Patent ID: 7861972

Claim:
An apparatus for releasing forward and aft extending load restraint members, comprising; an aircraft load deck; an object restrained on the load deck by a plurality of forward extending load restraining members which are mounted to the aircraft load deck, and by a plurality of aft extending load restraining members which are mounted to the aircraft load deck; wherein the plurality of forward extending load restraining members and the plurality of aft extending load members are connected to a load plate which is mounted between a lower attachment plate which is mounted to the object and an upper attachment plate which is mounted to the object; wherein the load plate has an aft lower side and a forward lower side joined by a lowermost side, and wherein an attachment pin is mounted to the load plate for movement thereon; wherein the lower attachment plate has an upwardly opening notch which receives the load plate, wherein the upwardly opening notch has an aft support surface which is engageable with the aft lower side of the load plate, and wherein the upwardly opening notch has a forward support surface engageable with the forward lower side of the load plate, and wherein the aft support surface and the forward support surface are joined by a lowermost support surface, the lowermost support surface being engageable with the lowermost side of the load plate, the aft support surface, the forward support surface, and the lowermost support surface engaging the load plate to transmit forward, aft, and downward loads from the forward and aft load restraining members; wherein the lowermost side of the load plate hingedly engages the lowermost support surface to prevent removal of the load plate from engagement with the lower attachment plate except following a hinging movement of the load plate with respect to the lowermost support surface of the lower attachment plate; and wherein the upper attachment plate has portions defining an aperture for receiving the attachment pin, so that when the attachment pin is received within the aperture of the upper attachment plate, the load plate is prevented from the hinging movement with respect to the lowermost support surface and the load plate is captured between the lower attachment plate and the upper attachment plate.