AU2011101507A4 - Load Restraint Apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A load restraining apparatus including an elongated load carrying beam, a flexible load restraining element, tensioning means at at least one end of the said elongated load carrying beam and adapted to be coupled to said load restraining element, means adapted for cooperation with an intermediate portion of said load carrying beam or member, and means for selectively actuating said tensioning means to tension said load restraining element in use around said load to restrain load to said elongated load carrying member.

Description

1 LOAD RESTRAINT APPARATUS Technical Field This invention relates to load restraining apparatus which has particular but not exclusive application to restraining loads on vehicles. 5 Background Art Vehicles are commonly provided with load carrying racks upon which a load may be carried. Generally, the load is tied down to the racks by ropes or similar tie devices however, the problem of safely and effectively securing a load requires the person to be competent in the basics of rigging, or at least have the ability to tie secure knots. With 10 the increasing number of load carrying utilities and trucks sharing the highways with general public, this is a very dangerous situation with the potential of causing a serious accident with devastating consequences. The use of other unsuitable materials such as electrical tape, adhesive tape and the like, to tie down the load because of the unavailability of a suitable rope, webbing or chain at the pick-up site, further adds 15 to this serious problem. In the building industry where utilities and other similar vehicles are commonly used for transporting building materials which are supported on overhead racks fitted to the vehicle. Overhead racks are typically built to a simple "H" frame design with little or no binding anchor points, and in most cases no facility for the insertion of an 20 isolation element, such as a timber or synthetic fillet between the load and the racks' metal load-carrying members, to increase friction and control of the load. Summary of the Invention The present invention aims to overcome or alleviate the above disadvantages or at least provide an alternative to the known load restraining apparatus by providing 25 apparatus for restraining loads which enables loads to be restrained in a reliable and 2 effective manner. The present invention provides in a first preferred aspect, load restraining apparatus said load apparatus rack including an elongated load carrying beam or member, a flexible load restraining element, tensioning means at at least one end 5 of the said elongated load carrying beam or member and adapted to be coupled to said load restraining element, means adapted for cooperation with an intermediate portion of said load carrying beam or member, and means for selectively actuating said tensioning means to tension said load restraining element in use around said load to restrain load to said elongated load carrying member. 10 The means adapted for cooperation with an intermediate portion of the load carrying beam or member suitably comprises an anchor hook assembly and wherein the load restraining element is guided by the anchor hook assembly. The anchor hook assembly suitably comprises an anchor hook and glide for the anchor hook adapted for releasable connection to the load carrying member or beam. 15 The hooks are suitably adapted for releasable engagement with a transverse anchoring member carried by the load carrying member or beam. The anchor glide is suitably mounted at the opposite end within the hook frame. Suitably the transverse anchoring member is releasably captured to the load carrying member or beam. 20 The tensioning means suitably comprise a winch. The flexible load restraining element suitably comprises a webbing strap. The winch suitably includes a rotatable winch drum and the webbing strap is adapted to be wound upon the drum and means are provided for selectively rotating the drum. A ratchet may be associated with the drum. Suitably the load carrying member or beam comprises an extrusion. 25 Suitably the load carrying member or beam comprises a load carrying member or 3 beam of a load carrying rack adapted to be mounted to a vehicle. Suitably the load carrying member or beam is adapted to be supported by any suitable frame or mounting arrangement to a vehicle. The frame may include spaced apart upright arms. 5 In a particularly preferred form, the frames are of a U-shaped configuration and a pair of such frames are provided for supporting front and rear load carrying racks. The U shaped frames suitably have a pair of spaced upright arms for supporting corresponding ends of front and rear load carrying racks. The U-shaped frame also suitably includes a leg joining the arms which is disposed substantially horizontally in use and suitably 10 secured to upper edges of the side walls of a pick-up type vehicle. Where the load carrying racks are to be supported on a tray back vehicle, the tray of the vehicle may have a plurality of upright frames mounted thereto to support at their upper ends a respective mount of a load carrying rack. Suitably mounting brackets are provided to permit the load restraint apparatus to be positioned at a series of positions 15 longitudinally of the vehicle tray or turret. Brief Description of the Drawings In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and wherein: 20 Fig. 1 illustrates an embodiment of load restraining apparatus according to the invention incorporated in a load carrying rack; Fig. 2 is an enlarged end view of the rack of Fig. 1: Fig. 3 is an exploded view of one end of the rack of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of an end of the load carrying beam of the rack showing 25 the manner in which the anchor pins 7 for securing the anchor hook assemblies are 4 engaged with the load carrying beam 1; Fig. 5 illustrates the manner in which loads are supported and secured on the load carrying racks of Figs. 1 and 2; Figs. 6 and 7 are views illustrating the fitment of the load carrying rack applied 5 to a vehicle; Detailed Description of the preferred Embodiments Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, there is illustrated a load restraining apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention comprising a load carrying rack assembly comprising an elongated load carrying beam 1 having a constant cross section along 10 its length and preferably being formed as an extrusion. Mounted at opposite ends of the beam 1 are respective winch assemblies 39 each having a housing 3 and an opposite housing 11 which are secured to an end of the beam 1 by suitable threaded fasteners 14 and which are further secured in an opposing mating relationship by further threaded fasteners or bolts 17. Captured between the housing 15 parts 11 and 3, and supported by bearings or bushes 12 therein is a winch drum assembly 40 having an axial extending sprag end 34 extending through one of the housing parts 11. A ratchet wheel 44 coaxial with the axis of rotation of the winch drum assembly 40 is provided at one end of the winch drum assembly 40 and is fixed part of the 20 winch drum assembly 40. A ratchet wheel pawl 5 is shaped from high tensile steel plate or the equivalent, is fixed to a pivot shaft 35 and extends substantially at right angles thereto. The shaft 35 is supported by bores in the opposite housing parts 11 and 3 for limited rotational movement about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum assembly 40. 25 The pivot shaft 35 terminates in a lever arm 4, rotation of which in a first direction 5 will disengage the pawl 5 from the ratchet wheel 44 to allow the winch drum assembly 40 to "free wheel". Rotation of the lever arm 4 in the opposite direction will move the pawl 5 into engagement with the ratchet wheel 44 to prevent rotation of the winch drum assembly 40 in one direction to check back-run of the winch drum 5 assembly 40. Webbing sling 33 is wound on to each of the winch drum assemblies 40 passing along the beam 1 to pass in through the corresponding anchor hooks 41. The Beam 1 as referred to above is preferably formed as an extrusion and includes a pair of opposite upwardly extending side flanges 36 which define 10 therebetween a channel 37 in which the webbing sling 33 is normally located. The side flanges 36 are shaped to receive friction strips 20 through a Tee slot 45 groove type connection. The friction strips 20 are suitably formed of plastics, rubber or other high friction material. The side flanges 36 on their inner sides are suitably shaped to receive pin strips 15 6 through a suitably formed keyed profile which extends the full length of the flanges 36. A series of anchor hook assemblies 41 are capable of being secured at spaced locations along the beam 1 for efficient securing of a load to the beam 1. Each anchor hook assembly 41 comprises a co-polymer glide 9 which is supported within 20 a formed slot at the upper end of the anchor assembly 41. The lower end of the anchor hook assembly 41 is turned back at the free end to define a hook profile 8. To position the anchor hook assemblies 41, the hook 8 of each anchor hook assembly 41 is engaged with a selected transverse anchoring pin 7. Anchor hook assemblies 41 can thus be located at a series of positions along the beam 1 in this 25 manner as required.

6 In use and as shown in Fig. 5, loads 42 and 43 are shown spanning and supported on the beam 1 of spaced rack assemblies, and the anchor hook assemblies 41 are positioned on opposite sides of the load adjacent to the load 42 and 43 in the manner described above. The webbing slings 33 are then pulled from the 5 winch assemblies 39 which are placed in the "free-wheel" mode by releasing the pawl arms 4 and looped between the anchor hook assemblies 41 on opposite sides of the loads 42 and 43 over the loads 42 and 43. The pawl arms 4 may then be pivoted to reengage the pawls 5 with the ratchet wheel 44. The opposite winch drum assemblies 40 may then be rotated by means of a tommy bar 10 which engages with the sprag 34 of 10 the winch drum assemblies 40. The webbing slings 33 can thus be wound in onto the winch drum assemblies 40 at each end of the beam 1 to thereby tighten and tension the webbing sling 33 over the loads 42 and 43. Tension is maintained in the sling 33 by the pawl/ratchet engagement provided by the pawl 5 and ratchet wheel 44. The loads 42 and 43 are thus held firmly in position by the webbing sling tension 15 created by each winch assembly 40. To release tension in the sling 33, one or both pawls 5 are released from the ratchet wheel or wheels 44 such that the winch drum assemblies 40 can "free-wheel". It may be necessary to take the tension in the sling 33 by the tommy bar 10 engaged with the sprag 34 of the winch drum assembly 40 to slightly rotate the drum assembly to 20 allow release of the pawl 5. The load carrying rack assembly 10 may be mounted to many different types of vehicle. Typical applications are illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative embodiment of the invention, all such variations and modifications thereto as would be apparent to persons 25 skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention

Claims (11)

1. Load restraining apparatus said load restraining apparatus rack including an elongated load carrying beam or member, a flexible load restraining element tensioning 5 means at at least one end of said elongated load carrying beam or member and adapted to be coupled to said load restraining element means adapted for cooperation with an intermediate portion of said load carrying beam or member to anchor a portion of said flexible load restraining element to said beam of member, and means for selectively actuating said tensioning means to tension said load restraining element in use around 10 said load restrain said load to said elongated load carrying member.

2. Load restraining apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means adapted for cooperation with an intermediate portion of said load carrying beam or member comprises an anchor roller assembly and wherein said load restraining element is guided by said anchor assembly. 15

3. Load restraining apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said anchor roller assembly comprises an anchor roller and hooks for said anchor roller adapted for releasable connection to said load carrying member or beam.

4. Load restraining apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said hooks are adapted for releasable engagement with transverse anchoring pins carried by said load carrying 20 member or beam.

5. Load restraining apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said tensioning means comprises a winch.

6. Load restraining apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said flexible load 8 restraining element comprises a webbing strap.

7. Load restraining apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said winch includes a rotatable winch drum and wherein said webbing is adapted to be wound upon said drum and there being provided means for selectively rotating said drum. 5

8. Load restraining apparatus as claimed in claim 7 and including a ratchet associated with said drum.

9. Load restraining apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said load carrying member or beam comprises an extrusion.

10. Load restraining apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein 10 said load carrying member or beam comprises a load carrying member or beam of a load carrying rack adapted to be mounted to a vehicle.

11. Load restraining apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.