DE3710419A1 - COUPLING PIECE AND METHOD FOR UNLOCKING AND LOCKING THE SAME BETWEEN TWO CORNER FITTINGS OF NEIGHBORING CONTAINERS - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a coupling piece for releasable Ver binding of corner fittings of neighboring containers, esp special stacked containers on ships, according to the preamble of claim 1. Furthermore, be the invention relates to a method for locking Corner fittings, preferably stacked cones tainer according to the preamble of claim 16 and a Method for unlocking corner fittings in particular stacked containers according to the generic term of claim 18.

Dome pieces referred to in technical jargon as "twistlock" of the type mentioned here are predominantly during  used to transport containers on ships. On the one hand, the dome pieces should be on the ship-side relay tiv shifts of the container and on the other hand Ver reliable displacement of the containers prevent.

The invention is based on a coupling piece, as in is described for example in DE-OS 22 04 915, näm Lich a so-called three-function twistlock. At the the opposite crossbars angularly offset from each other on the locking bolt arranges and in three different dome positions bringable. The upper one is in an unlocked position Cross bolt with pre-locked lower cross bolt in an open position for insertion in the lower corner fitting an upper container. After inserting in the corner fitting of the upper container is the dome piece pre-lockable with pre-locked upper cross bolt and open lower cross bolt. In this Position the upper container with the dome piece in a corresponding upper end fitting insert lower container. Then the crossbars can be brought into their locking position in which Coupling a connection between the two containers.

A disadvantage of this known coupling piece is that a manual intervention is required several times for assembly and disassembly of the same, firstly to lock the coupling piece and secondly after changing the container to final locking. The last locking section in particular poses particular difficulties in practice, since this has to be done after the containers have been stacked on top of one another, since experience has shown that the accessibility of the coupling pieces is made more difficult. In addition, the final locking of the coupling pieces brings with it dangers for the person commissioned with it, because they have to climb on or between several container stacks.

The invention has for its object a dome piece and a method for unlocking or locking the same ben between corner fittings of neighboring containers create which one with little manual effort reliable connection of stacked containers guaranteed.

To achieve this object, the invention Coupling the characterizing features of claim 1 on. Due to the spring preload of the locking bolt is achieved that the final locking of the dome pieces after putting the containers together actively takes place, so in contrast to the dome DE-OS 22 04 915 no manual intervention for the final lock the coupling pieces after putting on the Container is more needed.

It is useful to preload the lock by at least one between them and the housing arranged spring. The arrangement of the Fe he is hit in such a way that when unlocked Coupling piece is fully prestressed and after Insertion of the coupling piece due to its preload the locking bolt in the locking position twisted with support on the housing.

The coupling piece according to the invention also has a operating lever arranged on the locking bolt. However, this is different from the three-function cup pelstück according to DE-OS 22 04 915 only in two under different end positions can be brought, namely in a Ent locking and a locking position. It is missing after a (central) pre-locking position, after which also the operation of the dome according to the invention piece is simplified. Still a pre-lock the coupling piece on the lower corner fitting of the upper To be able to carry containers, the entrances fall  position together with the pre-locking position. As a result, the upper cross bar is located in the entrance position of the actuating lever always in the front locked position while the lower cross bar due to its offset to the upper cross bar in one unlocked position.

Furthermore, according to the invention the actuating lever is off deviating from that of DE-OS 22 04 915 and stored in the housing. For this purpose, the actuator has bel of the coupling piece according to the invention via a (central) intercept, which has a transverse to the longitudinal central axis of the locking bolt directed longitudinal axis is rotatably mounted in the housing. Thus in Ab softening of known dome pieces of this type of loading Actuation lever is not attached directly to the locking bolt arranges.

Twisting of the locking bolt by the actuator lever is located on the inside of the housing Switch cam arranged at the end of the axis section. This is designed as an elongated switching nose, which is transverse runs to the longitudinal axis of the intercept. At a Turning the operating lever around its axis section is due to this design of the operating lever the switching nose from a direction parallel to the longitudinal central axis of the locking bolt in one direction pivoted transversely to this longitudinal central axis. Because of this formation of the actuating lever takes place at Swiveling it around twisting the lock bolt through the switching nose arranged in it a correspondingly trained shift gate on the Ver locking bolt engages positively. When messing around gene of the operating lever from the locking position in the unlocked position, i.e. when the dome is released piece, due to the resulting twisting of the locking bolt at the same time the spring ge tense. When pivoting the operating lever in the  opposite direction, so from the unlocking position in the locking position, however, takes place no positive entrainment of the locking bolt. Rather, it is locked in itself position of the operating lever by the spring or several springs automatically in the Verrie if necessary position can be rotated.

According to a further proposal of the invention least the lower cross bar on the locking bolt provided with a helically cone, whereby this crossbar then also in a corresponding Insert the corner fitting of the container to be connected leaves when he is in his locked position det. For this, when lowering the coupling piece with the upper container to the lower container through the Dead weight in connection with the helical Winding of the corresponding crossbar this from the Locking position against the spring force in a Unlocked position twisted and after passing through through the corner fitting by the spring swung back into the locking position, without using the operating lever to do.

An advantageous development of the invention provides spring actuating lever in the unlocked sense load preferably by a ge on the axle section stored torsion spring. This ensures that the operating lever is not automatically in the Verrie can reach position, i.e. free wasting ken of the locking bolt hindered by a spring can be.

The procedural solution of the task in relation to the Unlocking the coupling pieces according to the invention has the characterizing features of claim 16. Therefore is a manual intervention only for pre-locking the  Dome piece on the lower corner fitting of the upper Containers necessary. The final locking of the at the container, however, is done without any manual Move the operating lever.

The pre-locking of the Dome piece on the lower corner fitting of the upper container ners in a special way. This is done in the Ent operating position in the locking position the upper cross bar is already in the pre-locking position, the locking bolt on lower cross bar as far as the pressure direction of the The spring is twisted by hand until the upper cross bar is in an unlocked position in which the Dome piece in the lower corner fitting of the upper container ners can be introduced. By releasing the lower one Cross bar after inserting the coupling piece then the upper cross bar due to the spring preload automatically in its pre-locking position.

After the coupling piece in this way on the upper container ner is locked, the operating lever is around pivots into the locked position. It can now Stowed containers, that is to one below Containers are lowered, and with that then already in the locked position below ren crossbar. This can be helical due to its tortuous training nonetheless due to its own weight of the dome and the upper container in the corner of the lower container can be threaded by it without threading the actuating lever returns to its pre-locking position and off this by the pre-tensioned spring after the full by placing the upper container on the lower con tainer automatically enters the locking position.

The procedural solution to unlock the dome Stücks has the characterizing features of the claim  18 on. The two containers are then unlocked ner initially in a conventional manner, namely by Actuating lever from the locked position to the Unlocked position is pivoted. The container can then be released because there is in the unlocking position of the operating lever of the lower cross bar in is in an unlocked position.

To remove the coupling piece from the lower corner fitting of the upper container only needs the lower cross bar against the bias of the spring twisted so far be that the upper crossbar from the pre-locks reached in the unlocked position.

An embodiment of the dome according to the invention piece will be described below with reference to the drawings purifies. Show it:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the coupling,

Fig. 2 is a view of a lower cross bar of the coupling piece from the underside,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the coupling piece according to FIG. 1,

Fig. 4 is a side view of a lower corner of fogging of an upper container are vorverrie coupling piece,

Fig. 5 is a side view of the coupling in the locked position between two successive corner fittings disclosed Benach set container,

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section VI-VI through the coupling piece according to FIG. 1,

Fig. 7 is a partial section VII-VII through the coupling piece in the region of in the Verrie gelungsstellung located locking bolt according to FIG. 6,

Fig. 8 is a partial section of Fig. 7 in Ent lock-out position of the locking bolt,

Figure 9 is a Grundrißdarstellung a lever actuation.,

Fig. 10, the operating lever in a view X according to FIG. 9, and

Fig. 11 the actuating lever in a view according to XI of Fig. 9.

The coupling piece of the present exemplary embodiment has a housing 20 , a locking bolt 21 and an actuating lever 22 . The locking bolt zen 21 and the actuating lever 22 are rotatably mounted in or on the housing 20 Ge.

The housing 20 of this coupling piece is formed in two parts, namely consists of two housing halves 23 and 24 which are screwed together. The mutually facing end faces of the housing halves 23 and 24 form a vertical parting plane which essentially divides the housing 20 in the center. The exterior of the housing 20 is subdivided into three sections, namely a central abutment 25, which comes and to lie with stacked containers between adjacent corner fittings 26 27 as a spacer, and two the abutment 25 opposite center pieces 28 and 29, the speaking in ent Elongated holes 30 and 31 are located opposite each other of the corner fittings 26 , 27 .

Within the housing 20 , a vertical, continuous housing bore 32 is arranged whose longitudinal central axis 33 extends centrally through the housing 20 , that is to say with the parting plane formed by the two housing halves 23 and 24 . In the housing bore 32 , the locking bolt 21 is rotatably mounted about the upright longitudinal central axis 33 .

The locking bolt 31 has a borehole 32 in the housed central part 34 and at opposite ends of the same arranged crossbars 35 and 36 , which are located outside the housing 20 and are simultaneously rotatable relative to the central part 34 .

The crossbars 35 and 36 have in the floor plan from measurements that correspond approximately to the floor plan of the middle pieces 28 and 29 of the housing 20 , namely are approximately rectangular in shape and, if necessary, can be made to coincide with the middle pieces 28 and 29 by correspondingly turning the locking bolt 21st Otherwise, the crossbars 35 and 36 are designed differently.

The upper cross bar 35 is provided in the usual way with bevels extending towards the free end, that is to say of a truncated pyramid shape. The opposite (lower) cross bar 36 is provided according to the invention with relatively pronounced roundings towards its free end, which are helically wound ( Fig. 1 and 2). The slope of this winding is dimensioned such that the cross bar 36 can be automatically brought from the locked position into the unlocked position when inserted into the (upper) corner fitting 27 of the container assigned to it, for threading this cross bar 36 into the corner fitting 27 . Furthermore, the crossbars 35 and 36 are arranged offset to one another on the central part 34 , which is approximately 60 ° in the present exemplary embodiment. This ensures that in the area of the unlocking and locking position of the (lower) cross bar 36 of the (upper) cross bar 35 with its base can not cover the (upper) middle piece 28 of the housing 20 .

The locking bolt 21 is in an approximately central loading area of the middle part 34 according to the invention with a lacing in the form of a switching link 37 and opposite projections 38 and 39 respectively ( Fig. 6). The projection 38 on the central part 34 of the locking bolt 21 serves to receive one end of a spring, namely an eyelet 40 of a tension spring 41 . This is arranged transversely to the longitudinal central axis 33 of the locking bolt 21 in a franking 42 in a housing half, namely in the housing half 23 , and is anchored to the housing half 23 with an eyelet 43 opposite. The second projection 39 of the middle part 34 is in contact with the actuating lever 22 described in more detail below.

The actuating lever 22 shown in detail in FIGS . 9 to 11 has three sections, each offset by approximately 90 ° to one another, namely a (central) axle section 44 serving to mount the actuating lever 22 in the housing 20 , one adjoining one end of the same Switch nose 45 and a handle 46 arranged at the opposite end of the axle section 44 . The switching lug 45 and the handle 46 are angled in relation to the longitudinal direction of the axis section 44 by approximately 90 ° and additionally offset from one another by approximately 90 °.

At the free end of the handle 46 there is an angled nose 47 , which is intended to facilitate pivoting of the actuating lever 22 by fitting a corresponding tool onto the end nose 47 of the handle 46 .

The switching lug 45 is dimensioned such that it extends approximately parallel to the longitudinal central axis 33 of the locking bolt 21 in the unlocking position of the actuating lever 22 , that is to say longitudinally on a contact surface 48 of the second projection 39 ( FIG. 7). In the locked position of the actuating lever 22 , the switching lug 45 assumes an approximately transverse position to the longitudinal central axis 33 of the locking bolt 21 ( FIG. 8). During this pivoting movement of the switching lug 45 from the unlocking position into the locking position, it positively takes the locking bolt 21 with it to twist it.

In Fig. 8 is still a recess 49 in the contact surface 48 can be seen, in which a part of the rounded end of the switching lug 45 engages positively to secure the actuating lever 22 in the locking position.

The storage of the actuating lever 22 , namely the axle portion 44 of the same, takes place in the housing half 23 of the housing 20th This has a corre sponding bearing clearance 50 , in which the actuating lever 22 can be inserted with its axis section 44 from the parting plane of the housing 20 . The actuation lever 22 is held in the bearing clearance 50 of the housing half 23 by a corresponding projection 51 in the division plane of the opposite housing half 24 .

To secure against axial displacement in the bearing clearance 50 , the axis section 44 of the actuating lever 22 is assigned a circumferential collar 52 which is positively held on the one hand between a corresponding limitation of a clearance 53 in the housing half 23 and on the other hand a retaining lug 54 on the housing half 24 ( Fig. 6).

In the embodiment shown here, a torsion spring 55 is arranged on the Achsab 44 of the actuating lever 22 , one end of which is supported on the projection of the housing half 24 , while the opposite end of the torsion spring 55 with a bent end in a groove 56 in the collar S 2 of the Axis section 44 is held. The spring direction of the torsion spring 55 is so selected that it holds the operating lever 23 in the unlocked position.

Referring to Figs. 3 to 8, the procedure is as described for locking and unlocking of the coupling piece erfindungsge MAESSEN below. Here, the specified angles relate to the relative positions of the crossbars 35 and 36 to the centerpieces 28 and 29 of the housing 20 with respect to the long center lines 57 of the crossbars 35 and 36 on the one hand and the long centerlines 58 of the centerpieces 28 and 29 , which approximately with the division level of the housing halves 23 and 24 coincide, on the other hand. The specified angles meet the present exemplary embodiment of the coupling piece 24 , with other angle values being conceivable insofar as the function of the coupling piece is retained.

To lock the container, the coupling piece has an initial position shown in FIG. 4. This is the handle 46 of the actuation lever 22 in an approximately vertical position parallel to the longitudinal central axis 33 of the locking bolt 21st In this unlocked position, the upper cross bar 35 includes an angle of approximately 20 ° to the center piece 28 , while the lower cross bar 36 is in register with the center piece 29 (0 °). The position of the switching lug 45 in the switching link 37 corresponds here to the illustration in FIG. 8.

By turning the locking bolt 21 on the lower cross bar 36 , starting from this for coupling the coupling piece to the lower corner fitting 27 of the upper container, the upper cross bar 35 is brought to coincide with the center piece 28 . After connecting the dome piece with the lower corner fitting 27 , the lower cross bar 36 is released, whereby the tension spring 41 automatically turns the locking bolt 21 back into the starting position, in which the upper cross bar 35 includes a win angle of 20 ° to the center piece 28 , during the lower cross bar 36 again to cover with the middle piece 29 , as shown in Fig. 4.

The actuating lever 22 is now brought into the locking position with the handle 46 , that is to say pivoted into the plane of the abutment 25 , as shown in FIG. 3. The switching nose 45 is then in the position shown in FIG. 7. The upper cross bar 35 encloses an angle of 80 ° to the center piece 28 , while the lower cross bar 36 extends at 60 ° to the center piece 29 . When lowering the upper container onto the lower container, the upper corner fitting 26 of the lower container is then rotated back into the pre-locking position shown in FIG. 4 by the helical coil of the lower transverse bolt 36 together with the locking bolt 21 against the bias of the tension spring 21 until the upper container is completely lowered onto the lower container, as a result of which the tension spring 41 rotates the locking bolt 21 back into the locking position in which the upper cross bar 35 encloses an angle of 80 ° to the center piece 28 and the lower cross bar 36 at 60 ° to the center piece 29 runs. This switching position of the coupling piece is shown in FIGS. 3, 5, 6 and 7.

To unlock the coupling piece, it is necessary to manually move the actuating lever 22 back through the handle 46 into the unlocking position according to FIG. 4. In this way, the lower cross bar 36 comes to coincide with the center piece 29 , while the upper cross bar 35 still before offset to the center piece 28 , namely at an angle of 20 °.

In this switch position corresponding to the pre-locking position of the coupling piece, the upper container with the coupling piece can be lifted off the lower container to release the connection. The coupling piece is loosened from the lower corner fitting 27 of the upper container by turning the locking bolt 21 on the lower cross bar 36 , namely by 20 °, whereby the upper cross bar 35 comes to coincide with the middle piece 28 for pulling out the coupling piece from the lower corner fitting 27 of the upper container.

After releasing the locking bolt 21 , the coupling piece is then again in the starting position according to FIG. 4, so is ready for the next locking operation.

• 20 housing
  21 locking bolts
  22 operating lever
  23 housing half
  24 housing half
  25 abutments
  26 corner fitting (top)
  27 corner fitting (bottom)
  28 center piece (top)
  29 center piece (bottom)
  30 slot (in 26 )
  31 slot (in 27 )
  32 housing bore
  33 longitudinal central axis
  34 middle section
  35 cross bar (top)
  36 crossbars (bottom)
  37 shift gate
  38 head start
  39 head start
  40 eyelet
  41 tension spring
  42 franking
  43 eyelet
  44 axis section
  45 switching nose
  46 handle
  47 nose
  48 contact surface
  49 deepening
  50 clearance
  51 head start
  52 collar
  53 franking
  54 holding nose
  55 torsion spring
  56 groove
  57 center line
  58 center line

Claims (19)

1. coupling piece for the detachable connection of corner fittings of adjacent containers, in particular stacked containers on top of each other on ships, with a housing and a locking bolt mounted therein, which has opposite crossbars, by a control lever at least in an unlocking or locking position with respect on the corner fittings of the container be movable, characterized in that the locking bolt ( 21 ) is spring-biased in the locking sense for automatic rotation of the cross bar ( 25 , 36 ) in the locking position after insertion in the respective corner fitting ( 26 , 27 ). 2. Coupling piece according to claim 1, characterized in that for biasing the locking bolt ( 21 ) at least one spring between the housing ( 20 ) and the locking bolt ( 21 ) is arranged, in particular a one of the crossbars ( 35 , 36 ) connecting middle part ( 34 ) assigned tension spring ( 41 ). 3. Coupling piece according to claim 1 and 2, characterized in that by the actuating lever ( 22 ), the container can be disengaged in the unlocking position by rotating at least one cross bar ( 36 ). 4. Coupling piece according to claim 3, characterized in that the actuating lever ( 22 ) has a central Achsab section ( 44 ) which with a transverse to the longitudinal central axis ( 33 ) of the locking bolt ( 21 ) judge th longitudinal axis is rotatably mounted in the housing ( 20 ) . 5. Coupling piece according to claim 1 and one or more of the further claims, characterized in that an inside of the housing ( 20 ) located end of the axle portion ( 44 ) has a switching cam (switching nose 45 ) for rotating the locking bolt ( 21 ) when pivoting of the operating lever ( 22 ). 6. Coupling piece according to claim 5, as well as one or more of the further claims, characterized in that the switching cam is designed as an approximately transverse to the longitudinal axis of the axis section ( 44 ) extending switching lug ( 45 ) which in a corresponding switching backdrop ( 37 ) of the Locking bolt engages ( 21 ). 7. coupling piece according to claim 6, characterized in that the switching link ( 37 ) in the central part ( 34 ) of the locking gelungsbolzens ( 21 ) is formed such that a positive movement of the locking bolt ( 21 ) exclusively in the unlocked sense against the Druckrich device of the tension spring ( 41 ) takes place. 8. coupling piece according to claim 6 and 7, characterized in that in the approximately parallel to the longitudinal central axis ( 33 ) of the locking bolt ( 21 ) extending switching nose ( 45 ) both crossbars ( 35 , 36 ) are in a locking position and at the Transversely to the longitudinal central axis ( 33 ) switching lug ( 45 ) at least one of the crossbars ( 36 ) is in an unlocking position. 9. coupling piece according to claim 6, as well as one or more of the further claims, characterized in that a contact surface ( 48 ) of the switching link ( 37 ) has a recess ( 49 ) into which the free end of the switching lug ( 45 ) in the unlocked state the locking bolt ( 21 ) engages positively. 10. Coupling piece according to claim 1, as well as one or more of the further claims, characterized in that on one of the switching lug ( 45 ) opposite, outside the housing ( 20 ) located end of the axle section ( 44 ) of the actuating lever ( 22 ) reached a hand ( 46 ) is arranged. 11. Coupling piece according to claim 10, characterized in that the handle ( 46 ) is angled relative to the axle section ( 44 ) for rotating the axle section ( 44 ) by pivoting the handle ( 46 ) in a parallel to the longitudinal central axis ( 33 ) of the locking bolt zens ( 21 ) extending level while simultaneously pivoting the switching nose ( 45 ). 12. Coupling piece according to claim 1, as well as one or more of the further claims, characterized in that the actuating lever ( 22 ) is spring-loaded in the direction of its entry position. 13. Coupling piece according to claim 12, characterized in that the spring bias of the actuating lever ( 22 ) by a on the axle section ( 44 ) gela gered torsion spring ( 55 ). 14. Coupling piece according to claim 1, as well as one or more of the further claims, characterized in that the actuating lever ( 22 ) is mounted in the housing ( 20 ) with an axially immovable axis section ( 44 ), in particular by positive engagement. 15. Coupling piece according to claim 1, as well as one or more of the further claims, characterized in that at least one of the crossbars ( 36 ) has a screw-like cone for automatically rotating the crossbar ( 36 ) from a locking or pre-locking position into one Unlocking position when inserted into the corresponding corner fitting ( 26 ) of the container to be coupled. 16. A method for locking corner fittings, preferably containers stacked one above the other, by means of a coupling piece with opposing crossbars, in particular for locking a coupling piece according to claims 1 to 15, wherein the coupling piece is pre-locked with a crossbar to a (lower) corner fitting of an (upper) container, the containers to be connected to each other and then both crossbars are rotated into the locking position, characterized in that the crossbars ( 35 , 36 ) are spring-biased by pivoting into the unlocking position in the locked sense, one of the crossbars ( 35 ) after Inserting in the (upper) container is brought into the pre-locking position by partially reducing the spring preload and both crossbars ( 35 , 36 ) are automatically pivoted into the locking position after the two preloads have been put together by the spring preload. 17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that after the pre-locking with the locking bolt zen ( 21 ) cooperating actuating lever ( 22 ) with the cross bolts ( 35 , 36 ) is brought into the locking position GE, and then the still free cross bolt ( 36 ) in the (upper) corner fitting ( 26 ) of the lower container, the (lower) cross bar 36 automatically in the (upper) corner fitting ( 26 ) inwin det by temporarily taking its unlocking position and then moving back into the locking position the spring load. 18. A method for unlocking two corner fittings, in particular special stacked containers, which are preferably connected by a coupling piece according to claims 1 to 15, wherein at least one Querrie gel of the coupling piece can be brought into an unlocking position by an actuating lever for lifting the container, characterized in that for unlocking the (lower) cross bar ( 36 ) the actuating lever ( 22 ) is moved from the locking position into the (opposite) unlocking position. 19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that for releasing the coupling piece from the (lower) corner fitting ( 27 ) of the (upper) container of the (lower) cross bar ( 36 ) is rotated correspondingly immediately.