Freight accommodation on freight carrier – Particular article accommodation – Wheeled vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-07
2001-12-11
Gordon, Stephen T. (Department: 3612)
Freight accommodation on freight carrier
Particular article accommodation
Wheeled vehicle
C410S007000, C410S008000, C410S010000, C410S020000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06328511
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to restraint systems for securing automotive vehicles during shipment on flat-bed railway cars, trailers, or other similar transport vehicle. More particularly, this invention relates to an anchor for securing a tie-down member such as a strap or cable to a wire mesh grid floor of a transport vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various anchoring or restraint methods are known for securing automotive vehicles to a flat-bed transport vehicle to prevent shifting of the automotive vehicles during shipment to a delivery location. In one such method, a plurality of flexible, inextensible restraint members such as chains or straps are used to tie the vehicle downwardly to the floor of the transport vehicle. One end of each tie-down member is attached to the vehicle frame or to one of the vehicle's tires, and the other end is fastened to the floor of the transport vehicle. The tie-down members are then tightened, for example by means of hand-operated winch mechanisms on each of the members.
The tie-down member is usually secured to the floor of the transporter by means of a hook attached to the end of the member. Some transporters have floors made of perforated metal decking, in which case the hooks are passed through a hole at the correct location. Other transporters have one or more rails extending in a longitudinal direction, the rails having holes or rungs with which the hooks may be engaged.
Some railway cars for transporting vehicles have multiple levels to increase the number of vehicles that may be carried on a single car. In order to decrease the weight of the railway car, the floors of the upper level are sometimes made of a welded wire mesh or grid. The grid is typically made up of approximately ⅜″ diameter steel wires spaced from one another on 1½″ centers. In the past, when it has been necessary to secure the hook of a tie-down member to such a grid floor, the hook has simply been passed around one of the wires. Accordingly, the hook transfers the tension force of the tie-down member hook as a point load on only one wire. Such a highly concentrated loading may tend to bend the wire and/or weaken the weld or welds between wires adjacent the point of attachment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a restraint anchor for securing an end of a vehicle tie-down member to a wire grid floor of a vehicle transporter. It is a further object of this invention to provide a restraint anchor which distributes the tension load from the tie-down member over a plurality of the wires making up the grid.
In caring out the invention in the illustrative embodiment thereof, the anchor comprises a base plate having a lower surface for contacting the wire grid floor and an opposite upper surface, a fitting disposed on the upper surface of the base plate for connection with the end of the tie-down member, and at least two grid engagement members formed integrally with the base plate and projecting downwardly therefrom to engage the wire grid. Each grid engagement member engages the grid at a different point so that the tension load from the tie-down member is spread out over the grid.
According to a preferred embodiment to the invention, the anchor has six grid engagement members arranged in three pairs. The first pair of grid engagement members are integral with the first end of the base plate and have distal ends projecting toward the opposite end of the plate. The second pair of grid engagement members are integral with the second end of the plate and project beyond the second end of the plate. The third pair of grid engagement members are integral with opposite lateral edges of the base and extend toward the second end thereof at a location half way between the first and second pair of grid engagement members. The grid engagement members making up each of the first, second, and third pairs are spaced apart from one another by an amount greater that the diameter of the wires making up the grid with which the anchor is to be used.
The anchor is placed on the top of the wire grid floor such that the grid engagement members pass through six adjacent openings in the grid and the distal ends of the members project generally in the direction in which the tie-down member is to extend when attached to the vehicle. The grid engagement members of up each pair fit on opposite sides of the longitudinally extending wire running down the centerline of the baseplate. The anchor is then slid toward the tie-down member so that the ends of the grid engagement members hook beneath three adjacent, laterally extending wires of the floor. The tie-down member is then attached to the fitting on the upper surface of the base plate, and as the tie-down member is tightened the anchor is pulled securely into engagement with the floor.
According to another feature of the invention, the fitting of the anchor is rotatable about a vertical axis with respect to the base place. This allows the fitting to rotate to the proper orientation in alignment with the tie-down member when the anchor so that the anchor may be placed at positions other than directly in front of or behind the point of attachment to the vehicle, and may be used on either side of the vehicle.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3848889 (1974-11-01), Sharrow
patent: 4960353 (1990-10-01), Thorndyke
patent: 4993898 (1991-02-01), Klahold
patent: 5302063 (1994-04-01), Winsor
patent: 5312213 (1994-05-01), Winsor
patent: 5586849 (1996-12-01), Kissel et al.
patent: 5908274 (1999-06-01), Silberman
patent: 5941665 (1999-08-01), Dahlin
patent: 6139231 (2000-10-01), Kissel
Gordon Stephen T.
Kinedyne Corporation
Young & Basile P.C.
LandOfFree
Vehicle transport restraint anchor does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Vehicle transport restraint anchor, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Vehicle transport restraint anchor will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2574776