Decelerating device

Claim 2

An article decelerating device comprising: a base; a lever rotatably supported on said base, said lever, capable of rotating between an engaged and a released position, includes a first and a second end portion, said second end portion being bifurcated with one furcation thereof extending on either side of an engaging surface; at least one hydraulic energy absorber operatively coupled to said first end portion, said absorber includes a spring means capable of returning said lever to the engaged position from the released position when a predetermined amount of energy has been absorbed by said energy absorber; a release pin pivotally mounted intermediate said furcations and abutting said engaging surface, the pivotal movement of said release pin being limited by said engaging surface and the pivot axis of said release pin forming a right angle with the axis of rotation of said lever; and a roller adapted to engage the moving article and rotatably supported on said release pin, the plane of rotation of said roller is parallel to the plane of rotation of said lever, said roller, upon engagement with the moving article, being capable of transferring energy of the moving article to said lever through said release pin and said engaging surface, said lever being capable of transferring energy to said energy absorber by rotating from the engaged position toward the released position, said release pin being pivotable from an engaged position to a released position to disengage said roller from said article when said lever has rotated to a release position and the predetermined amount of energy has been absorbed by said hydraulic energy absorber.

Claim 3

The article decelerating device according to claim 1 and further including returning means for returning said release pin from the released position to the engaged position after the disengagement of said roller from the moving article, said returning means includes a spring having two end portions, one end being connected to said release pin and the other end being connected to said body.

Claim 4

A bidirectional article decelerating device comprising: a base; a lever rotatably supported on said base, said lever, capable of rotating between an engaged and a released position, includes two bifurcated end portions with one furcation thereof extending on either side of an engaging surface at each end portion; energy absorbing means operatively coupled to said lever for absorbing a predetermined amount of energy; and a self-releasing unit pivotally mounted intermediate said furcations and abutting said engaging surface at each of said end portions, the pivotal movement of said self-release unIt being limited by said engaging surface and the pivot axis of said self-releasing unit forming a right angle with the axis or of rotation of said lever, said self-releasing unit being adapted to engage a moving article and upon engagement with the article, said self-releasing unit being capable of transferring energy of the article to said lever through said engaging surface, said lever being capable of transferring energy to said energy absorbing means by rotating from the engaged position toward the released position, said self-releasing unit being pivotable from an engaged position to a released position to disengage the article when said lever has rotated to the released position and said energy absorbing means has absorbed a predetermined amount of energy.

Claim 5

A bidirectional article decelerating device comprising: a base; a lever rotatably supported on said base, said lever, capable of rotating between an engaged and a released position, includes two bifurcated end portions with one furcation thereof extending on either side of an engaging surface at each end portion; energy absorbing means operatively coupled to said lever for absorbing a predetermined amount of energy; and a self-releasing unit pivotally mounted intermediate said furcations and abutting said engaging surface at each of said end portions, the pivotal movement of said self-release unIt being limited by said engaging surface and the pivot axis of said self-releasing unit forming a right angle with the axis or of rotation of said lever, said self-releasing unit being adapted to engage a moving article and upon engagement with the article, said self-releasing unit being capable of transferring energy of the article to said lever through said engaging surface, said lever being capable of transferring energy to said energy absorbing means by rotating from the engaged position toward the released position, said self-releasing unit being pivotable from an engaged position to a released position to disengage the article when said lever has rotated to the released position and said energy absorbing means has absorbed a predetermined amount of energy.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said energy absorbing means includes at least one hydraulic energy absorber operatively coupled to said lever, said absorber includes means for returning said lever to the engaged position from the released position.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said self-releasing unit comprises: a release pin pivotally mounted intermediate said furcations and abutting said engaging surface at each of said end portions; a roller adapted to engage the moving article and rotatably supported on said release pin, the plane of rotation of said roller being parallel to the plane of rotation of said body, said roller, upon engagement with the moving article, being capable of transferring energy of the moving article to said energy absorbing means through said release pin and said body, said release pin being pivotable from an engaged position to a released position to disengage said roller from the article when said lever has rotated to a released position and said energy absorbing means has absorbed the predetermined amount of energy; and returning means for returning said release pin from the released position to the engaged position after disengagement of said roller from the moving article, said returning means includes a spring having two end portions, one end being connected to said release pin and the other end being connected to said lever.

Claim 8

An article deceleration device comprising: a base: a body, rotatably supported on said base and adapted to engage a moving article and upon engagement with the moving article said body being rotated from an engage position toward a release position; means operatively connected to said body to return said body to the engage position from the release position; energy absorbing means operatively coupled to said body for absorbing energy upon engagement of the moving article with said body, said body rotatably moving to a release position to disengage the moving article when the energy has been absorbed by said energy absorbing means; and self-releasing means pivotally supported on said body and adapted to engage the moving article, said self-releasing means, upon engagement with said moving article, being capable of transferring energy of the moving article to said energy absorbing means through said body, said self-releasing means being pivotable from an engage position to a release position to disengage the moving article when energy has been absorbed by said energy absorbing means and said body has rotated to the release position, said self-releasing means including a release pin pivotally supported on said body, a roller adapted to engage the moving article and rotatably supported on said release pin, the plane of rotation of said roller being generally parallel to the plane of rotation of said body, said roller upon engagement with the moving article being capable of transferring energy of the moving article to said energy absorbing means through said release pin and said body, and means for returning said release pin from the release position to the engage position after disengagement of said roller from the moving article, said returning means including resilient means connected between said releaSe pin and said body.

Claim 9

An article deceleration device comprising: a base: a body, rotatably supported on said base and adapted to engage a moving article and upon engagement with the moving article said body being rotated from an engage position toward a release position; means operatively connected to said body to return said body to the engage position from the release position; energy absorbing means operatively coupled to said body for absorbing energy upon engagement of the moving article with said body, said body rotatably moving to a release position to disengage the moving article when the energy has been absorbed by said energy absorbing means; and self-releasing means pivotally supported on said body and adapted to engage the moving article, said self-releasing means, upon engagement with said moving article, being capable of transferring energy of the moving article to said energy absorbing means through said body, said self-releasing means being pivotable from an engage position to a release position to disengage the moving article when energy has been absorbed by said energy absorbing means and said body has rotated to the release position, said self-releasing means including a release pin pivotally supported on said body, a roller adapted to engage the moving article and rotatably supported on said release pin, the plane of rotation of said roller being generally parallel to the plane of rotation of said body, said roller upon engagement with the moving article being capable of transferring energy of the moving article to said energy absorbing means through said release pin and said body, and means for returning said release pin from the release position to the engage position after disengagement of said roller from the moving article, said returning means including resilient means connected between said releaSe pin and said body.