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US 2003/0141714 A1Published application
Attachment means and attachment assembly
OwnerGeorge Alexander Matthewinventor
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OwnerGeorge Alexander Matthewinventor
Estimating the term…
An attachment means (4) in the form of a hollow cylindrical socket (10) integral with a tangentially intersecting housing (30) in which a latch pin (8) is longitudinally slidable. The latch pin (8) has a cylindrical head (8a) of relatively large diameter but relatively short length, and a cylindrical shaft (8b) that is relatively long but of relatively small diameter. The axis of the latch housing is offset outwardly of an imaginary line tangentially intersecting the bore of the socket by more than half the diameter of the latch pin shaft (8b) but less than half the diameter of the latch pin head (8b). The latch pin (8) is biased by a spring (7) such that the latch pin head (8a) normally lies partly within the bore of the socket (10) to engage a notch (12) near the end of a rod (5) or other plug-like member attached to the socket (10) and thereby positively retain this rod (5). Manually depressing the latch pin (8) against the force of the spring (7) pushes the latch pin head (8a) out of the bore of the socket (10) which instantly releases the rod (5) since the latch pin shaft (8b) always lies completely outside the bore of the socket (10). The attachment assembly (4+5) allows easy assembly of two members, and their quick release when required. The attachment means is applicable to attachment of parts and accessories to vehicles, e.g. mudguards (14) and side-skirts (50, 51).
Attachment means for the selectively releasable attachment of a first member to a second member, said attachment means comprising a socket means either forming part of said second member or adapted to be secured to said second member, said socket means being adapted to receive and releasably to retain a plug means attached to or forming part of said first member, said socket means comprising a selectively operable latch means functioning in use of the attachment means selectively either to latch said plug means within said socket means or to unlatch said plug means from said socket means.
An attachment assembly for the selectively releasable attachment of a first member to second member, said attachment assembly comprising a plug means either forming part of said first member or adapted to be secured to said first member, socket means either forming part of said second member or adapted to be secured to said second member, said socket means being adapted to receive and releasably to retain said plug means, said socket means comprising a selectively operable latch means functioning in use of the attachment assembly selectively either to latch said plug means within said socket means or to unlatch said plug means from said socket means.
Attachment means or an attachment assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that said latch means comprises an axially slidable latch pin adapted to engage a notch in the rod or other form of plug means, and a spring disposed axially to bias the latch pin into latching engagement with the notch.
Attachment means or an attachment assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that said first member is a part of a vehicle or an accessory for a vehicle, and said second member may be the frame or chassis of the vehicle, or alternatively in that said first member is a machine guard or an accessory for a machine, and said second member is the machine (e.g. a machine tool).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.