The Eastern Company

Other

John V Pastva

Albert L Pelcin

Daniel H Dieckman

Christopher K Muldoon

A lift for positioning and supporting a work item vertically during installation while fastening devices are put in place includes a base member, a pivoting lever member supported by a pivot in the base member and a locking device for locking the lever member at a selected position. The lever member includes a pedal portion sized to receive a workboot of a worker. The locking device includes a jamming wedge received through an aperture in the lever member whereby concurrent bias by the workboot on the pedal portion and against the locking device raises the lever member and locks the lever member at the selected position. An alternative embodiment uses a pawl and ratchet assembly as the jamming wedge.

Jacking device adapted for panel installation

An apparatus and method is disclosed for selectively locking and unlocking a large, heavy bulkhead door at several points about its periphery. A plurality of locking fingers are slidably mounted on the door for selective extension and retraction with respect to the door edges. A handle mounted on the door provided for rotational movement of a handle shaft. A double rack and pinion linkage responds to rotational movement of the handle shaft to cause a pair of drive rods to move axially and linearly outwardly and inwardly from the handle shaft. A pair of shaft drive assemblies, including second rack and pinion structures, causes axial rotation of two substantially vertical drive shafts extending along the door edges. A plurality of finger drive assemblies is coupled, by third rack and pinion structures, to extend and retract the locking fingers in unison in response to rotation of the drive shafts. The door itself is suspended on a plurality of special lost motion floating hinges to enable it to seat evenly in a casing defining the opening the door is to cover, in order to establish a uniform seal force about the periphery of the door and the inside edge of the casing. The locking fingers each have an inclined portion to facilitate a ramped engagement with the casing to increase the sealing force as the fingers are progressively extended. A detent structure associated with each finger holds the fingers in locked position until release and door opening is desired. A silver-impregnated elastomeric resilient door sealing member is provided.

Bulkhead door locking

An improved door and door control mechanism combinations for cargo carrying containers. In one embodiment a single door of one rigid panel closes the entire end of the container. In another embodiment the door is formed of two rigid panels hinged together. In both embodiments, the door is hinged to only one vertical side of the container frame structure and is latched to the frame at plural locations along upper and lower horizontal edges of the door and also along the vertical distal edge of the door.

Door and door control mechanism

A system for accessing interior portions of a curtainside truck trailer including a flexible curtain, upper and lower roller assemblies secured to the curtain for engagement with upper and lower rails mounted on the truck trailer for supporting the curtain during expanding and contracting movement along the rails. A support panel is mounted between upper and lower longitudinal edge portions of the truck trailer, and a latching mechanism is connected to the support panel which includes a shaft with a vertical axis of rotation, a latch attached to the shaft engagement with a keeper attached to the curtain. An operating member is attached to the shaft for rotating the shaft about its longitudinal axis and engaging the latch and keeper. A latch guide is captively engaged by the latch and attached to the support panel for guiding movement of the latch into engagement with the keeper. A spring biased locking mechanism for locking the latching mechanism and securing the curtain in the closed position.

Curtainside truck trailer access system and lock assembly

In a truck, trailer and/or cargo carrying container having a rectangular door frame and a door pivoted at one edge to an upright side of the frame which are subject to racking during use, a follower and cam member secured to the door and frame, respectively. The follower and cam are generally located midway between the pivoted edge of an opposite edge of the door, whereby the follower engages the cam member during and after closing of the door.

Door control mechanism

A door control mechanism including a shaft with a vertical axis of rotation, bearing members adjacent to opposite ends of the shaft which rotatably connect the shaft to a swinging door and a means for rotating said shaft along its longitudinal axis. Latch members are secured to the shaft at opposite ends and keeper members are secured to structure adjacent to opposite edge portions of the door which extend transverse to the pivotal axis of the door. A discrete security locking means connected to the shaft intermediate the means for rotating said shaft about its longitudinal axis and an upper end of the shaft is also included.

A closure control assembly for tensioning a flexible curtain over an opening in a truck trailer including a shaft with a vertical axis of rotation, bearing members rotatably connecting the shaft to the truck trailer, a driver connected to the shaft and a driven member connected to the curtain for engagement with the driver. The driver includes stepped projections for engagement with stepped surfaces on the driven member for sequential engagement of the driver and driven member upon rotation of the shaft by an operating member. A locking mechanism secured to the curtain engages the operating member to secure the curtain in the tensioned position.

Curtainside truck trailer closure assembly

A door control mechanism for use with a pivoted door and associated frame in a truck trailer. The door control mechanism comprised of cam latch members on opposite ends of a rotatable shaft connected to a pivoted door by bearing members, and keeper members secured to the door frame adjacent edges of the door that are transverse to the pivotal axis of the door. Rotation of the shaft about its longitudinal axis engages and disengages the cam and keeper members. The cam members include a body portion having a forked tine portion projecting from one side of the body, and a single tine portion with an inclined side surface projecting opposite therefrom. The keeper members include a base portion having a post projecting from the base for receiving the forked portion of the cam, and a post having an inclined side wall and cam latch retaining member for receiving the single tine portion of the cam.

A multi-point closure control mechanism or lock especially designed for use with rear and/or side doors of a closed body highway truck, particularly a so-called panel truck, and for use with doors of military vehicles. The closure control mechanism comprises two dead bolts, slidably supported in suitable brackets adjacent to the upper and lower edges of a door near its free vertical edge, that engage keepers or catches in the form of plates on the vehicle body. Each bolt has a free running roller therein to facilitate entrance and retraction of the bolt into and out of engagement with its respective keeper or catch. The dead bolts are connected by rod members to pivots eccentrically located on a lock operating member rotatable in a frame member fixed to the door intermediate the bolts. The operating member also includes a cylindrical rod-like projection extending normal to the free edge of the door when the bolts are engaged with their keepers or catches at the top and bottom of the door. The rod-like projection has a roller to facilitate its engagement with and release from a keeper or catch. One embodiment of the aperture member has a mechanism for selectively disabling an outside handle connected to the mechanism.

Closure control mechanism

A door control mechanism for use with a pivoted door and associated frame, and a combination door, door frame and door control mechanism especially as embodied in a truck, trailer, or cargo container. The control mechanism is comprised of cam-type latches on opposite ends of a shaft rotatably connected to a pivoted door by bearing members, and keepers secured to the door frame adjacent edges of the door that are transverse to the door pivot axis. The shaft can be turned about its longitudinal axis to engage and disengage the latches and keepers. The latch on at least one end of the shaft and its keeper are of small vertical height to fit on a narrow horizontal frame member of a truck, trailer or cargo container. The latch has two oppositely extending elongated portions with sides that converge and each portion has an aperture. The keeper has a base with a tapered post receivable in the aperture of one elongated latch portion and a latch-retaining member that engages and retains the other elongated latch portion.

A door closure mechanism is provided with a plurality of adjustable keeper members. Each adjustable keeper includes a base secured to a member adjacent the free end of the door, side walls and a top wall. A latch engagement member is slidably secured to the top wall and includes an inclined latch engagement surface. The latch engagement member can be positioned to have an associated latching member of the door closure mechanism engage the latch engagement member at various positions along the latch engagement surface permitting the spacing between the door and the frame or an adjacent door to be adjustable in a direction substantially perpendicular to the door when in a fully closed position.

Door closure mechanism having adjustable keepers

A closure control mechanism especially designed for a pivoted door of a cargo carrier, such as, a highway or off-highway truck or trailer, cargo container, tanker and the like. The closure mechanism includes a hinged lock shaft adapted to be connected to one or the other of two members one of which is hinged and adapted to be selectively secured in closed position relative to the other, a keeper member(s) having a base part adapted to be secured to the other of the first two mentioned members and a part spaced from the base part having a surface facing in the direction of the base part for engagement with the lock shaft when the lock shaft is pivoted in the direction to move the hinged member of the first two mentioned members away from the other.

A door lock has a flush-mountable body. A forwardly facing recess is defined by the body. A paddle-type handle is pivotally carried by the body and is movable between a nested position within the body recess and an operating position. A spring-projected slide bolt is carried on the back of the body and is movable between projected and retracted positions. A key-controlled disconnect linkage is provided for selectively connecting and disconnecting the handle and the bolt. The linkage includes a disconnect member which is movably mounted on the bolt. The disconnect member is moved by a key-operated cam between connecting and disconnecting positions. When the disconnect linkage drivingly connects the handle and the bolt, movement of the handle from its nested position to an operating position will cause corresponding retracting movement of the bolt. When the disconnect linkage disconnects the handle from the bolt, movement of the handle is inoperative to cause retracting movement of the bolt. A feature of the disconnect linkage is that it provides the lock with a 'slam' capability, meaning that when the bolt is projected, it can be slammed into latching engagement with a suitably configured strike regardless of whether the disconnect linkage is drivingly connecting or disconnecting the handle and the bolt.

Paddle lock with bolt-carried handle disconnect member

A low silhouette closure control mechanism especially designed for a swinging or pivoted door of a highway vehicle, such as, a truck or trailer. The mechanism includes a plurality of cam-type latch or bolt members welded to an elongated shallow channel member and suitably spaced therealong. The channel member is rotatably connected by pintle pins to hinge members fixed to the pivoted closure or door adjacent to its non-pivoted or free edge, that is, the edge of the door remote from the edge hinged to the door frame of the vehicle body. The latch members connected to the channel member cooperate with discrete keeper members connected to the adjacent side of the door frame or to the adjacent side of the second door if employed with double doors. The pivotal axis for the channel member which carries the latch members is located at or substantially at the free edge of the door thus locating it close to the keeper members. A handle is connected to the channel member for rotating the same to engage and disengage the latch members with their respective keeper members. Modified latch and keeper members are constructed to provide an anti-rack capability.

Growing community of inventors

Parma Heights, OH, United States of America

John V Pastva