US687431A - Locking device for transom-rods. - Google Patents

Description

. No. 687,43l. Patented Nov. 26,1901. E. H. KIMBALL.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR TRANSOM nous.

A umion filed Dec. 14. 1900.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD I-I. KIMBALL, OF GLENOOE, ILLINOIS.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR TRANSOM-RODS.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,431, dated November 26, 1901 Application filed December 14, 1900. Serial No. 39,884. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD H. KIMBALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Glencoe, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Looking Devices for Transom-Rods and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for automatically locking rods against movement in the direction of the length thereof and is particularly adapted for use as a locking device for transom-rods.

The object of my invention is to provide such a lock which will normally and automatically hold the rod passing therethrough in locked position, but which may be released by a movement of the rod itself in the direction of the clamping device, so that with one hand and with practically one movement of the hand a transom-rod, for instance, may be released, moved to the desired point, and aurnatically locked, whereas with all previous devices of which I have any knowledge it has been necessary to release the rod,with one hand and then while holding the lock out of engagement with the rod to move the rod with the other hand.

In addition to the obvious advantages attending my improvement I also by my construction produce a lock characterized by simplicity and economy in construction as Well as efficiency and convenience in operation.

These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained by the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whieh-- Figure 1 indicates a plan view of a blank from which the base-plate of my improved lock may be formed of one piece of metal. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the blank shown in Fig. 1 with the side pieces bent up so as to form the base-plate for my device. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the clamping-arms. Fig.4 is a perspective view of the other clamping-arm. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through my device, showing the clampingarms pushed back against the base-plate and in unlocked position. The dotted lines show the parts in normal position with the rod locked. Fig. 6 is a forming the sides of the base-plate.

perspective view of my complete device. Figs. 7 and 8 show modified forms of mylock made in one piece of spring metal.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A indicates a sheet of metal pro vided with the wings a a. These wings, preferably in the form of a triangle, as indicated, are to receive the pivot upon which the clampin g-arms hereinafter referred to are mounted. These wings are bent substantially at right angles to the body of the plate A, thereby The portions of the base-plate above and below the wings or side pieces a a may be provided with screw-holes, as indicated, for the passage of screws for the attachment of the base-plate to a door-jamb or othereonvenient place. B and G are oppositely-disposed clamping-arms, each provided with a bent-up or angular end b c, which ends are perforated for the passage of the transom or other rod to be locked. These perforations should of course be slightly larger in diameter than the diameter of the rod.

The ends of the arms 13 and O opposite to the perforations therein may be provided with lugs or ears I) c, as shown, or may be otherwise conveniently pivoted to the base-plate. In my preferred construction the pivoted ends of these arms are formed so as to interlock in such a manner that they are mounted upon a common pivot and are both actuated by the same coil spring which is mounted on said pivot, but of course this specific form is not essential to the spirit of my invention.

D is a coil-spring mounted upon the pivot E, the ends of which spring are so disposed with relation to the arms B and 0, respectively, that said arms are normally forced away from the base-plate and toward each other, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5.

F is a rod, such as the operating-rod of a transom-lift, which passes through the perforations in both of said clamping-arms.

The operation of my device is as follows: The rod having been inserted through the perforations in the locking-arms in a manner well understood, upon releasing the rod F the spring D forces the arms B O to swing out wardly from the base-plate A and in a direction toward each other, whereby the angular portions 6 c are caused to stand inclined at an angle toward each other, and the opposite edges of the perforations are caused to engage or bite the rod F, thereby securely hlding the same locked in position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5. To release the rod, it

is only necessary topush it in the direction;

of the base-plate, whereupon the arms B O are simultaneously forced backward against the spring-pressure until they reach the; release position, when, holding the rod in the plane occupied by it whenso released, it ma be freely moved either way in the direction of itslength and when released will immediatelybecome again automatically locked.

To avoid" the necessity of-careasto the degreeof movement of the rod toward the baseplate necessary to releasethe-rod, I prefer to form the arms B O in such a manner that when they reach the release position the bent corners thereof shall be in contact withrthe base-plate A,- thereby forming azstop.

.In. Figs. 7 and 8 I haveshown my lock constructed of one pieceof spring met al,'in

.which the arms-are normallyisprung into the locking position. The operation of the device. when :so. constructed is essentially, the

same-as when the arms are constructed sepa-- ratelyand actuated by a separate springer springs.

It is obvious that the only object of providing two arms. is to lock. the rod against movement in either way alongthe direction of its length. If it is only desired to-lock a vertical rodagainst downwardmovement, as is often thecase with a transom-rod,,where .the'transom is merely held in position for purposes of ventilation, it is apparent that the locking-arm 13 used alone wilLanswer this purpose effectively, and in that event the force of gravity tending to draw the arm 3 ina;downward and outward direction will keep it. normally in the x positionshown, in

dotted lines in Fig.5 without the intervention ofa spring.

Of course my device issusceptibleofvarious modifications,such as using any of the forms of base-plates well known inthis artin place of. the base-plate shown and descjribed herein-or providing other forms of springs foractuating; the armsB C ormounting said armstoward-each other, and a rod passing throughsaid arms and normally clamped thereby,.all combined substantially as described.

"2. The combinationwitha transom and its openi-ngattachments,of a base,a pair of spring actuatedarms mounted upon a base, a transom-lift rod passing throughjholes in said 'arms, said arms being: thrown toward each other by said spring action, so as to engage and locksaid rod, and being forcedaway from each other so as to release said rod by the movement of the-rod in-the direction of said base, substantially as described.

3. The combination-with a transom and its operating-rod, ofa-base-plate, a pair of hinged clamping-arms mountedon said base-plate, a coil spr-ing mounted upon the pivot upon whichsaid arms are hinged and actuating saidarms toward each other, a -rod passing through perforations in. said arms and normallyrlockedthereby, substantiallyas described.

4. The combination witha transom and its operating-rod, of a base, a clamping-arm hinged .tosaid base, a coil-spring mounted upon the pivot uponwhich said arm is'hingedrand .normallyholding saidarmin locking position said rodpassing through a perfora= tion in saidarm and normally locked thereby,

all so combined that said rod-may be released by forcing said arm toward ,said base-plate, substantiallyas described.

ED WARD. H. KIM BALL.

Witnesses:

O.i-'R. BARNETT, SHIELDS.

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