WO1992005691A1

WO1992005691A1 - Improvements relating to transport containers

Info

Publication number: WO1992005691A1
Application number: PCT/GB1991/001714
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jeremy Instone; Giles Instone
Original assignee: Solindo Equipment Leasing Limited
Priority date: 1990-10-03
Filing date: 1991-10-03
Publication date: 1992-04-16
Also published as: AU8667291A; GB9021457D0

Abstract

A container (1) for the transportation by air of one or more horses or like-sized animals, comprising a base (8), a roof (11), side (2, 3) and end walls (4, 5), at least one of the walls (4, 5) having a door means for permitting the animal(s) to enter and exit the interior of the container (1), the container comprising also proofing means for preventing ingress of disease vectors and means for providing adequate ventilation to sustain at least one live animal within the container. Ventilation can be provided by a plurality of window areas (12), each fitted with screen(s) (13) to prevent access of disease vectors to the interior of the container, and/or by a forced airflow system which drives air into the interior of the container via a filter to remove disease vectors. The container (1) may also be converted into a general freight container by removal of rearrangement of parts within the container.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO TRANSPORT CONTAINERS

This invention relates to transport containers and more specifically, to transport containers which are impervious to disease vectors particularly arthropods and more particularly insects and arachnids. Such containers may be used for conveying livestock, for example, horses or similarly sized live animals and can be converted into general freight containers. Transportation of horses by air is commonplace because of the need to transfer the animals for breeding and sporting purposes, for example. Great care must be taken during the transportation of bloodstock because of the high value of the animals, and a number of containers has been proposed to meet the specialist needs associated with the transportation of horses and other similarly sized valuable animals by air.

For example, we describe in our US Patent No. 4,566,404 a conveyance suitable for the transportation of livestock (particularly horses) by air. That conveyance comprises a generally rectangular box-like enclosure having one wall hinged to the floor of the enclosure to provide a ramp for off-loading horses from the enclosure and another wall including a central portion hinged to the floor which can be utilised for loading horses into the enclosure. Both the wall and the wall portion include means for locking the hinged portions in an upright position. Inside the enclosure a number of demountable partitions are provided for use in defining a number of separate compartments and these partitions can be stored adjacent the side walls of the enclosure to enable the enclosure to be used as a general air freight container when horses are not being transported.

Thus, our previously proposed container can be utilised in one flight direction, for example an outward journey, as a horse box for the transportation of horses and in another flight direction, for example the homeward journey, as a general freight container for transporting freight other than livestock when there are no horses requiring transportation on the homeward journey. However, during transportation there is a significant risk that the animals may be exposed to or become agents of transmission of various diseases.

The disease vectors likely to be encountered during transportation vary considerably in terms of size, mobility and infectivity. However, mosquitoes and ticks have been identified as major vectors; mosquitoes because of their superior flying ability, sense of smell and small size (the smallest species Culicoides imicola has a thoracic width of only 0.24 mm to 0.33 mm) ; and ticks by virtue of their variation in size between different life cycle stages and their ability to transmit viral diseases.

A further risk is that the animals themselves may accidentally introduce indigenous pests to different countries and continents. For example, the screw worm fly introduced to Libya from the United States, has a massive potential to harm livestock throughout the African continent and therefore to deplete the food resources of whole tribes.

There is therefore a considerable need during transportation to protect livestock from such vectors and in so doing to prevent the infection of animals and the spread of disease vectors to new environments.

The present invention aims to mitigate the above mentioned and associated problems by providing a container which prevents access of disease vectors to the interior of the container.

The present invention accordingly provides a container comprising a base, roof and outer side and end walls which is primarily adapted for use in the transportation of horses or other like-sized live animals but which can be converted into a general freight container by removal or re-arrangement of parts within the container and which is constructed essentially to prevent access of terrestrial and aerial arthropods to the interior of the container whilst providing adequate ventilation to sustain at least one live animal.

Usually the container is used for the transportation of horses and more usually will be capable of accommodating up to three horses. Ventilation can be provided by a plurality of window areas in at least the side or end walls of the container or by a forced airflow system or a combination of the two. The forced airflow system may comprise suitable mechanical means to drive air through venting means within the container. Preferably the venting means comprises removable ducting within the container which has a plurality of apertures located at suitable intervals along its length to direct air into the container. The forced airflow system may comprise an air conditioning system and/or at least one fan and optionally a dual heating/cooling facility to moderate the internal temperature of the container. The mechanical units comprising the forced airflow system can be controlled and monitored from either the interior or exterior of the container and may advantageously be housed within a removable module attached to the roof of the container. Detachable pipes or the like can be used to direct air into the venting means.

Each window area can be fitted with at least one screen which prevents access of disease vectors to the interior of the container but which permits ventilation. The screens are preferably metallic or plastics mesh with at least one of the screens having a mesh size small enough to prevent access of disease vectors. Coarse mesh screens may also be fitted to the window areas in order to protect the finer mesh screens which are more easily damaged. The screens may be easily removable to allow replacement with screens of a different mesh size or for cleaning, or to permit the screens to be packed separately when the container is used as a general freight container.

The container is particularly suited to being adapted for use as a stable for conveying animals such as horses. For this purpose, the container may include at least one hinged portion located in an end or side wall of the container which can be lowered to provide a ramp upon which horses can be led into and from the container.

The hinged portion(s) in the fully raised positions suitably abut the walls to form substantially airtight seals preferably using at least one flexible material strip attached to the edges of the walls which define the periphery of the hinged portions. Preferably the material strip is rubber or foam rubber. This type of seal can be advantageously adopted for ensuring that the joining region between the screens and the walls of the container is also substantially airtight.

The horses can be led into any one of a number of compartments defined by demountable partitions within the container.

Preferably the demountable partitions are held in position by elongate members adapted to engage with apertures in the floor and ceiling of the container. A groom's compartment can also be defined by demountable partitions within the container.

In order to enable the groom to gain access to the inside of the container when the container is in transit, at least one wall is advantageously provided with an entry door; within the confines of a freight carrying aircraft it is likely that there will be insufficient room to enable the hinged portions of the ends of the container to be lowered to provide access for the groom. In a preferred embodiment, one or both of the side walls are provided with a sliding entry door for the groom. Alternatively, providing there is sufficient room within the freight carrying aircraft, the groom entry door can be hinged in the normal fashion.

In order to prevent the groom from inadvertently carrying disease vectors into the interior of the container, a triple or double entry may be provided, which may comprise a collapsible and/or removable enclosure fitted around the groom door, through which the groom may pass to enter the interior of the container. The enclosure essentially serves as a decontamination chamber in which the groom may be sprayed with a suitable disinfectant and/or insecticide to kill disease vectors and prevent them from being carried into the container. The triple entry may also comprise an additional door member which is preferably made of heavyweight PVC or canvas and is fitted around the groom door. The groom, in order to enter the container, must pass through the collapsible enclosure, the groom door and the additional door member. This door member may be omitted from transport containers provided with a double entry.

Preferably the enclosure is collapsible and may be fitted to the inside or outside of the groom door and may comprise a substantially flexible cover which can be made of heavyweight PVC or canvas with at least one transparent section for viewing. The cover has at least one closeable access means preferably in the form of a zip fastener but other types of fastener such as a loop and pile fastener may be suitable. The cover may be secured to the walls of the container by a plurality of securing members such that the joint between the two is substantially airtight. The cover may be fitted to a frame and the enclosure held in an operational position by a plurality of supporting members, which may include rigid members such as stays or struts and flexible members such as rope and cable or the like. The enclosure in the collapsed state is held substantially flush with the sides of the container by other elongate flexible members adapted to engage with attaching members fixed to side walls of the container.

As an alternative to the above, the enclosure may be defined by a plurality of interconnecting rigid members, which may effectively slot together and are therefore readily demountable to a folded position. This rigid type of enclosure essentially shares common features with the flexible cover type, for example both may have at least one closeable access means, both may be fitted around the groom door such that the joint between the two is substantially airtight and both may have at least one transparent viewing section.

The removable module which houses the mechanical means for the forced airflow system may optionally serve to accommodate and store the groom entry chamber, mesh screens and demountable partitions when the container is used for the transportation of general freight.

As an additional preventative means, at least the underside of the container may be coated with a suitable pesticide.

In order to fully utilise aircraft capacity, two or more containers can be advantageously joined together, with a groom's compartment defined between them. Such an arrangement permits a single groom to attend to a greater number of horses than had hitherto been possible.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure l is one end view of the transport container;

Figure 2 is the other end view of the transport container;

Figure 3 is a side view of the container with an air conditioning system;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the container showing a tarpaulin and additional door member;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the container fitted with a collapsible enclosure in an operational position; Figure 6 is the container of Figure 5 but with the enclosure in a collapsed and folded position;

Figure 7 is an end view of the container with the access ramp lowered (the middle screen is omitted) ; and Figure 8 is an internal part view showing the means for supporting the partitions.

Referring first to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, the container 1 has two side walls 2,3 and two end walls which for the sake of convenience will be referred to below as the front wall 4 and the rear wall 5. Both the front wall 4 and the rear wall 5 include portions 6,7 hinged along their respective bottom edges to the base 8 of the container, which portions can be lowered to form ramps as shown in Figure 3 to permit access to the container or can be fully raised to close the container.

As shown in Figures l and 2, the hinged portion

7 of the rear wall 5 is approximately half the width of the rear wall and located in a substantially central position. In contrast, the hinged portion 6 forms substantially the whole of the front wall 4. However, the hinged portions 6,7 may also be of similar size and occupy essentially any portion of the front and rear walls 4,5. When the container is used to carry horses, the hinged portion 7 can be lowered to provide an entry route for the horses and the hinged portion 6 can be lowered to provide an exit route for the horses. The edges of the front and rear walls 4,5 which define the periphery of the hinged portions 6,7 have attached thereto flexible rubber strips such that when the hinged portions 6,7 are fully raised, airtight seals are formed between the walls 4,5 and the hinged portions 6,7, to prevent access of airborne or terrestrial arthropods to the interior of the container. Furthermore, the ramp hinges are sealed, for example, with a plastics material to prevent fluid leakage from the container, this being particularly advantageous at the rear of the container where animal urine is most evident.

As can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, each of the hinged portions 6 and 7 is adapted to be locked in the raised position by way of a retaining member 9 which extends across the hinged portion into engagement with latch members 10 on the non-hinged portions of the front and rear walls 4,5. When the hinged portions are lowered to form a ramp, the retaining members 9 are protected from damage by the provision of spacers (not shown) which support the extreme ends of the ramps to space the ramps from the ground.

The hinged portions 6,7 when fully raised are not in abutment with the roof 11 of the container 1 and the window areas 12 so formed intermediate the roof and hinged portions 6,7 provide ventilation for the container 1. Each window area is fitted with at least one mesh screen 13 to prevent access of arthropods to the container. The screens 13 are built into frames 14, preferably of aluminium, and sealed in position with one or more flexible rubber strips. The frames 14 are hinged along their respective upper edges to the roof 11 of the container so that the frames may be raised to permit the horses easy access to and egress from the container. Additionally, clips or bolts may be used to secure more firmly the frames 14 to the container walls 4,5 when the hinged portions 6,7 are fully raised and the container is in use. Gaps between the container walls 4,5 and the frames 14 may be sealed with foam rubber or the like.

As previously mentioned, each window area may be fitted with more than one mesh screen and each screen may be of a similar or different mesh size. For example, a fine mesh screen may be provided to prevent arthropod access and coarse mesh screens may be fitted on either or both sides of the fine screen in order to protect the fine screen from being damaged. The outermost and/or innermost screens may be hinged to the frames to allow the intermediate screens to be cleaned. Alternatively, screens of decreasing mesh size may be fitted to the window areas, with the finest mesh being innermost. This permits the outer, coarse screens to trap the large arthropods and advantageously prevent undue clogging of the finer mesh screens with dust and other debris.

At regular intervals, the screens should be cleaned to remove dust, for example, which may clog the mesh and the seals checked for their sealing ability. The mesh screens 13 are preferably constructed from stainless steel and have a mesh size of 15 to 70 meshes per inch and more preferably 60 to 70 meshes per inch. Generally, the mesh size is chosen to provide a balance between prevention of arthropod access and ventilation, which ventilation will be reduced with a reduction in mesh size. If required, increased ventilation can be provided by installing an additional screen as part of the roof 11. The reduced ventilation due to the mesh screening may result in the interior of the container becoming very warm particularly if the container l is left to stand in a hot climate or when three horses are in transit, for example. Under such circumstances the use of an air conditioning system to moderate the container temperature may be advisable. Therefore, the roof 11 is advantageously equipped with an air conditioning unit preferably controlled and monitored from the interior of the container and more preferably from the groom's section. The air conditioning unit is housed within a removable module 15 attached to the roof. When the module 15 is removed from the container, a fitted roof panel is inserted in place of the unit. A suitable unit is a Hubbard air conditioning unit, Model 6713 which has a dual cooling/heating capability. The removable module 15 also houses at least one electrically powered fan which draws the fresh air into a container through a filter to remove disease vectors from the air, the filter having a mesh size of 15 to 70 meshes per inch. The fan(s) and/or the air conditioning unit can be powered directly from the aircraft's electrical system or from ground mains supply or can be battery operated, the battery or batteries required for this purpose preferably being housed with the removable module 15. A battery charging unit can also be provided, if desired.

The air conditioning unit and fan(s) which comprise the forced airflow system drive air through removable ducting attached to the roof of the container, the ducting (not shown) comprises a plurality of apertures along the ducting to direct air downwards into the container.

The ducting is readily removable and can be stored in the module 15 when the container is used for carrying general freight. Furthermore, access to the inside of the ducting is permitted for cleaning and sterilisation purposes.

The forced airflow system is operable from an electrical control unit fitted either to the roof or walls of the container and comprises safety mechanisms, for example trip switches and fail safe devices, which are usually required for electrical equipment.

Further ventilation and light are provided by window areas 16 also fitted with mesh screens similar to those fitted on the window areas 12. The frames of these screens are simply clipped to the side walls of the container and adjacent the roof, and therefore are readily removed either when the container is being used other than for the transportation of animals, or when alternative mesh sizes and screen constructions are desired. A battery operated light may be incorporated into the interior of the container to provide further light when fewer window areas are provided.

When used as a freight container, the window areas 12,16 can be covered by a tarpaulin 17 to prevent water from entering the container, as shown in Figure 4. The tarpaulin 17 is secured to the container by means of a suitable rope 18 threaded through holes in the tarpaulin and around clips, loops, rings or the like 19 attached to the exterior walls of the container. Alternatively, a plurality of rigid flaps can be used to cover the window areas. These flaps can be hinged to the walls or roof, or slidable by means of a roller type system.

The roof 11 of the container 1 as shown in the drawings is substantially flat. However, the configuration of the roof may be modified to suit the shape of the hold of a particular freight carrying aircraft in order to use efficiently aircraft capacity. For example, the roof of the container may include an angled section which slopes downwards to the side wall and which extends along the length of the container. This roof construction may permit the container to fit inside a DC10 aeroplane, for example.

A container provided with a modified roof construction may require modifications to some of the window areas.

For example, the window areas may be made smaller, may occupy lower positions in the walls or may be omitted. The side walls 2,3 each include a sliding groom door 20 towards the front of the container, which doors 20 allow a groom to enter and leave the container without using the ramps 6,7. Thus, the groom may watch over and tend to the needs of his/her charges during the flight.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the exterior of the groom door is fitted with a collapsible enclosure 21 which the groom enters prior to entering the interior of the container; and the interior of the groom door is fitted with an additional door member 22. The groom, wearing appropriate protective clothing once inside the enclosure, may then be sprayed with a suitable disinfectant prior to continuing through the sliding door 20 and additional door member 22 to the groom's section of the container. A suitable disinfectant is typically an aerosol disinfectant containing pyrethrins which have potent insecticidal activity but a low associated mammalian toxicity. Furthermore, natural pyrethrins degrade rapidly in natural light thereby preventing accumulation of residues within the enclosure.

Such a triple entry system, therefore, advantageously prevents the groom from inadvertently carrying arthropods into the container. The cover 23 of the enclosure 21 which is preferably made of heavyweight PVC or canvas, is attached to and lightly tensioned about a flexible frame (not shown) . The edges of the cover 23 are secured to the walls 2,3 of the container by a plurality of securing members 24, for example, metal plates, which are positioned along the periphery of the groom door. The joining region is made substantially airtight by means of a flexible rubber seal.

The enclosure 21 is shown in Figure 5 of the drawings as having a height corresponding to that of the groom door 20. However, where space permits, it may be advantageous for the enclosure 21 to have a greater height, for example to the lower edge of the frames 14.

The enclosure 21 is supported in an operational position by two supporting members 25, for example, metal stays, at the upper front and rear faces of the enclosure. The proximal end of each supporting member 25 is hinged to the container at a position just above the groom door and the distal end of each member 25 is attached to the cover of the enclosure and comprises a loop 26 or other suitable attaching means. A rope 27 with spring biased clips for example, at both ends is secured to attaching members 28, which may include rings, hooks, loops and the like affixed to the exterior side walls of the container at a position just below the window areas 16. The length of rope 27 used is such that when fastened between the container and the supporting members 25, the rope is taut and therefore holds the members 25 in a substantially upward and perpendicular position and maintains the enclosure 21 erect. A single rope can replace the two separate ropes. Release of the spring biased clips from the attaching members 28 allows the enclosure 21 to collapse. As shown in Figure 6, the lower portion of the enclosure may then be folded upwards and the upper portion downwards to a position substantially flush with the sides of the container. One or more ropes 29 also with spring biased clips appropriately attached to the upper and lower securing loops 30 about the door secure the enclosure in its collapsed and folded position.

In an alternative construction, the enclosure 21 may be adapted to collapse to one side or the other, thereby permitting the enclosure to be readily pushed aside when space is at a premium, for example within an aircraft hold.

The cover 23 comprises a window 31 and a closable access means 32 to the enclosure which is preferably in the form of a zip fastener. The metal plates and various securing means are preferably of aluminium. The rope may be replaced with cable or the like.

The container particularly the underside and four sides of the container (up to a height of 1.5m) is externally coated with an insecticide. A suitable and preferred insecticide for this purpose is permethrin which is long lasting and provides adequate protection for at least nine months.

As will be explained in greater detail below (and as described and illustrated in detail in our US Patent No. 4,566,404) the container includes demountable interior partitions which can be used to define separate horse compartments and a groom's compartment, the groom's compartment normally being located towards the front of the container to enable the groom to gain entry via one or other of the sliding doors.

Referring to Figures 7 and 8, when the container is in use as a horsebox, the interior can be divided into separate horse compartments, one for each horse, and a compartment for the groom. The compartments are formed by rigid demountable partitions 33 which extend from the base 8 of the container to an appropriate height for the horses. Each partition is held in position by elongate supports 34 which include spring biassed portions 35 at each end of the support. Each spring biassed portion 35 is arranged to co-operate with a selected one of a series of apertures 36 formed in metal strips 37 extending across the floor and ceiling of the container, to hold the elongate supports 34 and hence the partition 33 in the desired position within the container. Several such apertures 36 may be provided in the base to enable the container to be partitioned in a variety of different ways to accommodate different sizes or numbers of horses. A further partition 38 is provided and secured in the container in a similar way to that just described to separate the groom's compartment at the front of the container from the individual horse compartments. The partition 38 can be provided with doors to access individually each of the horse compartments.

The biassed portions 35 of the elongate supports 34 are partially retractable by manually pulling on a strap 39 for the purpose of releasing the supports from the respective apertures thereby enabling the partitions to be moved and demounted.

When the horses are in transit, rigid demountable reinforcing bars 40 are placed in front of and just above the partitions, which bars are advantageously the same as the supports 34. When the horses are removed from the compartments, the bars 40 are first removed so that the partitions can be separately opened to allow the removal of each horse individually. The reinforcing bars 40 may be provided at desired locations within the container 1, for example to strengthen the partitions between compartments.

When horses are to be led into the container, the elongate support nearest the rear wall can be disengaged from its respective aperture so that the respective partition can be pivoted about the other support to increase the size of the entrance into a side horse compartment. With the ramp 7 in the position shown in Figure 7 for example, the horse can be led up the ramp into the compartment and the partition can then be returned to its normal position. Further horses may be brought into the container in a similar manner.

The horses are generally unloaded in a similar manner via the front ramp 6 which avoids the problem of the horses having to be backed out of the container.

When the container is not being used to transport horses the partitions 33 can be demounted and placed on the floor or against the interior of a side wall of the container, for example, to enable other freight to be carried in the container. The removable module 15 has a capacity sufficient to accommodate the mesh screens, groom entry chamber, ducting and also the demountable partitions (as well as the forced airflow system described above) and yet be sufficiently lightweight to enable the module to be placed by fork lift onto the container roof. Therefore, the module 15 is a particularly useful means of storing parts of the container not required for general freight transportation thereby maximising the volume of freight which can be carried in the container. The module may optionally contain a water reservoir capable of holding, say, 25 litres of water to permit watering of the animals in the container.

The basic container structure is made from strong and lightweight materials so as to comply with national and international regulations governing the carriage by air of both livestock and freight.

Examples of suitable materials are plywood/glass reinforced plastics fiberglass/plastics or aluminium.

It will be apparent that various modifications and alterations can be easily made to the container described above. For example, the collapsible enclosure 21 can be fitted and sealed to the interior of the container such that enclosure through which the groom passes is erected inside the main body of the container.

An alternative construction of enclosure may be adopted, for example the enclosure may be defined by a plurality of inter fitting rigid members made of aluminium or plywood, for example, which may slot together or be held together by connecting members such as bolts, clips or other suitable members. This type of enclosure, like the flexible type described above, is readily erected and is collapsible to a folded position substantially flush with the side walls of the container. Alternatively, both the rigid and flexible types of enclosure can be readily dismantled so that the enclosure can be removed altogether from the container.

In another embodiment the additional door member 22 can be omitted to provide a double entry rather than a triple entry.

The various loops and rings described above are purely illustrative of the types of attaching member usable in such a container and can be replaced by other equally suited members. The containers described above may usefully be placed on a wheeled trolley or pallet, to enable the whole assembly to be moved more easily, for example in moving animals from airport buildings to a loading station on or adjacent the runway. Alternatively, the base of the container may be equipped with suitably spaced openings to receive the forks of a fork-lift truc .

The side walls of the container may be advantageously provided with tie-down rings or other suitable members for receiving high tension straps which secure the container to an aircraft pallet. Alternatively an aircraft net may be fitted over the container.

Whilst the containers described above preferably comprise two hinged portions which serve as ramps, any arrangement of ramps can be employed, the number, width, height and position of the ramps being variable according to requirements. For example, the hinged portions 6, 7 when fully raised may abut also the roof 11 of the container thereby omitting the window areas 12 which, in the embodiments described above, are formed intermediate the roof and the hinged portions. Obviously, rearrangement of the demountable partitions within the container will be necessary when alternative arrangements of ramp(s) are employed.

Claims

CLAIMS :

1. A container for the transportation by air of one or more horses or like-sized animals, comprising a base, a roof, side and end walls, at least one or the walls have a door means for permitting the animal(s) to enter and exit the interior of the container, the container comprising also proofing means for preventing ingress of disease vectors and means for providing adequate ventilation to sustain at least one live animal within the container.

2. A container according to claim 1, in which the ventilation means comprises a plurality of window areas in at least one wall of the container and the proofing means comprises at least one screen fitted to each window area.

3. A container according to claim 2, in which the screen(s) comprise a mesh material having a mesh size of 15 to 70 meshes per inch.

4. A container according to claim 2 or claim 3, in which the screen(s) are removable.

5. A container according to any preceding claim, in which the ventilation means comprises a forced airflow system for directing air into the interior of the container via a filter to trap disease vectors.

6. A container according to claim 5, in which the forced airflow system comprises an air conditioning unit and/or at least one fan.

7. A container according to claim 6, in which the air conditioning unit comprises a dual heating/cooling facility.

8. A container according to claim 5 or claim 6, in which the air conditioning unit and fan(s) are housed within a removable module attached to the container.

9. A container according to any one of claims 5 to 8, in which the forced airflow system comprises also venting means through which the filtered air is directed.

10. A transport container according to any preceding claim, in which at least the base of the container is coated with a pesticide.

11. A container according to any preceding claim, comprising also at least one groom entry door enclosed by a removable decontamination chamber through which the groom passes to prevent the groom from carrying disease vectors into the container.

12. A container according to claim 11, in which the decontamination chamber is collapsible.

13. A container according to claim 11 or claim 12, in which the decontamination chamber is removable.

1 . A container according to any preceding claim, in which the proofing means comprises at least one seal positioned such that the door means when closed forms a substantially airtight seal.

15. A container according to any preceding claim comprising demountable partitioning for defining at least one compartment for housing the animal(s) , the container being convertible into a general freight container by removal or rearrangement of the partitioning.

16. A container according to claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.