DE20119415U1 - Mechanism for locking and unlocking bolts for fixing freight container in position comprises hydraulic unit with piston rod which carries outer tube, each of which carries cam and cam on outer tube moving from upper to lower position - Google Patents

Abstract

The mechanism for locking and unlocking bolts (21) for fixing a freight container in position comprises a hydraulic unit with a piston rod (40) which carries an outer (60) tube. Each of these carries a cam (52, 61). The cam (61) on the outer tube can be moved from an upper to a lower position. Independent claims are included for: (a) a system for selectively adjusting the position of a mechanism, as described above; and (a) a method for locking and unlocking bolts for fixing a freight container in position using the mechanism.

Description

R. Metternich Metallbau GmbH Hamburg

Device for selectively moving Drive parts of a mechanism by means of a Pressure medium operated piston cylinder arrangement

The invention relates to a device for selectively moving drive parts of a mechanism back and forth by means of a pressure medium actuated piston-cylinder arrangement.

The invention relates in particular to a device for locking containers on vehicles, comprising a locking bolt which is movably mounted in a locking housing and a drive for moving the locking bolt back and forth between the release and locking positions, specifically for locking a container on the loading area or the chassis of a vehicle with upwardly projecting locking parts with an outline matching the elongated hole of the fitting of a container.

A device is known (EP 0 051 107 Ba) for locking containers to chassis at the front (front locking), with a locking bolt that can be moved in a guide approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of the chassis between a locking position and a release position and is coupled to an operating handle that can be pivoted in a holder. The guide and holder are jointly attached to a perpendicular to the

fixedly arranged on a mounting plate aligned with the plane of movement of the operating handle, with the mounting plate located on the side of the guide facing the locking part of the locking bolt.

If containers are to be transported on the chassis of a vehicle, a locking process is necessary. It is important that the container is placed on the chassis in the right place. An operator must then manually move a lever to secure the locking part in the slot for the journey. The disadvantage is that this process has to be carried out manually for each individual corner fitting.

However, vehicles are now also being used that are equipped with several locking devices so that containers of different sizes can be picked up. However, this means that the locking bolts must not protrude from the chassis, but must be lowered so that they do not interfere when picking up a container.

The present invention relates in particular to a device of the type mentioned above, which is suitable for being lowered below the horizontal plane of the chassis of a container vehicle.

This is achieved by the features specified in the claims, namely that two telescopic parts are arranged on the piston rod of the pressure cylinder coaxially to the piston rod; an inner cylindrical rod is arranged on the piston rod in a rotationally fixed manner and is provided at the free end either with a flange-like projection or with two upward and downward radially

outwardly projecting parts, with the aid of which movements directed towards the pressure cylinder, i.e. pulling movements, can be carried out; that an outer tube surrounding the rod is formed at the free end with a radially outwardly projecting projection, with the aid of which movements directed from the pressure cylinder, i.e. pushing movements, can be carried out, and that the rod and the tube can be brought into engagement with one another in two rotational positions, in one of which the projection 61 of the tube is at the top and in the other at the bottom.

The invention is explained below by way of example with reference to the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a diagrammatic view from the right of a mechanism for locking a container to a vehicle, showing the state in which the locking bolt is in a lowered position, i.e. does not protrude beyond the transport plane of the receiving vehicle.

Fig. 2 shows a diagrammatic view from the right of a mechanism for locking a container to a vehicle, the mechanism being shown in a position in which the locking bolt and associated parts are extended upwards.

Fig. 3 shows a diagrammatic view from the right of a mechanism for locking a container to a vehicle, wherein the locking bolt is shown rotated by 90° about its longitudinal axis in order to fasten a container (not shown) in this position.

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Fig. 4 shows a diagrammatic view from the left of a mechanism for locking a container to a vehicle, the view showing the situation shortly before locking a fitting or shortly after unlocking a fitting of a container (not shown).

Fig. 5 shows the diagrammatic position of the telescoping parts of the mechanism according to Figures 1 to 3 in a first engagement position.

Fig. 6 shows the diagrammatic position of the telescoping parts according to Fig. 5 in the other engagement position.

Fig. 7 shows a top view of a spiral sleeve for the telescoping parts.

Fig. 8 shows a top view of the spiral sleeve according to Fig. 7, but rotated by 90°.

The mechanism for locking a container onto a chassis essentially comprises a locking bolt 21 which is designed in the conventional manner. Its dimensions are such that it can be inserted into the locking mechanism or fitting of a container from below, rotated by 90° and lowered again. In this way, it creates a transport-safe connection between the fitting of the container and the associated chassis of the vehicle.

The locking bolt 21 rests on two support parts 20, which are also known parts of a locking mechanism.

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The mechanism according to the invention shown in the figures ensures that these locking movements of the locking bolt 21 can be carried out. In connection with the present invention, however, two further features are of particular importance, namely the locking bolt 21 can be lowered together with its two support parts 20 in such a way that its upper extension does not protrude beyond the plane of the chassis. Furthermore, the locking bolt 21 is actuated by means of a piston rod 40 of a piston-cylinder arrangement (not shown), all of its movements as described above and also the lowering process being derived from a substantially reciprocating movement of the piston rod 40.

In Fig. 1 the mechanism is shown in the lowered position and this position is characterized in that a side wall 10 and a support lever arm 12 of the mechanism rest with their lower surfaces on a support (not shown). The mechanism also has another concealed side wall 10 on its other side and accordingly there is also another support lever arm 12 there. As stated, Fig. 1 shows the lowered position. Fig. 2, on the other hand, shows the position where the parts 10 and all other parts which will be described are arranged in their raised position because the support lever arm 12 is rotated through 90° so that it rests on the support (not shown) with its projecting surface and rests against a stop. This position is dimensioned such that the locking bolt 21 with its support parts 20 projects upwards beyond the plane of the chassis (not shown).

In the figures it can be seen that a pin 12 is attached to the side wall 10, on which a lever

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is arranged so as to be pivotable. The lever has the aforementioned support lever arm 12 and a pivot lever arm 13, which is pivotably connected at its free end to a handlebar 14. The other end of the handlebar 14 is connected to a push rod 15. In a corresponding manner, a handlebar 14 with a further pivot lever arm 13 and a pin 11 is attached to a side wall 10 at the other end of the push rod 15, although these cannot be seen in Fig. 1 and 2.

According to Fig. 1, the push rod 15 is located between an upper projection 52 of a rod 50 and another upper projection 61 of a tube 60. The corresponding position of the rod 50 and the tube 60 can be seen in Fig. 5. It is shown there how the upwardly directed projection 52 and another downwardly projecting projection 51 are present at the free end of the rod 50. The tube 60 is only equipped with a single projection 61, which points upwards in Fig. 5 and points downwards in Fig. 6.

The rod 50 and the tube 60 are arranged to telescope relative to one another and are connected to the piston rod 40 so that the projections 51, 52 and 61 follow the movements of the piston rod 40 when it extends out of or retracts from the piston-cylinder arrangement. This will be described below.

Figures 1 to 3 also show push parts 30 which are connected to one another to form a unit via a transverse push rod 31. The push rod 31 and thus also the push parts 30 can be moved back and forth and engage the locking bolt 21 at the lower end, as described, for example, in WO 00/51842. A rack part and an inclined plane are thus attached to the push part 30,

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so that by back and forth movements of the thrust part 30, the locking bolt 21 can be given an upward axial movement, but also a rotational movement about its axis in the range of 90°.

In Fig. 1 the initial position is shown, i.e. the locking bolt 21 is retracted and the mechanism, i.e. the parts 10 to 13, 30 and 31 are in the lower position, i.e. the lowering position.

If the piston rod 40 is now given a movement to the right (Fig. 1 to 3), i.e. an inward movement, the projection 52 of the rod 50 takes the push rod 15 with it, so that the support lever arm 12 is pivoted clockwise by approximately 90° when viewed in Fig. 1. The support lever arm 12 is supported on the base (not shown), so that the parts already mentioned are inevitably raised. At the end of this movement of the piston rod 40, the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 2, i.e. the locking bolt 21 together with its support parts 20 has reached the raised position, so that the parts 21, 20 protrude beyond the transport level of the vehicle, whereby the locking bolt 21 and the support parts 20 can protrude into the interior of a container fitting.

If the piston rod 40 now performs outward-directed movements, i.e. from right to left (Fig. 1 to 3), the projection 61 or the tube 60 first pivots around the axis by 180°, so that the downward-directed projection 61 of the tube 60 (position of Fig. 6) can engage with the push rod 31 (Fig. 2). When the piston rod 40 now begins to move from right to left, i.e. an extension movement, the projection 61 takes the

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Push rod 31 and guides the push parts 30 from right to left. This carries out the aforementioned lifting movement of the locking bolt 20 and the rotational movement about its axis, so that at the end of this process the locking bolt 21 assumes the position shown in Fig. 3. If the locking bolt 21 is located inside a fitting, it can fix the fitting and thus the associated container (both not shown). The parts shown in Fig. 3 are in the transport position.

If a movement of the piston rod 40 to the right (Fig. 3) is now initiated, the corresponding processes take place in reverse, i.e. the locking bolt 21 is raised, rotated about its axis and lowered again, so that at the end of this stroke of the piston rod 40 it assumes the position shown in Fig. 4. The container (not shown) could therefore be raised because its fitting has been released from the locking bolt 21.

In the position shown in Fig. 4, the tube 60 has already been pivoted about its axis by 180° by a further lifting process of the piston rod 40, so that the projection 61 assumes the upper position. A further movement of the piston rod 40 in the extension direction (to the right, Fig. 4), starting from the position shown in Fig. 4, leads to a pivoting back of the lever arm 12 and thus to a lowering process, which in turn has assumed its final position in the position shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 4, a guide part 70 can also be seen, which is fastened between the projections 51 and 52 of the rod 50 and is guided on guides 32 on the thrust parts 30.

It can be seen that all pivoting, lifting and rotating movements of the functional parts of the mechanism can essentially be derived from the back and forth movements of the piston rod 40.

In the previous description it has been mentioned that the projection 61 of the tube 60 can be pivoted through 180° relative to the rod 50 and its projections 51 and 52. These two telescoping parts 50 and 60 can therefore perform axial movements, they are also able to perform these pivoting movements simply by movements of the piston rod 40 connected to the rod 50.

Such a motion conversion can be achieved by providing a spiral track on one of the parts 50 and 60, which in turn is sensed by a sensing part on the other part 60 or 50, for example by two tracks that are complementary to one another or by an elongated hole extending over the circumference, which is sensed by means of a radial pin.

In Figures 7 and 8, plan views of a spiral size are shown which is used to accomplish the pivoting movement of the projection 61 of the tube 60 relative to the projections 52 and 51 of the rod 50.

Fig. 7 shows a pipe section 1010 with a spiral track 101 which extends 180° over the circumference of the pipe section 1010. The track 101 ends in the right part of the pipe section 1010 shown in Fig. 7 and has the shape of an elongated hole in the end region, as shown with 101 in Fig. 8 in broken lines.

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102 designates an edge with a flat surface, which in a certain sense represents the opposite boundary to track 101.

The pipe section 1010 is equipped with two correspondingly designed tracks 101 and 102, each offset by 180°, which is indicated in Fig. 7 by 101'.

When looking at Fig. 8, which shows the sleeve 1010 in a position rotated by 90°, the straight boundary of the edge 102' can be seen as well as the curved design of the track 101'.

If one now uses two such sleeves as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 and puts these two together in an axially aligned but mirror-image manner when looking at Figs. 7 and 8, it is clear that these two sleeves can assume two relative positions to each other which are pivoted by 180° to each other.

The two sleeves can leave this position by being moved axially towards each other, whereby the engaging tracks 102 and 102' of the two opposing sleeves ensure this axial movement. If the two tracks 102 and 102' are released in the axial direction, the tracks 101 and 101' can engage with each other during a backward movement and during a further axial movement the two sleeves also perform a pivoting movement about the axis.

Claims (2)

1. Device for the selective reciprocating movement of drive parts of a mechanism by means of a pressure medium-operated piston-cylinder arrangement, characterized in that two telescoping parts ( 50 , 60 ) are arranged on the piston rod ( 40 ) of the pressure medium cylinder, coaxial with the piston rod ( 40 ); an inner cylindrical rod ( 50 ) is arranged on the piston rod ( 40 ) and is designed at the free end either with a flange-like projection or with two parts ( 51 , 52 ) projecting radially outwards upwards and downwards, with the aid of which movements directed towards the pressure medium cylinder, i.e. pulling movements, can be carried out; that an outer tube ( 60 ) surrounding the rod ( 50 ) is designed at the free end with a radially outwardly projecting projection ( 61 ), with the aid of which movements directed away from the pressure medium cylinder, i.e. pushing movements, can be carried out; and that the rod ( 50 ) and the tube ( 60 ) can be brought into engagement with one another in two rotational positions, in one of which the projection ( 61 ) of the tube ( 60 ) is at the top and in the other at the bottom. 2. Device for the selective reciprocating movement of drive parts of a mechanism for raising, lowering and rotating a locking bolt for locking with a fitting of a container by means of a pressure medium actuated piston-cylinder arrangement, characterized in that two telescoping parts ( 50 , 60 ) are arranged on the piston rod ( 40 ) of the pressure medium cylinder coaxially to the piston rod ( 40 ); an inner cylindrical rod ( 50 ) is arranged on the piston rod ( 40 ) and is formed at the free end either with a flange-like projection or with two parts ( 51 , 52 ) projecting radially outwards upwards and downwards, with the aid of which movements directed towards the pressure medium cylinder, i.e. pulling movements, can be carried out; that an outer tube ( 60 ) surrounding the rod ( 50 ) is formed at the free end with a radially outwardly projecting projection ( 61 ), with the aid of which movements directed away from the pressure medium cylinder, i.e. pressure movements, can be carried out; and that the rod ( 50 ) and the tube ( 60 ) can be brought into engagement with one another in two rotational positions, in one of which the projection ( 61 ) of the tube ( 60 ) is at the top and in the other at the bottom.