GB1575524A

GB1575524A - Pallet retaining device

Info

Publication number: GB1575524A
Application number: GB4713076A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: HOLTITE Ltd
Current assignee: HOLTITE Ltd
Priority date: 1977-11-14
Filing date: 1977-11-14
Publication date: 1980-09-24

Description

(54) PALLET RETAINING DEVICE (71) We, HOLTITE LIMITED, of Jubilee Works, Woods Lane, Cradley Heath, Warley, West Midlands. A British Company, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following state ment This invention relates to a device for retaining a container, especially a pallet formed as a container in a selected location on a supporting structure, for example the load carrying deck of a lorry and to a container incorporating such a device.

Accordingly the present invention consists in a fastening device for attachment to a container to secure the container to a supporting structure or associated member, comprising a guide member having a longitudinally extending slot and a bolt element having a head portion including a lateral projection, said bolt element being located in said guide member for longitudinal and rotary movement therein, and including a handle means projecting through the said slot in said guide means for moving the said bolt element between a retracted position and a projecting position in which the said head portion, in use, extends through an aperture contained"in said supporting structure or member associated therewith, said guide member including a transversely extending slot communicating with an end of said longitudinally extending slot enabling the handle to be moved therein to rotate the bolt element into a lock position in which the lateral projection of the said bolt head engages behind an edge of the said aperture, whereby the device is retained in engagement with the said supporting structure or member, said fastening device further including means to retain bolt element in the retracted position.

The longitudinal slot in the guide member may also include a portion defining angular movement of the element when in its retracted position and forming a means for positively holding the bolt element in its retracted position.

The bolt element may be biased, e.g. by means of a spring, to move to its retracted position and may also be biased to move angularly to its lock position and thus, where a slot portion is provided for angular movement at its retracted position, the bolt element is biased to rotate into engagement with that slot portion.

A clip may be provided on the guide member for the engagement of the handle when the handle is moved to its furthermost position along the transverse slot from the longitudinal slot portion so as to retain the bolt element in its lock position.

The supporting structure may be the loading deck of a lorry or light vehicle and the aperture may conveniently be formed in a casting located on the supporting structure, the aperture being formed in an upper face and shaped to permit the bolt head to pass therethrough in the unlocked position, the lateral projection of the said bolt head locating behind the said face when the bolt is rotated to the lock position.

Normally a container, such as a pallet, will have two devices according to the invention and the corresponding apertures will be located in the supporting structure or castings associated therewith at points appropriate to enable the container to be retained at the selected location.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a device according to the present invention, and Figure 2 is a sketch in the form of a side view of a pallet including the device shown in Figure 1 and according to the present invention.

The device comprises a bolt element 10 having a cylindrical portion 11 mounted in a tubular guide member 12 for angular movement arid longitudinal movement relative to the guide member between a projecting position (shown in Figure 2) and a retracted position (shown in Figure 1).

The bolt element 10 has an elongated pyramidal head 13 thus having two lateral projections 14.

Movement of the bolt element 10 is controlled by a handle 15 in the form of a cylindrical bar projecting radially from the bolt element 10, the handle 15 being movable in a closed slot 16 formed in a part of the tubular wall of the guide member 12. The slot 16 has a longitudinally extending portion 17 and a transverse or circumferentially extending portion 18 to permit and guide angular movement of the handle 15 when the bolt element 10 is in its projecting position. A spring clip 19 is secured to the guide member 12 to engage and grip the handle 15 when it is moved to the furthermost end of the slot portion 18 remote from the longitudinal slot portion 17 to hold the bolt element 10 in a lock position as will be explained hereinafter.

The slot 16 also includes at the opposite end of the longitudinal portion 17 from portion 18 a further transverse or cicumferentially extending portion 20 into which the handle 15 can be moved when the bolt element is in its retracted postion to retain the bolt element in that position.

A helical spring 21 is connected at its one end to a hook shaped projection 22 on the bolt element and at its other end to a pin 23 extending transversely through the guide member.

The spring 21 is in tension so as to bias the bolt element to move to its retracted position.

Furthermore, the spring 2 1 is stressed torsionally to bias the bolt element 10 to rotate towards its lock position. This torsional stress also provides for the movement of the handle 15 into the slot portion 20 when the bolt element is in its retracted position.

As shown in Figure 2 the device is welded to the side of a pallet 24 and a further device (not shown) is welded to the opposite side of the pallet. A deck 25 on which the pallet is to be retained is provided with two apertures 26 each of complementary shape to the plan profile of the head 13 of the bolt element of the device. The apertures 26 are located in the deck so that when the pallet 24 is in its selected location each of the devices may have its bolt element 10 moved to its projecting position to insert the head 13 of the bolt element through the appropriate one of the apertures 26 by moving the handle 15 along the longitudinal slot portion 17.On reaching the fully projecting position, the handle 15 is automatically moved by the torsional stress of the spring 21 along the slot portion 18 to rotate the head 13 to a position in which it is transverse to the aperture in the deck, this being the lock position of the bolt element.

Figure 2 shows the bolt element in its lock position in which the lateral projections 14 are each behind the deck 25. The bolt element is retained in the lock position both by the torsional stress of the spring and the engagement of the handle 15 by the clip 19. As both devices of the pallet are engaged with their respective apertures in the deck the pallet is retained in its selected location on the deck.

To release the pallet from the deck the handle of each device is moved along the slot portion 18 until aligned with the longitudinal portion 17 of the slot 16 when the head 13 is aligned with the aperture in the deck. The handle 15 can then be released and will be automatically drawn along the longitudinal slot portion 17 by the spring 21 which when the bolt element reaches its retracted position will also rotate the handle 15 into engagement with the slot portion 20 thereby positively retaining the bolt element in its retracted position clear of the aperture.

While the aperture in the deck can be formed in the material of the deck itself, the aperture could also be provided in a component secured to the material of the deck.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A fastening device for attachment to a container to secure the container to a supporting structure or associated member, comprising a guide member having a longitudinally extending slot and a bolt element having a head portion including a lateral projection, said bolt element being located in said guide member for longitudinal and rotary movement therein, and including a handle means projecting through the said slot in said guide means for moving the said bolt element between a retracted position and a projecting position in which the said head portion, in use, extends through an aperture contained in said supporting structure or member associated therewith, said guide member including a transversely extending slot communicating with an end of said longitudinally extending slot enabling the handle to be moved therein to rotate the bolt element into a lock position in which the lateral projection of the said bolt head engages behind an edge of the said aperture, whereby the device is retained in engagement with the said supporting structure or member, said fastening device further including means to retain the bolt element in the retracted position.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the said last mentioned means is a second transversely extending slot formed in said guide member, one end of said second slot communicating with the other end of the longitudinally extending slot such that the said handle may be moved therein to retain the bolt element in the retracted position.

3. A device according to claims 1 or 2 wherein a spring means is provided to bias the movement of the bolt towards its retracted position.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. having a cylindrical portion 11 mounted in a tubular guide member 12 for angular movement arid longitudinal movement relative to the guide member between a projecting position (shown in Figure 2) and a retracted position (shown in Figure 1). The bolt element 10 has an elongated pyramidal head 13 thus having two lateral projections 14. Movement of the bolt element 10 is controlled by a handle 15 in the form of a cylindrical bar projecting radially from the bolt element 10, the handle 15 being movable in a closed slot 16 formed in a part of the tubular wall of the guide member 12. The slot 16 has a longitudinally extending portion 17 and a transverse or circumferentially extending portion 18 to permit and guide angular movement of the handle 15 when the bolt element 10 is in its projecting position. A spring clip 19 is secured to the guide member 12 to engage and grip the handle 15 when it is moved to the furthermost end of the slot portion 18 remote from the longitudinal slot portion 17 to hold the bolt element 10 in a lock position as will be explained hereinafter. The slot 16 also includes at the opposite end of the longitudinal portion 17 from portion 18 a further transverse or cicumferentially extending portion 20 into which the handle 15 can be moved when the bolt element is in its retracted postion to retain the bolt element in that position. A helical spring 21 is connected at its one end to a hook shaped projection 22 on the bolt element and at its other end to a pin 23 extending transversely through the guide member. The spring 21 is in tension so as to bias the bolt element to move to its retracted position. Furthermore, the spring 2 1 is stressed torsionally to bias the bolt element 10 to rotate towards its lock position. This torsional stress also provides for the movement of the handle 15 into the slot portion 20 when the bolt element is in its retracted position. As shown in Figure 2 the device is welded to the side of a pallet 24 and a further device (not shown) is welded to the opposite side of the pallet. A deck 25 on which the pallet is to be retained is provided with two apertures 26 each of complementary shape to the plan profile of the head 13 of the bolt element of the device. The apertures 26 are located in the deck so that when the pallet 24 is in its selected location each of the devices may have its bolt element 10 moved to its projecting position to insert the head 13 of the bolt element through the appropriate one of the apertures 26 by moving the handle 15 along the longitudinal slot portion 17.On reaching the fully projecting position, the handle 15 is automatically moved by the torsional stress of the spring 21 along the slot portion 18 to rotate the head 13 to a position in which it is transverse to the aperture in the deck, this being the lock position of the bolt element. Figure 2 shows the bolt element in its lock position in which the lateral projections 14 are each behind the deck 25. The bolt element is retained in the lock position both by the torsional stress of the spring and the engagement of the handle 15 by the clip 19. As both devices of the pallet are engaged with their respective apertures in the deck the pallet is retained in its selected location on the deck. To release the pallet from the deck the handle of each device is moved along the slot portion 18 until aligned with the longitudinal portion 17 of the slot 16 when the head 13 is aligned with the aperture in the deck. The handle 15 can then be released and will be automatically drawn along the longitudinal slot portion 17 by the spring 21 which when the bolt element reaches its retracted position will also rotate the handle 15 into engagement with the slot portion 20 thereby positively retaining the bolt element in its retracted position clear of the aperture. While the aperture in the deck can be formed in the material of the deck itself, the aperture could also be provided in a component secured to the material of the deck. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A fastening device for attachment to a container to secure the container to a supporting structure or associated member, comprising a guide member having a longitudinally extending slot and a bolt element having a head portion including a lateral projection, said bolt element being located in said guide member for longitudinal and rotary movement therein, and including a handle means projecting through the said slot in said guide means for moving the said bolt element between a retracted position and a projecting position in which the said head portion, in use, extends through an aperture contained in said supporting structure or member associated therewith, said guide member including a transversely extending slot communicating with an end of said longitudinally extending slot enabling the handle to be moved therein to rotate the bolt element into a lock position in which the lateral projection of the said bolt head engages behind an edge of the said aperture, whereby the device is retained in engagement with the said supporting structure or member, said fastening device further including means to retain the bolt element in the retracted position.

4. A device according to claim 3 wherein

the said spring means further biases the bolt member into engagement with the second mentioned transverse slot.

5. A device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a clip is provided on the guide member for engagement with the handle when the bolt is moved into the lock position.

6. A container including a fastening device for securing the container to a supporting structure wherein the fastening device is as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

7. A fastening device according to claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the drawings.

8. A container including a fastening device as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 2 of the drawings.