Lashing element and lashing system for lashing containers

Abstract

The present invention relates to a lashing element (10) for vertically connecting a container (100) or a stack (110) of at least two containers (100) arranged one above the other to a stopper (40) provided on a surface, in particular on the floor of a ship, comprising at least one element (24) forming a detachable and movable connection with the stopper (40), at least one element (18) forming a detachable connection with a corner fitting (120) of the container (100) and at least one length varying element (12) for adapting the length of the lashing element (10) and for tensioning the lashing element between the container corner (120) and the stopper (40). It is contemplated that a compression- and tension-resistant connection is formed between at least one element (24) forming a releasable and movable connection with the stopper (40) and at least one element (18) forming a releasable connection with a corner fitting (120) of the container (100).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The invention relates to a lashing element for vertically connecting a container or a stack of at least two containers arranged one above the other to a stopper provided on the surface, in particular on the floor of a ship, comprising at least one element forming a detachable and movable connection with the stopper, at least one element forming a detachable connection with a corner fitting of the container and at least one element for varying the length of the lashing element in order to adapt the length of the lashing element and to tension the lashing element between the container fitting and the stopper, as well as a lashing system for vertically fastening a container or a stack of at least two containers arranged one above the other, in particular to a stopper provided on the floor of a ship.

[0002] Today's large container ships, so-called Panamax and post-Panamax container ships, are up to 400 meters long and 61 meters wide, with a maximum loading capacity of 220,000 tons and room for 24,000 TEU containers. Of these, about 14,000 to 15,000 containers are loaded on deck in up to 12 tiers, almost covering the entire length and width of the ship. These ships are designed to achieve maximum speed by loading as many containers as possible on deck. The cargo carried is mainly bulk cargo, i.e. light cargo, and the underwater hulls are designed for speed and low resistance. Also, these underwater hulls are slim and have high engine power, which allows high speed navigation in bad weather areas, but as a result, the load on the containers, including the ship's structure and the cargo securing system, is higher.

[0003] Such vessels are provided with, for example, multi-tiered lashing bridges, on which up to 12 tiers of containers can be secured by means of lashing means. In this case, each stack is secured at the container corners by cross-arranged lashings. The containers in each stack are further locked to each other at the four container corners by twist locks. Thus, secured in this way, each stack is sufficiently fixed on the deck to withstand without damage all conventionally conceivable ship movements at sea, such as rolling, pitching and heaving.

[0004] Due to its special structure, this type of ship has been the subject of frequent so-called marine accidents in recent years, and when these ships navigate in areas of bad weather with relatively high waves, they experience a previously unknown phenomenon called parametric rolling, in which the ship experiences an unexpected violent rolling movement, accompanied by a large roll angle of up to 40 degrees on both sides and a large roll acceleration, depending on the sea surface conditions (wave height, wavelength, wave number) and the corresponding direction and speed of the ship's encounter with the waves.

[0005] These extreme loads in a short period of time subject the individual container stacks to very high lateral loads, so that they become overloaded and collapse, tipping over to the side, with the adjacent container stacks collapsing. The same then continues outwards, with some of the containers falling into the sea.

[0006] The reason for the frequency of these maritime accidents is that neither the containers nor the cargo securing systems were designed to withstand such extreme loads. As climate change makes such extreme weather conditions more frequent, it cannot be denied that the number of such costly accidents will increase.

[0007] In addition, some of the containers that fell from the ship are floating or drifting on the sea surface, and the possibility of collision cannot be ruled out, posing an additional danger to ship navigation. Furthermore, some of these containers contain dangerous materials that pose a significant burden to the environment.

[0008] Extensive research has shown that in these situations the containers themselves are overloaded, as evidenced by the recurring pattern of nearly identical damage. The cause of this lies in the current standard fastening system: the containers are locked together at the four corner fittings with twistlocks, forming stacks up to 12 high.

[0009] In order to secure such very tall container stacks against tipping, especially when the ship is rolling, so-called lashing bridges are provided between the respective hatches, some of which have up to five container levels. From these lashing bridges, the containers are secured by crossing conventional lashing systems. The lashings usually consist of a lashing element 130 consisting of a tension screw 132 and a lashing bar 131. The lashing bar 131 has at one end a hook 133 which engages in a corner fitting 120 of the container 100. At the other end, there is at least one projection 134 which is loosely inserted into a corresponding opening 135 at one end of the tension screw 132. At the other end of the tension screw 132, a connection means 136 is provided for forming a detachable and movable connection with a stopper 140 provided on the deck 150 or on the lashing bridge (see FIG. 3). The connecting means 136 has a thread 137 which can be screwed into a thread 139 of a pivot element 138 of the tension screw 132 to change its length. The tension screw 132 is usually pretensioned manually. Then the fixing is carried out on both sides by two or four tension screws respectively.

[0010] For a very long time, two basic types of lashing systems have been used: the first is the so-called "internal lashing", where the upper fitting (hook 133) of the lashing bar 131 engages in the container fitting 120 of the container 100 of the container stack 110 that is located directly in the area of ​​the stop point; in the "external lashing", the fitting 133 engages on the right or left side, respectively, in the container fitting 120 of the adjacent container stack 110 (see FIG. 1).

[0011] Each multi-stack 110 (see FIG. 1) of containers 100 is self-supporting and accordingly secured against tipping and floating. For example, when a ship rolls to starboard in the direction of arrow A (to the right), taking the external lashing as an example, the lashing engaged with the left container corner fitting 120 is subjected to a tensile force in the direction of arrow C, while the lashing 130, consisting of a lashing bar 131 with a tightening screw 132 according to the prior art, engaged with the right container corner fitting 120 is not loaded because the container 100 tries to move to the right in the direction of arrow B due to the load and deforms accordingly. Due to the movement / deformation of the container 100, the left lashing 130 set diagonally stretches, while the right lashing 130 loosens (see FIG. 1).

[0012] The container frame forms a parallelogram. The container walls are subjected to very high loads due to their significantly higher stiffness compared to the door side. For example, the door side is more than four times more flexible than the wall side, which would collapse completely under extreme weather conditions. The lashings on the door side therefore absorb significantly more forces than the closed wall lashings. The container frame and the lashings form a system which deforms in the direction of the force. For this purpose, the lashing bars with the tension screws are stretched by the tensile force. If the load on the end frames of the containers becomes too great due to excessive compressive forces in the direction of the arrow D, the end frames will buckle and the entire container stack 110 will tilt to the side, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0013] Thus, today's container load securing systems are simply one-sided tension systems for deck-loaded containers, where the container is always loaded at only one corner post which can fail or the full compressive force due to the stack tipping moment is always absorbed by only one corner post on the wall or door side. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0014] The object of the present invention is to provide a lashing system which reduces / avoids the probability of failure of a container stack under the aforementioned conditions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] This problem is solved by forming a compression- and tension-resistant connection between at least one element forming a detachable and movable connection with the stopper and at least one element forming a detachable connection with a corner fitting of the container.

[0016] It has been found that the fastening with the lashing elements of the invention achieves an unexpected distribution of the loads in the container, which significantly reduces the loads, due to the possibility of distributing the loads by absorbing tensile and compressive forces, which in particular reduces the effects of parametric rolling, and therefore correspondingly reduces / avoids the collapse of the container under such conditions. With regard to the stiffness difference between the door side and the wall side, the lashing system of the invention comprises a compression lashing and a tension lashing, which results in a higher stiffness, which reduces the loads on the wall side when a load is applied.

[0017] According to a further teaching of the invention, the at least one element for changing the length of the lashing element is a threaded element, preferably a tightening screw. According to a further teaching of the invention, this threaded element has at least one opening, preferably two openings, which are provided with a thread into which the threaded part of the lashing bar or connecting bar can be screwed in and out. This makes it easy to achieve an adaptation of the required length of the lashing element. Furthermore, it makes it easy to tension / pretension the lashing element.

[0018] Preferably, the tension screw has a pipe sleeve with a thread welded to each end, particularly preferably one with a right-hand thread and the other with a left-hand thread, so that the optimum length can be easily changed by rotating the pipe sleeve with a ratchet wrench or spanner.

[0019] According to a further teaching of the invention, at least one element forming a detachable and movable connection with the stopper is a ball element or a receiving part for a ball element. The design of such a connection allows for movement in all directions. At the same time, it ensures that both compressive and tensile forces can be absorbed without excessive loading of the connection.

[0020] According to a further teaching of the invention, at least one element forming a releasable connection with the corner fitting of the container is a lashing fitting, advantageously in this case a pivotable conical element for engaging in an opening in the corner fitting of the container to form a connection based on a form fit, which facilitates providing a secure connection capable of absorbing both compressive and tensile forces.

[0021] It is furthermore advantageous that the lashing element has a pivot head which is arranged movably, preferably pivotably, with respect to the bar part of the lashing bar, so that the required angle of arrangement of the cone element can be easily provided depending on the height of the respective corner element of the container relative to the stopper.

[0022] According to a further teaching of the invention, the lashing fitting comprises an insert element which can be inserted into an opening in the corner fitting of the container. According to a further teaching of the invention, the insert element has the dimensions of the opening in the corner fitting of the container, so that when the insert element is inserted into the opening a form-fit based connection is provided in the plane of the opening. This avoids movement of the fitting element relative to the corner fitting of the container with respect to container / container stack movements caused by sea conditions, so that the tensile and compressive forces that occur can be derived.

[0023] It is also advantageous if the conical element is arranged pivotally on the pivot head, so that rapid locking and unlocking in the corner fitting can be easily achieved.

[0024] According to a further teaching of the invention, an insert element is arranged between the cone element and the pivot head, which ensures a secure, form-fitting locking of the lashing element in the plane of the opening while at the same time ensuring a secure locking in the corner fitting.

[0025] According to a further teaching of the invention, the lashing element comprises a threaded bar portion and a lashing bar portion which are detachably connected to one another, whereby the connection between the threaded bar portion and the lashing bar portion is advantageously configured such that compressive and tensile forces can be transmitted through the connection, whereby it is possible to easily provide lashing bar portions of different lengths to compensate for different container heights.

[0026] It is further advantageous to provide the threaded bar portion with a receiving portion for a connecting element of the lashing bar portion, preferably a projection at the rear end of the lashing bar portion, which has been found to ensure a reliable transmission of tensile and compressive forces despite the use of a separation mechanism for the use of lashing bar portions of different lengths.

[0027] In this case, the receiving part can advantageously be locked to the connecting element by means of a locking element, so that a secure connection is easily achieved even under sea state loads.

[0028] Furthermore, the problem of the present invention is solved by a lashing system for vertically fixing a container or a stack of at least two containers arranged one above the other, in particular to stops provided on the floor of a ship, which lashing system comprises at least two of the aforementioned lashing elements and at least two stops provided on at least one surface, such as, for example, a deck, a hatch cover or a lashing bridge.

[0029] According to a further teaching of the present invention, at least one of the two stops is provided on at least one seat on at least one surface.

[0030] According to a further teaching of the invention, at least one stop is displaceably arranged on the base.

[0031] According to a further teaching of the invention, the lashing elements are arranged upwards or downwards from the stop.

[0032] According to a further teaching of the invention, the stopper is arranged centrally relative to the container to be secured, so that the lashing elements are preferably arranged between the stopper and the corner fitting of the container in such a way that they do not cross each other.

[0033] According to an alternative teaching of the invention, the stopper is arranged externally with respect to the container to be secured, so that the lashing elements are preferably arranged between the stopper and the corner fitting of the container so as to cross each other.

[0034] The inventive lashing system with the inventive lashing element makes it possible, unexpectedly and easily, to realize a tension-compression fastening system for fastening a container stack to the deck of a container ship.

[0035] With this new lashing system, containers are secured from one or two planes, for example on the lashing bridge or on the deck, depending on the required stack weight and the load in sea states, based on ship-specific data.

[0036] The lashing elements, which are attached to the posts of the lashing bridge, have, for example, a tightening screw. Depending on the required length adjustment, the tightening screw is adjusted to the required length, for example with a ratchet wrench or spanner, so that the conical element of the fitting element is inserted into the opening of the container corner. Using a short lever, which can be extended, for example with a fitting tube, the conical element is rotated 90 degrees, so that the fitting element is securely fitted into the container corner.

[0037] The lower end of the tension screw of the lashing element is attached, for example, to a base in the form of a stop arranged on the plane of the lashing bridge, which base can have, for example, a spherical bearing or can accommodate a spherical element, to which the lower end of the lashing element is attached. The stop has, for example, two half shells which are spherically shaped on their inner surface and engage around a fixedly assembled spherical bearing. The half shells are rigidly connected to one another by means of a screw, via which connection both tensile and compressive forces can be transmitted.

[0038] Tension / compression fastening screws are for example designed for a breaking load of 500 KN and a working load of 250 KN. The critical loads are the compressive loads, and the lashing elements must be dimensioned accordingly against buckling.

[0039] The maximum length of the lashing element can be obtained from the fixing of containers up to 9 feet 6 inches high, measured from the lower stop point to the upper container corner. In order to be able to quickly and easily adjust the length of the lashing element, the tensioning screws have welded threaded sleeves at both ends, which have, for example, left-handed and right-handed trapezoidal threads. The threads are manufactured in such a way that there is only a minimum of play in the threads, so that both compressive and tensile loads can be absorbed immediately on the basis of the force connection.

[0040] The individual cross-section of the lashing elements is preferably much larger than in conventional lashings, which results in a significantly higher stiffness of the lashing system of the invention. This higher stiffness makes the container stack stronger and at the same time supports it at two stop points, which reduces the load on the containers.

[0041] In addition to use in container ship operations, the tension / compression fastening screw can in principle also be used for all other conceivable transport fastenings of heavy loads on water and on land. For example, it can also be used on RORO ships. In this case, the containers are fastened on the trailer with ten chains and chain tensioners each in sockets provided for this purpose. With the tension / compression lashing elements, only four fasteners in total need to be provided at each container corner.

[0042] The invention will now be explained in more detail on the basis of preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0043] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a container stack with external lashings according to the prior art. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a side view of a damaged container stack, without the prior art lashings shown. [Diagram 3]1 shows a lashing means known from the prior art with its individual parts; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the lashing means of the invention with its individual parts. [Diagram 5] Various stops for attaching the lashing of Figure 4 to the deck or lashing bridge. [Figure 6] FIG. 5 is a first embodiment of a lashing system according to the invention, using the lashing means of FIG. 4. [Figure 7] Side view of Figure 6. [Figure 8] A diagram of the lashing system shown in Fig. 6 is shown in Fig. 1 . [Figure 9] FIG. 5 shows a lock step in a container corner fitting of the lashing means of FIG. 4. [Figure 10] 13A and 13B are a top three-dimensional view of the front side (left side) and a top three-dimensional view of the rear side (right side) of a second embodiment of the lashing means of the present invention. [Figure 11] 11A to 11C are three-dimensional views showing the assembly steps of the lashing means of FIG. 10; [Figure 12] 13A and 13B are a top three-dimensional view of the front side (left side) and a top three-dimensional view of the rear side (right side) of a third embodiment of the lashing means of the present invention. [Figure 13a] 13A to 13C are three-dimensional views showing the assembly steps of the lashing means of FIG. 12; [Figure 13b] 13A to 13C are three-dimensional views showing the assembly steps of the lashing means of FIG. 12; [Figure 14a] 13 is a three-dimensional representation of an assembly step of the lashing means of FIG. 10 and FIG. 12 to the stopper; [Figure 14b] 13 is a three-dimensional representation of an assembly step of the lashing means of FIG. 10 and FIG. 12 to the stopper; [Figure 14c] 13 is a three-dimensional representation of an assembly step of the lashing means of FIG. 10 and FIG. 12 to the stopper; [Figure 14d] 13 is a three-dimensional representation of an assembly step of the lashing means of FIG. 10 and FIG. 12 to the stopper; [Figure 15a]1A and 1B are three-dimensional views of the lashing bar of the present invention in a locked position and an unlocked position. [Figure 15b] 1A and 1B are three-dimensional views of the lashing bar of the present invention in a locked position and an unlocked position. [Figure 16a] 15a and 15b are three-dimensional rear views of the lashing bar of the present invention in the locked and unlocked positions. FIG. [Figure 16b] 15a and 15b are three-dimensional rear views of the lashing bar of the present invention in the locked and unlocked positions. FIG. [Figure 17a] 15a and 15b are exploded views showing the lashing bar of the present invention in three dimensions from the front and back. [Figure 17b] 15a and 15b are exploded views showing the lashing bar of the present invention in three dimensions from the front and back. [Figure 18a] 15a and 15b, a top view of the lock step in the container corner fitting of the lashing bar. [Figure 18b] 15a and 15b, a top view of the lock step in the container corner fitting of the lashing bar. [Figure 18c] 15a and 15b, a top view of the lock step in the container corner fitting of the lashing bar. [Figure 19a] FIG. 18B is a cross-sectional view of the container corner fitting, showing the inside of FIGS. 18B and 18C. [Figure 19b] FIG. 18B is a cross-sectional view of the container corner fitting, showing the inside of FIGS. 18B and 18C. [Figure 20a] FIG. 19b is an alternative cross-sectional view similar to that of FIG. 19b, where tensile and compressive loads are represented. [Figure 20b] FIG. 19b is an alternative cross-sectional view similar to that of FIG. 19b, where tensile and compressive loads are represented. [Figure 21] Schematic diagram of an internal lashing equipped with the system of the invention. [Figure 22] Schematic diagram of an external lashing equipped with the system of the invention. [Figure 23a]FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional representation of various stop points for one embodiment of the system of the present invention. [Figure 23b] FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional representation of various stop points for one embodiment of the system of the present invention. [Figure 24] FIG. 13 is a three-dimensional representation of the lashing of a container by the lashing means of FIG. 12 in one embodiment of the lashing system of the present invention having the lashing means arranged facing upwards. [Figure 25a] FIG. 11 is a three-dimensional representation of the lashing of a container by the lashing means of FIG. 10 in an alternative embodiment of the lashing system of the invention having the lashing means arranged downwards. [Figure 26] FIG. 2 shows a three-dimensional view of the components of the lashing means in a lashing bridge when not in use. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0044] Figures 6 to 8 show a first embodiment of a lashing system according to the invention, comprising two lashing elements 10 of the first form of the invention arranged diagonally across each other, in combination with a stopper 40 as shown in Figures 4 and 5.

[0045] The lashing element 10 comprises a lashing bar 11, a screw element 12, for example a tightening screw, and a second connecting bar 13.

[0046] The lashing bar 11 and the connecting bar 13 each have a threaded portion 14, 15 which can be screwed into an opening 16, 17 respectively having a corresponding threaded portion (not shown) of the screw element 12 / tightening screw.

[0047] The connecting bar 13 has, on the side opposite the threaded portion 15, a connecting means 24 for connecting to a stopper 40 (see FIG. 5). Here, the stopper 40 is provided with a ball head 41, which is arranged on a plate 42 which can be arranged on the deck 150 or on the lashing bridge 160. Between the deck 150 or the lashing bridge 160 a seat 43 can be provided.

[0048] The coupling means 24 has an opening 25 corresponding to the ball head 41 of the stopper 40. In this case, a first bracket 26 is fixedly arranged on the coupling means and has a first portion of the opening 25. A detachable second bracket 27 is detachably attached to the first bracket 26 so as to surround the ball head 41. The detachable coupling is, for example, a screw coupling.

[0049] The lashing bar 11 comprises a lashing fitting 18 which has a pivoting head 19 with a conical element 20. The conical element is pivotally supported relative to the pivoting head 19 and is connected to a shaft 21 which runs through the pivoting head 19. At its opposite end, the shaft 21 is connected to a lever 22. By means of the lever 22, the conical element 20 can be pivoted from an unlocked position to a locked position and back again.

[0050] In the unlocked position, the cone 20 is inserted into the side opening 121 of the end face 122 of the corner fitting 120 of the container 120, so that the cone 20 is located in the inner space 123. When the lever 22 is rotated, the rotational motion is also transmitted to the cone 20 via the shaft 21, and the cone 20 moves to the locked position.

[0051] Preferably, the pivot head 19 is pivotally supported relative to the bar portion 35 of the lashing bar 11 via a pivot shaft 38 .

[0052] In this case, the cone 20 is spaced apart from the pivot head so that after it is inserted into the inner space 123, it can pivot relative to the back side of the end face 122 in the inner space 123, but is connected to the back side of the end wall with a retaining effect.

[0053] Preferably, an insert element 23 is provided between the pivot head 19 and the conical element 19, the size of which approximately corresponds to the size of the opening 121, so that the insert element 23 provides a connection based on a form fit with the opening 121 in the plane of the end wall 122, whereby the pivot head 19 does not move within the opening 121 due to the form fit in the plane of the end wall 122.

[0054] The deck 150 or the lashing bridge 160 are provided with stops 40, each equipped with a ball head 41, for example on a base 43, on which the fastening means 24 of the lashing element 10 are arranged and fixed by means of a removable bracket 27 attached to a fixed bracket 26.

[0055] By rotating the screw element 12, the threaded portions 14, 15 of the lashing bar 11 and the connecting bar 13 are screwed into the openings 16, 17 of the screw element 12, or unscrewed from the openings 16, 17 so that the length of the lashing element 10 is long enough to allow the conical element 20 to be inserted into the opening 121 of the corner fitting 120.

[0056] Next, the conical element 20 of the pivot head 19 is inserted into the opening 121 of the corner fitting 120, and the lever 22 is operated in the direction of the arrow E to lock it (see FIG. 9).

[0057] The same is repeated with the next lashing element 10 on the second corner fitting 120 of the container 100 to form a cross lashing as shown in FIG.

[0058] For example, as shown in Figure 8, when a ship rolls to the starboard side in the direction of arrow A (to the right), taking the internal lashing as an example, the container 100 will try to move to the right in the direction of arrow B due to the load, so that the lashing 10 engaging with the right-side container corner fitting 120 will be subjected to a tensile force in the direction of arrow C, and the lashing 10 engaging with the left-side container corner fitting 120 will be subjected to a compressive force in the direction of arrow F.

[0059] Thus, the parallelogram of the container frame is stabilized because it distributes the load on the container frame / container corner fittings, thereby avoiding the single-sided loading case shown in Figures 1 and 2. This prevents or greatly reduces the probability of failure of the bottom container corner or collapse of the container side / post.

[0060] As a result, the lower containers of a multi-level stack, which would previously have been subject to very high loads, are significantly relieved by the lashing system of the present invention. Depending on the angle of the lashing, the forces acting on an extremely loaded container are almost halved. The same forces that would be exerted on only one side in a conventional system (see Figure 1) are absorbed by both diagonally arranged lashing elements 10, one side in compression and the other side in tension.

[0061] 10 and 11 show a second embodiment of a lashing element 10 of the present invention.

[0062] The lashing element 10 comprises a lashing bar 11, a screw element 12, for example a tightening screw, and a second connecting bar 13.

[0063] The lashing bar 11 is divided into two parts, a threaded part element 28 with a threaded portion 14 and a lashing bar part 29 (see also Figs. 15a-17b). The connecting bar 13 also has a threaded portion 15. The threaded portions 14, 15 can be screwed into openings 16, 17 of the threaded element 12 / clamping screw, respectively, with corresponding threaded portions (not shown). The clamping screw 12 can be screwed or unscrewed from the threaded portions 14, 15, preferably by rotating the threaded element 12. Furthermore, a safety lock 37 can preferably be provided.

[0064] The lashing bar portion 29 has a bar portion 35 with a projection 31 which can be inserted into a receiving portion 33 located at the outer end of the threaded bar portion 28, which has an opening 32 corresponding to the projection 31.

[0065] Preferably, a safety cap 34 is movably disposed above the bar portion 35 of the lashing bar section 29. It has an opening 36 at its upper end which is smaller than the projection 31 so that the safety cap 34 cannot be pulled off the bar portion 35.

[0066] To lash a container 100 with the lashing element 10 of the invention, the lashing bar part 29 with the projections 31 is inserted into the opening 32. After insertion, the safety cap 34 is clamped over the receiving part, so that the projections 31 can no longer move out of the opening 32. Preferably, a locking device (not shown) is provided, by means of which the safety cap 34 is fixed against loosening.

[0067] In this case, the receiving portion 33 and the projection 31 are arranged in such a way that a compressive force can be transmitted via the joint of the two elements 33,31.

[0068] Figures 12, 13a and 13b show a third embodiment of a lashing element 10 of the invention.

[0069] The lashing element 10 comprises a lashing bar 11, a screw element 12, for example a tightening screw, and a second connecting bar 13.

[0070] The lashing bar 11 is divided into two parts: a threaded part element 28 with a threaded portion 14 and a lashing bar part 29 (see also Figs. 15a-17b). The connecting bar 13 also has a threaded portion 15. The threaded portions 14, 15 can be screwed into openings 16, 17 of the threaded element 12 / clamping screw, respectively, with corresponding threaded portions (not shown). The clamping screw 12 is preferably screwed in and out of the threaded portions 14, 15 by rotating the threaded element 12. Furthermore, a safety lock 37 can preferably be provided.

[0071] The lashing bar portion 29 has a bar portion 35 having a projection 31 which can be inserted into a receiving portion 33 located at the outer end of the threaded bar portion 28, which has an opening 32 corresponding to the projection 31.

[0072] For a secure, retaining connection between the lashing bar part 29 and the threaded bar part 28, the receiving part 33 for closing the opening 31 is provided with at least one clamping element 52 movably arranged on a hinge 51. In the embodiment shown in figures 12, 13a and 13b, preferably two clamping elements 52 are provided.

[0073] On the other side opposite the opening there is a sealing receptacle 53. The receptacle 53 has an opening 54. The clamping element 53 has an opening 55 which aligns with the opening 54 when the clamping element 52 is inserted into the sealing receptacle 53. Through the openings 54, 55 a sealing element 56, here preferably a pin, is inserted for sealing.

[0074] 13a and 13b show the insertion of the lashing bar part 29 into the receiving part 33, the locking by the clamping element 52 and the sealing of the lock by the blocking element 56.

[0075] When the clamping element 53 is closed and locked with the pin 56, the lashing bar part 29 is firmly connected to the threaded bar part 28 on the basis of a force-lock and / or form-lock.

[0076] To lash a container 100 with the lashing element 10 of the invention, the lashing bar part 29 with the projections 31 is inserted into the opening 32. After insertion, at least one clamping element 52 is inserted into the corresponding closing receptacle 53 and locked by inserting the locking elements 56 into the openings 54, 55, so that the projections 31 can no longer be moved out of the opening 32.

[0077] In this case, the receiving portion 33 and the projection 31 are arranged in such a way that a compressive force can be transmitted via the connection of these two elements 33,31.

[0078] Preferably, the lashing uses two embodiments of lashing elements equipped with a stopper system as shown in Figures 14a to 14d.

[0079] The connecting bar 13 in the second and third embodiments of the lashing element 10 has, on the side opposite to the threaded portion 15, a connecting means 24 for connecting to the stopper 40. Here, this connecting means 24 is preferably a ball element 30. The stopper 40 here has a receiving part 44 which comprises a plate 42 with a two-part retaining element 45 in which a fixed retaining part 46 and a removable retaining part 47 are arranged, the receiving part 44 being able to be arranged on the deck 150 or on the lashing bridge 160.

[0080] Between the deck 150 or the lashing bridge 160 a seat 43 can be provided, which here preferably has an inclined receiving surface for the retaining element 45, to which the retaining element 45 is attached.

[0081] The ball element 30 is inserted into the receiving part 44 by inserting it into the fixed retaining part 46 of the retaining element 45. The removable retaining part 47 is then fitted and screwed tightly, preferably by means of a screw 49, so that the ball element 30 is locked in the retaining element 44 but still rotatable. This is shown in figures 14a to 14d.

[0082] More preferably, the two embodiments of the lashing element 10 having the lashing bar portion 28 of the lashing bar 11 shown in Figures 15a to 17b are used.

[0083] The lashing bar portion 29 of the lashing bar 11 comprises a lashing fitting 18, which in turn comprises a pivoting head 19 with a conical element 20. The conical element 20 is pivotally supported relative to the pivoting head 19 and is connected to a shaft 21 which extends through the pivoting head 19. The shaft 21 is connected at the opposite side to a lever 22. The shaft 21 can be fixed with a locking element 39, such as a nut. The cone 20 can be pivoted by means of the lever 22 from an unlocked position (Figures 15b, 16b) to a locked position (Figures 15a, 16a) and back again.

[0084] 18a to 20b the insertion and locking of a lashing bar 11 with a pivoting head provided with a conical element 20 and an insertion element 23 is illustrated.

[0085] As shown in Figures 18a, 18b and 19a, in the unlocked position, the cone 20 is inserted into the opening 121 in the end face 122 of the corner fitting 120 of the container 100, so that the cone 20 is located in the inner space 123 and the insertion element 23 is located in the opening 121. Subsequently, the lever 22 is rotated, so that the rotational movement is also transmitted to the cone 20 via the shaft 21, and the cone 20 is moved to the locked position (Figures 18c and 19b).

[0086] Preferably, the pivot head 19 is adjusted via the pivot axis 38 to the required angle relative to the bar portion so that the stop 50 abuts the end face 122 squarely against the end face 122 .

[0087] Preferably, the pivot head 19 is pivotally supported relative to the bar portion 35 of the lashing bar 11 via a pivot shaft 38 .

[0088] The cone 20 is spaced from the pivot head so that after it is inserted into the inner space 123, it can pivot relative to the back side of the end face 122 within the inner space 123, but is connected to the back side of the end wall with a retaining effect.

[0089] Preferably, between the pivot head 19 and the conical element 19, an insert element 23 is provided whose size approximately corresponds to the size of the opening 121, so that the insert element 23 provides a connection in the opening 121 based on a positive fit in the plane of the end wall 122, so that the pivot head 19 does not move in the opening 121 due to this positive fit in the plane of the end wall 122. This facilitates the safe transmission of both compressive and tensile forces from the corner fitting 120 to the lashing element 10 and vice versa, as shown in Figures 20a, 20b.

[0090] 26 shows one of the possibilities for arranging the lashing elements 10 of the invention on a lashing bridge 160 when they are not in use. For this purpose, the lashing element 10 is locked on the hook 57 while still attached to the stop 40. Two lashing bar elements 11 or lashing bar parts 29 are provided with bar parts 29 of different lengths, which are arranged separately in receiving parts 58.

[0091] To use these lashing elements 10, they are removed from the hooks 57 and the screw element is turned to the desired length as required. Then, two lashing bar elements 11 or lashing bar sections 29 of the desired length are taken from their respective receiving parts 58, the projections 31 are inserted into the receiving parts 33 and locked as described above.

[0092] The conical element 20 is then pushed through the opening 121 and the insert element 23 is inserted into the opening 121. The lever 22 is then actuated to rotate the conical element 20 and lock the lashing element to the corner fitting 120 of the container 100, thus creating a connection based on form and force. When the container 100 is unloaded at the destination, the lashing element is correspondingly removed in the reverse procedure.

[0093] FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram of an internal lashing in which the lashing element 10 of the present invention is used on a lashing bridge 160 between a stopper 40 arranged on the lashing bridge 160 and a corner fitting 120 of a container 100 located directly within the lashing area.

[0094] FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram of an external lashing in which the lashing element 10 of the present invention is used on a lashing bridge 160 between a stopper 40 arranged on the lashing bridge 160 and a corner fitting 120 of a container 100 located immediately adjacent to the lashing area.

[0095] Figures 23a and 23b show an internal lashing with a lashing element 10 according to the invention. In this case, a base 43 is arranged on a lashing bridge 160 in the middle of the lashing area. Depending on the height of the containers 100 in the container stack 110, the height of the corner fittings 120 can vary. Preferably, the stops 40 can be arranged at different heights on the base 43 to compensate for this height difference.

[0096] It has proven to be advantageous to provide the stopper 40 in the center of the container 100 and to arrange the lashing elements 10 from the center outwards, without crossing each other. In this case, the lashing elements can be arranged either upwards, as shown in figures 23a, 23b and 24, or downwards, as shown in figure 25. In both arrangements the ability to absorb compressive and tensile forces is guaranteed.

[0097] Advantageously, when the lashing element 10 of the invention is placed downwards, as shown in Figure 25, the loads on the compression side and also on the tension side are reduced, respectively, this being the case for the rolling motion of the ship on the port and starboard sides.

Claims

1. A lashing element (10) for vertically coupling a container (100) or a stack (110) of at least two vertically arranged containers (100) to a stopper (40) provided on the surface, particularly the floor of a ship, comprising: at least one element (24) forming a detachable and movable connection with the stopper (40); at least one element (18) forming a detachable connection with the corner fitting (120) of the container (100); at least one element (12) for adapting the length of the lashing element (10) and for stretching the lashing element between the container fitting (120) and the stopper (40), the at least one element (12) being for changing the length of the lashing element (10). In the lashing element (10), a compression-resistant and tension-resistant connection is formed between at least one of the elements (24) forming a detachable and movable connection with the stopper (40) and at least one of the elements (18) forming a detachable connection with the corner fitting (120) of the container (100); at least one of the elements (18) forming a detachable connection with the corner fitting (120) of the container (100) is a lashing fitting (18), the lashing fitting (18) having a pivoting head (19) movably arranged about a pivot axis (38) relative to a bar portion (35) of a lashing bar (11), the lashing fitting (18) having a pivotable conical element (20) for engaging an opening (121) of the corner fitting (120) of the container (100) to form a connection based on form fit, the conical element (20) being pivotably arranged on the pivoting head (19), the lashing fitting (18) having an insertion element (23) insertable into the opening (121) of the corner fitting (120) of the container (100), the insertion element (23) having the dimensions of the opening (121) of the corner fitting (120) of the container (100), a connection based on form fit being provided in the plane of the opening (121) when the insertion element (23) is inserted into the opening, and the insertion element (23) being arranged between the conical element (20) and the pivoting head (19). The lashing element is characterized by this.

2. At least one said element (12) for changing the length of said lashing element (10) is a threaded element (12), preferably a clamping screw, the lashing element according to claim 1.

3. The threaded element (12) has at least one opening (16, 17), preferably two openings, and threads are provided in the openings, and in said threads, the threaded portions (14, 15) of the lashing bar (11) or the connecting bar (13) can be screwed in and out, the lashing element according to claim 1.

4. At least one said element (24) forming a detachable and movable connection with said stopper (40) is a ball element (30) or a receiving portion for a ball element, the lashing element according to claim 1.

5. Said lashing element (11) has a threaded bar portion (28) and a lashing bar portion (29) detachably connected to each other, the lashing element according to claim 1.

6. The connection between said threaded bar portion (28) and said lashing bar portion (29) is configured such that compressive force and tensile force can be transmitted through said connection, the lashing element according to claim 5.

7. Said threaded bar portion (28) has a receiving portion (33) for a connecting element (31) of said lashing bar portion (29), preferably a protrusion (31) at the rear end of said lashing bar portion (29), the lashing element according to claim 6.

8. Said receiving portion (33) can be locked with respect to said connecting element (31) using locking elements (34, 52), the lashing element according to claim 7.

9. A lashing system comprising at least two lashing elements (10) according to claim 1 and at least two stoppers (40) provided on at least one surface such as, for example, a deck, a hatch cover or a lashing bridge, of a container (100) or a stack (110) of at least two containers (100) arranged one above the other, in particular vertically fixing to a stopper (40) provided on the floor of a ship.

10. The lashing system according to claim 9, characterized in that at least one of the two stoppers (40) is provided on at least one pedestal (43) provided on at least one of the surfaces.

11. The lashing system according to claim 10, characterized in that at least one of the stoppers (40) is displaceably arranged on the pedestal (43).

12. The lashing system according to claim 9, characterized in that the lashing element (10) is arranged upward or downward starting from the stopper.

13. The stopper is arranged centrally with respect to the container (100) to be fixed, and preferably, the lashing element (10) is arranged so as not to cross each other between the stopper (40) and the corner fitting (120) of the container (100). The lashing system according to claim 9, characterized by this.

14. The stopper is arranged outside with respect to the container (100) to be fixed, and preferably, the lashing element (10) is arranged so as to cross each other between the stopper (40) and the corner fitting (120) of the container (100). The lashing system according to claim 9, characterized by this.

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