Patent ID: 8662547
Filing Date: 2014-03-04
Classification: A47G,A47J,Y10T

Abstract:
1. Locking tongs, comprising: a pair of elongated arms coupled together to move between a compressed configuration in which a distal end of each arm is relatively close to the other and an expanded configuration in which the distal end of each arm is relatively far apart from the other; and a locking mechanism including a frame, a lock member, a latch and a spring to bias the lock member away from the frame, the lock member movably coupled to the frame to move between a first position in which the lock member allows movement of the arms to the expanded configuration and a second position in which the lock member prevents movement of the arms beyond an intermediate configuration between the expanded and compressed configurations, the lock member being adapted to alternately guide the latch between an unlatched configuration and a latched configuration as the lock member moves to and is released from a fully depressed position, and wherein, when the latch is in the latched configuration, a distal end of the latch abuts a seat portion of the lock member to locate the lock member at an intermediate position between the fully depressed position and a fully extended position.