Patent Publication Number: US-6669417-B2

Title: Positioning assembly for positioning a container on a platform and method for making the same

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a positioning assembly for positioning a container on a platform of a vehicle and to a method for making the same. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate conventional positioning assemblies for positioning containers on a platform  11  of a vehicle, such as a cargo-carrying ship. Each of the positioning assemblies is made from a metal, and includes a connecting rod  3  with a U-shaped end  30 . A hook member  33  has a hook end  331  that hooks on a retaining hole in a corner fitting  21  of a container  20 , and a pivot end that is pivoted to the U-shaped end  30  of the connecting rod  3  via screw means which include a screw bolt  333  and a screw nut  336 . Each of the positioning assemblies is required to be coated with a layer of anti-corrosion material, such as zinc, for preventing corrosion thereof when exposed to a sea environment. However, it would be impossible for the screw bolt  333  to threadedly engage the screw nut  336  if a threaded portion of the screw bolt  333  or a threaded portion of the screw nut  336  is coated with a layer of the anti-corrosion material. As a consequence, at least the threaded portions of the screw bolt  333  and the screw nut  336  cannot be protected from corrosion. Moreover, engagement between the screw bolt  333  and the screw nut  336  tends to loosen after a period of use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a positioning assembly that is capable of overcoming the aforesaid drawbacks. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for making the positioning assembly. 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a positioning assembly for positioning a container on a platform. The container has a corner fitting formed with a retaining hole. The positioning assembly comprises: a connecting rod having a U-shaped end with opposing first and second arm portions which cooperatively define a gap therebetween and which are respectively formed with first and second through-holes aligned and extending in a transverse direction relative to lengths of the first and second arm portions and in spatial communication with the gap, each of the first and second through-holes having an outer end, the left arm portion being formed with a first flange that projects outwardly and that converges from a periphery of the outer end of the first through-hole in a direction away from the gap, the right arm portion being formed with a second flange that projects inwardly from a periphery of the outer end of the second through-hole, the first and second flanges confining first and second openings, respectively; a pivot pin extending through the gap and into the first and second through-holes, and having a diameter greater than dimensions of the first and second openings so as to be limited in the gap and the first and second through-holes; and a hook member having a pivot end that is disposed in the gap and that is rotatably sleeved on the pivot pin, and a hook end that is opposite to the pivot end, that extends outwardly of the gap, and that is adapted to hook on the retaining hole in the corner fitting of the container. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for making a positioning assembly for positioning a container on a platform. The method comprises the steps of: (a) preparing a pivot pin, a hook member, and a connecting rod having a U-shaped end with opposing first and second arm portions which cooperatively define a gap therebetween and which are respectively formed with first and second through-holes aligned and extending in a transverse direction relative to lengths of the first and second arm portions and in spatial communication with the gap, each of the first and second through-holes having an outer end, the left arm portion being formed with a first flange that projects outwardly from a periphery of the outer end of the first through-hole in a direction away from the gap, the right arm portion being formed with a second flange that projects inwardly from a periphery of the outer end of the second through-hole, the first and second flanges confining first and second openings, respectively, the hook member having a pivot end formed with a pivot hole, and a hook end opposite to the pivot end, the pivot pin having a diameter less than a dimension of the first opening and greater than a dimension of the second opening; (b) coating each of the connecting rod, the pivot pin, and the hook member with a layer of an anti-corrosion material; (c) assembling the connecting rod, the hook member and the pivot pin by disposing the pivot end of the hook member in the gap in such a manner that the pivot hole is aligned with the first and second through-holes in the transverse direction and by inserting the pivot pin into the first through-hole, the gap, the pivot hole, and the second through-hole via the first opening in such a manner that the pivot pin is disposed between the outer ends of the first and second through-holes; and (d) punching the first flange after the step (c) to reduce the dimension of the first opening so as to prevent removal of the pivot pin from the U-shaped end of the connecting rod. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the invention, 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic side view to illustrate how conventional positioning assemblies are connected to corner fittings of containers on a platform; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of one of the positioning assemblies of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a preferred embodiment of a positioning assembly of this invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic side view to illustrate how the positioning assembly of FIG. 3 is connected to a container on a platform; 
     FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view to illustrate a preparation step for making the positioning assembly according to a method that embodies this invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view to illustrate an assembling step for making the positioning assembly according to the method of this invention; and 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional view to illustrate a punching step for making the positioning assembly according to the method of this invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the preferred embodiment of the positioning assembly of this invention for positioning a container  20 ′ on a platform  11 ′ of a vehicle, such as a cargo-carrying ship (not shown). The container  20 ′ has a corner fitting  21 ′ that is formed with a retaining hole. 
     The positioning assembly includes: a connecting rod  40  having a U-shaped end  41  with opposing first and second arm portions  42 ,  43  which cooperatively define a gap  44  therebetween and which are respectively formed with first and second through-holes  420 ,  430  aligned and extending in a transverse direction relative to lengths of the first and second arm portions  42 ,  43  and in spatial communication with the gap  44 , each of the first and second through-holes  420 ,  430  having an outer end, the left arm portion  42  being formed with a first flange  421  that projects outwardly and that converges from a periphery of the outer end of the first through-hole  420  in a direction away from the gap  44 , the right arm portion  43  being formed with a second flange  431  that projects inwardly from a periphery of the outer end of the second through-hole  430 , the first and second flanges  421 ,  431  confining first and second openings  4210 ,  4310 , respectively; a pivot pin  60  extending through the gap  44  and into the first and second through-holes  420 ,  430 , and having a diameter greater than the dimensions of the first and second openings  4210 ,  4310  so as to be limited in the gap  44  and the first and second through-holes  420 ,  430 ; and a hook member  50  having a pivot end  53  that is disposed in the gap  44  and that is rotatably sleeved on the pivot pin  60  via extension of the pivot pin  60  through a pivot hole  51  in the pivot end  53 , and a hook end  52  (see FIG. 5) that is opposite to the pivot end  53 , that extends outwardly of the gap  44 , and that is adapted to hook on the retaining hole in the corner fitting  21 ′ of the container  20 ′. 
     FIGS. 5 to  7  illustrate consecutive steps of making the positioning assembly of FIG. 3 by the method of this invention. The method includes the steps of: (a) preparing the pivot pin  60 , the hook member  50 , and a connecting rod  40 ′, each of the connecting rod  40 ′, the hook member  50 , and the pivot pin  60  being made from a metal, the connecting rod  40 ′ having a structure similar to that of the connecting rod  40  shown in FIG. 3, except that the first flange  421 ′ projects outwardly from the periphery of the outer end of the first through-hole  420  in such a manner that the diameter of the pivot pin  60  is less than the dimension of the first opening  4210 ′; (b) coating each of the connecting rod  40 ′, the pivot pin  60 , and the hook member  50  with a layer of an anti-corrosion material which is made from zinc; (c) assembling the connecting rod  40 ′′, the hook member  50 , and the pivot pin  60  by disposing the pivot end  53  of the hook member  50  in the gap  44  in such a manner that the pivot hole  51  is aligned with the first and second through-holes  420 ,  430  in the transverse direction and by inserting the pivot pin  60  into the first through-hole  420 , the gap  44 , the pivot hole  51 , and the second through-hole  430  via the first opening  4210 ′ in such a manner that the pivot pin  60  is disposed between the outer ends of the first and second through-holes  420 ,  430 ; and (d) punching the first flange  421 ′ after the step (c) to reduce the dimension of the first opening  4210 ′ so as to form the punched first flange  421  shown in FIG.  3  and so as to prevent removal of the pivot pin  60  from the U-shaped end  41  of the connecting rod  40 ′. 
     Since the entire positioning assembly of this invention can be coated with the anti-corrosion material, the drawbacks as encountered in the prior art can be eliminated. 
     With the invention thus explained, it is apparent that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It is therefore intended that the invention be limited only as recited in the appended claims.