Freight accommodation on freight carrier – Particular article accommodation – Wheeled vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-17
2001-01-09
Gordon, Stephen T. (Department: 3612)
Freight accommodation on freight carrier
Particular article accommodation
Wheeled vehicle
C410S007000, C410S010000, C410S019000, C410S023000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06171036
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to vehicle transporters, such as trucks, trailers, railcars and the like, which have a tie-down apparatus for securing a vehicle to the vehicle transporter.
Application Ser. No. 08/801,188 filed Feb. 18, 1997 is assigned to the assignee of the present application and is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. Application Ser. No. 08/801,188 describes a tie-down system for a vehicle transporter that automatically equalizes the pull-down forces at all four points of securement of the vehicle, that allows the tension in the cables securing the vehicle to be adjusted simultaneously from one side of the vehicle transporter, that limits to a predetermined amount the pull-down force which may be applied to secure a vehicle, which does not cause deformation or wear of the cable due to repeated windings around a winch, and which does not require additional devices to longitudinally secure a vehicle regardless of its length. This application represents a significant advancement over the prior art. The embodiments shown, however, are not directly usable in conjunction with vehicle platforms which include a front deck and a rear deck and are longitudinally extensible or articulated for changing the angle at which a vehicle is retained. Even if adapted to be used with such a platform the tie-down system would have to be readjusted each time the length of the platform was changed.
What is, therefore, needed but not yet available is a vehicle tie-down system for use with an adjustable vehicle platform, wherein the vehicle platform may be adjusted without altering the tension of the vehicle tie-down system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art by providing an improved tie-down system to secure a vehicle to a longitudinally extending elongate vehicle transporter.
In a first aspect, the present invention comprises a tie-down apparatus for securing a vehicle to a longitudinally-extending elongate vehicle transporter, comprising a vehicle support assembly, including a front deck and further including a rear deck that is variably positionable with respect to said front deck. At least four variably positionable securement devices are associated with the vehicle support assembly and attachable to the vehicle. A respective flexible tension member portion is interconnected with a respective one of each of the four securement devices, each tension member portion capable of exerting a pull-down force on a respective one of the securement devices. A tension-applying mechanism is interconnected with each tension member portion to adjust the pull-down force on each of the securement devices. Additionally, a tension-equalizing mechanism is interconnected with each tension member portion and is capable of automatically distributing tension applied by the tension-applying mechanism among each tension member portion so as to substantially equalize said pull-down force automatically with respect to the four securement devices. Finally, the tension-equalizing mechanism is further capable of maintaining the substantially equalized pull-down force during adjustments of the relative positions of the front deck and the rear deck.
This first aspect of the present invention has the following advantage over the prior art. Because the length of the vehicle support assembly may be adjusted without disturbing the tension applied to the securement devices, support assemblies may be repositioned over a broader range relative to each other after some of the vehicles have been loaded, permitting greater flexibility in the loading process.
In a second separate aspect, the present invention comprises a tie-down apparatus for securing a vehicle to a longitudinally-extending elongate vehicle transporter, comprising a vehicle support assembly, is including a front deck and further including a rear deck that is variably positionable with respect to said front deck. At least four variably positionable securement devices are associated with the vehicle support assembly and attachable to the vehicle. A respective flexible tension member portion is interconnected with a respective one of each of the four securement devices, each tension member portion capable of exerting a pull-down force on a respective one of the securement devices. A tension-applying mechanism is interconnected with each tension member portion to adjust the pull-down force on each of the securement devices. Additionally, a tensionequalizing mechanism, interconnected with each tension member portion is capable of automatically distributing tension applied by the tension-applying mechanism among each tension member portion so as to substantially equalize said pull-down force automatically with respect to the four securement devices. Further, the tension-applying mechanism is capable of simultaneously adjusting said pull-down force on both said securement devices secured to said front deck and said securement devices secured to said rear deck.
The foregoing and other objectives, features, and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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Photographs of Japanese tie-down systems for vehicle trnasporters (1994) 20 pages.
Boydstun, IV Robert D.
Huey John T.
Papasadero Todd
Pritchard Michael
Boydstun Metal Works Inc.
Chernoff Vilhauer & McClung & Stenzel
Gordon Stephen T.
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