The present invention relates to a means for releasable mounting of detachable legs for a swap platform and/or container on vehicles, where the upper end of the leg comprises a first locking device for cooperation with a complementary second locking device at the corner sections of the swap platform or container, of the type disclosed in the preamble of the following independent claim 1.

Detachable legs of the type mentioned above have been used primarily in connection with containers or swap platforms having permanent high corner posts, the legs having been attached at the four lower corners of the container or swap platform and extending upward to an upper point of attachment at the upper edge of the container or swap platform.

Such detachable legs have been very difficult to handle because of their length and the two associated lockin devices on each leg for cooperation with two complementar locking devices on the corner sections of the container or swap platform. This method of attachment has been necessar partly because the detachable legs have been mounted straight out from the end edges of the container or swap platform in order to provide sufficient space between the legs for vehicle to be driven in under the container/swap platfor and between the front and rear pairs of legs.

The locking means on the legs and the complementary lockin means on the corner sections of the container/swap platfor have therefore been restricted to the sides of the corne sections constituting the longitudinal sides of the containe or swap platform.

Therefore, the upper and lower locking devices on the leg and corner section in question must be positioned a certain distance apart in order to sustain the torques and thus to achieve a rigid connection between the leg and corner section.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide detachable legs or swap platforms or containers, which legs are attached only at the lower part of the corner sections of these structures, whereby the legs may be shorter and therefore also lighter. This means that the legs will be easier to handle and easier to stow in the vehicle, making it possible to have a set of legs for mounting on the containers or swap platforms that may be affixed at the actual destina¬ tion. Such detachable legs must of course be removed from the container or swap platform during transport.

This is achieved according to the invention by means of the characterizing features disclosed in the characterizing part of the following independent claim 1 together with the subsequent dependent claims.

An embodiment of the invention will be described in the following, with reference to the drawings, where

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a container on legs and a vehicle driving in underneath, or out from below, the container,

Figure 2 shows a detachable leg with a projecting bracket and locking devices, seen from above,

Figure 3 shows a rear view of the container with detachable legs,

Figure 4 shows the rear end of the continer with detachable legs, seen from above,

Figure 5 shows the detachable leg with a bracket and lockin device in the same position as in Figure 3, and

Figure 6 shows the leg with bracket and locking devices in the same position as in Figure 4.

Figure 1 shows detachable legs 1 mounted on a container 2, alternatively a swap platform, standing on the ground and vehicle B either driving out from the deposited container or backing in under the container to load it up onto the vehicle. In the situation shown it is assumed that vehicle B has built-in lifting means/lowering means in the sprin system whereby the vehicle's loading section may be lowered to be driven in under the container and, after being driven in, to be raised in order to lift container 2 free of the support for the subsequent removal of the detachable legs, whereafter vehicle B may transport container 2 to the desire destination. On delivery of the container to the destina¬ tion, container 2 may, if desired, be raised by means of the vehicle's raising/lowering system and the detachable legs 1 may be mounted in position at the corner sections of th container, whereupon container 2 is lowered until th detachable legs 1 come to rest on the ground and support th container, whereupon vehicle B is driven away from th container.

The detachable legs 1 may, of course, be equipped wit hydraulic raising/lowering means, which may either be drive by the vehicle's hydraulic system, or be manually operable i a manner known per se.

The upper end of detachable leg 1 comprises a first lockin device 3 for cooperation with a complementary second lockin device 4 at the corner sections of the swap platform o container 2. The first locking device 3 is arranged on bracket 5 projecting outward from leg 1 and comprises

right-angled abutment member 6, most clearly shown in Figure 6, having an axially adjustable and rotatable locking bolt 7 with an oblong locking head 8 on each of the two angular legs 6a,6a of abutment member 6. The locking bolt 7 with locking head 8 is designed for releasable engagement with oblong locking hole 9 in two vertical faces 2b,2b adjacent to the lower corners 2a of the container 2 or swap platform. The right-angled abutment member 6 is attached to bracket 5 in such a manner that the longitudinal axis A of bracket 5 runs through the center section of the right angle between the angular legs 6a,6a of abutment member 6.

Locking bolt 7 is threaded for engagement with a threaded sleeve 13 with a turn wheel 14. Sleeve 13 is in rotating contact with a locking sleeve 15 that runs freely through an oblong hole 6b in angular leg 6a and with extensions 15a stretches up on each side of the longitudinal sides of locking head 8. Locking sleeve 15 is also provided with a collar 15b for abutment against the outside of angular leg 6a. Further, a cross pin 7a is provided at the outer end of locking bolt 7 for rotation of locking head 8 into engaged position relative to the cooperating oblong locking hole 9.

The aforementioned bracket 5 is attached to leg 1 so as to be detachable and, optionally, adjustable up and down, by means of a forked end section 10 having projections 10a,10a that grip around leg 1. Projections 10a,10a are wide and extend over a portion of leg 1 in its longitudinal direction. The forked end section 10 is attached by means of an upper and a lower stud bolt 11,12 to leg 1, which stud bolts 11,12 run through aligned holes la and 10a, respectively, in leg 1 and projections 10b,10b in the forked end section 10. Due to said width of projections 10a,10a, the stud bolts 11,12 and associated holes may be placed far apart, effecting a sturdy connection with leg 1.

The fact that bracket 5 with locking device 3 is releasably mounted on leg 1 allows these parts to be disconnected, which facilitates the handling of leg 1 and bracket 5 when these are, respectively, stowed in their individual elements, and removed from the storage place and assembled at the usage site. To mount detachable leg 1 with its locking device 3 on the lower corner of container 2 with its complementary second locking device 4, the right-angled abutment member 6 of bracket 5, with angular legs 6a,6a, is first positioned against said corner such that the oblong holes 6b,6b in said angular legs 6a,6a are aligned with oblong locking holes 9,9 in the lower corners 2a of container 2. Preferably the one locking bolt 7 is positioned in the oblong hole 6b on the one angular leg and rotated with its oblong locking head 8 in alignment with the one set of oblong holes 6b and 9. By this means locking bolt 7 may be inserted through the holes and locking head 8 rotated into position crosswise to the oblon locking hole 9, whereby leg 1 is temporarily fastened to the lower corner 2a of the container. Then the second lockin bolt 7 may be put into place in a similar manner as with the first locking bolt 7. To clamp locking heads 8 of lockin bolts 7 securely against the inside of the second lockin device 4 to obtain a fixed connection between corner 2a an abutment member 6, sleeve 13 is screwed with the aid of tur wheel 14 in order thereby to pull locking bolt 7 with lockin head 8 against the inside of locking device 4, i.e., against the surface at the interior end of locking hole 9, at th same time as the collar 15b of locking sleeve 15 is presse against the outer faces of angular leg 6a. In this manner very strong and stable connection is obtained betwee abutment member 6 of bracket 5 and leg 1, which is capable o sustaining torques from all directions since the two lockin bolts 7 are perpendicular to one another.

In disconnecting the detachable legs 1 from container 2, th operations described above are carried out in revers sequence.