GB2044338A - Locking Device and Receptacles Equipped with this Device - Google Patents

Abstract

This device for locking hinged panels 2 or the like in their raised or closed position in a receptacle, for example a crate, comprises, at the upper corners of the panel, a handle 10 pivotally and slidably mounted and formed with an integral bolt 6 and a projection 12 acting as a cam so that when the panel is raised and the handle is lowered the projection 12 engages a rectilinear member 13 of the panel structure and causes the bolt assembly to rotate about the bolt axis, so that the bolt penetrates into a keeper 9 carried by the adjacent fixed upright or frame element of the receptacle. If desired, the keeper may be provided on the panel and the bolt and handle assembly may be pivotally mounted on the fixed upright or frame element, or alternatively the cam may be formed on the panel and the rectilinear member may be provided on the bolt and handle assembly. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Locking Device and Receptacles Equipped with This Device The present invention relates to devices for locking in its raised position a shutter, panel or the like adapted to pivot about hinge means located along its bottom edge.

Devices of this character are provided notably on pallet-type stock- or material-handling receptacles comprising a moveable or hinged side wall or panel so as to lock the latter in its raised or closed position. In this case, a locking device is provided at each one of the upper corners of the panel and comprises a horizontal sliding bolt provided with a control handle and adapted to engage a keeper aligned therewith.

As a rule, the assembly comprising the lock bolt and its control handle is pivotally mounted about pivot means consisting of the bolt proper.

Thus, the control handle can pivot between two end positions, namely a raised position in which the bolt can slide freely to and from its keeper engaging position, and a foid-down position in which this movable assembly is locked by an abutment forming member provided for this purpose. In this last case, the bolt is safely retained in its panel locking position and cannot be released untimely, for example under the influence of jolts or jarring.

However, under actual service conditions an operator may inadvertently fold down the control handle of the locking device to its lower position without having engaged beforehand the bolt into the keeper. It may also happen that an absentminded operator leaves the control handle in its raised position without having preliminarily engaged the lock bolt into the keeper. Of course, in both cases the movable panel is not locked in its raised position and may therefore fling open unexpectedly.

It is the primary object of the present invention to further increase the efficiency and safety of locking devices of the type broadly mentioned hereinabove by positively preventing the occurrence of the two undesired circumstances recalled in the preceding paragraph.

For this purpose, this invention provides a locking device wherein the control handle and the panel portion on which the lock bolt is slidably mounted comprise the former an inclined ramp and the latter a rectilinear element adapted to engage said ramp in the raised position of the control handle, the shape of said inclined ramp being such that when the handle is tilted to its lower position the bolt is caused to slide to its locking position in the keeper.

With this arrangement the bolt is positively engaged into the keeper, i.e. moved to its panel locking position. In fact, if the operator forgot to engage the bolt into the keeper before tilting the handle downwardly, it is this downward movement of the control handle that would cause this locking engagement. The same result would be obtained if the control handle were left in its raised position without introducing the bolt into the keeper. In fact, in this case the downward pivoting movement of the control handle by gravity and as a consequence of shocks or jarring, is sufficient for automatically moving the bolt into the keeper.

Other features and advantages of the panel locking device of this invention will appear as the following description proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating diagrammatically by way of example two typical forms of embodiment thereof, given by way of illustration, not of limitation.In the drawings: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing a pallet-type receptacle comprising a movable side panel provided with the locking device of this invention; Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views showing on a larger scale the component elements of the locking device, with the control handle in its raised position (Figure 2) and in its lower position (Figure 3), respectively; Figures 4 and 5 are fragmentary elevational views of the same device, which correspond to Figures 2 and 3, respectively; Figures 6 and 7 are frgmetezeertions taken along lines VI--VI of Figure 4 and VIl-VIl of Figure 5, and Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing a modified form of embodiment of the locking device of this invention.

As already mentioned hereinabove, Figure 1 illustrates a pallet-type receptacle, crate or basket 1, of a type currently used in warehouses, shops and various commercial and industrial-premises for handling miscellaneous goods. This receptacle comprises four vertical walls of which at least one lateral wall 2 is mounted along its bottom edge by means of hinges 3 having a horizontal pivot axis.

This panel 2 is disposed between a pair of enframing side uprights 4 rigid with the other walls of the receptacle. Thus, this hinged panel can be either tilted outwardly to permit an easy access to the inner space of the receptacle, or raised and locked to constitute an integral wall thereof. This hinged panel comprises at each upper corner a locking device 5 according to the instant invention, shown more in detail in Figures 2 to 7 of the drawings.

Each locking device comprises a horizontal bolt 6 slidably mounted under guide and retaining straps 7 consisting of a metal wire bow 8 affixed to the hinged panel 2. This bolt 6 is adapted to engage a keeper 9 also of metal wire, which is carried by the corresponding side upright 4.

To facilitate its actuation, the bolt comprises an integral control handle 10 consisting likewise of metal wire and adapted to rotate about the bolt axis engaging the retaining straps 7.

The assembly comprising the bolt 6 and control handle 10 can thus pivot between a raised position (Figures 2, 4 and 6) and a lower position (Figures 3, 5 and 7). In the first or raised position the bolt 6 can be caused to slide freely in either direction. Therefore, it is necessary to bring the handle 10 to this position when the panel 2 is raised to its receptacle closing position, so that the bolt 6 can engage the keeper 9. Then, the handle 10 is folded downwards, thus locking the bolt in its locking position. In fact, in this position the movable assembly comprising the bolt 6 and handle 10 is prevented from sliding because one arm of this handle, i.e. arm 1 0a, is then engaged between one of the retaining straps 7 and an adjacent upright 11 of movable panel 2 (Figures 3 and 5).

In this respect, it may also be noted that due to the specific arrangement contemplated, the movable assembly 6, 7 is retained in its position corresponding to the downward folding of handle 10 simply as a consequence of gravity acting upon this handle. Besides, when this handle is raised, the movable assembly is unstable and constantly tends to fall under the slightest shock or jar; According to this invention, the other arm 1 Ob of control handle 10 comprises an extension 12 projecting beyond the bolt 6. This extension is bent as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 4 to constitute a cam member adapted slidably to engage a fixed element of the hinged panel 2 when the handle 10 is allowed or caused to move downwardly.This fixed element consists of another upright 13 of panel 2, the cam member 12 registering with this element when the handle 10 is in its raised position. In this respect, it may also be observed that this upright extends at right angles to the movable bolt 6.

Under these conditions, when the control handle 10 is pivoted downwards in the direction of the arrow F1, without preliminarily moving the bolt 6 into the keeper 9, the cam member 12 is caused to slide along the fixed upright 1 3. Now due to the particular angle of this cam member 12, the assembly is caused to slide and thus the bolt 6 will move in the direction of the arrow F2 until it engages the retaining member or keeper 9.

At the end of this movement, the bolt 6 is positively brought to the locking position when the control handle 10 is pivoted to its lower position (Figures 5 and 7).

Besides, with the locking device of this invention it is not necessary to introduce beforehand the bolt into the retaining keeper 9, since this introduction is obtained automatically by the downward movement of control handle 10.

Under these condition, this device is advantageous notably in that it eliminates one of the manoeuvres heretofore necessary for locking a movable panel in its raised position.

However, it should be noted that this automatic locking action is also obtained when the control handle 10 is inadvertently left in its raised position after moving the panel 2 to its upper or closed position. In fact, due to the instability of the control handle in this upper position, the slightest shock or jar is sufficient for pivoting same downwardly. As a result, the cam member 12 is caused to slide along the fixed upright 1 3 and the bolt 6 is introduced automatically into the keeper 9.

From the foregoing it will be readily understood that the degree of safety obtained with this device is considerably improved in comparison with conventional locking devices known in the art, inasmuch as, as already mentioned hereinabove, the device of this invention has the further advantage of simplifying the manoeuvres to be accomplished for locking the hinged panel.

However, this result is obtained without unduly complicating the locking device structure and consequently without really incrementing its cost.

In the example illustrated in Figure 1, the device is fitted to a hinged panel 2 of a pallet-type receptacle. However, the device of this invention is also applicable to the various movable or hinged walls of a fully collapsible receptacle of this character. In fact, in this case all the walls consist of hinged panels and it is thus possible to provide at least one, or a plurality of all of these panels with the locking device of this invention.

On the other hand, this locking device may be fitted to any other type of receptacle comprising a hinged panel, partition or wall, or any other similar member or element, such as a shutter or the like, for example in the case of a materials or stock handling cart provided with a receptacle or basket having a hinged panel, partition or wall.

Besides, this invention is also concerned with all types of receptacles comprising a movable panel or other similar element provided with locking devices of the type set forth hereinabove, the term "receptacle" designating not only pallettype crates or containers, but also any other devices designed and constructed for containing or transporting and/or handling materials and miscellaneous goods and stock, including castermounted transport and handling carts.

Finally, it will be readily understood by those conversant with the art that the present locking device should not be construed as being strictly limited by the specific form of embodiment described hereinabove with reference to Figures 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings. Thus, Figure 8 thereof illustrates a modified form of embodiment of the locking device of this invention wherein the cam member controlling the sliding movement of the bolt to its keeperengaging locking position is provided on the hinged panel 2 proper in the form of a fixed elbow 1 2a carried by the panel. In this case, the rectilinear element adapted to engage this cam member when the control handle 1 Oa is raised consists of an extension 1 Ob of one side of the control handle 1 Oa.

Due to the inverted relative arrangement of these two component elements, the orientation of cam member 1 2a is the reverse of that shown in the preceding case, so that the bolt 6 is caused to slide automatically to its locking position when the handle is allowed to tilt down to its normal lower position.

It will be seen that in both cases the assembly comprising the bolt 6 and its control handle 10 or 1 Oa may if desired be mounted on the fixed framing upright 4 instead of being mounted on the hinged panel 2, and in this case the latter is provided with the keeper 9.

Of course, other modifications and changes may be brought to the specific forms of embodiment shown and described herein without departing from the basic principles of the invention which are set forth in the appended

Claims (5)

claims. Claims

1. Device for locking a hinged panel or the like in its raised position by causing a lock bolt carried thereby to engage a keeper, said lock bolt being rigid with a control handle, the bolt and handle assembly being adapted to pivot from a raised position of the handle, in which the bolt can slide freely, to a lower position in which the bolt is locked in its panel locking position, characterised in that the control handle and the portion on which the lock bolt is mounted comprise the former an inclined ramp and the latter a rectilinear member engaging said inclined ramp in the raised position of said handle, the shape of said inclined ramp being such that when the handle is tilted to its lower position the bolt is caused to slide and penetrate into said keeper.

2. Locking device according to Claim 1, characterised in that the inclined ramp consists of a bent extension of the control handle, the rectilinear member engaged by said inclined ramp when the handle is in its raised position consisting of an element provided on the portion supporting the sliding bolt.

3. Locking device according to Claim 1, characterised in that the inclined ramp is provided on the portion having the lock bolt slidably mounted thereon, and that the rectilinear member engaging said inclined ramp in the raised position of said control handle consists of an extension of said handle.

4. A receptacle or the like comprising at least one hinged panel or the like, characterised in that this panel or the like comprises one or a plurality of locking devices according to any one of the preceding claims.

5. Device for locking a hinged panel or the like in its raised position substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.