Connector apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10407915-B2
Application number	US-201715452646-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2017
Priority date	Oct 30, 2013
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

A locking member for a gate apparatus comprises a body mountable to a gripping array of a support, said body having a mating form mutually engageable with the gripping array, whereby axial motion of said body relative to said gripping array is inhibited. A member extends away from said body, said member defining a cross-tie mount for receiving a mating end of a cross-tie. The cross-tie mount has a cross-tie end retainer which is movable between a first position securing said cross-tie in said cross-tie mount, and a second position permitting release of said cross-tie from said cross-tie mount, whereby the cross-tie may be moved to function as a gate.

First claim

We claim:

1. A gate assembly comprising:
a first upright, a second upright spaced apart from said first upright, a cross-tie; a first cross-tie mount; and a second cross-tie mount;
said first upright having a first external gripping array;
said second upright having a second external gripping array;
said first and second cross-tie mounts each having a profile for securement to said external gripping array of said first and second uprights respectively;
said cross-tie having a first end pivotally secured to said first cross-tie mount; and
said cross-tie having a second end releasably secured to said second cross-tie mount;
said second cross-tie mount having a retainer movable between a first position disengaging said second end of said cross-tie, and a second position securing said second end of said cross-tie to said second cross-tie mount; and said retainer having a third position locking said retainer out of said first position.

2. The gate assembly of claim 1 wherein said external gripping arrays of said uprights include rings of sets of protrusions and axial spacings between said rings of sets of protrusions, and said profile of said second cross-tie mount includes a radially inwardly extending member that, on installation, locates in one of said spacings, thereby inhibiting axial motion of said second cross-tie mount along said second upright.

3. The gate assembly of claim 1 wherein said second cross-tie mount includes a body having an internal profile for mating with said external gripping array of said second upright; and a radially outwardly extending member, said radially outwardly extending member including a lug to which said retainer is mounted.

4. The gate assembly of claim 1 wherein said retainer has a handle by which to move said retainer between said first, second, and third positions.

5. The gate assembly of claim 1 wherein said second cross-tie mount includes a body having an internal profile for mating with said external gripping array of said second upright; and a radially outwardly extending member, said radially outwardly extending member including a clevis in which releasably to receive a mating tongue of said second end of said cross-tie; and said retainer co-operates with said clevis.

6. The gate assembly of claim 5 wherein said clevis has a first indexing member, and said retainer has a second indexing member, said first and second indexing members being mutually engageable and, when mutually engaged, being restricted to relative motion therebetween defining a path along which said retainer travels between said first and second positions.

7. The gate assembly of claim 5 wherein said clevis has a first indexing member in the form of an inwardly protruding pin; said retainer has a second indexing member in the form of a slot engageable with said pin, said slot defining a path along which said retainer travels between said first and second positions.

8. The gate assembly of claim 5 wherein:
said clevis includes a pair of first and second lugs, said lugs being spaced apart and each having one of a pair of aligned eyes;
said retainer includes a retainer shaft sized to co-operate with said eyes and to form a retractable yoke of said clevis;
said first lug is a proximal lug, and said second lug is a distal lug;
in said first position said retainer shaft engages both said proximal lug and said distal lug;
in said second position said retainer shaft engages said proximal lug, permitting insertion of said second end of said cross-tie between said lugs;
said eye of said proximal lug has a radially inwardly protruding indexing member;
said retainer shaft has a groove formed therein defining a path engageable with said groove, said indexing member and said groove co-operating to restrict said retainer to motion between said first position and said second position; and between said second position and said third position.

9. The gate assembly of claim 8 wherein said path includes a first portion extending along said retainer shaft corresponding to motion between said first and second positions; and a second portion having a circumferential extent, corresponding to motion between said second and third positions.

10. The gate assembly of claim 9 wherein said first portion of said path has a first end distant from said second portion thereof, and said first end of said path is blind, whereby said first end of said path limits travel of said retainer, preventing disengagement of said retainer from said proximal lug of said clevis.

11. The gate assembly of claim 9 wherein said retainer has a handle operable to move said retainer between said first, second, and third positions.

12. The gate assembly of claim 11 wherein said handle is hingedly mounted; in said third position of said handle, said handle is gravity-biased to hang from said retainer, thereby biasing said retainer to remain in said third position.

13. The gate assembly of claim 11 wherein said handle is hingedly mounted to a proximal end of said retainer; said handle is movable to a first position in line with said retainer shaft, and when so aligned, said handle being operable to move said retainer in axial translation to clear said clevis, and thereby to release said second end of said cross-tie, permitting said cross-tie to be angularly displaced and thereby to be moved to a second opened position; and, when said handle is in said first position, said handle is operable to move said retainer to said second position thereof, and to transmit a torque thereto to turn said retainer from said second position to said third position; and, in said third position of said retainer, said handle is hingedly movable to a passive position thereof.

14. The gate assembly of claim 13 wherein said handle is a quarter-turn handle, and, in said third position of said retainer when said handle is move to said passive position, said handle is gravity-biased to resist displacement of said retainer from said third position.

15. The gate assembly of claim 1 wherein said first cross-tie mount has an angular degree of freedom permitting circumferential displacement relative to said first upright.

16. The gate assembly of claim 1 wherein said first cross-tie mount and said second cross-tie mount both define a hingedly movable releasable connection for the respective first and second ends of said cross-tie.

Assignees

• Univ Health Network

Inventors

• Hart Andrew John
• Fernie Geoffrey Roy
• Smyth T Daniel
• Komisar Victoria P
• King Emily Catherine
• Murray Peter George

Classifications

• E04F2011/1819

  between balustrade posts and horizontal or sloping balustrade members · CPC title

• Y10T403/7007

  Bayonet joint · CPC title

• E06B11/022

  characterised by the manner of movement · CPC title

• E05B65/0007

  for gates (for wire gates E06B11/021) · CPC title

• E04F11/1834 Primary

  with adjustable angle, e.g. pivotal connections · CPC title