EP0477586B1 - Coupling device for containers - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device for connecting containers stacked on ships, in particular on the deck of ships, according to the preamble of claim 1.

The devices mentioned here are referred to in technical jargon as "bridge fittings". They are used to anchor the upper layer of containers stacked on a ship's deck or hatch covers, for example. The devices connect two adjacent containers in the horizontal direction. For this purpose, the device has two hook-shaped or socket-shaped hooking sections which fit into the recesses of upper container corner fittings of two adjacent ones Intervene container. To bridge the gap between two adjacent containers and to compensate for inaccuracies in the placement of the containers with one another, the effective length of the device can be varied by changing the distance between the hooking sections or the connecting parts.

A device of this type is known from EP-A-268 415, in which the hooking section of a first connecting part is connected to one end of an elongated adjusting section. A second connecting part is slidably mounted on the adjustment section. The adjustment section has locking steps that correspond to locking steps on the second connecting part. These locking stages are arranged on a pawl which is pivotally mounted on the second connecting part. By actuating the pawl, the second connecting part can be displaced on the adjusting section and the distance between the hooking sections of the individual connecting parts can thereby be changed in stages.

A disadvantage of the known device is the pawl for making or releasing the connection between the two connecting parts. This pawl represents an additional component that makes the device unnecessarily expensive. In addition, the pawl can be easily damaged due to the rough operation on board ships and / or rust in the salty air at sea or by contact with salt water. Both have the consequence that the device no longer works properly or is even destroyed. Furthermore, the pawl does not necessarily ensure reliable locking of the second connecting part on the adjustment section. This can lead to an incorrect connection of the containers going unnoticed.

Proceeding from this, the object of the invention is to design a device of the type mentioned at the outset such that the distance between the hooking sections or connecting parts to one another can be easily adapted to the respective position of the containers to be connected to one another and, moreover, the device is robust and easy to handle.

To achieve this object, the device according to the invention has the features of claim 1. The distance between the connecting parts can be changed and locked by simply rotating the (second) connecting part on the adjustment section of the (first) connecting part. This makes the device according to the invention structurally insensitive to external influences. Furthermore, the hooking sections arranged on the connecting parts can only be brought into engagement with the corner fittings of the containers to be connected if the (second) connecting part is locked on the adjusting section.

The latching steps are preferably formed by projections and depressions. These can be formed by trapezoidal, sawtooth, shaft or ring grooves. In particular, wave-shaped annular grooves come into consideration, which are particularly insensitive to external influences.

According to a development of the invention, the latching steps are designed such that they can be moved past one another in the displacement position and come into engagement with one another by rotating one of the two connecting parts in a locking position.

In a preferred device, the hooking sections are designed in such a way that after they are inserted into the respective container corner fitting, they are held almost rigidly, in particular cannot be tilted. In this way, the hooking sections do not exert any bending moment on the elongated adjustment section on the first connecting part. The adjustment section is therefore only subjected to tension and can therefore be dimensioned accordingly small. This leads to weight savings, which are particularly important when handling the device according to the invention.

Further subclaims contain further developments of the device according to the invention.

Fig. 1

eine Seitenansicht einer ersten Ausführungsform der als Brücken-Fitting ausgebildeten Vorrichtung mit teilweise geschnittenen Containereckbeschlägen beim Einsetzvorgang,

Fig. 2

eine Ansicht des Brücken-Fittings gemäß der Fig. 1 in Verankerungsstellung,

Fig. 3

einen Querschnitt durch den Brücken-Fitting in Verschiebestellung gemäß der Linie III-III in Fig. 1,

Fig. 4

einen weiteren Querschnitt analog zur Fig. 3 in einer Arretierstellung,

Fig. 5

einen Querschnitt durch den Brücken-Fitting in endgültiger Arretierstellung gemäß der Linie V-V in der Fig. 2,

Fig. 6

ein zweites Ausführungsbeispiel eines Brücken-Fittings in einer Darstellung analog zur Fig. 2, und

Fig. 7

einen Querschnitt VII-VII durch den Brücken-Fitting gemäß der Fig. 6 in einer Querschnittdarstellung analog zur Fig. 5.

Two preferred exemplary embodiments of the device according to the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. In this show:

Fig. 1

1 shows a side view of a first embodiment of the device designed as a bridge fitting with partially cut container corner fittings during the insertion process,

Fig. 2

2 shows a view of the bridge fitting according to FIG. 1 in the anchoring position,

Fig. 3

2 shows a cross section through the bridge fitting in the displacement position along the line III-III in FIG. 1,

Fig. 4

3 shows a further cross section analogous to FIG. 3 in a locking position,

Fig. 5

3 shows a cross section through the bridge fitting in the final locking position along the line VV in FIG. 2,

Fig. 6

a second embodiment of a bridge fitting in a representation analogous to FIG. 2, and

Fig. 7

6 shows a cross section VII-VII through the bridge fitting according to FIG. 6 in a cross-sectional illustration analogous to FIG. 5.

The devices shown are bridge fittings 10 for anchoring preferably the upper layer of a ship's deck or hatch covers stacked containers, not shown. The bridge fittings 10 establish a transverse, horizontal connection between two adjacent containers by bridging container corner fittings 11 of the adjacent containers.

The bridge fitting 10 according to FIGS. 1 to 5 is provided with two connection parts 12, 13 which are operatively connected, arranged at a variable distance from one another and which determine the effective length of the bridge fitting 10. Each of the two connecting parts 12, 13 enters a recess 14 in the respective container corner fitting 11 of two (not shown) adjacent containers. On the one (first) connecting part 12 of the bridge fitting 10, the other (second) connecting part 13 can be moved back and forth in the direction of the double arrow 15 and can be locked in place. The effective length of the bridge fitting 10 is determined by the gradual displaceability and lockability of the second connecting part 13 on the first connecting part 12.

The first connecting part 12 has an elongated adjustment section 16. A hooking section 18 is integrally formed on one end 17 of the adjusting section 16. In the area of the end 19 of the adjusting section 16 facing away from the hooking section 18, a multiplicity of latching steps 20, which are located at a short distance from one another, are arranged, which receive the second anchoring part 13 in a displaceable and lockable manner. The hooking section 18 is hook-shaped. On the leg 21, which extends approximately perpendicular to the adjustment section 16, a retaining lug 22 is arranged at the end, which extends approximately parallel to the adjustment section 16 and is directed away from the end 19 of the adjustment section 16. The retaining lug 22 comes to rest on the underside 23 of the container corner fitting 11 in the region of the reveal of the associated recess 14, in particular when the entire bridge fitting 10 is loaded. The hooking section 18 together with its leg 21 and the retaining lug 22 is inserted into the associated recess 14 of the container corner fitting 11 by a corresponding rotation of the adjustment section 16. The insertion or hooking-in preferably takes place in the direction of the smaller dimension of the elongated oval recess 14.

The end 19 of the adjustment section 16 provided with the latching steps 20 is approximately flat profile-like (see in particular FIGS. 3 to 5). The latching steps 20 are arranged on two opposite sides, in particular on the top 24 and the bottom 25 of the connecting piece 16, namely arc-shaped areas between two opposite flats 38 on the cylindrical adjustment section 16. The locking steps 20 at the end 19 of the adjustment section 16 are formed on the opposite sides 24, 25 by alternating projections 26 and depressions 27. The projections 26 and depressions 27 along the arcuate regions of the upper side 24 and the lower side 25 of the flat profile-like end 19 of the adjustment section 16 are formed here as wavy annular grooves. At the end 19 of the adjustment section 16, a bolt 28 is also provided which, as a holder, prevents the second connecting part 13 from sliding down from the end 19 of the adjustment section 16 and thus being lost.

The second connecting part 13 comprises an anchoring sleeve 29 which surrounds the end 19 of the adjustment section 16 in the axial direction (cf. in particular FIGS. 1 and 2). The anchoring sleeve 29 of the second connecting part 13 is designed such that the other connecting part 13 can be displaced on the adjusting section 16 provided with locking steps 20 and at the same time brought into or out of engagement with the adjusting section 16 by rotation about the longitudinal axis 30. According to FIGS. 3 to 5, the anchoring sleeve 29 is provided on its inner circumference 31 with at least one, but here with three counter-latching steps 32.

The counter-locking steps 32 can be connected to one another in a form-fitting manner with the correspondingly designed locking steps 20 of the adjusting section 16 by rotating the other connecting part 13 about the longitudinal axis 30 of the adjusting section 16.

The counter-locking steps 32 on the inner circumference 31 of the anchoring sleeve 29 are of the same shape and shape as the locking steps 20 of the connecting piece 16 and are also arranged at the same distance from one another. In this respect, the counter detent steps 32 are also formed with alternating projections 33 and depressions 34 by annular grooves, which are themselves wave-shaped. The projections 33 and depressions 34 are, however, only provided along a partial inner circumference 35, in particular on opposite sides 36, 37, which essentially correspond to the flats 38 located between the upper side 24 and the lower side 25 of the flat profile-like adjustment section 16. The respectively opposite projections 33 and 26 from the other anchoring part 13 and the other end 19 of the connecting piece 16 can consequently be moved past one another in the displacement position, as shown in FIG. 3. On the other hand, these projections 33 and 26 come in the partial as well as in the complete locking position, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in the respectively opposite recesses 27 and 34 in the region of the end 19 of the adjustment section 16 on the first connecting part 13 engaged. This is done by rotating the second connecting part 13 about the longitudinal axis 30 of the adjustment section 16.

Furthermore, the second connecting part 13 is equipped with a hooking section 39, on which a retaining lug 40 is integrally formed. This retaining lug 40 comes to rest on the underside 23 of the container corner fitting 11 in the region of the reveal of the associated recess 14. The anchoring base 39 with the retaining lug 40 engages by rotating the second connecting part 13 with its anchoring sleeve 29 about the longitudinal axis 30 of the adjustment section 16 into the associated recess 14. The insertion of the hooking section 39 with the holding lug 40 takes place in particular in the direction of the larger dimension of the recess 14, which is also elongated oval like the one into which the hooking section 18 of the bridge fitting 10 is inserted together with the holding lug 22. Only the direction of insertion of hooking sections 18 with holding lug 22 or of hooking section 39 with holding lug 40 is different.

The second connecting part 13 is finally provided with a handle 41 or an actuating lever of a comparable type, which is arranged approximately diametrically to the retaining lug 40 formed on the hooking section 39, in particular for better leverage. As a result of the inventive design of the bridge fitting 10, the adjustment section 16, which can be subjected to tensile and compressive loads, lies in the anchoring position of the hooking section 18, on the one hand, and the second connecting part 13, on the other hand, only a small distance above the top 42 of the two associated container corner fittings 11, approximately parallel trending this. In this way, bending moments caused by the force transmission, which mainly act on the adjustment section 16, can be kept relatively low.

For assembly, the bridge fitting 10 is first brought into an inclined position according to FIG. 1. At the same time, the hook-shaped hooking section 18 with the molded-on retaining lug 22 is inserted into the associated recess 14 of the container corner fitting 11 of the one container, in particular in the direction of the smaller dimension of the elongated oval recess 14, in accordance with the arrow 43. By turning the adjustment section 16 about its end 17 in accordance with arrow 44, the retaining lug 22 comes to rest on the underside 23 of the container corner fitting 11 in the region of the reveal of the recess 14. At the same time this rotational movement, the second connecting part 13 in the axial direction on the adjusting section 16 of the first connecting part 12 moved in accordance with the double arrow 15 such that the other connecting part 13 with its anchoring sleeve 29, which corresponds approximately in width to the smaller dimension of the recess 14, in this can partially intervene. This axial displacement movement of the second connection part 13 on the first connection part 12 can, however, only take place in the displacement position according to FIG. 3 due to the special design of the locking steps 20 and counter-locking steps 32. After the effective length of the bridge fitting 10 has been set in this way, the second connecting part 13 is brought into positive engagement with the latter via the interlocking locking steps 20 and counter-locking steps 32 by rotating it about the longitudinal axis 30 of the adjusting section 16 according to arrow 45 in FIG. 4. At the same time, the holding lug 20 of the hooking section 39 engages under the underside 23 of the container corner fitting 11 during this rotary movement and comes into contact with it when the rotary movement of the second connecting part 13 ends in the region of the reveal of the recess 14, as shown in FIG. 5. In order on the one hand to indicate the end of the rotary movement to be carried out according to arrow 45 during the assembly of the bridge fitting 10 and on the other hand to support the second connecting part 13 at another location on the container corner fitting 11, the hooking section 39 is in the transition region to the handle 41 with a stop 46 provided. When the rotary movement of the other anchoring part 13 ends, this rests on the upper side 42 of the container corner fitting 11 in accordance with FIG. 5, with which the bridge fitting 10 according to the invention has been assembled.

To dismantle the bridge fitting 10, the second connecting part 13 is first rotated back about the longitudinal axis 30 of the adjustment section 16 of the first connecting part 12 according to arrow 47 according to FIG. 5 into the starting position according to FIG. 3. This is then followed by everyone in the train assembly instructions, but in reverse order.

The bridge fitting 10 according to the second exemplary embodiment of the invention can be seen from FIGS. 6 and 7. It is also composed of two connecting parts 49, 50. The first connecting part 49 is formed here in several pieces. It has an elongated adjustment section 51 and a hooking base 52 articulated thereon.

The hooking base 52 has a hooking section 53 which is designed such that it holds the hooking base 52 inserted into the container corner fitting 11 almost rigidly, namely non-tilting, in the container corner fitting 11. For this purpose, the hook-in base 52 has a support surface 54 resting on the container corner fitting 11. A central section 55 with a cross bar 56 fixedly attached to it connects to the support surface 54. The central section 55 is approximately cylindrical and dimensioned such that it passes through the recess 14 in the container corner fitting 11. The cross bar 56 has approximately the dimensions of the elongated recess 14. In this way, the hooking base 52 of the connecting part 49 can be inserted into the container corner fitting 11 from above through the recess 14 in a position rotated by 90 ° with respect to the illustration in FIG. 6. After the hooking base 52 has been rotated by 90 ° into the position shown in FIG. 6, the cross bar 56 comes into a position directed transversely to the elongated recess 14 and engages behind opposite edge regions of the recess 14 from below. The hooking base 52 is thus locked to the container corner fitting 11.

The elongated adjustment section, which is arranged in an articulated manner on the hook-in base 52, has at its end 19 facing away from the hook-in base 52 a plurality of latching steps 20 made of successive projections 26 and depressions 27 which, as in the case of the adjustment section 16 of the first exemplary embodiment of the bridge fitting 10 are formed, to which extent reference is made.

The second connecting part 50 essentially corresponds to the connecting part 13 of the first exemplary embodiment. Only the hooking section 57 is designed for rigid, namely in turn non-tiltable, fastening of the connecting part 50 to the container corner fitting 11. For this purpose, the hooking section 57 has a support surface 58, which is supported at the top on the container corner fitting 11, namely on opposite edge regions of the elongated recess 14. Below the support surface 58, the hooking section 57 has a central section 59 which projects through the elongated recess 14 and protrudes towards the inside of the container corner fitting 11. In this protruding area of the central section 59, two opposing pawls 60 are arranged, which can be moved into the recess 14 into the central section 59 for inserting the hooking section 57 and can be moved out of the central section 59 after being inserted into the container corner fitting 11 into those in FIG. 6 Shown position for locking the hooking section 57 in the recess 14 of the container corner fitting 11.

Alternatively, it is conceivable to provide a fixed cross bar below the central section 59, which corresponds approximately to the cross bar 56 on the hooking base 52. In order to be able to move this between a locking and unlocking position to the container corner fitting 11, the hooking section 57 is rotatably connected to the anchoring sleeve 29 of the connecting part 50, which is designed like the connecting part 13 of the first exemplary embodiment of the bridge fitting 10.

The prescribed configuration of the hooking sections 53 and 57 of the connecting parts 49 and 50 of the exemplary embodiment of the bridge fitting 10 according to FIGS. 6 and 7 ensures that the elongated adjusting section 51 essentially only tensile forces are transmitted. As a result, the adjustment section 51 of this exemplary embodiment of the bridge fitting 10 can absorb greater loads or - given the same loads - can be made smaller in cross section than the adjustment section 16 of the first exemplary embodiment of the invention, thereby saving weight compared to the bridge fitting 10 of the first exemplary embodiment .

The invention is not restricted to the exemplary embodiment shown. For example, it would also be conceivable to choose other groove shapes, such as keyways, trapezoidal grooves or the like, for the latching steps and counter-latching steps. The bridge fitting according to the invention could also easily be used in recesses other than the upper recesses of two adjacent container corner fittings.

Claims (11)

1. Device for connecting containers stacked on ships, in particular on the deck of ships, having two connecting parts (12, 13; 49, 50) which exhibit hook-in portions (18, 39; 53, 57) which can be brought into engagement with container corner fittings (11) of adjacent containers, preferably stacked one beside the other, and which can be changed with respect to their distance from one another in that the (second) connecting part (13, 50) is mounted on an elongate adjustment portion (16, 51) of the (first) connecting part (12, 49) such that it can be displaced and arrested in a stepwise manner by means of latching steps (20, 32) on the two connecting parts (12, 13; 49, 50), characterized in that the second connecting part (13, 50) is designed as an anchorage sleeve (29) which, by turning it on the adjustment portion (16, 51) of the first connecting part (12, 49), can be brought alternatively into a displacement position or into an arresting position with respect to the first connecting part (12, 49).
2. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that one of the hook-in portions (18, 53) is arranged at one end of the elongate adjustment portion (16, 51), preferably at the end (17) which is directed away from the latching steps (20).
3. Device according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, at least in the region of the latching steps (20), the adjustment portion (16, 51) is designed approximately in the manner of a flat profile, in particular such that the latching steps (20) extend on two opposite sides of the adjustment portion (16, 51).
4. Device according to Claim 3, characterized in that, in the region of the latching steps (20), the adjustment portion (16, 51) is of a circular cross-section provided with two opposite flattened portions (38), the latching steps (20), designed as alternating protrusions and depressions, being assigned to remaining circumferential regions of the adjustment portion (16, 51), said remaining circumferential regions being located opposite one another.
5. Device according to Claim 2, characterized in that the latching steps (20) are formed, in the region of one end (19) of the adjustment portion (16, 51), by alternating protrusions and depressions which are designed preferably as annular grooves with a trapezoidal, saw-tooth or wave-like cross-section.
6. Device according to one or more of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the anchorage sleeve (29) is provided, preferably on the inner circumference (31), with at least one latching step (32) which can be connected in a positively locking manner to the corresponding latching steps (20) of the adjustment portion (16, 51) of the first connecting part (12, 49).
7. Device according to Claim 6, characterized in that the latching steps (32) are formed on the inner circumference (31) of the anchorage sleeve (29) with alternating protrusions (33) and depressions (34), by way of annular grooves designed, in particular, in the form of waves, the protrusions (33) and depressions (34) being provided merely along an inner-circumference section (35) and corresponding, in particular, with the protrusions and depressions of the latching steps (20) on the adjustment portion (16, 51) of the first connecting part (12, 49).
8. Device according to Claim 7, characterized in that the respectively mutually opposite protrusions (33 and 26) of the connecting parts (12, 49; 13, 50) can be moved passed one another in a displacement position and, by turning the connecting parts (12, 49; 13, 50) relative to one another, come into engagement with one another in an arresting position.
9. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the hook-in portions (53, 57) of the two connecting parts (49, 50) are designed such that, once they have been inserted into the container corner fittings (11), they are retained in said container corner fittings (11) in a virtually rigid and/or non-tiltable manner.
10. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the second anchorage part (13, 50) is provided with an actuating member, in particular a handle (41) or the like, the actuating member or the handle (41) being assigned, in particular, approximately diametrically to the outer circumference of the anchorage sleeve (29).
11. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the adjustment portion (16, 51) is provided at its free end (19) with a securing member, in particular a bolt (28) or the like, for captively securing the second connecting part (13, 50) on the adjustment portion (16, 51) of the first connecting part (12, 49).

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