Container support and securement structure having collapsible pedestals

Claim 2

A container support and securement structure for the transportation of lading containers in a position spaced above the deck of a vehicle and comprising, in combination, a guide track composed of two channel-type elements secured to the vehicle in spaced an opposed relationship with upper and lower flanges extending toward one another from channel webs, said channel-type elements serving as support and securement elements for plates which comprise said deck and having said plates secured thereto in spaced relationship along opposite margins of the upper surfaces of said upper flanges so as to leave a strip of upper guide track surface of predetermined width exposed therebetween, a container corner support pedestal mounted on and supported by said guide track for movement between an upright container supporting position and a collapsed position, in which latter position a portion of the pedestal is disposed between and below said channel-type elements and a second portion thereof is supported on and by said strip of the upper guide track surface in generally flush relationship with the vehicle deck, said pedestal including means at the lower end thereof extending laterally of said guide track between the webs and between the flanges of the channel-type elements and having opposite end segments supported from and by said lower flanges for supporting said pedestal and the load carried thereby, said end segments being of sizes and shapes to turn in said channel type elements when the pedestal is moved between said upright and collapsed positions, said pedestal also having a container corner seat on and spaced above said means, and said upper flanges having cutaway segments therein providing an opening through which said container corner seat passes when the pedestal is moved to said collapsed position.

Claim 3

A container support securement structure as defined in claim 1, and wherein said second portion of the pedestal comprises a backplate from which said container corner support seat projects forwardly in the upright position of the pedestal relative to the guide track, and said means is located below and forwardly of said backplate.

Claim 4

A container support securement structure as defined in claim 2, and wherein said backplate, said means and a portion of said container corner support seat are adjoined by brace structure which extends forwardly from the backplate between said means and portion of the container corner support seat and is narrower than the space between said upper flanges of the guide track.

Claim 5

A container support and securement structure as defined in claim 3, and wherein said brace structure has on its forward end a cross element longer than the space between said upper flanges of the guide track and disposed below said upper flanges for preventing the pedestal from tilting rearwardly from its upright position relative to the guide track.

Claim 6

A container support and securement structure as defined in claim 4, and wherein said lower flanges of the guide track are spaced-apart a distance greater than the length of said cross element so that the cross element passes therebetween when the pedestal is moved to the collapsed position.

Claim 7

A container support and securement structure as defined in claim 2, and wherein said upper flanges of the guide track have opposed notches therein, and said backplate has a tongue at the lower end thereof engageable in said opposed notches in the upper flanges for releasably retaining the pedestal at a fixed upright position relative to the guide track.

Claim 8

A container support and securement structure as defined in claim 6, and wherein said tongue has a rearwardly projecting flange thereon at its lower end and of a size to pass through said opposed notches in the upper flanges for engagement with the under surfaces of said upper flanges to releasably restrain the pedestal against forward tilting movement from the upright position relative to said guide track.

Claim 9

A container support and securement structure as defined in claim 1, and wherein said opposite end segments of the means have bottom surfaces engaging and conforming for surface contact with the upper surfaces of said lower flanges of the guide track when the pedestal is in its upright position and rounded lower front surfaces adjoining said bottom surfaces.

Claim 10

In a container support and securement structure for the transportation of lading containers in a position spaced above the deck of a vehicle, a container corner support pedestal adapted to use with supporting structure which is secured to the vehicle to extend along the deck in generally flush relationship thereto and having pairs of upper and lower supporting flange elements in opposed relationship and extending toward one another at vertically spaced levels and which are separated by intervening slots of different predetermined widths, said slot between the upper flange elements being narrower than that between the lower flange elements, said container corner support pedestal being mounted for movements on and relative to said supporting structure and comprising a unitary structure having a base with opposite end segments which project away from one another and are of sizes and shapes to extend between said upper and lower flange elements for load supporting engagement with said lower flange elements and for turning movement relative to the lower flange elements while in engagement therewith, container supporting and retaining structure on and fixedly secured to the base and swingably movable between an upright position in which it extends above the supporting structure and deck and a collapsed position extending along the supporting structure as the base turns relative to the supporting structure, said container supporting and retaining structure including a container sea spaced from the base a distance to assume a level above said deck in the upright position of the pedestal and having side and end retaining walls extending upwardly from the seat in angular relationship to one another, brace structure extending across the midregions of the base between the base and container seat and of a width for movement through the intervening slot between said upper flange elements, means at the lower end of said end retaining wall for releasable engagement with said upper flange elements to releasably retain the pedestal in an upright position relative to the supporting structure, and means on said brace structure at a position spaced from the retaining wall for engagement with said upper flange elements to prevent swinging movement of the pedestal in one direction from said upright position.

Claim 11

In a container support and securement structure for the transportation of lading containers in a position spaced above the deck of a vehicle, a container corner support pedestal adapted to use with supporting structure which is secured to the vehicle to extend along the deck in generally flush relationship thereto and having pairs of upper and lower supporting flange elements in opposed relationship and extending toward one another at vertically spaced levels and which are separated by intervening slots of different predetermined widths, said slot between the upper flange elements being narrower than that between the lower flange elements, said container corner support pedestal being mounted for movements on and relative to said supporting structure and comprising a unitary structure having a base with opposite end segments which project away from one another and are of sizes and shapes to extend between said upper and lower flange elements for load supporting engagement with said lower flange elements and for turning movement relative to the lower flange elements while in engagement therewith, container supporting and retaining structure on and fixedly secured to the base and swingably movable between an upright position in which it extends above the supporting structure and deck and a collapsed position extending along the supporting structure as the base turns relative to the supporting structure, said container supporting and retaining structure including a container sea spaced from the base a distance to assume a level above said deck in the upright position of the pedestal and having side and end retaining walls extending upwardly from the seat in angular relationship to one another, brace structure extending across the midregions of the base between the base and container seat and of a width for movement through the intervening slot between said upper flange elements, means at the lower end of said end retaining wall for releasable engagement with said upper flange elements to releasably retain the pedestal in an upright position relative to the supporting structure, and means on said brace structure at a position spaced from the retaining wall for engagement with said upper flange elements to prevent swinging movement of the pedestal in one direction from said upright position.

Claim 12

In a container support and securement structure as defined in claim 9, the combination being further characterized by said end segments of the base having generally flat bottom surfaces for engagement with the lower pair of flange elements and curved surfaces adjoining said flat bottom surfaces at the extremities thereof toward which the base turns as the pedestal moves from the upright to the collapsed position.

Claim 13

In a container support and securement structure as defined in claim 9, the combination being further characterized by an opening in said side retaining wall adjacent the container seat, a latch element hingedly mounted on said pedestal and having a latch portion movable through said opening to and from a position spaced from said seat for retaining engagement with a seated container, said latch element also having a lever portion extending along and in spaced relationship to said brace structure, means on the brace structure providing a spring retaining seat, and a latch biasing compression spring mounted between said seat and said lever portion of the latch element to bias the latch portion thereof to the container retaining position.

Claim 14

In a container support and securement structure for the transportation of lading containers in a position spaced above the deck of a vehicle, a container corner suppOrt pedestal comprising, in combination, a generally planar back support plate element, a container seat secured to and extending forwardly in a horizontal disposition from the vertical midregion of the back support plate element, a container side retaining wall extending upwardly from one side of the container seat and forwardly from the back support plate element and secured to both the container seat and back support plate element, brace structure extending forwardly from the lateral midregion of the backplate element across the lateral midregion of a lower surface of the container seat and secured to both the back support plate element and the container seat, a base longer laterally than longitudinally of the pedestal and extending laterally of only the longitudinal midregion of the bottom of the brace structure at a position spaced forwardly of the backplate element, said base being secured to the brace structure and extending outwardly therefrom in symmetrical relationship on opposite sides of the brace structure, sad base also having opposite end surfaces spaced rearwardly from the end of the brace structure which is remote from the back support plate, which end surfaces face forwardly and downwardly in angular relationship to one another and are adjoined by a rounded corner surface, a downwardly extending flanged tongue at the lower end of said back support plate element, and a support engaging crossmember secured to and projecting laterally from opposite sides of the bottom of the forward end of the brace structure at a position spaced forwardly of the base and having a top surface which is above the end surfaces of the base which face downwardly.

Claim 15

In a container support and securement structure for the transportation of lading containers in a position spaced above the deck of a vehicle, a container corner suppOrt pedestal comprising, in combination, a generally planar back support plate element, a container seat secured to and extending forwardly in a horizontal disposition from the vertical midregion of the back support plate element, a container side retaining wall extending upwardly from one side of the container seat and forwardly from the back support plate element and secured to both the container seat and back support plate element, brace structure extending forwardly from the lateral midregion of the backplate element across the lateral midregion of a lower surface of the container seat and secured to both the back support plate element and the container seat, a base longer laterally than longitudinally of the pedestal and extending laterally of only the longitudinal midregion of the bottom of the brace structure at a position spaced forwardly of the backplate element, said base being secured to the brace structure and extending outwardly therefrom in symmetrical relationship on opposite sides of the brace structure, sad base also having opposite end surfaces spaced rearwardly from the end of the brace structure which is remote from the back support plate, which end surfaces face forwardly and downwardly in angular relationship to one another and are adjoined by a rounded corner surface, a downwardly extending flanged tongue at the lower end of said back support plate element, and a support engaging crossmember secured to and projecting laterally from opposite sides of the bottom of the forward end of the brace structure at a position spaced forwardly of the base and having a top surface which is above the end surfaces of the base which face downwardly.

Claim 16

In a container support and securement structure as defined in claim 12, the combination being further characterized by said forwardly and downwardly facing end surfaces at opposite ends of the base being respectively tapered rearwardly and upwardly toward their outer ends.

Claim 17

In a container support and securement structure as defined in claim 12, said flanged tongue being narrower laterally of the pedestal than said support engaging crossmember, and both said flanged tongue and said support engaging crossmember being narrower than said base in a direction lateral to the pedestal.

Claim 18

In a container support and securement structure as defined in claim 12, said container side retaining wall having an opening therein, a container retaining latch element hingedly secured for swinging movement relative to the exterior of the container seat and having a projecting portion at one end movable through said opening between container retaining and released positions, said latch element having a lever portion extending along one side of said brace structure in spaced relationship thereto, said brace structure having a spring seat thereon in alignment with said lever portion, and a compression spring engaged between said spring seat and said lever portion for urging latch element toward the container retaining position.