CA1170584A - Method and system for storing wheeled frames of detachable cargo container type trailers - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

The wheeled frame remaining after removal there-from of the detachable cargo container, is gripped by clamp-ing mechanism of a carrying unit mounted on a tractor or lift truck, then elevated above the mounted and pivoted from its normal horionztal disposition to vertical position, and then transported to a multiple storage unit where it is depositied and retained in said vertical position removably in one of a plurality of compartments making up the storage unit. A plur-slity of such wheeled frames may be stored in this manner by deposit in successive ones of the compartments, and they are moved from the compartment in the reverse order of deposit.

Description

2.

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR STORING WHEETF~D FRAMES OF
DETACHABLE CARGO CONTAINER TYPE TRAILERS

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to trailers of the detachable cargo type, and more particularly to a method and system for storing the wheeled frame after removal of the storage con-5 tainer.
After removal of the detachable cargo container from the wheeled frame, at a railroad or ship loading site, it has been the practice heretofore that the wheeled frame is left at the site in its normal, wheel-supported horizontal posi-10 tion. Although some effort generally is made to leave theframes in a location which minimizes interference with nor-mal movement of trucks and other vehicles at the site, the large numbers of wheeled frames so stored necessarily take up an excessive amount of valuable space, while also present-15 ing obstacles to normal traffic. Moreover, since they are un-confined and readily accessible, they are easily stolen.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In its basic concept, this invention ~ ovides for ., ~, -`` 117~584

3.
wheeled frames of detachable cargo container type trailers a method and system by which such wheeled trailer frames may be picked up, swung to vertical position and deposited in a storage unit arranged to retain the trailer frame in said vertical position.
It is by virtue of the foregoing basic concept that the principal objective of this invention is achieved;namely, to provide a storage method and system by which to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages and limitations of prior storage practices.
Another object of this invention is to provide a storage system of the class described in which the mechanism for picking up such frames and swinging them to vertical po-sition is capable of attachment to a conventional tractor or fork lift truck.
Still another object of this invention is the pro-vision of a storage system of the class described in which the storage unit is of simplified construction for easy trans-port in disassembled condition and for assembly at the site with speed and facility.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the following detailed des-cription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a front vertical elevation of a trailer frame carrying unit forming a part of the storage system of this invention.

1~7~584

4.
Fig. 2 is a foreshortened side elevation as viewed from the right in Fig. l.
Fig. 3 is a f~reshortened plan view of a storage unit forming a part of the storage system of this invention.
5Fig. 4 is a foreshortened side elevation as viewed from the bottom in Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a front elevation as viewed from the left in Fig. 3.
Fig. 6 is a front elevation, similar to Fig. 5 but 10 on a reduced scale, illustrating the manner of supporting for storage a plurality of wheeled frames of detachable car-go container type trailers.
Fig. 7 is a foreshortened side elevation as viewed from the right in Fi~. 6.
15DESCRPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIME~T
Figs. 1, 2, 6 and 7 illustrate a typical wheeled frame of a detachable cargo container type trailer. It in-cludes an elongated frame 10 supported at its rearward end by a tandem axle dual wheel assembly 12. As is well known, 20 the tandem axle assembly is adjustable longitudnally of the frame to selected load bearing positions, to comply with var-ious highway regulations. The forward end of the frame sup-ports a fifth wheel mounting assembly 14 for coupling to a powered tractor. A pair of laterally spaced, vertically ad-25 justable jacks 16 extend downward from the forward portionof the frame to support the latter in substantially horizon-tal position when uncoupled from the tractor. Transverse frame members 18 serve to mount a detachable cargo container (not shown). -

5. ~17~'S~34 The storage system of this invention includes a frame carrying unit by which a wheeled frame i~ gripped, elevated above the ground and pivoted from its normal hori-zontal disposition to a vertical position, and then trans-ported to a storage unit.
Reférring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, thecarrying unit includes a mOuntLng frame 20 adapted for at-tachment to the elevating mechanism of a tractor or lift truck. As illustrated, the mounting frame is connected to the 10 three point suspension of a tractor. Thus, a pair of later-ally spaced lifting arms22 on the tractor are connected at their outer ends to laterally spaaed positions on the lower portion of the frame 20 by means of pivot shafts 24. As is well known, the rearward ends of the arms are mounted pivot-15 ally on the tractor, and power means is provided for pivot-ing the arms about their rearward pivots, to achieve verti-cal adjustment of the forward ends of the arms. Thus, the mounting frame 20 may be raised and lowered by pivotal op-operation of the arms.
A central bracket 26, projecting rearwardly from the frame 20 above the pivot shafts 24, mounts a pivot shaft 28 which connects the forward end of an extensible hydraulic piston-cylinder tilting unit 30. This unit is connected at its rearward end to the tractor. Thus, by extension and con-25 traction of the piston-cylinder unit, the mounting frame may be tilted relative to a vertical plane.
The mounting frame 20 mounts a pair of laterally spaced, forwardly projecting telescoping boom assemblies.
Each assembly includes a rearward boom section 32 secured ~76~5t34 --` 6.

to the front face of the mounting frame 20 by means of anchor bolts 34 and 36 extending through the boom section 32 and boom flange 38, respéctively, and anchored in brack-ets 40 and 42 projecting forwardly from the mounting frame.
Each boom assembly also includes a forward boom section 44 the rearward end of which is slidably received over the forward end of the associated rear section boom An extensible hydraulic piston-cylinder unit is associated with each boom assembly for extending and contracting it.
10 As illustrated, the cylinder 46 of the unit is connected at its rearward end to the forwardly projecting end of the brackets 42 by means of a pivot shaft 48. The forward end of the piston rod 50 of the u ~t is connected by a pivot shaft 52 to a pair of brackets 54 projecting upwardly from 15 the forward end of the forward boom section. Thus, by se-lective application of hydraulic fluid under pressure to the opposite ends of the cylinder 46, the forward boom sect-ion is extended and retracted relative to the rear boom section.
It is to be understood that hydraulic fluid under pressure is delivered to both cylinders 46 simultaneously from a common source to insure simultaneous and equal move-ment of both forward boom sections.
Extending transversely between the front and rear 25 ends of the pair of forward boom sections 44 are a pair of guide beams 56 for a transversely movable carriage. As il-lustrated, the carriage comprises front and rear sleeves mounted freely on the guide beams for movement relative thereto. Each sleeve is made up of bottom and top U-shaped >

i~7~35 7.
sections 58 and 60 joined together releasably by bolts 62 extending through mating flanges on the sections. The front and rear sleeves are interconnected by longitudinally ex-tending, laerally spaced beams 64 which are secured at their ends to ~he sleeves.
Power means is provided for adjusting the carri-age laterally along the guide beams. As illustrated, a sup-port plate 66 extends transversely between the side beams 64 of the carriage and mounts the inner end of each of a 10 pair of hydraulic piston-cylinder units. This is achieved by a pivot shaft 68 extending through a pair of spaced flan-ges 70 projecting upwardly from the support plate 66. The pivot shaft mounts the inner end of one of the pair of cyl-inders 72 which are disposed side-by-side and extend later-15 ally in opposite directions. The piston rod 74 of the asso-ciated cylinder is connecged pivotally by a pivot shaft 76 to a pair of spaced flanges 78 secured to the forward tel-escoping boom section 44 of one of the boom assemblies. The piston rod of the other cylinder is connected in similar man-20 ner to the forward boom section of the other boom assembly.
Hydraulic fluid under pressure is supplied select-ively to the opposite ends of the cylinders 72 in such man-ner as to move the carriage laterally in one direction or the other. By the arrangement illustrated, hydraulic fluid 25is delivered simultaneously to the piston rod end of one of the cylinders and the piston end of the other cylinder in both directions of movement of the carriage. This insures uniform speed of movement of the carriage in both directions ~ .~7¢~S~34 8.
of movement of the carriage.
A pair of brackets 80 project downward from each of the lateral ends of the front bottom sleeve section 58 of the carriage, for mounting a pivot bolt 82. Each pivot bolt supports a bell crank lever made of a pair of spæ ed 5 lever plates 84 joined together by an intermediate web. The lower ends o~ these bell crank lever plates are secured to a transversely elongated guide plate 86, the latter being rein-forced for structural rigidity by transversely extending re-inforcing plates 88 and flanges 90.
Mounted upon the guide plate 86 for lateral ad-justment relative thereto are a pair of clamp jaw carriages 92. Each is moved laterally by means of an hydraulic piston-cylinder unit. As illustrated, the inner end of the cylinder 94 of each unit is connected by a pivot shaft 96 to a pair 15 of brackets 98 secured to the guide plate. The outer end of the piston rod 100 of the associated unit is connected by a pivot shat 102 to a pair of brackets 104 secured to the as-sociated clamp carriage 92. Openings 106 in the bell crank lever plates 84 receive the cylinders freely therethrough.
Projecting downward from each of the clamp jaw carriages is an elongated clamp a rm. As illustrated, each clamp arm is made of a plurality of plates 108 spaced apart by reinforcing webs 110 (Fig. 2), At the lower end of each clamp arm is secured an inwardly projecting clamp jaw plate 25112. The upper surface of the jaw plate and a confronting inner vertical surface of the clamp arm mounts rubber pads 114 to provide protective and gripping surfaces.

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Associated cooperatively with each of the fixed clamp jaws 112 is a vertically adjustable clamp jaw. It in-cludes an elongated jaw frame 116 positioned acrass the in-ner surface of the clamp arm and provided with spaced guide grooves 118 slidably receiving the ends of ~e vertical webs 110 of the associated clamp ~m. Its under surface mounts a rubber pad 120.
The downwardly projecting ends of the piston rods 122 of a pair of hydraulic piston-cylinder units are con-nected to the lateral ends of each jaw frame 116 by meansof pivot bolts 124. The ends of the associated hydraulic cylinders 126 of the units opposite the pis~n rods are con-nected by pivot bolts 128 to the lateral ends of a pair of spaced flanges 130 projecting upwardly from the associated clamp jaw carriage 92.
As illustrated, the vertically adjustable clamp jaw frame 116 i8 about twice the width of the fixed clamp jaw 112, This provides a wide clamping area for gripping a trailer fra~e 10.
The clamping assembly is adjustable from the trail-er lifting arrangement illustrated in Fig. 2 to a trailer transport position extending forwardly of the boom assem-bly, by simultaneous clockwise rotation of the pair of lat-erally spaced bell crank lever assemblies 84 about their common pivot axis provided by the pivot bolts 82. This move-ment of each of the bell crank lever assemblies is provid-ed by an hydraulic piston-cylinder unit interconnecting the associated bell crank lever assembly and its carriage 92.
As illustrated, the piston rod 132 of each unit is connect-~7~589.
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10 ., ed to the rearward end of the bell crank lever assembly by means of a pivot bolt 134. The end of the associated cyl-inder 136 opposite the piston rod is connected by a pivot bolt 138 to a pair of brackets 140 secured to and project-ing forwardly from ~ e rearward transverse sleeve section58 of the carriage. It is to be understood, of course, that hydraulic ~uid under pressure is delivered to the pair of cylinders 136 simultaneously from a common source in order to effect simultaneous and equal pivoting movement of the pair of bell crank lever assemblie8.
The operation of the frame-carrying unit describ-ed hereinbefore is as follows: Let it be assumed that the unit is mounted on the front end of a tractor, by means of the three point connection provided by the arms 22 and pis-ton-cylinder unit 30 (Fig. 2) and that the unit has just deposited a trailer in a storage compartment. Hydraulic fluid under pressure is delivered to the cylinders 136 to retract the piston rods 132 and thus pivot the bell crank lever assemblies counterclockwise about the axis of their pivot bolts 82, to dispose the clamping assembly in the lowered, lifting position illustrated inFig. 2. Hydraulic fluid under pressure also is applied to the cylinders 126 to retract the latter and the attached clamping jaws 116 upwardly to maximum distance from the fixed jaws 112 of the associated units. Hyd~ ulic fluid under pressure also is applied to the cylinders 94 to move the carriages 92 and the opposed clamp jaws farther apart than the width of the trailer frame to be clamped. The arms 22 and unit 11 .
30 are operated to raise or tilt the frame 20 sufficiently to elevate the clamp jaws above the tires 12 of a trailer frame 10 to be transported to s~orage.
The tract~ then is manipulated into position behind and in substantially longitudinal alignment with the trail-er frame 10.
On the assumption that the telescoping b~om assem-bly was fully retracted at the start, hydraulic fluid un-der pressure is supplied to the cylinders 46 in a direction to extend the telescoping boom assembly sufficiently for-ward of the mounting frame 20 to enable the clamp arms to engage the trailer frame 10 forwardly of the tandem wheel assembly 12.
The frame 20 now is moved, by manipulation of the arms 22 or unit 30,to lower the clamp jaws to the position illustrated in Fig. 2. The cylinders 94 are operated to move the carriages 92 and the clamp jaws toward each other until they are closely adjacent the opposite side of the trailer frame.
In the event the clamp jaws are offset laterally to one side or the other relative to the longitudinal center line of the trailer frame, hydraulic flud under pressure i8 applied to the appropriate ends of the cylinders 72 to move the carriage along the guide beams 56 in the direction to center the clamp assemblies.
The lifting arms 22 on the tractor now are opera-ted to move the entire assembly vertically upward untn the lower, fixed clamp jaws 112 are brought into abutment with the underside of the trailer frame 10. The carriages ;

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92 are operated once again to move the side rubber pads 120 into abutment with the sides of the trailer frame. Hydrau-lic fluid under pressure is supplied to the cylinders 126 to move the associated clamping jaws 116 downwardly until their associated rubber pads 120 are brought into clamping abutment with the upper surface of the trailer frame. The trailer frame thus is clamped securely between the fixed jaws and vertically movable jaws, at the appropriate po-sition forwardly of the tandem wheels lZ.
0 The mounting frame 20 now is raised vertically,by operation of the lifting arms 22, to elevate the clamped trailer frame sufficiently above ground level to allow swinging it from the horizontal position of Fig. 2 to a substantially vertical position forwardly of the teles-coping boom assembly. This is achieved by applying hydrau-lic fluid under pressure to the rearward ends of the cyl-inders 136 connected to the bell crank levers 84.
With the trailer fra~e disposed in vertical posi-tion, the telescoping boom assembly is contracted to mini-20 mum length, by application of hydraulic fluid under pres-sure to the forward ends of the cylinders 46, to maximize the stability of the tractor and carrying unit, prepara-tory to transport of the trailer to the storage unit.
The prefexred form of storage unit is illustrated 25 in Figs. 3-7. It includes a pair of laterally spaced side walls in the form of open frameworks. Thus, each includes alongitudinal base beam 142, a longitudinal top beam 144 and a plurality of longitudinally spaced vertical beams 146 interconnecting them. Diagonal brace beams 148 may be :117~5B~
13,-prpvided, extending between adjacent vertical beams, to in-crease the structural stabllity of the framew~rk.
The pair of laterally spaced side walls are connect-ed together at their bottom and top rear ends by transverse bottom and top rear beams 150 and 152. These beams intercon-nect the rear terminal ends of the bottom and top side wall beams 142 and 144. These interconnections preferably are made detachable to enable the components of the storage unit to be transported in disassembled condition to the site of ~use. To this end the connections are made by connecting pins 154 extending removably through registering openings in lap-ping flanges 156,on the beams. The beams 150 and 152 are joined at their ends by vertical beams 158.
Adjacent the front end of t~ side walls is a tran-sverse plate 160 secured at its opposite ends to the bot-tom side walls beams 142. The side walls thus are secured in parallel condition, Extending inwardly from the top beam 144 of each of the side walls are a plurality of longitudinally spaced 20 horizontal beams 162, The inner ends of these latter beams , s~pport a pair of laterally spaced longitudinal guide beams 164. The rearward ends of these beams are connected detach-ably to the upper rear transverse beams 152, by means of removable connecting pins 166 which extend through regis-25 tering openings in lapping brackets 168 extending from thebeams in the same manner as the pinned connections of the lapping flanges 156 on the top and bottom rear end beams.
The space between the guide beams 164 provides 8 ;' 14. 117~35~3~
c~ntral channel for the passage of a vehicle frame 10 dispos-ed in the vertical position discussed hereinbefore.
Means is provided for forming the framework structure into a plurality of longitudinally disposed compartments each adapted to receive a~ store a wheeled trailer frame. ~or this purpose, as iliustrated, a plurality of pairs of containment gates 170 are positioned at longitudinally spaced intervals along the length of the framework structure for extension and retraction reLative to the central channel defined by the guide beams 164. Each pair of containment gates thus forms with the side wall of the framework structure a compartment in which to contain a trailer frame.
Each of the containment gates of each pair illustrat-ed comprises a pair of longitudinally spaced and laterally ex-tending rods or tubes 172 telescoped slidably within associat-ed guide tubes 174. These tubes are secured to and span the top beams 144 and adjacent guide beams 164. The inner ends of the tubes 172 of each pair are joined together by a bar 176.
It is to be observed, p~rticularly from Fig.3,that the containment gates of each pair may be retracted laterally outward, by telescoping the tubes 172 within the guide tubes 174, so that the central channel defined by the guide beams 164 is uninterrupted, whereby to allow the passage of a trail-er frame 10 along the channel. Thus, the first trailer frame is moved by the tractor, as in the foregoing illustration,to the rearwardmost position, to the far right in Fig. 3 for de-posit in the rearwardmost compartment. The pair of contain-ment gates associates with said compartment then are extend-ed laterally inward to the position illustrated, by with withdrawing the tubes 172 laterally inward from ~7~4 15 .
the guide tubes 174. The containment gates thus intercept the central channel defined by the guide beams 164 to pre-sent an obstructing gate which prevents retraction of the trailer frame in the forward direction along the central channel. Th,us, the pair of containment gates form with the associated side walls of the storage unit a storage compartment for the trailer frame.
Referring to Fig. 3, the rearwardmost compartment also is provided with a transverse beam 178 which extends lOacross the central channel and is secured at its opposite ends to the laterally spaced guide beams 164. Ir. the pre-ferred embodiment illustrated, releasable connection of this transverse beam to the guide beams is provided by connecting pins 180 extending through registering open-15 ings in lapping brackets 182, in the manner previouslydescribed.
The transverse beam 178 thus provided in the rear-wardmost compartment of the storage unit, provides an a-butment for the vehicle frame 10 contained within that 20 compartment. With reference to Fig. 7 of the drawings,it i8 to be noted that the vertically disposed trailer frame rests at its rearward end upon the ground, with the tan-dem wheel assembly located rearwardly. The center of grav-ity of the vertically disposed vehicle frame thus is lo-25 cated toward the right of the longitudinal center line ofthe frame 10, whereby to cause the frame to swing clock-wise about its rearward end as a pivot axis. Accordingly, the vehicle frame 10 swings into abutment with the trans-- - ~17¢~584 16.
verse beam 178.
Fig. 3 also illustrates the formation of the next adjacent rearward compartment, by inward extension of the next adjacent pair of containment gates. The second rear-wardmost vertically disposed trailer frame thus contained within the second compartment, swings clockwise into abut-ment with the forwardly facing end of the first pair of containment gates, as illustrated.
From the foregoing, it will be understood that 1 0 trailer frames are introduced into the storage unit and deposited one at a time successively from the rearwardmost compartment ~ the forwardmost compartment. Removal of the trailer frames is accomplished in the reverse order; namely, one at a time from the forwardmost compartment to the rear-wardmost compartment.
Means is provided for moving each of the contain-ment gates between extended and retracted positions~ In the embodiment illustrated, such means is provided by a manually operable endless cable 184 or other suitable form of flexible line. The cable is secured at one point 186 to the laterally outward end of a bar 188 which extends lat-erally outward from the connecting bar 176 which joins the inner ends of the pair of tubes 172. The cable extends from the anchor point 186 laterally outward and over a pulley 190 mounted on the associated side wall, thence downward (Fig. 4) over a pulley 192 carried by a housing 194 anchor-ed through a spring 196 to the base beam 142 of the side wall, thence upward from the pulley and over a second pul-~L~7~5~34 17.
ley 198 mounted on the side wall adjacent the first named pulley 190, thence laterally inward and over a pulley 200 mounted on the guide beam 164, and thence to the anchor point 186.
If desired, one or more turnbuckles 202 may be in-terposed in the cable 184 to accommodate tension adjust-ments, as will be understood.
From the foregoing, it will be understood that down-ward pulling on one of the vertical stretches of the cable will result in extension of the associated containment gate laterally inward to intercept the central channel, while downward pulling on the other vertical section of the cable will result in retraction of the containment gate laterally outward of the central channel.
It is to be noted from Fig. S of the dra~ings, that the internal width of the storage unit between the side walls is sufficient not only to receive the width of the trailer frames 10 to be stored, but also the width of the tractor carrying the trailer frame. The height of the stor-20 age unit from the base beams 142 to the top beams 144 is approximately 17 feet, whereby also to accommodate the height of the tractor. Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate the storage sys-tem functioning to store trailer frames which are, charact-eristically, about 40 feet in length. A storage unit of a-25 bout 50 feet in length is capable of storing ten such trail-er frames.
A plurality of storage units may be connected to-gether side-by-side. For this purpose a plurality of longi-~ 176~i5848 .
tudinally spaced tabs 204 are provided along the length of the bottom and top beams 142 and 144 and each is provided with an opening 206 for the reception of a connecting bolt.
Such bolts extend through registering openings in pairs of 5 such tabs of ~djacent storage units.
It will be apparent to thnse skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the size, shape, type, num-ber and arrangement of parts described hereinbefore, with-out departing from the spirit of this invention.
Having now described my invention and the manner n which it may be used, I claim:

Claims (7)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privelege is claimed are defined as follows:
1.
Apparatus for moving the elongated wheeled frame of a trailer of the detachable cargo container type to a vertically extending storage position resting upon its rear end, wherein the trailer frame has a top container-supporting surface, a bottom surface opposite said top surface, a pair of laterally spaced elongated outer sides and longitudinally spaced front and rear ends, and the wheels are supported adjacent the rear end of the frame, the apparatus comprising:
a) a mobile vehicle, b) carrying means mounted on the mobile vehicle and including,

1) a pair of power operated clamp jaw members movable one toward and away from the other to a clamping position closely adjacent each other for releasably clamping between them the said top container-supporting surface and the opposite bottom surface of a trailer frame between the laterally spaced sides thereof forwardly of the wheels, and

2) power operated means mounting the clamp jaw members for movement relative to the mobile vehicle for moving a clamped wheeled trailer frame selectively between its normal ground-supported horizontal position and a substantially vertical position with its front end ex-tending upwardly and its rear end elevated above ground for transport, and for moving the vertically extending frame downwardly for resting the frame upon its rear end 2.
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the carrying means comprises:
a) an elongated boom arranged at its inner end for attachment to the mobile vehicle, and b) a pair of laterally spaced clamp jaw support members mounted on the boom for movement toward and away from each other and for supporting a pair of clamp jaws having an open end facing the open end of the other pair of clamp jaws, the clamp jaw support members also being mounted for movement about a transverse axis for moving the clamp jaw support members between vertical and horizontal positions, whereby to move a clamped wheeled trailer frame between said horizontal and vertical positions

3.
The apparatus of claim 2 including a carriage mounted on the boom for movement transversely of the boom, the carriage supporting the movable clamp jaw support members for movement relative thereto for said movement toward and away from each other and for movement simultaneously therewith for aligning the pairs of clamp jaws with a trailer frame.

4.
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein each clamp jaw support member comprises an elongated arm to which is rigidly secured one clamp jaw of the associated pair, the other clamp jaw of the pair being supported by the arm for movement toward and away from the secured clamp jaw, and power means engages the movable clamp jaw for moving the latter, the power means being arrang-ed to enable movement of the movable clamp jaw to a position closely adjacent the secured clamp jaw.

5.
The apparatus of claim 1 including storage compartment means arranged for removably receiving and retaining a wheeled trailer frame delivered to it by the vehicle-mounted carrying means in said vertical position for supporting the frame in said vertically extending storage condition resting upon its rear end.

6.
The method of storing the elongated wheeled frame of a trailer of the detachable cargo container type wherein the trailer frame has a top container-support-ing surface, a bottom surface opposite said top surface, a pair of laterally spaced elongated outer sides and longitudinally spaced front and rear ends, and the wheels are supported adjacent the rear end of the frame, the method comprising grasping the trailer frame between the top container-supporting surface and the opposite bottom surface forwardly of the wheels, lifting the grasped trailer frame from the ground, turning it to substantially vertical position with its front end extending upwardly and its rear end elevated above ground, moving the vertically extending trailer frame to a storage site, and lowering the vertically extending trailer frame to storage position resting upon its rear end and extending upwardly therefrom

7.
The method of claim 6 including providing a storage compartment arranged to support the trailer frame resting upon its rear end and extending upwardly therefrom.

The method of claim 6 including providing a plurality of storage compartments arranged end-to-end from a closed end to an open, access end, and deposit-ing a plurality of the trailer frames in said vertically extending position sequentially from the closed end toward the open end, removal of the trailer frames from the compartments being done sequentially from the open end toward the closed end.