WDO \ D r 0961m dmnlu d"-1 6AM20fk-9 MOUNTING ASSEMBLY This invention relates generally to a mounting assembly for mounting articles. 5 One particular application for the present invention is in the transportation of articles by rail. Although it will be convenient to hereinafter describe the invention with reference to this application, it is to be understood that it is not to be taken as a limitation of the scope of the invention, For example, the support frame may be used equally well in road, sea and air transport applications, or assisting with temporary site storage. 10 Freight operators generally use single-purpose vehicles, and thus freight is not carried in an efficient manner. This method of operation generally increases the operators' required inventory of transport vehicles, while at the same time reducing the availability of those vehicles. Even where limited multi-purpose vehicles are provided, they generally 15 require long set-up (changeover) times to cross between functions, or are inadequate to the task, because of the complex loading patterns encountered in vehicles. Furthermore, chassis are generally provided with welded cross members to assist with bending strength, but this type of cross member generally increases torsional rigidity 20 and therefore increased wheel-unloading risk of the vehicle. In addition, the rollover risk of freight vehicles is generally high as the centre of gravity and torsional rigidity of the vehicle is generally high. 25 The present invention alleviates one or more of the abovementioned disadvantages. According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a mounting assembly for mounting an article to a vehicle chassis, the assembly including a male and female member, wherein: 30 the male member includes a neck portion with side wall sections that project sidewardly of the neck portion and taper toward a leading edge portion; and -2 the female member includes an access opening to receive the leading edge portion and the side wall sections as the members are slid into engagement in a substantially vertical insertion direction, the female member further including flanges which are tapered in reverse profile to the side wall sections for wedging interengagement between the 5 members, the flanges further being arranged to engage the male member about the neck to resist any lateral movement of the members away from each other. Preferably, the female member further includes a base to abut with the leading edge portion and provide vertical support to the male member whereby the assembly is adapted 10 to resist vertical loads and whereby the wedging engagement of corresponding tapered surfaces of the male and female members provides resistance to lateral and transverse horizontal loads, The tapering of the wall sections on the male and female sections may be at any 15 suitable angle. Preferably the angle is between 25 and 85 degrees to the horizontal. In one preferred embodiment, the tapering is about 83 degrees to the horizontal. One side wall section of the or each female or male member may taper independently towards the other opposed side wall section, that is, asymmetrically. This 20 apparent mismatching may have the advantage of indicating a preferred assembly direction. However, in a preferred embodiment, the opposed side wall sections of the or each female and male member taper towards one another in a symmetric manner, so that assembly may be effected in either direction. 25 An inclination of the side wall sections in relation to the chassis member may be provided, to give an additional wedging interengagement, further constraining lateral forces or buckling forces which may be imparted by, for example, shunting. In preferred forms this additional wedging interengagement is provided by front wall portions operatively connected to or integral with the side wall portions. 30 Preferably flanges are provided on the or each male member, on the ends of which P \WPDOCS\HS\1209Df\March(9t2679121amdemsdoc-30/)3/2(0 -3 the opposed side wall portions are mounted. In one form, a neck portion is provided in order to space the opposed side walls and flanges from the article or chassis member for location in the or each female member. 5 Preferably the side wall and/or front wall portions of the or each female member are attached to their respective article or chassis member so that a channel is formed, for receiving the or each flange on the male member. Preferably two chassis members are provided. In one preferred embodiment each 10 chassis member is disposed to either side of the chassis and extending longitudinally, the chassis member having an inside wall which is substantially vertical, and to which the mounting assembly is provided. Preferably a plurality of mounting assemblies are provided, spaced apart at selected 15 intervals along the chassis members. Preferably a keeper is provided, in the form of a snub member, which restrains uplift of the upper member (usually the male member) under longitudinal shunt forces or vertical bounce forces and the like. 20 To assemble the mounting means, the leading portion of the or each male member is lowered into the access opening of a respective female member. The mounting assembly is assembled when a base wall of the male member abuts the base wall of the mounting assembly. When assembled, the side wall sections of respective male and 25 female members are separated from one another by approx 3mm to provide the wedging interengagement when the chassis twists beyond a selected angle. In another aspect, there is provided a chassis provided with a plurality of male or female members of associated mounting assemblies, each assembly formed in accordance 30 with the mounting assembly, as described above, and arranged for wedging engagement with corresponding members of each assembly provided on an article to be mounted to the P \WPDOCS\H5\20'yDH\Mach(M9267912 Iamendmemsdoc-303/2m(9 -4 chassis. In another aspect, there is provided a chassis including two spaced apart elongate chassis members and a member of a mounting assembly, as described above, arranged for 5 interengagement with a corresponding member of the mounting assembly carried by an article to be mounted to the chassis. The chassis may include wheel mounting sections at opposite end portions of the side sills. The wheel mounting sections may include transoms operatively secured to and 10 extending between the side sills. The upper surface of each transom may at least in part define the platform section of the chassis. Where the chassis is used in rail transport, does not have a floor. In another aspect, there is provided an article for mounting to the chassis including 15 a plurality of members of an associated plurality of mounting assemblies, each mounting assembly formed in accordance with the mounting assembly described above. Examples of articles with which the chassis and mounting means can be used are: cross-beams for standard ISO container support; containers for liquids, bulk containers for 20 carrying grain crops, cement, sand, coal minerals and the like; standard ISO containers; carriers for coil/pipe cradles; cradles for logs, railway sleeper; carriers for palletised bags. The aforementioned list is in no way exhaustive. Preferably the or each article includes a transversely extending mounting member adapted to be held between mounting means across the cavity, the arrangement being such that the side sills' longitudinal buckling and 25 lateral bending strength is increased. Quick-release or auto-opening doors may be included at the base of an article. The chassis may be operatively connected to suspension, ground engaging wheels, and braking and/or motoring means, such as for example is found on a railway bogie as 30 mentioned above. Furthermore, the chassis may take the form of a trailer or even a fully steered and powered vehicle.
P WPDOCS\HS\( )-6DHMarch1M 12679121 amnm docA-31)f/2tIX - 4A The cross-beams and some articles such as for example liquid containers may include an upper face which lie in the same plane as the cross beams so that articles such as for example standard ISO containers and the like can be secured by twist locks disposed 5 in a single, generally horizontal plane. Such twist locks are well known and understood by those skilled in the art, and are used to enable the releasable attachment of one or more selected containers to the main deck, as described more fully below. Preferably, the chassis members are arranged so that at least a portion thereof is 10 situated above the platform section of the support frame, forming shoulders to increase security of articles such as for example, ISO containers, to provide some lateral support if, for example, a twist lock fails. In order to enable a clearer understanding of the invention, drawings illustrating 15 example embodiments are attached, and in those drawings: P \WPDOCS\HSC00O9\DH\March09\2679121aendmens doc.31)A)3/2(09 -5 Figure 1 is an isometric view of an example of a chassis including an example embodiment of mounting assemblies according to the present invention showing in particular, the female members of the assembly operatively connected to the side sills; 5 Figure 2 is an isometric view of the chassis of Figure 1 incorporating article supports held captive by mounting assemblies; Figure 3 is an isometric view of the chassis of Figure I with a "belly tank" held captive by mounting assemblies; 10 Figure 4 is an isometric view of the chassis of Figure 1 with an acid tank held captive by mounting assemblies; Figure 5 is an isometric view of the chassis and articles of Figures 2 and 3 coupled 15 with two 20' containers; Figure 6 is a detail isometric view of the male member of a preferred embodiment of a mounting assembly, which in the figure is operatively connected to the acid tank shown in Figure 4; 20 Figure 7 is a front elevation view of the male and female members of the mounting assembly, the male member aligned with but above the female member, ready for lowering into the female member for assembly; 25 Figure 8 is a plan view of the female member operatively connected to a chassis member.
xeceiveci on i i nprn zu,> P:\WPDOCS\LMD\LerMIlleSpcfiatioS12S651Midw cstPC.do30/05/O4 -6 Figure 9 is an end elevation view of a male member having an aperture for a keeper; and Figure 10 is a section view through A-A (Fig 9) showing the keeper in position. 5 Referring to the drawings, in particular to Figures 1, 6, 7 and 8, there is shown a chassis generally indicated at 10 which includes chassis members 26 and 27, spaced laterally by transoms 46 and 47, and a cavity 14 disposed within the. interior space so defined, Mounting assemblies 12 for mounting articles (eg a belly tank 20, or an acid tank 22) or article cross-beam supports 28 are disposed within the cavity 14, the mounting 10 assemblies 12 including female members 16 and 17 operatively connected to the interior face of the chassis members 26 (also on 27). The mounting assembly 12 includes female members 16 and 17, and male members 34 which cooperate therewith, each female member 16 and 17 having front wall portions 15 18 for providing a lateral tie to bolster the chassis member against buckling from shunt forces and resistance against lateral bending forces. The male member 34 includes a neck portion 37 in the form of a first plate 38 and a superposed, second plate 40, the arrangement forming flanges 42. 20 Furthermore, the male member 34 includes opposed side walls 7 and 8 mounted on the flanges 42, the side walls 7 and 8 tapering towards one another in the direction of a leading edge portion 33 about an axis of symmetry (not shown). The symmetric nature of the walls' tapering allows assembly of an attached article 20, 22, 28 in either one of two directions - front-front or front-back. 25 The female member 16, 17 includes opposed spaced apart side wall sections 5 and 6 and an access opening 3, the side wall sections 5 and 6 tapering towards one another in a direction away from the access opening 3. The side wall sections 5 and 6 have a holding space 4 therebetween. The side wall sections 5 and 6 are disposed on plates 45 and 46. 30 The front wall portions 18 are attached to the chassis member 26 to form a channel Keceivea on ii Apri zuuL PAWPDOCS\CABSpeU%21965t I_MidwestPCr_5TSPA~do-I /03/05 -7 21 for receiving a flange 42 of the male member. A base 19 is provided which provides vertical support to male members 34 and cross-beam 28 (and like attachments). 5 A keeper 75 is provided in order to reduce the likelihood of shunting forces dislodging the male member 34 from the female member 16, 17. The keeper 75 is in the form of a cylindrical snub member, loosely fitting within an aperture in the end of a cross beam support 28, so as to reduce likelihood of vertical jump-out of cross-beam 28, and 10 increase torsional flexibility of chassis 10. The keeper 75 is retained in place by a pair of fasteners 77, which are in the form of set screws 79. abutting a trailing edge 39 of the second plate 40. The opposed side wall sections 5, 6, and 7 and 8, are generally inclined at angle a, 15 which in this embodiment is 83*. In the embodiment shown at Figure 1, two mounting assemblies 12 are provided on each chassis member 26 and 27. 20 To assemble the mounting assembly, the male member 34 is aligned with the female member 16, 17 so that the leading edge 33 of the male member is above the access opening 3 of the female member 16, 17. The flanges 42 align with the channel 21 and are inserted therein, by lowering the male member 34 into the female member 16, 17 until opposed side walls 7 and 8 abut opposed side walls 5 and 6. The mounting assembly 12 is 25 now complete and vertical and horizontal loads are taken through the opposed side wall interface. The keeper is slid over or placed in position above the trailing edge 39 of the flanges 42 or second plate 40. The upper surface of the transoms 46 and 47 in part define a platform section 51 30 and 52, above which an upper portion of the laterally spaced side sills 26 and 27 rise, forming shoulders 23 and 25, to increase the security of articles, such as for example containers 24, when installed.
1\%.rCU1VCLUl 1 1 gIllIP1 4,Vvud r0WPDOCS\LM B\cne MillWSpcciicatins1%1Od5l1 Midwev PCTdov-12 wermba. 2003 24. Figure 4 shows acid tank 22 secured by mounting assembly 12 without article supports 28, so that the centre of gravity may be lower than would be possible if there was 5 no cavity 14, or if there was a single platform supported by a centre sill at the level of 51 and 52. Also shown are supplementary supports 36 including gussets 37 which assist the holding means in supporting the tank 22, In use the chassis 10 is mounted on railway bogies, the bogies including ground 10 engaging wheels and axles (all not shown) and the particular combination of freight is selected. A railway wagon is thus formed. A belly tank 20, loaded with, for example, 20 000 litres of di-esel fhel may be lowered into the mounting assembly 12 and the male and female members mated (by lowering 34 onto 16). The mass of the tank 20 is supported in the cavity 14 at approximately the plane of the axles (not shown), lowering the centre of 15 gravity of the entire assembly. Containers 24 may also be lowered onto the belly tank 20 and transoms 46 and 47, and secured by twist locks 30 and 31. Other combinations of freight may be selected, so that wagons may be more flexible, and have less potential for travelling unloaded. 20 It will be noted that in the above example, and that shown in Figures 3 and 4, firstly that the centre of gravity is thus lowered, reducing overturning moment and increasing safety. Secondly, it will also be appreciated that the particular mounting assembly alleviates torsional rigidity problems, which contribute to derailment in certain cases, without reducing load carrying ability. Support frame design is often a balance between 25 torsional rigidity and bending stiffness. The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that that prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia. 30 AMENDED SHEET 1r ..
. .ieceiveu Un II npni va PAW'DOCSLMBU.cIa MM spcfiati,%12196651 MidwI PCT.doc-12 Dcnnbcr. 2003 -9 Finally, it is to be understood that various alterations, modifications and/or additions may be incorporated into the various constructions and arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit or ambit of the invention. 5 AMENDED SHEET IPEAiA!