Freight bracing apparatus

Claim 1

AN END FITTING FOR A CROSSBAR FOR BRACING FREIGHT IN BOXCARS AND THE LIKE AND ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION TO A BELT RAIL MOUNTED ON A SIDE WALL THEREOF AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF AND WHICH BELT RAIL INCLUDES AN UPWARDLY PRESENTING SURFACE PORTION AND HAS A PLURALITY OF HORIZONTALLY OPENING APERTURES SPACED THEREALONG, SAID END FITTING COMPRISING MEANS ON ONE END SAID END FITTING FOR CONNECTING SAID END FITTING TO ONE END OF SAID CROSSBAR, PROJECTION MEANS ON THE OTHER END OF SAID END FITTING ADAPTED TO EXTEND LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID CROSSBAR AND IN OVERLYING RELATION TO SAID UPWARDLY PRESENTING SURFACE ON SAID BELT RAIL, HOOK MEANS ON SAID OTHER END OF SAID END FITTING COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE HOOK PORTION CO-OPERABLE WITH AT LEAST ONE OF SAID APERTURES AND INCLUDING A NECK PORTION ADAPTED TO EXTEND LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID CROSSBAR AND TO BE RECEIVED IN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID ONE OF SAID APERTURES AND ENGAGE SAID BELT RAIL AT SAID LOWER PORTION OF SAID ONE OF SAID APERTURES, SAID HOOK PORTION ALSO INCLUDING A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING HOOK END OUTWARDLY OF SAID NECK PORTION ADAPTED TO BE INSERTED THROUGH SAID ONE OF SAID APERTURES AND EXTEND BELOW SAID LOWER PORTION OF SAID ONE OF SAID APERTURES WHEN SAID NECK PORTION IS RECEIVED THEREIN, SAID END FITTING INCLUDING A LATCH PORTION ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED IN THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID ONE OF SAID APERTURES WHEN SAID HOOK END HAS BEEN INSERTED THERETHROUGH AND SAID NECK PORTION MOVED INTO SAID LOWER PORTION SO THAT SAID LATCH PORTION WILL ENGAGE SAID BELT RAIL AT SAID UPPER PORTION OF SAID ONE OF SAID APERTURES TO PREVENT SUFFICIENT UPWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID END FITTING TO PERMIT WITHDRAWAL OF SAID HOOK END THROUGH SAID APERTURE BY MOVEMENT OF SAID END FITTING AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID BELT RAIL, SAID NECK PORTION AND SAID LATCH PORTION HAVING A SUFFICIENTLY LOOSE FIT IN SAID ONE OF SAID APERTURES SO THAT UPON LOWERING OF SAID ONE END OF SAID END FITTING SO THAT SAID END FITTING PIVOTS ABOUT THE ENGAGEMENT OF SAID NECK PORTION WITH SAID BELT RAIL AT SAID LOWER PORTION OF SAID ONE OF SAID APERTURES SAID LATCH PORTION MOVES OUT OF SAID APERTURE.