Tool reach extender with locking assembly

In an apparatus having elongated, coaxially aligned, relatively shiftable, first and second members with the first member presenting a tubular configuration slidably receiving the second member therein, a locking assembly for releasably locking the two members in a selected position, said assembly comprising:

• a tubular housing coaxially coupled with said receiving member adjacent said receiving end, said second member having a locking pin hole defined therein;
• a locking pin having an outer portion and having an inner portion configured for reception within said locking hole, said pin being slidably supported by said housing for transverse movement relative to said slidable member, said locking pin being shiftable between a locked position in which said inner portion of said pin is received within said locking hole and a released position in which said pin is shifted outwardly;
• biasing means for biasing said pin toward said locked position, said biasing means including
• a biasing member presenting a cupped washer configuration having walls defining a central aperture, an outboard concave face presenting an outer periphery, and an inboard convex face, said biasing member being shiftable between said cupped configuration and a relatively flat configuration and being biased toward said cupped configuration, said locking pin inner portion being received through said aperture and coupled with said biasing member for movement therewith;
• and
• manually operable release means for shifting said pin toward said released position,
• said housing presenting a member support surface having an upstanding ridge configured for engaging said member concave face,
• said release means including a manually operable shiftable button having a cylindrically shaped wall presenting an inner edge engaging said outer periphery for shifting said biasing member against said ridge to said flat configuration upon the application of force to said button sufficient to overcome the bias of said member.

A locking mechanism for use in an extensible apparatus having elongated, telescopically interfitted first and second bodies each respectively presenting sidewalls, wherein the first body presents structure defining a sidewall aperture therethrough, the locking mechanism comprising:

• an elongated locking member having an outer end remote from the second body sidewall, and an inner end proximal to the second body sidewall, said locking member being shiftable within the apertured structure;
• a resilient biasing member having opposed edges coupled intermediate thereof with said outer end for movement therewith, said biasing member having faces defining an arcuate sheet presenting a bowed crossection which substantially flattens as said edges are compressed in order to shift said locking member;
• means for compressing said edges;
• and
• a housing having a passageway that shiftably mounts the locking member with said inner end proximal to said second body for engagement thereof by said inner end extending through said aperture, and a chamber containing said biasing member, said chamber including a fulcrum ridge positioned to provide a fulcrum for said edges, said ridge assisting the flattening of said faces during edge compression.