Lockout device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9208964-B2
Application number	US-201313792715-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2013
Priority date	Dec 14, 2012
Publication date	Dec 8, 2015
Grant date	Dec 8, 2015

Abstract

A lockout device includes a body, a clamp, and a cover. The body includes a recess and a first lock passage extending from a first opening in an upper surface to a second opening in a rear surface. The clamp is assembled with a clamp retaining portion of the body. The cover is connected with the body and is movable between a lockout position covering at least a portion of the clamp and a release position uncovering the clamp to permit adjustment. The cover includes first and second cutouts. When the cover is in the lockout position, the first and second cutouts align with the first and second openings of the body to permit insertion of a lock member through the first lock passage, thereby preventing movement of the cover from the lockout position to the release position.

First claim

We claim:

1. A lockout device comprising:
a body having first and second laterally spaced outer side walls extending longitudinally between opposed front and rear surfaces of the body, and extending vertically between opposed upper and lower surfaces of the body, the body including a recess disposed in the lower surface of the body and extending between a front clamp retaining portion of the body and a rear clamping portion of the body, wherein the body further defines a lock passage extending longitudinally from a first opening in the upper surface of the body to a second opening in the rear surface of the body;
a clamp assembled with the clamp retaining portion of the body and adjustably extendable into the recess for clamping engagement of an external structure when the external structure is inserted into the recess; and
a cover including a front portion, a rear portion, and an upper portion extending between the front portion and the rear portion, the cover being connected with the body and movable between a lockout position, in which the front portion of the cover covers at least a portion of the clamp to prevent adjustment of the clamp, and a release position, in which the clamp is uncovered to permit adjustment;
wherein the cover includes a first cutout in the upper portion and a second cutout in the rear portion, wherein when the cover is in the lockout position, the first cutout aligns with the first opening of the body and the second cutout aligns with the second opening of the body, to permit insertion of a lock member through the first lock passage, thereby preventing movement of the cover from the lockout position to the release position; and
wherein the lock passage comprises a first lock passage, and wherein the body further defines a second lock passage extending through the clamp retaining portion and from a third opening in a first side surface of the body to a fourth opening in a second side surface of the body opposite the first side surface, and wherein the cover includes third and fourth cutouts that align with the third and fourth openings of the body when the cover is in the lockout position, to permit insertion of a lock member through the second lock passage, thereby preventing movement of the cover from the lockout position to the release position.

2. The lockout device of claim 1 , wherein the clamp comprises a threaded fastener having a user operable knob.

3. The lockout device of claim 2 , wherein the fastener includes a shoulder stop sized to about an inner surface of the clamp retaining portion of the body to prevent removal of the fastener from the body.

4. The lockout device of claim 1 , wherein the recess in the body is angled to receive a toggle switch lever.

5. The lockout device of claim 1 , wherein the cover is assembled in sliding engagement with the body for sliding movement between the lockout and release positions.

6. The lockout device of claim 1 , wherein the cover is assembled in arcuate non-pivoting sliding engagement with the body for arcuate sliding movement between the lockout and release positions.

7. The lockout device of claim 1 , wherein one of the cover and the body includes first and second projections slideably received in first and second arcuate tracks in the other of the cover and the body for arcuate sliding movement of the cover between the lockout and release positions.

8. The lockout device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second lock cutouts form two separate apertures in the cover.

9. The lockout device of claim 1 , wherein the lower surface and the recess of the body are sized and oriented to receive a circuit breaker switch lever.

10. The lockout device of claim 1 , wherein the lock passage includes an arcuate portion shaped to accommodate a curved portion of a padlock shackle.

11. A method of locking out a component using a lockout device comprising a body having first and second laterally spaced outer side walls extending longitudinally between opposed front and rear surfaces of the body, and extending vertically between opposed upper and lower surfaces of the body, a clamp, and a cover, the method comprising:
receiving the component into a recess disposed in the lower surface of the body and extending between a front clamp retaining portion of the body and a rear clamping portion of the body, such that the body at least partially blocks the component;
adjusting the clamp to extend into the recess and into clamping engagement with the component;
moving the cover from a release position, in which the clamp is uncovered to permit adjustment, to a lockout position, in which a front portion of the cover covers at least a portion of the clamp to prevent adjustment of the clamp; and
securing a padlock shackle through a lock passage defined by the body, such that the padlock shackle blocks movement of the cover from the lockout position to the release position;
wherein the lock passage extends longitudinally from a first opening in the upper surface of the body to a second opening in the rear surface of the body, such that the secured padlock shackle does not extend laterally outward of the first and second side walls.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the clamp comprises a threaded fastener and a user graspable knob.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein moving the cover to the lockout position comprises sliding the cover to the lockout position.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein moving the cover to the lockout position comprises sliding the cover to the lockout position along an arcuate path.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein securing the padlock shackle through the lock passage comprises positioning a curved portion of the shackle within an arcuate portion of the lock passage.

16. A lockout device comprising:
a body including a recess disposed in a lower surface of the body and extending between a front clamp retaining portion of the body and a rear clamping portion of the body toward an upper surface of the body, wherein the body further defines a lock passage extending between first and second openings in the body;
a clamp assembled with the clamp retaining portion of the body and adjustably extendable into the recess for clamping engagement of an external structure when the external structure is inserted into the recess; and
a cover including a front portion, an upper portion and a rear portion, the cover being assembled in arcuate sliding engagement with the body for arcuate non-pivoting sliding movement between a lockout position, in which the front portion of the cover covers at least a portion of the clamp to prevent adjustment of the clamp, and a release position, in which the clamp is uncovered to permit adjustment;
wherein the cover includes first and second cutouts, wherein when the cover is in the lockout position, the first cutout aligns with the first opening of the body and the second cutout aligns with the second opening of the body, to permit insertion of a lock member through the lock passage, thereby preventing movement of the cover from the lockout position to the release position.

17. The lockout device of claim 16 , wherein the first opening is disposed in the upper surface of the body and the second opening is disposed in a rear surface of the rear clamping portion.

18. The lockout device of claim 16 , wherein the first opening is disposed in a first side surface of the body and the second opening is disposed in a second side surface of the body opposite the first side surface.

19. The lockout device of claim 16 , wherein one of the cover

Assignees

• Master Lock Co

Inventors

• Dudgeon Matthew T
• Frot Cecile
• Campbell David
• Fenn Lloyd

Classifications

• H01H9/283 Primary

  the part being removable · CPC title

• Y10T29/49105

  Switch making · CPC title