Freight accommodation on freight carrier – Load lashing retainer or load lashing adjunct – Wraparound
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-27
2001-06-26
Gordon, Stephen T. (Department: 3612)
Freight accommodation on freight carrier
Load lashing retainer or load lashing adjunct
Wraparound
C410S103000, C410S104000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250861
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a side rail for mounting on flatbeds of trucks and trailers and more particularly to a side rail that is used to facilitate securing loads on the flatbeds.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It has long been common practice to transport loads on flatbed vehicles, such as trucks and trailers. These loads are secured to the vehicles using flexible tie-down elements, such as chains, cables and straps. The loads transported by these vehicles often vary widely in shape, size and weight. As a result, many different kinds of apparatus have been developed for tightening and securing tie-down elements to a vehicle deck.
These various apparatus typically either directly incorporate or provide a mounting mechanism for a winch or other rotational device for tightening a cable or strap placed over the load. Many of the conventional kinds of tightening and securing apparatus mount along the longitudinal edges of the transporting vehicle's flatbed deck. Since a variety of federal and state agencies have placed width and height restrictions on transport vehicles, it is advantageous for the winches associated with the securing devices to be directed vertically downward so that the winches do not contribute to the width of the flatbed decks. This allows useable deck space to be maximized. The vertical downward orientation of the winch also allows larger amounts of torque to be generated by the winch.
The problem with directing the securing devices downward is that such orientation often does not provide adequate clearance from the wheels of the transport vehicles and increases the height of the deck. Therefore, the securing devices are generally directed horizontally outward in the area of the flatbed vehicle's wheels and cannot slide longitudinally. As described above, this type of winch orientation reduces the amount of useable flatbed deck space and reduces the amount of torque that can be generated by the winch. There is a continuing need in the art for a flatbed vehicle securement device that allows useable flatbed deck space to be maximized while still providing adequate clearance over the wheels of the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed towards a side rail apparatus for mounting on the load carrying deck of a transport vehicle to facilitate securing loads to the deck. The side rail contains a support surface extension that is configured to form additional support surface for carrying loads on the vehicle. A mounting portion is connected to the support surface extension and is configured to mate with the deck. A winch mount is secured to at least one of the support surface extension and the mounting portion. The winch mount is disposed at an angular orientation relative to the mounting portion and has portions engageable with a winch type device in order to mount the slidable winch type device at an acute angle relative to the mounting portion.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the side rail apparatus further includes a chain securement tie-down in the shape of an outwardly disposed hook notched lip for selectively attaching a load securing member. The side rail also contains a rubrail curtain securement tie-down in the shape of a flange that depends downwardly from the support surface extension and is configured to be matable with a correspondingly shaped curtain fastener for selectively attaching a curtain type member. Both the chain securement tie-down and the rubrail curtain securement tie down are integrally built into the support surface extension. The mounting portion of the side rail is shaped and sized to mount on an edge of the load carrying deck and to be positionally adjustable along the edge of the load carrying deck. The winch mount diagonally intersects and is secured to both the support surface extension and the mounting portion. The winch mount further contains two parallel, spaced apart winch support hooks that are shaped and sized to slidably receive and support a slidably engageable winch type device such that the winch type device rotates in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the mounting portion.
A side rail apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention provides greater clearance for a vehicle's tires, additional functional deck surface area, and integration of winch securement, curtain securement, and chain securement in a single device. The diagonal orientation of the winch mount and hence the mounted winch type device results in raising the bottom portion of the winch type device, thereby increasing the clearance between the winch type device and the vehicle wheels. Further, this is accomplished without increasing the effective width of the vehicle flatbed. The functional deck surface area provided by the side rail allows the original flatbed deck surface area to be narrower, thus reducing weight and increasing pay load. Finally, the integration of winch securement, load strap securement, curtain securement, and chain securement in a single device allows additional equipment to be eliminated.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3295464 (1967-01-01), Broling
patent: 3621236 (1971-11-01), Hlinsky et al.
patent: 3633937 (1972-01-01), Hlinsky
patent: 3697045 (1972-10-01), Farley
patent: 3740073 (1973-06-01), Schwiebert
patent: 4273486 (1981-06-01), Tatina
patent: 4367993 (1983-01-01), Meigs
patent: 4382736 (1983-05-01), Thomas
patent: 5388938 (1995-02-01), Helton
patent: 5664918 (1997-09-01), Heider et al.
patent: 5860777 (1999-01-01), Walsh et al.
patent: 3618420 (1987-12-01), None
Flatbed Products—Winches; PCC, pp. 4 and 5, 1984.
Christensen O'Connor Johnson & Kindness PLLC
Gordon Stephen T.
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