RU2568857C2 - Tongs for locking rings - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: machine building.

SUBSTANCE: tongs include lock element having top shoulder to lift the resilient plate with inclination, at that one end of the resilient plate is secured on the shoulder, and second end of the resilient plate is bent inside to create hook on part passing through the hole in the channel. One side of the lock element is equipped with limiting element having flat flange, passing above the top surface of the lock element. The internal surface of the flat flange is made with bottom projecting stopper, located at distance from the resilient plate. The resilient plate has the bottom shoulder corresponding to the top shoulder of the lock element. The top shoulder is made with possibility of location against the bottom shoulder in inoperative position.

EFFECT: improved design of the lock tongs.

3 cl, 15 dwg

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Technical field

The invention relates to tongs for circlips and, in particular, to tongs for circlips provided with a locking element that operates in a labor-saving flexible manner.

Description of the prior art

The circlip is in the shape of letter C and is used to hold elements (such as bearings or shafts) in the hole. The snap ring itself has a certain elasticity for tension and compression. To install the snap ring in the required part, special tongs are needed to compress or stretch the snap ring to position the snap ring in the product. Regarding traditional retainer ring forceps, the user grips the two forceps handles to act on the retainer ring. The gripping elements of the tongs of the forceps open or close to expand or contract the retaining ring. The action is driven by the user's feeling. In other words, when the retaining ring is compressed or stretched with a predetermined degree of deformation, the user must accurately control the applied force. If the control is not suitable, the snap ring may fall out before installation. The accumulated energy of elastic deformation of the deformed retaining ring can cause the retaining ring to fly out, hit and cause damage to the person who holds the retaining ring tongs.

Applicant has invented snap ring tongs described in Taiwan Utility Model No. M409924 (US Pat. No. 8347471) that overcome the disadvantages of snap ring tongs known in the art. The operation of the lock ring tongs becomes convenient and safe to use. For stable and durable engagement of the engaging portion of the elastic plate with teeth, a thick elastic plate is required.

However, the action of retaining the elastic plate with the locking element at the top requires a lot of effort. In the case of using a thin elastic plate, the engaging part cannot be pressed or limited, thereby causing the hopping part to suddenly pop out or out of engagement. Thus, there is still a need for improvement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the present invention is the provision of forceps for the locking rings containing a pair of levers, the first and second, which are pivotally mounted together on the axis of the hinge. The first lever comprises a first sponge and a first handle. The second lever contains a second sponge and a second handle. The first gripping element protrudes from the free end of the first sponge. The second gripping element protrudes from the free end of the second sponge. A torsion spring is provided next to the hinge axis between the first and second handle. By means of a torsion spring, the first and second handles are actuated for breeding and mixing of the first and second gripping elements.

A curved ratchet rail has one end fixed to the free end of the second handle and a second end located in close proximity to the free end of the first handle. The sliding element is fixedly attached to the free end of the first handle and is adapted to move along the ratchet rail. The sliding element contains an internal channel passing through it, with the second end of the ratchet rail located in it in the idle position of the tongs. The ratchet rail can move through the channel in the working position. The sliding element has a hole at its front end and a protrusion at the rear. The protrusion is pivotally connected to the movable locking element, and the elastic plate is fixed on the protrusion. The locking element has an upper protrusion for raising the elastic plate at an angle. One end of the elastic plate is attached to the protrusion, and the second end of the elastic plate is bent inward to form an engaging portion passing through the hole in the channel. One side of the locking element is provided with a restrictive element. The restriction element has a flat shelf extending above the surface of the locking element. The inner surface of the flat shelf is made with a lower protruding stopper, which is located at a distance from the elastic plate. The elastic plate has a lower protrusion corresponding to the upper protrusion of the locking element. The upper protrusion is held opposite the lower protrusion in the idle position. If the upper protrusion of the locking element is held opposite the lower protrusion of the elastic plate to raise the elastic plate, the hook part moves upward and the ratchet rail is not in contact with the teeth. The gripping elements of the jaws of the first and second levers can be freely actuated using the handles in order to fix the snap ring between the maximum angle and the minimum angle. After the locking ring is gripped by the gripping elements, the locking element is rotated so that the upper protrusion is retracted from the lower protrusion of the elastic plate. The hook part is lowered to enter the channel and enter into contact with the teeth of the ratchet rail. The stop of the restrictive element moves to the upper surface of the elastic plate to block the hook part from moving upward, so that the far end of the hook part interacts strongly with the teeth. Further, the user can continuously exert a force to compress the arms of the first and second levers so as to elastically deform (i.e. expand) the retaining ring. During a gradual decrease in the angle between the handles, the ratchet rail moves inward in the direction of the channel of the sliding element. The hook part of the elastic plate is pressed and deformed by the bevel of the tooth of the ratchet rail to reduce its bending angle and then return to engage the abutment surface of the next tooth, so that the ratchet rail moves stepwise in the channel. The circlip is deformed by the gripping elements. The user can stop applying force to the handles when the snap ring is firmly held by the gripping elements to lock or unlock the snap ring on the part. After completion of work, the locking element is rotated again to divert the stop of the restrictive element from the upper surface of the elastic plate to release the engaging portion. The upper protrusion is held opposite the lower protrusion of the elastic plate to raise the elastic plate at an angle, and the hook portion moves upward to disengage from the teeth of the ratchet rail. The ratchet rail is released to smoothly move back into the channel. The first and second levers are biased by a torsion spring to return. The retaining ring restores its original shape before deformation, so that the gripping elements can be freely disengaged from the retaining ring. According to the entire structure of the present invention, the locking element simply rotates to control the gripping elements to hold or relieve deformation of the locking ring. The locking element is rotated to hold the stop of the restrictive element opposite the upper surface of the elastic plate so as to block the engaging portion from moving upward, so that the elastic plate can be made of a thinner plate. The hook part is flexibly held by the teeth of the ratchet rail. The lower protrusion of the elastic plate is held by the upper protrusion of the locking element with less resistance. This improves the rotation of the locking element in a facilitating or flexible manner.

Another objective of the present invention is the provision of tongs for circlips, in which one end of the elastic plate is C-shaped to form a fastener. The mounting part is attached to the protrusion. Due to the C-shaped end, the elastic plate is more flexible for the upper protrusion of the locking element for smoothly raising or withdrawing from the lower protrusion of the elastic plate. The C-shaped end of the resilient plate has an [-shaped slot for opening part of the fastening part, so that the fastening part is attached to the protrusion by means of a fastener inserted through the slot.

The above and other objectives, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description given with the accompanying graphic materials.

A brief description of the graphic materials

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of ratchet tongs for an external type of snap ring in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein the tongs are locked inoperative with the ends of the handles spaced apart to a maximum distance.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1, where the ends of the handles are rotated closer to each other, since the handles are offset to each other by the force exerted by the hand.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. one.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1, with a locking ring gripped by the gripping elements and a locking element rotated to unlock the sliding element.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing the locked state of the locking element in the idle position of the forceps.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line C-C in FIG. 5, showing the unlocked state of the locking element, in which the sliding element is ready to move along the ratchet rail in the operating position of the forceps.

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of a sliding member and a ratchet rail in which the sliding member is unlocked.

FIG. 9 is a view similar to that of FIG. 8, where the ratchet rail moves to the left with a sliding element moving along it through the passage of the teeth.

FIG. 10 is a view similar to that of FIG. 5, showing the expansion of the retaining ring while moving the sliding element along the ratchet rail.

FIG. 11 is a view similar to that of FIG. 8, showing the locking of the engaging portion by means of a recess between the teeth at the end of the expansion ring retaining action.

FIG. 12 is a view similar to that of FIG. 10 showing the tongs in the state corresponding to FIG. eleven.

FIG. 13 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3, showing the locking of the sliding member again by the locking member as a step of releasing the support ring.

FIG. 14 is a view similar to that of FIG. 5 showing a locked sliding member and a compressed retaining ring.

FIG. 15 is a side elevational view of ratchet tongs for an internal type of snap ring in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein the tongs are locked inoperative with the ends of the handles spaced apart to a maximum distance.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown in FIG. 1-14, the snap ring tongs in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the invention comprise the following components, discussed in detail below.

A pair of levers, the first 10 and second 20, are pivotally mounted together on the hinge axis. The first lever 10 comprises a first jaw 11 and a first handle 12. The second lever 20 comprises a second jaw 21 and a second handle 22. The first gripping element 13 protrudes from the free end of the first jaw 11. The second gripping element 23 protrudes from the free end of the second jaw 21. Next to a torsion spring 30 is provided with a hinge axis between the first and second handles 12, 22. The first and second handles 12, 22 are actuated by means of the torsion spring 30 to dilute or reduce the first and second gripping elements 13, 23.

The curved ratchet rail 24 has one end fixedly attached to the free end of the second handle 22, and a second end located in close proximity to the free end of the first handle 12. The sliding member 14 is fixedly attached to the free end of the first handle 12 and is adapted to move along the ratchet rail 24, which is shown in detail below. The sliding element 14 contains an internal channel 15 passing through it, with the second end of the ratchet rail 24 located in it in the idle position of the tongs. The ratchet rail 24 can move through the channel 15 in the working position. The sliding element 14 has a hole 16 at its front end and a protrusion 17 at its rear. The protrusion 17 is pivotally connected to the movable locking element 40, and the elastic plate 50 is fixed on the protrusion 17. The locking element 40 has an upper protrusion 41 for inclined lifting of the elastic the plate 50. One end of the elastic plate 50 is attached to the protrusion 17, and the second end of the elastic plate 50 is bent inward to form a hook portion 51 passing through the hole 16 into the channel 15. One side of the locking element 40 is provided with a restrictive element 42. O the boundary element 42 has a flat shelf 420 extending above the surface of the locking element 40. The inner surface of the flat shelf 420 is made with a lower protruding stopper 421, which is located at a distance from the elastic plate 50. The elastic plate 50 has a lower protrusion 52 corresponding to the upper protrusion 41 of the locking element 40. The upper protrusion 41 is held opposite the lower protrusion 52 in the idle position. If the upper protrusion 41 of the locking element 40 is held opposite the lower protrusion 52 of the elastic plate 50 to raise the elastic plate 50, then the hook portion 51 moves upward and the ratchet rail 24 is not in contact with the teeth 240. The gripping elements 13, 23 of the jaws 11, 21 of the first and the second lever 10, 20 can be freely actuated using the handles 12, 22, in order to fix the snap ring between the maximum angle and the minimum angle.

As shown in FIG. 5, 6 and 7, after the locking ring 60 is gripped by the locking elements 60, the locking element 40 is rotated so that the upper protrusion 41 is retracted from the lower protrusion 52 of the elastic plate 50. The hook portion 51 is lowered to enter the channel 15 and enter contact with the teeth 240 of the ratchet rail 24. The stopper 421 of the restriction member 42 moves to the upper surface of the elastic plate 50 to block the hook portion 51 from moving upward, so that the distal end of the hook portion 51 is firmly engaged with the teeth 240. Further, the user can continuously It is reasonable to apply a force to compress the handles 12, 22 of the first and second levers 10, 20 so as to elastically deform (i.e. expand) the retaining ring 60.

As the angle between the handles 12, 22 decreases gradually, as shown in FIG. 9, the ratchet rail 24 moves inwardly in the direction of the channel 15 of the sliding member 14. The hook portion 51 of the elastic plate 50 is pressed and deformed by the bevel 241 of the tooth 240 of the ratchet rail 24 to reduce its bending angle and then return to engage with the abutment surface 242 of the next tooth 240, so that the ratchet rail 24 moves stepwise in the channel 15. As shown in FIG. 10, the retaining ring 60 is deformed by the gripping elements 13, 23. As shown in FIG. 10 and 11, the user can stop applying force to the arms 12, 22 when the retaining ring 60 is firmly held by the gripping elements 13, 23 to lock or unlock the retaining ring 60 on the part.

Upon completion, as shown in FIG. 12 and 13, the locking element 40 is rotated again to retract the stopper 421 of the restriction element 42 from the upper surface of the elastic plate 50 to release the engaging portion 51. The upper protrusion 41 is held opposite the lower protrusion 52 of the elastic plate 50 to raise the elastic plate 50 at an angle, and the engaging part 51 moves upward to disengage the teeth 240 of the ratchet rail 24. The ratchet rail 24 is released to smoothly move back into the channel 15. The first and second levers 10, 20 are displaced by the torsion spring 30 to return ta.

As shown in FIG. 14, the retaining ring 60 restores its original shape before deformation, so that the gripping elements 13, 23 can be freely disengaged from the retaining ring 60. In accordance with the entire construction of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 10, 11, 12 and 13, the locking element 40 simply rotates to control the gripping elements 13, 23 to hold or release the deformation of the locking ring 60. As shown in FIG. 5, 7 and 8, the locking element 40 is rotated to hold the stopper 421 of the restriction element 42 opposite the upper surface of the elastic plate 50 so as to block the engaging portion 51 from moving upward, so that the elastic plate 50 can be made of a thinner plate. As shown in FIG. 8 and 9, the hook portion 51 is flexibly held by the teeth 240 of the ratchet rail 24. As shown in FIG. 10, 11, 12 and 13, the lower protrusion 52 of the elastic plate 50 is held by the upper protrusion 41 of the locking element 40 with less resistance. This improves the rotation of the locking element 40 in a facilitating or flexible manner.

According to the foregoing embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 and 3, one end of the elastic plate has the shape of a letter C to form a fixing part 53. The fixing part 53 is attached to the protrusion 17. Due to the C-shaped end, the elastic plate 50 is more flexible. As shown in FIG. 10, 11, 12 and 13, the action for the upper protrusion 41 of the locking element 40 to raise or retract from the lower protrusion 52 of the elastic plate 50 is smoother. As shown in FIG. 1 and 3, the C-shaped end of the resilient plate 50 has an [-shaped slot 54 for opening part of the fastening part 53, so that the fastening part 53 is attached to the protrusion 17 by means of the fastening element 70 inserted through the slot 54.

According to the foregoing embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 and 3, the jaws 11, 21 of the first and second levers 10, 20 are pivotally connected side by side. As shown in FIG. 5, the gripping elements 13, 23 of the jaws 11, 21 are expanded by compressing the arms 12, 22 to expand the retaining ring 60 from the inside.

In FIG. 15 shows ratchet tongs for an internal type of snap ring in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the invention. The jaws 11A, 21A of the first and second levers 10A, 20A are pivotally interconnected. The gripping elements 13A, 23A of the jaws 11A, 21A are moved inward by compressing the arms 12A, 22A to compress the retaining ring from the outside.

Although the invention has been described by way of examples of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that the invention may be practiced with changes in the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims (3)

1. Nippers for circlips containing:
a pair of levers, the first and second, pivotally mounted together on the axis of the hinge, while the first lever contains the first sponge and the first handle, and the second lever contains the second sponge and the second handle, and the first gripping element protrudes from the free end of the first sponge, and from the free end the second jaw protrudes the second gripping element, while a torsion spring is provided next to the hinge axis between the first and second handles, while the first and second handles are actuated by means of the torsion spring Denia information and first and second gripping elements;
a curved ratchet rail having one end fixedly attached to the free end of the second handle, and a second end located in close proximity to the free end of the first handle, while a sliding element is motionlessly attached to the free end of the first handle and is movable along the ratchet rail;
a sliding element containing an internal channel passing through it, with the second end of the ratchet rail located therein in the idle position of the tongs, while the ratchet rail is movable through the channel in the working position;
a sliding element having a hole at its front end and a protrusion in its rear part, the protrusion being pivotally connected to the movable locking element, and the elastic plate is fixed on the protrusion;
a locking element having an upper protrusion for raising the elastic plate at an angle, while one end of the elastic plate is attached to the protrusion, and the second end of the elastic plate is bent inward to form a hook portion passing through the hole in the channel; and
while one side of the locking element is provided with a restrictive element, while the restrictive element has a flat shelf extending above the upper surface of the locking element, while the inner surface of the flat shelf is made with a lower protruding stopper located at a distance from the elastic plate, and the elastic plate has a lower protrusion corresponding to the upper protrusion of the locking element, while the upper protrusion is held opposite the lower protrusion in the idle position. 2. Nippers for snap rings according to claim 1, characterized in that one end of the elastic plate is C-shaped to form a fastening part, the fastening part being attached to the protrusion, the elastic plate being flexible due to the C-shaped end, is flexible for smoothly raising or moving away the upper protrusion of the locking element from the lower protrusion of the elastic plate. 3. Nippers for snap rings according to claim 2, characterized in that the C-shaped end of the elastic plate has an [-shaped slot to open part of the fastening part, the fastening part being attached to the protrusion by means of a fastening element inserted through the slot.

Images