Patent ID: 7472461

Claim:
A coupling member including: a body portion formed with a hook; a closure shaft slidably mounted in a first axial direction in the body for movement between open and closed positions; a locking member carried by the closure shaft and being movable between locked and unlocked positions, the arrangement being such that when the locking member is in its locked position, it prevents movement of the closure shaft from its closed position, and wherein the locking member includes a locking pin which is slidably mounted in the closure shaft, the pin having a head and wherein the body portion includes a slot or keyway, the arrangement being such that the locking pin needs to be moved to its unlocked position so that the pin can then move in the slot or keyway when the closure shaft moves; an actuator which is mounted for sliding movement on the body in a second direction parallel to said first axial direction, the actuator having a recess in which the head of the locking pin is slidably mounted in a third direction which is transverse to said second direction; and a compression spring which biases the locking pin towards its locked position, the arrangement being such that the user, in use, presses the head inwardly relative to the actuator so that the locking pin moves in said third direction to its unlocked position so that the user can then slide the actuator in said second direction which moves the closure shaft in said first direction from its closed position to its open position.