GB2113752A

GB2113752A - Locking device for freight container

Info

Publication number: GB2113752A
Application number: GB08202172A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Cyril Edward Charles Erith
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-01-26
Filing date: 1982-01-26
Publication date: 1983-08-10
Also published as: GB2113752B

Abstract

A locating and locking device, for securing a freight container in position on a transporter, comprises a seating plate 13, formed with an aperture 14, for fitting to the transporter, and a movable register assembly 17 which co-operates with the seating element and includes a locating body 19 and a locking bolt 20 mounted on the locating body for manual movement relatively thereto between locked and unlocked positions, the register assembly being pivotally mounted for swinging movement about pivot 23, relatively to the seating plate 13, between an operative position (Fig. 3) in which the locking bolt 20 and at least part of the locating body 19 protrude through the aperture 14 and above the seating plate, and an inoperative position (Fig. 2) in which the locating body and locking bolt do not protrude above the seating element. An operating handle 25 for rotating the locking bolt 20 is engageable with a slot in a fixed block 27 to provide releasable detent means for retaining the register assembly 17 in the operative position. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in locating and locking devices The invention relates to locating and locking devices for securing freight containers in position on transporters such as road vehicles, rail vehicles, ships and aircraft.

Freight containers are widely used for the transport of goods and it is the normal practice for a container, while being transported, to be secured in position on the transporter by a number of locating and locking devices. Each locating and locking device normally provides a register assembly which projects above the surface of the transporter on which the container is to be secured, and passes through an aperture in a corner casting on the container as the container is lowered onto the surface. When the container is located in position by the devices a locking bolt on the upper end of each register assembly is turned to overlie parts of the associated corner casting.

The container is thus restrained against upward, side-to-side or fore-and-aft movement.

International regulations are laid down for the size and position of the locating and locking devices and corner castings, so that containers can be readily interchanged between one transporter and another.

It is desirable for the projecting register assembly of each locating and locking device to be retractable, when no longer required, to a position where it does not project above the transporter surface. Conventionally, it has been the practice to provide for this retraction of the register assembly by mounting the register assembly for vertical reciprocal movement within a housing. The assembly is often guided for vertical sliding movement within the housing, and moves between an upper position where it projects above the housing and a lower position where it lies substantially flush with the upper surface of the housing. Although some housings have been steel fabrications, it has been common practice for the housing to be a casting.Such castings are expensive to manufacture and difficult to fit to transporters, and the difficulty of providing accurately dimensioned castings has lead to a lack of reliability in the devices. Furthermore, the provision of a housing which, in many cases, almost totally surrounds the register assembly when in its retracted position, has necessitated the use of elaborate arrangements for operating the locking bolt and for retaining the register assembly in its upper loading position ready to receive a container corner casting.

The present invention provides an improved locating and locking device which may be simpler and less costly to manufacture than known devices as well as being simpler to fit to a transporter. Other significant advantages given by the invention will be apparent from the description below.

Throughout this specification terms such as "up", "down", "above" and "below", when used in relation to the device, refer to the orientation of the device when in its normal functional position fitted to a transporter.

According to the invention there is provided a locating and locking device for securing a freight container in position on a transporter, comprising a seating element, formed with an aperture, for fitting to the transporter, a movable register assembly which cooperates with the seating element and includes a locating body and a locking bolt mounted on the locating body for manual movement relatively thereto between locked and unlocked positions, the register assembly being pivotally mounted for swinging movement, relatively to the seating element, between an operative position in which the locking bolt and at least part of the locating body protrude through the aperture and above the seating element, and an inoperative position in which the locating body and locking bolt do not protrude above the seating element, and releasable detent means for retaining the register assembly in the operative position.

Since the register assembly is mounted for pivotal movement relatively to the seating element, rather than for reciprocal movement as has been the case hitherto, it is not necessary to provide any form of housing to locate and/or guide the register assembly, and the register assembly may simply be pivotally mounted on a part fixed in relation to the seating element.

Preferably the pivot axis of the register assembly is so located in relation to the seating element that the register assembly is spaced below the seating element when in the inoperative position.

The register assembly may be pivotally mounted on a member secured to, or integral with, the seating element. For example, the seating element may comprise a seating plate, and said member on which the register assembly is pivotally mounted may comprise a mounting plate extending downwardly from the seating plate to one side of the aperture therein. In this case the seating plate and mounting plate may be interconnected by support brackets.

The register assembly may include an operating lever connected to the locking bolt for moving the bolt between said locked and unlocked positions.

Said releasable detent means may comprise a movable element on the register assembly which is engageable with a detent part, fixed in relation to the seating element, when the register assembly is in its operative position. Said movable element of the detect means may comprise said operating lever for moving the locking bolt, or a part movable with that lever. In this case the operating lever, or part movable therewith, may be arranged to the engageable within a slot in the detent part when the register assembly is in the operative position.

Preferably the slot in the detent part is disposed so as to be engaged by the operating lever, or part movable therewith, when the operating lever has moved the locking bolt to the unlocked position.

The detent part may be secured to, or integral with, the seating element, and in this case is preferably disposed on the opposite side of the aperture in the seating element to the pivotal mounting for the register assembly.

The aperture in the seating element may be so shaped that the locking bolt may pass therethrough when it is in the locked position relative to the locating body.

Preferably the register assembly includes a part which engages the underside of the seating element in the operative position of the register assembly so as to restrain further upward swinging movement of the register assembly.

The following is a detailed description of an embodiment of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a transport vehicle showing the location of four container locating and locking devices, Figure 2 is a front elevation of a locating and locking device in an inoperative position, Figure 3 is a vertical section through the device in the operative and locked position, Figure 4 is a plan view of the device in the operative and locked position, and Figure 5 is a front elevation of the device in the operative and unlocked, loading position where it is ready to receive the corner casting of a freight container.

Referring to Figure 1, a typical road transport vehicle 10 has a flat bed 11 and four container locating and locking devices 1 2 are provided adjacent the four corners of the bed 11. The container to be carried by the vehicle is of essentially the same overall size as the bed of the vehicle, as viewed in plan, and has mounted thereon four corner castings which cooperate respectively with the devices 12. At each longitudinal side of the vehicle each pair of devices comprises a left-hand and a right-hand device, and the significance of this will be explained in greater detail later. Figures 2 to 5 show a left-hand locating and locking device according to the invention.

The device comprises a steel upper seating plate 13 which, as best seen in Figure 4, is formed with a generally T-shaped aperture 14. A vertical mounting plate 1 5 is welded to the underside of the seating plate 13, to one side of the aperture 14, and end brackets 16 are welded between the seating plate and mounting plate adjacent opposite ends thereof to provide an open-fronted fixed assembly. This fixed assembly is mounted 017 the transporter, whether it be a road or rail vehicle or a cargo bay in a ship or aircraft, with the upper surface of the seating plate 13 flush with the upper surface of the transporter. For example, the assembly may be secured to the transporter by welding, bolting or riveting the mounting plate 1 5 to part of the structure of the transporter.

A register assembly 17 is pivotally mounted on the fixed assembly and comprises an anglesectioned base block 18, a locating body 1 9 and a locking bolt 20. The locating body 19, which may be cast or machined, is welded to, or integral with, one flange 21 of the base block 1 8, and the other flange 22 of the base block is pivotally connected to the mounting plate 1 5 by a fixed pivot bolt 23 which is in threaded engagement with a tapped hole in the mounting plate 1 5. A lock nut (not shown) engages the threaded end of the bolt 23 which projects rearwardly of the plate 1 5. A grease nipple (also not shown) is preferably provided on the block 1 8 for lubrication of the pivot bolt.

As best seen in Figure 4 the locating body 1 9 is generally oval in cross-section. The locking bolt 20 is of similar oval cross-section at the face thereof which engages the end face of the locating body, but it is tapered in cross-section as it projects away from the locating body. Limits as to the dimensions of the locating body 19 and locking bolt 20 are determined by the international regulations previously referred to. The locking bolt 20 is secured to one end of a shaft 24 which extends through a bore in the locating body 19 and flange 21, which shaft has secured to its other end a cranked operating lever 25. A stop pin 26 projects from the flange 21 to limit movement of the operating lever 25 in one direction. The lever 25 is shown as being rectangular in cross-section.

but might be of circular or other cross-section.

The lever may be formed in one piece or from a number of pieces welded together to give the cranked shape.

Welded to the underside of the seating plate 13 on the opposite side of the aperture 14 to the mounting plate 1 5 is a robust detent block 27 provided with an open-ended horizontal slot 28.

Figure 2 shows the device with the register assembly 17 in the inoperative position and it will be seen that in this position the locking bolt 20 extends transversely of the locating body 1 9 and the operating lever 25 projects downwardly. The position of the lever 25 provides a convenient visual indication of the condition of the device.

In the inoperative position shown in Figure 2 it will be seen that the register assembly 1 7 is spaced substantially below the seating plate 1 3 and clear of the aperture 14. Consequently any dirt or foreign bodies entering the aperture 14 will generally be free to fall past the register assembly 1 7 and will not jam in the aperture to prevent operation of the device as has sometimes been the case with known devices in which the register assembly is vertically reciprocable.

In the retracted position of Figure 2 the righthand support backet 1 6 is engaged by the flange 22 of the block 1 8 and thus provides a stop to limit the downward swinging movement of the register assembly.

When it is required to move the register assembly to the operative, loading position ready to receive a container, the operating lever 25 is swung clockwise, as viewed in Figure 2, so that the assembly pivots about the pivot bolt 23 and passes upwardly through the aperture 14 to the position shovvn in Figures 3 and 4. It will be seen that the transversely extending locking bolt 20 is free to pass through the aperture 14 due to the T-shape of the aperture. The flange 22 of the base block 28, as well as providing a substantial bearing length for the pivot bolt 23, also acts as a spacer to locate the body 1 9 at such a distance from the mounting plate 1 5 that it will pass cleanly through the aperture 14.

Once the assembly has been swung to the position shown in Figures 3 and 4, the operating lever 25 is again rotated through 900, anticlockwise as viewed in Figure 4, to bring the locking bolt 20 into alignment with the top of the locating body 1 9. As the lever 25 is swung to this position a portion of it enters the aforementioned slot 28 in the detent block 27, as shown in Figure 5, and this retains the register assembly in the upper position shown in that figure. The closed end of the slot 28 acts as a stop to limit the swinging movement of the lever to 900. In this loading position, with the locking bolt 20 aiigned with the locating body 19, the device is ready to pass through the aperture in a corner casting of a container being lowered onto the surface of the transporter.

The container is lowered so that the aperture in the corner casting of the container passes over the upwardly projecting part of the register assembly 1 7 until the bottom of the container sits on the surface of the transporter. It will be seen that any downward load on the register assembly during loading of the container will be transmitted to the pivot bolt 23 and to the detent block 27 through the lever 25. The detent block 27 is so dimensioned that it can withstand the maximum downward load on the register assembly specified by the above-mentioned international regulations.

When the register assembly is in the loading position shown in Figure 5 the operating lever 25 projects outwardly from the front of the device and thus provides an immediate visual indication that the register assembly is in the loading position.

Once the container has been lowered into position so that each corner casting it located over the register assembly 17 of a locating and locking device, the lever of each device is swung clockwise again, back to the position shown in Figure 4, so that the locking bolt 20 then extends transversely of the locating body 1 9, so that the ends of the locking bolt overlie the sides of the aperture in the corner casting. The corner casting is thus firmly secured against up and down movement by the locking bolt 20, and is secured against horizontal movement by engagement with the locating body 1 9. The position of the lever arm 25 again provides an immediate visual indication that the device is in the operative locked position.

As previously mentioned, the device shown in Figures 2 to 5 is a left-hand device and, as shown in Figure 1, the devices are arranged in pairs at opposite sides of the transporter, each left-hand device being matched with a right-hand device. It will be seen that due to the provision of oppositely-handed devices the register assemblies 1 7 of the two devices at each side of the transporter will tend to be pressed firmly into the narrow leg portion of the T-shaped aperture in the seating plate.If the devices were not oppositeiyhanded, misalignment of the container corner castings with the devices, as the container was lowered down, could impart loads to the register assemblies which would tend toforce both assemblies towards the open, cross-bar end of the aperture 14 in the seating plate, thus imposing additionai loads on the pivot bolt 23 and detent block 27 of each device.

It will be appreciated that the oppositelyhanded devices can be assembled using essentially the same components. To modify the device of Figures 2 to 5 to form a right-hand device, it is merely necessary, when assembling the device, for the seating plate 13, detent block 27 and lever arm 25 to be reversed and the pivot bolt 23 and stop pin 26 to be positioned at the opposite sides respectively of the angled section base block 1 8.

When it is required to remove the container from the transporter the operating lever 25 of each device is swung through 900 anti-clockwise, as viewed in Figure 4, so as to bring the locking bolt 20 into register with the locating body 1 9.

The container may then be iifted clear of the locating devices. While this is being effected the register assembly is retained in the upper position shown in Figure 5 by engagement of the lever arm 25 with the detent block 27. When the container has been removed the lever arm 25 is swung back to the position shown in Figure 4 and the register assembly is then swung downwardly through the aperture 1 4 to the retracted position shown in Figure 2. The arrangement may be such that the assembly falls to the position shown in Figure 2 under its own weight as soon as the lever arm 25 has been swung back to the position shown in Figure 4.

It will be seen that when the register assembly is in the locked position shown in Figures 3 and 4, the angle-section base block 1 8 abuts the underside of the seating plate 1 3 and thus provides substantia! resistance to upward loads on the register assembly. Preferably the engagement between the pivot bolt and the block 1 8 is such that when the upper surface of the block is firmly in engagement with the under surface of the seating plate 13 the bolt itself is not under any substantial vertical load.

Although the device has been described as a unit which may be secured in one piece to a transporter, it will be appreciated that provided the register assembly is pivotally mounted in the appropriate relation to the aperture in the seating plate 13, the seating plate and register assembly could be independently mounted on parts of the transporter.

Instead of the register assembly being mounted on a pivot bolt, as described, it could be pivotally mounted on a stub axle welded or otherwise secured to the mounting plate 1 5. The pivot bolt arrangement is preferred, however, since it enables the register assembly to be readily removed if necessary for replacement, or for storage when not required.

Although it is convenient to use the engagement of the operating lever with the block 27 to retain the register assembly in the operative position, other forms of detent could be employed if required. For example, there could be provided a spring-loaded plunger or ball housed in the register assembly and engageable with a recess in the mounting place or other fixed component.

An abutment may be provided to absorb loads tending to urge the register assembly 1 7 towards the open, cross-bar end of the T-shaped aperture 14 when the assembly is in the operative loading condition. For example, the base block 1 8 may be cut away to allow for the provision of a locating block or stud fitted to the mounting plate 1 5 to act as a stop to the register assembly when in the loading condition. It will be appreciated that the block or stud must be so shaped and located that it does not foul the locking bolt 20 when the assembly is swung downwardly to the inoperative position. Since the base block 18 is cut away, the register assembly will, in this case, be differently handed for left-hand or right-hand location.

Claims

1. A locating and locking device for securing a freight container in position on a transporter, comprising a seating element, formed with an aperture, for fitting to the transporter. a movable register assembly which co-operates with the seating element and includes a locating body and a locking bolt mounted on the locating body for manual movement relatively thereto between locked and unlocked positions, the register assembly being pivotally mounted for swinging movement, relatively to the seating element, between an operative position in which the locking bolt and at least part of the locating body protrude through the aperture and above the seating element, and an inoperative position in which the locating body and locking bolt do not protrude above the seating element, and releasable detent means for retaining the register assembly in the operative position.

2. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the pivot axis of the register assembly is so located in relation to the seating element that the register assembly is spaced below the seating element when in the inoperative position.

3. A device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the register assembly is pivotally mounted on a member secured to, or integral with, the seating element.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the seating element comprises a seating plate, and said member on which the register assembly is pivotally mounted comprises a mounting plate extending downwardly from the seating plate to one side of the aperture therein.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein the seating plate and mounting plate are interconnected by support brackets.

6. A device according to any of the preceding claim, wherein the register assembly includes an operating lever connected to the locking bolt for moving the bolt between said locked and unlocked positions.

7. A device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said releasable detent means comprise a movable element on the register assembly which is engageable with a detent part.

fixed in relation to the seating element, when the register assembly is in its operative position.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein said movable element of the detent means comprises said operating lever for moving the locking bolt, or a part movable with that lever.

9. A device according to claim 8, wherein the operating lever, or part movable therewith, is arranged to be engageable within a slot in the detent part when the register assembly is in the operative position.

10. A device according to claim 9, wherein the slot in the detent part is disposed so as to be engaged by the operating lever, or part movable therewith, when the operating lever has moved the locking bolt to the unlocked position.

11. A device according to any of claims 7 to 10, wherein the detent part is secured to, or integral with, the seating element.

12. A device according to claim 11, wherein the detent part is disposed on the opposite side of the aperture in the seating element to the pivotal mounting for the register assembly.

13. A device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the aperture in the seating element is so shaped that the locking bolt may pass therethrough when it is in the locked position relative to the locating body.

14. A device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the register assembly includes a part which engages the underside of the seating element in the operative position of the register assembly so as to restrain further upward swinging movement of the register assembly.

1 5. A locating and locking device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.