Abstract:
An anchoring device for use in combination with personnel securing assemblies. The anchoring device is adapted for engagement within a receptacle sized to releasably receive said device. The anchoring device comprises a housing receivable within said receptacle, a pair of opposed locking jaws mounted within said housing and anchoring means secured to said housing. Pivotally connected to said housing are means for releasably extending and retracting said locking jaws into engagement with said receptacle. The locking jaws are operative to engage the receptacle in releasable locking engagement therewith. The anchoring means are functional to have personnel securing assemblies releasably connected thereto.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The invention relates to an anchoring device to which personnel safety lines may be attached. The anchoring device is particularly adapted for use with the fixed castings or receptacles commonly found on cargo containers and the decks of ships. More specifically, the anchoring device is releasably secured within the casting.  
         DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART  
         [0002]    The shipping and transportation of cargo in containerized units is a common world wide practice, the containers being loaded and unloaded onto ships, trucks, railway cars and the like.  
           [0003]    Typically, each container is provided at each corner with top and/or side casting or female receptacles to enable the container to be lifted using a lifting beam or spreader having twist locks or a mechanical equivalent at each of the four corners. The twist locks have male connections which are lowered or inserted sideways into engagement with the comer castings. An exemplary twist lock is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,749,438 to Loomis et al. This patent also provides useful background information on the art of handling cargo containers in general. Furthermore, such castings are also usually provided on the decks of container ships in order to facilitate container handling.  
           [0004]    The heights of stacked containers, either in the ship&#39;s hold or decks or on dry land, are dangerous for personnel moving on stacked containers or working on decks. In bad weather there exists a need to provide a personnel safety anchor to which a life line may be secured. This anchor, preferably, would be secured to the container or deck mechanically and provide means for securing a shock-absorbing lanyard or retractable safety line releasably thereto. In turn such a safety line would be attached to a full body harness worn by the individual. A search of the prior art failed to locate a releasably secured anchoring device whereby the personnel could, when harnessed to a lifeline, be free to safely move about on containers, decks or the like.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    It is a primary objective of the present invention to provide an anchoring device which is adapted for insertion and removal into and from the top and side openings of corner castings on the roof or sides of a container or on a ship&#39;s deck. The anchoring device is designed to be used in conjunction with a shock-absorbing lanyard or self-retracting lifeline which is attached to a personal safety harness fitted on the individual.  
           [0006]    Broadly stated the invention comprises an anchoring device adapted to be utilized in combination with means for securing personnel to said anchoring device, said anchoring device further being adapted to be releasably secured within a receptacle sized to receive said anchoring device which comprises: a housing sized to be received within said receptacle; means for releasably securing said housing within said receptacle; and means associated with said housing for connecting said personnel securing means thereto.  
           [0007]    Advantageously, as a result of this invention there is provided a portable anchoring device which is functional to automatically lock into the steel corner castings of shipping containers or the castings formed on the decks of container ships. Furthermore, the anchoring device is easily released from the locked position within the casting by simple depression of an actuator provided thereon. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    The anchoring device of invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the anchoring device of the present invention;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the anchoring device of FIG. 1;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the housing and handle socket of the anchoring device, partly in elevation, taken through line  3 - 3  of FIG. 1;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 is an end elevation of the housing and pivot pin of the anchoring device of FIG. 1;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 is a plan view depicting the angle of travel of the handle assembly of the anchoring device of FIG. 1; and  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the anchoring device of FIG. 1 depicting the device in its operating position secured in a container casting in combination with the shock-absorbing lanyard secured to a personal full body harness. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0015]    The invention can be anchored to the top or side openings of a container or ship. For purposes of clarity, the description focuses on the upright orientation of the invention. Having reference to the accompanying drawings, the anchoring device  10  of the present invention comprises a housing  12  provided with a pair of locking jaws  14  functional to releasably secure the anchoring device  10  within the cavity  11  of castings  16  set in the top corners or side walls of a cargo-carrying container  18 , or ship&#39;s deck, or the like. Mounted on the top of the housing  12  is an anchor plate  20  to which may be releasably attached the lanyard or lifeline  80 . Above the anchor plate  20  extends a pivot pin  22  to which is operatively connected a handle socket  24  adapted to receive an elongated shaft  26 , said shaft  26  being provided at its upper and distal end with a handle assembly generally designated  28  which is functional to actuate the locking jaws.  
         [0016]    Having particular reference to FIG. 3, the housing  12  comprises a generally U-shaped lower section  30  and an upper horizontal plate  32  defining a generally central circular aperture  31  therein. Plate  32  is sized to sit upon a portion of the upper wall or the side of the container  18  (FIG. 6) surrounding the casting  16 . A pair of V-shaped ribs  38  are mounted on the opposite outer walls  30   a of the U-shaped lower section  30  of the housing  12  for guiding housing  12  into the cavity in casting  16 . A pair of opposed locking jaws  14  are pivotally mounted within the housing  12  at their proximal ends by means of pivot pins  40  secured by rivets or nuts and bolts, not shown. The locking jaws  14  are retractable, their distal ends normally extending upwardly and outwardly from the open ends of U-shaped lower section  30 , as viewed in FIG. 3. Locking jaws  14  are generally rectangular in shape defining at their upper outer distal ends a square cut away portion  14   a . A compression jack spring  42  extends between the lower sections  14   b  of the locking jaws  14  being secured thereto by insertion into opposed cavities  43 ,  43   a . To each of connector pins  44   a ,  44   b  mounted on locking jaws  14  are secured the ends  46   a  and  46   b  respectively of a doubled-up release cable  46 . The release cable ends  46   a  and  46   b  are guided in opposite directions over a diverter rod  48  secured by means of a cotter pin  50  (FIG. 4). The cable ends  46   a  and  46   b  are suitably tensioned by means of compression spring  42  and the doubled-up cable  46  fed through a bore  56  defined in the pivot pin  22  which extends through aperture  31  of the housing top plate  32 . The cable ends  46   a  and  46   b  are crimped to convertor pins  44   a ,  44   b  respectively as shown in FIG. 3 forming the unitary release cable  46 , the operation of which being described hereinafter.  
         [0017]    As stated earlier, the vertical pivot pin  22  defines an internal bore  56 , forming at its lower end a circumferential flange  58  abutting the underside of plate  32 . Above the housing top plate  32  is mounted the oval anchor plate  20  which defines an upwardly extending lip  20   a  having a generally central circular aperture  36  defined therein. The aperture  36  is adapted to receive a carabiner  78  or the like to which may be attached the retractable shock-absorbing lanyard  80  or safety line (FIG. 6).  
         [0018]    A pair of opposed rectangular plates  60  (FIG. 2) are provided on each side of the vertical pivot pin  22  being secured one to another by means of a nut and bolt assembly  62 . The handle socket  24 , sized to fit into plates  60  at an angle thereto, comprises a pair of opposed plates  61  having a sleeve  64  secured there between by means of nut and bolt assemblies  66 . The release cable  46  extending vertically through the bore of pivot pin  22  is guided over a cable guide roller  68  upwardly through sleeve  64  and into the shaft  26  connected thereto. The shaft  26  extends angularly upwardly to the handle and locking jaw actuator assembly  28 .  
         [0019]    As illustrated in FIG. 5, pivot pin  22  is functional to permit rotation of the handle socket  24 , shaft  26  and handle assembly  28  through an angle α of about  45  degrees on each side of the centre of the horizontal axis  29  of the casting  16 .  
         [0020]    The handle and locking jaw actuator assembly  28  (FIGS. 1 and 2) are made up as follows. To the shaft  26  is secured an industrial grip  29 , the grip  29  having a trigger  67  which is pivotally mounted on the grip  29  in a pair of opposed tabs  31  formed on grip  29  and secured by means of rivets or a nut and bolt assembly  76 . Trigger  67  is functional upon depression thereof for retraction of cable  46  to retract the locking jaws  14  inwardly towards each other, thus enabling the anchoring device  10  to be detached from the casting  16 . More specifically, the doubled-up release cable  46  is attached to the lower end of nylon piston  70  extending internally through the grip  29 . The piston  70  passes through an extension  74  formed at the distal end of the hand actuated trigger  67 . The top of the piston  70  receives locking nut  72  which engages trigger extension  74  to enable lifting and extension of the release cable  46 .  
         [0021]    In operation, the anchoring device  10  is guided downwardly or sideways into a cavity  11  receptacle of a casting  16  whereby the projecting ends of spring-loaded jaws  14  are depressed towards each other into housing  12  for outwardly snap-engagement with the underside of lip  100  of casting  16  (FIG. 3), thereby locking anchoring device  10  into casting  16 . The user is attached to housing  12  by a lanyard  80  secured thereto by carabiner  78 . The user can quickly detach the anchoring device  10  from castings  16  by squeezing the trigger  67  as the distal ends of shaft  26  to extend cable  46  outwardly from handle assembly  28 , thereby retracting normally outwardly-biased jaws  14  inwardly for release from casting lips  100 . Handle  28  or shaft  26  can be pivoted through 90° of arc for convenience of access to the user.  
         [0022]    The anchoring device of the invention provides a safety anchor for personnel moving and working on stacked containers or on heaving ship decks. The anchoring device can be quickly guided and easily snapped into engagement with the castings and receptacles present on containers and ship decks and readily detached from the castings when desired by the user.  
         [0023]    It will be understood, of course, that modifications can be made in the embodiments of the invention described herein without departing from the scope and purview of the invention as defined by the appended claims.