Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PIVOTABLE SIDEWALL MOUNTED CONTAINER STOP FOR RAILCAR WELL
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the field of cargo retainers or
fasteners, and more particularly to apparatus for preventing
large containers from being displaced during transit.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
When shipping goods from one geographical location to
another, whether by rail, truck or other type of transportation
vehicle, it has become customary to employ large, standardized
intermodal containers, which are typically available in 20, 40,
45, 48 or 53 foot lengths, as receptacles for a wide variety of
goods and materials being shipped. The standardization of such
containers, particularly in the rail industry, provides a number
of benefits including the re-usability of the containers among
a variety of the railway's patrons, the use of standard machinery
and procedures for the efficient handling, loading and unloading
of cargo, and for enabling the optimal storage and stacking of
cargo containers within the limited confines of a railcar.
One of the problems experienced during shipping is the
displacement or shifting of the container from an initial
location in the vehicle when one or more containers are first
loaded therein to some other position due to the inertial or
dynamic forces acting on the containers during transit. Rail
cars, in particular, typically have floors which are composed of
trusses. Certain truss members are designed to bear vertical
loads, but other truss members are installed to resist lateral
loads and for container breakout protection, i.e., for preventing
the contents of the container, in case the container breaks, from
falling to the rails below and possibly causing a derailment.
Should the containers shift from their initial position on the
vertical load bearing truss members onto diagonal truss members
or supplemental breakout protection members, these latter
members, which are not designed to withstand significant vertical
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forces, can become damaged or possibly break and allow the
container to fall to the rails below.
It is, of course, possible to tie down the container in a
rail car or other transportation vessel by means of cabling or
the like in order to prevent the container from shifting during
transit. However, it will be necessary to eventually untie the
container which can require a considerable amount of time and
therefore be wasteful of human resources. It is also possible
to use various types of hooks and clasps to fasten the container
against a rail car wall. However, it is still necessary to
eventually unhook the container. Moreover, it is unlikely that
all containers will have the necessary structural attachment
elements such as hooking rings for fastening the container.
The present invention seeks to provide a mechanism for
preventing the displacement or shifting of containers in a
transportation vehicle which can be employed with many
standardized containers without modification thereto. Moreover,
the invention seeks to provide a mechanism which can be quickly
and easily employed.
SUM~ARY OF THE INVENTION
Broadly speaking, the invention provides a stop mechanism
having an elongate stop member which is pivotally mounted at one
end thereof to a wall of the transportation vehicle. In a stored
or retracted position, the elongate stop member is disposed
generally parallel to the vehicle wall but the member can be
actuated to transversely extend or project out from the vehicle
wall towards the interior of the vehicle and be maintained in
that position. In this manner, the elongate stop member
effectively compartmentalizes the interior space of the
transportation vehicle and prevents any container from shifting
or moving past the elongate member.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided
a mechanism for preventing displacement of a cargo container
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received in a cargo hold of a transport vehicle or vessel. The
mechanism includes an elongate stop member having a base end
portion and a distal end portion. The base end portion of the
elongate stop member is pivotably mounted on the transport
vehicle such that the distal end portion thereof is rotatable
between a retracted position wherein the distal end portion does
not substantially extend into the cargo hold and an extended
position wherein the distal end portion extends into the cargo
hold adjacent the cargo container, thereby preventing the cargo
container from shifting or moving past the member. Means are
provided for releasably locking the elongate member in the
retracted position and means are provided for releasably
maintaining the stop member in the extended position.
In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the
invention, the stop mechanism includes an external bracket which
is mounted on an exterior side-wall of the transport vehicle.
The base end of the elongate member is mounted to the exterior
bracket. In this embodiment, the vehicle side wall has an
opening therein sized to fully accommodate the elongate member
so that when the elongate member is maintained in the retracted
position, it is stored external of the vehicle cargo hold.
In the preferred embodiment, a latch mechanism is also
mounted on the exterior bracket thereby being accessible from the
exterior of the vehicle cargo hold. The latch mechanism
functions to releasably capture and retain the distal end portion
of the elongate stop member in the retracted position.
Further in accordance with the preferred embodiment, the
means for releasably maintaining the elongate stop member in the
extracted position includes the floor of the vehicle which is
disposed generally transverse of the vehicle side wall. The base
end of the elongate stop member is positioned adjacent the
vehicle sidewall such that when the elongate member is released
from the retracted position the distal end of the member is
seatable against or within the floor. In addition, the floor has
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a hole or depression for receiving and retaining the distal end
of the elongate member which is thereby braced at both ends
thereof.
According to another aspect of the invention, a rail car is
provided having the foregoing stop mechanism. In the preferred
embodiment thereof, two of the preferred stop mechanisms are
installed in opposed relation at approximately the middle of the
rail car. In this manner, the rail car can allow two short or
20' intermodal containers to be securely stored in a cargo hold
or well, yet, because the elongate member is stored outside of
the cargo hold, the same cargo hold can also be used to store a
very long 50' container.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention may be better understood by
considering the following detailed description taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stop mechanism in
accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, the
view being taken from above and showing the exterior of a portion
of a rail car side wall;
Figure 2 is a front view of the stop mechanism shown in
Figure l;
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the stop mechanism
illustrated in Figure 1, the view being taken along lines III-III
in Figure 2;
Figure 4 is an isolated perspective view of a preferred
embodiment of an elongate stop member, which is a component of
the stop mechanism illustrated in Figure l;
Figure 5 is a side view of the stop member shown in Figure
4;
2 1 ~5445
s
Figure 6 is a front view of the stop member shown in Figure
4;
Figure 7 is an isolated perspective view of a preferred
embodiment of a latch assembly, which is a component of the stop
mechanism illustrated in Figure 1;
Figure 8 is a top view of the latch assembly shown in Figure
7;
Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the latch assembly
shown in Figure 7, the view being taken along lines VIII-VIII in
Figure 8; and
Figure 10 is a side view of a railcar showing the location
of the stop mechanism of Figure 1 disposed in relation thereto.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Figs. 1 and 10 show a stop mechanism 20 in accordance with
the preferred embodiment mounted in a side wall 12 (shown in
fragmentary view in Fig. 1) of a railcar 10 (seen in its entirety
in Fig. 10). In the illustrated embodiment, the side wall 12 of
railcar 10 is joined to a container floor support casting 14
thereof by fasteners such as bolts 13 which fasten the side wall
12 and floor support casting 14 to an L-shaped member 16 that
serves to adjoin the wall and floor casting. The support casting
14 is welded at 15 to a floor cross member 17 that spans the
width of the railcar and connects to a second floor support
casting (not shown) present on the opposite side of the railcar.
This particular construction of the railcar is not materially
important to the invention for it can be employed with virtually
any type of rail car as well as with a variety of other types of
vehicles and/or vessels such as cars, trucks, freighters etc.
Referring particularly to Figs. 1-3, a pair of aligned
bracket members or braces 18, which together form a bracket, are
attached to the exterior of the vehicle side wall 12 by
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conventional methods such as welding etc. Each bracket member
18 has a wall segment 19 disposed substantially normal to side
wall 12. Hinge plates 22 and 23 (plate 23 is not shown in Fig.
1) are mounted by conventional means near the bottom of the wall
segment 19. An elongate stop member 24 is pivotally mounted
between bracket members 18 by a shaft 26 journalled therebetween.
In the illustrated embodiment, the shaft 26 extends from hinge
plate 22 through a first leg 28 and a second leg 30 of elongate
stop member 24 and into hinge plate 23, thereby journalling the
elongate member between the bracket members 18. As seen best in
Fig. 2, in the preferred embodiment, the elongate member 24 can
slide sideways for a short distance on the shaft 26.
The elongate stop member 24 is shown more clearly in
isolated view in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. Referring particularly to
these figures, the elongate stop member 24 comprises a base 32
and bifurcated legs 28 and 30 which extend therefrom. Each of
legs 28 and 30 includes axially aligned through-bores 34 which
serve to seat the shaft 26. Suitable friction reducing means
such as bearings (not shown) or grease may be disposed within the
bores 34 to reduce friction between the walls of the bore and the
portion of the shaft 26 communicating therewith. A handle or
rung 38 is attached by conventional means to the base and legs
of the elongate stop member 24 to enable an operator of the stop
mechanism 20 to step on or easily grasp and actuate the elongate
stop member 24, as described in greater detail below. For ease
of reference, the base end of stop member 24, including the
portion thereof wherein the shaft 26 is journalled, will be
referred to as the "base end portion" of member 24. The opposite
end of the elongate stop member 24 will hereinafter be termed the
"distal end portion" of member 24.
The distal end portion of member 24 includes a sloped or
ramped end face 36, the purpose of which will be described in
greater detail below. This distal end portion of member 24 also
includes an indentation 38 and engagement surfaces 41a and 41b
for engagement with the floor support casting 14, as described
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in greater detail below. The elongate member 24 additionally
includes ramped or sloped surfaces 39a and 39b adjacent to
respective side surfaces 35a and 35b. The combination of
surfaces 35a and 39a (or 35b and 39b) form a corner for abutting
the corner or corner casting of an intermodal container or other
type of large container, as described in greater detail below.
Referring particularly to Figs. 1, 7, 8 and 9, the stop
mechanism 20 includes a locking means such as latch assembly 40
which serves to releasably retain the elongate member 24 in an
upright, non-actuated position, alternatively referred to as the
"retracted position". The latch assembly 40 includes a cradle
member 42 which is preferably composed of a relatively flat
portion or seat 44 and a depending portion or under-hang 46 which
is orientated generally perpendicular to the seat 44. The seat
48 also includes an evacuated space or cutout 48 which bifurcates
the seat into arms 44A and 44B.
The cradle 42 is disposed between the wall segments 19 of
bracket members 18 such that the ends of the seat arms 44A and
44B abut the vehicle side wall 12. The cutout 48 of the cradle
faces and is adjacent an opening 50 present in the vehicle side
wall 12 to enable the elongate support arm 24 to swing through
the vehicle side wall 12 and into the cradle 42. Thus, the
elongate member 24 is stored outside of the cargo hold.
A latch 52 is disposed transverse of the entrance to the
cradle cutout 48. Means are provided for biasing the latch 52
against the cradle member. Such means include struts 52A and 52B
which extend from the latch 52 and are rigidly connected to a pin
54. The pin 54 is rotatably housed within a sleeve 56 that is
rigidly mounted to the seat 44. Springs 57 and 58 connect the
latch 52 to the under-hang 46 of the cradle 42 thereby biasing
the latch against the cradle. A handle 60 is mounted to the seat
44 so as to enable an operator to release the latch 52 from its
biased position, it being apparent that the latch 52 can rotate
about an axis defined by the pin 54.
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Referring particularly to Fig. 3, the vehicle container
support casting 14 includes a hole, hollow or depression 62 which
is sized to receive the distal end portion of the elongate stop
member 24 so that the elongate member engagement surfaces 41a or
41b can abut a sidewall of the hole or depression 62. The upper
end of the walls of the depression 62 are also bevelled or angled
(at 64) to matingly receive the indentations 38 of the elongate
member 24.
The operation of the stop mechanism 20 can be best
understood by particular reference to Figs. 1-3. Initially, the
distal end of the elongate member 24 is retained in the cradle
42. In this position, the elongate member 24 is stored exterior
of the vehicle cargo hold, which in the preferred embodiment is
a well. It will be appreciated that the elongate member 24
cannot move from this retracted position because one side of the
elongate member 24 abuts against the immovable cradle seat 44 and
the opposite side of the elongate member 24 abuts the latch 52.
The sloped end face 36 of the elongate member provides a peak 37
which is vertically higher than the vertical position of the
cross-member 52 thereby preventing the elongate member 24 from
sliding underneath the latch 52. On the other hand, the opposite
end of end face 36 has a vertical position which is lower than
the vertical position of the latch 52 so that the end face 36 can
urge or shunt the latch 52 away from its biased position when the
distal end of the elongate member is being directed into the
cradle 42.
To release the elongate member 24 from the retracted
position, the latch handle 60 is lifted upward by an operator
thereby releasing the latch 52 from its biased position. At
this point, the elongate member 24 is free to rotate out of the
cradle 42 and into the actuated or extended position (the
extended position is illustrated in Fig. 3 by a phantom elongate
member 24'). A simple push of the elongate member 24 is
sufficient to urge it to rotate about shaft 26 and fall into the
extended position.
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In the extended position, the elongate member side surface
35b (or 35a) abuts an intermodal container or other type of large
container (shown in phantom in Fig. 3 by reference numeral 43).
In the preferred embodiment, the distal end of the elongate
member 24 is retained in the hole or depression 62 present in the
vehicle floor support casting 14. The indentation 38 of the
elongate member matingly engages with the angled edge 64 of the
floor support casting 14. Because the elongate member 24 can
slide sideways a short distance, as described above, one of the
elongate member engagement surfaces 41b (or 41a) will abut a
sidewall of the hole or depression 62 thereby bracing the
distal end portion of the elongate member.
It will also be seen that, in the extended position, sloped
elongate member surfaces 39a and 39b are vertically orientated
thereby enabling the corner combination of elongate member
surfaces 35b and 39b (or 35a and 39a, depending on where the
container 43 is positioned) to form a corner which abuts the
corner or corner casting of container 43. In this, manner, the
stop mechanism 20, either in conjunction with an opposed vehicle
side wall or another, opposed stop mechanism 20, can laterally,
as well as longitudinally, seat the container in the cargo hold
or well.
During transit, lateral and longitudinal forces acting upon
the container 43 will be transferred to the elongate member 24
which in turn will transfer these forces to the vehicle sidewall
12 and, in the preferred embodiment, to the floor support casting
14. Where substantive forces are expected, the vehicle sidewall
12 and floor support casting 14 should be sufficiently sturdy to
withstand such forces. Moreover, the elongate member 24 should
be sufficiently sturdy and the area of contact between the
elongate member engagement surfaces 41a or 41b and the sidewall
of the hole or depression 62 should be sufficiently large to
prevent the elongate member from crushing under strong
longitudinal forces.
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Once the elongate stop member 24 is actuated to be in the
extended position, the stop member 24 effectively
compartmentalizes the railcar well so that no container having
a width approaching the width of the railcar well can shift, move
or otherwise be displaced past the elongate stop member 24 due
to inertial or dynamic forces encountered during transit.
To return the elongate stop member to the parallel position,
an operator need simply step on or otherwise force rung 38
downward thereby directing the distal end of the elongate member
into the cradle 42, as described above, whereby the elongate
member is locked in the retracted position.
A number of variations can be made to the preferred
embodiment. For example, the elongate member can be mounted in
the interior of the vehicle, or the base end of the elongate
member can literally be mounted in the vehicle side wall as
opposed to being mounted on any exterior or interior brackets.
Depending on the forces encountered during transit and the shear
strength of the vehicle sidewall, it may also not be necessarily
to incorporate a hole or depression in the vehicle floor to
accommodate the distal end of the elongate stop member. Thus, one
means for maintaining the elongate member in the extracted
position is simply the floor of the vehicle. Other variations
to such means are also contemplated by the invention, including
the use of an articulated arm (not shown) or limited motion hinge
(not shown) which can be attached between the vehicle wall and
the elongate member to prevent the elongate member from falling
to the floor yet maintain it so that it extends perpendicular of
the vehicle side wall.
The forgoing description has been made with reference to the
preferred embodiment of the invention. However, it is possible
to make other embodiments that employ the principles of the
invention and that fall within its spirit and scope as defined
by the following claims.
