Indicating positive positioning selector knob lock

• US 5,329,829 A
• Filed: 01/22/1993
• Issued: 07/19/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Company (Trane Technologies plc)
• Original Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Company (Trane Technologies plc)
• Inventors: Sell, Leslie J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LUONG, VINH
• Application Number:
  US08/007,222
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 74/553, 74/526 X, 74/527, 74/531, 74/554, 16/121 X, 16/122 X, 16/123
• US Class Current: 74/553
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 5/005 for preventing unintentional use of a control mechanism G05G5/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 5/12 for holding members in an indefinite number of positions, e.g. by a toothed quadrant G05G5/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2063 Stops
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2084 Knob or dial

Abstract

An interfering surface is disposed between a rotating selector knob and a stop to prevent unwanted rotation of the selector knob and wherein release of the stop requires displacement of the knob in an axial direction relative to the stop to bypass the interfering surfaces thereby permitting selective rotation of the knob.

Claims

1. A selector lock for a lever hoist function selector knob comprising:

a selector knob assembly comprised of a stop mounted on a shaft and a hand operated open ended cylinder knob co-axially mounted about said stop for rotation and axial displacement thereabout;

said stop and said hand operated knob having interfering surfaces in one position retaining mode and corresponding non-interfering surfaces in a second position selector mode;

means for effecting axial displacement of said hand operated knob relative to said stop and for selecting interference of said surfaces and thereby rotation between said stop and said hand operated knob in one axial relative position between said stop and said hand operated knob and preventing relative rotation between said stop and said hand operated knob in a second axial relative position between said stop and said hand operated knob; and

indicating means on said knob and said stop viewable through an open end of said knob for determining the rotary position of said knob.

2. A selector lock for a lever hoist function selector knob according to claim 1, wherein said interfering surfaces are comprised of a boss provided on said hand operated knob and a corresponding nose projection on said stop.

3. A selector lock for a lever hoist function selector knob according to claim 1, wherein said stop is further comprised of a shaft mounted stop and a retainer for said stop secured to said shaft.

4. A selector lock for a lever hoist function selector knob according to claim 3, wherein said means for effecting axial displacement of said hand operated knob relative to said stop comprises a gap means formed between said stop and said retainer and a boss extending from said hand operated knob for limiting axial displacement of said hand operated knob relative to said stop and said retainer.

5. A selector lock for a lever hoist function selector knob according to claim 2, wherein said boss and said nose projection are biased into engagement by means of a spring.

6. A selector lock for a lever hoist function selector knob according to claim 3, wherein said hand operated knob is disengaged by manually axially displacing said selector knob relative to said stop and said retainer and thereby displacing said boss and said nose projection out of engagement to thereby permit relative rotation.