GB2261907A - Manually operable lock for trucks,wagons and contai ners - Google Patents

Abstract

A locking device for a door of a load compartment of a vehicle or container is provided on an edge of the door and includes a support structure 1 on which are mounted an operating lever 2, a slider 10 carrying a locking bolt 12, 13 and a link 6 connecting the lever to the slider. The slider carries a laterally projecting locking bolt 12, 13 and/or an axially projecting locking boll for co-operation releasably with a bolt-receiving unit securing the door. A spring 22 urges the bolt slider towards the lever thus urging the lever into its pivoted out, unfastened position. A bent spring catch 8 engages the pin 4 connecting the lever to the link (as shown by dotted lines in fig. 7) and offers a number of 'rest' positions for the handle during opening, where the force of spring 22 is resisted. This prevents the lever flying out uncontrollably. <IMAGE>

Description

- 1 MANUALLY OPERABLE LOCK FOR TRUCKS, WAGONS AND CONTAINERS The invention

concerns a manually operable lock for trucks, wagons and containers designed to keep releasable loading doors thereof in the "closed" position.

There are locks in existence fitted into the hollow, metal structures on the closing edges of truck wagon doors and designed to hold adjacent sides together so that the fold- down type for example can be held in the closed position.

Such locks consist of a U-shaped container where the connection is housed, which contains an operating lever that is rotated and hinged at the end that goes between the above-mentioned U-shaped structure and the metal structure that holds it in place; a single position spring strip which determines the "closed" position of the structure; a slider made of stamped plate which is connected to the operating lever with a crank at one end, and shaped at the other end so as to move the longitudinally placed pin which acts as the bolt for the lock.

This type of lock is quite complicated from the point of view of construction as it involves, not only U-shaped structure, with guiding holes and curved parts, but also the slider with its holes, shaped and bent parts, in addition to the fact that, when the lock is in the open position, the bottom of the pin or bolt soldered to it is visible giving an unattractive appearance.

A further disadvantage is that the lock is structured in such a way that the pin or bolt can work only in lengthwise direction, allowing only the connection of parts aligned in the same direction as that of the slider of the lock, and so limits the way in which adjacent sides can be held together, and this means the vehicle container manufacturer is required to fix the IIUII shaped structure that contains the joint with rivets or by soldering it to the structure that goes on the closing edge of door panels, and to provide it with a window through which the lock joint's operating lever is reached. A final disadvantage of existing locks is that the form of the spring strip permits only a single stable position for the operating lever that corresponds to the closed position so that, when being opened, if the lever is not gripped firmly the constant thrust of the coil spring towards the open position could cause it to slip and injure the person who takes hold of it in order to operate the lock.

There is a need for a lock suitable to be incorporated and held in the joint inside the hollow, metal structures that can be fitted onto the closing edge of the doors or opening flaps of trucks and wagons, that is simple to construct and of low cost, that is able to join together elements that are aligned in the same direction as the sliding rod in the lock, as well as adjacent elements thus meeting with different types of constructive requirements.

According to this invention there is provided a manually operable lock for releasably holding a door of a truck, wagon or other container in a closed position, comprising a support structure, a slider mounted for sliding movement in the support structure and carrying a locking pin or bolt projecting either lengthwise or transversely with respect to the direction of said sliding movement, an operating lever pivotally mounted on the support structure and linked to the slider by a crank thereby to actuate sliding movement of the slider, a spring catch mounted on the support structure and adapted to retain the lever in any one of a plurality of positions in its operating movement, and a spring acting on the slider and urging the slider towards the operating lever.

According to a preferred feature of the invention, the lock is structured in a way to make safe the operation of the lever that moves the lock from the "closed" to the "open" position and vice-versa, without endangering the operator using this lock, also, when required, it can be perfected by safety devices designed to prevent the lock from opening, that is devices that would keep the doors or flaps in the closed or half-open position where there is a load weighed against them that would make them swing open violently. This would endanger the operator when he/she activates the lock that lacks this device or improvement without paying particular attention to what he/she is doing which could lead to the risk of the force of load making the sides and/or the load strike the operator who has just opened the lock. In preferred constructions provision is made for the adjustment of the coupling action in order to allow the regulation of the pressure between the closed sides and so prevent noisy vibrations. The lock is preferably designed to be housed inside a structure that can go on the closing edge of the doors, and which serves as a container and guide for its sliding movement, and to which the operating lever is attached at one end using suitable means, and a stopper cap, held firm with rivets or equivalent means.

In preferred embodiments the spring is a compression spring located-between the stopper cap and the head of the slider so that the operating lever, when in its working position, remains stable and is unchanged by the mere vibrations to which it can be submitted when the vehicle is in motion.

In a version of the lock designed to prevent - 4 the doors from opening when the load inside the container is weighed against the doors, the means by which the operating lever is connected to the containing structure would, ideally, require the use of a journal in the lever whose ends run along two slits in the hollow, metal structure where it is housed and supported, held in its normal working position by resistant, flexible means; whilst the lock's coupling pin is designed to have an adjustable projection and a unit is provided to which the pin is releasably coupled, the unit having a slot, along which the pin slides and which is designed in such a way as to prevent the pin from sliding when the door is pushed towards an open position by the load inside the container.

With the lock that has been perfected in this way, the open position can be reached (allowing the doors to swing open), only when the load does not exert any pressure on these doors, or when the operator intervenes from outside with a force on the doors that is, at least, equivalent to the opposing force made by the load. In these circumstances the lock can be operated as if the force of the load on the door did not exist in any case, providing the operator is careful about the operation he is carrying out and that he is able to control the opening movement of the sides, neither he, nor the load, is in danger.

If the operator fails to push the doors, or if his force fails to equal that of the load, in these circumstances, if the doors were to open, the operator would find himself in danger because he would not be able to control the doors as they swing open.

The lock has been perfected by the addition of parts which are designed to stop the doors from opening in cases when the load pushes them open and particularly when, although the load exerts a moderate force, the operator working the lever is distracted and does not attempt to hold back the doors he is opening; and lastly when the operator, in spite of his pushing the doors towards the closed position, is not able to equal the force of the load with his own strength.

Under these sets of circumstances, the rotation of the operating lever in the lock towards the open position is not able to make the coupling pin reach the "open" position, even though the journal inside the operating lever lifts, thus counteracting the force of the resistant, flexible means which normally keep it in its normal, working position.

The operation of the controlling lever therefore, in the case of force of the load exceeding that of the operator, determines the lifting of journal in the lever whose movement is blocked by resistant flexible means such as a retention spring, while the coupling pin stays in position in the slit (where it would normally run along) and does not reach the position that would allow the doors to swing open, thus avoiding any danger to the operator.

With regard to the anti-vibratory device, the lock is Preferably equipped with either a coupling pin whose protrusion is adjustable, or a spring which, in its resting position provokes a variable elasticity in the distance between the coupling pin and the part alongside it, or both an adjustable pin and a spring, to counteract any wear on the touching parts and to keep the pressure between the doors constant, and thus nullifying the friction that would otherwise develop between these parts and so preventing any vibration of the doors at their point of contact.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference by way of example to the accompanying drawings in which:

6 - Figure 1 is the side view of a lock according to the invention, shown in an open position; Figure 2 is a plan view of the lock shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an exploded view of some of the components of the lock of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a view of the assembled components shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 of a 10 modified construction,; Figure 6 corresponds to Figure 5 but shows also the provision of a transverse coupling pin; - Figure 7 shows part of Figure 1 on an enlarged scale; Figure 8 is a side view similar to Figure 1 of a modified lock according to the invention equipped with means for preventing the opening of the doors when under weight of the load; Figure 9 is a plan view of the lock joint shown in Figure 8, but with a co-operating unit designed to fit in a second metal structure (e.g. another door) to be coupled with the first using the coupling pin; Figure 10 is a front view of the unit shown in Figure 9; Figure 11 shows front and side views of a modified form of the unit of Figures 9 and 10; and Figure 12 is an exploded transverse sectional view illustrating a modification of the lock of Figure 8.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, 1 represents the structure inside which the lock is housed; 2 is an actuating lever, 3 is the pin that connects the lever to the structure 1; 4 is a pin that connects the lever 2 to a crank comprising two shaped plates 5 and 6.

A restraining spring 7 has its base anchored to the structure 1 and has a projecting part 8 which is notched to provide stable locating positions for the operating lever 2 corresponding to the closed or semi-closed state when the lever is turned from the open position to the closed position and vice-versa. A pin 9 connects the crank 5, 6 to a slider 10, shown as having a "U" shape in Figures 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 and a reticular structure in Figures 9 and 12. The slider 10, has, near its top, a transverse hole 11 which receives a locking pin 12 having a head 13. The head 13 protrudes sideways from the slider 10 through a hole in the structure 1 and it is suitable, with its longitudinal sliding action, for the bringing together of adjacent parts.

The pin 12, in certain cases, may protrude from both sides of the sliding rod 10 to link up with and unlink both sides of the structure 1 which contains the lock and in Figures 9 and 12, the projection is adjustable.

In the arrangements shown in Figures 1 to 6, the slider 10 has at its end 20 remote from the crank a hole 15, with a protruding boss 17. One end of a locking bolt 16 is secured in hole 15. Boss 17 facilitates the anchoring of the locking bolt 16, where provided, and in conjunction with a recess 24 in a stopper cap 21 locates a compression spring 22, which constantly loads the lock. In the version represented in Figures 1, 2 and 7, the cap 21, is fixed on the structure 1. Cap 21 and pin 3 together constitute the fixed points of the lock.

Cap 21 is equipped with means of anchoring it to the structure 1, consisting of rivet holes 23 and rivets which fix it firmly to the structure 1, or, as shown in Figure 8, with teeth 32, made by shearing and bending parts of the structure 1 and inserting it in corresponding nicks in the cap 21, so as to prevent them from separating.

Finally, when the pin 16 is present, the cap 21 is equipped with an axial hole 25 which allows the 5 pin to slide through and keeps it in place.

As shown in Figure 5, the locking pin 12 may be omitted and the locking action obtained by way of the locking bolt 16. In the arrangement of Figure 6, pin 12 and bolt 16 are both employed.

In the versions of the lock shown in Figures 8 to 12, a tension spring 40 is anchored at one end to the structure 1 by means of a pin 41, and at its other end is. attached to a journal element carrying the pin 3 which the spring holds in its normal, working position. Slots 42 are provided in the structure 1 along which the ends of the said journal slide when the lever cannot be turned to the "open" position because it is impeded by, for example, a load resting against the doors.

In the reticular slider 10, the cavities in which to reduce its weight, the number 11 represents the transverse hole which is designed, in one case, to be coupled with a pin 12 having a coupling head 13 which projects to a variable extent from the side of the slider 10, via a suitable hole in the structure 1, which, with its lengthways sliding movement, is ideal to be coupled with the shaped boss 30, or with another suitable piece fixed on the other side. In this case the hole 11 is screw-threaded and the slider 10 and the pin and/or the structures of the two threaded parts to be coupled'would be made of a material that would easily permit pin 12 to be adjustably screwed into the hole 11, so that the pin 12 would stay in any selected position, in spite of repeated adjustments. For example steel, nylon or other recognised combinations could be used as well as a tough material for the threaded parts 9 that could be coupled with other known materials.

In another form of construction, the hole 11 houses the shank of a coupling pin 48 (Figure 12) which has flexible movement due to a spring 50. The slider in this version has a moulded top and, in the example shown in Figure 9, has a boss 31, used to locate the spring 22 to keep the lock under constant tension between the slider 10 and the recess 24 in the inside of the cap 21.

The coupling unit 30, shown in Figures 9 and has an access recess 35 which, when the lock is open, allows the side panel on which it is fixed, to swing open, uncoupling itself from the pin 12, 13 on the lock. This recess opens to an elongate slot 36 to allow the coupling pin 12 to run along it to reach the closed position. In the slot 36 there is the safety notch 37 into which the pin 12 is drawn when, on opening, it leaves the closed position and there is a load set against the door panels to which the device 30 is fixed.

In the version shown in Figures 9 and 10 the unit 30 is also equipped with a cavity 38 which receives a spring 39 serving to distance the device 30 from the head 13 of the pin, in this way acting as a flexible element designed to keep the sides together with uniform pressure and prevent them vibrating even when the touching parts, with use, begin to wear.

In the example in Figure 11 however, the coupling unit is a forked structure with an opening 36 and notches 37, as well as anchorage holes 45; it has a box shape with lower sections 46 and 49 designed to keep the opening 36 raised from the surface of the unit to which it is anchored via the holes 45, so as to allow the head 13 of the coupling pin to run behind the opening 36.

The opening 36, which is normally set in an - 10 uneven surface with a sloping recess 51 located next to the closed position so that the coupling pin's head 13 when in that position, undergoes maximum pulling force and the coupled components are forced together.

When assembling the lock and the structure 1, normally made of extruded aluminium, first the spring strip 7 is fixed in place, then the operating lever 2 is mounted in the structure 1 with the pin 3 as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 7 which would preferably have moulded ends to fix it in place and prevent it from rotating inside the section 1 which would otherwise cause, in time, the points of contact to wear away, and so the operation of the lever 2 would cause damage.

In the version shown in Figures 8 and 9, however, the ends of the pin 3 are fitted into slots 42 and its centre is connected to the spring 40, the other end of which is anchored to the fixed structure by the shaft 41 as previously described. Then the pin, the spring 22 and finally the cap 21 are fitted into place.

Spring 40, is proportioned so that it holds the pin 3 stationary in the slots 42, on the rotation of the lever 2, when there is no weight loaded against the door flaps of the vehicle container, or when the consequent force pushing them open is less than a predetermined value. It is, however of a strength such that it will lengthen allowing the pin 3 to move when the force needed to turn the lever 2 to the open position is equivalent to, or exceeds the said value indicating the presence of strain transmitted by the load on the doors, which would be a source of danger if the lock opened in its usual way.

The two slots 42 on the fixed structure 1 are proportioned so that the pin 3 can slide when the slider 10 is blocked and the lever 2 is turned, at least, from the position in which the coupling pin 12 is in the widened sections 37 of the device 30, to the open position. When a load is acting against the doors of the vehicle container which means they should not open, the lock initially operates to let the coupling pin 12 run from the "closed" position as far as the safety notch 37 into which the pin moves pushed by the load and therefore the opening flaps or doors swing open slightly. Then, by continuing to turn the operating lever in order to move the lock to the "open" position, the coupling pin 12 has to first go back along the opening 36 thus taking the doors back towards the "closed" position, which requires a force superior to the opposing weight of the load, and then the pin has to proceed to the "open" position, which corresponds to the access cavity 35 of the unit 30 in Figures 9 and 10, and to the external part of the opening 36 in the example shown in Figure 11.

When a load is acting against the doors of the container, the operation of the lever 2, instead of moving the coupling pin along the hole 36 to the open position, makes the pin 3 slide along inside the slots 42, thus preventing the lock from being opened. In the versions shown in Figures 1 and 8, the pin 3, when working normally, is positioned so that when the lever 2 is rotated, the pin 4, or its central part, interacts with the shaped projecting part 8 of the flat spring 7 so that the latter bends and creates two or more positions; positions in which the lever 2 is held in place by the spring 7, in spite of the strain set by the spring 22.

In this way the operator can take hold of the lever 2 housed in the structure 1 and then can pull it out from its first stable position. Then, when the second, stable position has been reached and the lever 2 has its end protruding from the structure 1, the operator can release the lever and, taking a better grip, move it, under control, towards the open position.

The second, stable position therefore allows one momentarily to let go of the lever 2 and get a good grip of it, without the risk of the spring 22 pushing it abruptly into the open position in which the lever could strike the operator.

The slider 10, when the lock is operated, runs along inside the structure 1 where it is contained. The latter is a tubular structure with an opening in the part in which the lever and connecting crank work. For economic reasons, the crank is best made from two shaped plates 5 and 6.

The slider 10, referred to above, is also usually made by stamping and bending a flat bar into a U-shape, and in one case, has a hole with a protruding boss 17 at the end which offers a variety of advantages. In fact, when using the coupling pin 12 without adjusting it, in the hole 15, it would be possible to invisibly solder the pin 12 to the end 20 of the slider 10. If the pin 16 is used, the boss 15 can be used to hold the base of the pin 16 which would be soldered into place. Lastly, the boss 17 is a means of positioning and guiding the bottom of the thrust spring 22.

In the version where the coupling pin 12 is adjustable. it is attached to the slider 10, there are two possibilities. In one case the head 13 is shaped and/or indented so that it can be screwed and unscrewed to allow its projection from the sliding rod 10 to be adjusted.

In another, the coupling pin 48, which spans the hole 11 in the slider 10, is joined to a nut 51, or equivalent regulatory means, at the end, which creates the resting position, and is equipped with a spring 50 used to permit flexible variations in its projection.

Finally, the arrangement may include a spring 13 - or springs which complement either the device 30, or pin 12, 13 or 48, and which, when in the coupled position, distance these parts in order to keep the two sides close together and under uniform pressure and to prevent them from vibrating noisily against each other.

The sliding movement of the pin 12, and 48 is obstructed, when a load is acting against the doors preventing them from reaching the "open" position following the interrupted action of the operator, due to the coupling piece 30 which is fixed onto the side to be closed with the door that has parts 2, 5, 6, 10 and means and/or shaped parts that can prevent the normal running of the coupling pin. In these circumstances, in order to open the lock, the operator would have to get into/onto the container and move the load, removing, or at least, lightening the load against the doors. The devices described can be utilized on vehicle container with one door, with more doors, or two sets of doors held together by the lock, when in the closed position, or it can be used in the case of fixed door studs which stand free of the doors and by which the doors are held together.

The lock in question described above, is structurally simple, cheap and can work in different ways, that is with the single, transverse pin 12, with the single longitudinal pin 16 or with both at the same time, in this way enabling the constructors of wagons or containers for vehicles to position the doors to be brought together in different ways.

Claims (12)

1. A manually operable lock for releasably holding a door of a truck, wagon or other container in a closed position, comprising a support structure, a slider mounted for sliding movement in the support structure and carrying a locking pin or bolt projecting either lengthwise or transversely with respect to the direction of said sliding movement, an operating lever pivotally mounted on the support structure and linked to the slider by a crank thereby to actuate sliding movement of the slider, a spring catch mounted on the support structure and adapted to retain the lever in any one of a plurality of positions in its operating movement, and a spring acting on the slider and urging the slider towards the operating lever.
2. 2. A lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fulcrum of said lever is provided by a pivot pin which is mounted on the support structure for sliding movement in the directions of sliding movement of the slider, and wherein a spring acting on the pivot pin urges the pivot pin to one extremity of its sliding movement.
3. 3. A lock as claimed in claim 2, wherein the spring acting on the pivot pin has a spring force selected to hold the pivot pin at said extremity of its sliding movement but to be overcome when resistance to release sliding movement of the slider by the operating lever exceeds a predetermined value.
4. 4. A lock as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the slider is U-shaped having two side limbs extending the direction of its sliding movement and an end portion disposed remote from the crank and interconnecting said side limbs.
5. 5- A lock as claimed in claim 4 wherein said pin is located adjacent said end portion in apertures in k T said side limbs, and projects laterally on one or both sides of the slider.
6. 6. A lock as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a locking bolt is secured to the end of the slider remote from the operating lever and projects in the direction of said sliding movement and away from the lever.
7. 7. A lock as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said spring acting on the slider is a compression spring seated against a cap secured to the support structure in axial alignment with the slider.
8. 8. In combination, a lock as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 and a co-operating unit adapted to receive releasably a said laterally projecting locking pin, said unit having a slot extending parallel to said direction of sliding movement, the locking pin having a head and the slot being undercut to retain said head.
9. 9. The combination claimed in claim 8, wherein said slot has a notch in its length in which the head of the locking pin can become releasably lodged.
10. 10. The combination claimed in claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the extent to which the locking pin projects is adjustable.
11. 11. The combination claimed in any one of claims 8 to 10 including spring means for resiliently loading the lock and said unit towards each other.
12. 12. A lock substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, or in Figures 1 to 4 as modified by Figure 5 or by Figure 6, or in Figures 8 to 10, or in Figures 8 to 10 as modified by Figure 9 of the accompanying drawings.