Trailer Bridge to get patent for loading process

Trailer Bridge to get patent for loading process The Puerto Rico trade specialist Trailer Bridge was notified by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that it has received final patent approval for the process it uses to load and unload containers on its 'Triplestack Box Carrier' vessels.
   The 'process patent' applies to the methods used to load and unload its vessels. The process was invented by Trailer Bridge chairman and chief executive officer John D. McCown and by the late company founder and containerization pioneer Malcom P. McLean.
   Trailer Bridge's vessels were the first built exclusively to move 53-foot containers, originally for the service between Jacksonville and Puerto Rico. Trailer Bridge now calls the Dominican Republic, as well. The process aligns a plank with the deck of the Triplestack Box Carrier and directs deck access with mobile reach-stackers to load and unload containers.
   Trailer Bridge said this operation generally increases productivity in comparison to the practice of using large gantry cranes that require specialized dock facilities. The process also handles 53-foot containers, which are too large for traditional gantry cranes.
   The patent will be formally awarded within three months.