AU606969B2

AU606969B2 - Spring-loaded chain device

Info

Publication number: AU606969B2
Application number: AU19214/88A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Robert Nielson Lovf
Original assignee: TNT Australia Pty Ltd
Current assignee: TNT Australia Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1987-07-17
Filing date: 1988-07-18
Publication date: 1991-02-21
Anticipated expiration: 2008-07-18
Also published as: AU1921488A

Description

LODGED AT SUBOFFCE t7 IUS1987 Sydney

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AUSTRALIA

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PATENTS ACT 1952 0O 6 9 6 y COMPLETE SPECIFICAT.,I

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Application Number: Lodged: S Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: This document contains the amendments made under Section 49 and is correct for r1rinting, ooolII o I o 1I 90 I o a Priority: Related Art: TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor: TNT AUSTRALIA PTY. LTD.

9th Floor, Tower 1, Lawson Square, REDFERN, NSW 2016 ROBERT NIELSON LOVF ARTHUR S. CAVE CO.

Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Level Barrack Street SYDNEY N.S.W. 2000

AUSTRALIA

Address for Service: 0 000 Complete Specification for the invention entitled SPRING-LOADED CHAIN DEVICE.

The following statement is a including the best method of full description of this invention performing it known to me:- 1 ASC 49 PATENT OFFICE

SYDNEY

00 1 066 Collector of Public Moneys

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SPRING-LOADED CHAIN DEVICE 0 o nee 0 0 0 eQ Se a 9o 0 I o« o e e o 0 6 0 @eo 0 0 00 OO O 0 0 0 0 00 9o 8( 0 lc' 0 0 1 f t The present invention relates to a spring-loaded chain device, and in particular, to a spring-loaded chain device used to hold vehicles securely to a vehicle-carrying transpcrt trailer.

Previously, during the transportation of vehicles, the vehicles have been placed on a vehicle-carrying transport trailer and have been firmly tied to said trailer by means of a system of S-hooks and chains in tension. During transportation, whilst the trailer travels, road shocks and vibration incurred by the trailer are transferred to the vehicles being carried. Due to the nature of S-hooks and chains, and mainly because of the nature of the links making up the chain, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible for the person attaching the S-hooks and chains, to firmly affix the vehicle to the trailer to impede all relative movement therebetween. The result is, that the seemingly rigid chain, whilst the vehicle is in motion, allows a relatively large degree of movement of the vehicle. The vehicle tends to be able to wobble to a certain degree, and is then jerked by the chain when the chain reaches its maximum extendable length.

Such road shocks and vibrations incurred by the trailer therefore tend to have an increased detrimental effect on the vehicle. Current day vehicles are produced with an ever increasing amount of high powered electronic circuitry which is often delicate in nature and liable to be broken when affected by such road shocks and vibrations.

1., 2 0405E :ir r. ~~ii rr -L 0410k/SC 1~ goo.u 0 0 0 0 oe 0 0 oo 0* 0 oo a o o 0 a a a c In one broad form, the present invention a method of securing a vehicle to a movable platform upon which the vehicle is supported, comprising the steps of: i) providing a flexible and resilient elongate strap means including: a first longitudingal member having at a first end a first guide and at a second end chain connection means; a second longitudinal member disposed through said first guide parallel to said first member and having at a first end thereof a second guide and at a second end thereof a hook portion, said second end of said first member being next the first end of said second member and said guides retaining said first and second members together and allowing relative axial movement therebetween; and biasing means provided axially about said second member between said first and second guides such that relative axial movement between said first and second members is against the expansive bias of said biasing means.

ii) securing the strap means to the vehicle and the platform; and iii) tightening the strap means so as to place it in tension.

The present invention will become more fully understood from the following detailed description of a preferred method of the invention, in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which; Fig. 1 shows a spring loaded chain in accordance with the

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3 V T Ox7 7 present invention; Fig. 2 shows the spring loaded device in use on a vehicle-carrying trailer; Fig. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 4 details the second longitudinal member of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 details fhe first longitudinal member of Fig. 3; and, Fig. 6 details the guide of Fig. 3.

0 0 Fig. 7 schematically illustrates an alternative form of 0 0 0 0 o the invention, 00 0 In Fig. 1, is shown the spring loaded chain in accordance oooo o 0 with the present invention. The spring loaded chain, generally designated by the numeral 1, consists of the chain portion 2 oOo and the spring loaded end portion 3.

In Fig. 2, is shown the spring loaded chain 1 in use on a oo00 0 0 0> vehicle-carrying trailer connected to the front underside of a vehicle 4. The figure illustrates the spring loaded end S 0o I; portion 3 under tension, with Fig. 2(a) illustrating a side 00"" view, and Fig. 2(b) illustrating a front view. As illustrated in Fig. the end of the chain portion 2 may be attached to a winch-type apparatus, wherein the chain is affixed to and rotated around a roller provided on the vehicle-carrying trailer until the spring loaded end portion 3 is placed under tension.

In Fig. 3, is shown a cross-sectional view of the spring loaded device 3 in accordance with the present invention. The spring loaded device 3 comprises a hook compression bar 5, a '4 0405E spring 6, an eye compression bar 7 and a guide 8, each of the components being detailed more clearly in the subsequent diagrams described hereinafter. The eye compression bar 7 is engaged to the hook compression bar 5 by means of an eye guide 9 which forms one end of the eye compression bar 7. The eye guide 7 is adapted to be able to move along the length of the straight portion 10 of the hook compression bar 5. The other end of the straight portion 10 of the hook compression bar 5 is connected via a guide 8 to the eye compression bar 7. Axially S disposed around the straight portion 10 of the hook compression o 0 40 Sf bar 5, is a spring 6, which normally biases the hook Scompression bar 5 and the eye compression bar 7 in the inwardly disposed relationship as shown in Fig. 3. A stop 11 is welded around the part 15 of the hook compression bar 5 to ensure that the eye guide 9 of the eye compression bar 7 does not travel onto the hook portion 12 of the hook compression bar 5. A lock 00 to nut 13 is provided at the end 14 of the hook compression bar to maintain the spring 6 on the hook compression bar 5. A pack 0 washer 16 is provided between the guide 8 and the lock nut 13, and guide washers 17 and 18 are provided between each of the guides 8 and 9 and the ends of the spring 6, respectively.

These washers 16, 17 and 18 ensure minimal frictional engagement between the various components of the spring loaded device 3.

In Fig. 4, is shown an elevational and an end view of the hook compression bar 5. One end of the hook compression bar is provided with the hook portion 12, the other end 14 being provided with a screw thread 19 for securement of the lock nut 0405E -oi 13.

o a 000 00 0 o 0 0 o 0 0000 o o o O 0 0 0 0 0 0 o 0 0 a go oo 0 000 0 0 4 o l In Fig. 5, is shown an elevational and an end view of the eye compression bar 7. The eye guide 9 is provided such that it fits around the portion 15 of the hook compression bar 5 in loose fitting engagement. The end of the eye compression bar 7 is provided with an eye portion 20 to which the chain 2 is connected.

In Fig. 6, is shown a plan view of the guide 8 which connects the eye compression bar 7 and the hook compression bar in loose fitting engagement.

Fig. 7 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the present invention in which the first longitudinal member is in the form of a tube 20 and the second longitudinal member is a rod 21 sliding coaxially within the tube 20. Guiding is provided by a first guide 22 which screws into the tube 20 and through which rod 21 slides. The rod 21 has a disc 23 attached at its other extremity which ensures the rod 21 slides axially relative to the tube 20. A spring 24 is compressed through the relative movement of tube 20 and rod 21.

Although the described embodiments utilise a spring to provide the biasing of the two longitudinal members, other biasing means may be used. An obvious alternative is natural or synthetic rubber in the form of a cylinder axially disposed about the second longitudinal member. The use of rubber would, through its greater hysteresis than steel, provide extra damping.

In use, as shown in Fig. 2, the hook portion 12 is secured to the underside of the chasis of a vehicle, and the eye

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6 0405E portion 20 is attached to a chain 2. The loose end of the chain 2 is secured to the vehicle carrying trailer by any known means, or by means of a second spring loaded device 3, such that the chain 2 is held in tension. The spring loaded device therefore extends with the hook compression bar 7, and against the bias of spring 6. The spring 6 therefore allows a degree of expansion and compression between the vehicle and the 0-00 vehicle-carrying trailer to consequently absorb bumps and 0 0000 0 shocks whilst the vehicle-carrying trailer is in motion.

000000 0 a 00 0 The spring loaded device 3 of the present invention 0 0 0 00 0000 therefore maintains the limitation of travel of the vehicle 0 0 0 00 0 000000 body as with conventional methods of securement, 0 0 the same time, absorbs road shocks and vibrations. Tests 00000 0 conducted by the applicant reveal that about 55% of the road 0 00 0 Do 00 0 shocks and vibrations are absorbed when utilising the device of 0 CO 00 the present invention when compared to conventional methods.

0 0 0 000 Such results are extremely important, particularly with the advent of intricate gauges, microsenders and computer chips 00 00000, present in the dash boards and other parts of present-day motor 000000 0 0 vehicles. During the design of such motor vehicle equipment, consideration is given for when the vehicle is travelling under its own power by the design of the vehicle's shock absorbers, however no such shock absorbers are provided for, during the transportation of the vehicles, which is possibly when the greatest amount of damage is likely to occur. The present invention therefore overcomes this problem by providing a ,shock absorber' device.

The present invention has been herein described with 7 0405E reference to a particular embodiment. It should., however, be understood that numerous variations and. modification3 can bc made to the spring loaded device, without departing from the overall spirit and scope of the present invention as broadly described herein.

a 0 0405

Claims

1. A method of securing a vehicle to a movable platform upon which the vehicle is supported, comprising the steps of: i) providing a flexible and resilient elongate strap means including: a first longitudingal member having at a first end a first guide and at a second end chain connection means; a second longitudinal member disposed through said first guide parallel to said first member and having at a first end o thereof a second guide and at a second end thereof a hook portion, said second end of said first member being next the first end of said second member and said guides retaining said 000o first and second members together and allowing relative axial 00 0 ooo. movement therebetween; and biasing means provided axially about said second member between said first and second guides such that relative axial movement between said first and second members is against the expansive bias of said biasing means. ii) securing the strap means to the vehicle and the platform; and iii) tightening the strap means so as to place it in tension.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step i) includes providing a spring loaded device having the axes of said first and second members not co-existant. I n7 0410k/SC

3. The method of claim 1 wherein step i) includes providing a spring loaded device having a cylindrical first member and, a second member telescopically sliding therein.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein step i) includes providing a spring loaded device having said biasing means selected from spring steel, natural or synthetic rubbers.

The method of claim 1 wherein step i) includes providing a spring loaded device wherein said second guide is detachable from said second member. 0000 0 0

6. The method of claim 1 wherein step i) includes providing 000: a spring loaded device wherein said first guide is detachably d o o..o retained to said first member.

7. A method of securing a vehicle to a movable platform upon o°°0°o which the vehicle is supported, substantially as herein o .00 o. 0 described with reference to the drawings. o 0,0 DATED this 25th day of October, 1990. 0 t TNT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD ARTHUR S. CAVE CO.