Joints and connections – Articulated members – Lockable at fixed position
Patent
1985-11-22
1987-05-12
Kundrat, Andrew V.
Joints and connections
Articulated members
Lockable at fixed position
248410, F16B 710
Patent
active
046645497
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a locking ring of the kind being adapted to fit around and slide on a cylindrical rod or tube and which by the tilting thereof on an axis perpendicularly to the axis of the rod can be locked onto the rod.
Locking rings of this kind find many applications where it is desired to easily being able to release a connection between two parts. The tilted ring will hit the tube or the rod in two places--namely by the edges existing between the inner surface of the ring and the upper and lower surfaces, respectively, of the ring.
The specifications to Danish Pat. No. 75447 and to British Pat. No. 610,674 relates to devices of this kind.
Such locking rings work excellently by relatively small loads but the size of the two small surfaces where the ring lies true against the rod in its tilted position has the effect that the design is not good where the ring is for example under a comparatively heavy load while at the same having to be secured against displacement on the rod or tube. The contact surfaces are small and will often tend to cut into the tube so that this is damaged. It may also happen that the ring itself is deformed thus causing reduced locking power.
The object of the invention is therefore to provide a locking ring that is not encumbered with these drawbacks, ie. a locking ring which can stand comparatively heavy loads without being subjected to any substantial wear.
This is achieved according to the invention in that the areas of the inside of the ring that are most tilted by the movement thereof are designed with cutting edges of such shape that they will never come into contact with the rod before the tilting has been stopped by a squeezing in the areas close to the tipping axis.
By simply removing the areas where the ring would otherwise have come into contact with the tube by tilting, the ring will instead squeeze around the tube in areas situated more or less where the axis of tilting intersects the ring, ie. staggered approx. 90.degree. in relation to the points where a non-cut ring would have hit the tube.
There is thus obtained a larger contact area by applying a squeezing force acting on two diametrically opposed areas of the rod and consequently such a locking ring can stand comparatively heavy loads without being subjected to any damages or wear. The squeezing force moreover facilitates the re-releasing of the connection because there is a high leverage.
It is obvious that the size of the cut-off part will have to be dimensioned to the clearance of the ring on the rod or tube so that the desired squeezing is obtained.
It is not necessary to cut away the entire upper or lower surfaces of the ring as disclosed where the upper cutting face extends between the upper surface and the vertical outer face of the ring and the lower cutting face extends between the lower surface and the vertical outer face of the ring. Thus, the remaining part of the upper and lower surfaces of the ring can be used as contact surfaces for for example means for tilting the ring and for reversing the tilting.
In most cases it will be simple to manufacture a ring where the two cutting faces are identical but mutually turned. For example, it is possible to manufacture the ring by machining same first from one side and then from the other with the same tools.
It is advantageous if a locking ring according to the invention is adapted to being locked by a pressure spring which may of itself tilt the ring.
Finally, a locking ring according to the invention may be characteristic in that the ring as well as the rod/tube have been tempered. There is thus obtained a locking ring which without any problems may be used for a long period of time and under heavy loads.
The invention moreover relates to the use of such a locking ring for locking by a pressure spring which may for example by used for a device for vertical adjustment of a chair or the like it being simple to produce a device which is springy in its locked position in this manner. Gas cylinders for this purpose are known but they are expensive a
REFERENCES:
patent: 3195531 (1965-07-01), Groff
patent: 3584821 (1971-06-01), Glebe
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