Definition

A. This is the generic class for the accommodation of discrete units of freight which have been loaded on board a freight carrier for transportation, the freight accommodation being to assure the integrity of the load unit against the hazards of dynamic forces incident to transit

The class comprehends:

Means, entitled "accommodating means" in direct contact with a load unit to inhibit untoward shifting relative to the carrier that would be hazardous to the integrity of the unit. The term "accommodating means" is the generic term therefor.

Load unit accommodation on a freight carrier is recognized by the provision of:

1. An accommodating means detail in the construction of the load-supporting section of a freight carrier;

2. Means, per se, installable or otherwise put to use on a freight carrier (like dunnage which is merely inserted between load units);

3. Particular means on an exterior surface of the load unit (usually, of the load bearer type) itself; particularly provided, that is, to contact and thereby to cooperate with a corresponding construction of the freight carrier to achieve the accommodation of the load unit thereon;

4. An arrangement of an article of freight or the grouping of articles in such a way or to assure the integrity of the load against untoward shifting on board the freight carrier. Accommodating means may, but need not necessarily be required nor used to effect the arrangement; or

5. Freight accommodating methods, namely (a) associating a load unit present on the freight carrier with the appropriate accommodating means or (b) arranging (e.g., grouping) a load unit on the freight carrier.

(1) Note. Cautionary note: A step of loading onto or of unloading a load unit from a freight carrier places the combination beyond the limits of this class; for which greater combination see the material or article handling class. B. Present the critical element of load unit accommodation as herein defined, placement in the class is on a predominant disclosure basis. An invention will be found herein when the subject matter of the invention, regardless of breadth is disclosed as: 1. A support or receptacle which has a use as a freight carrier vehicle body part, e.g., an on-and-off container or other load bearer provided with the accommodating means referred to above. 2. Article securing or bracing structure which in use is attached to, installed on, or even merely placed on board a freight carrier for freight accommodation (e.g., dunnage). 3. Structure concerning which the advance in the state of the art has caused to be recognized as uniquely suitable to freight accommodation on a freight carrier. The emphasis in the disclosure of load unit accommodation on freight carrier for this class should be on a level equivalent to a principal embodiment description. However, as to the state of the art test, a presumption of load unit accommodation on a freight carrier not negated in the disclosure will serve for inclusion of the document in this class (410). In fact, except where clearly negated by the detailed description, this class is available as a depository for such state of the art structure as dunnage structures for load bracing and twist lock devices for load bearer retention even when not pinpointed in the description for use on a freight carrier. 4. A load bearer which is a shipping support on which a single article is secured for on-and-off stowage aboard a freight carrier. This subject matter is provided for in this class, even when the shipping support load bearer does not include the accommodating means cooperating with the freight carrier. This is so because the state of the art recognition of the equivalency in the art of the shipping support load bearer, whether or not provided with such cooperating means, has become so integrated at the time of the inception of this class (410) that the search for both has been quite merged. (1) Note. Cautionary note: A shipping support lacking the accommodating means and supporting a group of articles on a freight carrier has not been classified in this class (410) but will be found elsewhere. A freight container absent the accommodating structure cooperating between the container and the freight carrier will also be found elsewhere. See References to Other Classes. A term which is defined in this class (410) definition, and is limited to a single word, is identified by an asterisk. Where a group of words defines the term, parentheses are used to identify the beginning and end of the term; and this is followed by an asterisk.

Lines with other classes and within this class

INTERNAL PLAN OF THIS CLASS

A. Class 410 consists of three major groupings, as follows:

1. Particular Article Accommodation, (see Subclass References to the Current Class, for the location of the definition of this term) - subclass 2+

2. Load Bearer Accommodation, (see Subclass References to the Current Class, for the location of the definition of this term) - 52+

3. Subcombinational Subject Matter, namely (a) Load Lashing - 96+; and (b) Load Bracing, i.e., Yieldable Brace - 117+, and Load Bracing - 121 (generally). (see Subclass References to the Current Class, for the location of the definition of these terms)

The accommodation to the shape of the particular article in this first group being of essence and the disclosure being almost inevitably to such a detail, inventions limited to the subcombination will nevertheless be uniformly classified in that superior locus (subclasses 2+) and will be found as a cross-reference only in the subcombinational loci, subclasses 96+ or, in particular, subclasses 117+ and 121+.

B. Search Time And Storage Economization: Search Units.

1. Economy in search time and retrieval efficiency and in search area storage space has been incorporated in the internal plan of this class. This was done by the abstraction from the more generalized art of some particular subclasses certain subjects matter meriting low priority as the depository of the original (as opposed to the cross-reference copy) of a document in the classification schedule. As a result, subclasses of such low priority subject matter recur as indents under classified loci of higher priority (typically as subcombinations in different superior and separately classified combinations). Recurring sets of extractions or "break outs" have thus been developed out of separate but mutually related indented subclasses. They are usually quite small. A one "break out" readily matches a second (sometimes also a third) freed from the disclosures in principal subclasses entirely extraneous to the particular search needs for which "search units" have been devised.

2. Search Units: Where these "break out" pairs (or triplets) most closely coincide in extensiveness and analogousness further economy is achieved by emphatic discouragement of cross-referencing internally of one another but rather, are singled out and can be identified as constituting search units. They are easily recognized and identifiable in the Class 410 schedule.

3. The vehicle classes: The vehicle classes involved in the haulage of freight, absent the freight accommodation feature(s) as defined in section I, above, are:

RELATIONSHIP TO THE VEHICLE CLASSES

The vehicle classes involved in the haulage of freight, absent the freight accommodation features as defined in the Class Definition, above, are found in References to Other Classes below.

Excluded from this class (410) are (a) haulage of material in bulk, whether fluid, aggregate, particulate or in any bulk form. However, a rigid-wall receptacle which contains fluent or other bulk material qualifies as a load unit (of the load bearer type) for this class (410); and (b) very short distance movement of articles on a vehicle propelled by a walking attendant handler (e.g., from a building to a moving van); for which see References to Other Classes, below.

Securement means for articles on a pleasure vehicle for the pleasure or convenience of the occupant(s), particularly, are provided for elsewhere.

RELATIONSHIP TO THE RECEPTACLE AND SUPPORT CLASSES:

The receptacle and support classes include disclosures for the provision of securement or bracing of an object or of a group of objects intended for shipment together as a unit, but excluded from the instant class (410) because of absence of accommodating means cooperating with a freight carrier. The receptacle classes of this description may be found in References to Other Classes below.

The support classes are found in Reference to Other Classes, below.

The receptacle and support classes are in particular related to subclass(es) 52+ of the instant class (410) in that a receptacle or support is recognized as a load bearer when conforming to the limitations set forth in the Class Definition; i.e., having means cooperating with a freight carrier to effect the accommodation thereof on the freight carrier. Placement in the instant

Class 410 is in no way barred because of further inclusion of details of receptacle or support structures. This class is the appropriate locus too, for a receptacle or support disclosed as being, in fact (a) a freight carrier body part, and (b) provided with accommodating means for a stowed load unit, e.g., the particular article under subclasses 2+.

RELATIONSHIP TO ARTICLE HANDLING CLASSES

See References to Other Classes for the generic article handling class, which provides for the means and method of loading and unloading freight on-and-off a freight carrier.

See References to OTher classes for article handling classes that provide for means for tautening flexible material about a load of objects--absent the attachment of the load to the freight carrier--and that provide for container lift loading and unloading devices of the spreader frame type. (This type lift device includes latch elements akin to the retainers of of the instant class (410), particularly akin to the twist lock type found in Class 410).

RELATIONSHIP TO ATTACHMENT DEVICE SUBCOMBINATIONS, ELEMENTS:

See REferences to Other Classes, below, for attachment devices used to secure objects to one another only, to make up a load unit found on a freight carrier, but which devices do not couple the load unit to the freight carrier.

Class 188 Brakes, subclass 32 is the generic locus for a wheel chock, recognized as a brake on the ground whereas the instant Class 410 is the locus for such a device used on board a freight carrier to stabilize freight; compare with instant Class 410, subclass 30 for a wheel chock for a stowed vehicle; and subclasses 49+ for a chock for stowed cylindrical article, generally. Compare, too, with instant subclass 62 for fore-and-aft accommodation of a stowed vehicle where the aft-end accommodating means may be a wheel chock. (Attachment Device Class)

RELATIONSHIP TO STOCK MATERIAL CLASSES

The locus for members of indeterminate shape, as for load bracing, e.g., dunnaging, is found elsewhere. When in fact of such a shape so as to be beyond the scope of that class, a bracing member will be found in the instant class (410) in subclasses 117+ when of flexible (i.e., flexible wall) material; subclass 121 being the principal subclass for load bracing; and subclasses 154 and 155 for, respectively, edge around and honeycomb dunnage. Subclass References to the Current Class of this class (410) is particularly relevant as a guide to the location of dunnage in the instant Class 410. (Stock Material Class)