Coupling system with cable

The present invention discloses an improved coupling system capable of releasably joining two or more of a variety of cooperative male/female mating items to be temporarily joined and released by a remotely positioned operator by means of a cable connected to the male member. Spring-biased positive forces within the female assembly otherwise tending to separate the male/female members are used to reliably capture the male component. A relatively small adjustable triggering force activated by the cable moving an activating pin triggers ejecting movement of the female capturing members. The male member forms a cavity containing gripping members that slidably grip the cable. The cavity is accessible to the operator.

The present invention relates generally to couplings and more specifically 
to a latching system capable of use in any number of various environments. 
In particular, the present system is an improved system over the coupling, 
or latching, system described in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,939 issued Dec. 7, 
1982 and entitled "Coupling System." 
The coupling system set forth in my prior U.S. Pat. No. '939 is applicable 
to operation from a position remote from the coupling system. One example 
of an application for the coupling system of my prior patent is for 
joining the supporting corner of a sail of a ship with a fixture at the 
top of a mast where it is desired not to keep the halyard in tension or 
where a fixed sail location is desired. In such case, a remotely operated 
cable-type release as described in my patented system is possible and 
desirable. 
This is not to say, however, that the remotely operated system described in 
my prior patent leaves no room for improvement. The coupling system is 
situated in places extremely difficult for an operator to gain access to, 
with this provision being the very purpose behind the unique features of 
the invention. To be more specific, the reader is directed to FIG. 22 of 
my U.S. Pat. No. '939, which illustrates my prior invention. FIG. 22 is an 
isolated view of the ball member 172 of the coupling system with the 
capturing members not shown. A cavity is shown formed within ball members 
172 with a cable 170 looped around and over anchor pins 174 and activating 
pin 175 respectively. As cable 170 is pulled by a remotely situated 
operator, loop 173 of the cable is tautened so as to force actuating pins 
175 downwards against locking member 176. Although the operation of the 
apparatus shown is good, it has become apparent that a certain sliding of 
cable 170 about anchoring pins 174 and about the head of actuating pin 175 
can decrease the efficiency of the apparatus. It is to be noticed 
particularly that if cable 170 rolls about the head of pin 175 it could 
even roll off the head. In any case, the firmness of the grip of cable 120 
against the head is directly related to the force of the pressure applied 
by the cable via actuating pin 175 to locking member 176. In addition, 
although the apparatus shown in FIG. 22 can be assembled in the place of 
manufacture, it is desirable that access be given to the cavity within the 
ball member to repair the cable or the pins. 
With the above discussion of the advantages of my prior invention and of 
its areas that leave room for improvement in mind, the present invention 
is provided with the object of making my prior invention more efficient, 
more reliable, and more responsive to remote operation. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a remotely 
controlled coupling system with the male connector member being provided 
with a cable engaged with the head of the actuating pin so as to fully 
concentrate the force exerted by the cable against the pin and thus the 
pressure against the locking member positioned in the female component of 
the system. 
It is a further object of my invention is to provide a coupling system with 
a male connector having a cavity with anchoring pins with heads that 
provide guidance for the cable. 
It is another object of my invention to provide a coupling system having a 
male connector member having a convenient access port to the cavity of the 
male connector member, the cavity containing a remotely operated cable 
loop in contact with an actuating pin. 
In accordance with the above objects, I describe herein a coupling, or 
latching system that is desired to be an improvement over my U.S. Pat. No. 
4,361,939. The improved latching system comprises a supporting structure; 
at least one female jaw member, or capture member, supported for movement 
between capturing and releasing positions by the supporting structure; 
first spring means carried by the supporting structure normally biasing 
the capture member towards the releasing position; a locking member for 
the capture member supported for movement between interfering and 
non-interfering positions by the supporting structure, wherein in the 
interfering position the capture member is in the capturing positon and in 
the non-interfering position the capture member is in the releasing 
position; second spring means carried by the supporting structure normally 
biasing the locking member toward the interfering position; connector 
means adapted to be releasably captured by the capture member in the 
capturing position, the connector means forming an internal cavity; cable 
means having portions thereof disposed within the cavity for influencing 
the locking member from a position remote from the locking member; anchor 
pin means disposed within the cavity for guiding portions of the cable 
means; actuating means disposed within the cavity and extending from the 
connector member and movable from a non-release position to a release 
position in response to movement of the cable means, the locking member 
being movable to the non-interfering position in response to movement of 
actuating means to the release position; third spring means carried by the 
connector means normally biasing the actuating means to the non-release 
position; and gripping means carried by the connector means and imposed 
within the cavity for holding the cable means against the top portion of 
the actuating member. The connector means defines an aperture to the 
cavity. The gripping means includes a horizontal pin member secured to the 
connector means and horizontally disposed within the cavity to a position 
spaced over the actuating means wherein a gripping space is formed between 
the pin member and the actuating means adapted to accept a portion of the 
cable means. The actuating means includes a vertical cylindrical pin 
portion and a top head portion, the horizontal pin portion being 
positioned over the head portion, wherein the gripping space is defined by 
the horizontal pin member and the head portion. The head portion is 
generally cylindrical and larger in diameter than the pin portion, the 
head portion forming a pair of opposed grooves adapted to slidably hold 
portions of the cable means. The third spring means preferably is a 
helical spring positioned in the cavity around the pin portion of the 
actuating means between the head portion and the connector means. The 
cavity is defined by a rear wall, a pair of side walls, and opposed top 
and bottom walls, the anchor pin means including a pair of anchor pins 
horizontally extending from the rear wall into the cavity proximate to the 
bottom wall and each of the side walls. The anchor pins are approximately 
parallel with the pin portion of the actuating means. The anchor pins 
include cylindrical bodies and anchor pin heads larger in diameter than 
the pin bodies, the anchor pin heads being positioned adjacent to the 
bottom wall and to the side walls of the cavity. The cable means includes 
a cable strand member positioned in the cavity over the head portion and 
in the grooves of the actuating means and extending under the pin bodies 
of the anchor pins, whereby the cable strand member is slidably held in 
position between the horizontal pin member and the head portion in the 
grooves of the head portion and by the pin bodies and said anchor pin 
heads. The connector means is preferably a cylindrical member and the 
aperture is generally transverse to the axis of the cylindrical member; 
and the horizontal pin member of the gripping means and the anchor pins 
are generally lateral to the axis of the cylindrical member. The cable 
strand forms a cable loop with the gripping space and the anchor pins that 
is generally parallel with the aperture of the cavity and orthogonic with 
the horizontal pin member and the anchor pins. The hallow of the capture 
member is partly cylindrical wherein the cylindrical connector member is 
adapted to be held in the bottom in the capturing position. The at least 
one capture member is preferably a pair of capture members forming opposed 
partly cylindrical hollows. 
The foregoing objects and features of the present invention will be more 
apparent from a reading of the following technical specification wherein 
similar reference characters are used in conjunction with the several 
views of the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Reference is now made in detail to the drawings. 
A coupling system 10 shown in a perspective view in FIG. 1 illustrates a 
generally cylindrical male connector member 12 descending towards 
engagement with a female connector assembly 14. Female connector assembly 
14 includes a support structure 16 that includes an opposed pair of 
parallel upright side walls 18 and an opposed pair of end wall portions 20 
secured by bolts 22 to the top portions of the ends of side walls 20 with 
side walls 18 being secured to a horizontal bottom wall 24 seen in section 
in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4. Female connector assembly 14 further includes a 
spaced pair of female jaw members 26 that are rotatably mounted on a pair 
of horizontal parallel pin members 28 that orthogonally span side walls 
18. 
Each female jaw member 26 includes an opposed pair of side walls 30, 
opposed top and bottom walls 32 and 34 respectively, an outer end wall 
generally perpendicular to side walls 30 and top and bottom walls 34, and 
an inner wall 38 opposed to outer end wall 36. Each inner wall 38 forms a 
partly circular hollow 40 that extends horizontally so that both hollows 
40 are adapted to receive and grip, or capture, male connector member 12 
which has its cylinder axis horizontally aligned. 
Female jaw members 26 are shown in their unlocked mode in FIGS. 1 and 2 
where their bottom portions are nearer to one another than their upper 
portions. The unlocked mode is maintained by a horizontally aligned 
expansion spring 42 seen in its unbiased mode in FIGS. 1 and 2. Spring 42 
is connected at each of its ends to a pair of connecting pins 44 
horizontally outwardly extending from the lower portions of one of the 
side walls 30 of jaw members 26. As seen in FIG. 1, connecting pins 44 
pass through a pair of slots 46 formed in side walls 18 so that expansion 
spring 42 is positioned outside of side walls 30 from female connector 
assembly 14. Slots 46 permit pins 44 to move laterally when female jaw 
members 26 rotate about pins 28. A pair of aligning pins 48 extend 
horizontally and perpendicularly through end wall portions 20 inwardly 
into support structure 16 with their inner ends in pressing contact with 
outer end walls 36 so that jaw members 26 are prevented from rolling to an 
almost horizontal inclination in their unlocked mode by spring 42. 
Aligning pins 48 are threadably mounted through threaded holes in end wall 
portions 20 so that the aligning pins can be adjusted inwardly towards or 
outwardly from jaw members 26 in order to position the jaw members at a 
desirable inclination that is best for operatively capturing male 
connector member 12. Aligning pins 48 are preferably provided with 
compression springs 50 that are disposed around the aligning pins between 
end wall portions 20 and pin heads provided at the outer ends of the 
aligning pins. As aligning pins 48 are threaded inwardly, springs 50 are 
increasingly compressed by the pin heads into an increasingly biased mode 
that makes further inward threading increasingly difficult. The increased 
bias at springs 50 adds to the stiffness of aligning pins 48 as the pins 
extend away from the inner surface of end wall portions 20. 
FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate coupling system 10 in its locked mode with female 
jaw members 26 in a generally upright position with facing inner walls 38 
being aligned generally parallel one to another. Male connector member 12 
is captured by jaw members 26 in hollows 40. In addition and elongated 
locking member 52 is positioned between the lower portions of jaw members 
26 in pressing contact with inner walls 38 caused by expansion spring 42 
which has been forced into a biasing mode that pulls the bottom portions 
of jaw members 26 towards one another. Locking member 52 is transversely 
disposed between side walls 18 of support structure 16. As shown in the 
sectional side view of FIG. 4, one end of locking member 52 is rotatably 
connected at a connecting pivot pin 54 that extends through a downwardly 
extending flange portion 56 of locking member 52 and an extending bottom 
portion 58 that extends outwardly from a side wall 18 of support structure 
16. As shown in FIG. 4, locking member 52 is rotatably movable about pivot 
pin 54 between a generally upward locking position 60 between jaw members 
26 wherein jaw members 26 are in their locked mode and a generally 
downward unlocking position 62 shown in phantom lines in FIG. 4 free of 
jaw members 26, that is, wherein jaw members 26 are free to rotate 
inwardly towards one another in their unlocked mode seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
The angular inclination of locking member 52 extends slightly upwardly 
from pivot member 54 to its locking position 60 where the outer portions 
of inner walls 38 of jaw members 26 impinge upon locking member 52 
slightly downwardly from pivot pin 54 in its unlocking position 62. 
Locking member 52 includes a tongue portion 64 that extends outwardly 
beyond a side wall 18 of support structure 16 opposite pivot pin 54. 
Tongue portion 64 is adapted to be pressed downwardly by an operator from 
its locking mode 60 to its unlocking mode 62. 
A helical compression spring 66 is disposed between circular cavities 
formed in the center portions of bottom wall 24 of support structure 16 
and the undersurface of locking member 52. Locking member 52 is forced 
upwardly by the bias of compression spring 66 when locking member 52 is in 
its downward unlocking mode 62. Locking member 52 is forced downwardly so 
that spring 66 becomes upwardly biased when tongue 64 is forced downwards 
by an operator. 
In a preliminary sequence of operations, it is noted that when male 
connector member 12 is pressed downwards into hollows 40 of jaw members 
40, jaw members 40 are pressed apart into their locking mode as seen in 
FIGS. 3 and 4. Bottomwalls 34 of jaw members 26 press against the top of 
locking member 52 as the jaw members are rotated to their locking mode by 
the pressure of male connector member 12 in hollows 40. Once inner walls 
38 pass past locking member 52, compression spring 66, which had been 
pressed downwardly into its unlocking position, presses locking member 52 
upwards into its locking position between jaw members 26 as described 
previously and as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. At this point, it can be said 
that when the operator presses downwardly on tongue portion 64 so as to 
release jaw members 26 from their inwardly pressing contact with locking 
member 52, male connector member 12 is released from its captured mode in 
hollows 40. Jaw members 26 will be snapped towards one another at a force 
related to the force exerted by the bias of expansion spring 42, a force 
which can be varied within desired limits. 
With the above general operational sequence in mind, the reader is directed 
to my U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,939 and in particular to FIG. 22 of that patent 
and to the description set forth in that patent relating to FIG. 22, 
namely page 13, lines 12-42, and page 14, lines 1-3, which are to be 
considered a part of the present application. 
As also described therein, a coupling such as coupling system 10 as 
described herein can be made able to remotely release the coupling from a 
desired location space from the coupling itself. For example, the coupling 
or latch according to the present invention may be used to join the 
supporting corner of a sail with a fixture at the top of a mast, for 
example, where it is desired to keep the halyard in tension or where a 
fixed sail location is desired. In such cases a cable-type release in the 
form of a cable 68 is shown in FIGS. 1-5 and in particular in FIGS. 5 and 
6 leading into a central bore 70 formed within a cylindrical sheath 72 
that in turn is threaded into a threaded hole 74 formed at the center 
portion of the top of cylindrical male connector member 12. Cable 68 leads 
from bore 70 to a cavity 80 formed in male connector member 12 and extends 
to a cable loop 76 that is mounted to two anchor pins 78 mounted in cavity 
80. Cavity 80 shown as generally quadrilateral is defined by opposed top 
and bottom walls 82 and 84 respectively, opposed side walls 86, and a rear 
wall 88. It is noted that cable loop 76 is generally axially transverse 
with male connector member 12. An aperture 90 is formed opposite rear wall 
88 so that cavity 80 extends generally along the axial area of cylindrical 
male connector member 12 with the axis being generally aligned with the 
center of aperture 90. The outer surface of rear wall 88 and the outer 
surfaces of top, bottom, and side walls 82, 84, and 86 defining aperture 
90 are flat and generally vertical. Anchor pins 78 are secured to rear 
wall 88 and extend along the axial length of connector member 12 within 
cavity 80 proximate to bottom wall 84 and side walls 86. Pin heads 92 at 
the outer ends of anchor pins 78 lie against bottom wall 84 spaced 
inwardly from aperture 90. A vertical actuating pin 94 extends upwardly 
through bottom wall 84 into cavity 80. Actuating pin 94 is provided with a 
cylindrical head 96. A compression spring 98 encircles actuating pin 94 
between head 96 and bottom wall 84. Spring 98 is shown upwardly extended 
in its biased mode in FIGS. 5 and 6. The bottom end of actuating pin 94 is 
positioned in contact with the top of locking member 52 as seen in FIGS. 3 
and 4. Loop 76 of cable 68 passes under one of anchor pins 78, then 
upwardly and over the top surface of pin head 96, then downwardly from pin 
head 96 and under the other of anchor pins 78, then upwardly from the 
other anchor pin 78 to and through bore 70 where two strands of cable 68 
exist side by side. The double strand of cable 68 is direct to a control 
position for operation by an operator. The top of activating pin head 94 
is seen in isolation in FIG. 7 with opposed vertical grooves 100 formed in 
the sides of the pin head for positioning cables 68. 
In accordance with the present invention, a horizontal gripping pin 102 
connected to rear wall 88 of male connector member 12 extends axially in 
relation to male connector member 12 into cavity 80 to a position over and 
spaced from actuating pin head 94 and transversely pressing down upon a 
portion of cable loop 76 of cable 68 which is wedged between gripping pin 
102 and head 94. Thus, cable 68 is held in a relatively non-slidable 
operating position by anchor pins 78 and their heads 92, actuating pin 
head 96 and its grooves 100, and gripping pin 102 pressing down upon cable 
68. 
In operation, male connector head 12 is pressed into female connector 
assembly 14, and particularly between jaw members 26 so that jaw members 
26 rotate to capture male connector head 12 in hollows 40. Locking member 
52 is at the same time biased upwards by compression spring 66 into 
locking engagement between jaw members 26 so as to keep coupling system 10 
in the locked mode as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. In order to release coupling 
system 10 from the locked mode, the operator, who is at a distance from 
the coupling system, pulls on at least one strand of cable 68 so that loop 
76 becomes taut thus actuating pin 94 is forced downwards against the bias 
of compression spring 98, which ordinarily keeps actuating pin 94 in a 
raised positions. The bottom of actuating pin 94 is forced against the top 
of locking member 52 so as to force the locking member against the bias of 
its spring 98 from its locking engagement between jaw members 26 and free 
the jaw members to be rotated by spring 42 into their unlocked mode and so 
to eject and free male connector member 12 from its locking engagement 
with female connector assembly 14. 
Alternatively, when coupling system 10 is available to be reached by an 
operator, downward pressure upon tongue portion 64 of locking member 52 
will also act to release jaw members 26 from their locking mode by biasing 
action of spring 42 so that male connector member is ejected and freed 
from engagement with the jaw members. 
The coupling system of the invention has been described with reference to 
one embodiment and application, but it is to be appreciated that there are 
numerous other applications in which the invention may be used and other 
embodiments of the invention which may differ from the disclosed preferred 
embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention 
which is defined in the following claims.