A self-loading pallet system is disclosed where a three-dimensional basic structure can be manipulated horizontally and vertically and carry with it a cargo, loaded either directly into the structure, or onto a separate pallet structure inserted into the basic structure. The system is useful for loading and unloading cargo between ground level and the cargo floor of vehicles. The vertical loading steps are accomplished by a sequence of extensions and retractions of legs slidably attached to the basic structure. The vertical leg movements are powered by actuators that extend and retract their pistons attached to telescoping legs of the basic structure. Each actuator has an interior motor and a dedicated controller operating the motor. An exterior master controller communicates with each actuator controller, whereby the sequence of vertical loading steps can be pre-programmed to effectively automate the loading and unloading sequences. Actuator motors are powered by an exterior rechargeable battery.

A container for storing and transporting material includes a container body having a bottom wall and a pair of parallel spaced side walls connected with opposite edges of the bottom wall to define a chamber having first and second open ends. A pair of ramp walls are connected with the container body adjacent the first and second open ends, respectively. Each ramp wall includes at least one pivot assembly, which provides pivotal movement of the ramp wall between closed and open positions, respectively. Preferably, the pivot assembly includes at least one pivot shaft extending through one end of the ramp wall and at least one counterbalancing helical torsion spring cooperating with the pivot shaft to bias the ramp wall during movement between closed and open positions.

An expandable storage container comprises a floor and two longitudinal walls, each wall comprising at least one arm, with the wall connected through the arms to the floor so as to provide lateral extension of the longitudinal walls away from the floor. In certain embodiments, the arms are slideably or hingedly connected to the floor to provide lateral extension.

A container for transporting and storing landscaping materials includes a rectangular container body having a bottom wall, a pair of side walls, and an end wall which define an open-ended chamber; and a vertical ramp end wall that is pivotally displaceable between a normal vertical closed position, and a downwardly inclined loading position, which pivot arrangement includes a pair of horizontal pivot shafts arranged collinearly transversely of the container on opposite sides of the protruding ends of a pair of guide rails that extend longitudinally beneath the bottom wall. To afford manual operation of the massive ramp wall, a counter-balancing spring arrangement is provided including a pair of torsion springs mounted concentrically on these two pivot shafts for biasing the ramp wall from the loading position upwardly toward the closed position with an aggregate torque force that is generally equal to the weight of the ramp wall.

A proppant discharge system includes a container having an outlet formed at a bottom thereof, a gate affixed at the outlet and positioned on the floor of the container so as to be movable between a first position covering the outlet to a second position opening the outlet, a support structure having the container positioned on the top surface thereof. The support structure has at least one actuator affixed thereto. The actuator is positioned so as to move the gate between the first position and the second position. The container has a cage affixed on the floor thereof in a position over the outlet. The gate is positioned within the cage and is movable by the actuator so as to open the gate so as to allow proppant to be discharged therefrom.

A stackable container system configured to carry material includes at least one container having a first end and a second end, a holding area for the material, the holding area extending from the first end to the second end, a first opening at the second end, the material controllably releasable from the holding area through the first opening, and a chute that passes through the holding area, the chute extending from the first end to the second end, a first end of the chute including a receiving portion having a larger area than a combined area of the first opening and a second end of the chute.

A system and method that provides for a crate consisting of main flooring section and additional side supports and horizontal beam bracing, that when assembled give the crate the rigidity to be stacked vertically, with multiple units on top of each other, with no other supporting structure. Safe lifting is ensured by fully enclosed fork pockets across the crate base. Safe stacking is ensured by using ISO shipping container casting, as part of the crate design along with top lug assembly to provide positive lateral restraint when stacked.

A transportable refrigerated container has an interior chamber sub-divided into separate compartments by movable partitions that allow free air circulation to maintain the compartments at the same temperature and a plurality of security doors in at least one of the sides of the container, each door affording access only to a selected respective compartment or group of compartments. A method of distributing perishable goods from a supply depot to a plurality of customers utilizes such a container. At the supply depot, goods for different customers are loaded into separate compartments and the container is then transported to a location convenient to all the customers. There, delivery drivers who can each only open a door leading to a compartment containing goods intended for a specific customer, transfer the goods from the compartment onto a smaller vehicle and deliver them to their respective customer.

A momentum arresting ramp that includes a plurality of steps that each includes a slider receiving surface and a transition surface. The steps may enable a device with wheels to be moved down the ramp by a user, without inconvenient gravity building momentum of the device down the ramp. For example, the steps may be spaced apart along a first axis such that a first slider of the device is never in contact with one of the transition surfaces when a second slider of the device is in contact with another one of the transition surfaces. The configuration of the steps and the sliders may enable the device (e.g., a device heavy enough to typically require two users to unload using a planar ramp) to be easily and conveniently unloaded by a single user.

Disclosed are transportable containers for mounting onto a rearward portion of the frame of a semi-truck comprising. The transportable containers may have a frame comprising: a first wall; a second wall opposing the first wall; two opposed lateral walls extending between the first side and the second side, at least one of the lateral walls comprising an opening formed therein; a top extending over the first wall, the second wall, and the two lateral walls; a second floor contained within an internal space of the frame, the second floor being controllably deployable between a lowered position and a raised position; and a loading ramp hingedly attached to a base of the at least one lateral side having the opening formed therein.