Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Device for securing objects
Technical field:
The present invention relates to a device for securing
objects, said device comprising a frame and a locking arm,
having a pivot end, by means of which the locking arm is
pivotally mounted in said frame and an opposite free locking
end, said frame including means for carrying said locking arm
and surface means, against which the free end of the locking
arm is positioned in a securing position, securing the object
lying in between said free end and said surface means and from
which the free end is removable into a releasing position by
means of pivoting the locking arm, said surface means being
provided to restrict the pivotal motion of the locking arm in
one direction of pivoting.
Background: .
For the purpose of securing objects, for example pieces
of material, in such a way that the object can be released
easily, a number of different solutions is available depending
on the desired function and the type of the object. Previously
d.isclosed for the purpose of securing pieces of material, for
example, is a device in the form of a spring-loaded arm which
secures an object by friction against a flat surface positioned
in front of it~ By moving the arm out of the way in an upward
-sense the piece of material can be removed from its secured
position. To overcome the friction by lifting the arm can cause
damage to delicate pieces of material in certain circumstances,
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because of the pressing action between the arm and the flat
surface.
Technical problem:
The object of the present invention is to eliminate the
aforementioned disadvantages by means of a securing device
which does not require any high pressure for the arm against
the opposite surface.
The solution:
Said object is achieved by means of the device according
to the present invention, wherein said surface means form a
limit stop, forming part of two legs with an interspace between
themselves, into which the locking end of the locking arm
projects in said securing position, said legs having at least
one stop surface limiting said pivoting movement of the locking
arm.
Brief description of drawings:
The invention is described below in more detail in rela-
tion to a number of typical embodiment~ with reference to the
accompanying drawings, of which Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal
section through the means in accordance with the invention in a
first embodiment, Fig. 2 shows part of the device in accordance
with Fig. l in a different position, ~ig. 3 shows a partly
sectioned view from the front of the device in accordance with
Fig. 1, Fig. 4 shows on a larger scale a part of the device in
accordance with the invention, Fig. 5 shows a longitudinal
section through the device in a second embodiment in a first
position, whilst Fig. 6 shows the device in a second position,
Figs. 7, 8 and 9 show parts represented entirely schematically
in three different positions, Figs. 10 and 11 show the device
in a third embodiment in two different views and FigO 12 shows
the third embodiment in a perspective view with a piece of
material held by the present invention.
Best mode of carrying out the invention:
The device in accordance with the examples shown has been
produced especially in order to permit the efficient handling
of pieces of textile material in the clothing industry. ~he
suspension means in the example shown is intended to constitute
or form part of a transport unit in an overhead conveyor system
for,the transport of pieces of textile material between diffe-
rent work stations, in which case it is important to be able to
release the pieces of cloth effectively from the suspension
means without the risk of damage to the te~tile material.
As may be seen from Fig. 1, a section is shown through a
securing device 1 in accordance with the invention in the form
of a firs~ embodiment suspended by means of a bracket 2 from a
conveyor roller 3, by means of which the suspension means moves
along a conveyor ~ represented schematically. The movement may
be achieved, for example, by giving the conveyor a certain fall
so that the suspension means will move of its own accord. The
suspension means consists of a frame 2 with a rear frame leg 3
and two front frame legs 4 r 5, one of which is cut away in Fig.
1. The construction of the front two frame legs is apparent
from Fig. 3, however. A central part of the suspension means
is formed by a locking arm 6 which is pivotally mounted in a
supporting means 7 in the rear frame leg 3, whilst the securing
and locking of the object which is to be secured takes place
against the front two frame legs 4, 5 which in this case form a
holder against the locking arm. The rear frame leg in the
example shown exhibits a U-shaped section with a back piece 8
and two side pieces 9, of which one is cut away in the figures.
Between the two side pieces 9 there is formed a space into
which the locking arm extends by its rear end called pivot end
10, in which case the arm exhibits a transcurrent shaft 11 or
two side-facing pins which project into a slot 12 specially
provided for that purpose in each of the side pieces 9. The
shape of the slot is best appreciated from Fig. 4. The special
shape of the slot provides two stable supporting points for the
locking arm 6, namely a front supporting point in which the arm
is shown to be located in accordance with the solid line in
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Figs. 1 and 2, and a rear supporting point in which the arm is
shown to be located in accordance with the dot-and-dash line in
Figs. 1 and 2. The slot is shown to be of rather different
shape in Fig. 2, although it provides the same function as the
slot in accordance with Figs. 1 and 4.
The device also exhibits in the typical embodiment shown
a spring mechanism 14 in the form of a wire spring, which at
the bottom is hooked around the shaft 11 and is held between an
upper pin 15 and a fixed, interjacent pin 16 which projects
from one of the side pieces 3, whereby the spring mechanism 14
endeavours to retain the locking arm 6 with the shaft 11 in
position at both its pivoting or support points. The spring
mechanism 14 also forms part of a release mechanism 17 which
also incorporates a control lever 18, upon actuation of which
the spring mechanism is caused to rise by the fact that the pin
15 is attached to the lower end of the lever. By moving the
lever to the position indicated by a dot-and-dash line in Fig.
1, the mechanism is caused to rise with the result that the
locking arm 6 with its shaft 11 is lifted from its front pivot-
ing point in an upward sense and is caused to move backwards to
the rear pivoting point under the effect of the rearward-acting
spring bias from the spring mechanism. The control lever 18
can either be operated manually or automatically, for example
by means of a downward-projecting and preferably flexible acti-
vating element 19 situated at a work station, for example; with
the result that the piece of material can be released automati-
cally to fall at the desired point.
The locking arm 6 also exhibits at its rear end 10 a cam
20 so arranged as to interact with a control surface 21 on the
back piece 8 causing the locking arm 6 to move forwards from
the rear pivoting point to the front pivoting point when the
locking arm 6 is moved in a direction from the bottom upwards
with its front end 22, for instance between the positions illu-
strated in Fig. 1.
As will be appreciated from the figures, the front end
called locking end 40 of the locking arm 6 projects for a
certain distance between the front two frame legs 4, 5 which
are made from an elastic material. The flexibility of the
frame legs 4, 5 can thus be regulated by means of a bridging
element 23 which is capable of being displaced up or down the
two frame legs. In its upper position the frame legs are per-
mitted to flex to a great extent, enabling the front end of the
locking arm to be pushed between the thickened free ends 24, 25
of the two frame legs and beyond them, this being represented
schematically by means of dot-and-dash lines 26 in Fig. 3. In
a lower position with the element 23 pushed down towards the
free ends 24, 25 the two frame legs 4, 5 are rigid to all in-
tents and purposes and are even capable of entirely blockiny
the passage of the locking arm 6 between the two legs. The two
frame legs 4, S form between themselves an interspace 40 into
which the free locking end 41 of the locking arm 6 proiects in
a securing position of the arm, in which an object is secured.
The thickened free ends 24, 25 of the two frame legs are pro-
vided with oblique surfaces 42, 43 converging downwards and
forming stop surfaces for the locking end 41 of the locking
arm. The length of the locking arm 6 is such, however~ that
said blocking will not occur with the locking arm in its rear
position, that is to say with the shaft 11 positioned at the
rear pivoting point.
The use of the device in accordance with the invention in
its first embodiment is explained with reference to Figs. 1-4.
It is assumed for this purpose that the movable element 23
adopts a postion, for instance the position shown in Figs. 1
and 3, which affords flexibility to the front legs 4, 5. The
initial position can be either with the locking arm 6 at its
front pivoting point or with the locking arm at its rear pivot-
ing point. We have assumed here that the locking arm is at its
position indicated by dot-and-dash lines in accordance with
Fig. 1, and with the shaft 11 at its rear pivoting point The
securing device is then in its released position. A piece of
flexible sheet material, such as textile material is inserted
by holding the piece of material by its upper edge with one
hand and by moving the piece of material upwards in ~he gap
between the rear and front frame legs 3, 4, 5, and then with
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the same hand moving the locking arm 6 upwards by causing it to
pivot in an upward sense. The locking arm will then be in a
rear position in which the locking arm is essentially free to
move past the two rront frame legs 4, 5 without being obstruct-
ed by them, in which case the piece of material will be situ-
ated between the free end 22 of the arm 6 and the legs. As the
arm is swung upwards, the cam 2 on the arm will engage with the
control surface 21, causing the shaft 11 to move forwards in
the slot 12, and as a certain angle of pivoting is passed by
the arm 6, for instance the angle shown in Fig~ 2, the shaft 11
will be moved downwards and into its front supporting point
resting against the supporting surface 13. Once the front
supporting point has been adopted, the locking arm will have
reached the pivoting position shown by solid lines in Fig. 2.
If the locking arm 6 is now permitted to swing back into essen-
tially the position indicated by solid lines in Fig. 1, the arm
will be blocked against the front frame legs 4, 5 with the
piece of material in between. The fact that the arm projects
slightly between the frame legs will cause the piece of materi-
al to be folded slightly into the shape of a "U", causing it to
be held securely. The device in this case will be in the
securing position, enabling the piece of material to be carried
along the conveyor for the purpose of moving it to another work
station. When it is wished to remove the piece of material,
this can be done in two different ways. The simplest way of
achieving this is to pull the piece of material in a downward
sense, when the locking arm will be allowed to move past the
two frame arms 4, 5 which will flex out of the way to a certain
extent so that the locking arm can swing down into the position
shown in Fig. 1 by means of dot-and-dash lines. The locking
arm 6 is thus so arranged as to be released by being swung down
at the same time as a force acting upon the arm is overcome,
said force being considerably greater than the force required
to swing the arm upwards. When a new piece of material is to
be inserted r the locking arm can be returned by the application
of light pressure to the outer end 22 of the locking arm, caus-
ing the locking arm to move to its rear position at the rear
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pivoting point. Alternatively, it is possible for the piece of
material, as described above, to b~ released automatically or
manually by activating the lever 18, causing the locking arm 6
to move to its rear pivoting point so that the piece of materi-
al is released.
The embodiment in accordance with Figs. 5 and 6 in prin-
ciple exhibits the same function with regard to the action of
the locking arm. In this second embodiment, the components
which are the same as those in the first embodiment have been
allocated corresponding reference designations, but ~ith the
addition of 100. In this case the mechanism for holding the
locking arm 106 about its front pivoting point is executed
differently. In this embodiment the slot 112 is executed as a
straight slot, to which has been added a long activating rod
128 which extends into the rear frame leg between the upper
attachment 115 of the spring mechanism 114 and the rear end of
the locking arm 106. The activating rod 128 is capable of
being moved between an upper position as shown in Fig. 5 and a
lower position as shown in Fig. 6 in a fashion described in
greater detail below. The prepared section shown in Figs. 5
and 6 is considered to extend centrally, from which it will be
apparent that the activating rod 128 is divided at the bottom
into two shanks 129 extending along the inside of the two side
pieces 109, said shanks being intended to interact with the
pins 11~ of the locking arm 106 in such a way that, with the
activating rod 128 in its lower position in accordance with
Fig. 6, the locking arm 106 is held in its front pivoting posi-
tion by interaction between the front edges 130 and said shanks
and the pins. The locking arm 106 is also executed at its rear
end with a normal upward-facing finger 131 which can be intro-
duced into the space between the two shanks 129, in this way
not interfering with them and yet assuring the position of the
locking arm for the purpose of its movement from its rear pivot-
ing point to its front pivoting point through interaction with
the wall 132 of the back piece 108 as it is swung from the
downward, released position and in an upward sense~ A normal,
backward-facing finger 133 serves the function of moving the
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activating rod 128 from its lower position to its upper posi-
tion whilst the locking arm 106 is being swung downwards. This
may be appreciated from the schematic views in Figs. 7, 8 and
9, which show a section made alongside the central section
shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and more precisely through one of the
shanks 129, in connection with which the upward-facing finger
131 does not lie in the section and is not illustrated in the
interests of clarity.
With further reference to Figs. 5 and 6 it is evident
that the locking arm 106 is also in two parts and is articu-
lated at an articulation point 134, whereby in certain circum-
stances it is possible for the arm to be swung upwards without
being moved from the front pivoting point to the rear pivoting
point. In this case the locking arm 106 is best made from a
high~grade elastic material such that the inherent elasticity
of the material can be utilized to provide said articulated
function.
The use of the device in accordance with the second embo-
diment is explained with reference to Figs. ~~9. The initial
position is such that a piece of material 135, shown in section
in Fig. 6, is held securely between the free outer end 122 of
the locking arm 106 and the two front legs 104.
The activating rod is thus in its lower position, when
its shanks 129 prevents the pins 111 from being displaced from
their front pivoting point under the effect of the spring
mechanism 114, thereby causing the piece of material to be held
securely in the manner described above. The interaction
between the activating rod 128 and the pins may also be appre-
ciated from Fig. 9. By pulling the piece of material 135 in a
downward sense, the locking arm 12~ will be caused to accompany
it because of the friction between the free end 122 of the
locking arm and the piece of material, in which case the back-
ward-facing finger 133 will be caused by being forced against
the underside 136 of the activating rod 128 to lift the latter
in such a way that the lower edges of the shanks adopt a posi-
tion ahove the pins 111, in which case the locking arm will be
caused to mo~e under the effect of the spring mechanism 114 to
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its rear pivoting position in accordance with Figs. 5 and 7 by
the movement of the pins 111 along the straight slot 112.
When another piece of material is to be inserted, the
locking arm is moved in an upward sense with the result that,
as shown by Fig. 5, the upward-facing finger 136 will, through
its contact with the wall 132, cause the pins of the locking
arm to move forward until the activating rod 128 drops down
through the effect of the spring mechanism 114, which is pre-
tensioned against a support point 136 in such a way that a
downward-acting force is applied to the activating rod.
By analogy with the alternative possibility in the first
embodiment, manual or automatic release can be provided by
means of the control lever 118, the actuation of which will
cause the activating rod 128 to be raised and the corresponding
events to occur, as described above.
In the third embodiment, shown in Figs. lO, 11 and 12 the
components which are the same as those in the first embodiment
have been allocated corresponding referenced designations, but
with the addition of 200. In this embodiment the two front
legs 204, 205 have their oblique surfaces 242, 243 which act as
stop surfaces, joined together so that the interspace 240 are
fully enclosed by the two legs when regarded two-dimensionally,
see Fig. 11. In the shown embodiment the locking arm 206 is
pivotally journalled by means of its shaft 211 in the rear
frame leg 203 so that ~erely a pivoting movement relative to
the rear frame leg occurs and no other displacement movement.
The stop surfaces 242, 243 form an oblique angle relative to
each other and to the plane, normally vertical plane, along
which the locking arm 206 pivots. Furtherr the locking arm in
this embodiment is formed as an integral piece without any
articulation point dividing the arm. This results in that the
stop surfaces 242, 243 form a full stop for the locking arm 206
the free locking end 241 of which is given a V-shape with con-
verging contact surfaces 244 which in the shown example are
given the same angle as the corresponding stop surfaces 242,
243 so that substantially a surface contact will arise in the
locking position, shown in Fig. lO and 11 with full lines. The
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releasing position is shown with dashed and dotted lines in
Fig. 10, in which the piece of flexible sheet material 235,
shown in Fig. 12, can be put in place for securing or be re-
leased from securing position. Preferably the locking arm 206
is spring biased relative to the rear frame leg 203 by means of
a spring not shown, for example mounted around the shaft 211
and in its ends connected with the rear frame leg 203 and the
locking arm 206 respectively. The action of the spring is such
that the locking arm 206 always tends to take its securing
position, but can be removed from that position by means of
some finger of a hand presssing on the locking arm from below.
Also i~ the third embodiment the securing device prefer-
ably is part of a conveyor system as is shown in the embodiment
of Fig. 1 and hangs down from a wheel able to roll along a path
such as a conveyor rail. Consequently the frame substantially
hangs vertically with its rear frame leg 203 and the locking
arm 206 in its securing position is biased in direction down-
wards against the locking surfaces 242, 243.
In the shown third embodiment the locking arm 206 is
somewhat angled to form an underside which is easy to lift by
pushing the locking arm upwards by means of some fingar of a
hand~ whereby the locking arm pivots counter clock wise to the
position shown in Fig. 10 with dotted and dashed lines or any
other position pivoted upwards so that a distance arises
between the contact surfaces 244 of the locking arm and the
stop surfaces 242, 243 of the two front legs 204, 205. In
practice the locking arm 206 is lifted automatically by placing
the piece of flexible sheet material 235 in its position for
securing by the securing device. The operator has normally the
piece of flexible sheet material 235 pinched between fingers of
her hand over a top edge portion 245 of the piece of material.
Then she brings her hand to the underside of the locking arm
206 which thereby pivot upwards so that an upper part of the
piece of material 235 is brought into the interspace 240
between the two front legs 204, 205 and also between the free
locking end 241 of the locking arm and the stop surfaces 243,
244. When removing her hand the locking arm 206 rapidly pivots
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downwards in the clock-wise direction towards the stop surfaces
242, 243 with the piece of material 235 pinched therebetween
and held by means of the securing means with the rest of the
piece of flexible sheet material hanging downwards. The piece
of fle~ible sheet material 235 is securely held without the
need for any high surface pressure because of the fact that the
stop surfaces are not a vertical surface but faced in a large
extent upwards deviatiDg from an imagined vertical plane along
which a stiff sheet material would have extended. However, by
means of the flexible character of the sheet material and the
fact that the locking arm 206 also extends somewhat between the
front legs 204, 205 and that the stop surfaces 243, 2~4 though
facing somewhat upwards, are inclined so that the piece of
material 235 forms a portion 246 which is deformed and extends
into the interspace 240 and extends partially around the front
legs 204, 205 and especially around edge portions 246 directed
towards the locking arm 206. It is important that the locking
end 241 eY~tends in a proper degree between the two front legs
204, 205 and not too long so that proper deformation arises.
More precisely the free locking end must extend past the edge
portion of the stop surfaces 242, 243. Preferably the contact
surfaces 244 of the locking arm and normally the whole free end
of the arm have high friction surfaces resultinq in that a
tendency of the piece of sheet material 235 to leave its
secured position will result in an increased pinching action by
means of the locking arm 206. This is the case for example
when a heavy piece of material 235 is present or when somebody
unintentionally pulls the sheet of material downwards.
The removal of the piece of flexible sheet material 235
takes place in a simple way by pressing the locking arm 236
upwards with a finger of a hand so that the locking arm leaves
the contact with the piece of material. Simultaneously the
piece of material is grabbed by means of the hand and brought
to the desired place. In many cases the piece of material can
be allowed to fall downwards by its own weight.
The invention is not restricted to the typical embodi-
ments described above and illustrated in the drawings, but may
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be modified within the scope of the following patent claim.
For example, the means in accordance with Figs. 5 and 6 need
not be provided with the articulated function which divides the
locking arm into two parts articulated relative to each other.
Furthermore, neither the first nor the second embodiment need
necessarily exhibit the separate release mechanism with the
lever 18.
The different embodiments can arise in different combina-
tions For example the third embodiment according to 10-12 can
have the displaceable shaft of the type shown in the first and
second embodiments with or without the release mechanism 17.
Further the front legs 204, 205 of the closed type according to
the third embodiment can be combined with a locking arm having
an articulation point of the type shown in the second embodi-
ment, see Fig. 6. The two legs 204, 205 need not have their
stop surfaces 242, 243 joined together, but can still be rela-
tively rigid and need not having a bridging element 233 dis-
placeable for regulating the flexibility of the legs 204, 205.
Further the flexible sheet material need not be a textile ma-
terial, but can be any type of flexible sheet material, such as
plastic or paper material.
