BALL ACTUATED LOCK PIN

• US 20120054998A1
• Filed: 08/16/2011
• Published: 03/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kurt Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Kurt Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Tschida, Steven J., Schmidt, David L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,720,874 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 19/109 Temporary rivets, e.g. with a spring-loaded pin special clamping devices for workpieces to be riveted together, e.g. operating through the rivet holes B21J15/42; hand tools for temporarily connecting sheets before or during assembly operations B25B31/005
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 21/165 with balls or rollers for connections of rods or tubes engaged telescopically F16B7/1409
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 35/005 Set screws; Locking means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 5/0642 the plates being arranged one on top of the other and in full close contact with each other
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49815 Disassembling

Abstract

A lock pin assembly used for clamping two plates together, that have aligning bores for receiving the lock pin assembly. The lock pin assembly includes radially extending pins that can be forced outwardly from the center of a lock pin housing forming a part of the lock pin assembly. The actuator pins are forced outwardly and cooperate with a tapered surface on a bottom plate to create a clamping force relative to an end of the lock pin housing supportable on a top plate. The lock pin housing has cam tracks on an outer side thereof, and an actuator ring surrounds and supports the pin and carries cam followers sliding in the cam tracks. The cam tracks are made such that relative rotation of the lock pin housing and the actuator ring changes the axial location of the actuator ring along the housing. The actuator ring rests on the top plate and when the actuator pins are released so they can retract and the lock pin housing and the actuator ring are relatively rotated, the lock pin housing is raised relative to the two plates to aid in removing the lock pin assembly.

Claims

1. A lock assembly comprising a lock housing having an outer surface of size to fit within aligning first and second bores of first and second members that are to be clamped together, with a first bore in the first member having a chamfered surface surrounding the bore at an end of the first bore remote from the second member, the lock housing having a second end and having a central bore extending along an axially length of the lock housing, a plurality of radially extending bores in the lock housing adjacent the first end of the lock housing and extending from the outer surface to the central bore, a separate lock actuator member in each of the radial bores, each lock actuator member having a second camming surface at an outer end, an actuator in the central bore of the lock housing operable to provide a force on the first camming surface of the lock actuator members to urge the lock actuator members outwardly of the lock housing so the second camming surfaces extend out from the lock housing, an actuator ring rotatably mounting the second end of the lock housing and the actuator ring being supportable on an outer surface of the second member opposite from the first member, and the lock housing having at least one cam track on the outer surface thereof adjacent an end spaced from the radial bores, the actuator ring having a cam follower fitting in the at least one cam track, the cam track having a pitch such that relative rotation of the lock housing and the actuator ring as the cam follower moves along the cam track changes the axial position of the lock housing relative to the actuator ring.

2. The lock assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second members comprise a receiver plate and a sub plate for machining operations, respectively, and wherein the lock actuator members comprise lock actuator pins slidably mounted in the radial bores.

3. The lock assembly of claim 2 wherein the actuator in the central bore for engaging the inner ends of the lock actuator pins comprises a ball, and a screw threadably mounted in a threaded portion of the central bore and threadable to urge the ball against the first camming surfaces of the lock actuator pins to force them outwardly, the ball being in a portion of the central bore that is larger in diameter than the threaded portion.

4. The lock assembly of claim 2 and an elastic ring surrounding the lock pin housing and mounted to engage outer ends of the lock actuator pins to urge the lock actuator pins inwardly along the radial bores.

5. The lock assembly of claim 1, comprising the center bore having first and second portions, with the second portion larger diameter than the first portion, the radial bores being open to the second portion, the first portion of the central bore being threaded, and the actuator in the central bore of the lock housing comprising a screw threadable in the threaded first portion of the central bore.

6. The lock assembly of claim 5, the actuator in the central bore further comprising a ball member in the larger second portion of the central bore between the lock actuator members and an end of the screw threaded in the central bore, the screw being adapted to engage the ball to force the ball against the first caroming surfaces of the lock actuator members.

7. A lock pin assembly comprising a lock pin housing having an outer surface of size to fit within aligning first and second bores of first and second members to be clamped together, the lock pin assembly having locking members in the lock pin housing that are operable to engage and clamp the first and second members together, an actuator ring supporting and surrounding a first end of the lock pin housing and being rotatable relative to the lock pin housing, at least one cam groove formed in a facing surface of one of the lock pin housing and the actuator ring, and a cam follower carried by the other of the lock pin housing and the actuator ring and engaging the cam groove, whereby relative rotation of the lock pin housing and the actuator ring changes the axial position of the actuator ring relative to a central axis of the lock pin housing.

8. The lock pin assembly of claim 7 wherein the cam groove has a differing pitch relative to a central axis of the lock pin housing in different positions of the cam groove.

9. The lock pin assembly of claim 8 wherein the pitch of the cam groove is such that change in axial position of the actuator ring relative to the central axis of the lock pin housing is less for each degree of rotation from an initial position of the actuator ring than after the actuator ring and lock pin housing have relatively rotated a selected a number of degrees from the initial position.

10. The lock pin assembly of claim 7 wherein the cam groove is formed in an outer surface of the lock pin housing and the cam follower is carried by the actuator ring.

11. The lock pin assembly of claim 10 wherein the cam groove is adjacent the first end of the lock pin housing, and the locking members comprise radially extendable lock members spaced from the first end of the lock pin housing.

12. A method of removing a pin from a bore comprising the steps of providing an actuator rotatable relative to the pin adjacent a first end of the pin, providing a cooperating cam track and cam follower between the pin and the actuator, and relatively rotating the pin and the actuator to provide axial movement of the pin relative to the actuator.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising forming said cam track on an exterior surface of the pin with at least two different pitches throughout a length of the cam track around the exterior surface of the pin.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising providing a pair of part annular cam tracks positioned with first ends substantially 180 degrees from each other around the periphery of the pin, and providing cam followers on the actuator that fit within a respective cam track.

15. The method of claim 12 including forming the actuator as a ring surrounding the pin.

16. The method of claim 12 including supporting the actuator on a member having the bore and reacting force on a surface of the member surrounding the bore to create axial movement of the pin during the relative rotation.