Restraint for conveyorized trailers and the like

Abstract

A vehicle-mounted roller conveyor has three parallel sets of rollers with two aisles therebetween. A restraining member in each aisle movable laterally and downwardly is biased to a raised position in which it is interengageable with the side of a container which overlies only two of the sets of rollers. If a container completely overlies the aisle itself, an inclined actuating shoe engageable by the container moves the restraining members out of the way.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Rapid handling and transferring of containerized and palletized cargo at air terminals and specialized air freight facilities makes it increasingly desirable to use vehicles having power-driven conveyors mounted thereon. Containers of varying widths, and containers oriented differently on the conveyor system, may overlie less than the full width of the conveyor system. It is nevertheless necessary to restrain all such containers against shifting while the vehicle is in motion. The present invention has as its object to provide improved restraining apparatus which effectively restrains containers which occupy less than the full width of the conveyor system, but which is automatically moved to a non-interfering position by a container of greater width or which must occupy the same area as the restraining apparatus itself. Related objects are to provide restraining means of the indicated character which is simple, rugged and positive in operation, compact, light in weight and low in cost.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon consideration of the present disclosure in its entirety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conveyorized semi-trailer with cargo containers thereon and typifying an environment in which the invention is adapted to be used;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view on a larger scale showing the improved restraining means and adjacent portions of the vehicle and conveyor system;

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevational view taken substantially as indicated by the line III--III in FIG. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows, showing the improved restraining means as viewed from the rear and in raised position, also fragmentarily showing a portion of a cargo container restrained thereby;

FIG. 4 is a view taken on the same line showing the restraining unit in retracted position; and

FIG. 5 is a top plan view thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED FORM OF THE INVENTION

Reference character 10 designates generally a semi-trailer illustrated as typifying a vehicle in connection with which the invention is adapted to be used. The semi-trailer has a flat bed containing three parallel lines of conveyor rollers, generally designated 11, 12 and 13, extending lengthwise thereof. The rollers 15 may be of conventional construction and are freely journaled in suitable longitudinal frame rails as 16, 17, 18 of the vehicle. The three lines of conveyor rollers are spaced apart to provide two longitudinal aisles 24, 25 therebetween. As shown in FIG. 2 the aisles may be provided with walkway gratings as 27 and similar gratings may of course be installed between the rollers, if desired.

The aisles accommodate conveyor chain 30 and hook-like components (not shown) attached thereto for moving cargo along the rollers. Such actuating means form no part of the present invention and the details thereof need not be considered herein.

Containers, pallets and the like with which this apparatus is intended to be used are provided with laterally extending bottom flanges, one of which is shown at 33 in FIG. 3, and such cargo containers, pallets and the like are constructed in transverse dimensions which are standardized to the extent that they are either approximately two-thirds the width of the vehicle, or the full width of the vehicle.

Carried by each of the longitudinal side rails 16, 21 of the vehicle are guard rails 34, 35 which prevent lateral movement of cargo members off of the bed. The guard rails 34, 35 are carried by posts 36 welded to the side frame rails. The posts have inturned top hook portions 38 adapted to overengage the flanges 33 of the cargo members.

Containers and the like which are of less than the full width, such as the container 40 shown in FIG. 1, are always placed in engagement with one or the other of the side rails 34, 35, so that top hook portions 38 overengage the bottom flange along the outer side, and at such time the other end of the base of the standardized part-width container overlies the farther aisle (aisle 25, as shown in FIG. 1) while a mid portion of the bottom of the container overlies the other aisle (24).

In each of the aisles, at suitably longitudinally spaced positions, restraining assemblies are installed in wells 65 in the aisleways as by being welded to the frame structure of the vehicle. As all of the restraining assemblies are alike, description of one will suffice. Each assembly includes a hook-like restraining member 42 biased upwardly and inwardly, toward the opposite aisle, in such manner that the container bottom flange farthest from the side rail which the container abuts will slide under the restraining hook 42 as the container is moved along the conveyor system, and will be restrained thereby when the container is at rest.

The restraining hook 42 is pivoted on a longitudinally extending pin 44. An arm 45 fixed with respect to the hook 42 is urged by a tension spring 46 in a direction to rock the hook upwardly and inwardly, the farther end of the spring 46 being engaged in an abutment portion 48 carried by the frame 52 of the restraining mechanism. The pin 44 is mounted in the side walls of the restraining mechanism frame 52, which is U-shaped when viewed in plan, as in FIG. 5.

The frame 52 carries at a position spaced laterally from pin 44 a second pivot pin 54 serving as a pivotal mounting for a shoe assembly generally designated 55 having top tapered portions generally designated 50, 51 at each end. The tapered portions include top sloping surfaces 56, 57, which incline downwardly from the central portion of the shoe, and front sloping surfaces 58, 59, which incline laterally away from the centerline of the vehicle as they diverge from the central portion of the shoe. The shoe assembly has a centrally relieved area 60 to provide clearance for the restraining hook 42, arm 45 and related parts, the relieved area being bridged by a bar 62 fast in the two end portions 56, 58 and extending through and close to the interior of the hook portion 42 as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The relationship between the path of movement of the bar 62 as the shoe assembly swings about the axis of pin 54, and the shape and arc of movement of the hook 42 are such that when the shoe assembly is forced downwardly, the bar 62 in moving from the raised position in which the parts are shown in FIG. 3 to the lowered position of FIG. 4 swings the hook outwardly away from the container flange 33 and downwardly to the retracted position in which the hook lies entirely below the top plane of the rollers 15. When the shoe is elevated, its central portion projects above the top plane of the rollers, as shown, but the tapered end portions incline downwardly toward the front and rear to an elevation below such plane.

A part-width container such as the container 40 is so placed on the trailer bed that it closely abuts one of the rails 34, 35 (left rail 34 when oriented as shown). It then completely overlies one aisle (left aisle 24, as shown). As it rides toward the front or rear of the trailer, the bottom of the container engages the sloping shoe portions 56 and 57 of the restraining mechanisms contained in aisle 24, thereby automatically moving the restraining hooks 42 thereof downwardly out of the way into the well area 65 in which the restraining assemblies are installed. The end of the base portion of the container 40 which is over the aisle 25, however, will be positioned so that its bottom flange 33 will slide under the hook portions 42 of the raised restraining mechanisms in the aisle 25. The restraining mechanisms are spaced closely enough so that when the container comes to rest, the flange will be overlaid by at least one of the hooks 42, while its opposite outer flange will also be overengaged by one of the holding portions 38.

If the container is positioned too far from the side of the vehicle to properly underengage the hooks 42, the front sloping surfaces 58 or 59 will cam the container into proper alignment.

When the shoe and hook parts are in raised position to confine a part-width container, the container is confined against lateral displacement by the outer rail as 34 along its outer side, and by the integral nose wall portions 66, 68 of the central area of the shoe along its other side.

It is sometimes desirable to move a shoe and its hook 42 to their depressed/released positioning, to enable lifting a container upwardly off the vehicle, as for example by means of a fork lift truck, crane or the like. To enable a workman to depress the shoe in a convenient manner, and thereby retract the hook 42, a crank arm 72 is provided, fast on a rock shaft 74 which extends to and is operable by a handle 75 at the side of the vehicle, the crank arm being connected to the shoe 55 by a tension member 76 such as a link, cable or chain, and the parts being arranged so that rotation of the handle pulls the shoe down against its biasing spring 46, thereby also retracting hook 42.

The rock shaft may as shown extend transversely of the vehicle through frame members as 16, 17 in which it is journaled, and from the former of which it projects to the exterior where it carries the handle 75 at a convenient location beside the vehicle. The shaft and crank arm 72 are positioned and proportioned so that the free end of the arm lies under the shoe, to which it is connected by the tension member 76, which is illustrated as a cable.

Although such a release means may be provided for each shoe, a release for only one shoe in each aisle will often be all that is desired, if it is practical simply to move the containers to the manually releasable unit when lifting off is required.

The rock shaft may also extend entirely across the vehicle and be similarly connected to aligned shoes in both aisles.

In order to lift the container with the hook retracted, it is of course merely necessary to shift it slightly away from the side, to free it from the fixed hook means 38.

A protective shield 70 is provided in the well 65 to prevent interference between any of the parts, such as the conveyor chain mechanism 30, and the restraining mechanism.

This Detailed Description of Preferred Form of the Invention, and the accompanying drawings, have been furnished in compliance with the statutory requirement to set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventors of carrying out the invention. The prior portions consisting of the "Abstract of the Disclosure" and the "Background of the Invention" are furnished without prejudice to comply with administrative requirements of the Patent Office.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. In a conveyorized vehicle having a conveyor system thereon along which cargo members of different widths are movable, cargo restraining means carried by the vehicle in areas between spaced elements of the conveyor system and spaced from both sides of such system, said restraining means including a restraining element movable between a raised holding position in which it projects above the top plane of the conveyor system and a depressed position below such plane, means biasing said element to the raised position, and an actuating shoe for the restraining element engageable by a cargo member which extends laterally thereover in bridging relation thereto while resting on the conveyor, to move the restraining means down to the retracted position, and whereby at other times said element is raised and is thereby effective to extend upwardly beside and restrain a cargo member which lies to one side of such bridging position.

2. Cargo restraining means as defined in claim 1 wherein the shoe has downwardly inclined camming portions engageable by a cargo member moving into the position corresponding to such bridging relation to effect such downward movement of the restraining element, and said shoe also has laterally inclined camming portions for guiding such a cargo member to a desired position to one side of the restraining element.

3. Cargo restraining means as defined in claim 1 wherein said restraining element is a hook-like member movable laterally as well as upwardly when moving to the raised holding position whereby it may overlie part of a cargo member to restrain upward movement thereof.

4. Cargo restraining means as defined in claim 2 wherein said restraining element is a hook-like member movable laterally as well as upwardly when moving to the raised holding position whereby it may overlie part of a cargo member to restrain upward movement thereof.

5. Cargo restraining means as defined in claim 1 wherein the restraining element is movable laterally as well as upwardly and is effective to restrain unwanted vertical movement of a cargo member lying to one side thereof, and laterally facing abutment portions carried by the shoe for restraining unwanted lateral movement of such a cargo member.

6. Cargo restraining means as defined in claim 2 wherein the restraining element is movable laterally as well as upwardly and is effective to restrain unwanted vertical movement of a cargo member lying to one side thereof, and laterally facing abutment portions carried by the shoe for restraining unwanted lateral movement of such a cargo member.

7. In a conveyorized vehicle of the type having at least three longitudinally extending coplanar conveyor portions with aisles therebetween, cargo restraining means in each aisle, each of said restraining means including a restraining element movable between a raised holding position in which it projects above the top plane of the conveyor portions and a depressed position below such plane, and an actuating shoe for each such restraining element engageable by a cargo member which is resting upon two or more of the conveyor portions in bridging relation to the intermediate aisle, to move said restraining means in such intermediate aisle to the retracted position.

8. Cargo restraining means as defined in claim 1 including a frame, said restraining element comprising a hook-like member journaled in the frame on an axis below the conveyor top plane, the actuating shoe also being journaled in the frame, means operatively connecting the shoe to the hook-like member, and means biasing the restraining element to the raised position.

9. Cargo restraining means as defined in claim 8 including a subframe assembly secured to the vehicle and defining said frame, the biasing means also being carried by said frame, the means connecting the shoe to the hook-like member comprising an arm attached to the shoe and directly engaging the interior of the hook-like member.

10. Cargo restraining means as defined in claim 8 in which the actuating shoe is also biased upwardly to a raised position, the shoe having cammable surfaces inclined downwardly from a central portion thereof, the shoe when in the raised position having its central portion above such plane and the cammable surfaces being inclined downwardly therefrom in opposite directions longitudinally of the conveyor portions.

11. Cargo restraining means as defined in claim 9 in which the actuating shoe is also biased upwardly to a raised position, the shoe having cammable surfaces inclined downwardly from a central portion thereof, the shoe when in the raised position having its central portion above such plane and the cammable surfaces being inclined downwardly therefrom in opposite directions longitudinally of the conveyor portions.

12. Cargo restraining means as defined in claim 1 including means for moving the shoe and restraining element downwardly to depressed position comprising an actuator therefore carried by the vehicle at a position remote from the cargo restraining means.

13. Cargo restraining means as defined by claim 9 including means for moving the shoe and restraining element downwardly to depressed position comprising an actuator therefore carried by the vehicle at a position remote from the cargo restraining means.