US3698678A

US3698678A - Load holding device

Info

Publication number: US3698678A
Application number: US42736A
Authority: US
Inventors: Thomas S Bowers
Original assignee: AL Hansen Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: AL Hansen Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1970-06-02
Filing date: 1970-06-02
Publication date: 1972-10-17
Anticipated expiration: 1989-10-17
Also published as: CA939880A; FR2110852A5; JPS5212333B1; GB1315449A

Abstract

This disclosure pertains to a load holding device which is quickly and easily adjustable to a plurality of positions. The load holding device consists basically of a guide rail, or track in which a slide member or carriage is adapted for movement to a plurality of locations. The guide is provided with slots, the sides of which form an abutment. The majority of the slide member is encompassed within the guide means but a portion may protrude outwardly to enable the user to manually move the slide member to the desired location. The slide member has an opening extending through it which is adapted to be aligned with the selected slot within the guide rail. When so aligned, a hook member (an Sshaped belt attaching device or merely a piece of rope) is passed through the selected slot and the opening to attach the hook member to the slide. The foregoing fixedly locks the slide member in the selected position since the hook member abuts against the sides of the slot in the guide rail to prohibit movement thereof. The guide member may be constructed of a flat channel-shaped member or may be of a tube-like construction. In both cases, a plurality of guide rails may be used and one may be telescoped within the other in curtain rod-like fashion so that the combination slide and hook member also fixes the relative positions of the respective guide rails.

Description

United States Patent Bowers [54] LOAD HOLDING DEVICE [72] Inventor: Thomas S. Bowers, Lafayette, Calif.

[73] Assignee: A. L. Hansen Mfg. Co., Gurnee, ll].

[22] Filed: June 2, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 42,736

[52] U.S. Cl. ..248/361 R, 105/369 A [51] Int. Cl ..B65j l/22, B65d 19/00 [58] Field of Search ..248/36l A, 361 R, 224, 244, 248/295, 269, 298; 105/369 A, 368 T;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,980,848 11/1934 Cass ..248/361 A X 1,047,315 12/1912 Shone ..292/148 X 2,205,273 6/1940 Radey ..105/368 T 2,052,914 9/1936 Williams ..105l368 T 2,047,503 7/1936 Wilson ..105/369 A X 2,688,504 9/1954 Parker ..248/298 X Primary Examiner-Chancellor E. Harris AttorneyWalter E. Pavlick [57] ABSTRACT This disclosure pertains to a load holding device which 51 Oct. 17,1972

is quickly and easily adjustable to a plurality of positions. The load holding device consists basically of a guide rail, or'track in which a slide member or carriage is adapted for movement to a plurality of locations. The guide is provided with slots, the sides of which form an abutment. The majority of the slide member is encompassed within the guide means but a portion may protrude outwardly to enable the user to manually move the slide member to the desired location. The slide member has an opening extending through it which isadapted to be aligned with the selected slot within the guide rail. When so aligned, a hook member (an S-shaped belt attaching device or merely a piece of rope) is passed through the selected slot and the opening to attach the hook member to the slide. The foregoing fixedly locks the slide member in the selected position since the hook member abuts against the sides of the slot in the guide rail to prohibit movement thereof. The guide member may be constructed of a flat channel-shaped member or may be of a tube-like construction. In both cases, a plurality of guide rails may be used and one may be telescoped .within the other in curtain rod-like fashion so that the combination slide and hook member also fixes the relative positions of the respective guide rails 9 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEDUBI 11 m2 3,59 7

' sum 1 or 2 FIG. 2 FIG; 3

INVENTORV THOMAS sv BOWERS BY [I ATTORNEY PATENTEU mm 1 7 m2 SHEU 2 BF 2 INVENTOR. THOMAS s. BOWERS BY W1 0i PM ATTORNEY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The field of this invention is load holding devices for vehicle, marine or air cargo and home use.

2. Description of Prior Art Many prior art devices have been utilized to accomplish similar functions as this invention, however, such have been expensive to manufacture, difficult to maintain, and of not very durable character. Furthermore, prior art devices have not been easily adjustable nor subject to being positively fixed in the desired location.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention comprises an easy to manufacture load holding device with a minimum number of parts. The load holding device comprises a guide means which may be attached in any desired location and a slide positioning device movable along the guide means to any one of a plurality of desired positions. The guide means has a plurality of latching devices which take the form of spaced slots, the sides of which form abutments. The slidable positioning means has an attaching means (such as an opening extending through it) and may be positioned in alignment with any one of the plurality of slots in the guide means. When positioned in the desired location a hook, rope or similar securing means is extended through the slot and through the opening in the slidable positioning device, and abuts against the sides of the slot to prevent movement of the slidable positioning means. The hook, rope or S-shaped belt retaining device may then be attached at another location within the cargo carrying vehicle as desired.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a load holding device embodying this invention showing a single-eyed carriage or slide assembled within the guide rail and a double-eyed carriage or slide in a position to be assembled within the guide rail;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of one of the carriages or positioning slides shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the positioning slide shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the second embodiment of this invention which is similar to the first embodiment but of tube-like construction; and

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 with an S-shaped attaching hook secured in place;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of this invention wherein one of the guide rails is telescoped within the other and adapted to be held in place by the S-shaped hook member being inserted within the positioning slide which is in turn locked within both guide rails;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of this invention which incorporates a single unit multieyed carriage or positioning slide;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of two different types of guide rails which may alternatively be used in certain of the previous embodiments.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS First Embodiment (FIGS. 1-3) Referring more particularly to the drawings, the invention consists primarily of three major parts, a longitudinally extending guide means or rail indicated generally at 10, and a positioning means or slide indicated generally at 12, adapted to be movable along said guide means and having attaching means 13 formed integral therewith, and a securing means which, as shown in FIG. 1, takes the form of an S-shaped hook member 14.

In FIG. 1, the rail or guide means 10 is basically an elongated channel-shaped member with the legs thereof having lips 16 bent inwardly at right angles to their respective legs. The lips 16 of opposite legs terminate short of each other so that an opening extends for the full length of the rail between the lips.

Spaced at intervals along the channel-shaped member are relieved portions or slots defined by abutment means 18 on the sides of each slot. The slots extend at right angles to the length of the channel-shaped guide means l0 and as shown in the drawings are of a width approximately a third of the distance between the slots.

As shown in the drawings, the channel-shaped guide means 10 is provided on the base of the channel with spaced apart (three in this instance) countersunk apertures 20 which are adapted to receive screws to position the guide means 10 along a wall or in any other suitable position'where the load holding device is to be used.

Positioning means or slide 12 may be of several dif ferent types of configurations but basically is of a length greater than the slots defined by the abutment means 18 so that when the slide is inserted from one end into the channel-shaped guide means 10, it will remain within the guide means. The slide 12, as shown more clearly in FIGS. 2 and 3 comprises a front and

rear foot

21 and 23 joined by a raised central bridge portion 22 which defines an attaching means or opening beneath the same. The width of the slide 12 is greater than the distance between the bent over lips 16 of the guide means 10 so as to be retained within the guide means.

When the positioning means or slide 12 is placed within the guide means 10, the central raised portion 22 extends outwardly and protrudes slightly from between the bent over lips 16. Accordingly, it is a simple matter for the user of the load holding device to place his finger on the raised central portion 22 and move the slide 12 longitudinally within the guide means 10 to the selected position aligning the opening in the slide 12 with a slot in the guide means.

When the slide is so positioned, the securing means (in this embodiment an S-shaped hook member 14) is adapted to cooperate with the attaching means and the latch means formed by the abutment 18 on the side of the slot in the guide means. To this end, the end of the S-shaped hook member 14 is hooked into the bottom of the selected slot, through the opening beneath the 3 raised central portion 22 of the slide 12 and through the upper portion of the slot in the guide means 10. Thus, the latching means formed by the abutments 18 prevents longitudinal movement of the end of the S- shaped securing means 14 which, by reason of its extending through the opening in the raised central portion of the slide 12, also prevents movement of the slide. Accordingly, the S-shaped securing member is hook member will engage the abutment means 30 which defines the slots in the tube. As explained previously, the other end of the hook shaped member 36 may then be attached to a belt, rope, chain or other load securing device.

. Third Embodiment (FIG. 6)

fixedly connected in the selected position along the guide means 10. The other end of the S-shaped securing means is adapted for connection to a rope, belt, chain or similar device which is used to hold cargo in place.

As stated previously, the positioning means or slide 12 may be of several different types of configurations. A second type of slide is shown at 24. The slide 24 is similar to slide 12 in that it has two flat portions which are joined together by a raised portion 25 which bridges between the two flat portions and under which is formed an opening. However, in addition to the opening formed under the raised portion, a second opening or aperture 26 is formed in an extension of the raised bridge portion 25. It is now apparent that when the slide 24 is positioned within the guide means and the first opening or eye beneath the raised central portion 25 is aligned with the selected slot formed by the abutment means 18", and held in place by an S-shaped hook member 14, a second S-shaped member 14 may be hooked within the second opening or eye 26 which then serves as an anchor for the second hook member and the belt, rope or chain which may be attached to it. Second Embodiment (FIGSQ4-5) The second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment with the exception that the parts are of tubelike construction. More particularly, a guide means or tube 28 is provided with a length substantially greater than the diameter thereof. The tube is provided with slots defined by abutment means 30 spaced at intervals aiong the length of the tube. intersecting the slots at right angles is a guide way which, accordingly, extends the full length of the tube.

V Disposed within the tube 28 is a positioning slide 32. The positioning slide 32 is a partial cylinder having a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the tube so as to be slidable within the tube while being retained thereby. Attaching means 34 is provided by an aperture disposed in the raised central portion of slide 32. The attaching means 34 extends outwardly from the tube 28 when the slide 32 is positioned therein as best shown in FIG. 5. Thus, the user may place his finger on the attaching means and position the slide 32 at the desired location along the length of the tube to align the openingin the attaching means with theselected slot in the tube.

Securing means is adapted to cooperate with the attaching means and the latch formed by the abutment means 30 of the selected slot in the tube to fixedlyposition the slide at the desired location. To this end, an S- shaped hook member 36'is rotated through the lower portion of the slot in the tube, through the opening in the attaching means 34 of the positioning slide, and outwardly through the upper portion of the slot in the tube.

It is now apparent that thepositioning slide 32 may not move axially within the tube 28 since the S-shaped or rail 10 is provided with a positioning means or slide 12 which has an attaching means 13 formed integral therewith. Securing means in the form of an S-shaped hook member 14 is adapted to be received in the opening of the attaching means and engage the abutment means 18 to prevent movement of the positioning slide 12.-The raised central portion 22 of the positioning slide 12 extends outwardly between the lips 16 of the guide rail to be accessible to the user. In addition to the foregoing, the third embodiment is provided with a second guide rail 38 of a construction similar to the guide rail l0 but having dimensions slightly smaller so that the second guide rail telescopes within the first guide rail in curtain rod-like fashion. Thus, the second guide rail is provided with slots defined by abutment means 40 and bent over lips 42 which terminate short of each other to provide a guide way for the raisedcentral portion 22 of the positioning slide 12.

As is apparent from FIG. 6, the positioning slide 12 is of a dimension such that it may slide within the second guide rail 38 as well as the first guide rail 10. Thus, when the first and second guide rails are telescoped to the desired over all length, the relative positions of the guide rails are fixed by the'S-shaped hook member 36 being hooked through the upper portion of the slots in both the first and second guide rails, through the opening in the attaching means of the positioning slide 12, and through the lower portion of the slots in the first and second guide rails. Attempted movement of the guide rails with respect to each other causes the abutment means 40 and 18 to engage the S-shaped hook member 36 to prohibit the same.

Fourth Embodiment (FIGS. 7-8) This embodiment is similar to the first embodiment with the exception of the positioning slide designated generally at 44. While the first embodiment disclosed a single-eyed positioning slide 12 and a double-eyed positioning slide '24, the positioning slide 44 incorporates seven eyes. It is readily apparent that the number of eyes or apertures in the positioning slide may vary as the needs of the load holding device dictate. The positioning slide 44 is generally a T-shaped beam with the base of the T adapted to slide within the guide rail 10 and the stem extending outwardly between the lips 16. The stem of the T is provided with three apertures or openings 46 adjacent the base of the T and, in this embodiment, spaced apart at intervals equal to the spacing of the slots in the guide rail 10. Accordingly, the S- shaped hook member 48 may be disposed in any one of the aligned slots and apertures or, if desired, a separate hook shaped member 48may be disposed in each one. The other end of the stem is formed in wave like fashion so as to facilitate the hooking of the S-shaped member in the desired latching position. The stem of the Trhas a second set of apertures 50 (four in this instance) to which may be attached a rope, as shown at 52, or any other suitable load retaining device such as a chain, belt, etc.

With this embodiment it is apparent that a single positioning slide maybe used as an anchor for a plurality of load securing devices rather than using a plurality of positioning slides 12 or 24.

FIG. 8 discloses alternative types of guide rails to illustrate the flexibility of construction while still being encompassed within the scope of the invention. More particularly, the guide rail 54 is formed similar to the guide rail 10 with the exception that the slots formed at right angles to the guide rail 10 are not cut all the way through. As is apparent in FIG. 8 notches 54 are formed in the upper and lower legs of the guide rail as well as the bent over lips but do not extend for the full length of the bent over lips so that a continuous guide way is provided in the guide rail.

The other portion of F 16. 8 discloses a guide rail having the upper leg thereof constructed similar to that shown in the first embodiment and the lower portion of the guide way constructed with notches 54. It is apparent that the additional material in the bent ,over lip strengthens the guide rail and the notch-like slot provides a means by which an S-shaped hook member may be hooked on to the guide rail without the necessity of a positioning slide if so desired.

While several embodiments have been shown and described, it is apparent that there may be many changes in construction and operation without departing from the scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a load holding device the combination comprismg a. an elongated guide means having 1. latch means disposed at various positions along the length of said guide means,

b. positioning means contained within and slidable along said guide means to a plurality of positions aligned with one of said latch means,

1. said positioning means having an attaching means carried thereby with a portion thereof generally obscure from use but which is accessible when said positioning means is aligned with said latch means,

c. securing means separate from said positioning means and said attaching means and having a portion thereof selectively positionable into positive abutting engagement with said latch means when said attaching means is accessible and being cooperatively secured to said attaching means to be held in such position whereby said positioning means is fixed in the desired location along said elongated guide means.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein said elongated guide means comprises a channel-shaped member having bent-over lip portions on the open part thereof and said positioning means comprises a flat member slidable within said channel-shaped member and retained therein by said bent-over portions.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said elongated (guide means comprises a tube having a guideway exten mg lengthwise thereof and said positioning means comprises a member having a curvature with a radius slightly less than the radius of the tube whereby the positioning means is adapted to slide within the tube while being retained thereby.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said latch means is formed by a plurality of relieved portions in said elongated guide means which are adapted to cooperate with said securing means and said attaching means.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said attaching means is formed integral with the positioning means by means of an opening therethrough and said opening is adapted to be located adjacent a selected relieved portion of said latch means so that said securing means may be positioned therein.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said latch means comprises a plurality of relieved portions ex tending at right angles to the length of said elongated guide means and said attaching means comprises an opening formed at right angles to the length of said positioning means whereby when said opening in said positioning means is aligned with the relieved portion of said elongated guide means said securing means may be received in said opening in the positioning means and said relieved portion of said elongated guide means so that relative movement between the positioning means and the elongated guide means cannot take place.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein a second elongated guide means is provided telescoped within said first elongated guide means and has latch means disposed at various positions along the length thereof adapted to cooperate with said securing means and said attaching means to fix the relative position of said first and second elongated guide means.

8. The combination of claim 2 wherein a portion of said attaching means constantly projects outwardly between the bent-over lip portions of said channel so as to be manually accessible for effecting location of said positioning means.

9. The combination of claim 3 wherein a portion of said attaching means constantly extends outwardly from said tubular member into said guideway so as to be manually accessible for effecting location of said positioning means.

Claims

1. In a load holding device the combination comprising a. an elongated guide means having 1. latch means disposed at various positions along the length of said guide means, b. positioning means contained within and slidable along said guide means to a plurality of positions aligned with one of said latch means, 1. said positioning means having an attaching means carried thereby with a portion thereof generally obscure from use but which is accessible when said positioning means is aligned with said latch means, c. securing means separate from said positioning means and said attaching means and having a portion thereof selectively positionable into positive abutting engagement with said latch means when said attaching means is accessible and being cooperatively secured to said attaching means to be held in such position whereby said positioning means is fixed in the desired location along said elongated guide means.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said elongated guide means comprises a tube having a guideway extending lengthwise thereof and said positioning means comprises a member having a curvature with a radius slightly less than the radius of the tube whereby the positioning means is adapted to slide within the tube while being retained thereby.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said latch means comprises a plurality of relieved portions extending at right angles to the length of said elongated guide means and said attaching means comprises an opening formed at right angles to the length of said positioning means whereby when said opening in said positioning means is aligned with the relieved portion of said elongated guide means said securing means may be received in said opening in the positioning means and said relieved portion of said elongated guide means so that relative movement between the positioning means and the elongated guide means cannot take place.