Abstract:
An arrangement of securing frame assemblies is provided within a shipping enclosure and engaging packages being handled. The frame assemblies are secured to side walls of the container and act in pairs to extend from respective sides and join together to form bracing barriers extending across the width of the container.

Description:
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
       [0001]    This invention relates to apparatus and methods useful in shipping products, and particularly to protecting against damage to packages shipped in shipping enclosures such as sea or air freight containers, truck bodies including trailers, rail cars and the like by restraining the packages against movement within the container. 
         [0002]    The use of conventional load stabilization practices for shipment of goods in containers and truck bodies exposes loads to shifting, tipping and tumbling. Such unrestrained movement during handling causes damage to packaging and to goods packaged within, result in shipping losses. 
         [0003]    Prior practices seeking to overcome this problem have included load bars, portable air bags, strapping and bracing against the interior wall surfaces of the enclosure using site built frames of wood or the like. Difficulties encountered include non-use of load bars due to theft and load bars that come loose during shipment causing freight damage. Air bags as previously proposed are expensive, difficult to use and are subject to over inflation. Air bags are often discarded after a single use and are deficient in holding a uniform pressure overtime, temperature variation and altitude changes. Site built bracing is a labor intensive manual process which increases loading and unloading time and are inconsistent across shipping locations and companies. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]    With the foregoing in mind, it is one purpose of this invention to improve the stabilization of freight within a shipping enclosure such as as sea or air freight containers, truck bodies including trailers, rail cars and the like. In realizing this purpose, an arrangement of securing frame assemblies is provided within a shipping enclosure and engages packages being handled. 
         [0005]    In accordance with this invention, the frame assemblies are secured to side walls of the container and act in pairs to extend from respective sides and join together to form bracing barriers extending across the width of the container. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    Some of the purposes of the invention having been stated, others will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a shipping enclosure with the apparatus of this invention in place; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of certain elements of this invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a view similar to  FIG. 2  showing other elements of this invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a partially redacted view similar to portions of  FIGS. 2 and 3 , showing certain features of a base portion of the elements there shown; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is an elevation view of one component of the elements of  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION  
       [0012]    While the present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown, it is to be understood at the outset of the description which follows that persons of skill in the appropriate arts may modify the invention here described while still achieving the favorable results of the invention. Accordingly, the description which follows is to be understood as being a broad, teaching disclosure directed to persons of skill in the appropriate arts, and not as limiting upon the present invention. 
         [0013]    Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings,  FIG. 1  shows a shipping enclosure  10  which is a portion of the invention here described. The enclosure  10  may be any one of a sea or air freight container, a truck body including trailers, a rail car and the like. For purposes of the illustration, the enclosure is simply an elongate box, having inward facing side walls, top and bottom walls. In  FIG. 1  the enclosure  10  is shown to have vertically extending rails  11  secured on or in the inwardly facing side walls. As will be understood from the prior art, such rails may extend within an enclosure vertically along side walls, horizontally along side walls, longitudinally along the top (ceiling) or bottom (floor) surfaces, or from side-to-side along the ceiling and floor surfaces. While only one orientation has here been shown, the present invention contemplates that any of the mentioned orientations and combinations of them may be present in—and used as described hereinafter—in a shipping enclosure in which the present invention is implemented. 
         [0014]    In accordance with this invention, a pair of securing frames  12  (or sets of frames—a plurality will commonly be employed as will become more clear hereinafter) is provided which engages packages disposed within the enclosure for shipment and secures the packages against damage otherwise possibly occurring. The frames  12  are shown in  FIGS. 1 through 3  and partially in  FIG. 4 . However,  FIGS. 2 and 3  are particularly useful in the present discussion. As there shown, each of two securing frames  12  has a base portion  14  which will engage the fastener rails  11  within the enclosure  10  and a pivotally mounted extensible arm portion  15 . The securing frame is preferably constructed with metal members that impart substantial rigidity and has fixtures on the base portion adapted to lock into the rails  11 . The frames  12  may be stored out of goods engagement within the enclosure  10  when not needed to secure a load, as during loading or unloading of goods or transport of an empty enclosure. That is, the extensible arm portion may be pivoted against the wall of the enclosure and secured there so as to be out of the way. 
         [0015]    In accordance with the present invention, and as shown in  FIG. 2 , the telescoping load restraint system of this invention is integrated into the side walls of the enclosure  10 . Referring now to only one of the pair of assemblies, the assembly ( FIG. 2 ) has an extensible arm  15  pivotally attached to the base portion  14 . The extensible arm has two portions, one  15 A pivotally attached to the base  14  and the other  15 B mounted within the first for extension relative thereto. The two portions  15 A and  15 B are normally secured together by a lock  16  which prevents extension of the member  15 B relative to the member  15 A attached to the base  14 . 
         [0016]    The base portion  14  secures the restraint to the wall of the enclosure. When stored out of use position, the arm  15  is pivoted vertically against the wall and locked in position by a lock  17  provided in the base  14 . The base  14  also has a lock  18  which engages the rail  11  to secure the restraint at a selected position vertically along the wall of the enclosure. When to be moved to a use position, an operator would release the lock  18  and move the base to a vertical position appropriate to engage the goods within the enclosure, and then lock the base in position. Once locked into vertical position, the lock  17  is released and the arm  15  moved to a horizontal position. Once moved to a horizontal position (as shown in  FIG. 1 ), the lock  16  is released, and the extensible portion  15 B extended across the enclosure to engage goods to be restrained. 
         [0017]    As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the base portion  14  of each of the arm assemblies has provision for accommodating movement transversely of the vertical rails  11  within the enclosure. This movement permits adjusting the restraint position to accommodate contained packages which may have dimensions resulting in the packages being positioned within the enclosure out of direct alignment with the rails. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the base  14  has an elongate slot  19  to permit such adjustment and a series of teeth  20  which are engaged by a latch within the arm assembly when the assembly is correctly positioned. Thus there are two adjustments to accommodate a load: vertical along the rails  11  and horizontally transverse of the rails. 
         [0018]    The paired arm assembly is shown in  FIG. 3 , where the reference characters used are shared with  FIG. 2 . The exception is the provision, in an opposing arm assembly, of a sleeve-like third member  15 C engaging the extensible member  15 B. The sleeve member  15 C is sized to slide over the second member  15 B of both of the arm assemblies. When the arms are moved into opposing relationship to secure a load ( FIG. 1 ), the third member  15 C is moved to enclose the terminal ends of both extensible members  15 B and secured in position with a latch or other device to complete the restraint. 
         [0019]    In the drawings and specifications there has been setforth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are used, the description thus given uses terminology in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.