US4603452A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Detachable hinge with conveniently releasable hinge flaps
Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corp
•
Filing: 1985-01-22
•
Granted: 1986-08-05
•
Expires: 2005-01-22
Abstract
Abstract An easily separable but conventional-appearing hinge wherein the hinge flaps can be connected or disconnected to/from one another without relative lengthwise displacement of the flaps by employing short axial movement of the hinge pin. The flaps thus may be hingedly securely connected together, or disconnected and separated within limited space. The flaps have tubular knuckles with adjacent space or gaps so knuckles of one flap can be interdigitated with knuckles of the other flap and held together by the hinge pin. Knuckles of one flap are slotted longitudinally forming open sided or split tubes; those of the other flap are fully tubular, i.e., unslotted. The removable hinge pin has adjacent cylindrical and flat portions, the latter positionable in gaps longitudinally aligned with the full tube knuckles of one of the flaps. The slotted knuckles of the other flap can be fitted transversely over the pin's flat portions thereby axially aligning the knuckles of both flaps with the pin fully encased and axially slidable therein. So positioned, the flaps can be disengaged by sliding the slotted knuckles in reverse transverse direction until free of the pin's flat segments. The flaps lock together for normal hinge action, or unlock for separation, by short axial movement of the pin between a locked position in which the pin's cylindrical portions are within the slotted knuckles and an unlocked position in which the pin's flat portions are within the slotted knuckles. One flap has a spring well with coil spring therein axially of the hinge pin to normally bias the pin to the flap-locking position. Pin actuator means can be provided to move the hinge pin between locked and unlocked positions and to rotate the pin to direct edges of the flat segments towards the slots of the open-sided knuckles.
Inventors
- 👤 Peter M. Paciorek
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 13:41
CPC Classifications
E; E05; E05D; E05D7/00; E05D7/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
279 words
An easily separable hinge device of conventional appearance, in which the hinge flaps may be hingedly connected together, or disconnected within limited working space by only short axial movement of the hinge pin, comprising: first and second hinge flaps for attachment to structures to be hinged together; each flap having tube-like knuckle means with longitudinally adjacent gap means in castellated formation with said knuckle means; the knuckle means of one of the flaps adapted to be interdigitated and axially aligned with knuckle means of the other flap; the knuckle means of one of the flaps provided with longitudinal slot means opening through one side thereof; hinge pin means positionable in and pivotable in knuckle means of both of said flaps for hingedly holding one flap to the other; said hinge pin being formed along its length with flat and cylindrical portions slidable in said knuckle means; said slot means adapted to slide transversely of said pin over said flat portions thereof positioned in gap means of said first hinge flap to position said slotted knuckle means around the hinge pin and axially align the knuckle means of both flaps or to separate said slotted knuckle means from said pin and said first flap; said hinge pin being axially slidable in said knuckle means between a first or unlocked position in which said flat portions are positioned in the gap means of one of the flaps whereby the knuckle means of the flaps may be brought into alignment, and a second or locked position in which said cylindrical portions are within said slotted knuckle means whereby said flaps are prevented from being separated at all pivotal positions of the flaps.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
279 words
An easily separable hinge device of conventional appearance, in which the hinge flaps may be hingedly connected together, or disconnected within limited working space by only short axial movement of the hinge pin, comprising: first and second hinge flaps for attachment to structures to be hinged together; each flap having tube-like knuckle means with longitudinally adjacent gap means in castellated formation with said knuckle means; the knuckle means of one of the flaps adapted to be interdigitated and axially aligned with knuckle means of the other flap; the knuckle means of one of the flaps provided with longitudinal slot means opening through one side thereof; hinge pin means positionable in and pivotable in knuckle means of both of said flaps for hingedly holding one flap to the other; said hinge pin being formed along its length with flat and cylindrical portions slidable in said knuckle means; said slot means adapted to slide transversely of said pin over said flat portions thereof positioned in gap means of said first hinge flap to position said slotted knuckle means around the hinge pin and axially align the knuckle means of both flaps or to separate said slotted knuckle means from said pin and said first flap; said hinge pin being axially slidable in said knuckle means between a first or unlocked position in which said flat portions are positioned in the gap means of one of the flaps whereby the knuckle means of the flaps may be brought into alignment, and a second or locked position in which said cylindrical portions are within said slotted knuckle means whereby said flaps are prevented from being separated at all pivotal positions of the flaps.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
The hinge device of claim 1 in which said slotted knuckle means comprise a plurality of slotted tube-like knuckles each having said slot means opening radially through the length thereof and said slot means are in longitudinal alignment.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
The hinge device of claim 1 in which said first hinge flap contains said longitudinally slotted knuckle means and the knuckle means of said second hinge flap being substantially fully tubular.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
57 words
The hinge device of claim 1 in which the knuckle means of each of said hinge flaps comprise a plurality of spaced apart, tube-like knuckles and the gap means of each said hinge flap comprise a plurality of gaps or spaces longitudinally adjacent said knuckles, respective knuckles and gaps of each flap being in general longitudinal alignment.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
The hinge device of claim 4 in which one or more of said knuckles are approximately equal in length to one or more of said gaps.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
The hinge device of claim 4 in which one or more of said knuckles are different in length from one or more of said gaps.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
66 words
The hinge device of claim 1 in which said hinge pin comprises a plurality of cylindrical segments and a plurality of flat segments in axial alignment along its length, said hinge pin being axially shiftable lengthwise within knuckle means of said device a distance approximately the length of one of said segments for operationally securing the flaps together and for separating one flap from the other.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
The hinge device of claim 1 having biasing means associated with said hinge pin for urging the pin towards the locked position.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
The hinge device of claim 8 in which one of said knuckles forms a socket for housing said biasing means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
The hinge device of claim 8 in which said biasing means is positioned in said device beyond an end of said hinge pin.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
The hinge device of claim 8 in which said biasing means is a tubular coil spring.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
40 words
The hinge device of claim 1 in which said hinge pin has hinge pin positioning means associated therewith for manually moving said hinge pin to desired axial and rotational positions when connecting and disconnecting said first and second hinge flaps.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
46 words
The hinge device of claim 12 in which said hinge pin positioning means comprises pin-like rod means and the wall of said socket is cut through with slot-like channel means for receiving said rod means therethrough and guiding movement of the rod and said hinge pin.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
The hinge device of claim 13 in which said slot-like channel provides means configured to guide said hinge pin sequentially through separate rotational and axial positions for disengagement of the flaps one from the other.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
23 words
The hinge device of claim 12 in which said positioning means comprises handle means operatively connected to an end of said hinge pin.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
18 words
The hinge device of claim 15 in which said handle means is axially aligned with said hinge pin.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
17 words
The hinge device of claim 12 in which said positioning means extends transversely of said hinge pin.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
27 words
The hinge device of claim 1 additionally comprising hinge pin locking means for maintaining said hinge pin optionally in the flaps locked or the flaps unlocked positions.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US353007A
Cited
US676509A
Cited
US782428A
Cited
US1029629A
Cited
US1908383A
Cited
US2794208A
Cited
US2951670A
Cited
US3805325A
Cited
US3978551A
Cited
CH622577A5
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1989-08-04 | 1990-02-03 | 1990-08-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-08-04 | 1994-02-03 | 1994-08-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-08-04 | 1998-02-03 | 1998-08-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |