Lading Tie Anchor

Abstract

A lading tie anchor assembly for a railway car comprises a C-shaped retainer to be welded to the car frame and having a concave spherical surface engaged by a convex spherical surface of a trunnion the neck of which extends through the slot in the retainer with an endwise extending bifurcated section between the furcations of which one corner of a triangularly shaped link is pivoted. The link has a lading tie receiving slot along its side opposite the one corner the outer side of which is convexly curved and the ends are semi-circular.

Description

This invention relates, generally, to lading tie anchors for railway cars and it has particular relation to retractable anchors for flat cars.

Among the objects of this invention are: To reduce the breaking of lading ties, particularly lading straps; to avoid stressing the edges of lading straps when applied to lading tie anchor assemblies; to provide a lading tie anchor assmebly to which a straight line pull is applied by a lading strap from any operative angle; and to provide for retracting the upstanding portion of the assembly below the surface of the deck of the railway car to which it is applied when not in use.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the deck of a railway car with which the lading tie assembly embodying the present invention is adapted to be used.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view, at an enlarged scale, taken generally along line 2--2 of FIG. 1 and showing details of construction of the lading tie assembly.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view taken generally along line 3--3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken generally along line 4--4 of FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawings, reference character 10 designates, generally, a transportation vehicle, such as a railway flat car, the deck of which is formed by wood planks 11 some of which are shorter than others to provide end pockets 12 for receiving lading tie assemblies 13 and are arranged to receive lading straps 14 or lading wires or cables 15 for holding lading 16, FIG. 1, in place on the flat car 10. In many instances the lading straps 14 are required to extend at various angles to the vertical as illustrated in FIG. 2. It is to accommodate lading straps 14 and wires or cables 15 at these various angles and yet provide a straight line pull for the straps without stressing the edges thereof that this invention is particularly directed.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 the lading tie assembly 13 includes a C-shaped retainer, shown generally at 17 and preferably a steel forging, which is secured by welding 18 to the upper surface of a horizontal flange 19 that forms a part of a side sill angle 20. The retainer 17 has a slot 23 with square sides 24 and a semi-circular end 25. The underside of the retainer 17 is formed with a spherical concave surface 26 the center of curvature is located at 27. The concave surface 26 may have a radius 28 of 0.90 inches. However, it will be understood that this may vary.

Rotatably mounted on the retainer 17 and engaging the spherical surface 26 is a spherical convex surface 30 on a bulbous lower end 31 of a trunnion that is indicated, generally at 32. The convex surface 30 may have a radius 30' of 0.87 inch, slightly less than radius 28 to provide for relative rotation of the trunion 32 with respect to the retainer 17. The center of curvature of the convex surface 30 is also at 27. Extending upwardly from the bulbous lower end 31 of the trunnion 32, which preferably is a steel forging, is a neck portion 33 having a circular cross section. The neck portion 33 extends through the slot 23 and has an integral bifurcated upper end 34, the furcations 35 of which have registering apertures 36 for receiving a transverse pin 37.

The pin 37 extends through an aperture 38 in a generally triangularly shaped link, shown generally at 39, which is preferably a steel forging. The link 39 is plate-like in configuration with the aperture 38 near one apex and is pivoted about a horizontal axis 42, as illustrated in FIG. 2, that extends through the pin 37. The link 39, together with the trunnion 32, is rotatable about a vertical axis 43 that extends through the axis 42 and the center of curvature 27 of the spherical surfaces 26 and 30.

For receiving the lading strap 14, as shown in FIG. 2, the link 39 has an arcuate slot 44. The side 45 away from the pin 37 has a radius 46 of several inches to limit engagement with the lading strap 14 to a location between its edges thereby avoiding stressing them while allowing it to be stressed always along a straight line. The side 45 is also transversely curved as indicated at 47 in FIG. 4 to provide surface contact with the lading strap 14.

Semi-circular surfaces 48 are provided at the ends of the slot 44 with transversely curved surfaces for receiving lading cables or wires 15.

The link 39 and the trunion 32 form a sub-assembly for insertion of the pin 37 which then is headed over at 49. Care is taken to leave the link 39 to pivot freely on the trunnion 32. In making the application of the assembly 13 to the railway car 10 the bulbous lower end 31 is first inserted in the retainer 17 through the slot 23 and then the retainer 17 is welded in place on the flange 19 with the slot 23 opening toward the inner end of the respective pocket 12 as shown in FIG. 4. This permits the assembly 13 to be swung to the retracted position entirely below the surface of the planks 11. The semi-circular end or shoulder 25 of the slot 23 is engaged by the neck portion 33 to limit outward swinging of the link 39 and trunnion 32 beyond a vertical position.

Using the construction of the lading tie assembly 13 as disclosed herein the lading strap 14 is anchored in such manner that, for various angles of loading, a straight pull is exerted on it at any operative angle. This is of particular importance when the lading strap 14 is employed in connection with irregularly shaped lading. Also the edges of the lading strap 14 are not over stressed. These results are due to the provision of the arcuate slot 44 in the link 39, the pivoting of the link 39 about axis 42 at right angles to the axis 43 of rotation of the link 39 and trunnion 32 and also their rotation about the center of curvature 27 of the spherical surfaces 26 and 30.

Claims

We claim:

1. A lading tie anchor assembly for a railway car comprising an inverted cup shaped retainer adapted to be secured to said railway car, said retainer having a generally spherical inner concave surface and a centrally located aperture; a trunnion having a bulbous lower end within said retainer having a generally spherical outer convex surface complemental to and for pivotal movement with respect to said inner concave surface, a neck portion extending from said bulbous lower end through said aperture, and a bifurcated upper end the furcations of which are apertured; a generally triangularly shaped plate-like link having a pin receiving aperture near one corner for registry with said apertures in said furcations, and a lading tie receiving slot extending along its side opposite said corner; and a pin extending through said apertures for pivotally mounting said link on said trunnion.

2. A lading tie anchor assembly according to claim 1 wherein said retainer has a slot extending from said centrally located aperture toward one edge of said retainer whereby said trunnion and said link can be shifted to retracted position.