This invention relates to a web-type lading restraint for use in rail cars and more particularly to a mechanism for securing the restraint to the car and maintaining the restraint attached to the car when not in use.
Lading of various types is shipped in railcars. In one common form, this lading is in large rolls of paper and in another form can be cartons of merchandise that is suitable for rail shipment. Commonly, lading is loaded into one end of the car (i.e., against an end wall and side walls of the car) and needs to be restrained against movement and damage that might occur during coupling, shipment and the like.
One restraint system includes a web or strap-like member where a pair of web portions are buckled together at their inner ends at about the center of the lading. The other or outer end of each strap is secured to a clip or hook that engages an anchor in each sidewall.
In operation, the strap extends across the exposed face of the lading, is secured to each sidewall by one of the clips or hooks engaging a sidewall anchor and thus restrains lading movement.
Sidewall anchors of various kinds are frequently already installed in the car. One type of anchor is known as a dog bone anchor which includes a depressed well-like member positioned in the sidewall and secured to the car. Part of the anchor includes a central generally vertical post with enlarged ends. The hook fits about the post.
With the hooks anchored, the strap is tightened against the lading using the center buckle arrangement.
Upon arrival, the buckle is released, the web portions are released and the lading is off-loaded. The straps are stored by maintaining the hook-anchor securement and thus hang from the railcar sidewalls for future use.
An issue is how to maintain the hook secured to the anchor as the hook and web portions can be lost or misplaced if not fixed in place. Another issue relates to the hook being usable with commercially available dog bone style anchors which are already installed in the railroad car by the railroad car manufacturer at his choice.
A strap-type restraint system is provided for use in a railroad car to restrain lading therein. The strap-type restraint includes a clip or hook at each end that engages a dog-bone style anchor in the respective sidewall. The anchor includes a vertical post portion for grasping by the hook. The hook includes a magnetic assembly for securing the hook to the sidewall and the anchor.
Additional objects and features of this invention will became apparent from the following description and appended claims.
Referring to
Roll-type lading such as 34 and 36 rests on the floor and is loaded against the end wall and side walls. The lading is restrained in position by three strap systems 38, 40 and 42, each of which is generally horizontal and parallel to the floor. Each strap system is secured at opposite outer ends to one of the side walls and includes strap portions such as 38a and 38b whose inner ends (not shown) are buckled together and tightened together by a buckle such as 38c at the center of the lading. Such buckles can be obtained from Kinedyne Corporation, 151 Industrial Parkway, P.O. Box 5207, North Branch, N.J. 08876-5207 and can be of the type sold as Part No. 804.
The dog bone anchor assembly 44 generally is seen in
The post 48 also includes a pair of rear strut-like formations 64 and 66 that engage the back wall 54 and space the post from the back wall and relative to the side wall 12. The post's enlarged ends 60 and 62 are welded to the webs 50 and 52 so as to position the post 48 within the well-like member 46.
The clip or hook 70 is seen in
In
In some situations, such as a heavy load or wide principal web, it is desirable to employ two hooks at each end of the restraint. This alternative approach is shown in
A clip or hook such as 70 includes a body portion 72. At one end of the body portion 72 is a web receiving slot 74 and at the other end is a reverse bent or curved portion 76 that forms the grasping portion of the hook. It is noted that the body adjacent the curved portion 76 is tapered so that the grasping portion is smaller than the body portion.
The hook 70 and particularly the curved portion 76 is constructed to grasp the post 48 as seen in
The center of the hook body 72 defines a hole or aperture 78 in which is positioned a disk-shaped magnet assembly 80. The assembly 80 includes a round steel cup 82 within which is positioned a doughnut shaped magnet 84. The cup can be pressed into the hole 78 and/or welded to the body 72 so as to secure it in position. The magnet 84 can be of a ceramic material that exhibits 30 pounds nominal force. Such a magnet can be purchased from Dexter Magnetic Technologies, Inc., 1050 Morse Avenue, Elk Grove Village, Ill. 60007 as model RB-50. It is understood that the magnet is attracted to the steel dog bone anchor assembly 44, the well-like member 46, the post 48 and the sidewall 12 so as to securely position hook 70 against the anchor and sidewall when in use and when not in use. The magnet 84 is recessed in the cup 82 so that the magnet face 84a is positioned behind the edges of the cup and thus protected. The magnetic attraction is between the cup, the anchor and the sidewall. At the end of the trip after the lading has been off-loaded, strap portions such as 38a and 38b are unbuckled and can be stored by hanging in place with the magnet 84 holding the strap and hook 70 against the well-like member 46 and side wall 12. Moreover, it will be appreciated that this hook 70 can be used with many different anchors so long as they are of a general construction as described above.
While a specific embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, numerous modifications and changes can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.
This application is based on U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/582,786 filed Jun. 25, 2004. The priority and benefits of said provisional application are claimed herein.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60582786 | Jun 2004 | US |