Coupler-cargo pallet/container

Claim 1

In coupling means for interconnecting adjacently positioned pairs of a plurality of cargo-carrying pallets or containers in a serial formation to thereby facilitate the loading and unloading thereof into, and from the cargo comPartment of a delivery aircraft, said means comprising; first, permanently affixed, cargo-pallet or container-mounted block element means attached to the sides of said pallets or containers in adjacent and predeterminedly spaced-apart pairs, and further each incorporating a built-in and oppositely tapered slot, each corresponding, pairs of block element means being utilizable in attaching said adjacently-positioned pairs of pallets or containers to each other; and second, cargo-pallet or containerinterconnecting means for releasably attaching opposite sides of each adjacently positioned pair of pallets or containers and each including a relatively elongated and indirect cargo pallet or container-interconnecting-rod member extending in its normally mounted position between, in parallel and spaced-apart relation to, and over the upper surfaces of each of said pair of adjacently positioned pallets or containers, and a pair of intermediately positioned and relatively short, direct cargopallet or container-interconnecting-elements respectively extending from, and in depending relation to, the opposite ends of said rod member, each of said pair of depending elements comprising an interconnecting key member tapered in the same configuration as, and thereby being respectively engageable in locking relation within the built-in tapered slot of each of the block element means corresponding thereto for thereby automatically and positively ensuring correct alignment between adjacently positioned pairs of pallets or containers.