Patent Grant
7000292
The present invention relates to a chain keeper. More particularly, the present invention relates to a chain keeper for use with a chain of a chain hoist system, such as the ones used with garage doors and the like for example. The present invention also relates to a method of retaining such a chain.
Chain keepers for use with chain hoist systems of garage doors and the like have existed for many years now and are very well known in the art. Indeed, it is well known in the art that chain keepers typically consist of a slitted metallic plate with a corresponding groove into which the chain or “hand chain” of the chain hoist system is inserted for preventing travel of the chain so as to immobilize the latter, and thus immobilize the driving action of the chain hoist system. Typical examples of prior art chain keepers are described in U.S. Pat. Design Nos. 241,506 and 241,507.
It is also known in the art that manufacturers and designers have never really taken the time to think about different components, functions and/or features which could be added to the conventional chain keeper in order to improve the peformance.
Known in the art are the following US patents which describe various apparatuses and methods for use with chains U.S. Pat. Nos. 521,045; 1,221,954; 1,325,538; 1,496,793; 2,025,377; 2,184,814; 2,448,482; 2,790,663; 2,859,937; 2,860,903; 3,715,782; 3,720,431; 4,043,538; 4,398,387; 4,560,191; 4,883,191; 4,923,231; 5,697,741; 5,704,663; 5,920,962; 6,009,824; 2002/0112463 A1; Des. 52,662.
None of the above-mentioned patents seem to describe a chain keeper for retaining a chain operatively connected to a driving mechanism of a chain hoist system, such as the ones used with garage doors and the like for example, which would be devised so as to wind the chain around the keeper; which would be capable of retaining a single or a plurality of chains, and securing the same by means of a padlock; which would comprise means for safekeeping a padlock when the latter is not being used with the chain keeper; which would be devised to substantially prevent rotation thereof once it is mounted onto a fixed structure; which would be devised to guide the insertion of the chain used therewith and would be designed so as to offer an added resistance.
Hence, in light of the aforementioned, there is a need for an improved chain keeper for use a chain hoist system which would be able to overcome some of the above-mentioned problems.
The object of the present invention is to provide a chain keeper for use with a chain hoist system which, by virtue of its design and components, satisfies some of the above-mentioned needs and which is thus an improvement over other chain keepers known in the prior art.
In accordance with the present invention, the above object is achieved with a chain keeper for retaining a chain operatively connected to a driving mechanism of a chain hoist system, the chain keeper comprising:
a support bracket mountable onto a fixed structure, said support bracket having a substantially vertical longitudinal axis, and opposite top and bottom sections; and
a pair of plates, each plate having top and bottom portions, the plates projecting from the support bracket and being slanted with respect to the longitudinal axis thereof, the plates converging towards one another towards the bottom section of the support bracket, a slot being defined between peripheral edges of the plates at said bottom section of the support bracket, said slot being shaped and sized to slidably and removably receive therein a segment of the chain for retaining the same from substantial vertical movement along the longitudinal axis of the support bracket.
Preferably, the bottom portion of one of said plates comprises a hole for receiving a rod of a padlock.
Preferably, the top portion of one of said plates comprises a hole for receiving a rod of a padlock.
Preferably, the top portion of one of said plates comprises a hook for hooking thereon a link of the chain.
Preferably also, the top portion of one of said plates is provided with a support flange comprising a hole for receiving a rod of a padlock.
Preferably also, the support bracket has left and right top corners, each of said top corners being provided with a prong for anchoring the support bracket onto the fixed structure.
Preferably also, the support bracket comprises at least one hole for receiving a fastener for securely mounting the support bracket onto the fixed structure, and the bottom section of the support bracket is provided with a fastening flange comprising at least one hole for receiving a fastener for securely mounting said fastening flange onto the fixed structure.
Preferably also, the support bracket is triangular-shaped and has a pair of side edges, and each plate extends along one of said side edges.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is also provided a method of retaining a chain operatively connected to a driving mechanism of a chain hoist system, the method comprising the steps of:
a) providing a chain keeper, said chain keeper comprising:
b) sliding said segment of the chain into the slot defined between the peripheral edges of the plates so as to retain the same from substantial vertical movement along the longitudinal axis of the support bracket.
Preferably, the chain comprises a portion hanging from the slot of the chain keeper, and the method further comprises the step of:
c) engaging said portion of the chain about one of the plates of the chain keeper.
Preferably also, one of the plates of the chain keeper comprises a hook, and the method further comprises the step of:
d) hooking a link of the portion of the chain wrapped about one of the plates onto said hook.
Preferably also, the bottom portion of one of said plates comprises a hole for receiving a rod of a padlock, and the method further comprises the step of:
e) securing said rod of the padlock onto the hole so as to prevent the segment of the chain to be removed from the slot due to an impediment of the rod secured onto said hole.
Alternatively, the bottom portion of one of said plates may comprise a hole for receiving a rod of a padlock, and the method after the above-mentioned step b) may simply comprise the step of:
c) securing said rod of the padlock onto the hole so as to prevent the segment of the chain to be removed from the slot due to an impediment of the rod secured onto said hole.
The objects, advantages and other features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of preferred embodiments thereof, given for the purpose of exemplification only with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In the following description, the same numerical references refer to similar elements. The embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings are preferred.
Moreover, although the present invention was primarily designed for use with a chain of a chain hoist system of a garage door, and more particularly with a manually operated chain hoist system of a garage door, it may be used with other types of linkages (e.g. ropes), and chain hoist systems, or devices having a linkage operatively connected to their driving mechanism, as apparent to a person skilled in the art. For this reason, the expressions “chain”, “hoist” and/or “door”, as well as any other equivalent expressions and/or compound words thereof, should not be taken as to limit the scope of the present invention and include all other kinds of items and purposes with which the present invention may be used and could be useful.
Moreover, in the context of the present invention, the expressions “garage” and “door” may be used interchangeably. Furthermore, expressions such as “chain”, “hoist”, and “system” as well as any other equivalent expressions and/or compound words thereof, may also be used interchangeably in the context of the present description. The same applies for any other mutually equivalent expressions, such as “chain” and “rope” for example, as apparent to a person skilled in the art.
In addition, although the preferred embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises various components such as support flanges, a fastening flange, holes, prongs, rounded corners, etc., and although the preferred embodiment of the chain keeper and corresponding parts of the present invention as shown consist of certain geometrical configurations as explained and illustrated herein, not all of these components and geometries are essential to the invention and thus should not be taken in their restrictive sense, i.e. should not be taken as to limit the scope of the present invention. It is to be understood, as also apparent to a person skilled in the art, that other suitable components and cooperations thereinbetween, as well as other suitable geometrical configurations may be used for the chain keeper according to the present invention, as will be briefly explained hereinafter, without departing from the scope of the invention.
Broadly described, the chain keeper 1 according to the present invention, as exemplified in the accompanying drawings, is a chain keeper 1 for retaining a chain 3 operatively connected to a driving mechanism of a chain hoist system, for example, and comprises a support bracket 5 and a pair of plates 7. The support bracket 5 is mountable onto a fixed structure 9 and has a substantially vertical longitudinal axis 11, and opposite top and bottom sections, as better shown in
According to the preferred embodiments of the invention, and as shown in
As better shown in
According to the first preferred embodiment of the invention, as better shown in
According to the present invention, as better shown in
According to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, as better shown in
As better shown in
As also better shown in
Preferably also, the bottom section of the support bracket 5 comprises a fastening flange 41 and this fastening flange 41 preferably comprises at least one hole 43 for receiving a corresponding fastener for securely mounting the fastening flange 41 onto the fixed structure 9, and providing added security and stability for the chain keeper 1 mounted onto the fixed structure 9.
As better shown in
Preferably, the various components of the chain keeper 1, such as the support bracket 5, plates 7, support flanges 33, and/or fastening flange 41, are preferably made of one single piece and of a single material. Various manufacturing processes (welding, cutting and bending, casting, etc.) and various suitable corresponding materials may be used for fabricating the chain keeper 1 according to the present invention, as apparent to a person skilled in the art. Preferably, the chain keeper 1 is made of a suitable metallic material, although other suitable materials, such as composite materials, hardener polymers, etc., may be used depending on the particular applications for which the chain keeper 1 is intended, as also apparent to a person skilled in the art.
The chain keeper 1 is preferably devised to have substantially rigid components so as to provide a suitable retaining and securement of the chain 3, as apparent to a person skilled in the art. Moreover, the particular disposition of the plates 7 onto the support bracket 5, i.e. the slant of the plates 7 and the slot 17 defined thereinbetween, etc., is particularly advantageous in that, even after being subjected to an increased load from the chain 3 for example, the chain keeper 1 according to the present invention will provide an “increased” retaining of the chain 3 because the plates 7, as a result of the above-discussed, will tend to further converge towards one another, and further retain the segment of the chain 3, as can be easily understood when referring to
The chain keeper 1 is preferably devised to have substantially rigid components so as to provide a suitable retaining and securement of the chain 3, as apparent to a person skilled in the art. Moreover, the particular disposition of the plates 7 onto the support bracket 5, i.e. the slant of the plates 7 and the slot 17 defined thereinbetween, etc., is particularly advantageous in that, even after being subjected to an increased load from the chain 3 for example, the chain keeper 1 according to the present invention will provide an “increased” retaining of the chain 3 because the plates 7, as a result of the above-discussed, will tend to further converge towards one another, and further retain the segment of the chain 3, as can be easily understood when referring to
Moreover, the converging disposition of the plates 7 of the chain keeper 1 serves as a natural indication and orientation to a user of the keeper 1 as to where the chain 3 should be inserted, i.e. in the slot 17 defined between the converging peripheral edges 19 of the plates 7, and as to how the chain keeper 1 should be mounted onto a fixed structure 9. Alternatively, in order to avoid any ambiguity, the support bracket 5 of the chain keeper may be provided with a suitable indication for as to the proper orientation of the chain keeper 1 onto the fixed structure 9, such as with the expression “up” and a corresponding directional arrow for example, as better shown in
According to another aspect of the invention, there is also provided a method of retaining a chain 3 operatively connected to a driving mechanism of a chain hoist system. The method comprising the steps of a) providing a chain keeper 1 according to the present invention, such as the one described herein; and b) sliding a segment of the chain 3 into the slot 17 defined between the peripheral edges 19 of the plates 7 so as to retain the same from substantial vertical movement along the longitudinal axis 11 of the support bracket 5.
Preferably, the chain 3 comprises a portion hanging from the slot 17 of the chain keeper 1, and the method further comprises the step of c) engaging said portion of the chain 3 about one of the plates 7 of the chain keeper 1.
Preferably also, one of the plates 7 of the chain keeper 1 comprises a hook 31, and the method further comprises the step of d) hooking a link 27 of the portion of the chain 3 wrapped about one of the plates 7 onto said hook 31.
Preferably also, the bottom portion 13 of one of said plates 7 comprises a hole 21 for receiving a rod 23 of a padlock 25, and the method further comprises the step of e) securing said rod 23 of the padlock 25 onto the hole 21 so as to prevent the segment of the chain 3 to be removed from the slot 17 due to an impediment of the rod 23 secured onto said hole 21.
Alternatively, the bottom portion 13 of one of said plates 7 may comprise a hole 21 for receiving a rod 23 of a padlock 25, and the method after the above-mentioned step b) may simply comprise the step of c) securing said rod 23 of the padlock 25 onto the hole 21 so as to prevent the segment of the chain 3 to be removed from the slot 17 due to an impediment of the rod 23 secured onto said hole 21.
Preferably and as better shown in
As may now be appreciated, the present invention is an improvement and presents several advantages over other chain keepers 1 known in the prior art. Indeed, as briefly described herein, some of the advantages of this new design are the following: a) its faster way of inserting the padlock 25 onto the chain keeper assembly; b) the chain 3 is better secured in the chain keeper. 1; c) the keeper 1 resists to larger forces; and d) the forces are mostly applied onto the fixed structure's surface because of the shape of the keeper 1.
The chain keeper 1 according to the present invention is also safer than other models, because of its rounded edges and the small protrusion of the plates 7 which reduce the risk of someone been injured. Finally, the present chain keeper 1 is also a substantial improvement over the prior art in tat it improves the conventional chain keepers concerning the way to lock the chain 3 and the way people install the device.
As may now also be appreciated, the chain keeper of the present invention is a substantial improvement over the prior art in that, single chain 3 or a plurality of chains 3 may be retained by the keeper 1 and secured thereon with a padlock 25, in various different ways, the padlock 25 being very easily insertable into corresponding holes 21 of the bottom portion 15 of the plates 7. Moreover, the present invention is also advantageous in that the chain keeper 1 comprises safekeeping means for storing the padlock 25 when it is not being used, maintaining the padlock 25 out of the way of the work space (i.e. slot 17), when the latter is not being used, while keeping it readily available for an eventual use. Moreover, as can be easily understood, the present invention is also advantageous in that the position for the mounting hole 39 and of the bent corners 37 are preferably symmetrical, the latter feature preventing the rotation of the chain keeper 1. The present invention is also advantageous in that when the hand chain 3 is loaded, the angle of the components forces the band chain in the direction of the wall, thus increasing the security of the device by reducing the possibility of the chain 3 coming out of the slot 17.
Moreover, the present invention is also advantageous in that the resistance of the chain keeper 1 increases because the load is near to the wall, and thus the lever arm created is substantially small, and because of the slant of the plates 7, as discussed above.
Of course, numerous modifications could be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20040103505 A1 | Jun 2004 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60364101 | Mar 2002 | US |
