Locking device

Claim 2

Apparatus comprising a locking device, said locking device including a support having a horizontally disposed hole, an annular collar fixedly secured to said support at said hole, a lock member supported above said collar, said lock member having an upright shank extending downwardly through said collar and being rotatably supported thereby, above the plane of the hole each of said lock member and collar having at least one flat thereon to define their narrowest transverse dimension, a handle having one end coupled to the shank for rotating said member through an arc of 90*, said shank having a slot therethrough, said handle having a portion at its said one end which extends through said shank slot, a spring surrounding said shank, said spring biasing said handle in an axial direction along the shank away from the collar, said support including an upright wall having a slot therein, said wall slot having first and second niches defining the operative and inoperative positions of said locking member, said handle extending through said wall slot and being biased into one of said niches by said spring, a locking pin extending through a hole in said shank at an elevation below said collar, and said spring surrounding the pin and preventing the pin from being withdrawn so long as the handle is coupled to said shank.

Claim 3

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said handle has a notch on its upper surface into which a portion of said spring extends.

Claim 4

Apparatus comprising a locking device which includes a support having first and second aligned holes, said first hole being above said second hole and coaxial therewith, a rotatable lock member having a shank, said shank extending through said first hole and into said second hole, means defining an annular bearing for said shank at each of said holes, said lock member having a head at an elevation above the elevation of said first hole, the head on said lock member having flats on opposite sides thereof which are generally perpendicular to a side edge of said support in the inoperative disposition of said head and generally parallel to the side edge of said support in an operative disposition of said head, a handle coupled to said shank for manually rotating said head through an arc of 90*, said support including a wAll having a slot, said wall slot having two niches defining the inoperative and operative positions for said handle, said handle extending generally perpendicular from said shank through said wall slot and being in one of said niches, said head having curved surfaces whose radius is greater than the radial dimension at the flats on the head so as to provide an overlap area beneath the head when the head is in its operative position, said support including a side wall provided with a detent plate, said detent plate containing said wall slot, said detent plate being recessed with respect to said side wall so as to accommodate the handle in the closed disposition of said head.

Claim 5

Apparatus comprising a locking device which includes a support having first and second aligned holes, said first hole being above said second hole and coaxial therewith, a rotatable lock member having a shank, said shank extending through said first hole and into said second hole, means defining an annular bearing for said shank at each of said holes, said lock member having a head at an elevation above the elevation of said first hole, the head on said lock member having flats on opposite sides thereof which are generally perpendicular to a side edge of said support in the inoperative disposition of said head and generally parallel to the side edge of said support in an operative disposition of said head, a handle coupled to said shank for manually rotating said head through an arc of 90*, said support including a wAll having a slot, said wall slot having two niches defining the inoperative and operative positions for said handle, said handle extending generally perpendicular from said shank through said wall slot and being in one of said niches, said head having curved surfaces whose radius is greater than the radial dimension at the flats on the head so as to provide an overlap area beneath the head when the head is in its operative position, said support including a side wall provided with a detent plate, said detent plate containing said wall slot, said detent plate being recessed with respect to said side wall so as to accommodate the handle in the closed disposition of said head.

Claim 6

Apparatus comprising a locking device which includes a support having first and second aligned holes, said first hole being above said second hole and coaxial therewith, a rotatable lock member having a shank, said shank extending through said first hole and into said second hole, means defining an annular bearing for said shank at each of said holes, said lock member having a head at an elevation above the elevation of said first hole, the head on said lock member having flats on opposite sides thereof which are generally perpendicular to a side edge of said support in the inoperative disposition of said head and generally parallel to the side edge of said support in an operative disposition of said head, a handle coupled to said shank for manually rotating said head through an arc of 90*, said support including a wall having a slot, said wall slot having two niches defining the inoperative and operative positions for said handle, said handle extending generally perpendicular from said shank through said wall slot and being in one of said niches, said head having curved surfaces whose radius is greater than the radial dimension at the flats on the head so as to provide an overlap area beneath the head when the head is in its operative position, means locking said shank with respect to said support to prevent axial movement of the shank, said shank slot being elongated in an axial direction, said handle being removable from the shank slot at an upward movement and then radial movement with respect to the shank, said handle extending through said shank slot.

Claim 7

Apparatus comprising a locking device which includes a support having first and second aligned holes, said first hole being above said second hole and coaxial therewith, a rotatable lock member having a shank, said shank extending through said first hole and into said second hole, means defining an annular bearing for said shank at each of said holes, said lock member having a head at an elevation above the elevation of said first hole, the head on said lock member having flats on opposite sides thereof which are generally perpendicular to a side edge of said support in the inoperative disposition of said head and generally parallel to the side edge of said support in an operative disposition of said head, a handle coupled to said shank for manually rotating said head through an arc of 90*, said support including a wall having a slot, said wall slot having two niches defining the inoperative and operative positions for said handle, said handle extending generally perpendicular from said shank through said wall slot and being in one of said niches, said head having curved surfaces whose radius is greater than the radial dimension at the flats on the head so as to provide an overlap area beneath the head when the head is in its operative position, means locking said shank with respect to said support to prevent axial movement of the shank, said shank slot being elongated in an axial direction, said handle being removable from the shank slot at an upward movement and then radial movement with respect to the shank, said handle extending through said shank slot.

Claim 8

Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 including a spring surrounding said shank and biasing said handle to the lower end of said shank slot, and said handle having a jaw in which is disposed a portion of said spring.

Claim 9

Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein said means defining a bearing surface for said shank at said first hole includes a collar welded to a top surface of said support, and a locking pin extending through said shank and beyond the periphery of said shank at an elevation below and adjacent to said collar, said head being rotatably supported by said collar.

Claim 10

Apparatus comprising a locking device, said locking device including a support having a horizontally disposed hole, an annular collar fixedly secured to said support at said hole, a lock member supported above said collar, said lock member having an upright shank extending downwardly through said collar and being rotatably supported thereby, above the plane of the hole each of said lock member and collar having at least one flat thereon to define their narrowest transverse dimension, a handle having one end coupled to the shank for rotating said member through an arc of not more than 90*, said shank having a slot therethrough, said handle having a portion at its said one end which extends through said shank slot, a spring surrounding said shank, said spring biasing said handle in an axial direction along the shank away from the collar, said shank slot being elongated in an axial direction, said handle being removable from the shank slot by upward movement compressing said spring, said support including an upright wall having a slot therein, said wall slot having first and second niches defining the operative and inoperative positions of said lockiNg member, and said handle extending through said wall slot and being biased into one of said niches by said spring.

Claim 11

Apparatus comprising a locking device, said locking device including a support having a horizontally disposed hole, an annular collar fixedly secured to said support at said hole, a lock member supported above said collar, said lock member having an upright shank extending downwardly through said collar and being rotatably supported thereby, above the plane of the hole each of said lock member and collar having at least one flat thereon to define their narrowest transverse dimension, a handle having one end coupled to the shank for rotating said member through an arc of not more than 90*, said shank having a slot therethrough, said handle having a portion at its said one end which extends through said shank slot, a spring surrounding said shank, said spring biasing said handle in an axial direction along the shank away from the collar, said shank slot being elongated in an axial direction, said handle being removable from the shank slot by upward movement compressing said spring, said support including an upright wall having a slot therein, said wall slot having first and second niches defining the operative and inoperative positions of said lockiNg member, and said handle extending through said wall slot and being biased into one of said niches by said spring.

Claim 12

Apparatus in accordance with claim 7 wherein said handle has an upwardly facing jaw which receives said spring, said jaw being adjacent said one end of said handle.

Claim 13

Apparatus in accordance with claim 7 wherein said collar has opposite sides welded to the top of the support, and a portion of the collar extending through the hole in the support.