DE19820361A1 - Coupling joining two ship containers stacked on top of each other - Google Patents

Abstract

The coupling is used to join the containers via their corner fixtures, especially where these fixtures lie next to a mid-lock in an adjacent container stack. Two profiles (2,3) extending in opposite directions from the coupling case (1) are fitted into holes in the corner fixtures. A locking part (9) of the coupling is also inserted into the hole to lock the profiles into position. The coupling is unlocked by applying force to the spring-loaded coupling so that the profile and locking part are separated by a distance that may be as long as the hole. The locking part can be moved with respect to the profile by the spring-loading mechanism.

Description

The invention relates to a coupling piece for connecting two ge to each other stacked container over their corner holes, especially for use in the area adjacent to the middle joint, adjacent to each other Stack of containers arranged corner fittings (Mitlock), the coupling piece for ver locking introduction into the slots of the corner fittings of the containers in each other has opposite coupling projections, wherein one of these coupling projections into the slot of the same corner fitting bringable blocking stop is assigned and wherein the coupling projection and the associated blocking stop under resilient load to the full The length of the elongated hole can be spread apart.

A generic coupling piece for connecting containers is an example as known from EP-OS 0 477 887.

The coupling piece shown there in an exemplary embodiment has a base part on, which surrounds a kind of slot guide, in which the one another via a means piece connected coupling projections slidable against a spring load are, the spring loading tries to put the coupling protrusions into their locks  position, in the lugs of the coupling projections the edges of the Reach over the elongated holes in the corner fittings of the containers.

One of the coupling protrusions is initially oriented so that it through the slot can be inserted and is then ver about 90 ° in the corner fitting rotates so that it no longer falls out of the corner fitting through the slot can, but can only be moved in the slot. One turn of the clutch projection and a resulting falling out of the coupling projection through the elongated hole is prevented by a blocking stop, which also is pivotable into the slot. In principle, this blocking stop is stationary arranged the coupling piece, while, as stated, the coupling projections ver sliding components of the coupling piece are. This slidability is with It is necessary to stack the containers. It is namely the first described Assign a coupling projection in a corner fitting of a hanging container guided. This container is in its after locking the coupling projection Corner fitting placed on a lower container for stacking the containers. Here the free, downward-facing coupling projection slips into an upper corner flap the lower container by the edge of the slot of this corner fitting moves the coupling protrusions against the spring load. Once the lower one Coupling projection is inserted into the corner fitting of the lower container, ver the coupling projection clicks under the spring load in this corner fitting of the lower container. The two stacked containers are therefore in a vertical position Direction connected and no longer easily detachable from each other.

Such coupling pieces are used in particular as so-called "midlocks" det, namely as coupling pieces, which are provided for connecting corner fittings are located in the vicinity of the middle joint of adjacent stack of containers  are so that the corresponding coupling pieces only after stacking the container are still difficult or impossible to reach for manual operation. To the outside In contrast, so-called "twistlocks" are used against the container corner fittings applies in which at least one coupling projection for releasing the container ver Binding can be rotated by hand, so that the lock is released and in any case this Front of the upper container after lifting the connection can, with the upper container getting into a tilted position. Because of This tilt position can be used with the midlocks relating to the present invention the locked end of the upper container is released by pushing the the coupling protrusions of these midlocks by tipping from the corner slipping out of the lower container or, as it were, swung out the, the anchoring lugs of the coupling projections the edges of the Lang No longer reach under the holes in the corner fittings of the lower container. It can then the upper container is lifted back into a horizontal position and on widely discontinued after the dome pieces from its lower corner strikes have been removed, or it may be the container with its dome pieces be placed on top of a new stack of containers.

In the described prior art, as stated, a large part of the coupling piece is designed to be movable, namely the coupling projections connected to one another, so that this coupling piece has to be manufactured relatively expensively. .
Another exemplary embodiment of a midlock is known from the same cited publication, in which, in order to lock the containers when an upper container is placed on a lower container, even the entire coupling piece is moved in the slot of the upper corner fitting. There is therefore no relative movement to be carried out under spring tension and is possible within the coupling piece. Nevertheless, the coupling piece hanging on the upper container from the lower corner fitting of the upper container must not come out of engagement. This assumes that the upward-facing coupling piece has a relatively long hook nose, which offers the coupling piece a corresponding range of displacement despite maintaining the upper locking. This makes the known coupling piece relatively difficult to handle.

Both of the exemplary embodiments shown in the cited publication are therefore problematic in their own way.

The present invention has for its object a generic Specify coupling piece that is easier to handle, easy to manufacture and still that's for sure.

This object is achieved in that the blocking stop is under the resilient load and movable on the coupling piece is trained.

In the coupling piece according to the invention, the block is therefore a movable part Kieranschlag provided and is under a corresponding spring load. A Relative movement between the coupling projection and the blocking stop takes place because of the relativity of the movement of course always take place. Nevertheless, it is constructive recognizable that based on the entire coupling piece ultimately the relatively low mass Blocking stop is the moving part, which consequently in a simple manner structurally trained and to the coupling piece when assembling the coupling piece can be added, while the rest of the dome largely in the we can be formed in one piece. The dome according to the invention thus has piece the advantage of the embodiment cited from the prior art which the coupling piece is designed without any moving parts, without its disadvantage  to have, because the coupling piece according to the invention has a small blocking effect is flexible, so that the advantages of the other embodiment from the prior art, without in turn the disadvantages of the construct tive complexity and the complicated assembly and thus possibly ver to show bound functional uncertainty.

The coupling piece according to the invention is one in the lower corner fitting the upper container to be stacked by the upward facing dome The projection lead is first inserted into the slot in the corner fitting and then around is rotated about 90 °. After that, the assigned blocking stop is also in the same elongated hole is engaged and the spring loading of the Blocking stop and the corresponding coupling projection spread apart, so that the entire length of the elongated hole is taken up and a turn back and prevents the coupling projection from slipping out of this elongated hole becomes. The upper container with the attached coupling piece is opened for stacking put on a lower container, with the downward facing feie Thread the coupling protrusion into the corner fitting of the lower container by the rest of the coupling piece according to the invention against the spring loading is a relative performs movement relative to the blocking stop, after which the spring load for a latching of the lower coupling projection in the corner fitting of the lower one Containers leads. A solution of the coupling connection is again a tilt The upper container can be raised by using the twistlocks on the other forehead side of the container can be solved, by tilting the upper container ners that point down the coupling projections of the Mid according to the invention locks in a manner known per se from the corner fittings of the lower container  slide until the container is swung open into a horizontal position can be.

According to a development of the invention, the blocking stop is on a Load direction parallel pivot axis arranged. When the upper coupling projection, to which the blocking stop is assigned, in the The bottom stop of an upper container can be blocked first once pivoted into a rest position, in which he threading and twisting of the upper coupling projection does not hinder. After fixing the dome projection in the corner fitting, the blocking stop is then swung out and brought into engagement with the slot of the same corner fitting. Between the Blocking stop and the coupling projection then (still) the Federbe load against the load a relative movement between the clutch jump and the blocking stop or the rest of the coupling piece and the blocking stop allows.

For swiveling the blocking stop together with the swivel axis the pivot axis has a handle, for example a lever or handle. This handle is after hanging the coupling piece in an upper container graspable and operable to the blocking stop in engagement with the slot of the Bring corner fitting of the upper container. After the container is stacked this handle may then be in the area of the middle joint between each other neighboring container stacks are no longer accessible, so that a solution to the Kupp tion piece with the help of this handle is not provided.

The swivel axis could together with the blocking stop in your Be displaceable in the longitudinal direction and be under the resilient load. This would assume, however, that the pivot axis correspond to one overall  allows the freedom of movement for a desired relative movement, so that the The pivot axis must be relatively long overall and depending on the relative position of the blocking stop either on one side or on the other side of the Dome piece, possibly even disturbing, protrudes.

A next development of the invention therefore provides that only the blocking stop is under the spring load and can be moved on the swivel axis, but the pivot axis can have such an angular cross-sectional shape, that the blocking stop, which can be moved along the pivot axis, is non-rotatable sits on the swivel axis and thus when the swivel axis swivels from the swivel axis is taken along. For example, the swivel axis could do this have a triangular, square or polygonal profile. But it could also have any bulges or other entrainment elements, in any case allow the cross-section of the swivel axis to deviate from a circular shape. An oval shape or a two-flat shape would also be conceivable.

A next development of the invention provides that the coupling piece one Has base frame with a recess in which the pivot axis extends and into which the blocking stop can be swiveled. So he can in the basic frame a rest position can be accommodated to save space. At the same time such a design of the coupling piece saves material and weight.

When the blocking stop is pivoted into its functional position, in the blocking stop engages with the slot of the corresponding corner fitting the spring load helps to bring the blocking stop into its suitable position Bring position and the blocking stop along the pivot axis or with to move the swivel axis. To prepare for hanging the fiction moderate dome piece on a lower corner fitting of an upper, stackable con  täiners must first ver the blocking stop in its rest position are pivoted, namely into the base frame of the coupling piece. It must possibly a movement of the blocking stop against the spring load is carried out become. So there must be a corresponding force against the spring load can be applied by the operator in addition to the pivoting force. This may make handling of the coupling piece difficult and possibly prevent one smooth movement. To avoid such a disadvantage, further training provides the invention that the blocking stop has a sliding edge, which at its Swiveling in contact with an area of the base frame a movement comm component against the load direction. The operator must therefore only initiate the pivoting movement, while the sliding flank equals this movement early in a swivel component and a force component against the Federbe load disassembled, so that the blocking stop fluid ge in its rest position reaches. The operator only has to concentrate on the pivoting movement trieren and does not have to consciously force in a second direction of movement make an addition.

An embodiment from which further inventive features result, is shown in the drawing. Show it:

Fig. 1 is a partially sectioned side view of a coupling piece according to the invention,

Fig. 2 is an end view of the coupling piece according to Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the coupling piece according to Fig. 1 and 2,

FIGS. 4a-d Coupling piece according to the invention in the functional position of the blocking stop and rest position of the blocking stop, the weils, in side view and in plan view

FIGS. 5a-d the hanging system of the coupling piece according to the invention in the direct un corner fitting of an upper container up to the locking,

Fig. 6a to c, the corner fitting areas of a lower and an upper container when stacking the container and

Fig. 7a-c, the corner regions of the container of FIG. 6 during unstacking of the containers.

Fig. 1 shows a partially sectioned side view of a coupling piece according to the invention.

The coupling piece according to the invention has a base frame 1 , of which two coupling projections 2 and 3 protrude in opposite directions, which can be inserted into corner fittings of containers and can be locked there. The coupling protrusions 2 and 3 each have more or less pronounced Sperrungsna sen 4 and 5 , which overlap the edges of the oblong holes of the corner fittings of the container and thus ensure a connection of two stacked containers in the vertical direction.

The coupling piece according to FIG. 1 also has in its base frame 1 a pivot axis 6 which has a handle 7 for pivoting it. A blocking stop 9 , which can be pivoted with the pivot axis, is fastened on the pivot axis 6 with a screw 8 . The pivot axis 6 is with the Blockieran blow 9 together under the load of a compression spring 10 . When the swivel axis 6 moves in its longitudinal direction counter to the load on the compression spring 10 , the swivel axis 6 in the illustration of FIG. 1 would emerge and protrude correspondingly far from the end face of the coupling piece facing away from the handle 7 until the blocking stop strikes the coupling projection 2 . The corresponding freedom of movement is ensured by the fact that, in the illustration in FIG. 1, the pivot axis 6 projects sufficiently far from the coupling piece with its part carrying the handle 7 .

Fig. 2 shows the coupling piece acc. Fig. 1 in a front view. The same components are identified by the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a plan view of the coupling piece. In this representation, in particular, the shape of the blocking stop can be seen in particular, which overlaps the basic frame 1 of the coupling piece in the blocking position shown. To pivot the blocking stop 9 into its rest position, in which it would be located in the base frame, the pivot axis 6 must be pivoted 7 with the help of the hand. For this purpose, the pivot axis 6 must be pressed against the load on the compression spring 10 so that the blocking stop 9 is released at all from the base frame 1 of the coupling piece. By a corre sponding shape of the blocking stop can be achieved that the pivoting movement of the pivot axis quasi automatically receives a movement component in the longitudinal direction of the pivot axis 6 , so that by the pivoting of the blocking stop slips easier into the base frame 1 .

Fig. 4 with its sub-figures a to d shows the coupling piece according to the invention once with the blocking stop in the blocking position and once in the rest position, in each case once in the side view and once in the top view. The same components are designated with the same reference numbers as in the previous figures.

Fig. 5 with its sub-figures a to d shows in four steps the process of hanging the coupling piece according to the invention in the lower corner fitting 11 of an only partially shown upper container 12 , which is to be placed on a lower container after stacking the coupling piece for stacking.

To hang the coupling piece, the coupling projection 2 is first inserted into an elongated hole 13 of the corner fitting 11 . Then the coupling projection 2 in the corner fitting 11 is rotated by about 90 ° and pushed ver up to the end of the elongated hole 13 until it reaches the position in FIG. 5c. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 5d, the blocking stop 9 is pivoted into its blocking position, namely by rotating the pivot axis 6 . Thereafter, the coupling projection 2 can no longer easily turn in the corner fitting 11 and fall out through the slot 13 . Only a relative movement between the blocking stop 9 and the coupling projection 2 against the spring loading of the compression spring 10 is possible.

Fig. 6 shows, with its sub-figures A to C the process when stacking the upper container 12 according to the Fig. 5 to a likewise shown only partially lower container fourteenth In this case, coupling piece according to the invention suspended in the Eckbe impact 11 of the upper container 12, while the lower coupling projection 3 in the corner casting 15 of the lower container 4 through a respective slot 16 and is threaded to be latched there. In addition to this section of the stackers 12 and 14 to be stacked, a section of the containers 12 and 14 from the region of the opposite end face of the respective container is indicated in each of the partial figures a to c. There are also corner fittings 17 and 18 which are coupled to one another via a so-called twistlock 19 , which itself is not the subject of the present invention. However, this twistlock works together with the coupling piece according to the invention, which is a so-called midlock.

First of all, according to FIG. 6b, the upper container 12 is lowered onto the lower container 14 . When lowering the upper container 12 on the lower container 14 , the rest of the coupling piece according to the invention is relatively moved in the direction of the blocking stop 9 in the blocking position against the spring load of the compression spring 10 . On further lowering of the container 12, the lower end coupling projection of the coupling according to the invention in the latched piece corner casting 15 of the lower container 14, wherein the projection 5 of the lower coupling projection 3 engages under the edge of the elongated hole 16 of the corner fitting 15 °. This latching happens due to a backward displacement of the rest of the coupling piece according to the invention from the blocking stop 9 due to the spring loading as soon as such a shift is possible when the lower clutch pre jump 3 is fully inserted into the corner fitting 15 . At the same time, the nose 14 overlaps the edge of the elongated hole 13 of the corner fitting 11 of the upper container 12 . So that the containers 12 and 14 are connected to each other in the vertical direction, so that a lifting of the upper container 12 in the region of this end face is no longer possible.

At the same time, the corner fittings 17 and 18 of the containers 12 and 14 are connected to one another in the region of the other end face by means of the twist lock, in that there at least one coupling projection is automatically rotated when threading into the corresponding elongated hole and is turned back into a locking position under a spring load. This process cannot be seen in detail from FIGS. 6a to c, but does take place.

If the upper container 12 is to be lifted off the lower container 14 again, FIG. 7 with its partial figures a to c shows the unlocking process. The twistlock 19 is namely located on an outside of the container stack and is therefore still accessible for handling even after the stacking process. By a corre sponding handling this twistlock is unlocked, so that the container in the area of these end faces already come free, so that the upper container 12 can be tilted. Due to this tilting movement, which is shown in Fig. 7b, quasi the lower coupling projection 3 of the coupling piece according to the invention to the under attacked edge of the elongated hole 16 of the corner fitting 15 is of the lower Con shipping container 14 swung to the nose 5 of the lower coupling piece 3 from this edge comes free and thereby the coupling piece 3 as a whole can slide out through the elongated hole 16 of the corner fitting 15 upwards, namely when the con tainer 12 is raised further, after which the container can then in turn be raised and transported to a horizontal position according to FIG. 7c. To release the connection of the coupling piece according to the invention, the actuation of the handle 7 of the pivot axis 6 is not possible and is also not provided. You would also not be possible if the handle would protrude outside the container bottom of the upper container 12 over the container bottom edge, since the handle 7 would then possibly exist in a middle joint between adjacent container stacks, where it would also not be accessible due to lack of space. For this reason, the coupling piece according to the invention is referred to as a midlock because it is used in the central area of two adjacent container stacks, which due to the available space is usually not accessible for releasing the containers.

However, the orientation of the coupling piece according to the invention is deliberately chosen and finds its interaction with the twistlock 19th The interaction of the two coupling pieces ensures that not only can the upper container 12 not be lifted in the vertical direction in the locking position, but also the upper container 12 cannot slide on the lower container 14 in the horizontal plane. Such containers are usually stacked on container ships that carry out appropriate ship movements in the sea, in which the container loads must not slip, which in the worst case could lead to the sinking of the corresponding ship and has often led to it in the past.

Finally, it should be pointed out again in the entirety of the figures that the upper coupling projection 2 of the coupling piece according to the invention only has to have a very little pronounced nose 4 , which is due to the construction of the sliding blocking stop according to the invention.

In addition, it can be seen that the lower coupling projection 3 is designed to be relatively material-saving, but the coupling piece as a whole is largely made in one piece and is therefore very stable, which is also possible because the blocking stop can be moved against the spring load and because only the blocking stop can be moved the otherwise one-piece rest of the coupling piece is arranged.

Claims (7)

1. Coupling piece for connecting two stacked containers via their corner fittings having elongated holes, in particular for use in the area of adjacent corner stacks (midlock) arranged next to the center joint of the container, the coupling piece for locking insertion into the elongated holes of the corner fittings of the containers in opposite directions has protruding coupling projections, one of these coupling projections is assigned a blocking stop which can be brought into the elongated hole of the same corner fitting and the coupling projection and the associated blocking stop can be spread apart up to the full length of the elongated hole under resilient loading, characterized in that the blocking stop ( 9 ) underneath the resilient load stands and is designed to be movable on the coupling piece. 2. Coupling piece according to claim 1, characterized in that the blocking stop ( 9 ) is arranged on a pivot axis parallel to the loading direction ( 6 ). 3. Coupling piece according to claim 1, characterized in that the pivot axis ( 6 ) has a handle ( 7 ) for its pivoting with the entrainment of the blocking lock ( 9 ). 4. Coupling piece according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the pivot axis ( 6 ) together with the blocking stop ( 9 ) is displaceable in its longitudinal direction and is under the resilient load. 5. Coupling piece according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the blocking stop ( 9 ) is slidably and rotatably arranged on the pivot axis ( 6 ) and is solely under the resilient load. 6. Coupling piece according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the coupling piece has a base frame ( 1 ) with a recess in which the pivot axis ( 6 ) extends and into which the blocking stop ( 9 ) can be pivoted. 7. Coupling piece according to claim 6, characterized in that the blocking stop ( 9 ) has a sliding flank which causes a movement component against the loading direction when it pivots in contact with an area of the base frame ( 1 ).