Patents Assigned to The Eastern Company
  • Patent number: 5219248
    Abstract: A mine roof expansion anchor having a conventional tapered camming plug and radially expansible shell having associated therewith an element which resiliently engages the wall of a bore hole as a roof bolt carrying the anchor is inserted in the hole. The resilient element may be incorporated in the structure of a bail having bore wall engagement portions position in a plane closer to the lower end of the expansion shell than the lowest position of the tapered plug after full expansion. The engagement portions may comprise outwardly and downwardly extending portions of the bail legs, either at the terminal ends or pierced from the bail material slightly above the ends. In another embodiment, the engagement portions extend from a support nut positioned on the bolt below the lower end of the shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1993
    Assignee: The Eastern Company
    Inventor: Raymond L. Wright
  • Patent number: 5212972
    Abstract: A tamper resistant pop-handle lock is disposed in the door of a vending machine or similar closure, and is used to restrict operation of a spring-biased handle which is seated in a recessed housing and is adapted for manually latching and unlatching the door. The lock has a cylindrical barrel and a rotatable key plug mounted within an opening in the barrel. An axially extending eccentric lug at the inner end of the plug is received in a recess formed on a retractable locking bolt, such that rotation of the plug relative to the barrel causes the locking bolt to move through a second opening in the barrel. A locking surface on the lug-receiving recess engages the eccentric lug when the key plug is in a locked position to prevent radial movement of the bolt and extension of the handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1993
    Assignee: The Eastern Company
    Inventors: Herbert Kincaid, John Crocco, David Malik
  • Patent number: 5192096
    Abstract: A door lock assembly includes a housing-carried set of interactive operating components for mounting on a closure for releasingly engaging a keeper that is carried by structure located adjacent to an opening through which access is controlled by positioning the closure selectively in "open" and "closed" positions. The lock assembly is "slam-capable" in that its operating components include a pair of oppositely pivoted, spring-biased latch members that are movable into latching engagement with the keeper as the closure is "closed". The lock assembly has a two-part housing formed from first and second members that extend in congruent overlying relationship to define a first passage for receiving portions of the keeper as the closure is "closed." Second and third passages open through opposed side walls of the first passage to permit the opposed latch members to move into gripping engagement with portions of the keeper that are received within the first passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1993
    Assignee: The Eastern Company
    Inventors: Lee S. Weinerman, John V. Pastva, Jr., Steven A. Mayo
  • Patent number: 5171048
    Abstract: A door lock assembly includes a housing-carried set of interactive operating components for mounting on a closure for releasingly engaging a keeper that is carried by structure located adjacent to an opening through which access is controlled by positioning the closure selectively in open and closed positions. The lock assembly is "slam-capable" in that its operating components include a pair of oppositely pivoted, spring-biased jaws that are movable into latching engagement with the keeper as the closure is closed. The lock housing includes a pair of interfitting, cast metal housing members that cooperate to define a housing assembly that has a keeper-receiving formation along a curved end region thereof. Channel-like central formations are defined on the hollow interior of the housing assembly for mounting operating components that include a pair of opposed jaw members that function to latchingly interengage portions of the keeper when the closure is in its closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1992
    Assignee: The Eastern Company
    Inventors: Lee S. Weinerman, John V. Pastva, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5120087
    Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for selectively locking and unlocking a large, heavy bulkhead door at several points about its periphery. A plurality of locking fingers are slidably mounted on the door for selective extension and retraction with respect to the door edges. A handle mounted on the door provided for rotational movement of a handle shaft. A double rack and pinion linkage responds to rotational movement of the handle shaft to cause a pair of drive rods to move axially and linearly outwardly and inwardly from the handle shaft. A pair of shaft drive assemblies, including second rack and pinion structures, causes axial rotation of two substantially vertical drive shafts extending along the door edges. A plurality of finger drive assemblies is coupled, by third rack and pinion structures, to extend and retract the locking fingers in unison in response to rotation of the drive shafts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1992
    Assignee: the Eastern Company
    Inventor: John V. Pastva
  • Patent number: 5111007
    Abstract: A switch lock is provided including a lock plug rotatable by a key between two or more positions within a lock barrel, and a switch is associated therewith such that one switch pole is selectively placed in one or more positions by the plug. A visual switch position indicator includes a second switch pole in the switch with a power source connected thereto, and an LED visible from the lock forward end has its leads connected to a terminal for selective connection to a power source in response to the position of the lock plug. The LED leads are flexible, disposed in a groove in the rear face of the lock bezel, and pass through a space between the lock barrel and the opening in the mounting plate. The switch wires are fixed to a connector and are protected by a shrink tube over the switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1992
    Assignee: The Eastern Company
    Inventors: Charles D. Miller, Thomas J. DeCicco, Timothy P. Laabs
  • Patent number: 5098227
    Abstract: An otherwise conventional mine roof expansion anchor of the bail-type is provided with a tubular retainer member encircling the shell leaves and having an external cross-dimension significantly (e.g., at least 0.10") greater than the diameter of the drill hole in which the anchor is to be installed. Thus, as the anchor, supported on the end of a roof bolt, is advanced into the drill hole in the usual manner, the tubular element is pushed off the anchor by contact with the surface surrounding the drill hole, thereby eliminating the previously required manual removal of the retainer. The tubular retainer has the same cross-sectional configuration in all planes perpendicular to its central axis throughout its full length, preferably being formed as a plastic extrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1992
    Assignee: The Eastern Company
    Inventor: Raymond L. Wright
  • Patent number: 5094577
    Abstract: An expansion shell assembly of the type including a pair of unitary expansion shell elements, each having two leaf members joined adjacent their lower ends by bridge portions with a bail fixedly attached at terminal ends to outer surfaces of the bridge portions to maintain the expansion shell elements in assembled relation. The bridge portions include a recessed area extending continuously between its upper and lower edges. The recessed areas are divided into two portions, with the lower portions substantially narrower than the upper portions, wherein terminal ends of the bail are secured. Opposing edges of the shell elements are in spaced, substantially parallel relation with the space therebetween free of any structure extending into such space over the full axial length of the shell elements. Relieved areas extend into the inner surfaces of the bridge portions to provide a clearance for the lower end of a tapered camming plug which is moved between the shell elements to effect radial expansion thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1992
    Assignee: The Eastern Company
    Inventors: Carl A. Clark, Raymond L. Wright
  • Patent number: 5069491
    Abstract: A vehicle door lock system includes a rotary latch having an elongate housing with an end formation that is "inclined" or "tapered" so as to be wedgingly engaged, when "latched," by a correspondingly inclined or tapered wedge block component of an L-shaped striker assembly. As the rotary latch releasably engages the striker to effect "latching," the inclined or tapered end region of the latch housing cooperatively engages the wedge block of the striker to guide the latch into properly aligned engagement with the striker, and to maintain proper alignment of the rotary latch with the striker while "latched." By this arrangement, a strong, racking-resistant type of latched connection is provided that will assist in preventing undesired relative movements of a door and a door frame on which the latch and striker are mounted, respectively. Handle assemblies are connected to the rotary latch to operate the latch to effect "unlatching" of the latch and the striker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1991
    Assignee: The Eastern Company
    Inventors: Lee S. Weinerman, Joel T. Vargus
  • Patent number: 5064311
    Abstract: An assembly and methods of installation thereof for supporting and stabilizing a rock structure adjacent a mine tunnel or other underground passageway. The assembly includes an elongated bolt, threaded from both ends for at least a portion of its length. A conventional, mechanical expansion anchor is threaded on one end of the bolt, within a drill hole in the rock structure, and a bearing plate, washer, jam nut and tensioning nut are carried on the other end, outside the drill hole. The tensioning nut is threaded into firm engagement with the jam nut to prevent further threaded advance of the tensioning nut a substantial distance from the termination of the threads. A torque applied to the tensioning nut thus rotates the bolt and expands the anchor shell into gripping engagement with the bore hole wall; torque producing an axial load on the jam nut in excess of its strength causes it to fracture or strip from threaded engagement with the bolt, permitting travel of the tensioning nut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1991
    Assignee: The Eastern Company
    Inventors: Roger Giroux, Raymond L. Wright
  • Patent number: 5050916
    Abstract: An improved door and door control mechanism combinations for cargo carrying containers. In one embodiment a single door of one rigid panel closes the entire end of the container. In another embodiment the door is formed of two rigid panels hinged together. In both embodiments, the door is hinged to only one vertical side of the container frame structure and is latched to the frame at plural locations along upper and lower horizontal edges of the door and also along the vertical distal edge of the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1991
    Assignee: The Eastern Company
    Inventor: John V. Pastva
  • Patent number: 5046340
    Abstract: Flush mountable latches and locks for industrial cabinets, tool carts, electrical equipment enclosures and the like utilize versatile housings together with a variety of types of handles that are movable relative to the housings to effect unlatching movements of spring-biased, pivotally mounted latch bolts, with pivotally mounted operating arms serving to drivingly interconnect the handles with the latch bolts. Lockable embodiments have locking mechanisms that prevent operating movements of the operating arms, but do not prevent pivotal movement of the latch bolts out of their latched positions, whereby even the lockable embodiments have latch bolts that can be "slammed" into latching engagement with suitably configured strike formations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1991
    Assignee: The Eastern Company
    Inventors: Lee S. Weinerman, David F. Worden, Norman Lauterbach, Wilton T. Farmer, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5033910
    Abstract: An improved, radially expansible shell for use in a mechanical expansion anchor and an anchoring system including such a shell in combination with a resin grouting mix, in a drill hole of predetermined diameter. The shell includes a plurality of leaf portions having internal surfaces for engagement by a tapered camming plug as the shell is expanded, external surfaces having a maximum diameter less than that of the drill hole, and side edges. A row of tapered teeth extends outwardly from the external surface of each leaf along one of the side edges thereof. The distance from the central axis of the shell to the crests of the teeth is substantially equal to the radius of the drill hole. The teeth frictionally engage the drill hole wall to retard rotation of the shell and ensure the desired expansion. When the anchor is used with a conventional, two-compartment resin package, the resin components may flow around the shell into the annular space between the external surfaces of the leaves and the drill hole wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 23, 1991
    Assignee: The Eastern Company
    Inventor: Raymond L. Wright
  • Patent number: 5028188
    Abstract: An expandable mine bolt assembly having a shell and wedge unit threaded upon the shank of an elongated bolt. The shell contains at least one or more leaf sections. The arms of a U-shaped metal strap are joined to the shell and the strap is arranged to pass over the wedge and the distal end of the bolt. At least one arm of the strap is provided with a wrapped section containing folded legs. The distal end of the bolt applies pressure against the strap as the bolt is threaded through the wedge which, in turn, causes the legs of the wrapped section to unfold into holding contact against the wall of a receiving hole thereby preventing the assembly from spinning in the hole as the shell is being expanded by the wedge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1991
    Assignee: The Eastern Company
    Inventor: John F. Prince
  • Patent number: D318217
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 16, 1991
    Assignee: The Eastern Company
    Inventors: Lee S. Weinerman, Joel T. Vargus
  • Patent number: D318606
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1991
    Assignee: The Eastern Company
    Inventors: Lee S. Weinerman, Joel T. Vargus
  • Patent number: D319001
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1991
    Assignee: The Eastern Company
    Inventors: Lee S. Weinerman, Joel T. Vargus
  • Patent number: D324635
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1992
    Assignee: The Eastern Company
    Inventors: Lee S. Weinerman, Joel T. Vargus
  • Patent number: D330432
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1992
    Assignee: The Eastern Company
    Inventor: Les S. Weinerman
  • Patent number: D332315
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1993
    Assignee: The Eastern Company
    Inventor: Lee S. Weinerman