Abstract: An easel having a leg supported panel at the upper margin of which sheet material is suspended. A hinged retainer is carried at the upper margin of the easel panel and is pivoted between a lowered position overlying the sheet material when the material is suspended from the panel and an upper or raised position to allow the sheet material to be removed or placed upon the panel. The retainer carries a pivotal locking member which when closed prevents the reatiner from being shifted from its lowered position into its raised position.

Abstract: A floating hinge of the type which is composed of a lower member and an upper member each having a surface face and a channel including a pair of guideways located at their distal ends. A first arm and a second arm are employed to connect the upper member and the lower member and to provide movement of the members between an open position and a closed position. The first arm has a fixed end pivotably fixed to the lower member and a sliding end pivotably and slidably fixed to the upper member. The second arm has a fixed end pivotably affixed to the upper member and a sliding end pivotably and slidably fixed to the lower member. The sliding ends of the arms are pivotably and slidably affixed to their respective upper or lower member by a pin engaging an eccentrically fixed orifice of a pair of floating hinge slides fitted within the guideways of the channels of the upper and lower members. Means can be used to secure the upper member to the lower member when the hinge is in the closed position.

Abstract: Lighting fitting of the type comprising a support intended to be fixed to a wall or ceiling, or to a stem with base, and a body restrained to the said support in a position-wise adjustable manner through the intermediary of connection means, wherein the said connection means comprise a floating pin(17) on one side of the said support (11) and a tooth engagement system (18,19) on the opposite side, so that if the body (12) is acted on manually the mutual position of the teeth (18,19) of the said engagement means, and thus of the body with respect of the support, can be varied, the stable position of the said engagement being assured by weight of the body of the lighting fitting itself.

Abstract: A hinge has a hinge arm which is snappable onto a mounting plate by means of an intermediate member. The front of the intermediate member is engageable into the mounting plate and the rear of the intermediate member is provided with a pivot lever having a hook member by means of which the pivot lever locks the intermediate member to the mounting plate. A cover member is mounted on the hinge arm and at its rear end has a shoulder which embraces the end of the hinge arm and extends between the hinge arm and the pivot lever, so that the pivot member cannot be released from the mounting plate unintentionally.

Abstract: A bracket hinge and bracket members (10, 10') with a spring biased and movable locking member (30). The locking or latch member (30) has ear parts (38, 39) received in locking openings (25, 25') where wedging surfaces (40, 41) on the ear parts cooperate with complimentary surfaces (42, 42') on the bracket members for bringing the bracket members into a tight end-to-end alignment when the bracket members are in an extended position. When the locking member (30) is moved to an unlocking position, pivoting of the hinge about a pivot pin (32) automatically places locking pins (70, 71) in a circular shaped groove (55) on the locking member (30) to retain the locking member (30) in an unlocked position. In pivoting the hinge from an extended position to a folded position, longitudinal spring members (80, 81) are placed under tension over annular rollers (60, 61) so that the spring tension in a folded position assists in return of the hinge from a folded position to an extended position.

Abstract: A locking device is provided for holding an aircraft door in an open position. The device includes a first member connected to the door which moves in correspondence with door opening and closing. A second member of the device is fixedly connected to aircraft structure that supports the door. A locking pin, connected to the first member, is engaged with a pin receiving opening in the second member when the door is fully open to hold the door in such position. The pin is movable axially by a manually operated lever to disengage the pin when it is desired to close the door.

Abstract: A toilet seat lid lock to reliably and releasably secure a toilet lid in a closed position above a toilet seat to deny access to the toilet bowl. The lid lock comprises a hinge arm connected to the toilet lid, a locking base connected to the hinge arm, and a locking handle pivotally connected to the locking base. The locking handle is rotatable around the locking base between open and locked positions. In the locked position, the locking handle is aligned with the locking base so as to form a stop against the toilet bowl and thereby block the rotation of the lid off the toilet seat.

Abstract: A double pivot hinge for vehicle doors includes a hinge arm pivotally interconnecting door and vehicle mounted hinge butts. A first and second latch means are alternately movable between latched and unlatched positions to either latch the hinge arm to the door mounted hinge butt for movement of the door and hinge arm as a unit to the 90.degree. open position or to latch the hinge arm to the vehicle mounted hinge butt for movement of the door relative to the hinge arm between 90.degree. and 180.degree. open positions. A detent means detents the first latch means in unlatched position during movement of the door between 90.degree. and 180.degree. open positions. The detent means is automatically released as the door moves from the 180.degree. position to a position immediately adjacent the 90.degree. open position to permit uninterrupted closing movement of the door.

Abstract: An improved hinge for collapsible ladders which includes a depressable release mechanism operable by one hand, leaving the other hand free to make ladder adjustment. The improved hinge includes a guide shaft disposed within a tubular hub member which is journaled within hinge plates to which the ladder stringers are connected. A handle with locking pins is secured to one end of the guide shaft, with the other end of the guide shaft being secured to a depressable hinge release mechanism.

Abstract: A pinball machine has an upper display cabinet pivotally movable with respect to a lower playfield cabinet between an upright use position spaced well above the lower cabinet with the rear walls of the upper and lower cabinets substantially coplanar and a forwardly folded-down position closely overlying the lower cabinet. The upper cabinet is supported on a support assembly which includes upper and lower pairs of support posts, respectively mounted inside the upper and lower cabinets on the rear walls thereof, with each post having a forwardly projecting pivot portion, the upper and lower pivot portions being pivotally interconnected at their forward ends. The lower posts project well above the lower cabinet, and the pivot portions and the pivot pin are all disposed entirely within the upper cabinet. The upper cabinet is supported by the support assembly in both its upright and folded positions and, in its upright position permits a clear view of the entire playfield by a user.

Abstract: A box for containing a wheeled pallet having articles placed thereon has a lid hingedly connected to a front end of the box to move between an open position and a closed position to open and close an opening formed at the front end of the box. A pair of retractable guide rails are each attached to one of opposing side walls of the box defining the front opening and pivotable about a vertical axis to a position 90 degrees from the front of the box, and to a position beyond 90 degrees to facilitate removal of the pallet from the box, and a mechanism for locking the pallet to the bottom surface of the box is assured to have performed a positive locking operation when the lid is brought to its closed position.

Abstract: A joint mechanism comprised of two pivotally connected joint members rotatable about a common axis is lockable in one of a series of predetermined positions by engagement of a spring-biased pawl provided within one joint member within notches distributed about the peripheral edge of the other joint member. An operating lever comprised of a forked release element and a handle pivotally connected together cooperates with a control means to control locking and unlocking of the joint mechanism. The control means has radially extending resilient arms formed at the free end with upturned claws which, when projecting through slits formed in one side of the other joint member, prevents engagement of the pawl within said notches, and which, when being depressed into said slits by the release element of the operating lever, permits engagement of the pawl within the notches.

Abstract: An improved hinge for a collapsible ladder includes a pivot pin which has a sufficiently simple construction to permit it to be fabricated by die-casting on a cost-competitive basis. The simple construction is made possible by an improved axial detent arrangement for a shaft which rotates and slides within the hub and to which the hinge locking pins are secured. The detent arrangement includes a detent bore extending radially biased against the shaft. A suitable detent recess in the shaft is angularly aligned with the detent bore for each locking position of the shaft. Axial alignment of the bore and a recess is achieved by fully extending the shaft out of the hub against the restoring force of a bias spring in the hub. The recess and bias member are contoured to permit disengagement of the detent by rotation of the shaft but not by axially applied forces.

Abstract: A door or cabinet hinge which locks in one position--normally the closed position. It may be locked and unlocked from outside. Operated by a conventional keyed cylinder lock passing through the door and actuating an arm, the device has a lock pin parallel to and spaced outside the hinge pin. The lock pin moves along its axis to slide integral protruding keys into corresponding slots in the knuckles surrounding the hinge pin. In the unlocked position the keys lie entirely in one knuckle, in the locked position they span between knuckles and prevent rotation thereof. A yoke connects the actuating arm to the lock pin.

Abstract: Improvements in a foldable multi-position ladder joint in which one side of the locking disk of the second joint member is provided between each notch thereof and the common axial bolt with cams capable of one-way rotation under the driving action of the release element of the operating lever. The other end of the cam shaft returns the cam to its normal position upon pivoting movement of a ratchet hooked with a tension spring. Swinging of the operating lever in disengaging the locking pawl from a notch concomitantly moves the corresponding cam to rotate thereby making way for the release element to pass over and subsequent turning of the cam back to its normal position. Release of the release element is however prevented making possible the closing of the notch in achieving directly the purpose of whether or not the pawl is to be engaged in the notch.References are given here to applicant's prior U.S. applications with Ser. Nos. 532,096 and 543,445 with filing dates Sept. 14, 1983 and Oct.

Abstract: A joint having two joint members which are pivotable with respect to each other about a common axis is lockable in a series of predetermined angular positions by engaging a spring-biased pawl provided within one member in notches formed at the peripheral edge of the other member. In manually operating the joint, the forked release element and the handle pivotably connected with each other act as an operating lever in cooperation with the clawed, spring-loaded control means in controlling locking and unlocking of the joint. The claw like stop portion of the control means, when being pushed to one side within the slot having its length at least twice longer than the width of the notch by the release element in counter-clockwise direction, permits engagement of the pawl in the notches and, upon operation of the handle thereby disengaging the pawl from the notches, returns to rest position under its spring force in clockwise direction.

Abstract: A collapsible multi-purpose ladder has ladder stringers which are connected by joints which are arranged in pairs, can be locked in several operating positions, and each have two joint parts which are pivotal about a common joint axle. The first joint part has a two-cup locking disk which is concentric with respect to the joint axle and, along its circumference, has notches which are distributed to correspond to the various operating positions. The notches can receive a spring-loaded locking part which is guided for longitudinal movement on the second joint part, which grips over the first joint part. The locking part can be moved out of a notch of the locking disk by a release lever which is pivotally supported on the second joint part and the release levers of the two joints which are associated with the two ladder stringers are operatively connected by a rod.

Abstract: A closure panel hinge and hold open mechanism includes a hinge bracket adapted for mounting on a vehicle body and a closure panel bracket. A pivot shaft pivotally mounts the closure panel bracket on the hinge bracket. A coil spring surrounds the pivot shaft and has integral first and second spring legs extending outwardly from the endmost spring coils thereof and respectively anchored on the hinge bracket and the closure panel bracket to urge the closure panel to a normal closed position relative the hinge bracket. A detent shoulder is provided on the hinge bracket and is automatically engaged by the second spring leg anchored on the closure panel when the closure panel bracket is moved from the closed position to the open position to hold the second spring leg against return movement and thereby hold the closure panel in the open position.

Abstract: A door-operating mechanism is disclosed which is particularly suited for use with hingedly mounted swinging glass doors of a refrigerated display cabinet. The door operating mechanism includes an extensible gas spring biased toward an extended condition, and a linkage arrangement operatively interconnecting the gas spring with the door. A portion of the gas spring is movably disposed within a slot defined by the linkage arrangement such that in one position of the gas spring the door is biased toward its closed position, and in another position of the gas spring the door may be maintained in an opened position such as for stocking or maintenance of the display cabinet.

Abstract: A lockable door hinge is described which is of the usual butt hinge type with a pair of pivoting butt plates. One of these plates contains a vertically slidable bolt which moves into and out of engagement with at least one projecting abutment flange on the other butt plate. By vertical positioning of the bolt, the door may swing freely or it may be limited in its swinging movement to a closed position or one or more partially open positions. The bolt may also be used to hold the door in an open position.