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US 6,269,906 B1Granted
Twist lock holder or step
AssigneeClark Equipment Company
InventorsDonald D. Dockter, Philip D. Bogner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A step is attachable to a mounting wall without the use of tools. The step has latching T-tabs at outer ends of legs formed into a V shape. The latching T-tab of a lower leg can be twist locked into a formed slot by inserting the lower leg through the lock slot in one position and rotating it to a working position. The second leg forms a step surface and is latched to the supporting wall after the first leg is rotated to locking position.
Claims6
A twist lock step in combination with an implement attachment mounting wall for supporting a person comprising:
- first and second legs joined at first ends thereof and resiliently urged to a rest position in a generally V shape;
- a first lock tab at a second end of the first leg having a first flange forming a first shoulder facing the first end of the first leg;
- a second lock tab at a second end of the second leg having a second flange forming a second shoulder facing the first end of the second leg;
- the first lock tab being insertable through a first slot of a mounting wall of an implement attachment and movable in a twisting movement to lock the first shoulder on an opposite side of the mounting wall from the first leg and the second lock tab being movable, sequentially to a second slot to lock the second shoulder on an opposite side of the mounting wall, the mounting wall of the implement attachment having the first slot oriented along a first axis to receive the first flange of the first leg and to permit the first leg to rotate for the twisting movement with the first shoulder of the first leg on the opposite side of the mounting wall from the first leg, and the second slot extending at a different angle from the first slot to receive the second flange of the second leg with the first leg rotated to a desired position and the second leg moved relative to the first leg against the resilient urging, and further comprising the first slot being formed in a pattern with a slot periphery cut extending to provide a clearance opening extending laterally from adjacent a first end of the slot, the clearance opening having a clearance radius less than a radius of an outer side edge of the first flange from a central axis of the first leg to capture the first shoulder of the first flange behind the mounting wall when the first leg is rotated;
- and
- a surface joining the slot periphery cut and extending toward an axis of the clearance radius for contacting the stem supporting the first flange on the first leg after rotation of the first leg to a position where the second lock tab of the second leg can be inserted into the second slot.
3 more elements
A twist lock step in combination with a mounting wall, comprising:
- a generally V-shaped step having first and second legs joined at first ends and the legs having side edges extending to second ends the legs being spring-loaded when moved from a rest position;
- a first lock tab at a second end of the first leg formed by a recess extending inwardly from both side edges and forming facing shoulders on each side of a stem joining the first lock tab to the first leg;
- the shoulders at the second end of the first leg being oriented to permit inserting the second end in a generally vertical elongated opening of the mounting wall and twist locking the first leg in such opening to orient the second leg generally horizontal;
- a second lock tab on the second leg insertable through a generally horizontal slot of the mounting wall for latching the second leg when the first leg is twist locked in the opening of the mounting wall, the second lock tab being insertable by moving the first and second legs relative to each other from the rest position and locking the second lock tab in place in the horizontal slot by the spring loading urging the first and second legs to a rest position;
- the vertically elongated opening for the first leg including a slot oriented along a first vertical axis to receive the first lock tab, the slot having slot clearance openings on opposite sides of the vertically elongated opening configured to permit the first leg to be rotated about a central axis to cause the shoulders to receive first edge portions, of the wall defining the slot clearance openings, the slot clearance openings having a first and second horizontally extending portions on opposite side of said vertical axis, respectively, the first horizontally extending portion for supporting the stem of the first leg above the stem on one side of the slot and the second horizontally extending portion supporting the stem of the first leg below the stem on the other side of the slot when the first leg is rotated and twist locked in the slot clearance openings.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.