Edge contour for load-carrying deck

An edge contour for a load-carrying deck includes a substantially vertically disposed side face and a substantially horizontally disposed undersurface, and a substantially inclined support surface interconnecting the side vertical side face and the horizontal undersurface. A serial array of holes or apertures (3) are disposed in a row along the inclined support surface for accommodating hook members (17,18) of cargo lashing straps (16). By providing the inclined support surface, and the apertures or holes (3) within such surface, the inclined support surface and the apertures or holes (3) thereof are, in effect, disposed at a recessed position with respect to the vertical side surface of the load-carrying deck which defines the lateral width or extent of the load-carrying deck. Consequently, the cargo hook members (17,18), which may be quite large and bulky, do not require accommodating space which would ordinarily only be provided or required in the lateral width direction of the deck and externally of the vertical side surfaces thereof. Therefore, as a result of the present invention, the lateral width or extent of the load-carrying deck may achieve a maximum service or support function without requiring provision, in the lateral or width direction, for accommodating the cargo strap hook members (17,18).

The present invention relates to an edge contour for load-carrying decks. 
Various linear structures on edges of decks for supporting loads exist for 
engaging lashing straps for loads on transport vehicles. 
One example is U-shaped sections whose lower legs receive the hooks that 
terminate the lashing straps. 
This technical form of hooking support is not very practical because of the 
possible shifting caused by the continuous flexible structure but 
especially because of the significant difficulty of unhooking when the 
load support is on the ground. The space between the holding leg and the 
ground is too small to pull out the lashing strap hooks easily and without 
damage. 
The ground position very often corresponds to the unloading configuration. 
Another linear hooking structure takes the form of a U-shaped section on 
its side, and opens toward the exterior of the load, along whose length 
there is held in a median position by appropriate braces, a support rod 
which the hooks at the ends of the straps engage. 
While this solution has proven satisfactory for straps that encircle the 
load transversely, keeping the hooks in place is less reliable in the case 
of straps with an oblique circumscribed perimeter because of the 
significant risk of shifting. 
The goal of the present invention is to overcome these various 
disadvantages by proposing an edge profile for load-carrying decks which 
offers good holding security as well as significant practicality. 
To this end the present invention relates to an edge profile for 
load-carrying decks characterized by consisting of a continuous profile on 
each edge, comprising an oblique hooking face provided with a lateral row 
of holes, said hooking face being extended upward by a longitudinal 
contact face along the edge of the edge. 
Several important advantages result from the linear hooking structure of 
the invention: 
ease of manufacture by simple stamping sheet metal; 
increased mechanical strength thanks to the reinforcing ribs in the stamped 
sheet metal; 
the load-carrying device can be strapped while on the ground; 
the oblong shape of the sheet metal permits installation and adaptation of 
various removable accessories and equipment at any point, especially side 
panels, using any locking system of the type that uses quarter-turn 
locking; 
the accessory or device that has been installed can easily be removed, 
leaving the edge perfectly smooth; 
the hook is fitted into a recess, in other words outside the dimensions of 
the truck; 
the roundness of the section determines the general direction of the belt 
when installed and cannot damage it; 
retention of the oblique strap is guaranteed in the same way as that of a 
straight strap.

The edge section according to the invention is in the form of a continuous 
section 1 comprising a longitudinal hooking face 2 provided with a 
plurality of holes such as 3, oblong for example, arranged in lateral 
succession to form a row. These holes are preferably made by stamping out 
the sheet metal of the section to form holes centered on the front of 
hooking face 2. This face is made slightly inclined when section 1 is in 
place, in other words when it is installed on edges such as 4 of a 
load-carrying structure 5. 
Hooking face 2 is extended downward by a horizontal return 6 and upward by 
a lateral support face 7 whose edge is connected to hooking face 2 by a 
rounded surface or an angle B. 
The body of section 1 can be open or entirely closed at the back by rear 
face 9 which abuts elements 10 of frame 11 of supporting plane 12 of load 
carrier 5 of the platform or pallet container type. 
Section 1 preferably comprises an entirely closed section of which the 
upper part is a smooth face 13 or has a shoulder 14 which abuts the 
longitudinal edge of panel 15 of the deck. 
Openings 3 allow attachment of the hooks provided at the ends of lashing 
straps 16 in order to hold the cargo in place. 
Openings 3 also permit attachment of straps either at right angles by means 
of a double hook 17 which engages two holes side by side or in an oblique 
position using a single hook 18 like that shown in FIG. 1. 
Of course the application of an edge section for a load-carrying plate 
according to the invention is not confined to the engagement of the hooks 
of a lashing strap but on the contrary extends to hooking any pieces of 
equipment or accessories with which load-carrying plates may be equipped. 
In FIG. 5, in order to illustrate this variety of applications, we have 
shown the hooking and immobilization of a post 19 to a section with two 
rows of holes 3: 21 and 21. Post 19 is mounted and held in place by means 
of pins or fingers such as 22 which enter holes 3 and are locked to the 
section by means of a locking device 23 of the type that locks after 
rotating a quarter of a turn, activated by an operating element 24. 
Perfect locking is provided by locking device 23 and the supporting 
interface 25 of the post or more generally the complementary part which is 
shaped to match the section and by centering planes. 
In addition, the invention has been described with reference to a specific 
embodiment. It is understood that it is not limited solely to the means 
described but on the contrary extends to all modifications without 
inventive effort which fit smoothly into its scope.