Abstract:
The invention provides a detachable railing system for assisting in securing a load to a flat bed truck. The railing systems of the invention include a plurality of detachable stakes have one end dimensioned for telescopic mating with a pocket formed along the periphery of the flat bed truck. Each of the plurality of stakes has a saddle portion extending outwardly therefrom and which is dimensioned for receipt of one end of an arm. A plurality of arms is dimensioned to be inserted into at least one of the saddles of the plurality of stakes and is further dimensioned to span the length between adjacent stakes when the stakes are mounted a predetermined distance apart near the periphery of the flat bed truck. The plurality of arms is further adapted to detachably mounted into at least one of the saddle portions of at least one of the plurality of stakes.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates generally to system and method for securing a load to a flat bed truck. More particularly, the system and method include a removable railing system for ensuring that a load remains on a flat bed truck during transit, but which can be removed when necessary to assist in unloading of the truck. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    A quite common type of truck trailer is the so-called “stake bed truck” that provides a flat cargo area with no roof or permanently affixed sidewalls. These types of vehicles are typically used to carry very heavy loads, generally of the character that the load needs to be placed on the truck with the use of a crane or fork lift truck. The stakes are typically removable from a series of spaced apart pockets provided around the periphery of the truck bed in a rub rail that borders the bed. Straps or chains are typically secured to the stakes or to the rub rail adjacent to the pockets and placed over the load to secure it to the truck bed. For the transportation of rolled steel products, the pockets are often spaced apart at intervals of about 21 inches along the periphery of the truck. 
         [0003]    Presently, compact, heavy objects that have rounded surfaces can be difficult to transport on such conventional flat bed trucks. For example, the transport of cylindrical coils of rolled sheet steel has proven particularly problematic to transfer safely and efficiently with a flat bed truck. Such rolls of sheet steel typically vary in their dimensions from a diameter of 24 inches to 36 inches and a width from 12 inches to 36 inches. Rolls of sheet steel are difficult to transport because even relatively narrow rolls (less than 21 inches) often weigh more than 700 pounds. Even when strapped down to the conventional steel stake systems typically utilized with flat bed trucks, steel rolls can, due to their weight, compact size and curved outer surface, work free of the strapping and roll off of the bed of the truck. Such an occurrence can create a very dangerous situation for the truck driver and the other vehicles traveling the roads. Also, since the heavy loads that flat bed trucks carry usually necessitate being loaded from their sides by one or more forklifts, it is important that any system for securing such loads allow for easy access to the sides of the truck. Thus, there is a need for a more secure way to transport heavy dense, but highly mobile cargo, such as rolls of sheet steel, on flat bed trucks, which also allows for efficient access to the sides of the truck in order to unload the cargo with a forklift. 
         [0004]    One prior attempt to provide flat bed trucks and trailers with a load securing structure was to equip them with longitudinally spaced-apart, insertable gates, which can be removed during loading and then reinstalled after loading to secure the load in place on the bed of the truck. Typically, the prior art gates were constructed from at least two elongated vertically extending stakes that are telescopically receivable within longitudinally spaced-apart pockets provided along the sides of the truck bed. The vertical stakes were sometimes connected together by vertically spaced-apart wooden or metal slats that are typically about 4 to 6 feet long. U.S. Pat. No. 6,325,438 B1 discloses a side gate assembly that is hinged to the flat bed in a manner that allows them to be folded onto the truck to allow the loaded from the side by a forklift truck. However, the system of the &#39;438 patent is bulky, complex and costly and thus inadequate for many situations. Furthermore, the light weight construction of the hinged, foldable gates and the wide spacing of their stake members do not provide a sufficiently robust structure to prevent a seven hundred pound roll of sheet steel from breaking through the gates and falling off of the flat bed. 
         [0005]    For the transportation of logs, special flat beds logging trucks or trailers have been designed with movable stakes that constrain the logs on the truck or trailer. These stakes are placed inside a bunk pocket. The bunk pockets are secured to a bunk which is a member that passes under the truck or trailer bed and supports the bunk pocket into which the stakes are placed. Once the logs are placed on the trailer inside the stakes, a safety wrapper chain or strap is added to further secure the logs to the truck or trailer bed in compliance with transportation regulations. U.S. Pat. No. 6,722,828 B2 discloses a logging truck with a system configured to constraining logs to be hauled on a truck or trailer without the use of safety wrapper chains or straps to secure the load. This is accomplished by utilizing stakes, bunks, bunk pockets, a head board and a tail board to constrain logs on the bed of the truck or trailer. The stakes disclosed in the &#39;828 patent constrain the logs movement from side to side on the truck or trailer. However, the stakes of the &#39;828 patent are permanently mounted, which make it difficult to allow side fork lift access to the truck. Moreover, the spacing of the stakes in the &#39;828 system would not be appropriate for loads that are more compact than logs, such as sheet steel rolls. 
         [0006]    There are also a number of removable cover systems for flatbed trailers, which include stake-supported panels extending longitudinally along sides of the trailer and bow-supported tarp cover secured over the trailer and the upper portions of the panels. These systems are typically referred to as tarp-and-rack systems or side kits, and versions of these systems have been commercially available for a number of years. U.S. Pat. No. 7,350,842 B2 includes a relatively detailed discussion of various iterations of such systems. However, those systems involve more expense and labor to construct than is desirable and further are believed to lack the strength required to secure the relatively heavy, highly movable loads for which the current system has been designed. Further, where unloading or loading cargo requires ready forklift access to the sides of the truck, tarp and racks systems are too time-consuming and labor intensive to disassemble to be feasible for most jobs. Further, as such systems are primarily designed to sheltering cargo on the truck bed rather than securing heavy loads. Thus, they are not believed to be sufficiently robust for use with heavy, compact highly mobile cargo, like rolls of sheet steel. 
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    One object of the invention is to provide a cost effective system and method to assist in constraining heavy, dense highly mobile cargo, from falling off a flat bed truck during transit. 
         [0008]    Another object of the invention is to provide such a robust rail system and method which further allows for quick and efficient forklift access from the sides of the flat bed truck for loading and unloading cargo therefrom. 
         [0009]    A further objective is to provide a removable, adjustable rail system to assist in constraining a heavy, highly mobile load on a flat bed truck. 
         [0010]    A still further object of the invention is to provide a method for providing side loading access to a flat bed truck through a rail system for assisting in securing a load to a flat bed truck. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    One embodiment of the invention provides a detachable railing system for assisting in securing a load to a flat bed truck. The railing system including a plurality of detachable stakes have one end dimensioned for telescopic mating with a pocket formed along the periphery of the flat bed truck. Each of the plurality of stakes has a saddle portion extending outwardly therefrom and which is dimensioned for receipt of one end of an arm. A plurality of arms is dimensioned to be inserted into at least one of the saddles of the plurality of stakes and is further dimensioned to span the length between adjacent stakes when the stakes are mounted a predetermined distance apart near the periphery of the flat bed truck. The plurality of arms is further adapted to detachably mounted into at least one of the saddle portions of at least one of the plurality of stakes. Preferably, the arms are pivotally mounted to the saddles by means of a hinging bolt on a first end and a lock pin on a second end. In order for the pivotally mounted arm to clear the saddle portion during pivoting, its ends are preferably cut on angle to allow for rotation of the portion of the arm opposite the pivot bolt to swing past the saddle. Further, the plurality of stakes are each preferably provided with a stop block along at least one of their outer surfaces to ensure that they are at a uniform height when inserted into the plurality of pockets formed on the flat bed truck. Moreover, the stakes are also preferably provided with an arm retaining tang which is dimensioned for a tight friction fit with the arm when the arm is pivoted into a substantially upright position. Also, the tang is provided with a removable pin for temporarily securing the arm in an upright position during loading and unloading cargo. 
         [0012]    In another embodiment of the invention, an alternate detachable railing system for assisting in securing a load to a flat bed truck is provided. The alternate railing system includes a plurality of detachable stakes have one end dimensioned for telescopic mating with a pocket formed along the periphery of the flat bed truck bed. Each of the plurality of stakes has a boot portion adjustably attached thereto. Each of the boots portions has at least one saddle portion extending outwardly therefrom, which is dimensioned for receipt of one end of an arm. Each of the boots, in turn, are dimensioned to telescopically mate with a stake such that the boots can slide along the vertical length of the stakes to allow the railing system of this embodiment of the invention to be adjusted to a plurality of different rail heights. A plurality of arms are dimensioned to be received into at least one of the saddles of the plurality of stakes, and the arms are further dimensioned to span the length between adjacent stakes when mounted a predetermined distance apart near the periphery of the flat bed truck. In one embodiment of the invention, including the adjustable boots, the arm portion may also be pivotally mounted to the saddles of the boot. 
         [0013]    In a still further embodiment of the invention, a method and system is provided for converting conventional flat bed stakes into a railing system. The method includes providing a plurality of boots being adapted to be attached to conventional flat bed stakes. The plurality of boots are attached to each of the plurality of conventional stakes by attaching bolts or the like through the boot into holes drilled into the conventional stakes. Each of the boots portions has at least one saddle portion extending outwardly from each of the conventional stakes. The conversion kit further includes a plurality of arms that are dimensioned to be received into at least one of the saddles attached to each of the plurality of stakes and is further dimensioned to span the length between adjacent stakes when mounted a predetermined distance apart near the periphery of the flat bed truck. A first end of each of the plurality of arms is inserted into a saddle portion mounted to a first of the plurality of stakes. Then, a second end of each of the plurality of arms is inserted into an adjacent saddle attached to an adjacent conventional stake. In some cases, the conventional stakes may have holes already drilled in them at an acceptable height for mounting the boots. However, if this is not the case, the kit may include instructions for drilling appropriate holes for receipt of bolts for attaching the boots to the conventional stakes. 
         [0014]    Still further, the present invention includes a method of loading or unloading a load from a flat bed truck including the steps of removing a mounting pin from a pivotally mounted arm forming at least a portion of a railing around the periphery of a flat bed truck. Next, the arm is pivoted upwardly into a substantially upright position to allow a forklift to access a load located on the flatbed truck between adjacent stakes of the railing system mounted along the periphery of the flat bed truck. If the load or the distance between the forks of the forklift to be removed is larger than the spacing between the stakes of the railing system, one or more of the stakes may be removed by first removing the locking pin on one end of the arm, pivoting the arm into its upright position, and pulling the stake from the pocket on the flat bed truck. In one preferred method the invention, the stakes are provided with a friction fit tang member that temporarily retains the vertical, pivoted arm while the load is being accessed by the forklift. In one preferred method of the invention, the pivoted arm is temporarily secured in the vertical position by the insertion of a pin through the arm and into a hole in the tang. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of a pair of stakes and an arm connecting same in accordance with one embodiment of the railing system of the invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of a pair of stakes with the arm raised and pinned into a tang in accordance with the railing system depicted in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a plan view of a pair of stakes with the arm partially lowered in accordance with the railing system shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged perspective view of a stake with arm attached thereto in a raised position with the arm secured in the tang by a pin in accordance with the railing system shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged plan view of a partially disassembled stake with an arm detached there from in accordance with the railing system shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a rub-rail on a flat bed truck for receipt of the stakes of railing system of the applicant&#39;s invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is an enlarged perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a stake in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the railing system of the invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is a plan view of a boot portion of the rail system of  FIG. 7 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 9  is a side view of a boot portion of the rail system of  FIG. 7 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 10  is a side view of an arm portion of the rail system of  FIG. 7 . 
           [0025]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of another alternate embodiment of the railing system of the invention showing the system assembled in a double arm configuration. 
           [0026]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the railing system of  FIG. 11  showing the arms in a partially upwardly pivoted position. 
           [0027]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of disassembled components of the railing system of  FIG. 11 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0028]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , one embodiment of the railing system of the invention includes at a plurality of stakes  20 , which are dimensioned to be received into pockets  22  located in the rub-rail  24  of a flat bed truck  26 . Each pair of stakes, e.g.,  20   a  and  20   b , include a connecting arm  28  which is dimensioned to span the distance between each pair of stakes. The connecting arm  28  is further dimensioned for receipt in saddles  30   a,    30   b  on each of the stakes  20   a,    20   b.  The arm  28  and stakes  20   a,    20   b  combining to form one segment of the railing system in accordance with the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . The railing system of this embodiment of applicant&#39;s invention may include multiple railing segments arranged adjacent to one another, or alternately may have one or more gaps formed there between where the cargo being hauled lends its self to being securely retained by an intermittent rail arrangement. Railing systems in accordance with the embodiment of  FIG. 1  have been field tested to withstand the force of a rolling 500/600 lbs. 2 inch thick solid wall steel being dropped from a height of about two feet causing a rolling velocity of about 5 mph onto a flat bed truck contacting the railing without damaging either the railing system of coiled steel roll. 
         [0029]    Turning now in more detail to the stakes  20   a,    20   b,  as shown in  FIG. 1 , when the arm  28  is fully assembled, it is held in place by bolt  32  on one end and a pin  34  on a second end. The pin  34  is preferably a temporary locking style pin, such as cotter type pin, so that the arm  28  can be securely affixed to the stake, but also easily removed therefrom in order to partially disassemble the railing system in order to allow side access to the flat by a forklift between the adjacent stakes. In this vein,  FIG. 2  shows stakes  20   a,    20   b  with arm  28  pivoted upwardly such that the arm  28  is held in that upright position by tang  36  and tang pin  38 . Tang  36  is dimensioned for a friction fit with arm  28  when arm  28  is pivoted into its upright or partially disassembled configuration for purposes of unloading the cargo from the side with a fork lift. Tang pin  38  is also preferably a cotter style pin which allows the tang pin to be quickly and securely installed as well as removed to facilitate assembly and disassembly of the railing system. As can be further seen in  FIG. 2 , arm  28  includes a bias cut end  40  to prevent the end of the arm  28  from impinging on saddle  30   a  when being swung to its upright position. Stake  20   b  is provided with pin aperture  42 , which is dimensioned to receive pin  34  during assembly of the rail system. Stakes  20   a  and  20   b  further include stops  44   a,    44   b,  which are dimensioned to prevent over insertion of the stakes  20   a  and  20   b  into the pockets  22   a,    22   b  of rub-rail  24 . This keep the railing system at a uniform pre-determined height relative the bed. Where one or more cargo items are wider than the gap between the stakes, it will sometimes be necessary to remove one or more stake to access such wide cargo items with the fork lift from the side of the truck. 
         [0030]    In  FIG. 3 , stakes  20   a  and  20   b  are shown with arm  28  partially pivoted toward sleeve  30   b.  Tang pin aperture  46  can be best seen in  FIG. 3 , and it is dimensioned for receipt of tang pin  38 . Arm  28  further includes arm tang aperture  48 , which is positioned and dimensioned to align with tang pin aperture  46  on stake  20   a  when arm  28  is fully pivoted into its upright position. Arm  28  is further provided with arm sleeve aperture  43  which is positioned and dimensioned to align with sleeve aperture  42  when arm  28  is fully downwardly pivoted into sleeve  30   b.    
         [0031]    With regard to  FIG. 4 , arm  28  is shown in its fully upright position with a pin  38  securing it in that position. Pin  38  is shown with cotter element  50  inserted into pin and aperture formed on the end of pin  38  to prevent inadvertent swinging of arm  28  should, for example, a forklift or cargo bump into the arm during unloading of the flat bed  26  of the truck. Stake  20   a  may optionally include sleeve aperture  42   a  so that sleeve  30   a  may receive the second end of an additional arm piece (not shown) so that stakes may be joined sleeve to arm to sleeve to arm to create multiple segments to the rail system of the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-5 . 
         [0032]    Concerning  FIG. 5 , stake  20   a  is shown without arm  28  connected thereto. In this view, arm aperture  52   a  is best seen. Arm pin aperture  52   a  is dimensioned for receipt of arm bolt  32 . Arm bolt  32  may be secured with nut (not shown) to allow disassembly of arm and stake  20   a.  Optionally, bolt aperture  52   a  can be threaded on side of the sleeve so that bolt  32  can be tightened directly on the sleeve. Further, sleeve  30   b  may also be provided with a bolt aperture  52   b  dimensioned to receive a bolt (not shown) to secure a second arm to sleeve  30   b  in order to create a multiple segment railing system. The stakes  20   a,    20   b  of the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-5  are preferably manufactured from ⅛ thick, hollow tubing steel stock of ASTM A-500 Grade B. The sleeves  30   a  and  30   b  are preferably fabricated from 11 gauge steel tubing, steel stock and then welded to sleeves  20   a  and  20   b,  respectively. Tang  46  is welded to stake  20   a.  Stops  44   a  and  44   b  are fabricated from ½ inch A-36 HR Steel roll, steel stock and are then welded to stakes  20   a  and  20   b.  Each of the apertures  42   a,    42   b,    46 ,  48 ,  52   a,    52   b,  are machined into the applicable part utilizing a CNC drilling tool. The arms  28  may also be made from ⅛ inch thick 6061-T6 grade aluminum tube stock. 
         [0033]    Turning now to  FIG. 7 , an alternate embodiment of the railing system of the applicant&#39;s invention is illustrated, which includes stake  120  and boot  121 . Boot  121  further includes a pair of saddles  130   a  and  130   b  for receipt of an end of an arm  128  (see  FIG. 10 ). Each end of the arms  128  are held in similar boots (not shown) on adjacent stakes (not shown) to from a rail. Again, as with the previous embodiment of the invention, the railing system can be continuous around the periphery of the truck bed, may cover a portion of the periphery, or may be discontinuous. The boot  121  has a central aperture  123 , best seen in  FIG. 8 , which is dimensioned for telescopically mating with stake  120 . Boot  121  includes boot holes  125   a,    125   b,    125   c,    125   d  which are dimensioned to receive mounting bolts  127   a,    127   b,    127   c,    127   d,  respectively so that the boot  121  can be detachably mounted to the stake  120  through any two sets of aligning stake holes  129   ab ,  129   cd ,  129   ef ,  129   gh ,  129   ij ,  129   kl  located on side walls  133   a,b  of boot  121  via insertion of boot bolts  132   a  and  132   b.  The saddles  130   a  and  130   b  may further include aligned apertures  135   a,    135   b  and  137   a,    137   b  which are dimension to receive cotter pins  141   a ,  141   b  to hold arms  128  to boot  120 . The arms  128  have an aperture on each end  139   a ,  139   b,  which are dimensioned and positioned to receive the cotter pins  141   a  and  141   b  for securing the arm  128  to boots  121  located on adjacent stakes  120 . 
         [0034]    Turning to  FIGS. 11-13 , another alternate embodiment of the railing system of the applicant&#39;s invention is illustrated, which includes stakes  220  and boots  221 . Each boot  221  further includes a pair of saddles  230   a  and  230   b  for receipt of an end of an arm  228  (see  FIG. 11 ). Each end of the arms  228  are held in similar boots on adjacent stakes  221  to form a rail. As shown in  FIGS. 11 and 13 , the rail may include more than one set of arms  228  between the posts. Such a double (or even triple arm) configurations may be used where steel rolls of different heights are being simultaneously transported or where the driver or operator believes that additional strength may be needed to contain an especially heavy, or especially mobile load. Again as with the previous embodiments of the invention, the railing system can be continuous around the periphery of the truck bed, may cover a portion of the periphery, may be discontinuous, or may include diverse segments which are either single, double, or triple armed. The boots  221  each have a central aperture  223 , best seen in  FIG. 11 , which is dimensioned for telescopically mating with stake  220 . Boot  221  includes boot holes  225   a  and  225   b  which are dimensioned to receive mounting bolts  227  respectively so that the boot  221  can be detachably mounted to the stake  220  through any pair of aligned stake holes  229   ab ,  229   cd ,  229   ef ,  229   gh ,  229   ij , located on side walls  233   a,b  of boots  221  via insertion of boot bolts  227   a  and  227   b.  The saddles  230   a  and  230   b  may further include aligned apertures  235   a,    235   b,  which are dimension to receive cotter pins  214   a,    214   b  to hold arms  228  to boots  220 . The arms  228  have an aperture on each  239   a,    239   b,  which are dimensioned and positioned to receive the cotter pins  241   a  and  241   b  for securing each end of arm  228  to boots  221  located on adjacent stakes  220 . In the embodiment of  FIGS. 11-13 , the arms  228  are shown with only a single angled end  240 . However, to allow pivoting from either end of the arms  228 , it is contemplated that commercial versions of the rail systems of  FIGS. 11-13  would include an angled end  240  on both ends of each of the arms  228 . Furthermore, it is preferred that the stakes  220  also include a rub rail retention hole  260 , which is dimensional to receive a cotter type pin (not shown) that will prevent the stake from bouncing upwardly out of a rub rail pocket when a truck encounters bumpy terrain that might dislodge one or more stakes of the rail system. The retention hole  260  is spaced apart from stops  244  along the bottom of the stakes  220  a distance that is slightly larger than the height of rub rail pockets  22  (see  FIG. 6 ). The stakes  220  of the rail system of  FIGS. 11-13  have a stop  244  for engaging the upper portion of the rub rail pocket  22  and the cotter pin inserted into the retention hold  260  for engaging the bottom portion of the rub rail pocket. This arrangement ensures that the railing system will not become unintentionally dislodged during transit.