The present invention relates in general to an arrangement for securing bins to the flatbed or deck of a railroad flat car, gondola, boxcar, or a truck, and more particularly to an arrangement for securing bins to the flatbed or deck of a railroad flat car, gondola, boxcar or a truck using a tie-down frame.
Heretofore, bins were secured to the flatbed or a deck of a railroad flat car, gondola, boxcar or a truck by means of cables and clamps. Generally, the bins were aligned on a flatbed or deck longitudinally and also aligned transversely. Generally, there were two longitudinal rows of bins on a flatbed, although in some instances there may be a single row. At the outside upper corners of the end bins of each longitudinal row of bins extended a cable in the transverse direction. The ends of each end cable were releasably secured by winches to the flatbed or decks. The end cables intermediate the ends thereof secured corner clamps to the outside upper corners of the end bins of each longitudinal row of bins.
Adjacent upper corners of the bins, between the end bins, were secured by intermediate cables and adjoining clamps. The intermediate cables extended in the transverse direction. The free ends of the intermediate cables were releasably secured to the flatbed or decks by winches. Each adjoining clamp extended over adjacent upper corners of the bins. Safety chains extended respectively in the longitudinal direction between end bins. The winches were tightened to provide the proper forces to the cables for proper securement of the bins to the flatbed.
The bottom corners of the bins were placed against stops, which were fastened to the flatbed or deck of the railroad car or truck. Corner stops were fastened to the flatbed or deck at the outside lower corners of the end bins of each longitudinal row of bins. Adjoining stops were fastened to the flatbed or deck at adjacent lower corners of the intermediate bins. The stops were intended to inhibit the bins from sliding relative to the flatbed.
The forces on adjacent bins due to the movement of the railroad car or truck were not equally applied. Hence, the stresses exerted by one bin could be lesser or greater than the stresses applied to another bin. As a consequence thereof, there was cable or chain shifting. The cable or chain movement resulted in the breakage of the cable or chain, or the shifting of the tie-down, and the shifting of bins relative to the flatbed or deck.