US1383691A - Tail-gate latch - Google Patents

Description

P. E. BARKER.

TAH. GAE LATCH.

APPLscA'HoN FlLEn1uNE12.192o.

Patented July 5, 1921s 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1f P. E. BRKEH` TAILGATE LAT CH, APPLICATION FILEDJUNE12.

Patented July 5, 1921.

2 SHEETS`SHEFT 2.

PATENT OFFICE.

:PEiioY- n. BARKER, or CLEVELAND, OHIO, `AssleNoR To THE VAN DORN IRON WORKS ce., or CLEVELAND, OHIO, A'OORPORATION 'OF OHIO.. l

n TAIL-GATE LATCH.

Lasaeei.

State of Ohio, have invented acertain new and useful ,Improvement in Tail-Gate Latches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention has for its object the provision of a simple and eiiicient latch for the tail gates of dump trucks or the like. More specifically it is an object of my invention to provide a tail gate latch that may be adjusted manually from a pointadjacent to the drivers seat to permit the gate to be opened to various extents and thereheld, or to be entirely released, all by a simple lsliding movement of the latch relative to the gate.

The invention is' hereinafter fully described and a preferred embodiment thereof is illustrated in the drawings. The essential features of the invention are summarized in the claims. v'

In the drawings Figure l is a side elevation of a tiltable body truck equipped with my sliding latchv for the tail gate; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary end view of the latch in different adjusted positions, permitting 1t to vvary the rate of discharge through the swinging tail gate; Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged views in side andfront elevation respectively, of the latch operating mechanisin; Fig. 5 is a view on an enlarged scale of the latch in copei'ation with the tail gate; Fig. 6 is a detailof the supporting connection for the slidable latch, and Fig.

j? is a fragmentary end viewof the tail gate' and latch. Fig. 8 isa view of the latch plate. l

Referring to the drawings by numerals,

l have shown my invention applied to the tiltable body 10 on atruck chassis 12. As

Yillustrated the body `1.0 is supported near the rear end on :horizontal pivots 14, and

maybe tilted about said e, prises a Aplunger, 16 adapted to be elevated i by suitable means from within a cylindrical Specification of Letters Patent.

ivots by suitable' hoisting mechanism 15. f Ahat shown com-v Patented July 5, 1921.

Application led June 12', 1920. ,Serial No. 388,483.

housing 17, which plunger is connected through toggle linkage 18 with the chassis 12 and body 10, whereby the latter may be ltilted about its pivots 14 to any degree desired within the limit of movement of the hoisting mechanism. The details of this hoisting mechanism however, constituteno part of this invention butv are covered in a separate application. As shown, the body 10 has a tail gate 20 supported near the top on a pivot 21 and adapted to be held in various positions by Amy adjustable latch 25. As shown particularly in Fig. 7 the bottom of the tail gate is provided with a length of angle iron 26 extending transversely and projecting laterally as at27 in. the path of the hooked portion. 30 of the latch 25.

The latch proper comprises an elongated member 25 having means whereby it may be slidably attached to the truck body. `This meansmay satisfactorily comprise studs 33 projecting outwardly from the bracket 19 and embraced within parallel cam slots 35 in the latch 25. The slots 35 have alined end portions 36 extending longitudinally of the body of the latch and portions 37 parallel to each other extending at lan angle downwardly from the portions 36. The slots 35 and studs 33 are positioned relatively to each other in such a manner that the bolts occupy corresponding portions of the slots at all times, the slots being substantially alike. The studs 33 are rigidly secured to a bar 39 by nuts 40 to retain the latch .25 in position on the bolts. -The intermediate portion of the bolt is shown. of enlarged diameter to provide shoulders abutting the bracket 19, andthe bar 39. 'lhe bracket 19 may be secured to the body 10 by bolts extending through openings 22. As shown in Fig. '8 the raised center portion 23 has tapped holes 24, for securing the latch on the left hand side of the truck. The tapped holes 26 shown in dotted lines .are adapted to be used in. a bracket positioned on the right hand side of the truck.

Figs. 3 and 4. A casting 45 may be se- Adjustable manually-operable means for actuating' the vlatch is shown particularly in cured as by bolts or rivets through openings 46 to the vlorward end of the truck body lt), and is providedwith spaced segmental portions 48 within which a manually operable lever or handle 49 is pivoted on a shaft 50 within liearings on. the casting 45.

Connecting means tor the handle 49 and the latch 25 com prises a rock arm 52 keyed to the shaft 5t) and pivoted at 53 to an arm 54 which is connected to the latch 25' by a rod or link 55. The arm 54 is show n having one end flattened and curved as at 5G while the `other end 58 is hollow and internally 4 threaded Vto receive the threaded end 59 of the rod 55. The other end of the rod 55 may be threaded within an open hollow end l adjustment. L.

As Will be observed in Figs. 1 and 5the portions 8G of the Slots 255 are not horizontal nor are the studs 33 located in a horizontal plane. The rear -stud .33 is positioned slightly above the for-ward one, and the-slots" 36 inclined upwardly slightly toward the rear in order to permit the latch 3G to slide in a direction parallel to the line A-B representing the chordsubtending the arc traversed by the upper edge oi' theangle iron'QT as ity swings with the tail gate about the pivot 21.

lVith this arrangement the elea rance b'etween the upper edge of the projection 2T- and the shank of the latch adjacent tojthe hook il() niay be merely nominal` since rear\\'ard moven'ient oll thelateh Q5 as the 'tail gate swings open will not tend to cause binding between the anglebar and latch. as would otherwise be the case;

ln use and operation the rod 55 1s adjusted to if "mit fbe operating handle T19 to be in its highest position as illustrated in Figs.

thil latch 25 in the position illustrated in Fig. wherein the studs Ili occupyv the rear or right hand ends ot the slots 85. When it is 'desired to dump theload the rate ol' discharge may ot course be varied by varying the -ainount ol' opening of. the tail gate, which is done by removing Athe p'in 67 and inserting it in a lower pair ot', openings G6,

.. permitting the handleiftl to be lowered with a consequentinm'einent of the latch 25 i'earwardl `\Y permitting,ty e tail ygate to bei-ome` openeda certai'i'i aniount. ,The lateh-25 may be set \\"i`th'th'e bolts 3S occupying various positionsV along th'eportions 36 olt the slots 35, :dis/shown sin, Fig. Q depending upon, t-he `rality ot' cam slots and 4. when tli'e tail gate 2() is closed, withthe bolts 33 thereby causing the latch 25 to travel bodily upwardly and rearwardly at i an angle to its former course until the hooked end 3U is released from the projecting end 27 of the angle iron, thereby 4permitting the tail gate 2t) to swing freely as illustrated in dotted position in Fig; 1.

Having thus described my invention l claim 1. In a device et the character described, a body having a pi votally mounted tail gate, a hitch for holding the same, said latch being mounted at the base of the body, and means tor manually adjustingand holding the tail gate in partially opened position, and thereafter freeing it by moving said latch while maintaining it at all times parallel to itself, said latch being operble'inlependently of the position ofthe truck body. v

Q. lnv combination, atilta'ble truck-tbody L 'pin connection secured `to the-Wall? of' the body.

3. ln a device ot the character described, aI latch t comprising a hook having a pluin the shank portion thereof.

.4. A tail gate latch comprising ai member having a shank portion and a hookedend,a pair of equal bent slots in the shank p0r- -tion. said ASlots having mutually alined portions and parallel offset portions therefrom. 5. tailgate latch 'comprising a member having a shank portlon and a hooked tend,

aoplurality of angular cam slots in the shank: port-ion. said slots having parallel portionsat an angle with the shank portion ofthe latch and extending from the same rside of the ,ehank portionas does the hook.

t3. ln a devicoo'l the character described,-

a tiltable truek'body', a hinged tail gate, a latch mounted onthe side. of the body having a hooked end adapted to engage the gate, va manually operable lever. and means. conneeting said latch and said lever, the latch being so mounted that it may be'moved upwardly and rearwardly while kremaining parallel to its original position to openA the tail gate varyingamounts.

7. ln a device ot' the character described,

a tail gate hinged to the rear of a tiltable v truck body` a late'h for the same, comprising a member having cam slots, projections carried by the truck body embraced by said Slots. said hitch having a hooked end adapted to engage a portion of the gate remote 1,383,691 i y B' from the hinge, and means for sliding s'aid front of the other, andprojections adapted latch on said-projections. to bev embraced by said slots whereby the 8. Artail gate latch comprising an elonlatch is slidablysupporte j 10 gated member, having a downwardly ex In testimony whereof, I hereunto afx my 5 tending hooked end, a plurality of equisignature. L

angular slots inY the shank portion of the member, said slotsbeing positioned one in PERCY E. BARKER.

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