US 5,037,256 AGranted

Dunnage bar lock

OwnerRobert C. Schroederinventor

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Abstract

A bar lock arrangement that includes a bar having a rectangular cross section and a lateral opening in one side of the bar adjacent to the end of the bar. A saddle has a base and parallel sidewalls spaced from each other to receive the bar end on the base between the sidewalls. An L-shaped latch has a base positioned beneath the saddle base, a leg that extends upwardly from the saddle base adjacent to the saddle sidewalls, and a finger overlying and spaced from the saddle base by a distance corresponding to the cross sectional dimension of the bar end. The latch is pivotally mounted to the saddle beneath the saddle base, and a coil spring is captured between the saddle and latch bases for urging the latch finger to the position overlying the saddle base. The bar end engages a camming surface on the latch finger for pivoting the latch with respect to the saddle against force of the spring so that the bar end is received within the saddle, with a locating pin on the saddle base received within the opening at the bar end. The bar end is thus locked in position beneath the latch finger and between the saddle sidewalls.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A dunnage bar lock and frame arrangement that comprises:

an elongate bar having spaced identical ends of rectangular cross sectional contour,
a dunnage frame, and
a pair of dunnage bar locks mounted on said frame at positions spaced from and opposed to each other removably to receive respective opposed ends of said bar, each of said locks comprising:
a saddle mounted in stationary position on said frame having a saddle base and parallel sidewalls spaced from each other to removably receive an associated bar end on said saddle base between said sidewalls,
an L-shaped latch having a latch base positioned beneath said saddle base, a latch leg that extends upwardly from said saddle base adjacent to said sidewalls, and a finger overlying and spaced from said saddle base by a distance corresponding to said contour,
means beneath said saddle base pivotally mounting said latch to said saddle,
spring means positioned between said saddle base and said latch base urging said latch finger to a position overlying said saddle base, and
means for pivotally said latch with respect to said saddle against said spring means to place and remove an associated bar end from within said saddle such that, upon release of said latch, said spring means urges said finger to a position overlying said saddle base and said bar end is captured within said saddle by said latch finger and said saddle bar.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.