Brakes – To retard rolling of caster
Patent
1993-09-01
1995-03-07
Butler, Douglas C.
Brakes
To retard rolling of caster
188 5, 188111, 280 33994, B62B 504
Patent
active
053949625
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This application is a 371 of PCT/GB92/00382, filed Mar. 4, 1992.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to braking devices, and particularly but not exclusively to braking devices for use with wheeled trolleys to deter their removal from designated areas.
A particular problem with supermarket-type shopping trolleys or carts is the removal of those trolleys from designated areas, such as the supermarket and/or its parking lot. Although various systems have been proposed for placing physical obstacles such as grids and/or narrow stalls at the exit points from these designated areas, which obstacles are intended to interact with the trolley's castor wheels or with the trolley itself to deter its removal, these known systems are easily overcome and are also unsuitable for certain applications, such as vehicle entrances to supermarket parking lots.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a braking device comprising a first portion, a further portion arranged to move relative to the first portion between an inoperative position and an operative braking position, blocking means for normally blocking movement of the further portion to its operative position, and trigger means for releasing the blocking means to allow movement of the further portion to its operative position in response to the passage of the device in close proximity to magnetic material.
Advantageously, the further portion is arranged to rotate relative to the first portion, and may be circular, with the axis of its rotation offset from the centre of the circle. A portion of the outer circumference of the further portion may include a friction surface arranged to grip the surface over which the device is passing when the further portion is in its operative position, whereby to impede movement of the device relative to the surface, preferably by causing the first portion of the device to be raised relative to the surface.
The trigger means advantageously comprises a member mounted on the first portion of the device, which is arranged to move from a primed position to a triggered position to release the blocking means in response to the passage of the device in close proximity to magnetic material. The trigger member may be pivotally mounted to rotate between its primed and triggered positions. Advantageously, the trigger member comprises a magnetic pole portion, which is arranged to be attracted by, for example, a body of ferrous metal or a body having a pole portion of opposite polarity, or repelled by, for example, a body having a pole portion of the same polarity, in or on the surface over which the device is passed.
The centre of gravity of the pivotable trigger member may be arranged to coincide with the axis about which the member is arranged to rotate.
The trigger means may be arranged so that, in rotating from its primed position to its triggered position, the distance varies between the magnetic pole portion and the surface over which the device is passed. Where for example, the magnetic pole portion is chosen to be attracted to a body of magnetic material such as ferrous metal, or a body having a pole portion of opposite polarity in the surface, this distance is arranged to reduce.
The blocking means may be mounted on the first portion and arranged, in its blocking position, to co-operate with interference means provided on the further portion to block movement of the further portion to its operative position. The blocking means may be arranged, upon its release by the trigger means, to move from its blocking position to remove the block on movement of the further portion to its operative braking position.
The pivotable member of the trigger means may be provided with cam means to cause movement of the blocking means from its blocking position upon movement of the pivotable member from its primed to its triggered position.
The blocking means advantageously comprises an interference portion which is arranged to co-operate with the interference means of the further portio
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