LASHING FITTING

• US 3,691,595 A
• Filed: 03/04/1971
• Issued: 09/19/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hans Ulrich Backteman, Richard John Taylor
• Original Assignee: Hans Ulrich Backteman, Richard John Taylor
• Inventors: Backteman, Hans Ulrich, Taylor, Richard John
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin, Donald A.
• Application Number:
  US05/120,839
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 24/81E,221R,221L,221K 287/2 248/119R,119S,361R 105/366,369,366D 220/1.5
• US Class Current: 24/287
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/0013 Twist lock
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 12/36 using separate pins, dowels or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 24/54 having projection rotatably connected to its member
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/28 Freight container to freight container fastener
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4522 Sliding or rotating element

Abstract

Lashing fittings are characterized in that the rotation of the twistlock is automatically activated by vertical compression caused by the weight of a container coming into contact with the housing of the lashing fitting attached to a container or a loading platform, said twistlock being rotated by means of a force which is released exclusively by the said act of the weight of a container reacting against the housing of the lashing fitting thereby transmitting to the twistlock a revolving movement towards a locking position within said corner casting. An indicator is provided for indicating the tripping of the lashing fitting for connecting the containers in question to the lashing fitting and thereby to one another, and, on the other hand, angular displacement in opposite directions of the arrow tip-like heads of the twistlocks of one lashing fitting in relation to each other and, further, a sub-division of the revolving movement of the lock members over an angular range of 180* into two unequal steps during turning of the twistlocks to respectively the locked and the released positions.

Claims

1. A fitting for disengagably securing a freight container to another container or to loading platform, said fitting being a separate unit comprising a housing and, extending therefrom, at least one twistlock member which in an initial position is insertable into an elongate aperture in a corner casting of a container, wherein the turning movement of the twistlock member is automatically tripped upon assembly of a further container with the fitting previously attached to a container or loading platform, a twist-exerting member for turning said twistlock member, said twist-exerting member being adapted to turn the twistlock member through an angle of 180*, said turning action being sub-divided into a first securing step and a second disengaging step, said securing step being automatically tripped upon assembly of a further container with said fitting by the depression of a tripping stud projecting through a hole in said housing for releasing the securing step of the twisting action of said twist-exerting member thereby to turn said twistlock member into a locking position within said corner casting.

2. The fitting as claimed in claim 1, wherein the twist-exerting member comprises a torsional spring which, from its nontensioned position, may be tensioned to said initial position.

3. A fitting as claimed in claim 1, wherein a locking pin is fixedly connected to the shaft of the twistlock member and in the tensioned initial position is retained by said tripping stud, said locking pin upon actuation of said tripping stud being free to pass past said tripping stud through a recess provided therein.

4. A fitting as claimed in claim 3, wherein a tripper piece is provided on said tripping stud and being accessible tHrough a recess in the housing for manual operation of the tripping stud for releasing the disengaging stop of the turning movement so as to turn the twistlock member from the container coupling position, said pin connection to said torsion spring abutting against said tripping stud, manual operation of said tripper piece causing said tripping stud to be shifted to a position in which the pin is free to pass through said recess in the tripping stud to permit the twistlock member shaft to turn to a position in which the twistlock member is aligned with the elongate aperture of the corner casting and the container is adapted to be disengaged from said fitting.

5. A fitting according to claim 4, said fitting being a separate unit comprising a housing from which one twistlock member extends in either direction for simultaneously coupling the fitting with two containers placed one upon another with said fitting interposed, the two lock members being identically shaped and mutually connected by a common shaft extending through said housing.

6. A fitting according to claim 1, comprising a single lock member extending from said housing, the opposite side of the housing being provided with a locking plate, and a locking stud cooperating with stationary guides on a loading platform for detachable coupling of a container to said loading platform.

7. A fitting according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises two assembled U-beam sections with shank ends of said sections in mutual contact and fastened by welding along the lines of contact, said U-beam sections being reinforced by struts welded both to each other and to the fastened shanks of the U-beam sections, the longitudinal axis of said through shaft extending in the same direction as said reinforcing struts, a handle being provided at one end of the sides of the housing formed by the web portion of one of said U-beam sections.

8. A fitting for disengagably securing a freight container to another container or to a loading platform, said fitting being a separate unit comprising a housing and, extending therefrom, at least one twistlock member which in an initial position is insertable into an elongate aperture in a corner casting of a container, the turning movement of the twistlock member being automatically tripped upon assembly of a further container with the fitting previously attached to a container or loading platform, a twist-exerting member for turning said twistlock member, said twist-exerting member being adapted to turn the twistlock member through an angle of 180*, said turning action being subdivided into a first securing step and a second disengaging step, said securing step being automatically tripped during assembly of a further container with said fitting by the depression of a tripping stud projecting through a hole in said housing for releasing the securing step of the twisting action of said twist-exerting member thereby to turn said twistlock member into a locking position within said corner casting, wherein an indicator is provided to indicate the tripping of the lock means of the fitting and the coupling of the respective containers to said fitting and thereby to each other and/or a loading platform.

9. A fitting according to claim 8, wherein the indicator is an arm journalled for swinging movement about a pivot and during turning of the lock member to the coupling position being acted upon by a cam, and a pin provided on said shaft for shifting to a position extending from said housing through a recess therein.

10. A fitting according to claim 9, wherein a pressure spring urges said indicator towards its initial position indicating that the lock means of the fitting does not perform a coupling action.

11. A fitting for disengagably securing a freight container to another container or to a loading platform, said fitting being a separate unit comprising a housing and, extending therefrom, at least one twistlock member which in an initial position is insertable into an elongatE aperture in a corner casting of a container, the turning movement of the twistlock member being automatically tripped upon assembly of a further container with the fitting previously attached to a container or loading platform, a twist-exerting member for turning said twistlock member, said twist-exerting member being adapted to turn the twistlock member an angle of 180*, said turning action being sub-divided into a first securing step and a second disengaging step, said securing step being automatically tripped during assembly of a further container with said fitting by the depression of a tripping stud projecting through a hole in said housing for releasing the securing step of the twisting action of said twist-exerting member thereby to turn said twistlock member into a locking position within said corner casting, wherein the lock members extending in opposite directions from said housing being mutually angularly displaced on said common shaft.

12. A fitting according to claim 11, wherein the relative angular displacement of said lock members is in the range of between 10* and 170*.

13. A fitting according to claim 11, wherein the lock members of the fitting in the tensioned starting position are tensioned for turning 180* in two unequal steps determined in dependence upon the actual angular displacement between the lock members.

14. A fitting according to claim 13, wherein when the angular displacement between the lock members is 30* the first turning step of the lock members to the coupling position comprises about 105* and the second turning step of the lock members to the container disengaging position comprises about 75*.