Semi-automatic horizontal container coupler

Claim 1

A DEVICE FOR COUPLING TWO MEMBERS HORIZONTALLY COMPRISING A VERTICAL WALL IN EACH MEMBER HAVING AN ELONGATED OPENING THERETHROUGH, A ROD HAVING SPACED ENLARGED HEADS ADAPTED TO EXTEND THROUGH SAID OPENINGS WHEN ELIGNED THEREWITH IN THE ABOUT TO COUPLE POSITION. EACH HEAD HAVING A LENGTH SHORTER THAN SAID OPENING BUT GREATER THAN THE WIDTH THEREOF AND ADAPTED TO EXTEND PARTIALLY ACROSS SAID OPENING IN THE COCKED POSITION AND FULLY ACROSS SAID OPENING IN THE COUPLED POSITION, AN ELONGATED SLEEVE MOUNTED FOR AXIAL MOVEMENT ON SAID ROD BETWEEN SAID HEADS, SAID ROD BEING ROTATABLE RELATIVE TO SAID SLEEVE MOUNTED FOR AXIAL MOVEMENT ON SAID ROD OF SAID HEADS, CIRCUMFERENTIALLY EXTENDING SLOT IN SAID SLEEVE CLOSED AT ITS UPPER AND LOWER ENDS, A HANDLE TO SAID ING TROUGH SAID SLOT, MEANS KEYING SAID HANDLE TO SAID ROD, AND A SHOULDER IN SAID SLOT INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS DIVIDING SAID SLOT INTO UPPER AND LOWER PORTIONS, SAID HEADS BEING IN THE ABOUT TO COUPLE POSITION WHEN SAID ROD IS ADJACENT SAID UPPER END OF SAID SLOT AND IS IN COCKED POSITION WHEN SAID ROD IS RETAINED BY SAID SHOULDER IN SAID UPPER PORTION OF SAID SLOT, SAID HANDLE CLEARING SAID SHOULDER AND DROPPING INTO SAID LOWER PORTION OF SAID SLOT AND ADJACENT SAID LOWER END THEREOF IN RESPONSE TOP A FORCE APPLIED AGAINST ACTION OF SAID RESILIENT MEANS WHEREBY SAID HEAD AGAINST ACTION OF SAID RESILIENT MEANS WHEREBY SAID HEADS ARE ROTATED TO THE COUPLED POSITION.

Claim 2

A DEVICE FOR COUPLING TWO MEMBERS HORIZONTALLY COMPRISING A VERTICAL WALL IN EACH MEMBER HAVING AN ELONGATED OPENING THERETHROUGH, A ROD HAVING SPACED ENLARGED HEADS ADAPTED TO EXTEND THROUGH SAID OPENINGS WHEN ELIGNED THEREWITH IN THE ABOUT TO COUPLE POSITION. EACH HEAD HAVING A LENGTH SHORTER THAN SAID OPENING BUT GREATER THAN THE WIDTH THEREOF AND ADAPTED TO EXTEND PARTIALLY ACROSS SAID OPENING IN THE COCKED POSITION AND FULLY ACROSS SAID OPENING IN THE COUPLED POSITION, AN ELONGATED SLEEVE MOUNTED FOR AXIAL MOVEMENT ON SAID ROD BETWEEN SAID HEADS, SAID ROD BEING ROTATABLE RELATIVE TO SAID SLEEVE MOUNTED FOR AXIAL MOVEMENT ON SAID ROD OF SAID HEADS, CIRCUMFERENTIALLY EXTENDING SLOT IN SAID SLEEVE CLOSED AT ITS UPPER AND LOWER ENDS, A HANDLE TO SAID ING TROUGH SAID SLOT, MEANS KEYING SAID HANDLE TO SAID ROD, AND A SHOULDER IN SAID SLOT INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS DIVIDING SAID SLOT INTO UPPER AND LOWER PORTIONS, SAID HEADS BEING IN THE ABOUT TO COUPLE POSITION WHEN SAID ROD IS ADJACENT SAID UPPER END OF SAID SLOT AND IS IN COCKED POSITION WHEN SAID ROD IS RETAINED BY SAID SHOULDER IN SAID UPPER PORTION OF SAID SLOT, SAID HANDLE CLEARING SAID SHOULDER AND DROPPING INTO SAID LOWER PORTION OF SAID SLOT AND ADJACENT SAID LOWER END THEREOF IN RESPONSE TOP A FORCE APPLIED AGAINST ACTION OF SAID RESILIENT MEANS WHEREBY SAID HEAD AGAINST ACTION OF SAID RESILIENT MEANS WHEREBY SAID HEADS ARE ROTATED TO THE COUPLED POSITION.