Freight bracing apparatus

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING AND BRACING GENERAL MERCHANDISE IN FREIGHT CARS AND THE LIKE, A CROSSBAR END FITTING COMPRISING A BODY MEMBER HAVING MEANS AT ONE SIDE THEREOF FOR CONNECTING SAID END FITTING TO AN ASSOCIATED CROSSBAR, SAID BODY MEMBER INCLUDING A YOKE PORTION EXTENDING IN OPPOSED RELATION TO SAID MEANS AND A PLATE PORTION SECURED ACROSS THE OUTER OF SAID YOKE PORTION AND CO-OPERATING THEREWITH TO DEFINE AN OPENING EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID BODY MEMBER, SAID PLATE PORTION INCLUDING A HOOK SECTION INCLUDING A SUPPORT SURFACE FOR SUPPORTING SAID END FITTING ON AN ASSOCIATED SUPPORT MEMBER AND HAVING AN ANTI-PULLAWAY SURFACE EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID SUPPORT SURFACE FOR ENGAGING BEHIND A PART OF SAID ASSOCIATED SUPPORT MEMBER TO PREVENT SAID END FITTING FROM PULLING AWAY THEREFROM, SAID PLATE PORTION ALSO HAVING AN APERTURE THERETHROUGH EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID SUPPORT SURFACE AND SUBSTANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID ANTIPULLAWAY SURFACE, A LATCH MEMBER DISPOSED WITHIN SAID OPENING IN SAID BODY MEMBER AND HAVING A LATCH PIN DISPOSED WITHIN SAID APERTURE IN SAID PLATE PORTION, MEANS MOUNTING SAID LATCH MEMBER ON SAID BODY MEMBER WITHIN SAID OPENING FOR MOVEMENT TO MOVE SAID LATCH PIN TO AND FROM A POSITION IN WHICH SAID LATCH PIN EXTENDS OUTWARDLY OF SAID APERTURE IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID OPENING FOR ENGAGING SAID SUPPORT MEMBER, AND MEANS DISPOSED IN SAID OPENING FOR HOLDING SAID LATCH MEMBER DISPOSED WITH SAID LATCH PIN IN SAID POSITION.