Locking/ indexing pin

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10550956-B2
Application number	US-201816112380-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2018
Priority date	Apr 4, 2016
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

A locking pin assembly having a body including a wall defining an interior space and having at least one aperture therethrough for allowing fluid communication between the interior space and an exterior environment. A barrel defines a bore and has an outer wall with external threads. A pin travels longitudinally within the interior space of the body and the bore of the barrel. A spring actuated assembly maintains an end of the pin in an extended position relative to an end of the barrel when no force is applied to the pin and allows the pin to retract relative to the end of the barrel when a force is applied to the pin.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a body having an axis and including a plurality of walls defining an interior space, each of the walls has an aperture that is unobstructed and extends radially through the respective wall relative to the axis for allowing fluid communication between the interior space and an exterior environment, and a barrel extending from the body and configured to be mounted to an object, the barrel having a bore in communication with the interior space of the body;
a sub-assembly configured to be removably attached to the body while the body is mounted to the object, the sub-assembly comprising:
a pin operable to travel longitudinally within the interior space of the body and the bore of the barrel;
a handle mounted to a handle end of the pin;
a retainer removably disposed on the pin adjacent the handle;
a clip removably mounted to a slot in the pin away from the handle; and
a spring disposed on the pin between the retainer and the clip, wherein the spring is configured to:
maintain an engagement end of the pin in an extended position beyond an end of the barrel when no actuating force is applied to the pin, and
allow the engagement end of the pin to retract into the bore of the barrel when an actuating force is applied to at least one of the handle or the engagement end of the pin.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sub-assembly is configured to be retained in the body via engagement between the retainer and the body, and release of the retainer releases the sub-assembly from the body.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the retainer comprises ears that are accessible from an exterior of the body even when the handle is on the pin.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the ears have holes that are configured to be engaged by a tool to release the retainer from the body.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the handle comprises a rod that is configured to permit unobstructed access to the ears when the sub-assembly is mounted to the body.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the body and the barrel comprise separately fabricated pieces fastened together.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the body and the barrel are fabricated by metal fastened together by welding or brazing.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the body and barrel compose a single integrally fabricated piece.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pin and the handle comprise separately fabricated metal pieces fastened together by welding or brazing, and the handle comprises a cylindrical rod that is transverse to the pin.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the barrel comprises a threaded outer wall and a smooth neck between the interior space and the threaded outer wall.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the walls of the body define a polygonal outer shape for an entirety of the body.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the spring comprises a conical spring.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the clip is configured to abut a shoulder at an interface of the interior space and the bore.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the shoulder is the only shoulder in the interior space, such that the interior space comprises an unobstructed axial bore extending from the shoulder to an exterior of the body.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the retainer has an outer diameter that is larger than a diameter of the interior space and is configured to seat in a recess in the interior space, and
the clip comprises an e-clip and has an outer diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the interior space.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sub-assembly further comprises a washer disposed on the pin between the retainer and the spring.

Assignees

• Bnsf Railway Co

Inventors

• Krueger Darrell Robert

Classifications

• Y10T403/32483

  Spring biased · CPC title

• Y10T403/599

  Spring biased manipulator · CPC title

• Y10T403/604

  Radially sliding catch · CPC title

• Y10T403/32508

  having transverse pin · CPC title

• F16B21/12 Primary

  with locking-pins or split-pins thrust into holes · CPC title