Adjustable pedestal assembly

Claim 2

In a tie-down apparatus for a stack of vehicle frames and in combination with a vehicle having a flat deck, pedestal means supporting the frames on the deck, spacer means spacing the frames in vertically spaced relation with respect to each other, means tying the frames to the flat deck and transferring the weight of the frames to said pedestal means, the improvements comprising, said pedestal means including at least two laterally aligned pedestal assemblies adjustable in accordance with the length of the frames of the stack of frames, said adjustable pedestal assemblies each including a channellike base extending longitudinally of the vehicle deck and having, a bottom web, parallel legs extending vertically from opposite sides of said web, and retainer flanges extending inwardly of said legs, a pedestal block supported on said bottom web of said base and extending upwardly therefrom between said flanges and having an upwardly opening socket portion for supporting the stack of frames and retaining the frames in alignment on said deck, and locking means slidably guided on said pedestal block for interengagement with said flanges for retaining said pedestal block in position on said deck and releasable from interengagement with said flanges to accommodate adjustable movement of said pedestal block along said base in accordance with the length of the frames to be stacked, said pedestal block having bottom flanges extending under said retainer flanges and having vertically spaced shouldered portions extending over said retainer flanges to retain said pedestal block from tilting relative to said base.

Claim 3

The adjustable pedestal assembly of claim 1, wherein the retainer flanges have a series of registering inwardly opening notches spaced therealong, wherein the locking means has at least one leg engageable with a notch in at least one retainer flange and releasable therefrom by vertical movement of said locking means to move said leg out of engagement with said notch.

Claim 4

The adjustable pedestal assembly of claim 1, wherein the locking means is a locking ring extending about said pedestal block and having at least one leg extending across said base, engageable with facing registering notches in said flanges and supported on said web when said locking ring is in a locking position and releasable from said flanges by vertical movement of said leg above the tops of said flanges.

Claim 5

The adjusable pedestal assembly of claim 2, wherein the locking ring has two parallel legs depending therefrom extending along opposite sides of the pedestal block across said base for engagement with aligned notches in said flanges, when said locking ring is in a locked position, and movable along said pedestal block to positions above said flanges to accommodate adjustable movement of the pedestal block along said base.

Claim 6

The adjustable pedestal assembly of claim 4, wherein the pedestal block is rectangular, the locking ring conforms to said block and the locking legs are parallel and depend from each end of said locking ring for locking engagement with registering notches in said flanges, to retain said pedestal block in position on said base.

Claim 7

The adjustable pedestal assembly of claim 5, wherein the pedestal block has stop ribs extending outwardly from opposite sides thereof, and wherein the locking ring has stop lugs extending inwardly of opposite sides thereof towards the walls of saId pedestal block and engageable with said ribs to prevent removal of said locking ring from said pedestal block.

Claim 8

An adjustable pedestal assembly particularly adapted for use in supporting a stack of vehicle frames above the flat deck of a freight transporting vehicle, a channel-like base extending longitudinally of the flat deck of the vehicle and having a bottom web, parallel legs extending vertically from opposite sides of said web, retainer flanges extending inwardly of said legs and having a series of registering inwardly opening notches spaced therealong, a pedestal block supported on the bottom web of said base between said retainer flanges and extending upwardly of said base and having an upwardly opening socket portion for supporting an associated end portion of the stack of frames and retaining the portion of the stack of frames in association with said pedestal block in alignment on said deck, and having bottom flanges extending under said retainer flanges and vertically spaced shouldered portions extending over said retainer flanges to retain said pedestal block from tilting relative to said base, a locking ring extending about said pedestal block and having at least one leg extending across said base, engageable with facing registering notches in said flanges and supported on said bottom web when said locking ring is in a locking position and releasable from said flanges by vertical movement of said ring above the tops of said flanges, said pedestal block having at least one stop rib extending laterally outwardly from at least one side thereof and disposed above said locking ring when said pedestal block is assembled to said channel-like base, and said locking ring having a stop leg extending inwardly therefrom toward the wall of said pedestal block and engageable with said stop rib to prevent accidental removal of said locking ring from said pedestal block.

Claim 9

An adjustable pedestal assembly particularly adapted for use in supporting a stack of vehicle frames above the flat deck of a freight transporting vehicle, a channel-like base extending longitudinally of the flat deck of the vehicle and having a bottom web, parallel legs extending vertically from opposite sides of said web, retainer flanges extending inwardly of said legs and having a series of registering inwardly opening notches spaced therealong, a pedestal block supported on the bottom web of said base between said retainer flanges and extending upwardly of said base and having an upwardly opening socket portion for supporting an associated end portion of the stack of frames and retaining the portion of the stack of frames in association with said pedestal block in alignment on said deck, and having bottom flanges extending under said retainer flanges and vertically spaced shouldered portions extending over said retainer flanges to retain said pedestal block from tilting relative to said base, a locking ring extending about said pedestal block and having at least one leg extending across said base, engageable with facing registering notches in said flanges and supported on said bottom web when said locking ring is in a locking position and releasable from said flanges by vertical movement of said ring above the tops of said flanges, said pedestal block having at least one stop rib extending laterally outwardly from at least one side thereof and disposed above said locking ring when said pedestal block is assembled to said channel-like base, and said locking ring having a stop leg extending inwardly therefrom toward the wall of said pedestal block and engageable with said stop rib to prevent accidental removal of said locking ring from said pedestal block.