Patent GB-1053201-A (GB)
IPC: B60R22/36
Abstract: 1,053,201. Safety harnesses. TELEFLEX PRODUCTS Ltd. June 11, 1963 [June 13, 1962 (2)], Nos. 22796/62 and 22797/62. Heading A3V. A spring-returned safety harness spindle 12, Fig. 4, of Provisional Specification 22796/62, carries at one end a notched locking wheel 20 which is locked by engagement with the arm 28 of a rocking lever 26 normally held out of engagement by means of a spring 34 mounted on the pivot 30. A spring-ball catch 38, 40 is provided to retain the lever in locking position after locking operation has taken place. A pendulum weight 37 acts as inertia means to swing the lever to locking position on sudden deceleration of the vehicle, and may be assisted by a hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly 50, 52 coupled to the hydraulic brake system of the vehicle. In the embodiment of Fig. 10 (not shown) of Provisional Specification 22796/62 an inertia plate 98 splined at 108 for engagement with splines 110 on the housing 80 and toothed at 100 for engagement with teeth 94 on the head 92 of the harness spindle 84 is spring biased away from the head 84 but slides in rocking position on sudden deceleration of the vehicle. The operation may be assisted by the hydraulic brake system of the vehicle by incorporating a piston like extension 116 on the inertia plate 98 to cooperate with a cylindrical extension 112 on the housing 102 which is in circuit with a pipe line 124 of the hydraulic brake system. Alternatively, in the embodiment of Fig. 12 (not shown) of Provisional Specification 22796/62 the piston like extension 116 carries an armature of a solenoid which is in circuit with the brake switch of the vehicle. In the embodiment of Fig. 4 (not shown) of Provisional Specification 22797/62 the strap 10 passes between fixed pillars 24, 26 between which it is trapped on deceleration of the vehicle by action of a wedge 36 which is attached to a piston 32 coupled to the hydraulic brake system. In the embodiment of Fig. 6 (not shown) of Provisional Specification 22797/62 one pillar 40 only is provided and the strap 10 passes through a slot 43 in a shaft 42 which is linked to a spring returned piston rod 34 operated by the hydraulic brake system. The hydraulic system is replaced by an manually operated cable in the embodiment of Fig. 4 (not shown) of the complete Specification. The embodiment of Fig. 7 (not shown) of Provisional Specification 22797/62 is similar to that of Fig. 4 of Provisional Specification 22796/62 except that the lever 78 is actuated solely by the hydraulic brake system. Alternatively (Fig. 9, not shown) a spring returned armature may be used. In the embodiment of Fig. 1 of the Complete Specification (not shown) the embodiment of Fig. 4 of Provisional Specification 22796/62 is modified by use of a cable operated manually. In the embodiment of Fig. 2 (not shown) of the Complete Specification the spindle 125 is attached to an aperture toothed thrust plate 134 and carries loosely an apertured inertia plate 138, the two sets of apertures carrying ball-bearings 136 which normally urge the inertia plate 138 to rotate with the spindle. On sudden angular acceleration of the spindle 125 the inertia plate 138 lags, the ball bearings 136 ride into the narrow end of apertures 135 thereby pushing the inertia plate 138 into contact with friction pad 142 from which it is normally urged away by resilient rubber ring 141, thus locking the spindle against rotation. The locking action is assisted by sliding movement of a mass 154 on vehicle deceleration which rocks a sear 145 into engagement with the teeth 146 of the thrust plate 134. In the embodiment of Fig. 6 of the Complete Specification the spindle is provided with a head having a double set of teeth with a groove in the middle engageable with the arms 240 of a sear 233 which also carries a bob weight 222. The sear is gimbal mounted, the gimble consisting of a ring 246, a pivot 248 and pintles 250, the ring 246 surrounding the hub 244. The sear arms 240 normally rest out engagement in the centre groove, but any sudden change in velocity or orientation of the vehicle causes the arm to engage the spindle teeth and lock the spindle.