US2553507A

US2553507A - Locking mechanism for revolving bins

Info

Publication number: US2553507A
Application number: US149309A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rosenberg Philip
Original assignee: UNIVERSAL STEEL EQUIPMENT CORP
Current assignee: UNIVERSAL STEEL EQUIPMENT Corp
Priority date: 1950-03-13
Filing date: 1950-03-13
Publication date: 1951-05-15
Anticipated expiration: 1968-05-15

Description

Patented May 15, 1951 LOCKING MECHANISM FOR REVOLVING BINS Philip Rosenberg, New York, N. Y., assignor to Universal Steel Equipment Corporation, Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 13, 1950, Serial No. 149,309'

(Cl. B11-131) 6 Claims. Y 1

This invention relates to locking mechanism for revolving bins of the kind in which bin sections are mounted one above another for independent rotation upon a central upright shaft. In presently conventional structures of this kind diametrical openings are formed through the -central shaft at intervals for the reception of supporting cross-pins. Each cross-pin supports a bearing ring or washer, each bearing ring supports a ball bearing, and each ball bearing rotatablysupports a ring which is a unitary part of a bin section. According to usual practice the last mentioned ring is secured within a hollow sleeve, which constitutes the section hub, at some distance above the lower end of the sleeve, and a steadying bearing is provided in the upper end of the sleeve for rotatably engaging the central shaft.

In a structure of the kind referred to the several bin sections are individually locked or latched against rotation. On the outer margin of the lower face of each bin section there is provided a notched detaining member in which a locking lever is yieldingly retained by spring pressure. A block or bracket is secured upon the central shaft below each bin section for pivotally supporting the locking lever of the section. The locking lever is a bell crank lever having an inner arm which extends downward from the pivot and which bears against a compression coil spring housed in the block or bracket.

The locking structure just described is in most respects a very desirable one, being sturdy and efcient in use. It is, however, subject to the drawback that it necessitates the leaving of a considerable space between successive bin sections. This is true because the inner end of the lever and its supporting block must be of substantial height and must stand entirely clear of both the adjacent bin sections. Since there is no other reason for providing a wide clearance between successive bin sections, the locking structure results in a wasting of space which `it would be desirable to avoid.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an improved locking mechanism, atleast equal in operation to that which it is designed tc replace, but having the advantage that it 'permits the bin sections to be located much closer to one another than formerly.

This is desirably accomplished by providing a bin section locking lever having a forked inner end whose .arms include upturned ears, pivoting the ears within the section hub upon the contained section supporting cross-pin, and providing a thrust spring within the central shaft to act upon the locking lever directly in line with the body of the lever.

By thus obviating the need for a separate lever supporting block between the sections and outside the hub periphery, avoiding the need for ofisetting the spring relative to the lever body, and disposing the oifset portions of the lever to extend upward into the hub of theassociated bin section, enough space can be saved to permit approximately six bin sections of normal Size, with their locks, to be mounted in the same vertical space previously required for five bin sections of the same size with their locks. This is a very desirable improvement both from the standpoint of space saving and from the standpoint of stability. The wide spacing of the bearing ears also enables the locking lever better to withstand the strain when the rotation of a bin section is suddenly arrested by it.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing forming part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of an illus-y trative revolving bin embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary View in sectional elevation showing portions of two adjacent bin sections of Figure 1 and the locking mechanism for the upper one of these sections, the view being upon a considerably larger scale than Figure 1 and being taken upon the line 2 2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 isa fragmentary sectional View on the same scale as Figure 2, the view being taken upon the section line 3 3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; Y

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken upon the line s l of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing one of the locking levers engaged in the notched member of the associated bin section.

The illustrative revolving bin comprises a base 2 which supports in fixed position a vertical shaft 3, the shaft desirably being hollow. The shaft rotatably supports, one above another, a series of bin sections 4 9. For simplicity these sections 4 9 are all illustrated as duplicates of one another so that a description of one will suffice for all. Each section is made to include a floor member I and a central sleeve or hollow hub l l The oor member lil and the sleeve Il are secured to one another directly, and through permanent dividers I2 which separate the bin section into compartments. Each compartment is provided with a bin front member i3 which may be made removable. The central sleeve II is formed with vertical slots adapted for use in mounting remove able dividers (not Shown) in a manner which is well understood.

At appropriate intervals the central shaft 3 is provided with diametrically aligned openings through which pins Ill are inserted for supporting the respective bin sections. Each pin I4 supports a ring or washer I5, each washer l5 supports a ball bearing I6, and each ballbearing I6 rotatably supports a ring I?. The ring I'I is disposed within the sleeve II near the lower end thereof, is made unitary with the sleeve in any suitable manner as by welding, and serves through the sleeve to support the bin section. The sleeve II also has secured within its upper end a flanged ring lll which engages the shaft to serve as a steadying bearing for the bin section.

The novel locking mechanism for bin section 1, which is disposed between bin sections 6 and 'I, is illustrated in detail in Figures 2 and 5. This is typical of all the locking mechanisms, there being one such mechanism for each bin section.

A locking lever I9 extends adjacent to, and normally in substantial parallelism with, the lower face `of the oor member i of bin section '1, with its outer end forming a handle which dem sirably protrudes outward a short distance beyond the bin section which it controls. The leveri desirably has a square portion which is adapted to fit into a square notch 20 of an angle member 2l, The angle member is affixed to the door member I9, desirably by welding. The downturned flange of the member 2l, in which the notch 2li is provided, is formed with sloping lower edges 232 at DlDDOSite vSides of the notch for engaging the lever and camming it downward. The lever is spring-urged upward, as will be .deseribed, When the bin section has been freed for rotation, therefore, it can be returned to its locked condition simply by turning it until the lever snaps into the notch 2Q of the member 2l.

The lever I9, as best seen in Figure 3, is forked at its inner end. The forked lever arms 23 are arcuate vin form. They extend in opposite directions from the main body of the lever, each thro-ugh approximately a quadrant, and are provided with Vupturned, bored, supporting ears 2li at their inner ends. The arms 23 extend in proximity to the central shaft 3 and within the circumferential boundary of the sleeve II.

The ears 24 actually extend up into the space between the shaft 3 and the sleeve II for a cons iderable distance. The pin I4 enters the bores of the ears 24 to pivotally support the lever I9. While the ring I5 has been referred to as supported from the pin I, it does not directly engage the pin but rests upon the ears 24. The upper ends of the ears 24 are rounded to present smooth surfaces concentric with the pin I 4, so that the pressure of the ring I5 against the ears will not objectionably oppose rocking of the lever to and from locking position.

At a short distance below the openings provided in the shaft 3 for the pin I4, the shaft 3 is provided with another pair of diametrically opposed openings i25 and 26, so located as to align with the body of the lever I9 when the latter is supported as illustrated from the pin I Il. .The Opening 255 .is threaded t0 receive the threaded. shank of a headed bolt 2- ',Ihe bolt 21 has a reduced end portion 2.8 which serves a guide stern for a compression coil spring 25, The

spring 29 bears at one end against a shouldered portion of the bolt 21 and at the other end against a surface of the lever I 9 to urge the lever I9 yieldingly in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 2. The portion of the lever I9 which is engaged by the spring 29 is formed with an enlargement or extension '39 to avoid any likelihood of the spring slipping off the edge of the lever. This extension may extend into the space surrounded by the sleeve II.

The parts described can be very readily and conveniently assembled. In mounting the section 1, for example, the bolt 21 is rst threaded into place, and the vspring 29 is then inserted `through the Yopening 25 onto the stem 28 of the bolt. yThe lever I9 is next pressed against the Vprotrud-ing end of the spring 29 and pushed into position to align the openings of the ears 24 with the openings of the shaft 3 into which the pin I4 is to be inserted. The pin Ill is then inserted through the ears and the shaft. The ring I5, the ball bearing Idand the bin section itself are then successively put in place. The sleeve II overglies the ends of the pin Id, leaving the pin very little freedom for axial movement, and thereby preventing axial dislodgement of the pin from its `assigned position inthe shaft and in the lever ears.

It will now .be seen that a substantial saving of space as compared with the prior construction has been realized. This has been contributed to by the following features. The locking lever has been extended :across the axis of the central shaft. The :inner ends of the lever have been turned up instead of down and extended into the space be tween the central shaft and the surrounding bin section hub. The former bellcrank lever of the first class, having the fulcrurn at the junction of the horizontal and the vertical arms, has been replaced by a bent lever of the second class hav ing the fulcrum at the ends of the upwardly extending ears or arms. The spring has been lodged within the central shaft and arranged to bear against the lever in line with the horizontally extending body thereof. The result is that the adjacent bin sections are required to be sep-- arated by a space of little greater height than the thickness of the main body of the lever.

I have described what I believe to be the best embodiment of my invention. I do not wish, however, to be confined to the embodiment shown, but what I desire to cover by Letters Patcnt is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a revolving bin having a hollow central shaft and a plurality of bin sections mounted on the shaft for independent rotation, the combination with a bin section having a central hollow hub spaced from the shaft and a floor portion equipped with a notched detaining member, of a bin section supporting pin extending through the shaft and contained within said hollow hub, a locking lever extending beneath said section and having an upturnecl inner end mounted on said pin, and a spring pressing against the hollow central shaft and against the lever in line with the lever body, to urge the lever body yieldingly upward toward the notched detaining member 2. In a revolving bin having a hollow central shaft and a plurality of bin sections mounted on the shaft for independent rotation, the combination with a bin section having a central hollow hub spaced from the shaft and a floor portion equipped with a notched detaining member, of a, bin section supporting pin extending through the shaft and contained within said hollow hub, a forked locking lever extending beneath said section and partially embracing the shaft and having upturned ears mounted on said pin, and a spring carried by the hollow central shaft and bearing against the lever in line with the lever body to urge the lever body yieldingly upward vtoward the notched member.

3. In a revolving bin having a hollow central shaft and a plurality of bin sections mounted on the shaft for independent rotation, the combination with a bin section having a central holloW hub spaced from the shaft and a iioor portion equipped with a notched detaining member,v of a bin section supporting pin extending through the shaft and contained within said hollow hub, a forked locking lever extending beneath said section and partially embracing the shaft and having upturned ears mounted on said pin, said ears having rounded upper end surfaces concentric with the pin, through which the load of the bin section is transmitted to the pin, and a spring carried by the hollow central shaft and bearing against the lever in line with the lever body to urge the lever body yieldingly upward toward the notched member.

4. ln a revolving bin having a central shaft and a plurality of bin sections mounted on the shaft for independent rotation, the combination with a bin section having a central hollow hub spaced from the shaft and a iloor portion equipped with a notched detaining member, of a bin section supporting pin xtendingfthrough the shaft and contained within said hollow hub,

a forked locking lever extending beneath said section and partially embracing the shaft and having upturned ears mounted on said pin, said shaft having diametrically opposed openings disposed in line with the lever body, a compression coil spring bearing at its outer end against the lever body and having its rear end extended through one of said openings, and a bolt threaded into the other opening, said bolt having a shouldered portion for receiving the thrust of the spring, and a reduced stem portion that enters and guides the spring, the spring serving to urge the lever body yieldingly upward toward the notched detaining member. y

5. In a revolving bin having a central shaft and a plurality of bin sections mounted on the shaft for independent rotation, eachv having a central hollow hub spaced from the shaft, and a floor portion equipped with a notched detaining member, and a bin section supporting pin extending through the shaft and contained Within the hollow hub, the improved section locking mechanism which comprises a forked locking lever partially embracing the shaft and having upturned ears mounted Von the section supporting pin, and a spring mounted in the hollow shaft and bearing against the lever in line with the lever body to urge the lever body yieldingly upward toward the notched detaining member of the section controlled by it.

6. In a revolving bin having a central shaft and a plurality of bin sections mounted on the shaft for independent rotation, the combination with a bin section having a central hollow hub spaced from the shaft and a floor portion equipped with a detaining member, of a bin section supporting pin extending through the shaft and contained within said hollow hub, a locking lever extending beneath said'section and having an upturned inner end mounted on said pin, and a spring supported in the shaft and pressingV against the shaft and against the lever below the lever axis to urge the lever body yieldingly upward toward the detaining member.

PHILIP ROSENBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the' le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Rosenberg Mar. 20, 1945