Locking cover plate arrangement
AssigneeKnox Company
InventorDohn J. Trempala
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A locking cover plate can be selectively locked in position on a stortz pipe end fitting or can be unlocked and removed for access to the open pipe end. The cover plate includes a sliding plate that is driven laterally outward into a deployed state by rotating a drive bolt. The drive bolt is coupled to the sliding plate through a torque limiting coupling that transfers the rotation of the drive bolt to translating movement of the latch bar with a cam plate. Movement of the sliding plate is indicated through a front of the cover plate such that the user can identify whether the cover plate is locked on a fitting or simply placed on the fitting without the lock engaged.
Claims14
A locking cover plate for an open pipe end having a stortz-type fitting, said cover plate comprising a housing, said housing having a front surface and a generally cylindrical side surface, an actuator assembly substantially contained within said housing, said actuator assembly comprising a drive bolt extending rearward from said front of said housing, a cam plate being connected to said drive bolt, a torque limiting assembly selectively coupling said cam plate to said drive bolt, said cam plate rotating relative to said drive bolt when coupled by said torque limiting assembly to said drive bolt and said cam plate translating relative to said bolt when not coupled by said torque limiting assembly to said drive bolt, a latch bar being connected to said cam plate and being disposed for translation generally normal to an axis that extends through said drive bolt, and an indicator assembly that is connected to said latch bar.
A protective cover plate for a stortz connection of a piping system, said cover plate comprising a front plate, a stortz fitting extending rearward from said front plate, and a sliding plate locking mechanism being disposed rearward of said front plate and being adapted to engage a concealed portion of said piping system when said cover plate is assembled to said piping system, said sliding plate locking mechanism comprising an indicator assembly that provides visual confirmation of an operational characteristic of said sliding plate locking mechanism.
A protective cover plate for a stortz connection of a piping system, said cover plate comprising a front plate, a stortz fitting extending rearward from said front plate, and a sliding plate locking mechanism being disposed rearward of said front plate and being adapted to engage a concealed portion of said piping system when said cover plate is assembled to said piping system, said sliding plate locking mechanism comprising a single exposed moving component when said cover plate is assembled to said piping system.
A method of installing a cover plate to a piping system having a stortz fitting, said method comprising inserting said cover plate into said stortz fitting, rotating said cover plate to secure said cover plate to said stortz fitting, turning a cam plate, translating a latch bar, indicating a movement of said latch bar, and loading an actuator assembly with a tamper-resistant torsion load, said translating movement of said latch bar being indicated by rotational movement of an indicator drum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.