Removable Access Door With Multiple Pivot Axes

The present invention is directed to an access door for providing selective access to the interior of a conveyor housing or other enclosure, and in particular to an access door which is selectively pivotal about one of a plurality of axes and which is also selectively removable from the housing.

Access doors for conveyor housings and other enclosures typically include a door which is attached to the housing for pivotal movement about a predetermined single axis. Once installed, the pivot axis of these access doors can not be relocated to allow the door to open in a different direction. Thus when existing equipment is retrofitted or new equipment is installed adjacent to equipment having an access door, the access door may become blocked against fully opening about its predetermined pivot axis, although the door could still be fully opened if the location of the pivot axis could be changed. The present invention overcomes these problems.

An access door arrangement is provided which permits access to the interior of a housing. The access door arrangement includes a flange member adapted to be secured to the wall of a housing. The flange member includes an aperture which provides a passageway through the flange member and wall of the housing to the interior of the housing. The access door arrangement includes a cover member which is adapted to overly the aperture of the flange member, when in a closed position, to limit access to the housing. A plurality of first hinge members are attached to the cover member at a plurality of locations around the cover member. Each first hinge member is adapted to form part of a hinge mechanism between the flange member and the cover member. Each first hinge member is adapted to provide selective pivotal movement of the cover member between an open position and a closed position about a respective axis, such that the cover member may be selectively pivoted in a selected one of a plurality of different directions about an axis of one of the first hinge members. A plurality of second hinge members are attached to the flange member at a plurality of locations around the flange member. Each second hinge member is positioned to cooperate with a first hinge member to selectively form part of a hinge mechanism between the flange member and the cover member. A first attachment member is adapted to pivotally connect a selected first one of the plurality of first hinge connector members to one of the second hinge members to form a first hinge mechanism between the cover member and the flange member. The first hinge mechanism includes a first pivot axis about which the cover member is selectively pivotal. The first attachment member is adapted to selectively release the selected first hinge connector member from the second hinge connector member when desired. A second attachment member is adapted to pivotally connect a selected second one of the first hinge connector members to one of the second hinge connector members so as to form a second hinge mechanism between the cover member and the flange member. The second hinge mechanism includes a second pivot axis about which the cover member may be selectively pivoted. The second attachment member is adapted to selectively release the selected second one of the first hinge connector members from the second hinge connector member when desired.

The selective engagement of the first attachment member with the first and second hinge connector numbers determines the location of a first pivot axis of the cover member from among a member of possible locations. The selective engagement of the second attachment number with the selected first and second hinge connector members determines the location of a second pivot axis about which the cover member may pivot from among a number of possible locations. The cover member may be selectively pivoted about the first pivot axis upon the removal of the second attachment member. Alternatively, the cover member may be selectively pivoted about the second pivot axis upon the selective removal of the first attachment member. The cover member may also be removed in its entirety from the flange member and the housing by the removal of all of the attachment members.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the access door arrangement of the present invention shown attached to a housing with the cover member shown in a closed and locked position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the access door arrangement shown with the cover member pivoted about an axis to an open position.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the access door arrangement with the hinge pins and cover member removed from the frame.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the access door arrangement taken along lines 4--4 of FIG. 1.

The access door arrangement 10, as shown in FIGS. 1-4, is adapted to be attached to a wall 12 of a base member such as a housing 14. The housing 14 may be a conveyor housing, bin, silo, or other type of enclosure.

The access door 10 includes a portal frame 20 having an aperture 22 which is adapted to provide a passageway through the portal frame 20 and wall 12 to the interior of the housing 14. The portal frame 20 includes a generally tubular collar or web 24 which forms the aperture 22. The web 24 includes a lower circumferential edge 26 and an upper circumferential edge 28. A lower flange 30 is attached to the lower edge 26 of the web 24 and extends outwardly from and generally perpendicular to the web 24. The lower flange 30 extends around the entire circumference of the web 24 along the lower edge 26. The lower flange 30 includes a plurality of apertures 32 which are adapted to facilitate the attachment of the portal frame 20 to the wall 12 of the housing 14 with fasteners such as nuts and bolts. An upper flange 34 is attached to the upper edge 28 of the web 24 and extends outwardly from and generally perpendicular to the web 24. The upper flange 34 extends around the entire circumference of the web 24 along the upper edge 28.

The upper flange 34 includes a peripheral edge 36. The frame 20 as shown in the drawing figures is generally rectangular and includes a plurality of generally rectangular sides 40A-D. The sides 40A and 40C oppose one another and the sides 40B and 40D oppose one another. The frame 20 may alternately be circular, square, or other shapes as desired. If the portal frame 20 was formed in a circular manner, it would include a plurality of locations around its perimeter which are equivalent to rectilinear sides in a polygonal-shaped portal frame.

As best shown in FIG. 2, the upper flange 34 includes an aperture 38 extending through a corner thereof. The upper flange 34 may include additional apertures 38 if desired. For example, an aperture 38 may be located in each corner of the upper flange 34. If desired, a sealing gasket (not shown) may be provided between the lower surface of the lower flange 30 and the wall 12 of the housing 14 to provide a seal therebetween. As best shown in FIG. 4, the web 24, lower flange 30 and upper flange 34 form a generally C-shaped cross section. The frame 20 may be made from various types of metals or from various types of plastics, such as high impact plastics.

The access door 10 also includes a closure or cover member 50. The cover member 50 includes a generally planar plate 52 having a peripheral edge 54. As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the plate 52 is adapted to overly the aperture 22 and upper flange 34 of the frame 20 such that the peripheral edge 54 of the plate 52 is substantially aligned in juxtaposition with the peripheral edge 36 of the upper flange 34 about its entire circumference. The cover member 50 thus conforms to the general shape of the upper flange 34. The preferred embodiment of the cover member 50, as shown, is generally rectangular and includes a plurality of sides 58A-D which correspond respectively to the sides 40A-D of the frame 20. The cover member 50 is shown in the drawing figures as comprising a single plate 52. However, if desired the cover member 50 can be formed from a plurality of plates, each of which is adapted to overly a specific portion of the aperture 22. The plate 52 may include an aperture 56 which is adapted to be coaxially aligned in juxtaposition with the aperture 38 in the frame 20 when the cover member 50 is in the closed position as shown in FIG. 1. The apertures 38 and 56 form a passageway through the upper flange 34 and plate 52 through which a padlock or other locking device may be inserted to prevent opening of the cover member 50 except by authorized personnel. A sealing gasket 60 is preferably located between the outer surface of the upper flange 34 and the interior surface of the plate 52 to provide a seal therebetween. The cover member 50 may be made from various types of metals or various types of plastics such as high impact plastics.

The access door 10 includes a plurality of hinge connector members such as frame hinge members 64A-D attached to the peripheral edge 38 of the upper flange 34 of the frame 20 at a plurality of locations around the upper flange 34. The frame hinge member 64A is located on the side 40A of the frame 20, the frame hinge member 64B is located on the side 40B, the frame hinge member 64C is located on the side 40C, and the frame hinge member 64D is located on the side 40D of the frame 20. Each frame hinge member 64A-D preferably includes two axially aligned and spaced apart tubular members 66. Each tubular member 66 includes a longitudinally extending, generally cylindrical bore. The bores of the tubular members 66 of the frame hinge member 64A are coaxially aligned about a pivot axis 68A. The bores of the tubular members 66 of the frame hinge member 64B are coaxially aligned about a pivot axis 68B. The bores of the tubular members 66 of the frame hinge member 64C are coaxially aligned about a pivot axis 68C. The bores of the tubular members 66 of the frame hinge member 64D are coaxially aligned about a pivot axis 68D. The pivot axes 68A and 68C are spaced apart and generally parallel to one another and generally perpendicular to the pivot axes 68B and 68D. The pivot axes 68B and 68D are spaced apart and generally parallel to one another and perpendicular to the pivot axes 68A and 68C. While each frame hinge member 64A-D is shown as including two spaced apart tubular members 66, each frame hinge member 64A-D may alternatively include only a single tubular member 66 or additional spaced apart and coaxially aligned tubular members 66. While the frame hinge members 64A-D are preferably attached to the frame 20, if desired, the frame 20 may be eliminated and the frame hinge members 64A-D can be attached directly to the wall 12 of the housing 14.

The access door 10 also includes a plurality of hinge connector members such as cover hinge members 74A-D. The cover hinge members 74A-D are attached to the peripheral edge 54 of the plate 52 at a plurality of locations around the cover member 50. The cover hinge members 74A-D are respectively located on each of the sides 58A-D of the cover member 50. Each of the cover hinge members 74A-D are positioned on the cover member 50 to cooperate with a respective frame hinge member 64A-D to form part of a hinge mechanism between the flange 34 and the cover member 50. Each cover hinge member 74A-D includes a tubular member 76 which includes a longitudinally extending generally cylindrical bore. When the cover member 50 is in the closed position, as shown in FIG. 1, the tubular member 76 of each cover hinge member 74A-D is adapted to be respectively located between the spaced apart tubular members 66 of the frame hinge members 64A-D, such that the bores of the tubular members 66 and 76 are coaxially aligned with one another. While each cover hinge member 74A-D is shown as including one tubular member 76, each cover hinge member 74A-D can include additional spaced apart and coaxially aligned tubular members 76 if desired. The cover hinge members 74A-D are adapted to respectively provide pivotal movement of the cover member 50 between open and closed positions about the pivot axes 68A-D.

The access door 10 also includes one or more hinge attachment members such as hinge pins 84A-B. Only one hinge pin 84 is required for operation but, for convenience, a plurality of them may be supplied. As best shown in FIG. 3, each hinge pin 84A-B includes a first leg 86 having a first end 88 and a second end 90. The first leg 86 is elongate and generally rectilinear and cylindrical. The first leg 86 is adapted to extend within the aligned bores of the frame hinge members 64A-D and of the cover hinge members 74A-D, and to be selectively slidable therein along the respective pivot axes 68A-D. Each hinge pin 84A-B aim preferably includes a second leg 92 having a first end 94 and a second end 96. The second leg 92 is elongate and generally rectilinear and cylindrical. The second end 96 of the second leg 92 is attached to the second end 90 of the first leg 86 such that the hinge pin is generally U-shaped or V-shaped. The second end 96 of the second leg 92 includes a hook member 98 which is adapted to selectively attach the second end 96 of the second leg 92 to the first end 88 of the first leg 86. The second leg 92 is resilient such that the second leg 92 biases the hook member 98 into continuing engagement with the first leg 86 once the hook member 98 is placed into interlocking engagement with the first leg 86. The hook member 98 is selectively releasable from the first leg 86 to allow sliding removal of the first leg 86 from the frame hinge members 64A-D and cover hinge members 74A-D. In operation, the first leg 86 of the hinge pin 84A may be slidably inserted through the bores of the aligned frame hinge member 64A and cover hinge member 74A, or frame hinge member 64B and cover hinge member 74B, or frame hinge member 64C and cover hinge member 74C, or frame hinge member 64D and cover hinge member 74D. As shown in FIG. 1, the hinge pin 84A is inserted within the bores of the frame hinge members 64A and the cover hinge member 74A thereby forming a hinge mechanism 104 which is adapted to allow selective pivotal movement of the cover member 50 between a closed position, as shown in FIG. 1, and an open position as shown in FIG. 2 about the hinge pin 84A and the pivot axis 68A. This essentially completes a hinge mechanism. The hinge pin 84B can be slidably inserted through the bores of any one of the remaining aligned pairs of frame hinge member 64B and cover hinge member 74B, or frame hinge member 64C and cover hinge member 74C, or frame hinge member 64D and cover hinge member 74D to prevent opening of the cover. As shown in FIG. 1, the hinge pin 84B is inserted through the bores of the frame hinge member 64C and the cover hinge member 74C to form a hinge mechanism 106. The hinge mechanism 106 allows selective pivotal movement of the cover member 50 about the hinge pin 84D and the pivot axis 68C between the closed position and an open position. When both hinge pins 84A and 84B are inserted to form the hinge mechanisms 104 and 106 as shown in FIG. 1, the hinge pin 84B locks the cover member from pivotal movement about the hinge pin 84A and pivot axis 68A, and the hinge pin 84A prevents pivotal movement of the cover member 50 about the hinge pin 84B and pivot axis 68C. As shown in FIG. 1, the hinge pin 84B is slidable along the pivot axis 68C until the cover hinge member 74 is released from the frame hinge member 63C, whereupon the cover member 50 can be selectively pivoted about the pivot axis 68A. The hinge pin 84A can similarly be slid along the pivot axis 68A to disengage the cover hinge member 74A from the frame hinge member 64A to allow selective pivotal movement of the cover hinge member 50 about the pivot axis 68C.

The access door 10 may be configured to selectively pivot about any pivot axis 68A-D by the insertion of the hinge pin 84A through the desired frame hinge member and cover hinge member which form the desired pivot axis. The insertion of the hinge pin 84B through a remaining frame hinge member and cover hinge member will prevent pivotal movement of the cover member about the hinge pin 84A, while allowing pivotal movement of the cover member 50 about the hinge pin 84B upon removal of the hinge pin 84A. Thus the access door 10 can be configured such that the cover member 50 may be selectively pivotal between a closed and open position about the pivot axis 68A in an upward direction, about the pivot axis 68B to the right, about the pivot axis 68C in a downward direction, or about the pivot axis 68D to the left as desired. Alternatively, all of the hinge pins 84A-B can be removed from the frame hinge members 64A-D and cover hinge members 74A-D to allow the complete removal of the cover member 50 from the frame hinge member 64A-D and frame 20. Such a complete removal of the cover member 50 can be performed with less than one-inch of clearance on the outer side of the cover member 50. Additional hinge pins (not shown) may be used in connection with the access door 10 to form additional hinge mechanisms. For example, a hinge pin could be respectively inserted through each of the aligned frame hinge members 64A-D and cover hinge members 74A-D to form four hinge mechanisms. Removal of any three hinge pins will allow pivotal movement of the cover member 50 about the remaining hinge pin.

Various features of the invention have been particularly shown and described in connection with the illustrated embodiment of the invention, however, it must be understood that these particular arrangements merely illustrate, and that the invention is to be given its fullest interpretation within the terms of the appended claims.