Systems for moving demountable freight containers along supporting platforms therefor

Claim 1

IN A FREIGHT HANDLING SYSTEM, A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT SUPPORTING PLATFORM ARRANGED IN A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION, A SUBSTANTIALLY BOX-LIKE FREIGHT CONTAINER DEMOUNTABLY AND MOVABLY SUPPORTED ON TOP OF SAID PLATFORM, A UNITARY MOTOR OF THE CYLINER-PISTON TYPE INCLUDING AN ELONGATED CYLINDER ELEMENT AND A PISTON MUTUALLY MOUNTED UPON EACH OTHER FOR SELECTIVE LONGITUDINAL SLIDING MOVEMENTS WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, AN ELONGATED CONNECTOR ELEMENT RIGIDLY SECURED TO SAID PISTON AND MOVABLE THEREWITH, WHEREBY SAID CYLINDER ELEMENT AND SAID CONNECTOR ELEMENT ARE SELECTIVELY MOVABLE LONGITUDINALLY WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER BETWEEN EXTENDED AND CONTRACTED POSITIONS, MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY OPERATING SAID MOTOR ALTERNATELY TO MOVE SAID ELEMENTS LONGITUDINALLY BETWEEN THEIR EXTENDED AND CONTRACTED POSITIONS, MEANS FOR DETACHABLY CONNECTING SAID CONNECTOR ELEMENT TO THE LOWER CENTRAL PORTIONS OF SAID FREIGHT CONTAINER AND ADJACENT TO THE TOP OF SAID PLATFORM, AND MECHANISM INCLUDING AN ELONGATED RACK AND A COOPERATING PAWL, SAID RACK BEING SECURELY ANCHORED TO THE TOP OF SAID PLATFORM, SAID PAWL BEING CARRIED BY SAID CYLINDER ELEMENT AND LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE INNER END THEREOF PRESENTED TOWARD SAID DETACHABLE CONNECTION, SAID PAWL BEING SELECTIVELY ADJUSTABLE ON THE INNER END OF SAID CYLINDER ELEMENT BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS OF COOPERATION WITH SAID RACK, WHEREIN SAID PAWL IN ITS FIRST POSITION CLUTCHES SAID RACK IN RESPONSE TO LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF SAID ELEMENTS INTO THEIR EXTENDED POSITION AND OVERRIDES SAID RACK IN RESPONSE TO LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF SAID ELEMENTS INTO THEIR CONTRACTED POSITION, WITH THE RESULT THAT SAID MOTOR TRAVELS WITH SAID FREIGHT CONTAINER AND PUSHES SAID FREIGHT CONTAINER WITH A STEP-BY-STEP MOTION ALONG SAID PLATFORM AND IN A CORRESPONDING FIRST DIRECTION LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID RACK, WHEREIN SAID PAWL IN ITS SECOND POSITION OVERRIDES SAID RACK IN RESPONSE TO LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF SAID ELEMENTS INTO THEIR EXTENDED POSITION AND CLUTCHES SAID RACK IN RESPONSE TO LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF SAID ELEMENTS INTO THEIR CONTRACTED POSITION, WITH THE RESULT THAT SAID MOTOR TRAVELS WITH SAID FREIGHT CONTAINER AND PULLS SAID FREIGHT CONTAINER WITH A STEP-BY-STEP MOTION ALONG SAID PLATFORM AND IN A CORRESPONDING SECOND DIRECTION LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID RACK, WHEREIN SAID FIRST AND SECOND DIRECTIONS ARE OPPOSITE TO EACH OTHER, WHEREIN SAID DETACHABLE CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID CONNECTOR ELEMENT AND THE LOWER CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID FREIGHT CONTAINER ACCOMMODATES PIVOTAL MOVEMENTS OF SAID MOTOR IN THE VERTICAL DIRECTION WITH RESPECT TO SAID FREIGHT CONTAINER, SO AS TO FACILITATE OVERRIDING OF SAID PAWL WITH RESPECT TO SAID RACK, SAID DETACHABLE CONNECTION ALSO ACCOMMODATING RAPID CONNECTION AND DISCONNECTION OF SAID MOTOR WITH RESPECT TO THE LOWER CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID FREIGHT CONTAINER, SO AS TO FACILITATE READY HANDLING OF SAID MOTOR AND THE EASE WITH WHICH SAID FREIGHT CONTAINER IS HANDLED ON SAID PLATFORM, AND WHEREIN SAID LOCATION OF SAID PAWL ON SAID CYLINDER ELEMENT ADJACENT TO SAID INNER END THEREOF ACCOMMODATES COOPERATION OF SAID PAWL WITH THE EXTREME END PORTION OF SAID RACK DISPOSED ADJACENT TO AN EDGE OF SAID PLATFORM, SO AS TO FACILITATE MOVEMENT OF SAID FREIGHT CONTAINER BY SAID MOTOR WHEN SAID FREIGHT CONTAINER IS SUPPORTED BY SAID PLATFORM ADJACENT TO SAID EDGE THEREOF.