Patent ID: 7114898
Filing Date: 2006-10-03
Classification: B60P,B65D,E05B,E05C

Abstract:
1. A cargo container hold down arrangement for cargo containers of generally a parallelepiped configuration and having an underside with four corners, wherein the four corners of the underside of the cargo containers are each equipped with a corner fitting for purposes of securing the cargo containers to a platform that is horizontally disposed, and with each of said corner fittings being disposed in co-planar relation and respectively each of said corner fittings defining a similar locking opening and a planar bearing surface that are respectively disposed adjacent said lockings openings of the respective corner fittings, with a container securement device for each of the respective corner fittings for securing the cargo container to the platform, said securement devices each comprising: a shear block defining a front side, a top side, and a back side, with said shear block forming a base portion defining a planar force transmitting surfacing portion that extends to either side of the base portion, and a projecting portion that is generally normal to the planar bearing surface; said shear block further defining an internal chamber that in the projecting portion of said shear block is open at said front side of the shear block; said shear block base portion also defining a second force transmitting surfacing portion for engagement with the platform, and including a latch member pivotally mounted, but unpinned, in said internal chamber, for movement therein in a plane that is normally disposed relative to said front and back sides of said shear block, and that is about a pivot axis that is normal to such plane; said latch member including a nose portion having an upper cam surfacing means for engagement by the bearing surface of a correspondingly located one of said container mounted fittings, and an under cam surfacing means for engagement by the planar bearing surface of such correspondingly located one of said container mounted fittings for removal of one of said cargo containers from the platform; resilient means for biasing said latch member to dispose said nose portion thereof exteriorly of said shear block opening in said front side thereof when said cam surfacing means are not in use, said resilient means having, a resilient member interposed between said latch member and said base portion opposite a tail portion of the latch member; means for effecting deflection of said latch member about said pivot axis to within the shear block on engagement of one of the cargo containers being lowered with said latch member nose portion upper cam surfacing means, and means for effecting deflection of said latch member within the shear block on engagement of a correspondingly located one of said container corner fittings of one of the cargo containers being removed from the platform and about a separate axis spaced frontwise from and parallel to said pivot axis of said latch member, said separate axis is disposed adjacent a level the second force transmitting surfacing portion of the shear block.