Patent Abstract:
A cylindrical barrel hinge with weld guide including a plurality of cylindrical barrel hinge portions and a weld guide extending outwardly from at least one of the generally cylindrical barrel hinge portions. The weld guides help stabilize the cylindrical barrel hinge and prevent it from rolling or shifting on parts to which the barrel hinge will be welded.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    There are a wide variety of hinges available to hinge together two or more pieces. In the case of barrel hinges, barrel hinges find numerous application in light to heavy duty applications, such as hinging together ramps and doors to trailers and the like. Barrel hinges include at least two generally cylindrical portions that are rotatably engaged together. Adjacent generally cylindrical portions are affixed to the parts to be hinged together. Barrel hinges are attached to the pieces by welding. However, since their outer walls are generally cylindrical, during the welding process, the hinges may roll around and move relative to the pieces they are to be welded to. Thus, in order to properly align and hold barrel hinges as they are welded in place, jigs and/or clamps must generally be used. This takes extra time and effort. While there are barrel hinges that include barrel portions formed with out of round profiles, e.g., teardrop shaped profiles, these are more costly to produce, especially when forming larger sized barrel hinges. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention provides a barrel hinge with weld guides. The weld guides comprise one or more protrusions extending from an outer surface of portions of the barrels. The protrusions extend out far enough relative to the outer surface of the barrel portions so that when the barrel hinge is laid on or against the two pieces to be welded together, the protrusions will impinge on the pieces to be welded together to help prevent rolling of the barrel hinge, and maintain the position of the barrel hinge during which the welder can weld the barrel hinge in place. 
         [0003]    The weld guides can comprise several different structures. For example, the weld guides can comprise two or more spaced apart and longitudinally positioned crimps on the outside wall of the barrel hinge, which two or more crimps have the same height that will rest evenly on the piece to which the barrel hinge will be welded. In lieu of two or more spaced apart and longitudinally positioned crimps, a single elongate crimp with a consistent height and shape can be used instead. Crimps are useful where the wall thickness of the barrel hinge part is sufficiently thick such that the crimps do not unduly impinge on a cavity of the barrel hinge or there is no cavity. In cases where use of crimps is not feasible, for example, a thin walled tubular barrel section, a section of rod can be longitudinally affixed, e.g., welded, to the outside of the barrel section. The section of rod will preferably extend the same height away from the outer surface of the barrel hinge if mixed in with a barrel hinge using crimps as the weld guide. 
         [0004]    Instead of crimps or rods, the weld guides can comprise other protrusions that are permanently affixed to the outside of the barrel hinge sections, such as triangular stops, that can be spot welded thereto. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is an exploded and partially exposed view of an embodiment of a barrel hinge with exemplary embodiment of weld guides of the invention. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the assembled barrel hinge with exemplary embodiment of weld guides of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a detail showing exemplary weld guides on a portion of the barrel hinge of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is a detail showing another exemplary weld guide on a portion of a barrel hinge of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  is a top plan view showing the barrel hinge with weld guides of  FIG. 2  affixed to two parts to be hinged together. 
           [0010]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the barrel hinge with weld guides of  FIG. 5  affixed to two parts to be hinged together. 
           [0011]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view through view lines  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 8  is an exploded and partially exposed view of another embodiment of a barrel hinge with exemplary embodiment of weld guides of the invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 9  is a top view of the assembled barrel hinge with exemplary embodiment of weld guides of  FIG. 8 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a barrel hinge part with other exemplary weld guides attached to an outer wall thereof. 
           [0015]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of yet another exemplary weld guide of the invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 12  is a cross-section view through view lines  12 - 12  of  FIG. 11 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]      FIG. 1  is an exploded and partially exposed view of an embodiment of a barrel hinge  10  with exemplary embodiment of weld guides of the invention. The barrel hinge  10  comprises a female barrel portion  12  and two male barrel portions  14 A and  14 B. The male barrel portions  14 A and  14 B have main body portions  16 A and  16   b,  respectively, with pin extensions  18 A and  18 B, respectively extends from ends thereof. The pin extensions  18 A and  18 B have terminal ends  34 A and  34 B, respectively. The female barrel portion  12  is tubular in construction with a wall  30  that defines a longitudinal bore  32  formed therethrough. The pin extensions  18 A and  18 B have a diameter that is sized slightly smaller than an inner diameter of the bore  32  formed in the female barrel portion  12  so that rotation of the male barrel portions  14 A and  14 B relative to the female barrel portion  12  is possible. Weld guides  20 , in the form of crimps, are formed on the outer surface  26  of the main body portions  16 A and  16   b  of male barrel portions  14 A and  14 B. Located on an outer surface  28  of the female barrel portion  12  is weld guide  22 . Also optionally located on the female barrel portion  12  is a grease fitting  24  through which grease can be inserted in a space inside the bore of the female barrel portion  12  between that will be formed between the terminal ends  34 A and  34 B of the pin extensions  18 A and  18 B. The grease will work its way between the outer surface of the pin extensions  18 A and  18 B and inner walls  30  of the bore  32  to provide lubrication for movement of the male barrel portions  14 A and  14 B relative to the female barrel portion  12 . The outer diameter of the female barrel portion  12  and the diameters of the main body portions  16 A and  16 B of male barrel portions  14 A and  14 B are preferably the same, as best shown in  FIG. 2 , which is a top view of the assembled barrel hinge with exemplary embodiment of weld guides of  FIG. 1 , showing the referenced features but without the bore  32  of the female barrel portion  12  being revealed. Providing the male and female barrel portions with the same outer diameter ensures that they lay flat relative to the pieces to which they will welded, as best shown in  FIGS. 5-7  below. 
         [0018]      FIG. 3  is a detail showing the exemplary weld guides in the form of crimp  20  formed on the main body portions  16 A and  16 B of male barrel portions  14 A and  14 B. The crimps  20  can be formed by squeezing in material  38  from the outer surface  26  of the male barrel portions  14 A and  14 B to create crimps with a height “h 1 ”. The crimps are spaced apart a distance “d” and are aligned longitudinally along the outer surface of the male barrel portions  14 A and  14 B. 
         [0019]      FIG. 4  is a detail showing the exemplary weld guide  22  attached to an outer surface  28  of the female barrel portion  12 . In the case of the female barrel portion  12 , since it is tubular in construction with walls  30  and a bore  32 , if weld guides in the form of crimps were to be made on the tubular walls, if the wall  30  are thin, this might distort or impinge into the cylindrical bore  32 . Therefore, instead of crimps, a weld guide  22  in the form of an elongate section of metal, such as a rectangular rod, is spot welded longitudinally to the outer surface  28  of the female barrel portion  12 . The weld guide  22  extends a height “h 2 ” off of the outer surface  28  of the female barrel portion  12 . The height “h 2 ” of weld guide  22  can preferably be the same or about the same as the height “h 1 ” of weld guide  20  so that when female barrel hinge  20  and male barrel hinge portions  14 A and  14 B are welded to their respective parts to be hinged together (as will be described below with respect to  FIGS. 5-7 ), a uniform weld bead can be used to weld the barrel hinge to the pieces to be welded together. However, if the heights h 1  and h 2  of the weld guides  20  and  22 , respectively, differ, they would still provide a benefit as the weld guides would prevent the barrel hinge  10  from rolling around relative to the pieces to be welded together even if not held in a jig or otherwise clamped in place. If the walls  30  are thick enough, it is possible to use crimps in lieu of weld on rod as the weld guide. 
         [0020]      FIG. 5  is a top plan view,  FIG. 6  is a perspective view, and  FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view through view lines  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6  showing the barrel hinge  10  with exemplary weld guides of  FIG. 2  welded to two parts  40  and  42  to be hinged together. As can be seen, the barrel hinge  10  will rest on its bottom edge  46  on the pieces to be hinged together  40  and  42 , with the weld guides  20  contacting piece  42  and with weld guide  22  contacting piece  40 . The weld guides  20  and  22  will thus prevent the barrel hinge  10  from rolling relative to the pieces to be welded together and allow a welder to locate the barrel hinge  10  where required relative to the pieces  40  and  42  to be hinged together without needing to use clamps or jigs. Thereafter, the welder can apply weld beads  50  to attach the male barrel portions  14 A and  14 B to piece  42 , and can apply weld beads  52  to attach the female barrel portion  12  to piece  40 . As noted above, when the heights of the weld guides  20  and  22  are equal, uniformly and consistently sized weld beads  50  and  52  can be applied to ensure maximum weld strength. 
         [0021]      FIG. 8  is an exploded and partially exposed view of another embodiment of a barrel hinge  100  having with exemplary embodiment of weld guides  112  and  116  of the invention. The weld guides  112  and  116 , are of the same form as weld guide  20  and  22 , respectively, as described above with reference to  FIGS. 1-7 . In this barrel hinge  100 , there is a single male barrel portion  102  with longitudinally located weld guides  112  formed thereon, and a female barrel portion  104  with weld guide  116  attached thereto. The male barrel portion has a main body portion  106  and a pin extension  108  with a grease fitting  110 . The grease fitting  110  communicates with a longitudinal channel  124  formed partially through the pin extension  108  that opens up into orifice  126  communicating to the outside surface  114  of the pin extension  108 . It is through the orifice  126  that grease will be deposited between the outside of the pin extension  108  and the inside of the wall  120  of the female barrel portion  104 . The female barrel portion  104  has a weld guide  116  attached to an outer surface  118  thereof. The female barrel portion  104  has wall  120  and a bore  122  formed therein. The pin extension  108  has a diameter less than the bore  122  of the female barrel portion  104  and thus the male barrel portion  102  and female barrel portion  104  are rotatably relative to each other. Making the main body portion  106  of the male barrel portion  102  and female barrel portion  104 , respectively, with the same outer diameter ensures that they lay flat relative to the pieces to which they will be welded. 
         [0022]      FIG. 9  is a top view of the assembled barrel hinge  100  with exemplary embodiment of weld guides  112  and  116  of  FIG. 8  with pin extension (not shown) inserted through the bore (not shown) and with grease fitting  110  extending and being accessible. 
         [0023]      FIG. 10  is perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a barrel hinge portion  140  with a pin extension  148  has another weld guide  142 , which is in the form of an elongate and longitudinally oriented crimp formed on the outer surface  144  of the barrel hinge portion  140 . The elongate crimp  142  can be formed by squeezing in material  146  from the outer surface  144  of the barrel portion  140  to create an elongate crimp with a desired height. This crimp  142  will function in the same manner as the aforementioned weld guide crimps  20  and provide stability as a welded welds the barrel hinge in place. 
         [0024]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a barrel hinge part  150  with other exemplary weld guides  152  attached to an outer wall  154  thereof, and  FIG. 12  is a cross-sections view of same through view lines  12 - 12  of  FIG. 11 , but placed on a piece  156  to which the barrel hinge part  150  will be welded. The barrel hinge part  150  is shown as a male barrel hinge part with a pin extension  160 , but the weld guides  152  can also be applied to female barrel hinge parts as well. The weld guides  152  have a generally trapezoidal cross section with the wider base affixed to the outer wall  154  of the barrel hinge part  150 . The height of the weld guides  152  and angle of the sloped edges  158  are such that when the weld guides  152  make contact with piece  156 , the weld guides  152  will stabilize the barrel hinge portion  150  in place and prevent rolling or shifting. The weld guides  152  are aligned longitudinally on the outer surface  154  of the barrel hinge part  150 . While two weld guides  152  are shown, more than two weld guides can be used or a single, elongate weld guide can be used. The weld guide can be spot welded or otherwise permanently attached to the barrel hinge part  150 , which can be a male or female barrel portion. 
         [0025]    Although the embodiments of barrel hinges shown herein include grease fittings, the weld guides are equally applicable to barrel hinges without grease fitting. Moreover, the weld guides are equally applicable to barrel hinges made up of tubular sections that are welded to parts to be hinged together, with tubular or cylindrical rod that rotatably passes through the tubular sections, wherein the tubular sections would carry the weld guides. 
         [0026]    Having thus described the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the above disclosures are exemplary only and that various other alternatives, adaptations, and modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention. The presently disclosed embodiment is to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8