EP0278782A2

EP0278782A2 - Rear-end connector for freight container transference rack

Info

Publication number: EP0278782A2
Application number: EP88301201A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Dennis John White
Original assignee: UK Secretary of State for Defence
Current assignee: UK Secretary of State for Defence
Priority date: 1987-02-13
Filing date: 1988-02-12
Publication date: 1988-08-17
Also published as: GB2200896A; EP0278782A3; GB8703395D0; GB2200896B

Abstract

A rear end connector is provided for connecting the standard rear bottom corner fittings on an ISO container to the rear end of a load transference flatrack (1). The connector consists of a hook-shaped extension member (15) demountably attached to the rear of the flatrack (1), having an upstanding spigot (17) locatable in the bottom corner fitting (6) of the container (5). The spigot is provided with a transverse keyhole (18) which aligns with a lashing aperture (10) in the corner fitting so as to permit insertion of a restraining key (20).

Use of the rear end connector permits the addition of an upstanding "A" frame at the front end of the flatrack for self-loading of ISO containers. The "A" frame displaces the loaded container rearwards on the flatrack so that the container's rear corner fittings are out of phase with the standard corner fittings on the rear end of the flatrack.

Description

This invention relates to a rear-end connector for locating and restraining a freight container of International Standard dimensions, herein referred to as an ISO container, superimposed upon a transference rack of shorter length than the container.
ISO containers are provided with top and bottom corner fittings of standard configuration and dimensions as specified in International Standard ISO 1161. Each corner fitting includes a top or bottom face having a slot shaped locating aperture, and external side and end walls each having an oval lashing aperture.
Such containers are normally crane-loaded on to the platform of a transporter vehicle, which platform is provided with four conventional twistlocks each having a transversely elongate head disposed to be insertable in a respective one of the slot-shaped locating apertures of the bottom corner fittings. After location, the twistlocks are secured in engagement with the corner fittings by rotating their heads through 90° with respect to the longitudinal axis of the locking aperture.
A separate crane is conventionally used for loading and unloading the ISO container on and off the transporter vehicle, slinging chains being attached to the lashing apertures of the top or bottom corner fittings.
It is also known to use these transporter vehicles with a pallet type platform for the purpose of transporting individually stacked items, the pallet type platform being provided with four of the said bottom corner fittings all conforming to ISO dimensions and location. Loading and unloading of the stacked platform is again achieved by a separate crane using slinging chains attached to the lashing apertures of the bottom corner fittings.
In recent years such pallet type platforms have been adapted for use with vehicles having their own hydraulic loading system, the platform being provided with an upstanding A frame at its forward end which is engageable with a lifting arm of the vehicle's loading system. This type of platform is herein called a load transference rack.
To unload the load transference rack from a transporter vehicle after releasing the twistlocks, the A frame is lifted by the vehicle's lifting arm so as to both tilt the rack and to slide it rearwardly over the rear end of the vehicle platform to engage with the ground. Re-loading of the rack is achieved by a reverse procedure.
It is clearly desirable to adapt this convenient self-contained loading and unloading system to an ISO container by providing a transference rack interjacent the container and the vehicle platform, the rack being provided with an upper surface fitted with four twistlocks engageable with the bottom corner fittings of the container. However, because of the length occupied by the essential upstanding A frame at the forward end of the ISO dimensioned transference rack, a superjacent ISO container necessarily overhangs the rear end of the rack so that twistlocks can only be readily fitted at the forward end. Some form of extension pieces for each rear corner of the rack is obviously necessary and an example of such pieces, having suitably located twistlocks, has been proposed in GB 2112356B.
The rear end of the load transference rack is subject to considerable stresses during off-loading and the present invention seeks to provide an alternative rear-end connector of more robust and less expensive construction.
In accordance with the present invention, a rear-end connector engageable between the rear-end of a load transference rack as hereinbefore defined and a standard rear bottom corner fitting of an ISO container as hereinbefore defined, said bottom corner fitting having a locating aperture in its bottom face and a lashing aperture in its external side wall, comprises: an extension member attachable to rear-end transverse face of the load transference rack by demountable attachment means; an upstanding spigot fixed to the extension member so as to be locatable within the said locating aperture, the spigot being provided with a tranverse keyhole aperture disposed for alignment with the said lashing aperture when the spigot is disposed in the locating aperture; and a key insertable into the aligned lashing and keyhole apertures.
Preferably the key is provided with an asymmetric radially extending handle which is rotatably engageable with a restraining latch disposed on the extension member for engagement when the handle hangs from the key under the influence of gravity. Alternatively the key may be provided with a restraining tongue engageable behind the external side wall of the corner fitting.
The demountable attachment means may conveniently comprise a coengageable slideway and slide arrangement.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying figures of which

Figure 1 is a side elevation view of a rear-end connnector engaged between the bottom corner fitting of an ISO container and a load transference rack,
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the engaged bottom corner fitting of Figure 1 viewed along the line II, and
Figure 3 is a sectional plan view of the engaged bottom corner fitting taken on line III-III of Figure 1.

The embodiment illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 comprises a load transference rack 1 having a transverse rear face 2 which is provided with an inset horizontal slideway 3 superjacent a standard ISO bottom corner fitting 4. The bottom corner fitting 4 is engageable with a conventional twistlock fitting disposed on a transporter vehicle platform (not shown).
Superimposed on the rack 1 is a standard ISO container 5 having a bottom corner fitting 6 which overhangs the rear face 2 of the rack. The fitting 6 has a bottom face 7 provided with a locating aperture 8, and an external side wall 9 provided with a lashing aperture 10.
Attached to the rear face 2 of the rack 1 so as to protrude rearwardly therefrom is a hook-shaped extension member 15 having a pair of horizontally disposed slides 16 engaged in the slideway 3 and an upstanding spigot 17 dimensioned and disposed to locate in the locating aperture 8 of the corner fitting 6. The spigot 17 is provided with a transverse keyhole 18 disposed to align with the lashing aperture 10 of the corner fitting 6.
A pin key 20 (Figures 2 and 3) is inserted in the aligned aperture 10 and keyhole 18, which key 20 is provided with an asymmetric radial handle 21 which naturally rotates to a vertically pendant position after insertion. A retaining latch 22 is appropriately located so as to engage the handle 21 in this pendant position and thereby prevent egress of the key 20 from the keyhole 18. Alternatively the key 20 may be restrained from egress by a restraining tongue 23 (shown in Figures 1 and 3 in broken line) attached to the key 20 and located to engage behind the external side wall 9 when the handle 21 drops to the pendant position, thus eliminating the need for the external retaining latch 22.
When the rear-end connector of this embodiment is no longer needed it may be conveniently removed from the slideway 3 to return the load transference rack 1 to uncluttered conformity with International Standard dimensions.

Claims

1. A rear-end connector engageable between a rear-end of a load transference rack as hereinbefore defined and a standard rear bottom corner fitting of an ISO container as hereinbefore defined, said bottom corner fitting having a locating aperture in its bottom face and a lashing aperture in its external side wall, characterised by: an extension member(15) attachable to a rear-end transverse face of the load transference rack by demountable attachment means(3,16), an upstanding spigot(17) fixed to the extension member so as to be locatable within the said locating aperture, the spigot(17) being provided with a transverse keyhole aperture(18) disposed for alignment with the said lashing aperture when the spigot(17) is disposed in the locating aperture; and a key(20) insertable into the aligned lashing and keyhole apertures.

2. A connector as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the key(20) is provided with an asymmetric radial handle(21).

3. A connector as claimed in claim 2 characterised in that the handle(21) is engageable, when pendant from the key(20), with a restraining latch(22) attached to the extension member(15).

4. A connector as claimed in claim 2 characterised in that the key(20) is provided with a restraining tongue(23) engageable within the bottom corner fitting when the handle(21) is pendant from the key(20).

5. A connector as claimed in any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the demountable attachment means(3,16) comprise a substantially horizontal slideway(3) located in the rear-end transverse face and a pair of co-operating slides(16) attached to the extension member(15).