U.S. patent application number 10/441090 was filed with the patent office on 2004-11-25 for vibrator mounting arrangement having a removable locking member.
Invention is credited to Lindbeck, Michael J..
Application Number | 20040232293 10/441090 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33449938 |
Filed Date | 2004-11-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040232293 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lindbeck, Michael J. |
November 25, 2004 |
Vibrator mounting arrangement having a removable locking member
Abstract
A mounting arrangement for removably mounting a vibrator to a
structure to be vibrated, the structure to be vibrated including a
receptacle having a pocket for receiving the mounting arrangement.
The mounting arrangement includes a bracket having a mounting
member adapted to be attached to the vibrator, and first and second
flanges extending outwardly from the mounting member adapted to be
inserted into the pocket of the receptacle. The flanges include
outwardly extending stop members adapted to loosely support the
bracket within the pocket of the receptacle. The mounting
arrangement also includes a locking member having a wedge-shaped
portion which is adapted to be inserted between the flanges of the
bracket and the receptacle to thereby releasably lock the bracket
in wedged engagement with the receptacle. The locking member is
selectively removable from the pocket of the receptacle to
facilitate easy subsequent removal of the bracket and vibrator from
the receptacle.
Inventors: |
Lindbeck, Michael J.;
(Livonia, MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Jeffrey R. Gray
Barnes & Thornburg
P.O. Box 2786
Chicago
IL
60690-2786
US
|
Family ID: |
33449938 |
Appl. No.: |
10/441090 |
Filed: |
May 19, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
248/225.11 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 88/66 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
248/225.11 |
International
Class: |
A47K 001/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A mounting arrangement for removably mounting a vibrator to a
structure to be vibrated, the structure to be vibrated including a
receptacle having a pocket for receiving said mounting arrangement,
said mounting arrangement including: a bracket including a mounting
member adapted to be attached to the vibrator, and a first flange
attached to and extending outwardly from said mounting member, said
first flange adapted to be removably inserted into the pocket of
the receptacle; and a locking member having a bottom end, a top
end, a front surface and a rear surface, said front surface being
inclined with respect to said rear surface such that said front
surface extends outwardly away from said rear surface as said front
surface extends toward said top end of said locking member, said
locking member adapted to be inserted into the pocket between said
bracket and the receptacle for locking engagement therebetween;
whereby after said bracket is inserted into the pocket of the
receptacle, said locking member is inserted into the pocket of the
receptacle, said locking member being inserted downwardly into the
pocket of the receptacle to a locked position wherein said locking
member forces said bracket into locked engagement with the
receptacle to facilitate the transmission of vibrations from said
bracket to the receptacle, said locking member being releasable
from said locked position by applying an upward force to said
locking member whereupon said locking member may be removed from
the receptacle such that said bracket is loosely located in the
receptacle for subsequent removal.
2. The mounting arrangement of claim 1 wherein said locking member
includes a generally wedge-shaped portion, said wedge-shaped
portion including said front surface and said rear surface.
3. The mounting arrangement of claim 1 wherein said top end of said
locking member includes a handle adapted to facilitate the
insertion and removal of said locking member from the
receptacle.
4. The mounting arrangement of claim 1 wherein said bottom end of
said locking member is adapted to extend outwardly from the pocket
of the receptacle when said locking member is in said locked
position, such that an upward force may be applied to said bottom
end of said locking member to release said locking member from said
locked position.
5. The mounting arrangement of claim 1 wherein said front surface
and said rear surface of said locking member are each generally
planar.
6. The mounting arrangement of claim 1 wherein said bracket
includes a first stop member, said first stop member adapted to
engage the receptacle when said bracket is inserted into the pocket
of the receptacle to thereby prevent further insertion of said
bracket into the pocket of the receptacle.
7. The mounting arrangement of claim 1 wherein said bracket
includes a second flange, said second flange attached to and
extending outwardly from said mounting member, said second flange
adapted to be removably inserted into the pocket of the
receptacle.
8. The mounting arrangement of claim 7 wherein said bracket
includes a first stop member attached to and extending outwardly
from said first flange and a second stop member attached to and
extending outwardly from said second flange, said first and second
stop members adapted to engage the receptacle and prevent further
insertion of said bracket into the pocket of the receptacle.
9. The mounting arrangement of claim 1 wherein said bracket
includes a handle adapted to facilitate the insertion and removal
of said bracket from the pocket of the receptacle.
10. The mounting arrangement of claim 1 wherein said mounting
member of said bracket includes an end wall adapted to be attached
to the vibrator.
11. The mounting arrangement of claim 10 wherein said mounting
member includes a wall extending between said end wall and said
first flange.
12. A bracket for removably mounting a vibrator to a structure to
be vibrated, the structure to be vibrated including a receptacle
having a pocket for receiving said bracket, said bracket including:
an end wall adapted to be attached to the vibrator; a first flange
attached to said end wall, said first flange adapted to be
removably inserted into the pocket of the receptacle; and an
outwardly extending first stop member, said first stop member
adapted to engage the receptacle to prevent further insertion of
said first flange into the pocket of the receptacle.
13. The bracket of claim 12 including a wall extending between said
end wall and said first flange.
14. The bracket of claim 12 wherein said first stop member
comprises an ear.
15. The bracket of claim 12 including a second flange adapted to be
removably inserted into the pocket of the receptacle, and an
outwardly extending second stop member adapted to engage the
receptacle.
16. The bracket of claim 15 wherein said second flange is generally
coplanar with said first flange and said second stop member is
generally coplanar with said first stop member.
17. The bracket of claim 15 including a first wall extending
between said end wall and said first flange and a second wall
extending between said end wall and said second flange.
18. The bracket of claim 17 including one or more nibs extending
between said first wall and said second wall.
19. The bracket of claim 12 including a handle adapted to
facilitate the insertion and removal of said bracket from the
pocket of the receptacle.
20. A locking member for removably mounting a bracket and a
vibrator attached to the bracket to a structure to be vibrated, the
structure to be vibrated including a receptacle having a pocket for
receiving the bracket, said locking member including: a first
engagement member adapted to be inserted into the pocket of the
receptacle, said first engagement member including a first surface
adapted to engage the bracket and a second surface adapted to
engage the receptacle; and a second engagement member adapted to be
inserted into the pocket of the receptacle, said second engagement
member including a third surface adapted to engage the bracket and
a fourth surface adapted to engage the receptacle; whereby said
first and second engagement members force the bracket into locked
engagement with the receptacle when said first and second
engagement members are inserted into the pocket of the
receptacle.
21. The locking member of claim 20 wherein said first surface is
inclined with respect to said second surface, and said third
surface is inclined with respect to said fourth surface.
22. The locking member of claim 21 wherein said first surface is
generally coplanar with said third surface, and said second surface
is generally coplanar with said fourth surface.
23. The locking member of claim 20 wherein said first and second
engagement members are each generally wedge shaped.
24. The locking member of claim 20 wherein said first engagement
member is spaced apart from said second engagement member.
25. The locking member of claim 20 including a connector member
connecting said first engagement member to said second engagement
member.
26. The locking member of claim 20 including a handle attached to
said first and second engagement members.
27. The locking member of claim 20 including an aperture located
between said first and second engagement members.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is directed to a mounting arrangement
for removably mounting a vibrator to a structure to be vibrated,
and in particular to a mounting arrangement including a bracket
adapted to be attached to the vibrator and adapted to be inserted
into a pocket of the structure to be vibrated and a wedge-shaped
locking member adapted to be removably inserted into the pocket to
selectively wedge the bracket and vibrator in locked engagement
with the structure to be vibrated.
[0002] Railroad cars and other storage structures contain various
types of bulk material such as grain, chemicals, foodstuffs,
portland cement and the like. Vibrators are often attached to these
structures to vibrate the structure and thereby promote the flow of
the bulk material from the structure during unloading. Previously,
vibrators have been removably attached to railroad cars by a
mounting bracket wherein the mounting bracket was inserted within
the pocket of a generally C-shaped metal receptacle attached to the
railroad car. The mounting bracket included an integral
wedge-shaped member that was inserted into the pocket of the
receptacle.
[0003] The receptacles are made by various manufacturers such that
all receptacles are not entirely uniform with one another and such
that they vary from one another in size and configuration. The size
and configuration of a receptacle also changes over time due to
wear and tear, and due to the wedging and vibrational forces that
are applied to the receptacle. The wedge-shaped member of the
vibrator mounting bracket often fails to become locked in
engagement with a receptacle due to the nonuniformity of the
receptacles such that the mounting bracket would rebound back and
forth within the pocket of the receptacle during operation,
resulting in a loss of the amount of vibrational energy that is
transferred from the vibrator to the railcar, and resulting in the
generation of high levels of noise which pose serious health risks
to workers. Alternatively, the wedge-shape member of the bracket
would become tightly wedged within the receptacle making removal of
the bracket and vibrator from the receptacle very difficult as not
only the entire weight of the bracket and vibrator had to be lifted
upwardly by a worker, but the lifting force applied by the worker
to the bracket also had to overcome the wedging force between the
bracket and the receptacle that was resisting removal of the
bracket from the receptacle.
[0004] The present invention compensates for variations in
receptacle size and configuration and enables the bracket of the
mounting arrangement to become firmly and tightly locked in
engagement with nonuniform receptacles having different sizes and
configurations to efficiently transfer vibrational energy from the
vibrator to the structure to be vibrated. Once the locking member
of this invention is removed, the bracket and vibrator are loosely
retained in the receptacle and can be simply lifted upwardly and
out of the receptacle since only the weight of the bracket and of
the vibrator needs to be lifted without any need to overcome the
wedging force that was eliminated by the prior removal of the
locking member.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] A mounting arrangement for removably mounting a vibrator to
a structure to be vibrated. The structure to be vibrated has a
C-shaped receptacle including a pocket for receiving the mounting
arrangement. The mounting arrangement includes a bracket having a
mounting member adapted to be attached to the vibrator, a first
flange attached to and extending outwardly from the mounting
member, and a second flange attached to and extending outwardly
from the mounting member. The first and second flanges are adapted
to be removably inserted into the pocket of the receptacle. The
mounting member of the bracket includes an end wall, a first wall
that extends between the end wall and the first flange, and a
second wall that is spaced apart from and generally parallel to the
first wall that extends between the end wall and the second flange.
The end wall is adapted to be attached to the vibrator. A first
stop member is attached to and extends outwardly from the first
flange and a second stop member is attached to and extends
outwardly from the second flange. Each stop member is adapted to
engage the top end of the receptacle when the bracket is inserted
into the pocket of the receptacle to thereby prevent further
insertion of the bracket into the pocket of the receptacle and to
support the bracket within the pocket.
[0006] The mounting arrangement also includes a locking member
having a bottom end, a top end, a front surface and a rear surface.
The front surface is generally planar and inclined with respect to
the rear surface such that the front surface extends outwardly and
away from the rear surface as the front surface extends toward the
top end of the locking member. The locking member includes a
generally wedge-shaped portion formed by the front surface and the
rear surface. The rear surface is adapted to engage the receptacle
and the front surface is adapted to engage the bracket. The top end
of the locking member includes a handle adapted to facilitate the
insertion and removal of the locking member from the
receptacle.
[0007] After the bracket is inserted into the pocket of the
receptacle, the locking member is inserted into the pocket until
the front surface of the locking member engages the bracket and the
rear surface of the locking member engages the receptacle. Upon
activation of the vibrator, the locking member migrates downwardly
within the pocket of the receptacle to a locked position wherein
the locking member forces the bracket into locked wedging
engagement with the receptacle to facilitate the transmission of
vibrations from the vibrator and the bracket to the receptacle and
the structure to be vibrated. The locking member is selectively
releasable from the locked position by applying an upward force to
the locking member whereupon the locking member may be removed from
the receptacle. Once the locking member is removed from the
receptacle, the bracket is loosely supported within the receptacle
for subsequent removal.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the mounting arrangement of
the present invention shown mounting a vibrator to the receptacle
of a structure to be vibrated.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a side cross sectional view of the mounting
arrangement shown mounting a vibrator to the receptacle of the
structure to be vibrated.
[0010] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the mounting arrangement,
vibrator and receptacle.
[0011] FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of another embodiment of
the locking member of the mounting arrangement.
[0012] FIG. 5 is a side elevational view taken along line 5-5 of
FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the mounting arrangement 10 of the
present invention is adapted to be attached to a vibrator 12. The
mounting arrangement 10 is also adapted to removably mount the
vibrator 12 to a structure 14 to be vibrated, such as a railroad
car, bin, silo or other storage structure. The vibrator 12 vibrates
the structure 14 through the mounting arrangement 10 to assist in
the unloading of bulk material contained within the structure 14.
The vibrator 12 is preferably a POCKET ROCK-IT.RTM. railcar
vibrator or a POCKET ROCK-IT.RTM. II railcar vibrator as
manufactured and sold by Martin Vibration Systems and Solutions in
Livonia, Mich. These vibrators respectively weigh approximately
thirty-two pounds and twenty-two pounds.
[0014] As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the structure 14 that is to
be vibrated includes a generally C-shaped receptacle 18 having a
wedge-shaped pocket 20. The receptacle 18 includes a top end 22 and
a bottom end 24. The receptacle 18 includes a rear wall 26 having a
generally planar rear surface 28, a first side wall 30 having a
generally planar interior surface 32, and a second side wall 34
having a generally planar interior surface 36. The first side wall
30 is attached at a first end of the rear wall 26 and extends
outwardly generally perpendicular thereto, and the second side wall
34 is attached to a second end of the rear wall 26 and extends
outwardly generally perpendicular thereto. The first and second
side walls 30 and 34 are spaced apart and generally parallel to one
another. The receptacle 18 includes a first front wall 38 having a
generally planar first front surface 40 and a second front wall 42
having a generally planar second front surface 44. The first front
wall 38 is attached to the first side wall 30 and extends generally
inwardly and perpendicular thereto. The second front wall 42 is
attached to the second side wall 34 and extends generally inwardly
and perpendicular thereto. The first front surface 40 and the
second front surface 44 are preferably coplanar with respect to one
another and are inclined at an angle with respect to the rear
surface 28 of the rear wall 26, such that the front surfaces 40 and
44 extend outwardly and away from the rear surface 28 as the front
surfaces 40 and 44 extend from the bottom end 24 to the top end 22
of the receptacle 18, thereby forming the wedge shape of the pocket
20. The receptacle 18 includes a vertical slot 46 providing access
to the pocket 20. The slot 46 is located between the interior edges
of the first front wall 38 and the second front wall 42 and extends
from the bottom end 24 to the top end 22 of the receptacle 18, The
receptacle 18 includes a top opening 48 in the top end 22 that is
in communication with the pocket 20 and a bottom opening 50 in the
bottom end 24 that is in communication with the pocket 20. The
pocket 20 is thereby open from the top end 22 of the receptacle 18
to the bottom end 24 of the receptacle 18. The receptacle 18 is
preferably made from metal.
[0015] As best shown in FIG. 3, the mounting arrangement 10
includes a bracket 60. The bracket 60 includes a mounting member 62
that is adapted to be attached to the vibrator 12 by one or more
fasteners 64 such as threaded bolts and nuts or threaded screws.
The mounting member 62 includes an end wall 66 having a generally
planar surface. The end wall 66 includes one or more apertures 68
that may be threaded. The apertures 68 are adapted to receive the
fasteners 64 to thereby removably attach the vibrator 12 to the end
wall 66. The mounting member 62 includes a first side wall 70 and a
second side wall 72. The side walls 70 and 72 are spaced apart and
generally parallel to one another and both are attached at one end
to the end wall 66. The side walls 70 and 72 are positioned with
respect to one another such that the side walls 70 and 72 fit
within the slot 46 of the receptacle 18 between the front walls 38
and 42 of the receptacle 18. The mounting member 62 includes one or
more ribs 74 that extend generally horizontally between the side
walls 70 and 72. The mounting member 62 may alternatively include
only a single side wall, and the mounting member 62 may be
generally T-shaped.
[0016] The bracket 60 includes a first flange 80 that is generally
plate-like and that extends outwardly from and generally
perpendicular to the first side wall 70 of the mounting member 62.
The bracket 60 also includes a second flange 82 that is generally
plate-like and that extends outwardly from and generally
perpendicular to the second side wall 72 of the mounting member 62.
The first and second flanges 80 and 82 are generally coplanar with
respect to one another and may be formed as respective portions of
a single member such as a plate. Each flange 80 and 82 includes a
top end 84, a bottom end 86 and an outer vertical edge 88. Each
flange 80 and 82 includes a generally planar rear surface 90 and a
generally planar front surface 92. The rear surfaces 90 of the
flanges 80 and 82 are generally coplanar with respect to one
another and the front surfaces 92 of the flanges 80 and 82 are
generally coplanar with respect to one another. The rear surfaces
90 are spaced apart from and generally parallel to the front
surfaces 92. The flanges 80 and 82 of the bracket 60 are adapted to
fit within the pocket 20 of the receptacle 18 between the interior
surfaces 32 and 36 of the side walls 30 and 34.
[0017] The bracket 60 also includes a first stop member 100
attached to and extending outwardly from the top end 84 of the
first flange 80, and a second stop member 102 attached to and
extending outwardly from the top end 84 of the second flange 82.
The stop members 100 and 102 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 are
generally in the form of ears or lugs that are plate-like. The stop
members 100 and 102 are located generally coplanar with one another
and with the flanges 80 and 82. Each stop member 100 and 102
includes a bottom end 104 and an aperture 106. The apertures 106
are adapted to facilitate the attachment of a handle 108, such as a
flexible metal cable loop, to the bracket 60. The handle 108 is
preferably flexible to avoid pinch points. The stop members 100 and
102 are adapted to extend outwardly beyond the top opening 48 of
the pocket 20 such that the bottom ends 104 of the stop members 100
and 102 are adapted to engage the top end 22 of the receptacle 18
when the bracket 60 is inserted into the pocket 20 as best shown in
FIG. 1. The stop members may be formed as various types of
projections, other than as the ears shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, which
are attached to and extend outwardly from the flanges 80, 82 or
mounting member 62 for engaging the receptacle 18. If desired, one
or both of the outer edges 88 of the flanges 80 and 82 can be
inclined at an angle to vertical, such that the edges 88 extend
upwardly and outwardly, to form a wedge-shaped stop member that
extends outwardly from the flange that is adapted to engage the
receptacle 18 and prevent further insertion of the bracket 60 into
the pocket 20 of the receptacle 18. The stop members, if desired,
may extend outwardly from the front surface 92 of the flanges 80
and 82, or from the side walls 70, 72 of the mounting member 62.
The mounting member 62, flanges 80 and 82, and stop members 100 and
102 are all preferably made from metal. The handle 108 may be made
from metal, nylon, polypropylene or other materials, and may
alternatively be made as a rigid member.
[0018] The mounting arrangement 10 also includes a locking member
120. The locking member 120 includes a top end 122 and a bottom end
124. The locking member 120 includes a generally planar rear
surface 126 and a generally planar front surface 128. The front
surface 128 is inclined at an angle with respect to the rear
surface 126 such that the rear surface 126 and front surface 128
form a wedge-shaped engagement portion 130 of the locking member
120. The front surface 128 extends outwardly and away from the rear
surface 126 as the front surface 128 extends upwardly from the
bottom end 124 of the locking member 120 toward the top end 122 of
the locking member 120. The bottom end 124 of the locking member
120 includes a generally planar bottom surface 132. The locking
member 120 extends between generally planar side surfaces 134 and
136. The top end 122 of the locking member 120 includes an elongate
horizontal aperture 138 that forms a handle 140. A generally planar
surface 142 is located at the top end 122 of the locking member 120
that extends from the top edge of the inclined front surface 128 to
the top of the handle 140. The surface 142 is generally parallel to
the rear surface 128. The locking member 120 is preferably made
from metal. The locking member 120 weighs approximately seven
pounds.
[0019] In operation, the vibrator 12 is attached to the end wall 66
of the bracket 60 with the fasteners 64. The assembly of the
bracket 60 and vibrator 12 is manually lifted by grasping the
handle 108 of the bracket 60 and, if desired, by also grasping the
vibrator 12. The bottom ends 86 of the flanges 80 and 82 are
inserted downwardly through the top opening 48 of the pocket 20
into the receptacle 18. The flanges 80 and 82 are inserted
downwardly into the pocket 20 of the receptacle 18 until the bottom
ends 104 of the stop members 100 and 102 engage the top end 22 of
the receptacle 18. The stop members 100 and 102 thereby prevent
further insertion of the bracket 60 and the flanges 80 and 82 into
the pocket 120, and the stop members 100 and 102 loosely support
the bracket 60 within the pocket 20 thereby preventing the bracket
60 from falling out of the pocket 20 through the bottom opening 50
in the receptacle 18. As the flanges 80 and 82 are inserted into
the pocket 20, the mounting member 62 of the bracket 60 is inserted
into the slot 46 of the receptacle 18 between the front walls 38
and 42. The mounting member 62 projects outwardly from the flanges
80 and 82 through the slot 46 such that the end wall 66 is located
outside of the receptacle 18.
[0020] The bottom end 124 of the locking member 120 is then
inserted downwardly through the top opening 48 of the receptacle 18
into the pocket 20. The locking member 120 is located between the
flanges 80 and 82 of the bracket 60 and the rear wall 26 of the
receptacle 18. The front surface 128 of the wedge-shaped portion
130 of the locking member 120 slidably engages the rear surfaces 90
of the flanges 80 and 82 of the bracket 60, and the rear surface
126 of the wedge-shaped portion 130 slidably engages the rear
surface 28 of the rear wall 26 of the receptacle 18. If desired,
the orientation of the locking member 120 can be rotated
one-hundred eighty degrees about a vertical axis, such that the
front surface 128 engages the rear surface 28 of the rear wall 26
of the receptacle 18 and such that the rear surface 126 engages the
rear surfaces 90 of the flanges 80 and 82 of the bracket 60. The
locking member 120 may be forced downwardly into the pocket 20 by
hand to a hand-tight position wherein the wedge-shaped portion 130
loosely wedges the front surfaces 92 of the flanges 80 and 82 of
the bracket 60 into engagement with the front surfaces 40 and 44 of
the front walls 38 and 42 of the receptacle 18. The locking member
120 thereby loosely forces the bracket 60 into engagement with the
receptacle 18 in the hand-tight position.
[0021] The vibrator 12 is then activated whereupon the locking
member 120 migrates further downwardly into the pocket 20 of the
receptacle 18 to a locked position wherein the locking member 120
forces the front surfaces 92 of the flanges 80 and 82 of the
bracket 60 into tight locked engagement with the front surfaces 40
and 44 of the front walls 38 and 42 of the receptacle 18 such that
vibrational energy from the vibrator 12 is efficiently transferred
from the vibrator 12 and bracket 60 to the receptacle 18 and
thereby the structure 14, with substantially no rattling between
the bracket 60 and the receptacle 18. As shown in FIG. 2, the
bottom end 124 of the locking member 120 extends downwardly and
outwardly from the pocket 20 through the bottom opening 50 beyond
the bottom end 24 of the receptacle 18 when the locking member 120
is in the locked position.
[0022] When it is desired to remove the vibrator 12 and bracket 60
from the receptacle 18, the vibrator 12 is deactivated. The bottom
surface 132 at the bottom end 124 of the locking member 120 extends
below the bottom end 24 of the receptacle 18 and is struck upwardly
with an object, such as a hammer, to force the locking member 120
upwardly with respect to the receptacle 18 and out of the locked
position, although the locking member 120 may remain in the pocket
20 of the receptacle 18. The handle 140 of the locking member 120
is grasped and the locking member 120 is pulled upwardly with
respect to the receptacle 18 and out of the pocket 20 through the
top opening 48 of the receptacle 18, such that the locking member
120 is completely removed from the receptacle 18. As the locking
member 120 is relatively light in weight it can be easily removed
from the pocket 20 of the receptacle 18. The bracket 60 is thereby
again loosely supported within the pocket 20 of the receptacle 18
solely by the stop members 100 and 102 of the bracket 60, and is
not in wedged engagement with the receptacle 18. As the bracket 60
is not in wedged engagement with the receptacle 18, the bracket 60
and vibrator 12 can be easily lifted upwardly out of the pocket 20
of the receptacle 18 by grasping the handle 108 of the bracket 60
and if desired the vibrator 12. The assembly of the vibrator 12 and
bracket 60 can be lifted upwardly by a worker out of the pocket 20
without having to overcome any force with which the bracket 60 was
wedged into engagement with the receptacle 18 by the locking member
20, which force acted to retain the bracket 60 in the pocket 20, as
the wedging force is eliminated by removal of the locking member
120. Removal of the bracket 60 and vibrator 12 from the receptacle
18 is therefore much easier than in prior vibrator mounting
arrangements.
[0023] The locking member 120 will lock the bracket 60 to the
receptacle 18 regardless of the condition of the receptacle 18 or
any irregularities in the construction of the receptacle 18.
However, if the gap in the pocket 20 of the receptacle 18 between
the rear surface 28 of the rear wall 26 and the front surfaces 40,
44 of the front walls 42 is significantly larger than normal, the
locking member 120 and the flanges 80, 82 may not properly fill
this gap. In such a case one or more shims, such as plates, may be
placed within the pocket 20, between the locking member 120 and the
rear wall 26, between the locking member 120 and the bracket 60,
and/or between the bracket 60 and the receptacle 18, to fill the
gap. The shim may include stop members to position and support the
shim within the pocket 20. The locking member 120 is inserted and
removed from the pocket 20 in the same manner as described
above.
[0024] Another embodiment of the locking member is shown in shown
in FIGS. 4 and 5 and is identified with the reference number 160.
The locking member 160 includes a top end 162 and a bottom end 164.
The locking member 160 also includes a generally planar bottom
surface 166 and generally planar side surfaces 168 and 170. The
locking member 160 includes a first engagement member 176 and a
second engagement member 178. The first engagement member 176
includes a generally planar rear surface 180 and a generally planar
front surface 182. The front surface 182 is inclined at an angle
with respect to the rear surface 180, with the front surface 182
extending outwardly and away from the rear surface 180 as the front
surface 182 extends upwardly from the bottom end of the first
engagement member 176 toward the top end of the first engagement
member 176, such that the first engagement member 176 is generally
wedge shaped as shown in FIG. 5. The first engagement member 176
includes a generally planar internal side surface 184 that extends
between the rear surface 180 and the front surface 182.
[0025] The second engagement member 178 includes a generally planar
rear surface 186 and a generally planar front surface 188. The
front surface 188 is inclined at an angle with respect to the rear
surface 186, with the front surface 188 extending outwardly and
away from the rear surface 186 as the front surface 188 extends
upwardly from the bottom end of the second engagement member 178
toward the top end of the second engagement member 178, such that
the second engagement member 178 is generally wedge shaped. The
rear surfaces 180 and 186 of the engagement members 176 and 178 are
generally coplanar with one another. The front surfaces 182 and 188
of the engagement members 176 and 178 are generally coplanar with
one another. The second engagement member 178 includes a generally
planar internal side surface 190 that extends between the rear
surface 186 and the front surface 188. The internal side surface
190 is spaced apart from and generally parallel to the internal
side surface 184 of the first engagement member 176.
[0026] The locking member 160 includes a connector member 194 that
is attached to and that extends between the bottom ends of the
first engagement member 176 and the second engagement member 178.
The connector member 194 includes the bottom surface 166. The
locking member 160 also includes a U-shaped handle 196 that is
connected to and that extends between the top ends of the first and
second engagement members 176 and 178. The handle 196 includes long
side legs to space the horizontal bar of the handle sufficiently
far from the engagement members 176 and 178 to avoid pinch points.
The locking member 160 includes a generally T-shaped aperture 200.
The aperture 200 includes a generally rectangular upper aperture
portion 202 and a generally rectangular lower aperture portion 204.
The first engagement member 176 is spaced apart from the second
engagement member 178 by the lower aperture portion 204 of the
aperture 200.
[0027] The locking member 160 operates in the same general manner
as the locking member 120. When the locking member 160 is inserted
into the pocket 20 of the receptacle 18, the rear surfaces 180 and
186 of the engagement members 176 and 178 are adapted to engage the
rear surface 28 of the rear wall 26 of the receptacle 18. The front
surface 182 of the first engagement member 176 is adapted to engage
the rear surface 90 of the first flange 80 of the bracket 60. The
front surface 188 of the second engagement member 178 is adapted to
engage the rear surface 90 of the second flange 82 of the bracket
60. If desired, the orientation of the locking member 160 within
the pocket 20 of the receptacle 18 can be rotated one-hundred
eighty degrees about a vertical axis. The connector member 194 is
adapted to extend downwardly and outwardly beyond the bottom
opening 50 of the receptacle 18 when the locking member 160 is
located in the locked position between the bracket 60 and the
receptacle 18. The bottom surface 166 of the locking member 160 is
adapted to be struck upwardly with an object to force the locking
member 160 upwardly with respect to the receptacle 18 and bracket
60 out of the locked position. The handle 196 of the locking member
160 may then be grasped to manually remove the locking member 160
from the receptacle 18 through the top opening 48. The large
cut-away internal portion of the locking member 160, formed by the
aperture 200, reduces the weight of the locking member 160 while
still enabling the locking member 160 to effectively lock the
bracket 60 in engagement with the receptacle 18 to facilitate the
transmission of vibrations therebetween. The locking member 160
weighs approximately five and one-half pounds, and is preferably
formed from metal.
[0028] Various features of the invention have been particularly
shown and described in connection with the illustrated embodiment
of the invention, however, it must be understood that these
particular arrangements merely illustrate, and that the invention
is to be given its fullest interpretation within the terms of the
appended claims.
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