US2153073A - Inspection door and like closure - Google Patents

Description

A ril 4-, 1939. J. F. e. CHOBERT 3 INSPECTION DOOR AND LIKE CLOSURE Filed Nov. 21, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l v fvwenl 'ar c?zza9 62,0167? v 20* hung 4 flZY'ornqys.

April 1939- J. F. a. CHOBERT 2,153,073

INSPECTION DOOR AND LIKE CLOSURE Filed Nov. 21, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3nventor Patented Apr. 4, 1939 INSPECTION DOOR AND LIKE CLOSURE Jacques Francois Gabriel Chobert, Saint-Etienne, France Application November 21, 1936, Serial No. 112,181 In France December 3, 1935 7 Claims.

The present invention relates. to inspection doors and like closures for machinery, aircraft and vehicles.

An object of the present invention is to pro- 5 .vide an inspection door which is easily operated by hand and may be quickly opened and closed. A further object is to provide a door which may be made of thin light material, constructed in such a way as to prevent the reduced rigidity of such material causing the door to fit badly or distort under the stresses set up when in use. Means are provided for securing the door in the locked position.

According to the present invention an inspection door comprises a fixed frame, a closure plate hinged to said frame in a manner to allow movement of said closure plate in its own plane relatively to the frame as well as movement about the hinge, a number of fastening devices carried by such relative movement in one sense to secure the closure plate at a number of points and spring means acting to maintain the closure plate in the locked position.

In one form of construction a circular closure plate is arranged for rotation about its centre and also for movement about a hinge and is provided with a number of fastening devices adapted to engage parts of the frame on rotation of the plate in one sense and said closure plate is given a spring bias to maintain it in the locked or free position.

In a modified constructional form a rectangular closure plate is mounted on the arm of a hinge 35' by means permitting sliding of the plate relatively to the frame to engage or disengage fastening devices and spring means act to secure the plate in the locked position.

Constructional forms for circular and rectangular doors are described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:--

Figs. 1 to 7 show the invention applied to circular doors; Fig. 1 being a view of a door from the exterior, Fig. 2 an interior view, Fig. 3 a sectional perspective view and Fig. 7 a section on the line VII-VII of Fig. 2. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 illustrate a modified fastening and hinge arrangement; Fig. 4 being an interior View, Fig. 5 a sectional perspective view on the line VV of Fig. 4 with the bridge removed, and Fig. 6 an enlarged detail view of one of the fastening devices.

Figs. 8 to 11 show this invention applied to rectangular doors; Figs. 8 and 9 being views from the exterior showing the door unlocked and locked, and Figs. 10 and 11 being side vertical said plate and cooperating with the frame upon sectional views showing means for locking the closure plates in position, Fig. 11 being taken on the line IIII of Fig. 9.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 and Fig. '7 an inspection door has a frame I of Z cross-section adapted to be mounted on and secured to a part II of a vehicle or the like. A circular closure plate I2 is attached, at its centre, to said frame II] by means of a pin joint I5, hinge arm I6 and a hinge II, the arrangement being such that the closure plate I2 is capable of movement about the hinge axis and also of rotation about its centre relatively to the hinge arm I6. A bridge piece I8 spans the hinge arm I6 and ensures that the closure plate follows movements of the hinge 15 arm about the hinge and at the same time allows a degree of freedom of rotation of-said closure plate limited by the ends of the bridge piece I8 which form end stops.

The inner flange of the Z cross-section frame I0 is provided with notches I91, I92, etc., which cooperate with latching members I41, I42, etc., to secure the closure plate I2 to the frame Ill. The latching members I41, I42, etc., consist of truncated conical members carried on central spindles mounted on the closure plate I2 (see Fig. 3). In the free position these latching members I41, I42, etc., are adapted to pass through the notches I91, I92, etc. when in this position, rotation of the closure plate I2 by means of a knob I3 causes it to be secured tothe frame I0.

Wedgin-g action of the latching members I41. I42, etc., on rotation of the closure plate I2 causes it to be pressed firmly on the flange of the frame 5 I0, and the multiplicity of such members, of which five are shown in the drawings, ensures that the closure plate does not gape under the influence of internal pressures.

A locking device for a door as above described comprises a spring 24, 25 which acts to maintain the hinge arm I6 in either of its extreme positions of travel under the bridge piece I8. The spring is attached to the hinge arm I6 by a slot 29 therein and to the bridge piece I8 by a hole 23 in an upturned flange formed thereon (see Fig. '7). The slot 29 is provided with a circular port 2| at one end. The arrangement is such that the spring provides a toggle action which tends to prevent rotation of the closure plate I2 under the influence of vibration by giving the plate a bias in the direction of either one of the arrows f1 or f2 as it is in one or the other of its extreme! positions.

The arrangement of the closure plate I2 and 2 section frame H0 illustrated in Fig. 3 reduces the projecting parts to a minimum and thus reduces aerodynamic drag when the inspection door is used on the exterior of aircraft for example.

A modified construction is illustrated in Figs. 4 to 6. The form of the hinge and hinge arm is arranged to eliminate projecting parts of the hinge on the exterior surface and also a modified form of latching member is incorporated.

A hinge plate 3|] is secured to the frame I 0 and is provided with raised wings 321, 322 which project on the interior of the door and cooperate with a hinge arm 28 to locate the closure plate correctly prior to securing same and prevent the said hinge arm 28 from turning during the freeing and securing movements of the closure plate. To allow the hinge plate 30 to be fixed on the interior of the door, the hinge arm 28 is arched at 29 as shown in Figs. land 5 and the pin thereof is located outwardly of the edge 3| of the closure plate.

The latching members in this form of construction comprise stamped out members 261, 262 etc., as illustrated in Fig. 6 adapted for attachment to the closure plate l2. In the free position these members are adapted to pass through notches 271, 212 etc., in the flange of the frame l6. On rotation of the closure plate I2 from this position the latching members 261, 262 etc., cooperate with parts of the flange I0 to provide a wedglng action whereby the closure plate I2 is drawn towards and secured to the frame ID.

A locking device similar to that described with reference to and asillustrated in Figs. 2 and '7 may be used with this form of construction as illustrated in Fig. 4.

This invention may be applied to doors of shapes other than circular and is illustrated in Figs. 8 to 11 as applied to a rectangular door.

A closure plate 62 is attached to a frame 6| of Z cross-section by means of hinges 611, 612 having hinge arms 661, 662 provided with slots 681, 682 etc., which engage headed studs 691, 692 etc., mounted on the closure plate 62. The slots 681, 682 etc., permit'movement of the closure plate relative to the hinge and frame in a direction parallel to the hinge axis in addition to the normal hinge movement.

The frame SI has notches 631, 632 etc., adapted to engage latching members 651, 652 etc., mounted on the closure plate 62 when said plate is moved relatively to the hinge arms 661, 662. The latching members 651, 652 etc., are similar to those shown in. Fig. 3 and comprise truncated conical members carried on central spindles mounted on the closure plate 62.

Figs. 8 and 9 show the closure plate in the unlocked and locked positions respectively and it will be noted that to secure the-closure plate 62 it is displaced upwards.

Two ways of maintaining the closure plate 62 in the locked position are illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11. The closure plate 62, in each case, is provided with an auxiliary part corresponding in width to the length of travel due to the slots 681,

682 etc., said part being interposed between the flange at the lower end of the frame and the lower end of the closure plate to maintain said plate in the locked position.

In the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 10 a plate I0 is attached by a hinge 'II to the lower end of the closure plate 62 and is provided with quick release clips 12 to hold it in position to secure the plate 62. Fig. 11 shows an alternative arrangement in which the hinged plate I0 is replaced by a removable member I3 which may be held in position by clips 12.

What I claim is:

1. An inspection door comprising a fixed frame, a closure plate hinged to said frame in a manner to allow movement of said closure plate in its own plane relatively to the frame as well as movement about the hinge, a number of fastening devices carried by said plate and cooperating with the frame upon such relative movement, in one sense, to secure the closure plate at a number of points and spring means acting to maintain the closure plate in the locked position.

2; An inspection door as claimed in claim 1 including fastening devices comprising truncated conical members carried on spindles mounted on the closure plate, adapted to pass through notches in the frame and adapted upon movement of the closure plate in its own plane to engage solid parts of the said frame.

. 3. An inspection door as claimed in claim 1 including fastening devices having cambered surfaces adapted to engage the frame with a progressive tightening effect as the closure plate is moved in one sense in its own plane.

.4. An inspection door comprising a fixed frame, a circular closure plate mounted to said frame by a hinge permitting rotation, relatively to the frame, of said plate about its centre, a number of fastening devices carried by the plate and 00- operating with the frame upon such relative movement, in one sense, to secure the closure plate at a number of points and spring means arranged so as to resist initial rotational movements of the closure plate from the locked position.

5. An inspection door as claimed in claim 4 including stops acting to limit the rotational movement of the closure plate and spring means comprising a U-shaped spring arranged to bias the, closure plate towards the locked and unlocked positions.

6. An inspection door comprising a fixed frame, a closure plate mounted to said frame on a hinge, means permitting sliding movement of the closure plate relatively to the frame, a number of fastening devices adapted to engage the frame upon such movement and a member adapted to maintain the closure plate in the secured position'and quick release spring clips to lock the closure plate in this position.

7. An inspection door as claimed in claim 6 including a member for locking the closure plate adapted to be interposed between a part of the frame and the closure plate when the latter is in the secured position.

JACQUES FRANCOIS GABRIEL CHOBERT.

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