AU627812B2 - Lockable guide unit - Google Patents

Description

Cur Ref 303991

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act COMPLETEg SPECIFICATION- FORM

(ORIGINAL)

Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priori ty: Related Art: Applicant(s): Charles Ruben 4 Vidarst..gen 141 39 Huddinge SW1EDEN 9 9~, *9 9 .99.

9* S. S

S

Address for Servicel; ARTHUR S. CAVE CO.

Pateut Trade Mark Attornerys Level 10, 10 Barrack Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 Complete specification for the invention entitled "Lockable guide unit".

9S**

S

S

.9 9 S 5* 9. 9

*S

*9SS99

S

*05@ 9@ S.

S

9 The following statement is a full description of this best method of performing it known to me:invention, including the 1- 5020 lpl-- C 4 C IC1 C_ This invention refers to a guide unit.

Guide units intended to slidably connect two elements such as a support and an apparatus are well known in the art.

Such guide units may each comprise a first element, having a dovetail shaped longitudinally extending rib and a second element having a mating dovetail shaped groove and by arranging two such units in a parallel relationship it is possible to displaceably connect two elements for instance a data terminal and a table or similar support.

The object of.the present invention is to provide a guide unit of the kind referred to in which the two guide elements may be locked to each other in one or several positions relative to each other.

In order to accomplish this and other objects the invention has the characteristics of the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and the parts thereof.

S* In the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the new guide unit without locking means but with the members thereof sea in a lockable end position.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a first member of the guide unit of Fig. 1 Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a second member of the guide unit of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a front view, partly in section of the guide unit of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the locking means of the guide unit.

oeoooo 2 eO..

U

*2 U

U

U U

U..

U

U

U.

U

U.

U U

U.

Ur

U

'I -I -r u ~e ~B -e The illustrated guide unit comprises a first member, generally designated as 1 which according to Fig. 2 has the shape of a substantially rectangular elongated block 2 which in section has a dovetail shaped portion 3 which has one end thereof rounded 4.

Said first member has a hole 5 with a countersunk portion for securing by means of a screw with conical head said first member to one of the objects which are to be slidably connected to each other. A second hole 6 has the same object as hole but only has a shallow upper opening so as to guide a cylindrical head of a securing screw such that the upper portion of said screw head will project upwards from the upper surface of the dovetail shaped portion 3 of the first member 1 for a purpose to be described.

The first member 1 further has at least one transverse recess 7 which is circular in section and forms part of a full circle and preferably more than 1800 thereof. As seen in Fig.

2 this recess is cut in the portion 3 of the first member as well as in the portion 2 thereof. The recess 7 communicates via a slot 8 which preferably is almost as deep as the recess 7 with a second wider slot 9 which preferably has the same depth as slot 8. The recess 7 continues in a second recess coaxial with recess 7 but having two opposed planar portions lla, llb for a purpose to be described. The guide unit further comprises a second member generally designated as 12, which according to Fig. 3 is in the shape a substantially rectangular elongated block 13 having a dovetail shaped groove 14 mating the dovetail-shaped portion 3 of member 1. The flanges which 3 limit said groove 14 are rounded as seen at 15 in Fig. 3. Two holes 16a, 16b having countersunk portions are arranged to receive securing screws, the heads of which beir. intended to be fully received in said countersunk portions. Extending from one end of block 13 is a groove 17 for a purpots to be described.

Like the first member 1 said second member 12 is provided with a recess 18 of circular section but this recess only forms a minor part (considerably less than 180°) of a circle and as seen in Fig. 4 the recesses 7 and 18 together form a full circle when the two members 1 and 12 are in engagement with each other and have such a position relative to each'other that the recesses 7 and 18 are in register with each other. The recess 18 continues in a second recess 19 which is coaxial with the recess 18 but has a larger diameter and has two opposite planar portions 20a, "It is obvious that one of the guide members 1, 12 now described is to be secured to one of the objects which are to be slidably connected to each other whereas the other guide obvious that usually two such guide units arranged in a parallel relationship are employed for said connection. It is also apparent that one of said objects can be a support such as a table and the other an apparatus %uch as an apparatus of a data equipment or the like. To ngage the members 1, 12 of the guide unit it is only necessary to slide the members 1, 12 into engagement. Such an engagement is facilitated by the rounded portions 4 and 4 o 4 It appears from the dotted lines in Fig. 2 the guide member 1 may have more than one recessed portion 7-11lb which makes it possible to lock the two members 1, 12 in various positions since the only criterion for the locking is that the two members are in such a related position that the recesses 7-llb and 18-20b respectively are in register with each other and form a side opening as shown in Fig. 4.

In order to rapidly and correctly reach that locking position in which the members are fully inserted in one another as in Fig. 1 the end surface 17 of groove 17 is so located that said end surface will conme into contact with the screw head of the fastening screw which penetrates the hole 6 and preferably has the lower portion of said head guided in the uppermost portion of the hole 6 in question.

Detent means may be arranged to arrest the two members also in the position in which the recesses 18-20b are in register with the recesses 7-12b es well a:i in the positions in to o: which the recesses 18-20b are in register other recesses of member 1i.

To accomplish the locking action a cylinder lock 21 of the kind illustrated in Fig. 5 is employed. The illustrated lock is a cylinder lock the details and function of which being well known and therefore not described. The lock of Fig. 5 has a cylindrical body 22 which fits in the cylindrical opening generated by the recesses 7 and 18 and a flange portion 23 S" which fits in the opening generated by the recesses 10 and The flange 23 has opposite planar portions 24 which cooperate with the planar portions lla, lib and 20a, 20b of the members a 9 5 r'Min 1, 12 to prevent rotation of the lock 21 in relation to the guide members 1, 12. The locking element of the cylinder lock 21 is a substantially rectangular projection 25 which extends radially from a stud 26 forming part of the partly rotatable locking element of the cylinder lock. Said stud 26 has such a daimeter that it may pass through the slot 8 but the projection may only pass through when it extends in a plane parallel to the planes through the planar surfaces lla, l1b, 20a, 20b and to move the locking element from a position in which the projection cannot .pass through slot 8 to the position in which it can pass therethrough it is necessary to operate the appropriate key 27. In the locking position the projection of course is located within slot 8 and the walls between slot 9 and recess 7 will prevent the removal of the cylinder lock until said projection 25 is brought into registry with the slot 8.

Of course the more dovetail shaped also means for instance T-sections and the like.

e o.o o eo 6

Claims (1)

1. 4.. ft. 9 ft 0* *4 4. C S*4 *4i 0355p:mmb 8 recess and the longitudinal recess of said first member prevents the withdrawal of the cylinder lock. 2. A lockable guide unit as claimed in claim I, characterized in that each transverse recess of the first and second elongated members has a mouth in the form of part of a circle with two opposite planar port-ons and that the cylinder lock has a cylindrical flange portion with two opposite planar portions such that said cylinder lock when inserted in the recesses of said first and second members of the guide unit in cooperation with the planar portions of the mouth of each transverse recess is locked against rotation. 3. A lockable guide unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the second elongated member has a recess extending axially from one inner end surface thereof and serving as a stop member against which one securing screw of the first elongated member abuts when said first and second elongated members are fully inserted in each other. 4. A lockable guide unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the first and second elongated members are provided with detent means to arrest the members in those positions in which said cylinder lock can be inserted. A lockable guide unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 27th day of May, 1992. CHARLES RUBEN By His Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON CAVE i