US2897033A - Extractor-engager device - Google Patents

Description

July 28, 1959 w. s. FORD 2,897,033

EXTRACTOR-ENGAGER DEVICE Filed July 28. 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 lAlvE/vmt WILBUR ,$LA- 19 W. 5. FORD EXTRACTOR-ENGAGER DEVICE July 28, 1959 4 Shee ts-Sheet 2 Filed July 28. 1955 WVf/VTO/E, W/LBUI? S/LA9 FO/ED C; M j M-) TTOR/VEYS y 28, 1959 w. 5. FORD 2,897,033

EXTRACTOR-ENGAGER DEVICE Filed July 28, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IIIIII lA/l/E/V 7-0/2, t W/LBUR 's/ms FORD J m, 5 JM 1 W A TTO/P/VEYS July 28, 1959 w. 5. FORD EXTRACTOR-ENGAGER mzvxcz 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 28. 1955 T 4.2 m H 5 i m v V, v m

INVA TO P WLBl/R SIMS FORD J AT 4 TORIVEfi United States Patent EXTRACTOR-ENGAGER DEVICE Wilbur Silas Ford, Burwood, near Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, assignor to Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) Limited, Sydney, Australia Application July 28, 1955, Serial No. 525,038

Claims priority, application Australia December 13, 1954 3 Claims. (Cl. 312-320) The present invention relates to a mechanical extractorengager contrivance and more particularly to a contrivance which may be used for the purpose of connecting and disconnecting plug and socket connectors on detachable components.

The invention is particularly adapted for use inconnection with the extracting and engaging'of rack mounted electric units employing certain types. of rear mounted plug and socket connectors which require considerable, pressure to engage or extract.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and reliable mechanical extractor-engager contrivance of robust construction which is easy to fit to the front of rack mounted electric units employing rear mounted plug and socket connectors and which in response to small physical pressures is capable of applying adequate force to the front of the unit for the insertion of the plug into the socket and for its withdrawal from the socket.

In order, however, that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into practical effect, reference is now directed to the following description in connection-with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figs. 1 and la illustrate aconventional rack mounting arrangement for electricalunits employing the present invention,

Fig. 2' is a front elevation showing a preferred practical application of the present invention,

Fig. 2a is a sectional side elevation ofthe extractorengager contrivance illustrated by Fig. 2 and taken on the plane 22.thereof,

Fig. 3 is a considerably enlarged sectional side elevation taken-on the plane 3-3 of Fig. 2 with the operating handle in the lowered-position,

Fig. 3a is a considerably enlarged sectional side elevation taken on the plane 33* of Fig. 2 with theoperating handle in the raised position,

Fig. 4a-illustrates the method of assembling the component parts of the left hand side of the contrivance and Fig. 4b shows the opposite side of the levering and-locking component of Fig. 4a.

Invarious applications employing electrical apparatus such as for example the installation of radio communication equipment in aircraft, it is conventional practice to house the components comprising various electrical circults-in box-like units and to. assemble these box-likeunits insuitable mounting racks.

The type of rack 11 usually employed and the method of assembling the box-like units in the rack is generally indicated-in Figs. 1 and 1a of the drawing.

The basic parts of the rack 11 are the horizontal members 30- and the side members 31. The horizontal members each consist ofa channel section one flange 32 of which is turnedinwards toallow a flush face to be presented to-the front and back of the rack assembly.

The horizontal members 30- are supported in any convenient manner in spaced parallel relationship on suitable support members, such as for example angle brackets 33' which may be attached in conveniently spaced relationship to the aircraft or other housing structure.

The side members 31 are generally in the form of anglesections with part of the vertical flange extending toform a triangular side panel 34.

The side members are used in pairs consisting of one left hand and one right hand member to form a guideway 35 into which the box-like unit 10 is slid until it engages the locating spigots 36' which are mounted on opposite sides of a back plate 37 and which control the alignment of the unit 10. The back plate 37 is supported in any convenient manner at the back of the rack 11.

In the present example the back plate 37 isattached to the vertical flange 34 of the side members 31.

Cooperating members of a back connecting plug and socket arrangement are mounted in registering relationship, one member on the back plate 37 and the other member on back of the box-like unit 10.

The cooperating members may comprise a plurality of contact pins arranged to be inserted collectively in a socket having a plurality of similarly arranged complementary apertures with female contacts therein. In the present example the plug or male section 38 of the back connector is mounted on the back of the box-like unit '10. and the socket or female section '39 of the. connector is mounted on the back plate 37.

Automatic location of the connector plugs 38 and sockets 39 with their instrument counterparts is arranged by spigots 36 on the back plate 37 which engage in housings 40 in the box-like unit 10.

However, due to the high contact pressure and" long insertion distances required to obtain and maintain reliable and satisfactory engagement of back connectors of the type customarily employed in the applications of the type described considerable force is required to insert or extract the units to which they are applied.

Inorder to provide the required force associated with the insertion and withdrawal of units fitted with back connectors of thetype described a mechanical extractorengager device constructed in accordance with the present invention is attached to the front panel of the unit 10 for cooperation with a fitting 16 on the rack 11 in. the manner hereinafter to be described.

The contrivance in accordance with the present invention comprises four main components some of which are duplicated as will be understood from the following description in connection with Figs. 2 to 4 of the drawing.

First there is a U-shaped handle 12'with comparatively short arms 13. Secondly, there is a hinge block 14 for each arm 13-, designed to be secured to the front lower portion of the box-like unit 10.

Thirdly, there is a levering-and-locking integer 15 pivoted to the inner face of each of the blocks14 and finally there is a bracket 16 which provides a socket and fulcrum for a nose 17 formed on the levering-and-locking integer 15.

Each arm of the handle 12 has fast in its end portion a pin 18, the ends of which are rotatable in cheeksv 19 constituting part of the hinge blocks 14.

The levering-and-locking integers 15 are of somewhat triangular form (see more particularly Figs. 4a and 4b) and each has formed in it two separate slots 20 and 21 longitudinally in alignment with each other. The slot 20 in each of the levering-and-locking integers 15' serves to receive a stationary pin 22 which is secured in a lug 23 formed integral with the related hinge-block 14; and' the slot 21 surrounds and serves as a. track for an extension 24 of the inner end portion of the pin 18.

The inner end portion of each pin 18 has formed integrally and eccentrically with it a circular cam 25 which is movable within an enlargement 25a of the slot 21 in the face of the levering-and-locking integer 15. The lower portion of the integer comprises the before mentioned nose 17 and the latter engages a socket 26 in bracket 16. One of these brackets 16 is aflixed to the racking 11 a little below and to one side of each hinge block 14.

1 There is a projection 27 on the inner face of each arm 13 of the handle 12 and this projection is so located that when the handle 12 is raised the projection 27 will engage a corresponding projection 28 on the outer face of the integer 15 for the purpose hereinafter explained.

The method of assembling the contrivance of the present invention may be better understood by referring to Fig. 4a of the drawing. The arm 13 on the left side of the handle 12 is inserted between the cheeks 19 of the left side hinge block 14 so that the hole 41 in the arm 13 is in line with the holes 42 in the cheeks 19 of the hinge block 14. The shaft 18 which is a bearing fit in the holes 41-42 is placed through the holes 41---42 and pinned to the arm 13 by means of a pin 43 which is inserted in the registering holes 4445 in the arm 13 and shaft 18 respectively. The levering-and-locking integer 15 is placed in position by passing the pin 22 through the slot and the pin 24 through the slot 21.

Washers 46 are placed on the protruding ends of the pins-2224 and held in position by retaining clips 47 which fit into the grooves 48 on the ends of the pins 22-24. V

When the integer 15 is placed in position as outlined above the cam 25, which is seated in the enlargement a, actuates the integer 15 as hereinafter described.

Although the description of Fig. 4 has been restricted to parts associated with the left hand side of the device, the construction and arrangement of corresponding parts for the right hand side will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description and the drawings.

Assuming that the hinge blocks 14 of this improved extractor-engager contrivance have been secured by the bolts 49 and nuts 50 to the lower portion of the front panel of the box-like unit 10 to be accommodated in the racking 11 and assuming too that the brackets 16 have been afiixed to the racking 11 immediately below the levering-and-locking intergers 15, the manner of using the contrivance is as follows:

' The box-like unit 10 is lifted and placed onto the guides in the section allotted to it in the rack 11 as indicated in Fig. 1, and pushed along the guides towards the rear of the rack where the aligning spigots 36 will enter the complementary housings in the box-like unit 10 and guide the connector members 38-39 into engagement.

The handle 12 is normally raised to its full extent by the operator when placing the unit 10 in the racking 11. It is held in this position while the unit 10 is being pushed along the guides 35 and until movement of the unit 10 is stopped by the contact resistance of the connecting members 38-39. The handle is then lowered until the nose 17 is located in the socket 26 and its downward movement is arrested by the locating of the nose 17 of the integer 15in the socket 26 of the bracket 16.

All is then in readiness for a final downward pressure to be exerted on the handle 12 so that the components 3839 of the aforesaid connector will be forced into positive mechanical and electrical engagement with each other. At this stage the handle 12 is moved in a downward direction to cause the arms 13 to assume the vertical position or a position slightly beyond the vertical as shown in Fig. 3.

In the early stages of this movement the cam 25, which is eccentrically mounted on the pin 18 is brought into 7 4 into contact with the inner side of the front wall of the socket 26 which is fixedly attached to the racking 11. Further downward movement of the handle 12 causes the cam 25 to exert considerable outward pressure on the lever-and-locking integer 15.

However, further outward movement of the integer 15 is prevented by the engagement of the heel of the boltlike nose 17 with the inner surface of the outside wall of the socket 26. The arrested forward movement of the lever-and-locking device 15 in this manner causes the bolt-like nose 17 to act as a fulcrum, whereby any further outward pressure as a result of continued downward movement of the handle 12 causes the lever-and-locking integer 15 to function as a lever and through the medium of pin 22 compels the movable box-like unit 10 to recede along its guides until the components of the aforesaid connector at its rear are finally and properly engaged.

In withdrawing the box-like unit 10 with the aid of this improved contrivance the handle 12 is raised so that the cam 25 at each side will again cause the levering-andlocking integer 15 to function as a lever, but this time in the opposite direction. This action is brought about in the following manner. At the commencement of the movement to raise the handle 12 the cam 25, which is eccentrically attached to the pin 18, is now caused to contact the inner surface of the back wall of the enlargement 25a. This causes the lever and locking integer 15 to move back towards the box 10 until the toe of the boltlike nose 17 is brought into engagement with the adjacent wall of the fixed socket 26. This arrests the backward movement of the integer 15. Further movement of the handle 12 in the upward direction will cause the cam 25 to exert an increasing backward pressure on the rear wall of the enlargement 25a. However, due to the arrested backward movement of the nose 17, it acts as a fulcrum whereby any further backward pressure as a result of continued upward movement of the handle 12 causes the lever-and-locking integer 15 .to function as a lever and through the medium of pin 22 exerts a withdrawing force on the box 10. That is to say, the leverage on this occasion is exerted to force apart the components of the aforesaid connector at the rear of the box-like unit 10. In exerting this leverage the toe of the nose 17 will necessarily be forced against the adjacent wall of socket 26 to constitute a fulcrum for the related levering-and-locking integer 15. When the handle 12 has been raised to some extent, in its approach to the horizontal, the projections 27 on the inner face of its arms 13 engage the adjacent projections 28 on the outer face of the levering-and-locking integers and raise the latter so that the bolt-like nose 17 of each is withdrawn from its socket 26 below.

The box-like unit 10 can then be lifted from its compartment with the assurance that the components of the beforementioned connector at the back of the unit 10 have been entirely Withdrawn from engagement with each other.

I claim:

1. A mechanical extractor-engager device for use with a box-like electric unit designed for mounting in a rack, said device comprising in combination a U-shaped handle having short arms, a hinge-block for each of said arms adapted to be secured to the front of a box-like electric unit, each of said arms having a first pivot pin journaled.

in its associated hinge-block, a cam member eccentrically fixed to each pivot pin, an extension pin fixed to each cam member and extending from said cam member parallel to and offset from the associated first pivot pin, a second pivot pin on each hinge-block, a levering and locking integer associated with each hinge block and having first and second longitudinal slots arranged in longitudinal alignment, said first longitudinal slot being adapted to receive the associated secod pivot pin to permit the pivotal and longitudinal movement of said associated'levering and locking integer, said second longitudinal slQt being adapted to receive the g i t d tension pin and having a recess in the side adjacent the associated cam member to provide a track for said cam member, a bracket adapted to be aflixed to said rack immediately below each levering and locking integer, and a nose portion on each levering and locking integer for engaging a socket in the associated bracket to cause the associated cam member to exert pressure against the associated levering and locking integer when said handle is raised or lowered.

2. A mechanical extractor-engager device as defined in claim 1, wherein each arm of said handle has projections thereon adapted to engage projections on the outer face of the associated levering and locking integer to lift the latter clear of said bracket when said handle is fully raised.

3. A mechanical extractor-engager device as defined in claim 1, wherein each levering and locking integer is mounted on the inner face of the associated hinge-block.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,514,246 Knox July 4, 1950 2,609,268 Nye Sept. 2, 1952 2,714,195 Beatty July 26, 1955 2,735,077 Jessee et al Feb. 14, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 672,146 Great Britain May 14, 1952 974,126 France Sept. 27, 1950 1,006,047 France Jan. 9, 1952

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