Cot fastening system

A cot fastening system for fastening a cot in an emergency vehicle, the cot having a cot attachment, said cot fastening system comprising:

• a restraint assembly for coupling to the cot attachment, said restraint assembly adapted to mount in the emergency vehicle, and said restraint assembly receiving the cot attachment in a loading direction and releasing the cot attachment in an unloading direction;
• said restraint assembly including a latch to releasably engage the cot attachment in a latched state and to disengage from the cot attachment in an unlatched state, and said latch being configured and arranged to keep from being released from said latched state when the cot attachment applies pressure on said latch in said unloading direction;
• wherein said latch includes a pair of arms movable between said latched state and said unlatched state, and said arms being oriented and shaped to keep from being released from said latched state when said arms apply pressure in said unloading direction;
• wherein each arm of said pair of arms is pivotally mounted about a vertical pivot axis;
• wherein each of said arms has a bearing surface to engage the cot attachment, and wherein said bearing surfaces are parallel with said vertical pivot axis;
• and
• wherein said each of said arms has a second bearing surface to be engaged by the cot attachment, and said second bearing surfaces being angled with respect to said vertical pivot axis wherein said second bearing surfaces form cam surfaces to allow the cot attachment to pivot said arms about said vertical pivot axis when moved in said loading direction against said pair of arms.