GB2098061A

GB2098061A - Cantilever frame mounting

Info

Publication number: GB2098061A
Application number: GB8211809A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Hills Ltd
Current assignee: Hills Ltd
Priority date: 1981-04-23
Filing date: 1982-04-23
Publication date: 1982-11-17
Also published as: GB2098061B

Abstract

Mounting means for mounting a cantilever frame 10 (for example for clothes lines) 11 from support means 14, so that the frame can pivot (13) on the support means between a horizontal in-use between position and a downwardly extending retracted position, wherein a strut 20 is pivoted (22) to the support means, a latch bracket 18 slidably engages the strut, being guided by a roller 21, and the latch bracket is pivoted (17) to the cantilever frame, the strut having a latching aperture 26 which is engaged by a tongue 24 on the latch bracket which slides over a cam face 25 on the strut by pivotal movement of the latch bracket, and there being latch release means, e.g. a cord 28, coupled to the latch bracket to release the latch bracket from engagement with the strut, by lifting the latch bracket when the outer end of frame 10 is lifted above its horizontal position. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Cantilever frame mounting This invention relates to a mounting means for mounting a cantilever frame such as for example may be used for supporting a plurality of clothes lines arranged in a parallel array.

It is quite common to have the frames which are required to be cantilevered out from a wall or mount ing posts, and which are either rectangular or U shaped in plan and which when extended are substantially horizontal but when retracted hang vertically, for example along side a wall. It is important that a mounting for such a frame should be safe and reliable, and that strut means should be utilised which will effectively inhibit movement of a frame when it is in its upper position. Specifically, it is desirable that the arrangement should be such that, should the latch means associated with the strut be inadvertently dislodged, it will nevertheless reengage so as to prevent the strut from releasing an erected frame to swing down to its retracted position.

With the object of providing such an arrangement, in this invention there is provided mounting means for mounting a cantilever frame on support means comprising pivots connecting the frame near one of its ends to the support means so that the frame can alternatively depend from the support means or be raised to an outwardly extending position, a strut assembly extending between the support means and the cantilever frame the strut assembly comprising a strut pivoted to the support means, a latch bracket slidably engaged by the strut, and pivot means mounting the latch bracket on the cantilever frame for pivotal movement, edges defining a latching aperture in the strut engageable by pivotal movement of the latch bracket when the frame extends outwardly from the support, and latch release means coupled to the latch bracket and operable to pivot the latch bracket outwardly from the latching aperture.

Conveniently the latch bracket can have a U shaped cross section and can be provided with a roller which engages the undersurface of the strut and limits relative movement between the latch bracket and the strut, and conveniently the engagement means can ride down a cam face into engagemenu with an engagement surface defined by the edge of an aperture in the strut, such that accidental dislodgement will nevertheless result in reengagement of the tongue with the slot walls.

An embodiment of the invention is described hereunder in some detail with reference to an is ill us trated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a retractable clothes line assembly embodying the mounting means of this invention, Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation drawn to an enlarged scale, and showing a strut assembly, Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the frame depending from its pivots, Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view, also showing a strut assembly, and Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

In this embodiment a frame 10 carries a plurality of clothes lines 11 arranged in parallel array and extending between two side members 12, the frame being a rectangular member and having mounting pivots 13 mounting the frame near its rear end for pivotal movement with respect to a support structure 14, which could also be either a wall or a pair of supporting posts.

The frame 10 has two strut assemblies, one located outwardly from each respective side member 12, and a pair of pivot bolts 17 to each of which is pivoted a respective latch bracket 18 having a U shaped cross section. Two legs of the U shaped cross section latch bracket straddle a strut 20, and extend beyond the lower wall of the strut, having a roller 21 (Fig. 5) extending between them, which said roller 21 engages the lower strut wall to limit relative movement between the latch bracket and the strut.

The end of the strut is pivotally mounted to the structure which supports the frame by a pivot 22.

The latch bracket 18 is provided with a tongue 24 which extends downwardly with a forward rake, and the tongue is arranged to slide over a cam face 25 into an aperture 26 and within the strut so as to engage an edge which defines the latching aperture 26 in the upper wall of the strut. Desirably there are a number of such apertures. The cam face 25 provides a latch bracket follow surface which leads the tongue 24 of the latch bracket 18 into engagement with the latching aperture 26.

The latch bracket 18 is also provided with an aperture in its upper wall through which passes a lifting cord 28, there being two such latch brackets one on each side of the assembly and two lifting cords, the arrangement being such that by applying tension to the lifting cords simultaneously both latch brackets are lifted, but since the tongue of each latch bracket has a forward rake, it cannot be so lifted until such time as the swinging end of the frame is also lifted above its outwardly extending position of Figs.1,2, 4 and 5. This inhibits accidental release of the latch bracket, but even in the event that release takes place, it necessarily takes place when there is still some relative sliding movement of the latch bracket with respect to the strut such as will cause reengagement of the tongue.By utilising a plurality of apertures in the latch bracket, there is provided a safety lock arrangement, and by having the bracket follow surfaces to the locking apertures in the upper wall of the strut, there is little likelihood of the latch bracket having insufficient time to "follow" the cam face down into the engagement position of the tongue.

In most embodiments, the dimensions of the latch bracket are such that its weight is sufficient to cause engagement with the tongue, but in other embodiments use is made of a spring extending between the pivot bolt and the latch bracket, the frame side The drawing(s) originally filed was/were informal and the print here reproduced is taken from a later filed formal copy.

member and the latch bracket, orthe latch bracket and the undersurface of the strut to assist in causing engagement of the tongue in the respective aperture. Stop means are provided at the ends of the struts to preventthe struts becoming disengaged from the latch brackets.

Claims

1. Mounting means for mounting a cantilever frame on support means, comprising: pivots connecting the frame near one of its ends to the support means so that the frame can alternatively depend from the support means or be raised to an outwardly extending position, a strut assembly extending between the support means and the cantilever frame, the strut assembly comprising a strut pivoted to the support means, a latch bracket slidably engaged by the strut, and pivot means mounting the latch bracket on the cantilever frame for pivotal movement, edges defining a latching aperture in the strut engageable by pivotal movement of the latch bracket when the frame extends outwardly from the support, and latch release means coupled to the latch bracket and operable to pivotthe latch bracket outwardly from the latching aperture.

2. Mounting means according to claim 1 wherein said latching aperture is in a wall of said strut, and said wall includes, a cam surface adjacent one said edge of the latching aperture which slopes with respect to the remainder of said wall and provides a latch bracketfollow surface which leads the latch bracket into said engagement with the latching aperture upon lowering of the frame from a high level back to its outwardly extending position.

3. Mounting means according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said latch bracket comprises a ton gue which releasably enters said latching aperture upon engagement of the latch bracket with the strut.

4. Mounting means according to claim 3 wherein said strut slidably engages surfaces of said latch brac ket and is guided for movement thereby.

5. Mounting means according to claim 4 wherein said latch bracket comprises a roller which engages surface of said strut.

6. Mounting means according to any preceding claim wherein said latch release means comprise a lifting cord secured at one end to said latch bracket.

7. Mounting means according to any preceding claim wherein said frame is rectangular, and wherein there are two said strut assemblies, one between the mounting means and each respective side of two opposite sides of the frame.

8. Mounting means substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.