Claims
- 1. A system for joining two bodies, comprising:
a rotatable locking member having a pair of diametrically opposed notches, a pair of diametrically opposed first sectors having a first radius, and a pair of diametrically opposed second sectors having a second radius larger than said first radius; a shaft attached to and extending axially from said locking member; a first body having a cavity and an opening for inserting said locking member into said cavity, said cavity having a size permitting rotation of said locking member and said opening being smaller than said cavity to prohibit removal of said locking member from said cavity when said locking member has been rotated out of alignment with said opening; a first pin extending into said cavity; and a movable first stopper in said first body and that is urged into said cavity to said first radius at a position where said first stopper engages one of said first sectors when said first pin is engaged in one of said notches and one of said second sectors is between said one first sector and said notch that engages said first pin.
- 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a release bar inside said one first sector of said locking member and that is selectively extendable to at least said second radius to push said first stopper out of engagement with said one first sector.
- 3. The system of claim 2, further comprising an actuator inside said shaft and that selectively engages and extends said release bar.
- 4. The system of claim 3, wherein said actuator comprises a wedge that is movable within said shaft toward said locking member and into engagement with said release bar.
- 5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second body having a receptacle for holding an end of said shaft opposite said locking member so that said shaft holds said first and second bodies together when said locking member is rotated so that said first stopper engages one of said first sectors when said first pin is engaged in one of said notches and one of said second sectors is between said one first sector and said notch that engages said first pin.
- 6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second pin extending through said cavity, and a movable second stopper in said first body and that is urged into said cavity to said first radius at a position where said second stopper engages the other one of said first sectors when said second pin is engaged in the other one of said notches and the other one of said second sectors is between said other first sector and said other notch that engages said second pin.
- 7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a release bar inside said first sectors of said disc that is selectively extendable in diametrically opposed directions to at least said second radius to push said first and second stoppers out of engagement with said respective first sectors.
- 8. The system of claim 7, further comprising an actuator inside said shaft and that selectively engages and extends said release bar.
- 9. The system of claim 1, wherein said first body comprises a connection to a vacuum for urging said locking member to remain in said cavity.
- 10. The system of claim 1, wherein said first body comprises a connection to a source of pressure for urging said locking member out of said cavity.
- 11. The system of claim 1, wherein said first body is one of an aircraft fuselage and a structure to be released from an aircraft fuselage.
- 12. A system for joining two components, comprising:
a rotatable disc in a cavity in one component, said disc having a pair of diametrically opposed notches, a pair of diametrically opposed first sectors having a first radius, and a pair of diametrically opposed second sectors having a second radius larger than the first radius; two spaced-apart pins extending into said cavity; the one component having an opening smaller than said cavity and through which said disc is inserted, said cavity being large enough to permit rotation of said disc when said disc is inserted therein; movable stoppers in the one component that are urged into said cavity at a position where each said stopper engages one of said first sectors when said pins engage respective ones of said notches; and a shaft extending axially from said disc through said opening and having a distal end that engages a second component so that said shaft holds the two components together when said disc is in said cavity and rotated so that said pins engage respective ones of said notches and said distal end of said shaft is held by the second component.
- 13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a release bar inside said first sectors of said disc that is selectively extendable in diametrically opposed directions to at least said second radius to push said first and second stoppers out of engagement with said respective first sectors.
- 14. The system of claim 13, further comprising an actuator inside said shaft and that selectively engages and extends said release bar.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part application of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/854,376 filed May 15, 2001, and claims the benefit thereof. All of the subject matter of that application is incorporated herein by reference.
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09854376 |
May 2001 |
US |
Child |
10849467 |
May 2004 |
US |