Freight accommodation on freight carrier – Load lashing retainer or load lashing adjunct – Anchor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-08
2001-06-26
Gordon, Stephen T. (Department: 3612)
Freight accommodation on freight carrier
Load lashing retainer or load lashing adjunct
Anchor
C410S101000, C411S923000, C411S922000, C411S478000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250862
ABSTRACT:
RELATED APPLICATIONS
(Not Applicable)
FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH
(Not Applicable)
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to arrangements for positioning articles and containers and, more particularly, to devices and systems for effective tiedown of articles and containers within railroad boxcars during shipment.
Articles shipped by railroad boxcar are subjected to forces tending to cause displacement of such articles within the boxcar. Such forces arise during transit and particularly when boxcars are bumped together during assembly of a train of boxcars.
Severe damage can result if heavy articles are displaced by such forces. To avoid damage, tiedown systems and other arrangements have been proposed and employed. Typically, such arrangements have been subject to one or more shortcomings, such as excessive cost, difficulty of practical use and reuse, ineffectiveness or limited capacity. Shortcomings of prior systems have been exacerbated in the environment of railroad boxcars. Boxcars are typically characterized by a slotted steel floor, to which it is difficult to make firm connection, and wooden sides, which are not structurally adequate for connection of tiedown members to restrain large heavy articles. Thus, for example, while a boxcar is capable of transporting large rolls of newsprint weighing several tons, there are typically inadequate facilities within the boxcar to permit secure connection of prior tiedown restraining devices.
Objects of the invention, therefore, are to provide new and improved tiedown systems and devices, and such systems and devices having one or more of the following characteristics and capabilities:
secure attachment to a boxcar floor;
ease of installation and removal;
economical construction;
reliable capacity and performance;
strong, simple fixtures for floor attachment;
simple warp spikes for fixture attachment to slotted flooring; and
fixtures with reliable attachment points for tiedown tension members.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention, an angled warp spike, suitable for insertion into a curved slot having a transverse width and a curved depth profile, comprises a deformable unit having a striking head remote from an insertion tip, a thickness less than the transverse slot width and a breadth greater than the transverse width. The warp spike includes a shoulder portion adjacent the striking head and having a greater breadth than the portion of the unit between the shoulder portion and the insertion tip. A bend extends longitudinally between the striking head and the insertion tip. The warp spike is formed of deformable material to enable it to warp to conform to the dimensions of a curved slot when inserted therein.
Also in accordance with the invention, a boxcar tiedown fixture, attachable to a floor having spaced slots, includes a floor plate of dimensions adequate to extend across a plurality of such spaced slots. The floor plate has a plurality of elongated openings arranged to enable a plurality of the openings to be positioned above at least one of the spaced slots of the floor. The tiedown fixture also includes a connection portion extending perpendicularly from the floor plate and configured to enable connection of a tiedown load carrying member, such as a chain, cable, rope, hook, brace or strut. The tiedown fixture is thus arranged to be attached to the boxcar floor by insertion of fastening devices through the elongated openings into at least one of the spaced slots in the boxcar flooring.
Pursuant to the invention, a boxcar tiedown system includes a boxcar tiedown fixture, as described above, in combination with a plurality of angled warp spikes, as described above. Thus, the warp spikes are configured to be driven into slots in the boxcar flooring, via the elongated openings, to attach the tiedown fixture to the boxcar floor to permit connection of chains, struts or other load carrying members for tiedown purposes.
For a better understanding of the invention, together with other and further objects, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and the scope of the invention will be pointed out in the accompanying claims.
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Davis Aircraft Products Co., Inc
Gordon Stephen T.
Robinson Kenneth P.
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