An automatic lock for installation in a bottom corner fitting of a cargo container to secure stacked containers to one another. The automatic lock may be installed in the bottom corner fitting at the time of manufacture of the container or may be retrofit into existing containers.

A lock for securing upper and lower superimposed shipping containers in place, said lock comprising:a housing (1) having a top portion (13) and a bottom portion (14), fitting in an opening (21) in a corner casting (2, 2) of the upper and lower container (3, 3), respectively; said housing (1) comprising a first (11) and a second (12) housing part; andsaid first housing part (11) having a side opening (111) at a lower end of the bottom portion (14);a pivotal first hook (31) in the housing (1) having a hook end (311) movable out and back through the side opening (111) to couple the lock to and uncouple the lock from the corner casting (2);a shaft (41) having a fixed locking bar (42) to either lock the hook (31) in the moved-out position of said hook end (311) or permit the hook (31) to move between the moved-out position and the moved-back position of said hook end (311); andsaid top portion (13) having a head (132), a neck (131), and around the neck a retaining flange (133) for providing a retaining function when the top portion (13) is fitted in the corner casting opening (21) of the upper container (3).

A railcar locking system includes an elongated tower having an outer rail configured to engage with a lower railcar via a restrain cone; a locking arm extending from the elongated tower; a first locking cone secured to the locking arm and configured to engage with the lower railcar; and a second locking cone secure to the locking arm and configured to engage with an upper railcar.

The present invention relates to an automatic locking mechanism, locking system and a method for operating the locking mechanism, the locking mechanism comprises a housing, an elongated shaft element and a top part for interconnection with a part of an equipment module or cargo container, wherein the shaft element and top part are longitudinal displaceable within said housing.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus and a method for operating a pair of twistlocks and an associated robot. The apparatus comprises a first component adapted to clamp a first twistlock to allow the clamped first twistlock to be removed from a container; and a second component arranged adjacent to the first component and adapted to clamp a second twistlock to allow the clamped second twistlock to be removed from a container; or receive the first twistlock released from the first component to allow the first component to clamp the second twistlock. With the first and second components, the pair of twistlocks, especially mid-type twistlocks, can be operated more quickly with less operation steps. In this way, the operation efficiency for operating the mid-type twistlocks can be significantly improved with lower costs.

An interconnector for coupling together an adjacent pair of freight containers (100, 101) having ISO corner fittings (102). The interconnector has a rotatable shaft (405) and a pair of clamping heads (403, 404, 1100) provided at each end of the shaft (405). The shaft (405) is mounted within a housing (401) and the clamping heads (403, 404, 1100) are capable of axial rotation with the shaft (405) relative to the housing (401). One clamping head (403, 404, 1100) has a profiled guide surface to be rotatable by engaging contact with the ISO corner fitting (102). The clamping heads (403, 404, 1100) are biased to a clamping position by a bias actuator, such that the interconnector may be regarded as an automatic or semi-automatic twist lock interconnector.