US3539212A - Lock for a quick opening cover of a pressure-resistant shell - Google Patents

Description

United States Patent Alexandr Pavlovich Poltorak,

ul. Schorsa, 18-a kv. 60, Donetsk, U.S.S.R. 744,530

July 12, 1968 Nov. 10, 1970 Inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented LOCK FOR A QUICK OPENING COVER OF A PRESSURE-RESISTANT SHELL 1 Claim, 9 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl. 292/49, 292/197, 292/304 Int. Cl. E05c 3/16, E05c 9/00 Field of Search 292/44, 45, 46, 47, 49,11, 51,197, 37, 256.5, 256.6, 256.65, 257, 256.69, 304, (T)

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,160,814 11/1915 Allen 292/44 1,199,857 10/1916 Zinn 292/13 1,684,983 9/1928 Clark 292/304 2,344,300 3/1944 Hagenbook 198/220 3,235,124 2/l966 Kuerer 220/553 Primary Examiner- Richard E. Moore Assistant Examiner-Robert L. Wolfe Attorney-Waters, Roditi, Schwartz & Nissen ABSTRACT: A pressure-resistant shell has an openable cover on a housing secured by a lock. The lock has clips constituted as pivotal levers mounted on the shell, and mating edges of the cover and housing are embraced by shelves on the levers bounding grooves in which the mating edges are received when the levers are moved in common by a drive therefor.

Patented Nov, 10, 1970 Sheet 2 013 Patented Nov. 10, 1970 Sheet r ll ' opened covers in the above-mentioned shells incorporating clips turnable by a common drive and made as flat levers mountable on the cover by axles extending perpendicular to the plane of a window in the shell housing closed by the cover.

When the levers turn about their axles, their edges ente housing grooves, insuring the closing of the shell.

In the locks of the known designs, the flat levers are rigidly mounted on their axles of rotation. When employing the shells with such locks, the pressure developing inside the shell acts on the axles of rotation of these levers, which results in elastic and residual deformation of said axles and, correspondingly, in the production of a greater gap between the meeting edges of the cover and the shell housing.

Furthermore, the cover and the housing have a common lack at flatness of the meeting edges, and, since the flat levers are rigidly secured on their axles, they are capable of overcoming this lack of flatness, which leads to a considerable wear of the meeting surfaces ofthe levers and the cover edges, as well as of the housing, and, consequently, to the production ofgreater gaps between them.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a lock for a quick-opened cover insuring easy and quick opening and closing of the shell, a sealing gasket being provided between the cover and the housing. I

An important object of the invention is to provide a lock for a quick-opened cover, insuring better explosion protection of the shell, reliability in operation and longer service life.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a lock for a quick-opened cover, insuring easy repair.

These and other objects of the invention are achieved by providing a lock for a quick-opened cover of the above-mentioned shells wherein, according to the invention, each of the levers has at one end thereof a groove adapted for accommodating meeting edges of the cover and the housing, which groove forms shelves embracing said edges when the levers turn about their axles of rotation.

The invention will become more apparent from the description of an exemplary embodiment thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the lock, the shell cover being opened;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the same look without the housing bottom, the shell cover being closed;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view ofa turnable lever of the lock of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line lV-IV in FIG. 2;

FIG. Sis a section taken on line V-V in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a front view ofthe lock, in a second version;

FIG. 7 is a section taken on line VII-VII in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a front view of the lock in closed position, according to a third version; and

FIG. 9 shows the lock of FIG. 8 in open position.

The lock of a quick-opened cover in explosion-proof and pressure-resistant shells comprises turnable clips made as double-arm levers 1 (FIGSv l and 2) mounted on a cover 2 by means of axles 3. The shell is understood to comprise the conjugated cover 2 and housing 9.

Each of the double-arm levers 1 (FIG. 3) has a groove 4 at one end, said groove forming shelves 5 and 6 embracing, during the turn of the levers I about the axles 3 (FIG. I), the meeting edges 7 and 8 of the cover 2 and a housing 9, respectively. The lower shelves 6 of the levers ll (FIG. 4) are in constant engagement with the edge of the cover 2 and are arranged between said edge and projections Ill rigidly secured in the cover 2. The axles 3 are screwed into the projections 10.

The height of the lower shelf6 is somewhat less than that of the groove formed by the edge 7 and the projection 10, which permits the levers to displace about the respective axles 3 in the course of the shell opening and closing.

The upper shelves 5 (FIG. 5 embrace,during the turning of the levers l, the edge 8 of the housing 9, as the lock becomes closed, and released said edge as the lock is opened.

The height of the groove 4 in the levers 1 is more than the total thickness of the edges 7 and 8 of the cover 2 and the housing 9 of the shell by a predetermined magnitude.

The other end of each of the levers 1 includes a portion which forms an angle of about with the rest of the lever.

The levers 1 turn about their axles 3 under the action of rolls 11 whose axles 12 (FIG. 5) are rigidly mounted on a turnable ring 1.3.

The ring 13 turns about the central axis of the cover 2 by an eccentrically arranged disk 14 (FIG. I) cooperating with plates 15 rigidly fixed on the ring 13. The provision of the eccentrically arranged disk ensures a rapid opening of the cover The ring 13 freely turns within a recess provided in the projections 10 (FIG. 4) and is prevented, in any position, from falling out of the cover 2 by the turnable levers I. The disk 14 is actuated from the outside by a control handle 16.

The lock operates in the following manner.

As the shell is closed, the control handle 16 is turned through an angle of the disk 14 turns the ring 13 about the central axis of the cover 2, while the rolls 11 (FIG. I) run on the ends of the levers l and turn them about the axles 3. As a result, the meeting edges 7 and 8 of the cover 2 and the housing 9 are embraced by the shelves 5 and 6 of the levers 1, to form a tight connection of the cover 2 with the housing 9.

In another embodiment of the invention, the axles of rotation of the turnable levers are secured to the shell housing, which helps reduce the weight of the cover and permits the use of the locks of very large sizes in the shells.

In this case, levers 17 (FIGS. 6 and 7) have axles 18 of rotation secured in the shell housing 19. The levers 17 are similar to those described hereinabove.

The levers 17 are turnable about the axles 18 by means of a turnable ring 21 made up of disks 22 interconnected by rollers 23. One of the disks 22 acts on an arm 17 of the lever 17. The ring 21 is turned, for instance, by a worm drive not shown in the drawing.

In this version, the lock functions analogously.

The present lock may also be utilized in shells with rectangular covers. FIGS. 8 and 9 show a third embodiment of the lock of the invention, for a rectangular cover. In this version, the clips are made as single-arm levers 24 secured on a cover 25 by axles 26.

Serving as the drive for the levers 24 is a moving plate 27 connected to the levers by means of hinged links 28.

The plate 27 is actuated eccentrically by a disk 29 controlled from outside. The operation of the lock in this version is similar to that described hereinabove.

As is clear from the examples, the present lock is adapted to be used with the cover of any shape, the levers being arranged outside or inside the shell.

The fixation of the levers on the axles may be on the cover or the housing of the shell, the axles being arranged together with the levers or independently.

The turnable levers may be fashioned as single-arm or double-arm levers. Sometimes, especially in rectangular covers, the levers may be both single-arm and double-armed at the same time.

The levers may be actuated either through the interaction of their surfaces directly with a moving element of the drive or through cooperation with it via intermediate links.

The moving element of the drive can be fashioned as a plate, frame, disk, ring, nut or a combination of these.

The moving element of the drive can be actuated from the outside of inside of the shell by a manually operated drive (pinion, eccentric disk, hoisting jack, etc.) or by an automatic drive (hydraulic, pneumatic, electromagnetic one, etc.)-.

Thus, the exemplary embodiments of the locks described hereinabove permit to insure small gaps between the meeting edges of the cover and the housing of the shell (within 0.05- 0.1 mm.), which makes the locks practical in explosionproof shells designed for operation in explosive premises and in outdoor installations of all classes, categories and groups of flammability.

Additionally, in the above-considered types of locks, the inside pressure caused by an explosion in the shell is resisted by the shelves of the levers, which should therefore be made from quality steel with a margin of safety. The edges of the cover and the housing are subjected to shear loads and bend via a shelf with closed perimeter, which makes them stable to any pressures practically developing inside the shell. The axles of rotation of the levers are free from the effect of the explosioncaused pressure.

Practically, the present lock may be made to withstand any pressure.

Since the lock is motionless in relation to the housing in the course of its opening and closing, it is feasible to provide sealing gaskets between the shell cover and the housing to protect the shell from dust and moisture, in addition when necessary, to other means increasing the explosion-proof protection. The wear of the coating of the explosion-proof surfaces is practically reduced to nil in said lock.

In view of the fact that, when closing the cover, the shelves of the turnable levers run on the meeting cover and housing perpendicularly to their inner edges, the maximum travel of the friction surfaces of the levers in the course of closing and opening is equal to the width of the shelf mm.), i.e. some ten times less than in case of bayonet covers. Moreover, the clips do not experience the common lack of flatness of the meeting edges of the shell cover and housing.

Therefore, the mechanical wear of the present lock is practically reduced to nil (5,000 closings and openings of the levers result in 0.05 mm. of wear).

The prolonged operation of the lock in electric apparatus may cause some increase in the gap between the meeting edges of the cover and housing to values exceeding prescribed values due to the worn elements of the lock in a quick-opened cover, as well as due to some other elements becoming deformed as a result of explosions.

A local increase in the gap in the present lock can be prevented by substituting new turnable levers for the old ones.

The overhaul of the lock is also possible by replacing the levers at new places, Le. to areas which were not previously operational.

Iclaim:

1. A lock for a quick-opened cover of a housing in explosion-proof and pressure-resistant shells, comprising: clips constituted as pivotal levers and turnable by a common drive; axles mounting said levers on the shell, said axles being perpendicular to the plane of a window provided in the shell housing and closed by said cover; a groove provided on one end of each of said levers to accommodate meeting edges of the cover and housing, said groove defining shelves embracing said edges when the levers turn about their axles of rotation.

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