Telescopic tube locking and unlocking system

Claim 2

In a telescopic tube locking and unlocking mechanism including a flat sided socket tube and a flat sided telescoping tube of smaller diameter slidable within said socket tube and comprising, a series of locking pattern cams fixed on at least one side of said telescoping section, at least one laterally sliding locking pin carried by said socket tube and cooperating with said locking cams whereby said telescoping tube may be locked or unlocked in said socket tube by vertical pull-push motions thereof and means fixed on at least one side of said socket tube for slidably supporting said pin thereon.

Claim 3

A mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein said socket tube and said telescoping tube are square in cross-section.

Claim 4

A mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein said series of locking pattern cams comprise three flat plates fixed to at least one side of said telescoping tube and disposed in vertical spaced arrangement thereon, said plates having a thickness substantially equal to the space between the outside perimeter of said telescoping tube and the inside perimeter of said socket tube, said plates being contoured to provide a path for guiding said pin into locking and unlocking positions by the alternate lifting and pushing of said telescoping tube to hold said tube in an extended position or to move into a collapsed position therein.

Claim 5

A mechanism as set forth in claim 3 wherein the uppermost plate defines downwardly and upwardly inclining edges, the middle plate downward and upper inclining edges at its upper end, a pair of vertical side edges and an undercut locking recess, and the lower plate defining a saw tooth contour at its upper edge to form a pair of pin stopping recesses, said upper plate acting to guide said pin into a position for downward travel into one of said pin stopping recesses when said telescoping tube is lifted from its collapsed position within said socket tube, and when said telescoping tube is pushed downward said pin will be positioned in said locking recess to maintain it in an extended position, and when said telescoping tube is lifted when in said extended position, said pin will be guided into the other pin stopping recess whereby upon a downward push on said telescoping tube said pin will be guided upward to the upward inclining edge of said uppermost plate and guided outward of said plates to permit collapse of said telescoping tube within said socket tube.

Claim 6

A mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for slidably supporting said pin on said socket tube comprises a transverse slot in al least one of the walls thereof, a guideway plate having a transverse slot of the same size as said slot in said socket tube and adapted to be secured thereto whereby said slots are mated, a slide plate supporting said pin centrally thereon and adapted to slide laterally therein and a cover plate fixed to said guideway plate, said pin adapted to ride in said slots in said guideway and said socket tube and extend into said socket tube a distance whereby it will engage the edges of said locking pattern cams.

Claim 7

A mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein said telescoping tube may be moved and locked in an extended position from a collapsed position relative to said socket tube by a pull-push movement of said telescoping tube and to be collapsed into said socket tube by a repitition of said movements.