Shipping facility having rail mounted A-frames for supporting sheets

In a vehicle having a cargo bay including a shipment area and a storage area, for transporting sheet-like articles, a shipping facility comprising:

• at least one pair of spaced-apart A-frames adapted for supporting said sheet-like articles;
• runner means disposed in said cargo bay for receiving said A-frames;
• a rail member carried by each said A-frame and adapted for slidable movement along said runner means to facilitate movement of said A-frames between an operating position within said shipment area of said cargo bay and a non-operating position within said storage area of said cargo bay;
• access facilities provided by said vehicle for allowing rear and side loading and unloading of the sheet-like articles into and from said cargo bay, respectively;
• and
• facilities for restricting the movement of said A-frames and said sheet-like articles supported thereby, for minimizing damage occasioned to said articles during transport thereof.

A shipping facility for a trailer having a deck, comprising:

• a rail;
• first mounting means for mounting said rail spaced from and above the deck;
• means for supporting the cargo to be shipped;
• second mounting means for mounting said cargo supporting means for movement along said rail, said second mounting means including biasing means acting on said rail to bias said cargo supporting means away from the deck;
• and,
• means for detachably securing said cargo supporting means to the deck of the trailer, wherein said cargo supporting means detachably secured to the deck acts against biasing action of said biasing means.