APPARATUS FOR SECURING A STRUT IN A STRUT SLEEVE

Abstract: Apparatus for securing a strut (3) in a sleeve (1), and suited for use in load platform wagons (trucks), railway wagons, boats and other types of transport craft, in which shocks and/or vibrations may appear while driving said transport vehicle without load, and in which said apparatus formed with a twin wedge comprising a first wedge part (6) which is vertically locked (10) in the strut (3) but can be fold outwards against the action of a return spring (11), and a second wedge part (7) which is vertically displaceable in relation to the strut (3) and in relation to the first wedge part (6), and in which said second wedge part (7) is arranged so that it can be displaced downwards and upwards, respectively, against the action of a compression spring (9), thereby forcing out said first mentioned wedge part (6) by wedge action.

Description: Apparatus for securing a strut in a strut sleeve The present invention relates to an apparatus for securing a strut in a strut sleeve. The invention has especially been developed for use in trucks, platform wagons, railway wagons, boats and other types of transport vehicles in which there may appear shocks and/or vibrations, especially when driving such vehicles without load. The invention, however, is the same useful for other types of struts, in connection to which the same type of problem may appear as in vehicles and other transport craft. When transporting and other handling especially of elongated material the plane on which the material is placed or is piled is usually formed with side struts which prevent the material from sliding off the load plane in the transversal or in the longitudinal direction. The struts are put down into sleeves provided at the sides of the transport plane. During transportation and other handling of the material the struts normally are loaded in the transversal direction and provide a unit which is well kept together in combination with the stationary sleeves. For practical reasons the struts have to be made with slightly less outer dimensions than the inner of the sleeves, and this may have as a consequence that the struts, when transported without load, may vibrate and sway to and fro in the sleeves both depending on existing unevennesses in the ground or other transport plane, and depending on the speed wind. This leads to a wear of the parts of the struts which are located moved down in the stationary sleeves. It may also happen that the struts jump up and down in their sleeves when driving the transport vehicle over uneven ground. It is therefore important that the struts can be secured or clamp connected to the stationary sleeves, especially when driving the transport vehicle without load (empty transportation), so that said struts can not sway or jump up and down, or may in any other way move forth and back in the sleeves. Many types of solutions are known for securing of struts in sleeves. EP 98.250 discloses a system having a specially formed sleeve and a strut adapted thereto, in which there is used a bayonet locking means, and in which the strut is secured in the sleeve by means of screws at the bottom of the sleeve. Similar systems are shown in GB 1 ,048,810 and US 3,841 ,695. In all said known systems the sleeve can be locked against movement upward in the sleeve but only to a restricted degree against large or small side movements (staggering) in the sleeve. In several of the priorly known solutions the strut has to be secured from the bottom of the sleeve by means of screws or bolts. This is a time consuming and complicated work. There is also a risk that the locking screws become un-threaded upon long lasting and bumpy driving of the vehicle. The basis of the invention is the problem of providing a securing system comprising struts adapted to be mounted in sleeves which are stationary mounted in different types of transport vehicles, and in which the system is formed so that • the sleeve cam be secured so as not to stagger or sway to and fro in the sleeve when driving the vehicle without load, • the strut can be secured quickly and simply, • the securing means for the strut are easily available in convenient positions for the operator, • the securing means are formed so as to provide a side force against the strut so as to press same into engagement against one or more sides of the mounting sleeve, • the securing means are formed so as to prevent a movement upwards of the strut in the mounting sleeve, • the securing means are mounted in the strut, • the securing means for the strut can optionally be placed facing out or in, • the securing means preferably have a resilient action, • the strut can simply be released by active releasing of the securing means. The sleeve and the strut are, as known in the art, formed with a polygonal cross section shape, for instance an 8-edge cross section shape, and the strut preferably is formed so that the securing means can be mounted in recesses of the sleeve, in part inserted in contact with the exterior side of the strut. According to the invention the securing means are formed as a twin wedge means comprising a first wedge part which is vertically secured in the strut but can be fold outwards and inwards, respectively, against the action of a spring, and a second wedge part which is vertically displaceable in relation to the strut and to the first wedge part, and in which said second wedge part is arranged for being displaced downwards and upwards, respectively, against the action of a compression spring and by the action of an eccentric locking pin in order to provide, when being displaced downwardly, a forcing outwards of the first wedge part thereby providing a locking of the strut in the sleeve. The locking pin is formed so that it can be set into two stable positions, a locking position for the strut arranged in that the strut is pressed down by the second wedge part over a compression spring which, in turn, provides an optimum strong pressing down of the second wedge part and thereby a forcing outwards of the first wedge part, and a releasing position which is taken for raising or pressing up the second wedge part, and which is provided by a direct mechanical lifting up of the second wedge part and thereby a releasing of the first wedge part. The sleeve preferably is formed with a locking means adapted to prevent a lifting up of the sleeve when the first wedge part is fold out, and said first wedge part thereby is formed with an edge which engages underneath the locking means of the sleeve when said first wedge part is pressed out. Said locking means can be a slot in the sleeve or any part connected thereto, or it can be a hook against which the fold out part of the first wedge will engage. Now the invention is to be described more closely in connection to the accompanying drawings, in which figure 1 shows a cross section view through a stationary sleeve and a strut according to the inventionin which the strut has been moved down into the sleeve, and saud strut is formed with locking means and is shown in releasing position. Figure 2 shows the same arrangement as in figure 1 seen following the arrow of figure 1. Figures 3 and 4 show the arrangement according to the invention similarly to figures 1 and 2 but with the locking means of the strut in locking position. Figure 5 is a cross section view through the apparatus according to the invention, seen along line V-V of figure 3. Figure 6 is a vertical cross section view through a part of a sleeve and showing a first embodiment of the locking means of the sleeve, and figure 7 similarly shows an alternative locking means for the sleeve. Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective view showing of a part of a strut having a locking means for the strut mounted thereon. Figure 9 is a perspective view showing a detail of the locking means of the sleeve in an exploded view, and figure 10 diagrammatically shows a first and a second wedge means comprised in the sleeve locking means according to the invention. The invention can be applied in a conventional sleeve 1 which is stationary mounted, for instance against the side of a transport vehicle 2, and which houses the lower part of a strut 3, which is most clearly shown fragmentarily in figure 8. In a recess 4 at a side of the strut 3 a locking means 5 is mounted, which generally comprises a lower wedge part 6, an upper wedge part 7, an adjustment shaft or a locking pin 8 and a compression spring 9 which, at the upper side thereof, is guided in a yoke, and which together with parts of the locking pin 8 is housed in a cavity of the upper part of the displaceable upper wedge 7. The first wedge part 6 is locked in the vertical direction by means of a locking pin at the lower part of the wedge, and it is capable of being fold out with the upper part thereof against the action of resetting compression spring 11. The second wedge part 7 is displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the strut and is kept in a displaceable position against the strut by means of two holder bolts 12 which are fixedly mounted in the strut. The displaceable wedge is capable of sliding on the holder bolts 12 by slots 13 in the wedge. The displacing of the second (the upper) wedge 7 is made by means of a locking pin 8 which is formed so that it can take two stable positions, a release position which is shown in figures 1 and 2 and a locking position which is shown in figures 3 and 4. The locking pin 8 is rotatably mounted in two opposed walls 14 and 15 of the strut. For making such rotation possible the locking pin 8 is, at the free end thereof, formed with a key shoulder or a corresponding means, which can be engaged at the exterior side of the strut. The locking pin 8 is formed as an eccenter pin having a collar 16 extending radially outside half of the periphery of the locking pin. As known in the art said collar 16 is formed with rounded corners and with flat upper and lower sides. The projecting part of the collar 16 makes it possible to press down and to lift up the displaceable wedge 7. In figures 1 and 2 the locking pin is shown in the release position. When rotating the locking pin over 180°, as shown in figures 3 and 4, the projecting collar presses down the spring 9, which, in turn, resiliently presses down the displaceable wedge 7. By such displacement said wedge 7 presses out the lower wedge 6 towards the adjacent wall 17 of the sleeve 1, whereby the two opposed bevelled surfaces of the strut 3 are pressed against corresponding bevelled surfaces 19 of the sleeve. For preventing a displacement upwards of the sleeve, when in locked position, said sleeve 1 can be formed with a through slot 20, as shown in figure 6, or a hook slot 21 , as shown in figure 7, and the wedges 6 and 7 are formed as shown in figure 10. The slot 20 and the hook slot 21 , respectively, can be formed as separate objects which are weld connected to the sleeve and which allow a relatively accurate fitting of the strut in the sleeve. As shown in figure 10 the lower wedge 6 is formed with an upwards projecting pin 22 which is displaceable in a slot 23 of the upper wedge 7. When the lower wedge 6 is fold out the pin 22 of said lower wedge 6 enters the slot 20 and comes into engagement underneath the upper edge thereof, or enters the hook slot 21 with the equivalent action. The strut 3 normally is located moved down in the sleeve 1. When the vehicle is running in loaded condition the load thereof will press the struts out from each other at both sides of the vehicle, and said struts will thereby be kept in stable positions in the sleeves. When moving the vehicle without load (empty transportation) the struts, may, on the contrary, sway in opposite directions depending on unevenesses in the road, or even depending on the speed wind acting on the vehicle. Depending on such movements said struts can be subjected to wear. For preventing wear of the struts said struts 3 are locked in that the locking pin 8 is rotated so that the collar 16 thereof is facing down and presses against the spring 9, which, in turn, presses down the displaceable wedge 7. Said wedge 7 thereby presses out the upper part of the lower wedge 6 so that it forces the strut 3 against the outer bevelled side edges 19 of the sleeve 1 (see figure 5) at the same time as the locking pin 23 of the lower wedge 6 engages the slot 20, or the hook 21 of the strut thereby making it impossible for the strut to become displaced upwards. When the strut 3 is to be released the locking pin 8 is rotated so that the collar 16 thereof is facing upwards, whereby it, concurrently therewith, presses the displaceable wedge 7 upwards so as to release the lower wedge 6. Said lower wedge 6 thereby releases the strut and makes it possible to lift said strut out of the sleeve. REFERENCE NUMERALS 1 sleeve 13 slot 2 transport vehicle 14 wall 3 strut 15 wall 4 recess (in 3) 16 collar 5 locking means 17 side 6 first wedge 18 bevelled side 7 second wedge 19 bevelled side 8 adjustment shaft 20 through slot 9 compression spring 21 hook slot 0 locking pin 22 pin 1 spring lock 23 slot 2 holder bolt

Claims: C L A I M S 1. Apparatus for securing a strut (3) in a sleeve (1), and suited for use in load platform wagons/trucks, railway wagons, boats ant other types of transport craft, in which shocks and/or vibrations may appear, characterized in that the apparatus formed with a twin wedge comprising a first wedge part (6) which is vertically locked in the strut (3) but can be fold outwards against the action of a return spring (11), and a second wedge part (7) which is vertically displaceable in relation to the strut (3) and in relation to the first wedge part (6), and in which said second wedge part (7) is arranged so that it can be displaced downwards and upwards, respectively, against the action of a compression spring (9) and by the action of an eccentric locking pin thereby forcing out said first mentioned wedge part (6). 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that the locking pin (8) is formed so that it can be set in two stable positions, a locking position taken by pressing down the second wedge part (7) and a releasing position taken by pulling or pressing up the send wedge part (7). 3. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the locking pin (8) is rotatably mounted in opposed walls (14, 15) of the strut (3) and is formed with a collar portion (16) projecting over half the diameter of the locking pin, whereby the locking position of the displaceable wedge part (7) is taken by rotating the locking pin (8) so that the collar part (16) thereof provides a pressing down of the second, displaceable wedge part (7) and thereby a pressing out of the first wedge part (6). 4. Apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the collar portion (16) of the locking pin (8) is arranged for pressing down the displaceable upper wedge part (7) via the compression spring (9). 5. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the collar portion (16) of the locking pin (8) and the compression spring (9) are enclosed in a cavity of the second wedge part (7) and is arranged, upon releasing of the locking means for the strut, to mechanically press up said displaceable wedge part (7) by rotation of the locking pin (8) so that the collar part (16) thereof is facing upwards. 6. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sleeve (1) is formed with locking means (20; 21) co-operating with the first wedge part (6) for preventing a movement upwards of the strut (3) in its locked position in the sleeve (1) when the strut is in its locked position. 7. Apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the locking means (20; 21) of the sleeve (1) is a slot (20) or a slot hook (21) in the sleeve wall, and in that said locking means (20; 21) can be fitted into a separate part of the sleeve (1). 8. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first wedge part (6) and the second wedge part (7) are mounted in a vertical recess (4) of the strut (1). 9. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sleeve (1) and the strut (3) have polygonal cross section shapes, for instance an 8-edge cross section shape, whereby the strut (3) in its locked position is pressed against opposed bevelled edges (18, 19) of the sleeve (1).

Inventors: PERSSON AAKE, PERSSON, AAKE
Applicants: LAXO MEKAN AB, PERSSON AAKE, PERSSON, AAKE
Application year: 2001
Main classification: F16B7
IPC codes: B62D33, F16B7