Patent ID: 6886575

Claim:
A locking assembly for use with a first member concentric with and rotatably mounted in a tubular second member, said locking assembly comprising: a locking pin positioned substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of each of said first and second members and located external thereto, said locking pin being movable between a first position in which said first and second members are held in a locked state and a second position in which said members are in an unlocked state such that said first and second members are able to rotate in relation to each other; a lock plate secured to one of said first and second members and extending transversely to the longitudinal axes thereof, said lock plate having an aperture adapted to receive a locking end of said locking pin when said pin is in its first position; and a lever assembly for moving the locking pin from its first position to its second position to permit rotation of said first member in relation to said second member, said lever assembly including: a housing attached to another of said first and second members to which said lock plate is not secured, and an actuating lever having a force-applying handle end and a housing attaching end operatively connected to said housing, a portion of the actuating lever between the force-applying handle end and the housing attaching end being coupled to said locking pin such that when an upward force is applied to the handle end of said actuating lever, said actuating lever pivots with respect to said housing and moves said locking pin from the first position to the second position so as to allow said first and second members to be rotatable relative to each other.