Grappler spreader for closely stacking cargo containers

Claim 1

A grappler spreader comprising: a main frame normally having its transverse and longitudinal directions in a horizontal plane and its longitudinal sides consisting of a near side and a far side; four grappling arms comprising a near side pair and a far side pair attached to portions of said frame spaced inwardly lengthwise thereof from opposite ends of the frame adapting the arms for assuming a vertical position during use, each of the far side pair of arms forming a pivotal joint with the frame extending in laterally outwardly projecting relation with the adjacent far side of said frame; the far side arms being swingable on said pivotal joints from vertical to approximately horizontal storage positions disposing said arms at a level at the approximate height of said pivotal joints; four latch units arranged at the corners of a horizontal rectangle and terminating below said main frame and said far side arms in said storage positions as latches adapting the grappler spreader for connection with latch receptacles in the upper four corners of a container, said units being arranged in two pairs of which each pair is located at one of the opposite ends of the grappler spreader; separate transverse beam means supported at each end of the frame, each beam means supporting a pair of said units consisting of a near side unit and a far side unit mounted on opposite ends of the beam means in fixed spaced relationship; bearing means located at opposite ends of the main frame longitudinally outwardly along said frame relative to said portions of the frame to which said arms are attached arranged for receiving and supporting each of said beam means at its respective end of the frame in horizontally and transversely guided relation therewith, each of said beam means and the bearing means associated therewith being constructed and arranged to afford movement of each beam means and the units mounted thereon in unison in one direction between positions of both beam means wherein said far side units are located laterally inwardly relative to said swingable arms and positions wherein said far side units are located at least partly laterally outwardly relative to said swingable arms.