Inertia-operated clamping devices and a shipping rack using the same
OwnerDoyle Eugene Browninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A movable storage or carrying rack, or the like and an inertia operable locking or clamping device to clamp articles to the racks during transport of the articles is shown. An inertia-operated clamp that is in a release or ineffective position while the rack is stationary and which locks automatically at a high impulse or acceleration force is provided.
Claims11
A rack for releasably clamping articles thereto and for allowing vertical lifting of articles from or lowering of articles into a rack, said rack comprising:
- a frame for holding a plurality of articles thereon;
- a plurality of releasable clamping devices on the rack for releasably locking articles on the rack;
- a pivoted clamping member on the clamping device engageable by the upward lifting of an article and moved thereby to an open, release position to allow removal of an article from the rack;
- an actuator of the clamping member engaged by a lowering of an article to actuate the clamping member to a locking position in which the clamping device retains the article on the rack;
- and
- an inertia device connected to the clamping device and operable upon an acceleration or deceleration force of a predetermined magnitude to prevent the clamping member from moving from its clamping position to its open, release position to prevent articles from being knocked off the rack.
An inertia-operated clamping device for clamping articles upon a predetermined acceleration being applied to the clamping device, said clamping device comprising:
- a pivoted clamping member on the frame engageable by the upward lifting of an article and moved thereby to an open, release position to allow removal of an article;
- an engaging surface on the clamping member engaged by a lowering of an article onto the clamping device to move the clamping member from the release position to a locking position to retain an article on the clamping device;
- and
- an inertia device mounted on the frame and operable upon an acceleration or deceleration force of a predetermined magnitude to prevent the clamping member from moving from its clamping position to its open, release position to prevent an article from being removed from the clamping device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.