Container securing means for a transport carrier with latch variably pivoted to accommodate different clearances

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 bottom container fitting having clearance between said wall and said container securing means likely to vary over a relatively wide range from a minimum clearance to a maximum clearance, said container securing means comprising housing means for attachment to said transport carrier for underlying each container fitting, latch means on said housing means including a nose portion for entering said latch receiving opening, means biasing said latch means into latching engagement with said bottom container fitting, and means variably pivoting said latch means on said housing means whereby throughout said clearance limits said nose portion enters said latch receiving opening through the same extent.

Claim 3

Container securing means according to claim 1 wherein said means variably pivoting said latch means on said housing means includes a pin on said housing means extending transversely of said latch means through a slot therein the bottom surface of which is an ogee with the convex portion underlying said pin in the latched position of said latch means when said container fitting is in or adjacent said minimum clearance position, said latch means on movement of said bottom container fitting upwardly from said housing in engagement with said pin shifting to bring the concave portion of said ogee into pivotal engagement with said pin and effect a corresponding withdrawal of said nose portion from said latch receiving opening.

Claim 4

Container securing means according to claim 1 wherein said latch means comprises a lever of the first class with said nose portion at one end having a downwardly inclined striker surface for engagement by said bottom container fitting on its downward movement to shift said nose portion out of the downward path of said bottom container fitting against the action of said biasing means until said nose portion can enter said latch receiving opening, said nose portion having a latching under surface for engagement by said bottom container fitting when it is moved upwardly, said means variably pivoting said latch means being arranged and adapted when said minimum clearance condition is approached to shift the location of the engagement by said bottom container fitting with said under surface toward the dIstal end of said nose portion to facilitate movement of said nose portion out of latching engagement with said bottom container fitting.

Claim 5

Container securing means according to claim 3 wherein said biasing means reacts against the other end of said lever, and means pivotally engage said lever in spaced relation to said means variably pivoting said lever and adjacent the reaction area of said biasing means therewith about which said lever pivots when said bottom container fitting moves downwardly and enagages said striker surface.

Claim 6

Container securing means according to claim 4 wherein said latching under surface being inclined upwardly from the horizontal at an acute angle.