ADJUSTABLE DECKING SYSTEM

SYSTEME DE PLATE-FORME REGLABLE

English Abstract

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an improved adjustable and vertically lockable decking system for use in supporting freight in a cargo vessel wherein the vessel has opposing side walls. The system comprises at least one pair of elongated strips, each of the pair adapted to be mounted vertically on each of the opposing walls. Each of the strips comprises a plurality of vertically spaced apertures. There is also provided a horizontally oriented support assembly being horizontally adjustable in length so as to span a width of the vessel between the opposing side walls. The assembly is pivotally connected at opposing ends thereof to a latching assembly. The latching assembly comprises a body member, a locking means constructed so as to be moveable between a locked position in which the locking means mateably engages one of the apertures in the strip so as to releasably lock the support assembly in one of a plurality of vertical positions relative to and between the elongated strips and an unlocked position in which the support assembly is moveable to another of the vertical positions, and biasing means to urge the locking means into the aperture. In use, the locking means may only be released from the locked position by means of force exerted directly upon the locking means.

French Abstract

Conformément à la présente invention, on propose un système amélioré de plate-forme réglable et verrouillable à la verticale, à utiliser pour soutenir des marchandises dans un conteneur de chargement, le conteneur ayant des parois latérales opposées. Le système se compose d'au moins une paire de bandes allongées, donc chacune peut être installée verticalement sur chacune des parois opposées. Chacune des bandes comprend une pluralité d'ouvertures espacées verticalement. On prévoit également un ensemble de support orienté horizontalement, dont la longueur est réglable horizontalement afin de s'étendre sur toute la largeur du conteneur entre les parois latérales opposées. L'ensemble est relié en pivot au niveau de ses extrémités opposées à un ensemble de verrouillage. L'ensemble de verrouillage comprend un élément de corps, un dispositif de blocage construit de manière à pouvoir se déplacer entre une position bloquée, dans laquelle le dispositif de blocage entre en accouplement avec l'une des ouvertures dans la bande, afin de bloquer de manière libérable l'ensemble de support dans l'une d'une pluralité de positions verticales par rapport aux bandes allongées et entre celles-ci, et une position débloquée, dans laquelle l'ensemble de support peut se déplacer vers une autre des positions verticales, et un dispositif de contrainte poussant le dispositif de blocage dans l'ouverture. À l'usage, le dispositif de blocage peut seulement être libéré de la position bloquée en exerçant une force directement sur le dispositif de blocage.

Claims

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THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY
OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:-/WHAT I/WE CLAIM
AS MY/OUR INVENTION:
1. An adjustable and vertically lockable decking system for use in supporting
freight in a cargo vessel wherein said vessel has opposing side walls, the
system comprising:
at least one pair of elongated strips, each of said pair adapted to be mounted
vertically on each of said opposing side walls wherein each of said strips
comprises a plurality
of vertically spaced apertures;
a horizontally oriented support assembly being horizontally adjustable in
length
so as to span a width of said vessel between said opposing side walls, said
support assembly
being pivotally connected at opposing ends thereof to a respective latching
assembly,
said latching assembly comprising a body member; a locking means constructed
so as to be pivotally moveable between a locked position wherein said locking
means mateably
engages one of said apertures in a respective said strip so as to releasably
lock said support
assembly in one of a plurality of vertical positions relative to and between
said elongated strips
and an unlocked position wherein said support assembly is moveable to another
of said vertical
positions, and biasing means to urge said locking means into said aperture,
said locking means
comprising a lever having a longitudinal member pivotally connected to said
body member and
a laterally projecting member, said laterally projecting member designed so as
to engage said
apertures of said elongated strips in said locked position,

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wherein in use, said locking means may only be released from said locked
position by means of force exerted directly upon said lever, from below said
laterally
projecting member.
2. The system of Claim 1 further comprising a step in said laterally
projecting
member constructed so as to lockably engage an upper inside edge of said
aperture when said
locking means is in said locked position.
3. The system of Claim 2 wherein said step comprises a notch in a vertically
leading edge of said laterally projecting member.
4. The system of Claim 1 wherein said support assembly comprises an exterior
hollow tubular member and a pair of interior members, each connected at one
end in horizontal
telescoping arrangement with said tubular member and pivotally connected at
another end to
said latching assembly.
5. The system of Claim 1 further comprising wedge means for disengaging said
locking means from said aperture so as to move said locking means to said
unlocked position.
6. The system of Claim 5 further comprising a groove in said body member
constructed so as to accept said wedge means to facilitate disengagement of
said locking means
from said aperture.

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7. An adjustable and vertically lockable decking system for use in supporting
freight in a cargo vessel wherein said vessel has opposing side walls, the
system comprising:
at least one pair of elongated strips, each of said pair adapted to be mounted
vertically on each of said opposing side walls wherein each of said strips
comprises a plurality
of vertically spaced apertures;
a horizontally oriented support assembly being horizontally adjustable in
length
so as to span a width of said vessel between said opposing side walls, said
support assembly
being pivotally connected at opposing ends thereof to a respective latching
assembly,
said latching assembly comprising a body member, a locking means constructed
so as to be moveable between a locked position wherein said locking means
mateably engages
one of said apertures in a respective said strip so as to releasably lock said
support assembly
in one of a plurality of vertical positions relative to and between said
elongated strips and an
unlocked position wherein said support assembly is moveable to another of said
vertical
positions, and biasing means to urge said locking means into said aperture,
said locking means
comprising a lever having a longitudinal member pivotally connected to said
body member and
a laterally projecting member, said laterally projecting member comprising an
indentation
constructed so as to engage an upper inside edge of said aperture when said
laterally projecting
member is mateably engaged with said aperture in said locked position,
wherein in use, said locking means may only be released from said locked
position by means of force exerted directly upon said lever.

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8. In a vertically adjustable decking system for use in supporting freight in
a cargo
vessel wherein said vessel has opposing side walls and said system comprises
at least one pair
of vertically oriented elongated strips fastened to said opposing side walls
and having a
plurality of vertically spaced apertures therein, a locking apparatus moveable
between a locked
position for vertically securing a beam assembly in position between said pair
of elongated
strips and an unlocked position wherein said beam assembly may be moved to a
different
vertical position, said locking apparatus comprising a lever assembly having
biasing means
urging said lever assembly into said locked position wherein a projection
mateably engages said
apertures, said projection being stepped to prevent premature release of said
locking apparatus
from said locked position.

Description

CA 02234534 1998-04-09
TITLE OF THE INVENTION
ADJUSTABLE DECKING SYSTEM
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an adjustable decking system for use in supporting
freight in a cargo vessel.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Freight is regularly transported by air, sea, land and rail. In each case, the
freight is loaded into a cargo vessel, such as the trailer of a truck or a
railway freight car.
Unfortunately, due to limitations in the support or decking assemblies within
the cargo vessels,
the full area of the vessel is not utilized. In particular, the top half or so
of the vessel is
typically referred to as dead space because it is often left empty due to the
impracticalities of
loading that dead space with cargo.
Since freight transportation companies are often paid by weight or volume, it
is thus highly desirable to fmd a way to maximize the use of the space within
the cargo vessel,
in particular, to use the dead space.
Cargo is often supported within the vessel on a decking or shelving system and
therefore, it is desirable to have a decking or shelving system which is
vertically adjustable to
support cargo in the vertical dead spaces and which system can also
accommodate various
levels of decking or shelving. However, it is crucial that the system be
securely locked in any

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one vertical position yet at the same time be easily manouevred to another
vertical position,
either to accommodate different load configurations or for stowage when not in
use.
While multi-level decking systems are known and currently employed in the
freight transportation industry, the applicant is not aware of any systems
which maximize the
full cargo space of the vessel by allowing use of the vertical dead space,
which are easily
adjustable in height and width, yet which securely lock the cross members in
place to prevent
unwanted vertical movement of the cross members. Indeed, the applicant is
aware of a current
problem in the industry, particularly in the trucking industry, in which
decking systems that
are vertically positioned at different levels by means of pins mating with
apertures in tracks are
prone to become dislodged by virtue of the normal motion and jostling of the
cargo vessel or
by virtue of upwards force exerted on the cross-member.
By way of example of cargo support systems which have been designed in the
past but which fail to adequately address the design concerns of the industry,
the applicant is
aware of the following references: Canadian Patent 464,167 of Evans Products
Company,
issued April 4, 1950; Canadian Patent 683,264 also of Evans Products Company,
issued March
31, 1964; U.S. Patent 3,534, 692 of Val Verde, issued October 20, 1970; U.S.
Patent
4,079,677, of Vandergriff et al., issued March 21, 1978; and U.S. Patent
4,091,745, of Patch,
issued May 30, 1978. The applicant is also aware of U.S. Patent 5,338,137, of
Jensen, issued
August 16, 1994, which describes an adjustable decking system in which a
spring activated
latching member is engaged within an opening in a vertically oriented track to
secure a beam
assembly in place. However, the latching member of the Jensen reference is
designed to be
easily moved from one vertical position to another. Therefore, the latching
member is prone

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to be easily dislodged from its vertical position by a person exerting an
upward force of the
beam assembly, or by the simple movement of the cargo vessel, caused for
example by the
truck passing over potholes or the like in roads, with the result that the
cargo will fall from its
support.
SUNINIARY OF THE INVENTION
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable and
vertically lockable decking system for use in supporting freight in a cargo
vessel.
In one aspect of the invention, there is provided an adjustable and vertically
lockable decking system for use in supporting freight in a cargo vessel
wherein the vessel has
opposing side walls. The system comprises at least one pair of elongated
strips, each of the
pair adapted to be mounted vertically on each of the opposing walls. Each of
the strips
comprises a plurality of vertically spaced apertures. There is also provided a
horizontally
oriented support assembly being horizontally adjustable in length so as to
span a width of the
vessel between the opposing side walls. The assembly is pivotally connected at
opposing ends
thereof to a latching assembly. The latching assembly comprises a body member,
a locking
means constructed so as to be moveable between a locked position in which the
locking means
mateably engages one of the apertures in the strip so as to releasably lock
the support assembly
in one of a plurality of vertical positions relative to and between the
elongated strips and an
unlocked position in which the support assembly is moveable to another of the
vertical
positions, and biasing means to urge the locking means into the aperture. In
use, the locking

CA 02234534 1998-04-09
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means may only be released from the locked position by means of force exerted
directly upon
the locking means.
In another aspect of the invention, the locking means comprises a lever which
has a longitudinal member pivotally connected to the body member and a
laterally projecting
member. The laterally projecting member is designed so as to engage the
apertures of the
elongated strips in the locked position.
In another aspect of the invention, the locking means further comprises a step
in the laterally projecting member constructed so as to lockably engage an
upper inside edge
of the aperture when the locking means is in the locked position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading
the following detailed description and upon referring to the drawings in
which:-
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the present invention, shown in situ within
a cargo vessel.
FIGURE 2 is a perspective fragmentary view of the system in accordance with
a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIGURE 3 is a side elevation view, partially in section, of the present
invention
in the locked position.

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FIGURE 4 is a side elevation view, partially in section, of the present
invention
in the unlocked position.
FIGURE 5 is a side elevation, partially in section, of a preferred embodiment
of the present invention.
While the invention will be described in conjunction with illustrated
embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the
invention to such
embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives,
modifications and
equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as
defined by the
appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In the following description, similar features in the drawings have been given
similar reference numerals.
Turning to the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates an adjustable and vertically
self
locking system 2 designed of a heavier construction than those standard in the
industry for use
in supporting freight 4 in a cargo vessel 6, such as a truck (as illustrated),
train car, ship hold
or plane cargo area. In any of these cases, the vessel 6 has opposing side
walls 8, spaced apart
to define a width w.
The system 2 comprises at least one pair of tracks 10 which are elongated
strips
of aluminum extrusions, or some other suitable material such as steel. As will
be apparent to
the person skilled in the art, the system 2 can comprise any number of pairs
of tracks 10 to

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suit the cargo vessel 6. For example, a single pair of tracks 10 could be used
where the vessel
6 already incorporates a shelf or some similar support means (not shown) as a
standard
component. Alternatively, two or more pairs of tracks 10 could be used, as
shown in Figure
1. Each of the tracks 10 comprises a series of vertically spaced apertures 12,
preferably in the
form of square holes, along the length of the track 10.
With reference to Figures 2 to 5, the system 2 is further comprised of a
horizontal support assembly, shown generally at 16 and a latching assembly,
shown generally
at 18. The support assembly 16 comprises an exterior hollow tubular beam 20
which is
designed to span the width w of the vessel 6 and an interior beam 22 located
at either end of
the tubular beam 20. The interior beams 22 are each of heavier design than the
exterior beam
and have a heavier wall thickness to account for the stresses and bending
moments exerted
upon the ends 24 of the support assembly 16.
The interior beams 22 are each pinned or pivotally connected at 23 to a
latching
assembly 18 to accommodate the lifting or lowering of the support assembly 16.
One end 26
15 of the interior beam 22 is stationary while the other end has a slot 30 to
provide a telescoping
movement of the support assembly 16 to account for different widths of vessel
6.
The latching assembly 18 comprises a body member or carriage 40 which is of
a heavier design than conventional systems to allow for the unique locking
means 42 (to be
discussed in greater detail below) and for a greater loading capacity on the
support assembly
20 16. The latching assembly 18 also carries spring 46, which biases the
locking means 42 into
the locked or engaged position.

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The locking means 42 comprises a lever 44 pivotally connected to the carriage
40 at 47 and a laterally projecting member 48 partway along its length. The
lateral projection
48 is designed to fit within the aperture 12 so as to place the latching
assembly 18 in the locked
position 50, as shown in Figure 3. The lateral projection 48 is locked in
place within the
aperture 12 by means of the step or notch 52 in the vertically leading edge 54
of the projection
48. The notch 52 is oriented at 90 degrees to the center line of the pivot
point 47 of the lever
44 to the carriage 40. Thus, the projection 48 cannot be accidentally
dislodged from the
aperture 12 and hence the locked position 50.
Under normal conditions, the oscillations and vibrations experienced by the
locking means 42 will cause the projection 48 to move horizontally and will
want to move the
projection 48 vertically out of the aperture 12. However, the notch 52 will
abut the upper
inside edge 56 of the aperture 12 thus stopping the vertical movement and
preventing any
premature disengagement of the latching assembly 18. The step or notch 52 also
eliminates
the need for an additional locking pin on the latching assembly 18, thereby
simplifying the
design and construction of the entire system 2. Therefore, without exerting
direct upwards
force on the locking lever 44, the projection 48 cannot be released from the
locked position 50
and the support assembly 16 cannot be moved vertically.
With reference to Figure 5, the system 2 is also provided with a decking tool
60 in the form of a wedge 62 located on the end of an elongated pole 64 or the
like. The
wedge 62 is shaped to slide along an outer face 66 of the track 10 and fit
within a v-shaped
groove 68 machined in the rear of the carriage 40. This allows the operator to
release the
locking means 42 from the locked position 50 by exerting a direct upward force
on the lever

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44. The latching assembly 18 is then in the unlocked position, shown at 70, in
Figure 4, and
the support assembly 16 can be raised or lowered to another vertical position
as desired. For
convenience, when not in use, the support assembly 16 can be moved to the very
top, or very
bottom of the vessel 6.
With the system 2 of the present invention, the cargo 4 can be stored within
the
vessel 6 in such a way so as to maximize the space within the vessel 6,
particularly vertically,
by positioning the support assembly 16 at any one of a series of vertical
positions between and
relative to the tracks 10.
Thus, it is apparent that there has been provided in accordance with the
invention an adjustable decking system that fully satisfies the objects, aims
and advantages set
forth above. While the invention has been described in conjunction with
illustrated
embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and
variations will be
apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description.
Accordingly, it is
intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations as
fall within the spirit
and broad scope of the invention.

Representative Drawing