Abstract:
An apparatus usable primarily with emergency vehicles wherein a ladder or other large piece of emergency equipment can be maintained in a horizontal orientation stored above the vehicle body and is movable to a lower access position to facilitate removal and replacement thereof. Power is provided by two hydraulic cylinders connected to an arm which drives a driveshaft connected to a lift arm. Once such support assembly is located in the forward portion of the vehicle body and another similar support assembly is located in the rear portion thereof. A longitudinal support extends between the lifting arms and includes a locking device thereon to facilitate securement of ladders or other longitudinal objects thereto. Positioning of the support assemblies at opposite ends of the vehicle body enhances access to the storage compartments located on the lateral sides of the vehicular body such as for fire trucks and the like.
Abstract:
A releasable latching apparatus having a monitoring means for electrically indicating whether the latching apparatus is in the engaged or disengaged positions. The apparatus includes a main housing with a tab member selectively engageable therewith. A trigger member is pivotally mounted upon a trigger pin which in turn is pivotally mounted in the main housing. The trigger member is selectively engageable with the tab member for engaging or releasing thereof with respect to the main housing. An ejector member is movable between an engagement position and a released position responsive to whether the tab member is engaged to the trigger member. The ejector includes an ejector pin extending outwardly therefrom through an ejector pin opening defined in the main housing to selectively contact the switch lever of a switch which is affixedly secured to the exterior of the main housing. An external switch housing is detachable to extend about the main housing and about the switch means fixedly mounted on the exterior thereof.
Abstract:
A latching apparatus including a tab member detachably securable with respect to a base and housing combination which includes a trigger assembly therein and an ejector assembly for selectively achieving securement or detachment of the tab member with respect to the housing as desired. The housing includes side walls defined in apertures through which a pin may extend upon which the trigger member is pivotally mounted with respect to the housing. The trigger member can be externally manipulated and is operable to selectively engage or disengage the latching slot of the tab. The trigger is biased into engagement with the latching slot of the tab by a trigger spring. An ejector including a notch defined therein is adapted to be selectively compressed by the tab when positioned in locking engagement within the tab channel and includes an injector spring to facilitate ejection of the tab from the tab channel when the trigger is moved to the disengaging position. Operation of the trigger to the disengaging position is achieved by movement in the same direction that the tab moves while being removed from the channel.
Abstract:
A floating intake or suction head for use in pumping water from a pool, pond, stream or tank through a fire hose or the like, essentially includes two separately formed members, namely a float and a strainer. The strainer is connectable to a length of fire hose, and may be used independently of the float. When used with the float, the strainer and float relatively, slidably interengage, permitting the strainer to be slidably moved into a recess of the float, along a straight line, to a final position in which apertured brackets of the float and strainer align. Normally retracted, spring biased connecting pins mounted on the float are then quickly releasable and under the spring loading thereof shift axially through the brackets of the strainer, thus connecting the strainer to the float. Means on the strainer and float normally interengage the same against relative movement when the strainer reaches the position in which the pins are shiftable to make the connection between the float and strainer, but are quickly releasable to thereafter permit the strainer to pivot upon the pins to a position in which it is at least partially submerged in the body of water on which the float is buoyantly supported. The construction has the advantage of permitting the strainer to be used independently of the float, and the further advantage of permitting a quick connection to be made therebetween, without tools, in total darkness, or under other adverse conditions.
Abstract:
A boat light is especially adapted to be mounted upon the transom or stern of a cabin cruiser, speedboat, small yacht, or the like. A holder for a lamp unit has a spherically curved outer surface engaging a complementary inner surface of a housing attachable to the hull of the boat. The holder is universally adjustable to selected angular positions of adjustment relative to the housing. In a typical adjustment, the beam of the lamp unit may be projected horizontally despite the inclination of the transom from the vertical. In the selected position of adjustment, the tightening of screws by which the device is assembled and mounted on the transom is effective to preserve the lamp unit holder adjustment. This occurs when a shield closing the inner end of the housing is caused to bear against a rearwardly projecting surface of the holder. The holder, or at least the shield-engaging surface thereof, is of a deformable material. The shield, when the screws are tightened, deforms and flattens the holder material to bind the holder frictionally against the shield, thus to preserve the selected adjustment.
Abstract:
A mounting device for fire hose nozzles of the pistol-grip-type is mountable upon a fire truck or similar vehicle. Centrally disposed in the device is a holster of soft, compressible rubber or similar material, having a tubular form and inclined or canted to accommodate the pistol-grip-type handle of a fire hose nozzle. The holster is protectively enclosed by front and back plates, which can be drawn toward each other so as to reduce the width of the holster, to permit it to accommodate pistol-grips on fire engine hose nozzles of various makes and sizes. A supporting bracket is attachable to one of the retaining plates, and is adapted to be attached to an adjacent surface of the vehicle, in any of various positions, including a position in which the bracket is spaced away from the associated back plate by a stand-off sleeve or spacer.