CA1133965A

CA1133965A - Fluid-conveying coupling with safety locking device

Info

Publication number: CA1133965A
Application number: CA349,159A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Robert F. Lauffenburger
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1979-04-05
Filing date: 1980-04-03
Publication date: 1982-10-19
Also published as: US4222593A

Abstract

ABSTRACT
A coupling having male and female coupling members, at least one coupling lever pivotally mounted on the female coupling member and having a cam portion engageable in a groove in the male coupling member for releaseably coupling the male and female coupling members together, and at least one safety locking device for locking the coupling lever against accidental dis-placement from its coupling position. The safety locking device includes a reciprocally mounted locking pin or member, a spring for biasing the locking pin to a locking position where it overlies the coupling lever in its coupling position to block movement of the coupling lever to its uncoupling position, and a manually manipulatable lever member engaging the locking pin and pivotal to retract the locking pin to a lock-release position.

Description

~33~65i This invention relates to fluid-conveying couplings and particularly to qu'ck release cot~lings which are equipped with a safety locking device to guard against accidental disconnection of the co~pling members.
Prior to this invention various types of safety locking devices have been proposed for protecting against accidental disconnection of the male and female coupling members. Representative teachings of such safety locking devices are found in United States Patent No. 3,124,374 issued on March 10, 1964; United States Patent No. 3,976,313 issued on August 24, 1976;
United States Patent No. 2,419,916 issued on April 29, 1947; U~ited States Patent No. 2,023,263 issued on December 3, 1935; United States Patent No.
3,439,942 issued on April 22, 1969; and United States Patent No. 965,998 issued on August 2, 1910.
In prior coupling constructions of the type described in Patent No.

2,023,263 vibrations tend to have the effect of dislodging the locking member fl~om its locking position, thereby subjecting the coupling members to accid-ental disconnection. Gther prior coupling locking devices are disadvantageous because they cannot be applied to existing couplings without making significant modification to the coupling structure itself. Still other safety locking , constructions of the type described in Patent No. 3,976,313, while being less subject to vibrations and adaptable to existing couplings, constitute relativelye~pensive constructions requiring detent balls and structure for supporting the detent balls in their operative positions.
Furthermore, the type of locking device described in Patent No.

3,976,313 is non-positive in the sense that it can be released merely by lift-ing the coupling's latching levers to their disconnect positions.
e present invention, in representing an improvement over the construction described in Patent No. 3~976,313, has none of the foregoing drawbacks and offers additional advantages.

~ .
' '` ' 3~L33Y1~5 According to the yresent invention there is provided in a coupling, a fluid passage-defining male coupling member, a fluid passage-defining female coupling member for receiving said male coupling member, and at least one coupling and locking assembly comprising a coupling lever pivotally mounted on said female coupling member for selective pivotal movement between angu-larly spaced apart coupling and uncoupling positions about an axis extending transversely with respect to the longitudinal axes of said coupling members, means positioned on said lever for engaging a portion of said male member upon displacement of said lever to said coupling position to releasably couple said male and female coupling members together, said lever being swingable to its uncoupling position for uncoupling said male a~d female coupling members from each other and safety lock means for releasably locking said lever in its coupling position and including a support structure rigid with said female coupling member, a locking member supported by said support structure for reciprocal movement along a path extending transversely with respect to said lever, said locking member being displaceable along said path to a locking position where it overlies said coupling lever when the coupling lever is in its coupling position to block pivotal movement of said coupling lever towards its uncoupling position, said locking member further being retractable from said locking position to a release position where it releases said coupling lever for pivotal movement from its coupling position to its uncoupling posit-ion, manually manipulatable lever means supported on said support structure for pivotal movement in opposite directions, said lever means engaging said locking member and being pivotable in a pre-selected direction to displace said locking member along said path from said locking position to said release position, and biasing means acting on the assembly of said lever _ 2 --~33~

means and said locking member for yieldably urging said locking member to said locking position.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is an end elevation of a coupling incorporating the prin-ciples of this invention;
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the coupling sho~l in Figure 1 and illustrating the coupling's latching levers locked in their coupling latching positions;
Figure 3 is a partially sectioned side elevation of the coupling rotated 90 degrees from the orientation shown in Figure 2 and illustrating the coupling's latching levers in their coupling disconnect positions with the male coupling member pa~rtially removed from the companion female coupling member;
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section taken substantially along lines

4-4 of Figure 2;
Figure 5 is a transverse section taken substantially along lines

5-5 of Figure 2;
Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the section shown in Figure 5;
Figure 7 is a section taken su'ostantially along lines 7-7 of Figure 2;
Referring to Figures 1-3, the fluid-conveying coupling incorporat-ing the principles of this invention is generally indicated at 10 and is shown to mainly comprise a male coupling member 12, a companion or complement-ary female coupling member 14, a gasket ring 15, a pair of co~pling latching handles or levers 16 and 18, and a pair of safety locking devices or mechan-isms 20 and 22, one for each of the latching levers. The construction and arrangement of the male and female coupling members 12 and 14, latching levers .

~L339t;S

16 and 18 and gasket ring 15 may be the same as that sho~1m and described in the aforementioned Patent No. 3,976,313.
As shown, the male coupling member 12 may be internally threaded to permit it to be affixed to the externally threaded end of a pipe (not sho~m).
The female coupling member 14 may likewise be internally threaded for connect-ion to another pipe Cnot shown). Alternatively, the female coupling member 14 may form an integral part of the body of a valve. Members 12 and 14 each ha~e a generally tubular configuration as shown.
The male and female coupling members 12 and 14 may be cast or other-wise fabricated from suitable material. The male coupling member 12 is formed rith a miformly diametered through passage Z4 for conveying fluid. The fe-male coupling member 14 is also formed ~Yith a through fluid-conveying passage which is stepped to form an intemal axially facing annular shoulder 26 at the interface between an enlarged diametered passage section 28 and a reduced diametered passage section 30. Passage sections 28 and 30 are each uniformly diametered. Gasket ring 15 is received in passage section 28 and seats against the annular shoulder 26 as shown~
Latc~ing levers 16 and 18 are disposed on diametrically opposite sides of coupling meFiber 14 and are pivotally mounted at corresponding ends on the female coupling member by means of pivot pins 32, 34, The pivoted ends of levers 16 and 18 are received in diametrically opposed apertures 36 formed through the peripheral wall of the female coupling member as shown in Figure 3. Levers 16 and 18 are integrally formed with eccentric cams 38~
40 at their pivoted ends. The pivot axes of the latching levers 16 and 18 are parallel and lie in a common plane normally intersecting the longitudinal axis of coup ling 10.
As shown, the male coupling member 12 is adapted to be slidably and coaxially received in the enlarged passage section 28 of the female coupling :~33Y~i 14 to seat against and seal with che gasket ring 15. Male coupling member 12 is exteriorly formed with an outward opening, cam-receiving peripheral groove 42 which registers with apertures 36 when the male coupling member is fully inserted into the female coupling member in a position where its end face seats against gasket ring 15.
From the construction thus far described it will be appreciated that lèvers 16 and 18 may be manually swung from a coupling disconnect position generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of coupling 10 to a coupling latching position where they lie generally flat along the outer periphery of the female coupling member 14 in generally parallel relation with the coupling's longitudinal axis. When levers 16 and 18 are moved to their extreme coupling disconnect positions shown in Figure 3 their cam portions 38 and 40 do not project into passage section 28, thus allowing for the insertion and removal of the male coupling member 12. When the male coupling member 12 is received in passage section 28 of the female coupling member 14, rotation of the latch-ing levers 16 and 18 to ~heir coupling latching positions sho~n in Figures 2 and 5 cause cam portions 38 and 40 to move into passage section 28 and to ride into the peripheral groove 42 on the male coupling member 12. The camming action of cam portions 38 and 40 in groove 42 draws the male coupling member 12 tightly against gasket ring 15 to establish a fluid tight seal between the two coupling members and to thereby prevent leakage of fluid conveyed through coup ling 10.
Manually grippable finger rings, as indicated at 46 in Figure 2, may be secured to the distal ends of latching levers 16 and 18 to more easily facilitate the pivotal displacement of the latching levers between their coup-ling disconnect and connect positions. In its coupling latching posi~ion the distal end of lever 16 lies between a pair of upstanding parallel spaced apart guard protector posts or ears 48 and 49. Likewise, the distal end of lever 18 lies between a further pair of parallel spaced apart upstanding guard pro-~339~;5 tector posts or ears 48a and 49a when lever 18 is in its coupllng latching position.
Posts 48 and 4~ may be integrally joined to or otherwise suitably fixed to a base 50 which seats against a surface of the female coupling member 14 and which is fixed to the female coupling member 14 by any sui~able means such as welding. Likewise, posts 48a and 49a may be integrally joined to or otherwise suitably fixed to a further base 50a which is seated against a sur-face of the female coupling member 14 and which is suitably secured ~o the female coupling member by welding. Alternatively, bases 50 and 50a may be fixed to coupling member 14 by suitable fasteners such as screws 52, 52a.

Referring now to Figures 2 and 4-7, the locking device 20 for latching lever 16 comprises a lock pin 56, a manually manipulatable thumb lever 58, a lever biasing spring 60, and a pair of guard protector ears 62 and 63 for thumb lever 58. Lock pin 56 is slidably and coaxially received in a hole 66 which is formed through post 48 for rectilinear movement between release and locking positions along a straight path extending normal to the coupling's longitudinal axis and disposed outwardly with respect to the distal end of lever 16 when the latching lever is in its latching position as shown in Figure 2.

In its forwardly advanced locking position, a nose portion 70 of lock pin 56 overlies latching lever 16 near i~s distal end to block upward swinging movement of latching lever 16 from its latching position. As is apparent from Figure 6, an attempt to swing lever 16 upwardly from its latch-ing positionresultsin the abutment of the lever with a bottom abutment sur-face 72 of the lock pin's nose portion 70. Lock pin 56 is advantageously formed with an abutment shoulder 74 depending from the inner end of surface 72 to abut the opposing side edge of latching lever 16 as lock pin 56 is slid forwardly towards latching lever 16. Abutment of shoulder 74 with the side , ~L33~

edge of lever 16 limits the forward motion of latch pin 56.
Lock pin 56 is laterally slidable away from its locking position illus~rated in Figure 6 to a retracted position where it is laterally spaced from latching lever 16, thereby freeing the latching lever for upward swing-ing movement to its coupling disconnect position.
As shown, thumb lever 58 is rotatably or pivotally mounted on the cylindrically smooth portion of a suitable pivot member such as a screw 76 which is threaded in and fixed to post 48 to provide for the pi-votal dis-placement of lever 58 about an axis extending parallel to the coupling's longitudinal axis. The longitudinal axis of lock pin 56 and hence the straight line path of movement of lock pin 56 lie in a plane normally inter-secting the pivot axis of lever 58 and the longitudinal coupling axis.
At its outer end thumb lever 58 is formed with a flat thumb engag-ing portion 78. The other end of thumb lever 58 is in the form of a knuckle or knob 80. The pivot axis of lever 58 lies generally between the lever ends 78, 80 as shown in Figure 6. The knuckle end 80 of thumb lever 58 projects through an elongated longitudinal slot 82 in post 48 and is loosely received in a socket or recess 84 in lock pin 56 ~o establish an operative motion transmitting connection between thumb lever 58 and lock pin 56. This motion transmitting connection allows straight line reciprocable movement of lock pin 56 in response to pivotal movement of lever 58 abou~ its pivot axis.
Spring 60 may be of coil type and is compressed and confined be-tween a portion 86 on lever 58 and a portion 88 of post 4~. Spring 60 yield-ably urges thumb lever 58 in a clockwise direction as viewed from Figure 6 to thus bias lock pin 56 to its forward locking position (see Figure 6) thro-ugh the motion transmitting connection established by reception of the thumb lever's end 80 in socket 84. Depression of the lever end portion 78 to effect rotation of thumb lever 58 in a counterclockwise direction against the bias ~33~

of spring 60 results in the retraction of lock pin 56 to its previously des-cribed lock release position When thumb lever 58 is released it will be appreciated that spring 60 will then urge lever 58 in its clockwise position to advance lock pin 56 forwardly to its locking position. Lock pin 56 is therefore normally biased to its locking position by spring 60 which acts through lever 58 and the motion transmitting connection established by the knuckle and socket formations 80 and 84.
As best shown in Figure 2, the thumb engaging end pQrtion 78 of lever 58 is received between the ears 62 and 63 which act as guard protectors to protect against accidental displacement of lever 58 in its lock-releasing direction against the bias of spring 60. Ears 62 and 63 may be fixed to the body of the female coupling member 14 by fastening means such as screws 90 or by other means such as welding. Alternatively, ears 62 and 63 may be inte-grally cast with the female coupling member 14 at the time that the female coupling member is cast or otherwise fabricated.
From the foregoing description it will be appreciated that post 48 mounts lock pin 56, thumb lever 58 and spring 60 and may be attachable to an existing female coupling member by suitable fastening means such as screws.
Likewise, the guard protector ears 62 and 63 may also be attached to an exist-ing female coupling body by screws, thus permitting the entire assembly of the the locking device to be mounted on an existing female coupling body.
When locking pin 56 is in its locking position where it is latched over latching lever 16 to hold latching lever 16 in its latching position, it will be appreciated that the lock cannot be released by lifting latching lever 16, but instead can only be released by depressing -thumb lever 58 against the bias of spring 60 in the manner previously described. In this way, a positive safety lock is established to retain latching lever 16 in its latching position.
As best shown in Figure 6, the nose portion of locking pin 56 is ~ . . !

" ~339~i formed with an inclined cam surface 92 which faces outwardly. Surface 92 lies obliquely with respect to the lock pin's longitudinal axis and slopes backwardly from a corner edge 94 which is formed at the juncture between surfaces 92 and 72. As latching lever 16 is pivoted towards its latching position, the lower corner region 96 of lever 16 will engage and ride along the cam surface 92, thus urging or camming lock pin 56 back to its lock release or retracted position against the bias of spring 60. As the latching lever rides past the lock pin's corner edge 94 it releases lock pin 56, thereby allowing spring 60 to urge lock pin 56 forwardly to a position where the abutment surface 72 overlies latching lever 16 and abutment shoulder 74 seats against the side of latching lever 16 in the manner best shown in Figure 6. It will be noted that lock pin 58 is held in its assembled relationship with post 48 by the engagement with the lever end 80.
The safety locking device 22 for lever 18 is the same as the lock-ing device 20. Accordingly, like reference numerals have been applied to designate like components of the two locking devices except that the reference numerals for locking device 22 have been suffixed by the letter a to distinguish them from the reference numerals used for locking device 20.
Locking device 22 operates in the same manner as described for locking device 20. As shown, the locking pin 56a, thumb lever 58a and spring 60a are all supported by posts 48a in the same manner that the compon-ent parts of locking device 20 are mounted on post 48.
In order to interconnect coupling members 12 and 14 latching levers 16 and 18 are first pivoted to their coupling disconnect positions shown in Figure 3. The male coupling member 12 is then inserted into the female coup-ling member 14, and latching levers 16 and 18 are then swung to their coupling latching positions (see Figure 2) to move cam portions 38 and 40 into groove _ g _ 3L~ 65 ~2 in the manner previously explained. As latching levers 16 and 18 approach their coupling latching positions the edges of the latching levers engage and slide along the inclined or sloped camming surfaces of the locking pins there- -by forcing the locking pins to retract to their lock release positions and thus allowing the latching levers to be moved past the locking pins. As the levers pass beyond the ends of the locking pin nose portions, releasing the locking pins 56 and 56a, springs 60 and 60a urge their respective locking pins 56 and 56a to their locking positions where they overlie levers 16 and 18, respectively, thus locking the latching levers in their latching positions.
To uncouple coupling members 12 and 14, lock pins 56 and 56a are first retracted by depressing thumb levers 58 and 58a. Then, with pins 56 and 56a held in their retracted positions, levers 16 and 18 are swung to their coupling release positions.
The lock established by lock pin 56 is positive in the sense that it will not release or move back to its lock-released position by the force exerted on lever 16 in an effort to swing the latching lever upwardly from its latching position.
It also will be appreciated that levers 16 and 18 are operative to couple the coupling members 12 and 14 together. The construction and oper-ation of levers 16 and 18 and coupling members 12 and 14 are also the same as that described in the previously mentioned Patent No. 3,124,374.

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Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. In a coupling, a fluid passage-defining male coupling member, a fluid passage-defining female coupling member for receiving said male coup-ling member, and at least one coupling and locking assembly comprising a coupling lever pivotally mounted on said female coupling member for selective pivotal movement between angularly spaced apart coupling and uncoupling positions about an axis extending transversely with respect to the longi-tudinal axes of said coupling members, means positioned on said lever for engaging a portion of said male member upon displacement of said lever to said coupling position to releasably couple said male and female coupling members together, said lever being being swingable to its uncoupling position for uncoupling said male and female coupling members from each other and safety lock means for releasably locking said lever in its coupling position and including a support structure rigid with said female coupling member, a locking member supported by said support structure for reciprocal movement along a path extending transversely with respect to said lever, said locking member being displaceable along said path to a locking position where it over-lies said coupling lever when the coupling lever is in its coupling position to block pivotal movement of said coupling lever towards its uncoupling position, said locking member further being retractable from said locking position to a release position where it releases said coupling lever for pivotal movement from its coupling position to its uncoupling position, man-ually manipulatable lever means supported on said support structure for pivot-al movement in opposite directions, said lever means engaging said locking mem-ber and being pivotable in a pre-selected direction to displace said locking member along said path from said locking position to said release position, and biasing means acting on the assembly of said lever means and said locking member for yieldably urging said locking member to said locking position.

2. The coupling defined in claim 1 wherein said lever means is pivotal about an axis extending transversely with respect to said path of movement of said locking member and parallel to the longitudinal axes of said coupling members.

3. The coupling defined in claim 1 or 2 wherein said locking member is rectilinearly displaceable between said locking and said release positions.

4. The coupling defined in claim 1 or 2 wherein said locking member is formed on its underside with an abutment surface which is positioned to be engaged by said coupling lever to block movement of the coupling member from its coupling position without resulting in the displacement of said locking member to its release position.

5. The coupling defined in claim 1 wherein a manually engagable end portion of said lever means is positioned between a pair of guards that pro-tect said lever means from accidental displacement in said pre-selected direction.

6. The coupling defined in claim 5 wherein said guards and said support structure are attached to said female coupling member by fastener means which enable said guards and said support structure to be secured to an existing female coupling member.

7. The coupling defined in claim 1 wherein said biasing means compris-es a spring acting against a portion of said lever means to pivotally urge said lever means in a direction that advances said locking member to said locking position.

8. The coupling defined in claim 1 wherein said locking member is formed on the underside thereof with an abutment shoulder that engages said coupling lever when the coupling lever is in its coupling position to limit the movement of said locking member in the direction of said coupling lever.

9. The coupling defined in claim 1 wherein said locking member has an end portion that lies in the path of said coupling member when the locking member is in said locking position, said end portion terminating in an inclined surface facing in a direction to be engaged by said coupling lever as said coupling lever is pivoted toward its coupling position, the inclination of said surface being such that said locking member is forced to said retracted position against the bias of said biasing means by the engagement of said coupling lever with said surface as the coupling lever is pivoted towards its coupling position.

10. The coupling defined in claim 1, there being at least two such coupling and locking assemblies arranged in spaced apart relation on said female coupling member.