Automobile carrier for use on air cargo pallets
First Claim
1. An automobile carrier for use on air cargo pallets to carry two automobiles, one automobile over the other, on a structure locked transversely across two pallets, said structure being comprised of:
- a first pair of rails and means for locking the two pallets to said rails to act as one, said first pair of rails being spaced and locked on said pallets for the tread width of an automobile to be supported by said first pair of rails,four posts, one pivotally connected to and supported substantially upright at each end of said rails of said first pair,a second pair of rails, each pivotally supported at its ends, in a position substantially parallel to said one pair, between the upper ends of a pair of said posts standing in a substantially upright position at the ends of one of said first pair of rails,a plurality of spreader tubes between said second pair of rails for spacing said second pair of rails for the tread width of the automobile to be carried in the upper position,four corner tie bars, one between each corner post and a connected rail for lateral stability of the structure in supporting an automobile in the upper position, andan X-bar gate between the support posts for said second pair of rails at each end, whereby the pallets, spreader tubes and X-bar gates provide transverse stability for the carrier structure of the spacing of the upper and lower rails.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automobile carrier is disclosed for use on two standard air cargo pallets to carry four automobiles. The carrier for two automobiles is affixed across two pallets with one automobile over the other, and the carrier for the other two automobiles is affixed across the pallets beside the first. The carrrier can be dismantled for shipping back to the starting point. Upon erecting the carrier for reuse, a variety of adjustments can be made for mixing automobile sizes on the top and bottom. These adjustments also keep the combination of any four automobiles within the dimensional limits of the pallets, the aircraft door opening and the ground equipment.
55 Citations
16 Claims
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1. An automobile carrier for use on air cargo pallets to carry two automobiles, one automobile over the other, on a structure locked transversely across two pallets, said structure being comprised of:
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a first pair of rails and means for locking the two pallets to said rails to act as one, said first pair of rails being spaced and locked on said pallets for the tread width of an automobile to be supported by said first pair of rails, four posts, one pivotally connected to and supported substantially upright at each end of said rails of said first pair, a second pair of rails, each pivotally supported at its ends, in a position substantially parallel to said one pair, between the upper ends of a pair of said posts standing in a substantially upright position at the ends of one of said first pair of rails, a plurality of spreader tubes between said second pair of rails for spacing said second pair of rails for the tread width of the automobile to be carried in the upper position, four corner tie bars, one between each corner post and a connected rail for lateral stability of the structure in supporting an automobile in the upper position, and an X-bar gate between the support posts for said second pair of rails at each end, whereby the pallets, spreader tubes and X-bar gates provide transverse stability for the carrier structure of the spacing of the upper and lower rails. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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- 10. An automobile carrier for use on two standard air cargo pallets to carry at least two automobiles, one above the other, said carrier for two automobiles being affixed across said two pallets, said carrier being comprised of two lower rails for one autombile, each lower rail being secured to and supported by said pallets to form one integral support unit, two upper rails for a second automobile, four corner posts, each post being pivotally connected between one end of a lower rail to one end of an upper rail, to support the ends of the upper rails from ends of the lower rails, X-bar end gates between posts at the ends of the rails for transverse rigidity, and corner tie bars between corner posts and at least one set of said lower and upper rails for lateral rigidity, said rails being connected to said posts and corner tie bars with lock pins, and said posts being connected to said end gates with means for quick assembly and disassembly, and means for quickly locking and unlocking said set of lower rails on said pallets.
- 13. A carrier for two automobiles assembled transversely across two pallets comprising lower rail assemblies locked onto said pallets where both assemblies are identical for interchangeability, each lower rail assembly being comprised of a tube structure having a horizontal flange extending outwardly, each flange serving as a ramp for automobile wheels, and each tube serving as a curb or guide in loading an automobile on said ramps, each tube structure on each side being in two parts and joined together at the center by a locking bridge assembly, each part of the tube structure being provided with an ear at the end remote from the locking bridge assembly for connecting to a clevis at the end of a support post, two pairs of posts, two upper rail assemblies, one connected between each pair of posts on each side, both upper rail assemblies being identical for interchangeability, each upper rail assembly being comprised of two tube structures, each having a horizontal flange extending inwardly, said two upper tube structures being connected by a third tube bent upwardly in the middle, each half of said bent tube being inserted into one of the two tubes to form one upper rail assembly bent upwardly in the middle, the flanges of the upper tube assemblies serving as ramps for a second automobile while the tubes serve as curbs or guides used in loading the second automobile.
Specification