Container Lashing Head Structure to Prevent Turnbuckle Tool Breakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lashing tools for securing container stacks on vessels are prone to material failure and breakage under high stress, posing safety risks to users working in difficult and dangerous conditions.
Innovation Solution
A container lashing device with a rigid safety pin integrated into the design to prevent complete breakage, featuring a body and head connected by a connecting portion, and a bore to house the safety pin, which absorbs energy and maintains structural integrity during material fatigue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a lashing tool is used to tighten or untighten lashing cables, then the operation efficiency is improved, but the tool is prone to material failure and breaking under high stress
Solution Approach 1:
The lashing device is divided into separate components: a body, a head, and a safety pin. The head can be detached from the body, allowing the tool to be replaced if the head breaks, while the main body remains intact. This segmentation prevents complete tool failure and maintains operational capability.
Solution Approach 2:
A safety pin is introduced as an intermediary element that extends through the head and body, mechanically coupling them together. The safety pin prevents the head from completely separating from the body even if the connecting portion fails, thereby maintaining structural integrity and preventing catastrophic failure.
2Reliability
If the lashing tool is made more robust to prevent breakage, then the reliability is improved, but the tool weight increases making it harder to carry
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the tool into replaceable components, the design allows for lightweight construction of individual parts. The head can be optimized for strength-to-weight ratio independently from the body, and the safety pin provides minimal additional weight while ensuring structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The device utilizes different materials optimized for specific functions: the body and head are made from materials suitable for their mechanical requirements, while the safety pin is made from a rigid material that provides structural reinforcement without excessive weight. This composite approach allows each component to be optimized for its specific role.
3Ease of operation
If the lashing tool is made compact to work in tight spaces, then the ease of operation is improved, but the structural integrity under high stress is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The compact design is achieved by segmenting the tool into a smaller head and body that can fit into tight spaces. The head is designed to be inserted into the turnbuckle, and the safety pin ensures that even in this compact configuration, the structural integrity is maintained through the mechanical coupling provided by the pin extending through both components.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety pin acts as an intermediary structural element that maintains the mechanical connection between the head and body in the compact configuration. This allows the tool to maintain its strength and structural integrity even when reduced to a compact size for working in confined spaces.
Data Source
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AI summary
Container lashing device for tightening and/or untightening a turnbuckle tensioning a lashing cable, the lashing device including a body and a head fixedly connected to each other by a respective corresponding connecting portion, wherein the head includes a first portion substantially in line with the body including said connecting portion and a transitional portion and a second portion which is at an angle to a centre line of the body, the second portion of the head being configured to be inserted into the turnbuckle.