Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
This invention concerns a device intended to
secure load carriers, such as removable platforms or con-
tainers, to freight carriers, for example railraod freight
cars or heavy trucks used for road transport.
The invention seeks to avoid the necessity of
hoisting equipment, for example cranes and fork lifts, in
moving loads such as containers, which are extremely large,
between carriers, usually from a relatively light delivery
truck to a railway freight car or a large truck for road
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In accordance with the invention, a simple winch
or hydraulically operated pusher means, for example arranged
on the delivery truck, should suf~ice to push the container
from the delivery truck onto the freight carrier at one side
thereof without necessitating lifting the container. The
invention also facilitates the unloading of the container at
its destination.
To make it possible to handle goods in this
convenient manner the freight carrier is equipped with
~0 locking members in accordance with the teachings of the
subject invention. These members are arranged to be moved
to their inoperative positions by a pusher or impact means
located at the rear of the delivery vehicle when the latter
backs up ayainst the freight carrier. The locking members
in accordance with the invention are arranged in such a
manner that as soon as the load has been transferred onto
the freight carrler and placed in its correct position and
the delivery vehicle is driven away from the freight carrier,
i.e. when the pusher means at the rear end of the vehicle no
longer influences the freight carriers locking members, the
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latter engage a no-tch or similar means provided at the
bottom part of the load to retain and secure the load to the
freight carrier.
More precisely, the invention is an improved
device for securing a load to a freight carrier comprising a
pair of locking plungers, each movable between a locking
position, securing the load, and a neutral position, free of
the load; a pivotably mounted angular lever attached to both
pllmgers; a rod extending from said lever for movement
transversely of said carrier to displace said locking
plungers against the action of spring means; an impact means
arranged at the rear of a delivery vehicle, said delivery
vehicle supporting said load carrier to be transferred onto
and secured to said freight carrier, said impact means
arranged to move said rod to move the plungers to their
neutral position when said impact means on said delivery
vehicle displaces said rod in a direction towards the centre
of said freight carrier when said delivery vehicle abuts
said freight carrier for the purpose of unloading said load
onto said freight carrier, said locking plungers being
arranged, when the action of said impact means on said rod
ceases as a consequence of said delivery vehicle being
driven away, to he pu.shed by said spring means longitu-
dinally oE said freight carrier to a position, wherein the
locking plungers retain said load securely in position on
said freight carrier.
The invention will be described, by way Oe example,
with referance to the accompanying drawings, whereirl:
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Figure 1 i8 a partial, rear perspective view of a
dellvery vehicle comprising a vertically movable load-
support frame,
Figure 2 is a similar view of the vehicle suppor-
ting a container, the latter being in raised position, ready
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for unloading,
Figure 3 illustrates on an enlarged scale the
bottom face of the container,
Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section along
line IV-IV of Figure 3,
Figure 5 illustrates on a smaller scale a plan
view of a freight carrier,
Figure 6 is a lateral view of the loading platform
of the freight carrier,
Figure 7 illustrates on an enlarged scale a
vertical section along line VII-VII of Figure 5,
Figure 8 is a plan view of a locking device fitted
on the freight carrier, the device being shown in its
locking position,
Figure 9 is a similar view of the locking device
but shows the latter in its inoperative position,
Figure 10 is a plan view of the locking device in
accordance with an alternati~e embodiment, showing said
device in its locking position, and
Figure 11 shows the locking device in inoperativ0
position.
The delivery vehicle 1 illustrated in Figure 1 is
equipped with a vertically displaceable. load support frame 2
by means o which a container 3 may be li~ted rom a lower
pos:Ltion, the. transport position, to an upper position
allowing unloading or transer of the container. The rear
o~ the load-support frame 2 is provided with an end plate ~.
The lower portion of the container is provided with longi-
tudi.nal guide beams 5 each one of which is equipped with
lock fittings 6 each having an aperture 7 to receive a
locking plunger 8.
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The platform 9 of a freight carrier 10, which is
intended to transport three containers 3 at the same time,
is provided with locking devices 11, 12, 13, each one of
which is provided with a locking plunger 8. In the embodi-
ment of Figures 5, 8 and 9 the locking device comprises abell crank 15 which is arranged to turn about a vertical
bolt 14 and which has four arms 16, 17, 18 and 19. Each of
arms 16 and 18 is articulated to one locking plunger 8 each
by means of links 20 and 21~ respectively. The locking
plungers 8 are displaceable in a guide 22 in the longi-
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tudlnal direction of th~ freight carrier 10. Arms 17 and 19
are articulated to their respective operating rods 25, 26
via links 23 and 24. The rods are arranged for displace~ent
in the transverse direction of the carrier 10 in guides 27,
28. Helical springs 31 and 32, which are held between
guides 28 and sleeves 30 close to the outer end 29 of each
rod 25, tend to retain the bell crank 15 in the position
illustrated in Figure 8 where the locking plungers 8 are in
their locking position, i.e. inserted into the apertures 7
formed in the guide beams 5 and into an aperture 33 formed
in the transverse support bea~s 34 of the carrier 10.
When the delivery vehicle 1, with its load-support
ærame 2 raised and supporting a container 3, is backed
towards one of the sides 35 of a carrier 10 (Figures S and
8), positioning its end plate 4 opposite one of the locking
devices 11, 12 or 14, the end plate 4 abuts against the free
end 29 of the operating rod 25. The rod 25 is then urged
against the action oE spring 31 in the direction towards the
bell crank 15, and through the agency of link 23 the bell
crank 15 is turned clockwise as seen in the drawings. As a
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result, the locking plungers 8 are displaced towards one
another into a neutral or inoperative position indicated in
Figure 9. With the plungers in -this position, the container
3 may slide with its guide beams 5 on the transverse beams
24 of the carrier 10 and thus be displaced to its correct
position of transport on the carrier. When delivery vehicle
1 drives away (or if the load-carrier frame 2 is lowered to
the Figure 1 position) the pressure against rod end 29
ceases. The springs 31, 32 then displace the rods 25, 26
back to their outer position (starting position), thus
turning the bell crank 15 counter-clockwise and displacing
the locking plungers 8 into their locking position, indi-
cated in Figure 8. The container 3 is now lock~d securely
to the carrier 10. It is possible to verify that the
container is locked in position because when this is so ends
29 of rods 25, 26 extend beyond the side edge 35 of the
carrier 10.
Figures 10 and 11 show a modification of the
locking device in accordance with the invention. In this
case, the operating rods 25' and 26' are integral with a
centrally located link guide 36. The guide 36 is provided
with an arcuate groove 37 in which slides the associated
locking plunger 8' which is axially displaceable in guides
38 Eormed in the carrier 10 and which by means of a bolt 39
engages in the groove 37.
When the truck end plate 4 pushes the rod end 29'
inwards, the link guide 36 is displaced inwards against the
action oE the spring 31' until it reaches the position
illustrated in Figure 11, whereln the arcuate edge 40 o~ the
groove 37 presses against the bolt, thus displacing the
locking plunger 8' to its neutral (inoperative) position
(Figure 11). As soon as the pressure against the rod end
29' ceases, the spring 31' forces the link guide 36 back to
its starting position in which the locking plunger 8' is in
its locking position (Figure 10).
The embodiments shown and described are to be
regarded as examples only and the locking devices 11, 12, 13
may be made in a variety of ways within the scope of the
appended claims. Other types of link guides 36 are appli-
cable. The essential feature of the locking device is thatwhen the operating rod is pushed inwards from one or the
other end with the aid of a pressure-exerting means arranged
on a delivery vehicle moving against one or the other side
o~ a freight carrier, the locking device should ensure that
the locking plungers are brought to their neutral position.
Further, when the delivery vehicle is removed and the
pressure against the rod end released, resilient means force
the locking plungers back to a position where they ensure
that the load is securely locked to the freight carrier.
When the delivery vehicle is backed against the
freight carrier, the pressure need not necessarily be
applied directly against the rod end 29. Instead, rod 29 be
articulated to a lever, one end of which is pivotally
mounted to the longer side of the freiyht carrier with i.ts
opposite end extending freely beyond the carrier side. This
~ree end should have a lower face slanting obliquely down
wards towards the carrier side. One advantage gained by an
arrangement of this kind is that it becomes possible to
bring the locking plungers to their neutral positions when
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the lifting frame 2, together with the end plate 4 hits the
carrier side below the free end of the lever. In this case
the lever end may be lifted simply by raising the frame 2.
~ith the aid of the end plate the lever may be swung in a
vertical plane thus displacing the rod 25 inwards. This
displaces the locking plungers into their neutral positions
in the manner indicated above. The locking plungers are
displaced to their locking positions, through the action of
the resilient means, as soon as the pressure against the
lever end ceases.
In the above each locking device has been des-
cribed and shown in the drawings to comprise two locking
plungers. However, locking devices comprising one locking
plunger are possible.
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