US 5,344,249 A · Door rod lock link

Abstract

A link for facilitating the joining of two rods while compensating for manufacturing irregularities in rod length and other manufacturing and assembly tolerances to produce a rigid assembly of proper length including a clip base for receiving an end of each rod and a sleeve to lock the assembly. The clip has an opening on one end for receiving a first rod and a threaded opening and longitudinal recess at the opposite end for receiving a threaded end of the second rod. The second rod may be pushed transversely to its axis into the recess and opening at any point along the opening to rigidly link the two rods together while compensating for manufacturing and assembly tolerance variations. The sleeve is telescopingly locked over the recess to secure the second rod in the clip. In a second link embodiment, the sleeve, when received on the clip in the closed position and covering the recess, may be released and slidably moved over the clip to an open position permitting the second rod to be removed from the clip and reinserted along the recess into the threaded opening to adjust the total length of the assembly.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A door rod lock link for receiving, joining and positively linking two ends of two rods comprising:

(a) an elongate clip base having a first opening and means in an inner peripheral surface of said opening for receiving and positively interlocking one end of a rod;
(b) a recessed longitudinal channel in an opposite end of said base for transversely receiving one end of a second rod into said base;
(c) one or more axially extending channels in an outer peripheral surface of said base and spaced detent projections along said channels to interengage and interlock with a plurality of hook projections of a sleeve;
and
(d) an elongate hollow sleeve having a plurality of spaced hook projections for interengaging and interlocking with said detent projections of said channels of said clip base for positively locking said sleeve over said base and for radially locking said second rod within said recessed channel.

2 more elements

A door rod lock link for joining two rods comprising:

(a) a clip;
(b) a first opening in said clip for receiving and retaining a first rod therein;
(c) a second opening in said clip for receiving and retaining a second rod therein;
(d) a channel means in said clip in communication with said second opening for enabling said second rod to be inserted transversely into said second opening through said channel means at varying overlap of said second rod with said second opening to thereby select varying combined total lengths of said first rod, said clip and said second rod during assembly;
and
(e) a sleeve slidably received on said clip in a first open position for shipping said sleeve and said clip together as an assembly and for permitting assembly of said second rod to said clip and movable to a second closed position covering said channel means of said clip for retaining said second rod within said second opening.

3 more elements

A link for connecting a first rod to a second rod comprising a clip member for receiving and retaining one end of said first rod and one end of said second rod and a hollow sleeve member for telescopically receiving said clip member therein to further secure said rod ends together when said clip and said sleeve members are telescopically assembled together to a closed position, said clip member having a first bore to receive and retain said one end of said first rod and a second bore to receive and retain said one end of said second rod, slot means in said clip member extending axially of said second bore and opening radially of said second bore for receiving one end of said second rod into said second bore in a direction radially of said second bore and transversely to an axis of said second rod so that when said clip member is telescopically assembled within said sleeve to said closed position, said sleeve member covers said slot means to prevent removal of said one end of said second rod from said second bore through said slot means, and wherein said first and second bores are axially aligned with each other and open in opposite directions to link said rod ends in axial alignment with each other.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Door rod lock link

Life of this patent

Door rod lock link

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims26