US 4,046,347 AGranted

Adaptor assembly

AssigneeThe Boeing Company

InventorDarold Ray Bryan

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Abstract

An adaptor assembly for converting a military cargo pallet for use in a commercial cargo-handling and tiedown system includes two longitudinal frame members and two lateral frame members. The longitudinal frame members are positioned adjacent the sides of a military cargo pallet while the lateral frame members are positioned adjacent the two ends of the cargo pallet. Each of the frame members has a plurality of recesses extending outwardly from their inner sides arranged to receive laterally and longitudinally extending projections on the sides and ends of the military cargo pallet, which projections are utilized for tieing down the military pallet. A second plurality of recesses are spaced at predetermined locations along the length of the longitudinal frame members and extend inwardly from their outer sides and are located and sized to receive an extendable restraining member forming part of a commercial cargo tiedown system. The lateral frame members also have a second plurality of recesses extending into the frame members from their outer sides for use with end tiedown members forming part of a commercial cargo tiedown system. Adjacent ends of the longitudinal and lateral frame members are releasably connected so that the adaptor assembly can easily be attached to a military pallet to convert it for use with a commercial tiedown system and so that it can be easily removed from the pallet to reconvert it for use with a military cargo tiedown system.

Claims10

Dependent claims

An adaptor for use with a cargo pallet having first and second sides, first and second ends, and a bottom, said first and second sides having a plurality of outwardly extending, lateral projections thereon adjacent said bottom for use in tieing said pallet down in a first cargo tiedown system, said adaptor for removable interconnection with said pallet for use in tieing said pallet down in a second cargo tiedown system, said adapter comprising:

first and second longitudinal frame members each having an inner side and an outer side, each said longitudinal frame member being positionable adjacent a respective side of said pallet and having a first plurality of recess means on the inner side thereof for receiving said plurality of lateral projections on said pallet, said first plurality of recess means being spaced along the inner side of each said longitudinal frame member at distances corresponding to the longitudinal spacing of said lateral projections on said pallet, each said longitudinal frame member having second recess means extending laterally into said longitudinal frame member from the outer side thereof for receiving a movable tiedown member forming part of said second cargo tiedown system, and
connecting means associated with said pallet and said first and second longitudinal frame members for securing said first longitudinal frame member to said pallet, for securing said second longitudinal frame member to said pallet, and for cooperating with said pallet and said longitudinal frame members to prevent longitudinal and lateral movement of said first and second longitudinal frame members relative to said pallet.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.