Latching mechanism for securing shipping containers on transport vehicles

• US 5,613,814 A
• Filed: 07/27/1995
• Issued: 03/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jackson, Robert G.
• Original Assignee: Jackson, Robert G.
• Inventors: Jackson, Robert G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Merritt, Karen B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GORDON, STEPHEN T
• Application Number:
  US08/508,354
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 410/69, 410/70, 410/71, 410/72, 410/73, 410/76, 410/77, 410/80, 248/681, 248/500, 248/503, 292/109, 292/121
• US Class Current: 410/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 7/13 Securing freight containers or forwarding containers on vehicles

Abstract

A latching mechanism for retaining a shipping container on a transport vehicle includes a fixed support and a latching member mounted on the fixed support for engagement into a latching receptacle on the container. A pivot pin slidably engages a pivot surface on the latching member, and an alignment pin slidably engages a wedging or camming surface on the latching member, thereby causing the latching member to rotate into the released position when loads are applied along the axis of the latching member. A spring yieldably urges the latching member to the latching or engaged position after the latching receptacle moves past a pawl on the end of the latching member.

Claims

1. Latching mechanism for retaining a shipping container on a transport vehicle comprising a fixed support, a latch member for engagement with a latching receptacle, mounting means for mounting said latch member on said fixed support for permitting movement in both a rotational direction and in another direction other than the rotational direction from a latched position to a released position and then back into said latched position as said latch member engages with and latches to said latching receptacle, and a spring yieldably urging said latch member toward said latched position, said mounting means including a pivot pin mounted on said fixed support, said latch member including a pivot surface slidably engaging said pivot pin and a limit surface, said pivot pin sliding along said pivot surface toward said limit surface as the latch member moves from said latched position to said released position and away from said limit surface as the latch member moves from said released position to said latched position, said mounting means including an alignment pin mounted on said fixed support, said latch member including an aperture receiving said alignment pin, said aperture having an obliquely extending camming surface engaging said alignment pin.

2. Latching mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said latch member is an elongated member having length and width, said another direction being along the length of the latch member.

3. Latching mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said another direction is substantially a vertical direction.

4. Latching mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said alignment pin extends parallel to said pivot pin.

5. Latching mechanism for retaining a shipping container on a transport vehicle comprising a fixed support, a latch member for engagement with a latching receptacle, mounting means for mounting said latch member on said fixed support for permitting movement in both a rotational direction and in another direction other than the rotational direction from a latched position to a released position and then back into said latched position as said latch member engages with and latches to said latching receptacle, and a spring yieldably urging said latch member toward said latched position, said mounting means including a pivot pin mounted on said fixed support, said latch member including a pivot surface slidably engaging said pivot pin and a limit surface, said pivot pin sliding along said pivot surface toward said limit surface as the latch member moves from said latched position to said released position and away from said limit surface as the latch member moves from said released position to said latched position, said mounting means including an alignment pin mounted on said fixed support, said latch member including an aperture receiving said alignment pin, said aperture having an obliquely extending camming surface engaging said alignment pin, said aperture including sides defined by said latch member, one of said sides defining said camming surface.

6. Latching mechanism as claimed in claim 5, wherein said camming surface extends obliquely with respect to horizontal and vertical directions.

7. Latching mechanism for retaining a shipping container on a transport vehicle comprising a fixed support, a latch member for engagement with a latching receptacle, said latch member being mounted on said fixed support for movement from a latched position to a released position and then back into said latched position as said latch member engages with and latches to said latching receptacle, a pivot pin mounted on said fixed support, said latch member including a pivot surface slidably engaging said pivot pin and a limit surface, said pivot pin sliding along said pivot surface toward said limit surface as the latch member moves from said latched position to said released position and away from said limit surface as the latch member moves from said released position to said latched position, and a spring yieldably urging said latch member toward said latched position, said latch member being an elongated member having length and width, said latch member being movable relative to said pivot pin along the length of the latch member, an alignment pin mounted on said fixed support, said latch member including an aperture receiving said alignment pin, said aperture having an obliquely extending camming surface engaging said alignment pin.

8. Latching mechanism as claimed in claim 7, wherein said aperture includes sides defined by said latch member, one of said sides defining said camping surface.

9. Latching mechanism as claimed in claim 8, wherein said camming surface extends obliquely with respect to horizontal and vertical directions.