Truck pallet locking device

Abstract

A latching device secures a pallet against vertical motion relative to a truck chassis. A C-shaped bracket has its web secured to the chassis in a vertical plane transverse to the direction of motion of the tines of the fork truck used to load the pallet on the chassis. A shaft journalled through the sides of the bracket rotates axially about a horizontal axis parallel to the web. A radial arm is fixed to an extension of the shaft. A latch extending perpendicularly from the arm reciprocally angularly moves into and out of overlying abutment with a segment of the pallet being loaded onto the truck chassis. A radial paddle fixed to the shaft rotates with the shaft in response to the physical presence of one of the fork lift tines when the pallet is loaded onto the truck chassis. A pair of torsion springs are wound about the shaft, one on each side of the paddle and between the bracket sides. Each spring has one end connected to the bracket and the other end connected to the shaft, arm and paddle for biasing the shaft to a first predetermined angular position in which the latch is out of overlying abutment with the pallet segment when the tine is under the loaded pallet channel and for permitting rotation of the shaft against bias to a second predetermined angular position in which the latch is in overlying abutment with the pallet segment when the tine is not under the loaded pallet channel.