Hook assembly for chain tensioners

摘要

Aspects of the invention are directed to an apparatus that may be used as a chain tensioner. The apparatus comprises an attachment element, such as a hook, that is rotatably coupled to a locking plate. In use, the apparatus is operative to take on a plurality of locked states and an unlocked state. Each of the plurality of locked states is characterized by the locking plate being pressed into a cavity of a locking body in a manner that prevents the locking body, and, by extension, the attachment element from rotating. The unlocked state is characterized by the locking plate being outside the cavity, and thereby free to rotate. The attachment element is therefore capable of being swiveled between, and locked into, multiple orientations.

主权项

1. An apparatus comprising:
a frame; a locking body, the locking body fixed in the frame, and defining a cavity and an aperture therein, the aperture being in communication with the cavity; a threaded receiver, the threaded receiver passing through the aperture, at least partially occupying the cavity, and free to rotate; a locking plate, the locking plate defining a mating slot and having a shape that prevents the locking plate from rotating within the cavity when the locking plate is inserted into the cavity; a biasing element, the biasing element in contact with the locking plate; an attachment element; and a threaded shaft, the threaded shaft extending in a longitudinal direction from the attachment element through the threaded receiver and the mating slot, and shaped so as to cooperate with the mating slot to prevent the threaded shaft from rotating independently of the locking plate while still being translatable in the longitudinal direction therethrough; wherein the apparatus is operative to take on a plurality of locked states and an unlocked state, each of the plurality of locked states characterized by the locking plate being pressed into the cavity by the biasing element and thereby prevented from rotating by the locking body, and the unlocked state characterized by the locking plate being outside the cavity and thereby free to rotate; wherein the unlocked state can be achieved from a respective one of the plurality of locked states by manually pressing the threaded receiver against the locking plate so as to translate the locking plate out of the cavity counter to the bias of the biasing element.