A side guide assembly for a cargo loading system

0001This invention relates to cargo loading systems for loading palletized cargo into a vehicle such as an aircraft, and more particularly to a side guide roller assembly for use in such a system.

0002Systems have been developed in the priorartfor facilitating the loading of palletized cargo into vehicles, such as aircraft; typical such systems being described in U.S. Patent No. 3,480,239 to Jenson et al., issued November 25, 1969. A side guide assembly is shown and described in connection with Figures 5 and 6 of this patent for guiding the longitudinal movement of the pallet and limiting outward transverse movement thereof. This side guide assembly employs a spring- actuated plunger member which fits into the track which operates in conjunction with a supporting leg and roller members to provide the desired transverse restraint and longitudinal freedom of movement of the pallets.

0003U.S. Patent No. 3,334,718 discloses cargo handling apparatus in accordance with the features of the preamble of claim 1 which comprises a plurality of trays with rollers mounted on the trays. A plurality of T-shaped guide members are attached to the trays.

0004Each guide member comprises an elongated arm portion extending from the head of the guide member. A guide plate on the head extends at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the arm portion. The guide plate guides pallets along the rollers.

0005The elongated arm portion is attached by a retainer stud at one end to the floor of the vehicle in which the apparatus is in use. The head of the guide member is attached to the track by attach- mentfittings underthe lip portions of alternate cut-out and lip portions on the track.

0006In order to fit the T-shaped guide members into the track it is necessary to operate springs mounted in the head.

0007It is an object of this invention to provide an improved side guide assembly for a cargo loading system which is of more economical construction than such prior art devices.

0008It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved side guide assembly for a cargo loading system which is of lighter weight than such prior art devices.

0009It is a further object of this invention to provide a side guide assembly for a cargo loading system which can more easily be installed and removed from its installed portion than prior art systems.

0010According to the present invention, there is provided a side guide assembly for guiding a pallet for loading in a vehicle, said side guide assembly being mounted in a track member having alternate cut-out and lip portions, comprising:

0011a frame having an elongated arm portion, a first end of said arm portion having a portion to be retained to the floor, <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none"><li>roller means,</li><li>support means for rotatably supporting said roller means,</li><li>a guide plate extending from said arm portion in a direction substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the arm portion,</li><li>said guide plate operating to guide the pallet for movement on said roller means along an axis substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of said arm portion,</li><li>retainer stud means mounted on the vehicle floor and extending upwardly therefrom for engaging said first end of the arm portion of said frame,</li><li>means being fitted in said track under the lip portions thereof and an opening portion of the elongated arm portion being fitted over the retainer stud means, and</li><li>means for retaining the first end of the arm portion of the frame to said floor mounted retainer stud means, characterised by:</li><li>an overhanging member extending substantially normally from said guide plate towards the first end of said arm portion having the opening formed therein,</li><li>tension lug means running transversely to the longitudinal axis of said arm portion and extending from the frame in a direction away from said guide plate, said tension lug means being located along a lower edge of said frame,</li><li>shear lug means spaced on said frame from said tension lug means towards said guide plate and extending from the frame in a direction substantially opposite to that of said tension lug means,</li><li>the first end of said elongated arm portion having an opening portion defining an opening formed therein;</li><li>said support means supporting said roller means on said arm portion;</li><li>said overhanging member operating with said guide plate to guide said pallet;</li><li>said retainer stud means engaging the opening portion in said first end of the arm portion and</li><li>being fitted under the lip portions of said track comprising said tension lug means, with said shear lug means being fitted in the cut-out portion of said track;</li><li>and said means for retaining the first end of the arm portion comprising means for retaining the opening portion to said retainer stud means.</li></ul>

0012The improvement of the present invention is achieved by employing the tensioning lug means which operates in conjunction with the shear lug meansto retain one end of the assembly in the track while the otherend of the assembly has an opening formed therein which is retained to the floor of the vehicle over the stud member mounted on such floor. The assembly of the present invention can readily be moved into a mounting position by a rocking motion, i.e., placing the tensioning lug means under the lips of the track member with the assembly in an upwardly tilted position and then lowering the assembly to bring the shear lug means into the cut-out portions of the track in abutment against the sides thereof, with the opening portion of the assembly fitted onto the stud mounted in the vehicle floor and retained thereto.

0013The side guide assembly of the present invention provides distinct advantages over that of the prior art in that it eliminates the need for moving parts such as spring actuated plungers and the like and is of a simple, one-piece construction of lower weight and less cost than such assemblies of the prior art.

0014Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a particular side guide assembly taken in connection with the accompanying drawings of which: <ul id="ul0002" list-style="none"><li>Figure 1 is a perspective view of the assembly installed in a track;</li><li>Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the assembly;</li><li>Figure 3 is a top plan view of the assembly; and</li><li>Figure 4 is an end elevational view of the assembly.</li></ul>

0015Referring now to the figures, the side guide assembly includes a main frame 11. The frame has an elongated arm 12 which has an opening portion 12a defining an opening at one extreme end thereof and a pair of cross arms 14 between which a pair of roller members 16 are rotatably supported. A guide plate 18 extends upwardly from arm 12 near one end thereof and an overhanging member 20 extends inwardly at substantially right angles to guide plate 18, guide plate 18 and overhanging member 20 functioning to guide a pallet for longitudinal movement on rollers 16. Along the bottom edge of a cross arm 15 of a frame 11 and extending normally to the longitudinal axis of the frame are tension lugs 25. Extending from cross arm 15, directly above tension lug 25 and running in substantially the opposite direction thereas, are a pair of shear lugs 27.

0016The side guide assembly is installed in the track 35 as shown in Figure 2 by inserting tension lugs 25 into track 35 under the lip portions 35a of the scalloped track, with the device angled relative to the track as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The side guide assembly is then rocked down into position with shear lugs 27 inserted in the cut-out portions 35b of the track and in abutment thereagainst. In the installed position, opening portion 12a of arm 12 fits over stud 40 which is fixedly mounted in the floor of the vehicle in a keyhole adapter 19 installed in such floor. Stud 40 has a threaded top portion 40a on which a nut 41 is threadably tightened to retain the side guide in position in the track. The stud further has flattened sides 40b which abut against similarly flattened side portions of opening portion 12a. Thus, as can be seen, the assembly can be rapidly and easily installed in position and just as easily removed.