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(11) | EP 1 548 215 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | LEVER-OPERATED DEVICE FOR FASTENING THE DOOR OF THE BODY OF TRUCKS, TRAILERS AND THE LIKE |
| (57) A lever-operated device for fastening the door of the body of trucks, trailers and
the like, of the type comprising at least one rod (2), which is supported so that
it can rotate along the door, and is provided with at least one lever (4) for the
manual actuation of pawl means (5), which can rotate, about the axis of the rod (2),
from an angular position for closing the door, in which it is accommodated in a base
(6) that is rigidly coupled to the frame (3) of the body and in which the pawl means
(5) are coupled to respective abutments (7) provided in the frame (3) and in the base
(6), to an angular position for opening the door, in which the lever (4) is substantially
spaced from the base (6) and in which the pawl means (5) are disengaged from the abutments
(7), allowing the door to turn about its own axis for pivoting to the frame (3), the
device further comprising security closure means (9), which are suitable to retain
the lever (4) in the angular closure position, the closure means (9) comprising a
first member (10), which is located in the receptacle (8) of the lever (4) formed
by the base (6) and is rigidly coupled to the frame (3) by way of quick-assembly connecting
means (10a), and a second member (11), which is rigidly coupled to the lever (4),
the members being affected respectively by at least one first eye (12) and at least
one second eye (13), which substantially face each other, for fastening by means of
at least one seal. |
[0001] The present invention relates to a lever-operated device for fastening the door of the body of trucks, trailers and the like.
[0002] Devices for fastening the door of trucks are known which comprise one or more rods, which are supported so that they can rotate along the door and are each provided with at least one lever for the manual actuation of pawl means. The action of the operator on the lever allows to turn the rod about its own axis from an angular door locking position, in which the pawl means are engaged in respective abutments provided in the frame of the body, to a free door opening position, in which the pawl means are instead disengaged from the abutments.
[0003] The lever for the manual actuation of the device is generally associated with a containment base, which is rigidly coupled to the frame of the body by way of fixing elements of various kinds, in which there are also means for security closure (typically by using seals) required by customs regulations related to the transport of goods with trucks.
[0004] It is known that these regulations require door fastening devices to be provided so that their parts, such as for example said base, cannot be disassembled or tampered with from the outside and then reassembled without breaking in and without leaving visible and evident traces of such a break-in.
[0005] In accordance with these regulations, the base of the lever is currently fixed to the frame of the body by way of means such that disassembly of the base from the frame of the body (so as to be able to turn the lever without removing the seals, in order to open the door and access the vehicle body) leaves clearly visible traces: for example, the base is fixed to the frame by bolting and welding, so that it is not possible to disassemble the base without damaging significantly the welding beads.
[0006] However, this method of fixing the base is rather laborious and expensive, since it has to be completed over several work steps and by resorting to various kinds of equipment: moreover, all the common drawbacks of the provision of a coupling by welding, such as rusting, corrosion, deformation and localized embrittlement, occur over time.
[0007] The aim of the present invention is to obviate the drawbacks noted above, by providing a lever-operated fastening device in which the security closure means are substantially independent of the base, so that the disassembly of the base from the frame of the body is not in itself sufficient to allow to turn the lever and therefore open the door, unless evident tampering is performed.
[0008] Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a lever-operated fastening device that is simple, relatively easy to provide in practice, safe in use, effective in operation, and has a relatively low cost.
[0009] This aim and this and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by the present lever-operated device for fastening the door of the body of trucks, trailers and the like, of the type that comprises at least one rod, which is supported so that it can rotate along the door, and is provided with at least one lever for the manual actuation of pawl means, which can rotate, about the axis of said rod, from an angular position for closing the door, in which it is accommodated in a base that is rigidly coupled to the frame of the body and in which said pawl means are coupled to respective abutments provided in said frame and in said base, to an angular position for opening the door, in which said lever is substantially spaced from said base and in which said pawl means are disengaged from said abutments, allowing the door to turn about its own axis for pivoting to said frame, said device further comprising security closure means, which are suitable to retain said lever in said angular closure position, characterized in that said closure means comprise a first member, which is located in the receptacle of said lever formed by said base and is rigidly coupled to said frame by way of detachable connecting means, and a second member, which is rigidly coupled to said lever, said first and second members being affected respectively by at least one first eye and at least one second eye, which substantially face each other, for fastening by means of at least one seal.
[0010] Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a lever-operated device for fastening the door of the body of trucks, trailers and the like, according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a bottom view of the device according to the invention, fitted to the frame of the truck body and with the lever in the angular position for closing the door;
Figure 2 is a front view of the device;
Figure 3 is a detail front view of the first member and of the connecting elements, taken from the inside of the body;
Figure 4 is a detail bottom view of the first member and of the connecting elements;
Figure 5 is a detail lateral elevation view of the first member and of the connecting elements.
[0011] In the embodiments that follow, individual characteristics, given in relation to specific examples, may actually be interchanged with other different characteristics that exist in other embodiments.
[0012] Moreover, it is noted that anything found to be already known during the patenting process is understood not to be claimed and to be the subject of a disclaimer.
[0013] With reference to the figures, the reference numeral 1 generally designates a lever-operated device for fastening the door of the body of trucks, trailers and the like according to the invention.
[0014] The device 1 comprises, for each door of the truck body, at least one rod 2, which is supported so that it can rotate along the door, is parallel to the axis for pivoting to a frame 3 of the body, and rigidly coupled to at least one lever 4 for manual actuation of pawl means 5. The lever 4 can rotate manually, rigidly with the rod 2 and about the axis of the rod, from an angular position for closing the door, in which the lever 4 is accommodated in a base 6, which is rigidly coupled to the frame 3 and in which the pawl means 5 are engaged in respective abutments 7 provided in the frame 3 and in the base 6, to an angular position for opening the door, in which the lever 4 is substantially spaced from the base 6, and the pawl means 5 are disengaged from the abutments 7, thus allowing the rotation of the door about the axis for pivoting to the frame 3 and therefore allowing access to the body.
[0015] The base 6 conveniently forms a receptacle 8 for the lever 4: in the receptacle 8 there are security closure means 9, which are suitable to retain the lever 4 in the angular position for locking the door. According to the invention, the closure means 9 comprise a first member 10, which is advantageously rigidly coupled to the frame 3 of the body by way of quick-assembly connecting elements 10a, and a second member 11, which is rigidly coupled to the lever 4; the first member 10 and the second member 11 are affected respectively by at least one first eye 12 and by one second eye 13 for fastening by means of at least one customs seal. When the first member 10 is rigidly coupled to the frame 3, it is not possible to turn the lever 4 in order to open the door without leaving evident signs of a break-in, both for breaking the first member 10 or the second member 11, and most of all for breaking the customs seal.
[0016] Further, the first member 10 and the second member 11 are respectively affected by a first slot-like opening 14 and by a second slot-like opening 15 for fastening by means of additional seals or other equivalent elements.
[0017] The lever 4 is substantially flat and elongated, forms an end portion 16 for manual actuation, and is affected by a central opening 17, which is interrupted by a bridge 17a; the pawl means 5 provided on the lever 4 are constituted by a substantially beak-shaped extension located proximate to the region of rigid keying of said lever along the rod 2.
[0018] The base 6 is constituted by a flat wall 18 for coupling to the frame 3, which extends at its sides with flat and parallel sides 19: the abutment 7 is conveniently constituted by a cylindrical bar, which is fixed, at its opposite ends, to the sides 19. The flat wall 18 of the base 6 is affected centrally by a first substantially rectangular cutout 20; a second cutout 21 is formed in the frame 3 of the body at the first cutout 20.
[0019] The first member 10 has a first end 22, at which the first eye 12 and the first slot-like opening 14 are provided, and a second end 23, which is engaged so as to pass within the first and second cutouts 20 and 21. It should be noted, in this regard, that the second cutout 21 can advantageously have a shape and dimensions that prevent the extraction of the first member 10 from the inside of the vehicle body once it has been assembled. For this purpose, it is possible to provide conveniently, at the second end portion 23, two sorts of recesses 23a, which are suitable to constitute a restraint against the extraction of the first member 10.
[0020] The elements 10a for the quick coupling of the first member 10 to the frame 3 comprise (see in particular Figures 3, 4 and 5) a plate 24, which is rigidly coupled to the second end 23 and forms a first surface 25 and a second surface 26, which are flat and parallel. The plate 24 has such an area that it constitutes an abutment, with the first surface 25, on the inner face of the frame 3 of the body, thus preventing removal of the first member 10 from the outside.
[0021] The plate 24 is affected by a rectangular through window 27, in which the second end 23 of the first member 10 is engaged; the two parts are mutually locked by means of a welding bead 28.
[0022] The plate 24 is fixed to the frame 3 and to the base 6 by way of screw means 29, which are advantageously constituted by a circular through hole formed in the plate 24, at which the base surface 31 of a nut 32 is fixed on the second surface 26, said nut forming a female thread for the engagement of a respective fixing screw 33, in which the head abuts against the flat wall 18 of the base 6. The nut 32 is fixed to the plate 24 by way of lateral welding beads 34. Other screws 33 are used to fix the base 6 to the frame 3.
[0023] Manually-actuated means 35 for retaining the lever 4 in the angular closed position are further provided in the receptacle 8 of the base 6; the retention means 35 are constituted by two rockers 36 and 37, which are supported so that they can rotate on respective parallel pivots 38 and 39, which are rigidly coupled, at their ends, to the respective sides 19 of the base 6. The rockers 36 and 37 are associated elastically with the base 6 by way of respective coiled springs 40 and 41, which are keyed on the pivots 38 and 39, and have respective profiles 41, 42 for mutual coupling; in an upper region, further, they form teeth 43 and 44, which are suitable to engage above the bridge 17a. The position for retention of the lever 4 by the rockers 36 and 37 is maintained stably by the action of the springs 40 and 41; by applying a manual pressure to one of the two rockers 36 and 37, the mutual coupling of the profiles 41 and 42 causes the rotation, in opposite directions, of each one of the two rockers, with consequent disengagement of the teeth 43 and 44 from the bridge 17a.
[0026] The connection of the first member 10 to the frame 3 of the body constitutes an effective assurance of compliance with customs regulations as regards possible break-in attempts; to open the door of the body it is in fact necessary to break the first member 10, the second member 11 and the customs seals, and these breakages leave evident traces that are clearly visible to customs authorities.
[0027] The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.
[0029] The embodiment of the present invention shall be carried out in the most scrupulous compliance with the statutory and regulatory provisions related to the products of the invention or correlated thereto and following any required authorization of the corresponding competent authorities, with particular reference to regulations related to safety, environmental pollution and health
[0030] In practice, the materials used, as well as the shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements without thereby abandoning the scope of the protection of the appended claims.
[0031] The disclosures in Italian Utility Model Application No. BO2003U000122 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.
[0032] Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.
1. A lever-operated device for fastening the door of the body of trucks, trailers and
the like, of the type that comprises at least one rod (2), which is supported so that
it can rotate along the door, and is provided with at least one lever (4) for the
manual actuation of pawl means (5), which can rotate, about the axis of said rod (2),
from an angular position for closing the door, in which it is accommodated in a base
(6) that is rigidly coupled to the frame (3) of the body and in which said pawl means
(5) are coupled to respective abutments (7) provided in said frame (3) and in said
base (6), to an angular position for opening the door, in which said lever (4) is
substantially spaced from said base (6) and in which said pawl means (5) are disengaged
from said abutments (7), allowing the door to turn about its own axis for pivoting
to said frame (3), said device further comprising security closure means (9), which
are suitable to retain said lever (4) in said angular closure position, characterized in that said closure means (9) comprise a first member (10), which is located in the receptacle
(8) of said lever (4) formed by said base (6) and is rigidly coupled to said frame
(3) by way of quick-assembly connecting means (10a), and a second member (11), which
is rigidly coupled to said lever (4), said members being affected respectively by
at least one first eye (12) and at least one second eye (13), which substantially
face each other, for fastening by means of at least one seal.
2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that said first member (10) has a first end (22), at which said first eye (12) is provided,
and a second end (23), which is engaged in a first through cutout (20) and in a second
through cutout (21), which substantially face each other and are provided respectively
in said base (6) and in said frame (3) of the body.
3. The device according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said quick-assembly connecting elements (10a) comprise a plate (24), which forms
a first surface (25) and a second surface (26) which are flat and parallel, said plate
being rigidly coupled to said second end (23) of said first member (10) and having
an area that constitutes an abutment, with said first surface (25), on the internal
surface of the frame (3), preventing removal of said first member (10) from outside,
said plate being fixed to said base (6) and to said frame (3) by way of screw means
(29).
4. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said screw means (29) comprise a circular through hole (30), which is formed in said
plate (24) and at which a nut (32) is fixed coaxially, forming a female thread for
the engagement of a respective fixing screw (33), which passes through said frame
(3) and said base (6).
5. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said second end (23) of said first member (10) is engaged in a through opening (27),
which is provided in said plate (24), where it is fixed by means of a welding bead
(28).
6. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said nut (32) is fixed to said plate (24) by way of lateral welding beads (34).