1. Field of the Invention
An objective of the invention described herein relates to providing a device and method of securing metal coils to a flatbed trailer and desirably from ground level thereby obviating the need for anyone to be on the trailer itself at any time during the securing process.
2. Description of Related Art
In the standard practice of securing metal coils to flatbed transport trailers, truck drivers and other persons often have to climb onto the flatbed to accomplish securing and tarping operations. This raises the possibility of injury as the truck driver and others may fall of the flatbed portion of the transport trailer and sustain injury and, in extreme circumstances, even death. Shippers have recognized the risk and safety concerns and in some cases have installed fall protection devices on the flatbed portion of the transport trailer often at an enormous expense. Some of known fall protection systems include mechanical devices that close in on the flatbed and have railings, fall prevention harnesses for the truck drivers so they can be hooked to a cable attached above the flatbed, and permanent flatbed extensions to allow for more footroom on the flatbed for the truck drive. While these device are improvements and in part address fall prevention issues, they tend to be expensive solutions and cumbersome for the user. More typically, fall prevention issues go completely unaddressed and simple mechanical load tie-down devices are found in the shipping art. Some these conventional mechanical devices are discussed immediately hereinafter.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,212,180 to Murphy discloses a method of packaging heavy metal coils for shipment. The shipping arrangement disclosed by Murphy generally includes a sheet wrapping that fully encompasses a metal coil and simple metal bands are used to secure the sheet wrapping to the metal coil and an underlying support structure. Wooden planks are incorporated into the sheet wrapping for coil protection. The underlying support structure is used to lift the wrapped metal coil in conventional fashion.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,154,026 to Klasing, Jr. discloses an articulated tie-down load control bracket which may be operatively associated with a metal coil in an “eye vertical” orientation. The control bracket includes two bracket pairs each comprising a pair of angles, a combined yoke and hook member common to both angles, and a pair of pivot pins attached to the combined yoke and hook member. The bracket pairs are located on opposite sides of the metal coil and are independently secured to a flatbed platform using chains and conventional brackets on the sides of the flatbed platform.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,541,977 to Waldman discloses a pallet for transporting toroidal shaped articles comprising a base plate, a series of tie-downs that pass through the “eye” of the toroidal shaped article and secure the same to the base plate, and lifting cables that attach to the base plate for lifting the secured toroidal shaped article. U.S. Pat. No. 4,008,669 to Sumrell discloses an apparently similar mounting arrangement for mounting a metal coil to a pallet as that found in Waldman but discloses resiliently biased tie-down anchors for securing the metal coil and pallet to a flatbed platform.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,479 to Rosa discloses a removable solid cover and containment arrangement for truck bed-mounted metal coils. The cover is rigid and generally semi-cylindrical in shape and is adapted to fit over the metal coil. The cover is further adapted so that after it has been placed over the metal coil a removable core member can be run through one side of the cover and the center of the metal coil and then firmly secured to another side of the cover so that any slippage of the metal coil will be effectively contained.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,223 to Crissy et al. discloses a system for immobilizing vehicles having pneumatic tires during shipment utilizing tire chocks on each side of the tire and a flexible web harness passing over the tire upper circumference having ends affixed to the chocks. A winch mounted upon one chock tensions the harness while a quick-release fitting at the other end of the harness attaches to the other chock.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,039 to Cooley discloses cargo securing system including several elongated block portions having a plurality of studs extending downwardly therefrom for coupling with through holes in a flatbed trailer. A plurality of pipe attachment portions are also provided with each having a recess extending within a lower surface thereof. The recess is dimensioned for coupling with the block portion. A pipe harness is provided comprising a pair of elongated straps, a pair of short cross straps, and crisscrossing central straps. The short cross straps have free ends with buckles disposed thereon. An extension strap is adapted for coupling with free ends of the elongated straps of the pipe harness. The extension strap has a clip on a free end thereof for engaging existing securement buckles on the trailer. A coupling strap is provided having clips disposed on opposing free ends thereof. The coupling strap couples with the buckles of the short cross straps and the existing securement buckles of the flatbed trailer.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,214,014 to Stanley discloses a cargo restraint system comprising a tie-down assembly of restraining tie-down arms having interconnected common proximal extremities and a plurality of distal extremities. The tie-down assembly is arranged such that an angle is formed between each arm, the vertex of the angle being congruent with the common proximal extremities.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,270,507 to Jernigan discloses a safety coil sling for securing a metal coil on a flatbed trailer having a round or elliptical primary cable attached at one end to a first anchoring chain and at an opposite end to a second anchoring chain, and a plurality of connecting cables for connecting opposite sides of the primary cable across the top of the coil, thereby securing the coil on the trailer. Another disclosed embodiment includes the primary cable being divided into parallel segments at the points of attachment of the connecting cables and the connecting cables are slidably attached to one of the parallel segments to allow the connecting cables to slide within a fixed area, thus providing a mechanism for relieving tension on the sling during weight shifts within the coil occurring during transport.
While numerous load securing device are known in the shipping art as evidenced by the foregoing patents, there is generally a lack of attention to fall prevention issues and further, ease of use, or lack thereof, of such devices in practice. The focus of the prior art in the shipping field is generally on securing the load with little regard given to the safety of the user and labor required to effect installation of the load securing device on an intended load. This disclosure now turns to devices and methods for efficient, labor-saving, and safe load securing operations involving metal coils.