MXPA00008665A - Load lock for rack - Google Patents

Abstract

A load lock for a rack includes a mounting clip (36) mounted in a recess of the mounting bracket (16), which makes the lock easy to install and impossible to remove without dismantling the rack. The load lock also includes a locking pin (38) having an enlarged head, and the bracket (16) includes a recess for receiving the enlarged head, so the locking pin can be retracted to install and remove the beam, but the recess provides a stop to prevent the lock from being retracted far enough to damage the lock.

Description

FIXING LOADER FOR SHELVING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This application claims priority of the North American application with Serial Number 60 / 118,830, filed on February 5, 1999. Storage shelf generally includes a plurality of vertical members, which rest on the floor, and a plurality of horizontal beams mounted to the vertical members. The beams include a mounting fork with ears projecting in and down the fork. The ears are received in holes of the vertical members to support the weight of the horizontal beams. Cargo fasteners are commonly used to prevent horizontal beams from being accidentally separated from the vertical members. .Load fasteners generally include a pin that extends through a hole in the fork and a hole in the vertical member to prevent the horizontal beam from being lifted far enough to disengage the ears. Some problems with the prior art charge fasteners are that they can be taken care of during transport, the fasteners themselves may be too easy to disengage, or they may be too difficult to install. Also for load binders with flexible members that must be retracted to remove the pin clamp, these flexible members can be retracted too much, which damages the flexible member.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a charge fixer with a flexible member that is easy to install, that will not fall accidentally, and that can not be removed from the rack without disassembling the rack or destroying the fixer. The present invention also provides an arrangement that prevents the flexible member from being pushed out too far, thus preventing the charge fixer from being damaged during normal use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shelf for storage made according to the present invention; Figure 2 shows an enlarged and partially interrupted portion of the shelf of Figure 1, where two horizontal beams are mounted to a vertical member of the shelf; Figure 3 is an expanded visia in perspective of the portion of the shelf of Figure 2; Figure 4 is the same view as Figure 3, but with the fixator member mounted on the fork of the horizontal beam; Figure 5 is the same view as Figure 4, but showing the horizontal beam being armed to the vertical member; Figure 6 is a front view of the fixator member of Figures 1-5; Figure 7 is a side view of the fixator member of Figure 6; Figure 8 is a top view of the fixator member of Figure 6; Figure 9 is a view taken along section 9-9 of Figure 6; Figure 10 is a partially broken away view of one end of the fork of Figures 1-5; Figure 11 is a side view of the fork of Figure 10; Figure 12 is a view along section 12-12 of Figure 11; Figure 13 is a view along section 13-13 of Figure 1 1; Figure 14 is the same view as Figure 10, but showing the fork in section; Figure 14A is the same view as Figure 14, but showing the fixing member of Figure 6 being mounted to the fork; Figure 15 is the same view as Figure 14A, but with the fixator member fully assembled to the fork; Figure 16 is a view taken along section 16-16 of Figure 5; Figure 17 is a view taken along section 17-17 of Figure 5; Figure 18 is a front view of a second embodiment of a fixator member made according to the present invention; Figure 19 is a side view of the fixator member of Figure 18; Figure 20 is a top view of the fixator member of Figure 18; Figure 21 is a view taken along section 21-21 of Figure 18; Figure 22 is an end view of an alternating fork; Figure 23 is a side view of the fork of Figure 22; Figure 24 is a view taken along section 24-24 of Figure 23; Figure 25 is a view taken along section 25-25 of Figure 23; Figure 26 is a front view of a third embodiment of a fixator member made according to the present invention; Figure 27 is a side view of the fixator member of Figure 26; Figure 28 shows the fixing member of Figure 26 mounted to a fork; Figure 29 is a view of one end of the fork of Figure 28; Figure 30 is a side view of the fork of Figure 29; Figure 31 is a front visia of a fourth embodiment of a fixator member made according to the present invention; Figure 32 is a side view of the fixator member of Figure 31; Figure 33 shows the fixing member of Figure 31 mounted to a fork; Figure 34 is an end view of the fork of Figure 33; Figure 35 is a side view of the fork of Figure 34; Figure 36 is a front view of a fifth embodiment of a fixator member made according to the present invention; Figure 37 is a side view! of the fixator member of Figure 36; Figure 38 shows the fixing member of Figure 36 mounted to a fork; Figure 39 is a view of an end of the fork and of the fixing member of Figure 38; Figure 40 is a side view of the fork of Figure 39; Figure 41 is a front view of another aligning incorporation of the fixing member made according to the present invention; Figure 42 is a lateral view of the fixator member of Figure 41; Figure 43 is a front view of the fixator member of Figure 41 attached to an alimary fork; Figure 44 is a laferal view of the fork of Figure 43; Figure 45 is a visia of the fork of Figure 43; Figure 46 is a front view of another alferno incorporation of the fixing member made according to the present invention; Figure 47 is a lateral view of the fixator member of Figure 46; Figure 48 is a front view of the fixator member of Figure 46 moníado to a fork made according to the present invention; Figure 49 is a laferal visia of the fork of Figure 48; and Figure 50 is a rear view of the fork of Figure 49.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED INCORPORATIONS Figures 1-17 show a first incorporation of a model made according to the present invention. Figure 1 shows a storage esanagery 10, including vertical members 12 and horizontal beams 14 mounted to the vertical members 12. Figures 2-5 show a choppy section of the vertical member 12 with two horizontal beams 14 mounted to the vertical member 12. Each beam 14 There is a fork 16 welded or in some way secured to the end of the beam. The fork 16 is an "L" -shaped member, and ears 18 on the fork 16 projected through holes 20 in the vertical member 12 to secure the beam 14 to the vertical member 12. While only one section of the vertical member 12 is shown. beam 14, it is understood that the other end of the beam 14 is mounted similarly to the next adjacent vertical member 12 of the rail 10. Each fork 16 in the shape of "L" defines two legs 22, 24. The first leg 22 carries the ears 18 and has at least first and second holes 26, 28 (See Figure 3), which will be described in greater detail below. The first leg 22 abuts the front face 30 of the vertical member 12, and the second leg 24 lays with one of the side faces 32 of the vertical member 12. On the outer surface 33 of the first leg 22 of the fork 16 is mounted a flexible fixing member 34, which is integral to the fork 16 by means of a latch 36, and which carries a fixing pin 38 which extends through a first hole 26 in the fork 16 and through a hole 20 of the vertical member 12, which prevented the fork 16 from moving upwards relative to the vertical member 12, and at the same time fixing the horizontal beam 14 to the column 12 of the rack 10.

More deflections of the fixing mechanism are shown in Figures 6-17. Figures 6-9 show defiles of the flexible fixing member 34. The main body of the fixing member 34 is made of a flexible material, as spring steel. In the upper portion there is a fixing pin 38, which is preferably riveted to the main body by means of inserting the handle 40 of the fixing pin 38 through a hole in the main body and deforming the handle 40 for riveting and thus rigidly securing the fixing pin 38 to the flexible body. The fixing pin 38 includes a head of enlarged width 42 at the end of a handle 40 of smaller width. Two vertical reinforcement crests 44 are stamped on the body on each side of the fixator pin 38. The upper portion of the flexible body is curved back to form a handle 46 for retracting the fixator pin 38, as will be described below. In the lower portion of the fixing member 34 there is a cut-out area 48 from which the safety 36 is projected, which also has spaced crests 50 for greater rigidity and which has left and right wings 52. FIGS. 10-14 show diameters of the fork 16. The first and second legs 22, 24 rest approximately at sharp angles. The ears 18 are riveted to the first leg 22 in the same manner that the fixator pin 38 is riveted to the flexible body of the fastener member 34, and the ears 18 project downward and downwardly from the infernal surface 54 of the fork 16. While only two ears 18 are shown in this embodiment, it is understood that more ears may be used, and it is expected that, for hairpins more aliases, there may be more or more ears 18 in a fork. Also, the ears 18 may be of other known designs, such as ears with well-rounded heads instead of heads projecting downward as shown here. The head of the ear must be larger than the handle, at least in one direction to avoid that it can be saved from the vertical member by pulling it directly, once it has been inserted. The internal surface 54 of the fork 16 is flat. Each of the first and second holes 26, 28 have a portion 56 of greater width and a portion of smaller width 58. The portion of greater width 56 of the first hole 26 is sufficiently wide to allow the head 42 of the fixator pin 38 to pass through. through this portion 56, and the portion of smaller width 58 of the first hole 26 is sufficiently wide to allow the handle 40 of the pin to pass through this portion 58 mienira that does not allow the head 42 to pass through. In the second hole 28, the larger width portion 56 is sufficiently wide to allow the wings 52 of the latch 36 to pass through it, while the portion of smaller width 58 is broad enough to allow the stem 53 of the latch 36 to pass through. of it but not the wings 52. The inner surface 54 of the fork 16 defines a recess 60 (See Figures 11 and 13) adjacent to the portion of smaller width 58 of the first hole 26, and defines a recess 62 adjacent The smaller portion 58 of the second hole 28. Each hole 60, 62 ends before its respective portion of greater width 56 leaving a non-recessed portion 64 of smaller width. Figures 14A and 15 show how the fixing member 34 is mounted to the fork 16. First, the fixing member 34 is positioned adjacent the outer surface 33 of the first leg 22 of the fork 16, and the head 42 of the fixing pin 38 is extended from the larger width portion 56 of the first hole 26 while the wings 52 of the latch 36 are extended through the larger width portion 56 of the second hole 28. Then, the latch 36 is bent inward, and the member flexible fastener 34 is moved downward with the wings 52 of the latch moving along the inner surface 54 of the fork until they pass the non-recessed portion 64 and engage in the hole 62 in the second hole 28. At the same time , the handle 40 of the fixing pin 38 is moving downwardly from the narrow portion 58 of the first hole 26. At this point, the fixing member 34 is mounted to the fork 16., as shown in Figure 15. The wings 52 in the hollow 62 prevent the locking member 34 from coming out of the second hole 28 unless the latch 36 is again flexed inward to allow the wings to pass over the crest. 64, which can not occur when the fork 16 is monial to the vertical member 12. When the latch 36 is inserted into the fork 16, the latch is recessed so that it does not project towards the inside of the flat inner surface 54 of the latch. fork 16. Now, the reinforced beam 14 was mounted to the vertical member 12, moving in the direction shown in Figure 4, to the vertical member 12 and then downward along the vertical member, as shown in Figure 16. The ears 18 will thread their respective holes 20A and 20C in the vertical member 12. The fixing pin 38 is pushed outwardly by the body of the vertical member 12, and the fork 16 is moved downwards until the fixing pin 38 reaches the hole 20B in the vertical member 12. The flexibility of the body of the fixing member pushes the fixing pin 38 towards the hole 20B. This then secures the beam 14 to the vertical member 12. The fixing pin 38 is located so that it is near the top of its respective hole 20B when the ears 18 are close to their respective holes 20A, 20C. The fixing pin 38 thus prevents the beam 14 from moving upwardly enough to allow the ears to be removed from the upright member 12. When the fork 16 is mounted to the upright member 12, the body of the upright member 12 prevents the lock 36 is flexed inwardly so that the flexible fastening member 34 can not be removed from the fork 6 without first removing the beam 14 from the upright member 12. To remove the beam 14 from the upright member 12, a person must pull outward from the handle 46 of the flexible fastener member 34, thereby relieving the clamp pin 38 to a position in which the clamp pin 38 is even with the infernal flat surface 54 of the fork 16, so that the clamp pin 38 is removed from the hole 20B . The gap 60 in the narrow part 58 of the first hole 26 prevents the head 42 of the fixing pin 38 from slipping out of the fork 16 as a whole, thus preventing the operator from refraining the fixing member 34 enough to damage it. Then, the fork 16 can be raised to the point where the ears 18 can be removed from the holes 20A, 20C in the vertical member to remove the beam 14 from the vertical member 12. Figures 18-21 show a second embodiment of a member flexible fixator 134. This fixator member 134 is very similar to the first incorporation member, except that the enlarged head portion 142 of fixer pin '38 is formed by making two cuts along pin 138. This design also includes reinforcement ridges 144 150, a safety 136 with a stem 153 and wings 152. It should be noted that the lower portion 155 of the wings 152 is flared forward to assist the wings 155 to pass over the non-recessed portion 64 to install the fastener member. 134 to the fork 116. The fork 116, shown in Figures 22-25, is very similar to the first fork 16, with ears 118, a first hole 126, a second hole 128, portions of greater width 156 and porc ions of smaller width 158 of the holes 126 and 128, and a non-recessed portion 164 and of smaller width. The fixing member 134 is assembled to the fork 116 in the same manner as the first embodiment. Figures 26-30 show a third embodiment. Again, the fixing pin 238 of the fixing member 234 has a slightly different shape, with a handle 120 and a wide head 242. In this embodiment, there are additional handles 247 in the seams of the flexible body. There are still crests 244, 250 for reinforcement, and the safety 236 has wings that are flared towards the underside 255. The fork 216 includes ears 218 and first and second holes 226, 228 on its first leg 222. The first hole 226 receives the pin fixator 238 and has a broad upper portion 256 and a narrower lower portion 258. The second hole 228 receives the lock 236 and has a broad upper portion 256 and a portion thereof. narrower bottom 258. The inner surface 254 of the fork 216 defines a recess 260 adjacent the narrow lower portion 258 of the first hole 226 that does not terminate before it reaches the broad portion 256 of the hole. The gap 262 formed adjacent the narrow portion 258 of the second hole 228 if it ends before the wide portion 256 of the hole, leaving a narrow, non-recessed portion 264 for retaining the latch, as explained with respect to the first embodiment. Figures 31-35 show a fourth embodiment of the invention. In this case, the flexible fastening member 334 is latched with the latch 336 above the fixing pin 338. The first hole 326 (which receives the fixing pin 338) in the fork 316 is then below the second hole 328 (which receives the latch) . The holes 326, 328 have enlarged portions 356 and narrow portions 358 and hollows 360, 362, and narrow non-recessed portions 364 as described with respect to the previous incorporations. Fixing member 334 is installed downwardly on fork 316 as in the previous embodiments. The handles 355 are located in the lower portion of the fixator member 334 to assist in retracting the fixator pin 338. In this embodiment, as well as in some others, the cutout area 348 is aligned with the hole 366 in the fork. This allows the operator to insert a passing bit through the fixing member 334 and away from the hole 366 to pry with the passing bit and thus raise the fork 316 while maintaining the locking member 334 in the retracted position to secure the fork 316 from its respective vertical member 12. Figures 36-40 show a fifth embodiment. In this embodiment, there is no lock 436 in the fastener member 434. Instead, the fastener member 434 is riveted to the fork 416 by means of the top ear 418. The fixator pin 438 operates in the manner as in the previous embodiments, The hole 426 has upper and lower angous portions and upper and lower recesses 460, which allow the same fork to be used for the left and right ends of the hole 426 in the narrow portion of the first hole 426. In this case, the beam 14. It is possible to supply a second hole (not shown) in the fork 416 even though the fixing member 434 has been riveted so that, if the fixing member 434 has been damaged for any reason, it can be cut, removed and re-emplaced in the field by an insurance fixer member with insurance as in the previous embodiments, Figures 41-45 show a sixth embodiment of this invention. In this case, the flexible fastener member 534 includes a lower latch 536 and an upper fastener pin 538. The holes 526, 528 have enlarged portions 556 and anvil portions 558 and hollows 560, 562, and the lower hole 528 has a narrow portion therein. -hollowed 564. The ears 518 are the same as in the previous incorporations. What is different in this embodiment is that there are two ears 580 projecting outwards into the fork 516, adjacent to the lower part of the lower hole 528. Once the securement clamp 534 is installed in the fork 516, these ears hunt with an opening 582 in the safety, making it impossible to remove the safety 534 simply by pressing on the safety and lifting it. Instead, a screwdriver or other tool should be used to lift the bottom of the body of the safety 534 over the ears 580. The ears are made by displacing some of the fork material outwardly. Figures 46-50 show a seventh embodiment of this invention, which is similar to the embodiment of Figures 31-35. This incorporation differs in that its upper hole 628 has the upper part open, that is, it is more like a slot. The holes 626, 628 have enlarged portions 656 and narrow portions 658 and hollows 660, 662, and narrow, non-recessed portions 664. However, it could be that the narrow portion 658 of the upper hole 628 did not go to an enlarged portion 656 and that Simply expand directly upwards. The ears 618 and the handles 655 are as in the previous incorporations. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made in the incorporations described above without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (15)

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A fixator member for mounting, including: a monia fork, having a first leg defining a substantially flat inner surface and an outer surface and a plurality of mounting ears projecting into said interior surface, said first leg also defining at least one first hole; a flexible monial member in said first leg, resting adjacent to said outer surface, and including a fixator pin having a handle extending through said first hole, wherein said fixator pin defines an enlarged head portion and said surface. The interior defines a hollow adjacent said first hole receiving said enlarged head portion.

2. A rack fixator member as described in claim 1, wherein said recess is sufficiently deep to allow said clamp pin to be substantially even with said inner surface when said flexible member is retracted.

3. A rack fixing member as described in claim 2, wherein said first hole includes a portion of a greater width wide enough to allow the head of said fixing pin to pass through and a portion of smaller width sufficiently wide to allow the handle to pass through through but too narrow to allow said enlarged head to pass through, and where said gap is adjacent to said portion of smaller width.

4. A fastener member for shank as described in claim 2, wherein said flexible member is riveted to said first leg at a distal end of said fastener pin.

5. A rack fixing member as described in claim 2, wherein said first leg also defines a second hole, and wherein both of said first and second holes define a portion of greater width and a portion of smaller width, and wherein said interior surface defines hollows adjacent to the portion of smaller width of each of said holes, at least the hollow of the second hole ending before its respective portion of greater width.

6. A rack fixing member as described in claim 3, wherein said first leg also defines a second hole, and wherein both of said first and second holes define a portion of greater width and a portion of smaller width, and wherein said interior surface defines hollows adjacent to the portion of smaller width of each of said holes, at least the hollow of the second hole ending before its respective portion of greater width.

7. A rack fixer member as described in claim 5, wherein said flexible member includes a lock having left and right wings mounted in the recess of said second hole.

8. A shelf-fixing member as described in claim 2, and further including a hole in said flexible member aligned with a hole in said first leg.

9. A fork for mounting a horizontal beam of a rack to a vertical member of a hood, including: A "L" -shaped member, having a lower substantially flat surface and an outer surface and defining first and second legs, said first leg having two ears projecting inward from their interior surface and defining first and second holes, said second hole having a narrow portion and wherein said interior surface defines a recess in a portion of said narrow portion, leaving a narrow non-recessed portion.

10. A fork as described in claim 9, and further includes a flexible member mounted on said first leg, said flexible member including a safety loop extending through said second hole and retained in said recess.

11. A fork as described in claim 10, wherein said flexible member further includes a fixer pin that extends through said first hole.

12. A fork as described in claim 11, wherein said fixing pin has a handle and an enlarged head and said first hole defines a portion of greater width sufficiently wide to allow the pleasant head to pass, and a portion of smaller width that is sufficiently wide to allow the handle to pass through but not wide enough to allow the enlarged head to pass.

13. A fork as described in Claim 12, wherein said inner surface also defines a recess adjacent to the portion of smaller width of said first hole, so as to allow the enlarged head to be retracted to a substantially even position with said inner surface.

14. A fork as described in claim 9, wherein said fork further defines at least one ear projecting outwards.

15. A shelf, including: a plurality of vertical members defining a plurality of holes in the vertical members, and a plurality of horizontal beams supported in said vertical members; a fork for mounting to the end of one of said horizontal beams, including an "L" shaped member, having a substantially flat inner surface and an outer surface defining first and second legs, said first leg having at least two ears projecting inwardly from its inner surface, said two ears being received in two of said holes of vertical members; wherein said first leg defines first and second holes, said at least said first hole facing aligned with one of said holes of vertical members, each of said first and second holes having a portion of greater width and a portion of smaller width, where said surface interior defines a hollow adjacent each of said portions of smaller width, and the hollow adjacent to the portion of smaller width of said second hole eermina before its respective portion of greater width; and a flexible fixator member including a latch mounted in the recess of said second hole, with said vertical member preventing said latch from moving further to adenyre, and including a fixator pin having a handle and an enlarged head, where the handle extends to through said first hole and through the vertical member aligned with said first hole. ABSTRACT A shelving load fastener includes a lock mounted in a hole in the mounting fork, which makes the safety catch easy to install and impossible to remove without dismantling the shelf. The load fixer also includes a pin fixator having an enlarged head, and the fork includes a recess for receiving the enlarged head, so that the pin fixer can be retracted to install and remove the beam, but the gap provides a stop for prevent the insurance from being retracted so much that it damages the insurance.