Locking and lifting mechanism for safety fence support post
DCFirst Claim
1. A support post for a safety fence assembly, the support post to be positioned between a floor and a ceiling, the support post comprising:
- an outer tube including a floor engaging end for engagement with the floor;
an inner tube adapted for sliding telescoping engagement with the outer tube;
a ceiling engaging end for engagement with the ceiling coupled to the inner tube, the ceiling engaging end including a stem slidingly received in the inner tube and a top compression spring captured between the stem and a supporting collar fixed to an interior surface of the inner tube;
a locking lever assembly for urging the ceiling engaging end against the ceiling and for fixing a position of the inner tube relative to the outer tube, the locking lever assembly comprising;
a collar element positioned on the inner tube;
a lever pivotable about a pivot pin for moving the collar element to a tilted configuration in which the collar element is tilted relative to the inner tube for engagement of the collar element with the inner tube;
the lever being movable between a release position, in which the collar element is slidably movable longitudinally along the inner tube, and a lock position, in which the collar element is tilted relative to the inner tube and engaged therewith; and
the lever being adapted, upon the collar element engaging the inner tube as the lever moves from the release position to the lock position, for urging the collar element upwardly, thereby moving the inner tube upwardly relative to the outer tube, wherein the lever comprises at least one cam surface for engagement with at least one cooperating surface as the lever moves from the release position to the lock position, wherein said at least one cooperating surface is positioned on the outer tube.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A support post for a safety fence assembly. The post includes an outer tube having a floor engaging end for engagement with a floor, an inner tube adapted for sliding telescoping engagement with the outer tube, and a ceiling engaging end for engagement with a ceiling coupled to the inner tube. The post also includes a locking lever assembly with a collar element positioned on the inner tube, and a lever pivotable about a pivot pin for moving the collar element to a tilted configuration in which the collar element is tilted relative to the inner tube for engagement of the collar element with the inner tube. The lever is movable between a release position, in which the collar element is slidably movable longitudinally along the inner tube, and a lock position, in which the collar element is tilted relative to the inner tube and engaged therewith.
72 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A support post for a safety fence assembly, the support post to be positioned between a floor and a ceiling, the support post comprising:
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an outer tube including a floor engaging end for engagement with the floor; an inner tube adapted for sliding telescoping engagement with the outer tube; a ceiling engaging end for engagement with the ceiling coupled to the inner tube, the ceiling engaging end including a stem slidingly received in the inner tube and a top compression spring captured between the stem and a supporting collar fixed to an interior surface of the inner tube; a locking lever assembly for urging the ceiling engaging end against the ceiling and for fixing a position of the inner tube relative to the outer tube, the locking lever assembly comprising; a collar element positioned on the inner tube; a lever pivotable about a pivot pin for moving the collar element to a tilted configuration in which the collar element is tilted relative to the inner tube for engagement of the collar element with the inner tube; the lever being movable between a release position, in which the collar element is slidably movable longitudinally along the inner tube, and a lock position, in which the collar element is tilted relative to the inner tube and engaged therewith; and the lever being adapted, upon the collar element engaging the inner tube as the lever moves from the release position to the lock position, for urging the collar element upwardly, thereby moving the inner tube upwardly relative to the outer tube, wherein the lever comprises at least one cam surface for engagement with at least one cooperating surface as the lever moves from the release position to the lock position, wherein said at least one cooperating surface is positioned on the outer tube. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A support post for a safety fence assembly, the support post comprising:
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a floor engaging end; a first longitudinally extending tube comprising the floor engaging end; a second longitudinally extending tube adapted for sliding telescoping engagement with said first longitudinally extending tube; a ceiling engaging end coupled to said second longitudinally extending tube; a locking lever assembly for fixing the relative position of the first longitudinally extending tube and the second longitudinally extending tube, the locking lever assembly comprising; a collar slidable longitudinally over the second longitudinally extending tube; and a lever pivotable about a pivot pin between a release position, in which the collar is freely movable on the second longitudinally extending tube, and a lock position, in which the collar is tilted to grip the second longitudinally extending tube and the first longitudinally extending tube and the second longitudinally extending tube are fixed relative to each other, wherein the lever is bifurcated at an inner end thereof into a pair of cam portions that receive the pivot pin therebetween, the cam portions being adapted to bear against an upper peripheral edge of an outer one of said first longitudinally extending tube and the second longitudinally extending tube and having a curvature and shape adapted to raise the pivot pin so that the collar is raised above the upper peripheral edge of the first longitudinally extending tube and tilted to grip an outer surface of the second longitudinally extending tube. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification