Single spring device for automatically latching and unlatching a container to and from a railway car or the like

Claim 2

Container securing means for a transport carrier arranged to secure thereto one or more containers each having at least one bottom container fitting with a latch receiving opening in a wall thereof, said securing means comprising: housing means for attachment to said transport carrier for underlying each bottom container fitting, latch means in the form of a bellcrank having the distal end of one arm for entering said opening in said wall of said container fitting, means on said housing means for supporting said latch means to pivot about one axis at the junction between the arms of said latch means and another axis spaced from the distal end of the other arm of said latch means, and spring means reacting between said housing means and said distal end of said other arm of said latch means at a location therealong spaced from said one axis a greater distance than said other axis is spaced from said one axis and characterized by permitting displacement of said distal end of said one arm of said latch means about said other axis out of the path of said container fitting in moving toward said housing means and biasing said distal end of said one arm of said latch means into latching position in said opening in said fitting, said spring means being further characterized by being capable of holding said latch means in said latching position until sufficient force is applied to lift said container from said transport carrier whereupon said distal end of said one arm of said means is pivoted about said one axis out of said latching position.

Claim 3

Container securing means according to claim 1 wherein: said other axis extends through trunnion means on said other arm of said latch means, and bearing seat means on said housing means has said trunnion means journaled thereon.

Claim 4

Container securing means according to claim 2 wherein: said one axis extends through pin means on said housing means, said latch means has a slot through which said pin means extends, and said bearing seat means is open to permit displacement of said trunnion means therefrom when said container is lifted from said transport carrier.

Claim 5

Container securing means according to claim 3 wherein the relation between said axes is characterized by said spring means being stressed through a relatively small extent when said container fitting is moved into engagement with said distal end of said one arm and being stressed through a relatively great extent when said container fitting is moved out of latching engagement with said distal end of said one arm.

Claim 6

Container securing means according to claim 1 wherein: said transport carrier has a lengthwise extending slot in the floor thereof communicating with a transversely extending opening, said housing means has a depending wall section for projecting through said slot and movement therealong to different positions to accommodate different lengths of containers, and said wall section terminates in trunnion means extending across said slot to attach said housing means to said transport carrier and to permit pivoting of said housing means into said opening in said floor to retracted position below the surface thereof.

Claim 7

Container securing means according to claim 5 wherein said wall section and said trunnion means are spaced from said distal end of said one arm to permit said housing means to pivot in a direction to maintain the latching engagement of said latch means with said bottom container fitting when said container is moved upwardly during transport.

Claim 8

Container securing means according to claim 5 wherein: said lengthwise extending slot has notches therealong, shear lug means depends from said housing means for insertion in one of said notches to locate said housing means at a predetermined position along said slot, and said shear lug means in the retracted position of said housing means being located out of the path of trunnion means of another housing means slidable along said slot.

Claim 9

Container securing means for a transport carrier arranged to secure thereto one or more containers each having at least one bottom container fitting with a latch receiving opening in a wall thereof, said container securing means comprising: housing means for attachment to said transport carrier for underlying each bottom container fitting, latch means in the form of a bellcrank having the distal end of one arm for entering said opening in said wall of said container fitting, pin and slot means on said housing means and at the junction between the arms of said latch means pivotally and translatorily mounting said latch means on said housing means, fulcrum means on said housing means spaced from the distal end of the other arm of said latch means pivotally supporting said other arm, and spring means reacting between said housings means and the distal end of said other arm of said latch means at a location therealong spaced from said pin and slot means at a greater distance than said fulcrum means is spaced from said pin and slot means and biasing said latch means to hold said pin and slot means at one end position and being characterized by permitting displacement of said distal end of said one arm of said latch means out of the path of said container fitting in moving toward said housing means and movement of said pin and slot means away from said one position while pivoting about said fulcrum means and biasing said distal end of said one arm of said latch means about said fulcrum means into latching position in said opening in said fitting, said spring means being further characterized by being capable of holding said latch means in said latching position about said fulcrum means until sufficient force is applied to lift said container from said transport carrier whereupon said latch means is pivoted about said pin and is moved out of said latching position.

Claim 10

Container securing means for a transport carrier arranged to secure thereto one or more containers each having at least one bottom container fitting with a latch receiving opening in a wall thereof, said container securing means comprising: housing means for attachment to said transport carrier for underlying each bottom container fitting, latch means in the form of a bellcrank having the distal end of one arm for entering said opening in said wall of said container fitting, pin and slot means on said housing means and at the junction between the arms of said latch means pivotally and translatorily mounting said latch means on said housing means, fulcrum means on said housing means spaced from the distal end of the other arm of said latch means pivotally supporting said other arm, and spring means reacting between said housings means and the distal end of said other arm of said latch means at a location therealong spaced from said pin and slot means at a greater distance than said fulcrum means is spaced from said pin and slot means and biasing said latch means to hold said pin and slot means at one end position and being characterized by permitting displacement of said distal end of said one arm of said latch means out of the path of said container fitting in moving toward said housing means and movement of said pin and slot means away from said one position while pivoting about said fulcrum means and biasing said distal end of said one arm of said latch means about said fulcrum means into latching position in said opening in said fitting, said spring means being further characterized by being capable of holding said latch means in said latching position about said fulcrum means until sufficient force is applied to lift said container from said transport carrier whereupon said latch means is pivoted about said pin and is moved out of said latching position.

Claim 11

Container securing means according to claim 8 wherein: said fulcrum means comprises bearing seat means on said housing means, and trunnion means on said other arm of said latch means is journaled in said bearing seat means.

Claim 12

Container securing means according to claim 9 wherein said bearing seat means is open to permit displacement of said trunnion means therefrom when said container is lifted from said transport carrier.

Claim 13

Container securing means according to claim 10 wherein the relation between said pin and slot means and said fulcrum means is characterized by said spring means being stressed through a relatively small extent when Said container fitting is moved into engagement with said distal end of said one arm and being stressed through a relatively great extent when said container fitting is moved out of latching engagement with said distal end of said one arm.

Claim 14

Container securing means according to claim 8 wherein: said transport carrier has a lengthwise extending slot in the floor thereof communicating with a transversely extending opening, said housing means has a depending wall section for projecting through said slot and movement therealong to different positions to accommodate different lengths of containers, and said wall section terminates in trunnion means extending across said slot to attach said housing means to said transport carrier and to permit pivoting of said housing means into said opening in said floor to retracted position below the surface thereof.

Claim 15

Container securing means according to claim 12 wherein said wall section and said trunnion means are spaced from said distal end of said one arm to permit said housing means to pivot in a direction to maintain the latching engagement of said latch means with said bottom container fitting when said container is moved upwardly during transport.

Claim 16

Container securing means according to claim 12 wherein: said lengthwise extending slot has notches therealong, shear lug means depends from said housing means for insertion in one of said notches to locate said housing means at a predetermined position along said slot, and said shear lug means in the retracted position of said housing means being located out of the path of trunnion means of another housing means slidable along said slot.