GB2252123A

GB2252123A - Detachable panel unit

Info

Publication number: GB2252123A
Application number: GB9027697A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jeffrey Alan Moore
Original assignee: Pickersgill-Kaye Ltd; Pickersgill Kaye Ltd
Current assignee: Pickersgill-Kaye Ltd; Pickersgill Kaye Ltd
Priority date: 1990-12-20
Filing date: 1990-12-20
Publication date: 1992-07-29
Anticipated expiration: 2010-12-20
Also published as: GB2252123B; GB9027697D0

Abstract

A panel unit for an emergency brake actuator mounted in a recess in a wall of a railway carriage has a catch mechanism 10 at the rear of the panel 2 for holding the panel unit in place in the wall 1, means for movably attaching the catch mechanism 10 to the panel, and an operating lever 3 for the emergency brake, accessible from the front of the panel. The panel has an aperture 6 allowing the insertion of a suitable tool from the front side of the panel to move the catch mechanism 10 out of engagement with the wall so that the panel can be pivoted out for repair purposes. The aperture 6 is located in the recess 20 for the operating lever so that when the operating lever 3 is closed it obscures the aperture but when open it exposes it. This means that no one can tamper with the panel unit without first setting off the emergency brake. The lever 3 can also be connected to an alarm. <IMAGE>

Description

PANEL UNIT The invention is concerned with a panel unit having a catch mechanism, and particularly to such a unit including an operating lever such as is used on trains for operating an emergency brake or emergency signalling device.

Panel units of this kind are generally mounted in the wall of a carriage at a convenient location so that the lever can be pulled in case of an emergency. For maintenance of the unit, e.g. to replace the switch, it is generally necessary to have access to the rear of the panel; the unit is therefore generally held in place by at least one screw so that it can be removed from the wall. Most conveniently the unit is hinged along its top edge and held in place by a screw in the vicinity of the bottom edge.

While such arrangements are in principle satisfactory, they are vulnerable to those members of the public who consider that anything removable is a legitimate target, and it is frequently found that the screws are removed from the units, exposing the units to possible damage; in addition, of course, replacement screws must be fitted.

It is therefore an object of the invention to make possible a brake lever unit which in use displays no visible fitting.

According to the invention this is achieved by the provision of a panel unit to be releasably mounted in a recess in a wall, including: a catch mechanism for holding the panel unit in place in the wall, and a means for movably attaching the catch mechanism to the panel, the panel having an aperture allowing the insertion of a suitable tool from the front side of the panel to move the catch mechanism out of engagement with the wall.

The movability of the catch may be brought about by virtue of its being displaceably attached to the panel, so that a suitable implement, such as a screwdriver, can be used to slide the retaining means away from the edge of the wall aperture. Most simply, however, the attachment means is a pivot mount on the panel, the retaining means being to one side of the pivot and the catch mechanism being provided with a bearing surface on the other side, so that the tool can be inserted and pressed against the bearing surface, pivoting the catch mechanism so that the retaining means rides clear of the wall edge. The retaining means may advantageously be a simple spring-loaded pin in the catch mechanism.

A panel having a catch mechanism in accordance with the invention may be held in place along one edge of the panel - generally the top edge - by a hinge, as is known, the catch mechanism being mounted on the rear face of the panel near the edge opposite the hinge.

The panel will then be held securely in the wall and the only feature visible from outside will be an aperture for access to the catch mechanism. This in itself is an advantage as there will be no protruding features such as bolt heads.

In addition to the above, a particularly advantageous feature appears when the catch mechanism is used for panels having a moving part on their front face, such as are used for emergency brakes or signals.

Such panels include a lever, generally itself plateshaped, which pivots out of the panel to actuate the brake or signal. As it does so it will generally expose a surface or shoulder in the panel which was previously inaccessible. It is therefore possible according to preferred embodiments of the invention to locate the access aperture in such a surface or shoulder of the panel, so that the tool can only be inserted in the aperture, and hence the catch can only be displaced from its securing position, when the lever has been operated. The panel is then particularly secure against tampering since it can only be opened after operating the emergency lever, and since there is usually a fine for doing this without good cause, casual tampering with the brake lever panel, even by those who are aware of the existence of the access aperture, will be eliminated.

For a better understanding of the invention a specific example will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig.l is a view on an emergency lever panel mounted in a wall, representing one embodiment of the invention; Fig.2 is a similar view showing the panel with the lever operated and a screwdriver inserted for opening the catch; Fig.3 is a rear view on the panel with the catch shut; and Fig.4 is a rear view showing the screwdriver opening the catch.

The interior wall 1 of the railway carriage has a recess accommodating the panel 2 which is of generally rectangular shape. The outer rim of the panel is slightly larger than the recess so as to present a flange abutting against the wall when the panel is in its position during normal use. The panel includes a recess 20, also rectangular, in which the emergency brake lever 3 is located. The emergency brake lever is generally plate-shaped, having a surface flush with that of the panel. Its width matches that of the recess 20 but its length is somewhat shorter so as to afford a space for gripping the lever. The lever has a reset mechanism 4 which allows the lever to be reset once set off, by insertion of a special key.

The lever is shown in its post-operation position in Figure 2. As can be seen, it pivots about a horizontal axis a short distance above its lower edge so that the top edge of the lever can be pulled outwards by the user. As the top edge of the lever travels out of the plane of the panel the lower edge travels into this plane. Facing the lower edge of the lever 3 is a shoulder 5 of the panel, a part of which is exposed when the lever pivots. In accordance with the invention the shoulder 5 has an aperture 6 in the exposed portion. This aperture allows access to the rear face of the panel, on which are located the catch mechanism and the alarm switch. The aperture is of a size such that an ordinary screwdriver 7 can be passed through it to release the catch, as described below.

Figure 3 shows the panel from the rear in the inactivated position of the lever. A part of the lever 3 with the reset mechanism 4 is visible, as are the alarm switch 18 and the catch mechanism 10 of the invention. The switch mechanism 18, activated when the lever 2 is pulled, may be of conventional construction.

The catch 10 consists of a body 11 mounted on a pivot 12 which may be a simple screw as shown. The catch is biased by a spring 15 into its working position, as shown, in which it holds the panel plate against the wall 1. This it does by means of a pin 13, itself spring-loaded, which engages behind a reinforcement 14 of the wall at the edge of the wall opening in which the panel 2 is located.

Figure 4 shows how the panel can be opened in order to gain access to the rear of the panel from the carriage interior. A suitable generally rod-shaped instrument 7, such as a screwdriver, is inserted through the aperture 6 shown in Figure 2 and is guided via a channel 17 incorporated in the panel towards a depression 16 in the upper surface of the body 11. The channel 17, and hence the orientation of the screwdriver 7, is inclined at a small angle to the plane of the panel so that the action of the screwdriver is substantially parallel to the plane of the panel. The depression 16 is located in a bearing surface of the body opposite the pin 13 with respect to the pivot 12, i.e. angularly displaced around the pivot point from that pin. Thus, as pressure is applied to the screwdriver, the entire catch mechanism 10 pivots about the screw 12.This pivot movement lifts the pin 13 clear of the reinforcement plate 14, leaving the panel free to be swung out on a hinge (not shown) along its upper edge for examination or replacement of the switch 15 or for access to any other equipment behind the panel. The panel can subsequently be swung back into position and re-engages by means of the springloaded pin 13, and the lever can be reset by operation of the reset mechanism using a suitable key into the position shown in Figure 1.

It can be seen that when the lever is in its inactivated position, as shown in Figure 1, the surface of the panel is virtually flush with the wall, apart from the recess 20 for gripping the lever. No fastening means are visible from the interior of the carriage and it is not possible to open the panel. The only way this can be done is to set off the lever 3 so as to expose the aperture 6. This of course sets off the alarm or actuates the emergency brake, depending on the nature of the switch 18. This effectively prevents casual tampering with the panel; during maintenance, however, it is of no consequence that the switch is activated.

In the embodiment shown the catch mechanism operates by pivoting, and this is convenient since the only action necessary to operate it is to apply pressure to the screwdriver once inserted. However, other lever arrangements could be envisaged, for instance so as to slide the catch mechanism and release the panel; alternatively the catch mechanism could be displaced by suitable direct movement of the screwdriver; this would not normally be so useful since it would make it more difficult to operate.

Clearly the movable catch mechanism could be of use in closing panels, doors and so on or in other circumstances than where the panel includes an alarm lever, provided that the panel has an aperture allowing access from the side opposite the catch for actuating the catch so as to open the panel. If security is a problem, as is the case in applications in public transport, the aperture should be closed or occluded by some suitable means, and in the embodiment described above this is preferably a moving part which is in any case present on the panel itself, the aperture being exposed only when the moving part is operated.

In the embodiment shown the pin 13 is itself spring-loaded, the restoring force of the spring being considerably less than that of the spring 15 biasing the catch body 11 itself, so that when the panel is closed it is the pin which moves, rather than the catch body. However, it would be conceivable to use a fixed pin or retainer, the catch body itself pivoting on closure of the panel.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A panel unit to be releasably mounted in a recess in a wall, including: a catch mechanism at the rear of the panel for holding the panel unit in place in the wall, means for movably attaching the catch mechanism to the panel, and an operating member accessible from the front of the panel, the panel having an aperture allowing the insertion of a suitable tool from the front side of the panel to move the catch mechanism out of engagement with the wall; wherein the operating member in one position obscures the aperture and in another position exposes it.

2. A panel unit according to claim 1, in which the operating member is a plate-shaped lever which pivots out of the panel upon operation.

3. A panel unit according to claim 2, in which the said pivoting exposes a surface or shoulder in the panel in which the aperture is located.

4. A panel unit according to any preceding claim, in which the attachment means for the catch is a pivot mount on the panel, the catch having a retaining means to one side of the pivot and being provided with a bearing surface on the other side against which the tool can be pressed so as to pivot the catch mechanism and move the retaining means clear of the wall edge.

5. A panel unit according to claim 4, in which the retaining means is a spring-loaded pin mounted in the catch mechanism.

6. A wall fitted with a panel unit according to any preceding claim, in which the panel is held in place on the wall along one edge of the panel by a hinge, the catch mechanism being mounted on the rear face of the panel near the edge opposite the hinge.

7. A panel unit substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.