US3309122A

US3309122A - Locking device for mouldings

Info

Publication number: US3309122A
Application number: US422895A
Authority: US
Inventors: Sluys William Van Der; Traska Alexander
Original assignee: Pullman Inc
Current assignee: Pullman Standard Inc; Pullman Inc
Priority date: 1965-01-04
Filing date: 1965-01-04
Publication date: 1967-03-14
Anticipated expiration: 1984-03-14

Description

arch H4, 1967 w. VAN DER SLUYS ETAL 3,399,122

LOCKING DEVICE FOR MOULDINGS Filed Jan. 4, 1965 United States Patent 3,309,122 LOCKING DEVICE FOR MOULDINGS William Van Der Sluys, Homewood, and Alexander Traslra, Chicago, Ill., assignors to Pullman Incorporated, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 4, 1965, Ser. No. 422,895 9 Claims. (Cl. 287-18936) The present invention relates generally to an improvement in the attachment of interior finish panels to the supporting structure of a wall in a vehicle, particularly in railway cars. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a locking device for securing the end portions of resilient panel mounting mouldings to the supporting structure.

The mouldings referred to have means for resiliently interconnecting the marginal edge portions of adjacent interior finish panels as well as means for mounting the panels to the supporting structure. These mouldings form the subject matter of US. Patent No. 2,925,050, dated Feb. 16, 1960. In the patent the mouldings are employed only at the horizontal joints between the panels, these joints being spaced above and below the windows provided in the wall of the car. The vertical joints between adjacent panels are butt type having a vertical back-up strip which overlaps the rear faces of the abutting vertical edges of each of the panels and the panels are secured to the strip by means of screws having exposed heads.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means for employing resilient mouldings for mounting the interior finish panels of a vehicle wall wherein the panels, being rectangular shape, are disposed in parallel rows vertically and horizontally and the mouldings extend along the vertical as well as along the horizontal edges of adjacent panels.

A more specific object is to provide locking devices for securing the end portions of the mouldings described in the foregoing object, the mouldings terminating at each intersecting point of the vertical and horizontal mouldings with the end surfaces of the mouldings forming an open four-sided moulding joint and one of the locking devices being provided at each such joint.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention are attained by the arrangement illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary interior elevational view of the side wall of a railway car incorporating the locking device of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1 (a horizontal sectional view taken on line 2A2A of FIG. 1 would be substantially identical as hereinafter described); FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the locking device of this invention taken on the back side of the device; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the locking device of this invention also taken on the back side of the device.

In the drawings, represents the side wall of a railway car comprising a side frame or outer wall supporting structure 11 including a plurality of vertical members or posts 12 and outer side sheets 13, the posts 12 being spaced at intervals longitudinally of the wall. Although not shown in the drawings, the construction of the side frame employs the usual longitudinally extending members including a lower side sill and an upper side plate and vertical posts 12 extend continuously in one piece between these members. Disposed in spaced relation between the side sill and side plateare horizontal members 14 which extend in sections between the posts 12 and are secured thereto on respectively opposite sides thereof as indicated by numeral 15 in FIG. 3. The main portion of vertical member 12 shown in FIG. 3 is intended to be hat-shaped in section the same as horizontal member 14 shown in FIG. 2. In this connection it is obvious that various sectional shapes could be used for

members

12 and 14. For example, =channel-shaped or Z-shaped sections could be used in place of the hat-shaped section shown in the drawings.

The inner portions of

members

12 and 14 are formed to provide respectively identical

undercut type grooves

16 and 17. These grooves extend longitudinally for the full length of the respective members. As shown, the grooves are formed as an integral part of the complete section. However, the hat-shaped portion and the groove portion of the members could be fabricated as separate parts with the two elements welded, riveted or bolted together, to provide a complete member substantially similar in form to

members

12 and 14 as shown in the drawings. As illustrated,

grooves

16 and 17 are generally rectangular shape in cross section each having spaced side walls 19 and opposite inwardly directed flanges 20, the flanges being spaced inwardly from the inner flange portion of the hat-shaped portion of the member and the inner edges of the flanges 20 being spaced to form the sides of groove slot 18. From the foregoing it can be seen that the slot 18 in combination with the wider portion of the groove defined by the side walls 19, forms

undercut type grooves

16 and 17 extending along the interior sides of

members

12 and 14 respectively. The inside surfaces of the side walls 19 and the flanges 20 form angularly related holding means for the resilient panel mounting mouldings 21 and the locking device 22 of this invention as hereinafter more fully described.

As noted above, under the description of FIG. 2, a horizontal sectional view taken on line 2A2A of FIG. 1 would be substantially the same as the vertical sectional view taken on line 22 which is shown in FIG. 2. As described above, horizontal members 14 and vertical members 12 are identical with respect to shape and size; therefore, horizontal member 14 shown in FIG. 2 would represent vertical member 12 in the horizontal sectional view taken on line 2A2A and vertical member 12 shown in FIG. 2 would represent sections of horizontal member 14 with the ends of the sections butting against and being secured to the respective opposite sides of vertical member 12 as shown at 15 in FIG. 3. 1.

FIG. 1 shows fragmentary corner portions of

interior finish panels

23, 24 and 25, window supporting frame 26, window unit 28 and window mounting means 27. No further description is deemed necessary with respect to the window frame 26, mounting means 27 and unit 28 since these elements could be replaced by an interior finish panel similar to the other three disclosed in FIG. 1 and such a panel would be suflicient for the disclosure of the locking device of this invention. As shown, the panels are disposed in parallel rows vertically and horizontally with the vertical and horizontal edges of adjacent panels in spaced relation to each other as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The adjacent vertical and horizontal edges of adjacent panels are interconnected with one another and mounted to the vertical 12 and horizontal 14 members of the wall structure 11 by mouldings 21. These mouldings 21 are formed of resilient material and extend continuously along the vertical and horizontal marginal edges of the panels. As shown in FIG. 2, the mouldings 21 are formed with a body portion 29 which is in the shape of an arrowhead compressibly received within the

undercut grooves

16 and 17, whereby the mouldings are held in position with the vertical 12 and horizontal 14 members of the wall supporting structure 11. The portion of the mouldings disposed outside of the

grooves

16 and 17 is formed with an outside or exposed surface 3! which is curved in cross section and is provided with oppositely directed pairs of flexible lips or fingers 31 which, as shown, converge toward one another in an outward direction to grip the marginal edge portions of the adjacent finish panels, for example, panels 23 and 24,

panels

24 and 25, etc. Thus it can be seen that adjacent interior finish panels are interconnected with one another and mounted to the wall supporting structure 11 by the resilient mouldings 21, the mouldings extending along the vertical and horizontal joints of the panels and the joints being dispose-d adjacent to the vertical 12 and horizontal 14 members of the wall supporting structure 11.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the vertical and horizontal mouldings 21 terminate at their intersecting points which points coincide in plan with the intersecting points of the vertical 12 and horizontal 14 members of the wall supporting structure 11. The end surfaces 32 of the vertical mouldings, as shown, are in alignment with the respectively opposite sides of the horizontal mouldings and the end surfaces 33 of the horizontal mouldings are in alignment with the respectively opposite sides of vertical mouldings. Thus the

end surfaces

32 and 33 form an open four-sided moulding joint at each intersecting point of the vertical and horizontal mouldings or, as indicated above, at each intersecting point of the

grooves

16 and 17 of the vertical 12 and horizontal 14 members. The above moulding joint might be referred to as a four-way moulding join since the mouldings extend radially in four directions from the central intersecting point of the mouldings, the adjacent mouldings being in right angular relation to one another.

As previously noted, the locking device of this invention is generally designated by the numeral 22. One of these devices is provided at each four-way moulding joint as shown in FIG. 1. The device comprises a cover piece 34 and a latch piece 37 which are made of a non-metallic material such as nylon and are molded to shape as indicated. Also included with the device is a metallic screw bolt 40 which has a head portion at one end, the head being equipped with a hexagonal recess 41 for engagement with a hand tool or screwdriver for rotating the bolt. At the central portion or hub of the cover 34 is a recess 35 and a circular aperture 43 is provided in the bottom portion of the recess. As shown in FIG. 3, the body portion of screw bolt 40 extends through aperture 43 and is rotatable therein. The head of bolt 40 is rorotatably disposed within the recess 35. Projecting radially outwardly from the hub of the cover 34 are four arms or leaves 36. As shown, the arms are in vertical and horizontal alignment with the mouldings and are formed transversely to correspond with the cross sectional contour of the exposed surfaces 30 of the mouldings. Also the arms extend outwardly sufficiently to overlap the marginal end portions of the mouldings as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. Thus the cover 34 having right angularly related arms 36 can be said to be cruciform shape in plan or in elevation when the cover is secured in place on the wall. It should be noted that While the moulding surfaces 38, as shown, are curved in shape, they could be formed to other shapes in which case the arms 36 of the cover would be formed accordingly. Ribs 43 disposed on the underside of the cover 34 are for reinforcing purposes only.

The latch piece 37 comprises a circular tube or lug portion 38 and a latch bar 39, the tube being centrally disposed on the bar and in normal relation therewith, as shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 4, the latch bar 39 is generally parallelogram shape in plan having end surface 42 defining diagonally opposite angles of about 45 with the respectively opposite sides of the bar. The tube is internally threaded for engagement with the threads of the screw bolt 40. It should be noted that the nonmetallic material used in the manufacture of the latch piece 37 is relatively more pliable than the metallic material used in the manufacture of the screw bolt 40. In view of these factors, the internal screw threads of the tube 38 are adapted to be compressible when engaging the external threads of the bolt 40 which provides friction between the mating threads of the two elements to resist easy rotation of the latch piece 37 with respect to the bolt 40.

The three elements of the locking device 22, viz., the cover piece 34, the latch piece 37 and the screw bolt 40, are pre-assembled to form a single unit for application to the wall from the interior side thereof. In the assembly the screw bolt 40 extends through the aperture 43 of the cover 34 with the head of the bolt being disposable within the recess 35. The latch piece 39 is screwed on to the bolt at the threaded end and drawn up on the bolt to a pre-determined position where it is held in place by the friction provided between the mating threads as previously described.

In its application to the wall, the locking device 22 is first positioned over one of the four-way moulding joints with the locking bar 39 in parallel relation to the groove slot 18 of the vertical member 12 as shown in FIG. 4, the sides of slot 18 being shown in phantom lines. As clearly illustrated, the width dimension of the latch bar 39 is smaller than the width dimension of the groove slot 18 so that the bar may pass through the slot easily and be disposed within the main portion of groove 16. At the same time, the cover 34 may be adjusted so that the arms 36 are in alignment with the four mouldings 21 with the end portions of the arms being in position to overlap the respective end portions of the mouldings as showrr in FIGS. 1 and 3. The screw bolt 40 is then rotated by means of a hand tool inserted in the recess 41 of the bolthead. Since the latch piece 37 is held in position on the bolt 40, as noted above, the latch bar 39 moves circularly with the rotation of the bolt until the end surfaces 42 of the latch bar contact the inner surfaces of the side walls 19 of the groove 16, the inner surfaces of the side walls serving as holding means to stop further rotation of the latch bar. In this operation the latch bar rotates to form an angle of rotation of about 45 included between its original position parallel with the groove slot 18 and side walls 19 to the holding position as clearly shown in FIG. 4, the bar being shown in full lines in the original position and in phantom lines in the holding position. In this position the end portions of the bar 39 underlie the flanges 20 thereby forming an interlocking engagement between the bar and the groove of the member.

Continued rotation of the screw bolt 40 moves the latch piece 37 on the bolt toward the cover 34 until the latch bar 39 contacts the inner surfaces of the groove flanges 20. These flange surfaces in combination with the respective inner surfaces of the side walls 19 serve as angular holding means for locking the latch bar within the groove 16. If necessary, the bolt may be drawn up in the latch piece to provide a tight fit between the arms 36 of the cover and the exposed surfaces of the mouldings 21 at the end portions where the arms overlap the mouldings.

What is claimed is:

1. A moulding-joint locking device comprising a cover provided with a central portion having a centrally disposed aperture and four radial arms, a screw bolt extending through said aperture having a head portion on the exposed side of said cover, and a latch bar having a. threaded aperture midway between the opposite ends thereof, said screw bolt engaging said threaded aperture and at least partially rotating said latch bar relative to said radial arms.

2. The locking device defined in claim 1 wherein said. central portion of said cover is provided with a recess; for engagement with said head portion of said screw bolt 3. The locking device defined in claim 2 wherein said cover and said latch bar are molded of non-metallic material.

4. The locking device defined in claim 3 wherein said latch bar is provided with a lug extending outwardly from one side thereof and said threaded aperture is disposed in said lug.

5. The locking device defined in claim 1 wherein said latch bar is provided with a lug in which said threaded aperture is disposed and said lug being of a material relatively more pliable than said screw bolt.

6. In a wall structure including vertical and horizontal holding members intersecting and forming an angularly related intersecting point for wall panel mounting mouldings co-extensive with said vertical and horizontal members forming a four-way joint at said intersecting point, a locking device comprising a cover disposed over said joint provided with a central portion having a centrally disposed aperture and four radial arms in vertical and horizontal alignment with said mouldings, a screw bolt extending through said aperture having a head portion disposed on the exposed side of said cover, a latch bar having a normally related lug extending outwardly from one side thereof midway between the opposite ends of said bar, an internally threaded aperture in said lug, said screw bolt engaging said threaded aperture, said latch bar being disposed in adjacent parallel relation with one holding member, rotation of said screw bolt causing a partial turning movement of said latch bar thereby effecting interlocking engagement of said bar with said holding member and longitudinal movement thereof with respect to said bolt to secure the moulding ends to said members.

7. The combination claimed in claim 6 wherein said vertical and horizontal holding members include formed grooves comprising spaced side walls and opposite flanges extending inwardly from said walls in right angle relation thereto and the inner edges of said flanges being spaced to form a relatively narrow slot opening for said grooves.

8. The combination claimed in claim 7 wherein said cover and said latch bar of said locking device are molded of non-metallic material, said central portion of said cover being formed with a recess for engagement with said head portion of said screw bolt, said latch bar being formed with a lug enxtending outwardly from one side of said bar, and said threaded aperture being disposed therein.

9. In a wall structure including a plurality of spaced posts, said posts each comprising a substantially hat shaped member, said hat shaped member including a pair of spaced side walls and a connecting Web, said web having an elongated grooved portion extending substantially coextensive with said post, a flange on each side of said grooved portion, said flanges extending in a direction toward each other and having edges spaced apart respectively to provide an elongated slot opening into said grooved portion and being substantially coextensive therewith, a wall panel, and fastening means connecting said wall panel to said posts comprising compressible means resiliently wedged into said slot and grooved portions.

References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS 376,926 1/1888 Thuener. 417,094 12/ 1889 Sagendorph. 718,302 1/ 1903 Bartelstone. 1,910,160 5/ 1933 Gorman. 2,382,456 8/1945 Urbain. 2,540,603 2/ 1951 Urbain. 3,151,716 10/1964 Jansson.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

J. K. BELL, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A MOULDING-JOINT LOCKING DEVICE COMPRISING A COVER PROVIDED WITH A CENTRAL PORTION HAVING A CENTRALLY DISPOSED APERTURE AND FOUR RADIAL ARMS, A SCREW BOLT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID APERTURE HAVING A HEAD PORTION ON THE EXPOSED SIDE OF SAID COVER, AND A LATCH BAR HAVING A THREADED APERTURE MIDWAY BETWEEN THE OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF, SAID SCREW BOLT ENGAGING SAID THREADED APERTURE AND AT LEAST PARTIALLY ROTATING SAID LATCH BAR RELATIVE TO SAID RADIAL ARMS.