| 摘要 |
A system for latching a vehicle to a flatbed carrier including: at least one latch assembly mounted on the carrier outboard of respective ones of at least one of the vehicle's wheels; each latch assembly including a box-like bracket having longitudinally extending, vertically spaced, co-planar flanges defining a longitudinally extending vertical gap, at least one plate-like safety latch mounted for movement about a vertical pivot axis towards and away from the flanges, a biasing mechanism for urging each safety latch about its pivot axis towards the co-planar flanges, and a fixed stop mounted adjacent the forward end of the gap, a wheel latch flange mounted on each vehicle wheel disposed inboard of each latch assembly when the vehicle is loaded on the carrier; each wheel latch flange including a laterally extending stub shaft having an enlarged protuberance on its outboard end with a diameter greater than the height of the gap and an inboard portion with a diameter less than the height of the gap, whereupon when the vehicle is loaded on the carrier, each wheel latch flange is received within respective ones of each latch assembly with the co-planar flanges being disposed inboard of the protuberance so that the stub shaft shifts the safety latch laterally against the biasing force during vehicle on-loading with the safety latch shifting back into its biased latch-engaged position when the vehicle is loaded to latch the vehicle to the carrier.
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