US1188839A - Adjustable lock for hinges. - Google Patents

Description

D. E. SCHELL.

ADJUSTABLE LOCK FOR HINGES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE H, 1915.

8 1 ,1 88,839. Patented June 27, 1916.

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DELBERT E. SCHELL, 0F GALION, OHIO, ASSIGN'OR OF ONE-HALF TO HARRY B. GREIG, OF GALION, OHIO.

ADJUSTABLE LOOK FOR HINGES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 2?, 1915.

Application filed June 11, 1915. Serial No. 33,593.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Dnnsnn'r E. SoI-IELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Galion, in the county of Crawford and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Looks for Hinges, of which the following is a specification.

This invention, broadly considered, comprehends certain new and useful improvements in adjustable locking means for hinges, and relates particularly to an improved automatic ratchet device for use in connection with adjustable gates, end-gates, side-boards, stakes, loading skids and the like, for vehicles, although it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in this regard and that wherever the term end-gate is used hereinafter'in the specification as well in the claims, it is used in its broadest significance or meaning, and is intended to embrace any equivalent part.

The invention has for its primary object a simple, durable and efficient construction of device or mechanism of this character in which the parts are so formed and arranged that they may be very easily and quickly manufactured, readily assembled, and not liable to get out of order or require any attention, but will be capable of being easily operated whereby the end-gate, for example, may be quickly moved from a vertical to a more or less lowered position andheld in the desired position as required, and even more quickly raised again to a higher ele' vation or fully closed position. And the invention also aims to generally improve devices of this class so as to render them more useful and commercially desirable.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements and combinations of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawlng, in which,

Figure l is an elevation of an end-gate having my invention incorporated therewith, and Fig. 2 is a side View of the device, the parts being shown in dotted lines in diflerent positions.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and designated in all of the views of the accompanymg drawing by like reference characters.

In the present embodiment of the invention, wherein the invention is shown as used 1n connection with a vehicleend-gate, two of the ratchet devices will ordinarily be employed, but as they are substantially duplicates, a description of one will suffice for both, particularly when it is considered that in connection with stakes, for instance, the ratchet device is used singly with each stake.

Inthe drawing, the numeral 1 designates a mam supporting member or bracket which may be formed for attachment to a vehicle body in any desired way and attached thereto by any suitable fastening devices, said bracket being preferably bifurcated at one end as shown, although it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in this regard. The forked end of the bracket 1 is formed in each of its forked members and in the edge thereof with any desired number of ratchet teeth or shoulders designated 2, there being three of these in the present embodiment of the invention and being preferably connected together by beveled surfaces 3, as clearly illustrated in the drawing, and below the lowermost tooth or shoulder of the series, the edge of the bracket is preferably curved, as indicated at a.

The bracket 1 is formed with transverse apertures extending therethrough to receive a supporting rod, shaft, or pintle 5, it being understood that it is within the purview of this invention to have the two rods 5 separate and distinct from each other or as a single integral rod or shaft, as desired, and an arm 6 is pivotally mounted on and supported by the part 5, which I shall hereinafter generally term a pivot, said arm being formed with apertures or otherwise whereby it may be secured readily to the side of an end-gate or other gate, or to sideboards, stakes, standards, or skids.

7 designates the latch or pawl. This is perferably angular in transverse or horizontal section, being designed to extend partially around the arm 6 and formed with two side members connected by a transverse member or web, the latch being formed in either one or both of its side members with a longitudinal slot or slots 9 designed to reing, and a contractile spring 14 yieldingly' connects the latch to the arm as, for example, through the instrumentality of the pin 10 and movable lever and latch connection 11, or otherwise,'whereby the spring will tend to move the latch in adirection to engage the ratchet teeth or shoulders and hold the same in such engagement until released by the manual or other operation of the lever 12.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawing, the operation of my improved automatic ratchet mechanism will be apparent. In the practical use of the device, assuming for example, that two of these devices are used in connection with an end-gate which is here shown in the form of a frame, designated A, and operatively connected and supported by the arms 6 so that the same will operate simultaneously, the end-gate will be held as long as desired in an upright or vertical position by the engagement of the latches 7 with the first ratchet teeth or shoulders in the series. If it is desired to lower the endgate slightly, that is, to swing it outwardly to an upwardly and rearwardly inclined position, it is only necessary for the operator to grasp one of the levers 12 and raise same, whereupon the latches 7 will be released from said teeth or shoulders and may be permitted to slide down the bevel surfaces 3 into engagement with the next teeth or shoulders in the series. Again, if it is desired to move the end-gate to a horizontal position so that it may be used to extend the bed of the vehicle body or to be used as a platform extension or scoop board, the same operation is repeated, as is manifest, and the same is true if it is desired to move the end-gate downwardly so that the latches 7 will pass the lowermost teeth in the series and freely ride upon the curved surfaces 4: in which position they will not be held at all, but the end-gate may be maintained in the desired downwardly and rearwardly inclined positions by its free edge resting upon the ground or other surface so that it may be used as a bridge or loading skid. Subsequently, when it is desired to again raise the endgate, to a fully closed or any intermediate position, this operation may be very easily performed, as is manifest, for the latches 7 will merely ride upon the bevel surfaces 3 in each successive engagement with the ratchet teeth. V

lVhen the invention is embodied in an end-gate construction, the fulcrums 13 for the two levers 12, at opposite sides of the end-gate, are preferably composed of a their lower ends that they will have a cam or eccentric arrangement upon the pivot or pivots 5 sorthat when the arms are lowered to the lowermost position so that the device may be used as a loading skid, this cam arrangement will bring the outer surfaces of the arms flush with the outer edges of the notches on the brackets 1. Consequently, when articles are rolled up the skid to. the platform or body of the vehicle, they will not catch on the notches of the bracket. 7

It will thus be seen that I have provided a very simple, durable and efficient construction of device of this character, which may be easily manufactured and readily as: sembled, and which may not only beused in connection with end-gates or side boards, but also used singly in'connection with adjustable standards, stakes, or skids.

lVhile the accompanying drawing illus trates what I believe to be the preferred.

embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but that various changes may be made in the construction, arrangements and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims. V that is claimed, is r 1. In a device of the character described, a bracket vertically bifurcated to provide parallel spaced vertical ears, there being a vertical wall defining the inner end of the bifurcation, an arm pivoted between said ears for rotary movement, the pivot of the arm being below the upper edge of the wall,

said arm engaging the wall when turned to a vertical position, the wall thereby acting as a stop preventing further movement of the arm in a direction toward the wall, the ears being'formed upon their edges "with ratchet teeth, and a spring actuated latch ca ri o the a n engag ng d. ateh teeth.

2. In a device of the character described, a bracket having a bifurcated end to provide parallel spaced vertical ears with a r l r ce ng pe ng ex nd ng th through and formed in the edge ofthe ears 1 with a plurality of shoulders spaced from said opening, an arm mounted in the bifurcated end of the bracket, a pintle mounted in said opening and extending through the arm to pivotally connect the latter to the bracket, latch carried by said arm and extending thereacross for engagement With the shoulders, on both sides of the bracket, and a releasing lever fulcrumed on and carried by said arm and operatively connected to said latch.

3. In a device of the character described, a bracket formed With a pintle receiving opening and in its edge, spaced from said opening With shoulders, a pintle mounted in said opening, an arm mounted on said pintle and pivotally connected to said DELBERT E. SCHELL.

l/Vitnesses W. J. GEEK,

GARDA HOLMES.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner e2 Eatenta, Washington, D 0."

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