Adjustable stop for telescoping tubes
OwnerTim L. Greene, Tracy R. Hoeftinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An adjustable stop attached to the smaller of two nested telescoping tubes. The stop is in the form of a sleeve that is axially and rotationally adjustable on the smaller tube. The sleeve is smaller in diameter than the inner diameter of the larger tube, and it has a detent for a pin extending inward from a tube clamp on the larger tube. The detent receives and releases the pin in both axial directions. This provides a detent at a selected relative extension and rotation position of the tubes, yet it also allows the smaller tube to fully retract into the larger tube. The tube clamp is used to fix the tubes at the detent position. The tube clamp is used conventionally to set a desired detent position.
Claims14
An adjustable stop mechanism used in combination with a telescoping pair of structural members comprising an elongated inner member slidably nested within an elongated tubular outer member, the inner member having an outer diameter and an axis;
- the outer member having an inner diameter, an axis, first and second ends;
- and a clamp on the first end of the outer member for fixing the inner member at a selectable axial position relative to the outer member;
- the stop mechanism comprising:
- a radial clearance between the outer diameter of the inner member and the inner diameter of the outer member;
- a sleeve mounted on the inner member that is axially positionally adjustable on the inner member;
- the sleeve fitting within the clearance between the inner and outer members;
- an interface between the sleeve and the clamp that releasably detents the sleeve at a predetermined relative position between the sleeve and the clamp during axial slidable movement of the sleeve through the clamp;
- and
- the interface receives and releases the sleeve for movement of the sleeve relative to the clamp from and to at least the axial direction of the second end of the outer member;
- whereby an axial position detent is provided by the interface at a selected relative position between the inner and outer telescoping structural members, and the sleeve can move axially in the outer member from the detent position toward the second end of the outer member.
An adjustable stop mechanism used in combination with a telescoping pair of structural members comprising an elongated inner member slidably and rotatably nested within an elongated tubular outer member, the outer member having an inner diameter and an axis, and a clamp on the outer member for fixing the inner member at a selectable position relative to the outer member, the stop mechanism comprising:
- a pin on the clamp, the pin having an inner end projecting inward within the inner diameter of the outer member;
- a detent on the inner member for releasably retaining the inner end of the pin against at least relative axial movement between the two structural members;
- means for receiving the pin to the detent from either axial direction and releasing the pin from the detent to either axial direction;
- and
- means for adjusting at least the axial position of the detent on the inner member;
- wherein the detent provides a stop for at least the relative extension position of the two telescoping members, and also allows the inner member to retract into the outer member.
An adjustable stop mechanism used in combination with a telescoping pair of structural members comprising an elongated inner member slidably and rotatably nested within an elongated tubular outer member, the outer member having an inner diameter and an axis, and a clamp on the outer member for fixing the inner member at a selectable position relative to the outer member, the stop mechanism comprising:
- a sleeve releasably fixed on the inner member at a selectable axial and rotational position;
- the sleeve having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the outer member;
- a pin extending generally radially inward from the clamp, having an inner end;
- and
- a detent on the sleeve that receives the pin from both axial directions and releases the pin to both axial directions;
- wherein the detent provides an adjustable stop for both the relative extension and rotational positions of the two telescoping members, and also allows the inner member to retract into the outer member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.