GB1573284A

GB1573284A - Releasable locking means

Info

Publication number: GB1573284A
Application number: GB1519/78A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: F Hesterberg and Soehne GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: F Hesterberg and Soehne GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1977-01-19
Filing date: 1978-01-13
Publication date: 1980-08-20
Also published as: FR2377903A1; IT7847604A0; DE2701932A1; DE2701932C2; IT1192312B

Description

(54) RELEASABLE LOCKING MEANS (71) We, F. HESTERBERG & ÖHNE, a body corporate organised under German law, of Heilenbecker Strasse 50-60, D-5828 Ennepetal 1, German Federal Republic, a Company organised and existing under the laws of the German Federal Republic, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement This invention relates to releasable locking means whereby a hinge pin on a side- or tail-board of a vehicle can be releasably maintained in a bearing jaw therefor on the vehicle, so that the board can be swung like a door about the hinge, or when the locking means is released the pin can be withdrawn from the jaw to remove the board from the vehicle.In prior art arangements of the kind in which a board is hinged by a plurality of pins at its bottom edge it is provided at its upper edge with further horizontal pins which, as the board reaches the upright position, move into additional jaws fixed to the vehicle and are prevented from moving out again by locking members passed across the jaws behind them.

To hold the hinge pins in their jaw-like bearings at the bottom edge of the board it has been proposed to journal a rod on the vehicle to extend parallel with the bottom edge of the board, the rod having integral, radially extending, hook-shaped locking elements which, when the rod is rotated, engage behind the hinge pins to prevent their removal from the associated jaws.

The rod is rotated by means of a crank at one end which, being out of the path of movement of the hinging board and accessible from around a corner of the vehicle, can be manipulated safely. The crank may be included in a toggle linkage which, when moved to an "over-centre" position maintains the locking members in the locking position.

A defect of such prior art proposals is that the rod has a predetermined "locking" position and if there is any play between the locking members and the hinge pins when the rod is in the locking position, which may arise from wear over a period of use even if originally correctly established, the board will not be properly mounted and the hinge pins will rattle.

Where the crank is held by an "overcentre" toggle there is a danger that loose hinge pins will permit the toggle to "break" unintentionally. It is clearly highly desirable that the hinge pins should be incapable of freeing themselves from their jaws, e.g. while the vehicle is moving.

It is a principal object of the present invention to improve upon prior art proposals by ensuring that a locking member remains in contact with a hinge pin when in the locked position and does not permit lateral movement of the hinge pin within the associated bearing jaw.

According to the present invention there is provided releasable locking means comprising a locking member integral with and extending radially from a rod journalled to a sill of a vehicle, a lever pivoted on the vehicle and articulated to a crank on the rod by a connecting member whereby the rod is rotatable by the lever to move the locking member between a locking position in which it will obstruct movement of a side- or tail-board hinge pin out of a bearing jaw on the vehicle and a released position in which it will permit removal of the hinge pin from the jaw, the connecting member incorporating spring means which becomes stressed as the locking member in moving to its locking position is resisted by the hinge pin in the jaw, the stressed spring means tending to increase the effective length of the connecting member so that in its locking position the locking member is spring biased into contact with the hinge pin to tend to displace the latter inwardly of the jaw.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a corner of a vehicle with a fixed end wall and a hinged and removable side wall shown in the closed position, the hinges of the side wall being held by a locking means in accordance with the invention, parts of the side walls and underlying sill being broken away to make the individual elements visible, Figure 2 illustrates the arrangement of Figure 1, but with the locking means in the open position, and the side wall swung out about its upper edge, Figure 3 illustrates the locking means of Figures 1 and 2 in more detail and on an enlarged scale with several parts broken away, Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 of a modified locking means, and Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 of yet another modified locking means.

In the illustrated embodiments a jaw 2 is secured to the upper corner of a fixed end wall 1 of a vehicle in which jaw a side wall 3 is hinged at its top edge by means of a pin 4 extending horizontally from its upper corner. At least one hinge 5 with a hinge pin 6 is fitted to the lower edge of the side wall.

The pin 6 is received in a jaw 8 which is secured to a longitudinal sill section 7 of the vehicle and which can be closed by a hook-shaped locking element 10 integral with a rotatable rod 9, by means of which a closed bearing can be formed.

The rod 9 is mounted for rotation in apertures in the jaw 8 and the end wall 1 and its actuation is effected by a hand lever 12 integral with a toggle member 13 which is pivotally mounted on the end wall 1 by means of a pin 11. This is articulated to a link member 14 which transmits movement for opening and closing the locking member 10 to a crank arm 15 rigidly mounted at the end of the rod 9.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 the link member 14 comprises a helical compression spring 16 in a sleeve 17 between one end thereof and a piston 18 reciprocable in the sleeve. The stroke of the piston 18 is limited by stops. In the example illustrated the stops take the form of pins 19 which project into slots 20 in the sleeve.

The spring 16 of the link acts through the crank arm 15 and the rod 9 to bias the hook-shaped locking member 10 in the closing direction. Apart from the chamfered surface 21 used as a lead in for the pin 6 when the side wall 3 is being mounted on the vehicle the member 10 has a surface 22 contacting the pin 6 which is tangential thereto and the point of contact is remote from the root of the member 10 on the rod 9 so that a gap 23 remains between the bottom of the hook-shaped member 10 and the pin 6. This permits the automatic taking up of any slack by the tensioned helical compression spring 16.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 4, provision is made, with unaltered construction of the hand lever 12, toggle member 13 and hook-shaped locking member 10 on the rod 9, to articulate a rigid link 14 on a loose crank arm 24, freely pivotally mounted on the rod 9. A helical compression spring 25 acts between the rigid link 14 and the crank arm 15 rigidly mounted on the rod 9.

The helical compression spring is received by an eyebolt 26 which is pivotally mounted by its eye on the common point of articulation of the loose crank arm 24 and of the rigid link 14 and is accommodated at its threaded end for linear displacement in a bush 27, which is likewise pivotally mounted on the crank arm 15.

In this case the travel of the spring 25 is limited by nuts 28 during the opening of the locking means and by a stop 29 on the rigidly mounted crank arm during closing.

A bifurcated leaf spring (not illustrated) can also be used for the automatic adjustment, which is fitted by an eye on the rod 9 between the loose crank arm and the rigidly mounted crank arm and acts with its legs on the two crank arms to bias them apart.

As shown in Figure 5, a further simplified form of the invention may consist in that, without a toggle linkage arrangement the loose crank arm 24 pivotally mounted on the rotary rod 9 is provided with a handle 30 for actuation of the locking means, which handle is held in the closed position by a hinged latch 31.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. Releasable locking means comprising a locking member integral with and extending radially from a rod journalled to a sill of a vehicle, a lever pivoted on the vehicle and articulated to a crank on the rod by a connecting member whereby the rod is rotatable by the lever to move the locking member between a locking position in which it will obstruct movement of a sideor tail-board hinge pin out of a bearing jaw on the vehicle and a released position in which it will permit removal of the hinge pin from the jaw, the connecting member incorporating spring means which becomes stressed as the locking member in moving to its locking position is resisted by the

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. length of the connecting member so that in its locking position the locking member is spring biased into contact with the hinge pin to tend to displace the latter inwardly of the jaw. Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a corner of a vehicle with a fixed end wall and a hinged and removable side wall shown in the closed position, the hinges of the side wall being held by a locking means in accordance with the invention, parts of the side walls and underlying sill being broken away to make the individual elements visible, Figure 2 illustrates the arrangement of Figure 1, but with the locking means in the open position, and the side wall swung out about its upper edge, Figure 3 illustrates the locking means of Figures 1 and 2 in more detail and on an enlarged scale with several parts broken away, Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 of a modified locking means, and Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 of yet another modified locking means. In the illustrated embodiments a jaw 2 is secured to the upper corner of a fixed end wall 1 of a vehicle in which jaw a side wall 3 is hinged at its top edge by means of a pin 4 extending horizontally from its upper corner. At least one hinge 5 with a hinge pin 6 is fitted to the lower edge of the side wall. The pin 6 is received in a jaw 8 which is secured to a longitudinal sill section 7 of the vehicle and which can be closed by a hook-shaped locking element 10 integral with a rotatable rod 9, by means of which a closed bearing can be formed. The rod 9 is mounted for rotation in apertures in the jaw 8 and the end wall 1 and its actuation is effected by a hand lever 12 integral with a toggle member 13 which is pivotally mounted on the end wall 1 by means of a pin 11. This is articulated to a link member 14 which transmits movement for opening and closing the locking member 10 to a crank arm 15 rigidly mounted at the end of the rod 9. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 the link member 14 comprises a helical compression spring 16 in a sleeve 17 between one end thereof and a piston 18 reciprocable in the sleeve. The stroke of the piston 18 is limited by stops. In the example illustrated the stops take the form of pins 19 which project into slots 20 in the sleeve. The spring 16 of the link acts through the crank arm 15 and the rod 9 to bias the hook-shaped locking member 10 in the closing direction. Apart from the chamfered surface 21 used as a lead in for the pin 6 when the side wall 3 is being mounted on the vehicle the member 10 has a surface 22 contacting the pin 6 which is tangential thereto and the point of contact is remote from the root of the member 10 on the rod 9 so that a gap 23 remains between the bottom of the hook-shaped member 10 and the pin 6. This permits the automatic taking up of any slack by the tensioned helical compression spring 16. In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 4, provision is made, with unaltered construction of the hand lever 12, toggle member 13 and hook-shaped locking member 10 on the rod 9, to articulate a rigid link 14 on a loose crank arm 24, freely pivotally mounted on the rod 9. A helical compression spring 25 acts between the rigid link 14 and the crank arm 15 rigidly mounted on the rod 9. The helical compression spring is received by an eyebolt 26 which is pivotally mounted by its eye on the common point of articulation of the loose crank arm 24 and of the rigid link 14 and is accommodated at its threaded end for linear displacement in a bush 27, which is likewise pivotally mounted on the crank arm 15. In this case the travel of the spring 25 is limited by nuts 28 during the opening of the locking means and by a stop 29 on the rigidly mounted crank arm during closing. A bifurcated leaf spring (not illustrated) can also be used for the automatic adjustment, which is fitted by an eye on the rod 9 between the loose crank arm and the rigidly mounted crank arm and acts with its legs on the two crank arms to bias them apart. As shown in Figure 5, a further simplified form of the invention may consist in that, without a toggle linkage arrangement the loose crank arm 24 pivotally mounted on the rotary rod 9 is provided with a handle 30 for actuation of the locking means, which handle is held in the closed position by a hinged latch 31. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. Releasable locking means comprising a locking member integral with and extending radially from a rod journalled to a sill of a vehicle, a lever pivoted on the vehicle and articulated to a crank on the rod by a connecting member whereby the rod is rotatable by the lever to move the locking member between a locking position in which it will obstruct movement of a sideor tail-board hinge pin out of a bearing jaw on the vehicle and a released position in which it will permit removal of the hinge pin from the jaw, the connecting member incorporating spring means which becomes stressed as the locking member in moving to its locking position is resisted by the

hinge pin in the jaw, the stressed spring means tending to increase the effective length of the connecting member so that in its locking position the locking member is spring biased into contact with the hinge pin to tend to displace the latter inwardly of the jaw.

2. Releasable locking means as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locking member has a chamfered free end portion which will provide a lead in for the hinge pin to the bearing jaw when the board is being mounted on the vehicle with the locking means released.

3. Releasable locking means as claimed in either preceding claim, wherein the connecting member is of variable length and is biased by the spring means to an extended condition, the connecting member being articulated to the crank and to a toggle manually movable to an "over-centre" locking position against the action of the spring means.

4. Releasable locking means as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the connecting member comprises a rigid link articulated to the crank and to a toggle manually movable to an "over-centre" locking position, there being further provided a link which is freely pivotally connected both to the rod and to the rigid link and is movable along the latter by the spring means, the arrangement being such that movement of the toggle to its "over-centre" locking position results in a displacement of the free link along the rigid link which is opposed by the spring means.

5. Releasable locking means as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a bell crank is pivotally mounted on the rod near the crank, one arm of the bell crank constituting a lever whereby the locking means is operable and the other arm of the bell crank being articulated to the crank by means of a link of variable length spring biased to an extended condition, means being provided releasably to secure the lever in a position in which the locking means is actuated.

6. Releasable locking means constructed and arranged substantially as herein described and as shown in Figures 1 to 3, Figure 4 or Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.