Container Body Used as Tool Store
Page 25
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(Right) For use as a portable toolhouse an the site of
operations, this lift-ran for the Anglo-Iranian Oil Co., Ltd., is Jilted with an issur hatch and work bench. T he floor and slats are of African iroho, the latest substitute.,
for teak
L'OR sortie years the Anglo-Iranian Oil Co., Ltd., has been sending stores and equipment to its Mr(idle East oil wells in steel lift-van containers. Then someone in that organization had an idea. Why not design a container which would not only carry the stores out to Iran. but would on arrival become a portable toolhouse?
Apart from the shortages of steel and timber, the question of weight was an important consideration, for the type of container they had in mind was one that could be easily moved about on the site of oil-drilling operations.
The unit that has resulted is shown in the accompanying illustrations. It is a product of the Duramin Engineering Co„ Ltd., Standard Road, Park Royal Road, London, N.W.I0 which is iust completing an initial order for 22.
The Duramin container has been in use in many parts of the world for almost 30 years and, basically, these containers for Anglo-Iranian are no different from established products. In this case, however, two constructional features have been incorporated to meet the oil company's requirements, and many concerns with overseas interests may well find them worthy of consideration.
The usual type of container skid has been replaced with two steel joist skids on which the container, in the role of toolhouse, can be hauled to other parts of the site. Each skid is a length of I-section steel. 6 ins, deep, and projecting 1 ft. at each end of the container. The ends of these steel sections are then tapered off and welded to. a length of heavy-gauge steel tubing.
On the rocky ground often encountered wh6re oil wells arc being sunk, the container on this type of skid can thus be quickly coupled to a tractor or other vehicle and hauled without difficulty Or damage to another part of the site.
The container itself has been little 'adapted for conversion to a portable toolhottse. At . the opposite end to that incorporating the full-length door, a simple form a issue . hatch is 'built hit: It is in two., Parts. :both opening hiwardi, with the bcittom talt:fcirmmg' a counter. Thus the' Metal container, so popular for ship-.
ments 7 overseas, becomes a Soundly constructed, portable toolhouse.
Overall dimensions of thes.e units are 12 ft. by 7 ft. by 7 ft. 6 ins. The total weight is only a few pounds over 1 ton, and of this, the skids account for 51, cwt. Without skids, therefore, the container weighs approximately 15 cwt. and apart from the light-alloy construction, the use of iroko—the increasingly popular African timber—has contributed to this weightsaving.
The floor is made up of 1-in. iroko, and the same wood is used in 2i-in. slats for the interior walls. Iroko is now being widely used in place of teak, which is still in short supply, and bodybuilders are finding it a very adequate substitute An 18-in.-wide work bench, which runs the whole length of one side of the container, is hinged Li fold up against the side when not in use or when the unit is fully loaded.
The cambered roof construction incorporates the special arrangement or bracing that is adopted on most Duramin containers, enabling the load —in this case 5 tons—to be slung without distortion of the roof or sides..
Lashing rings and sling bars are fixed to the dural supporting straps.
The exterior is given a first coat of yellow zinc chromate followed by two coats of aluminium paint,