US 12,241,492 B2
Slam latch for spreader
Philip Sandler, Mayfield Village, OH (US)
Assigned to BUYERS PRODUCTS COMPANY, Mentor, OH (US)
Filed by Buyers Products Company, Mentor, OH (US)
Filed on May 4, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/736,310.
Prior Publication US 2023/0358257 A1, Nov. 9, 2023
Int. Cl. F16B 2/18 (2006.01); E01H 10/00 (2006.01)
CPC F16B 2/18 (2013.01) [E01H 10/007 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A slam latch for attaching a chute to a hopper mounted onto a vehicle, comprising:
a cover secured to an exterior surface of the hopper and defining a void between an interior surface of the cover and the exterior surface of the hopper;
a first engagement hole formed in the cover that is aligned with a second engagement hole formed in the hopper;
a pin, mounted to an exterior surface of the cover, for back-and-forth movement through the first and second engagement holes;
a support for perpendicularly retaining the pin against the exterior surface of the cover;
a biasing member for urging the pin into engagement with the first and second engagement holes;
a plunger, retained in the void and configured for free back-and-forth movement between a closed position and an open position, wherein the closed position blocks the pin from engagement with the first and second engagement holes, and wherein the open position admits the pin for engagement with the first and second engagement holes; and
an engagement member portion of the chute, configured for sliding into the void and having a third engagement hole for aligning between the first and second engagement holes, wherein the chute is displaced such that the engagement member slides into the void and displaces the plunger, enabling engagement of the pin with the first, second and third engagement holes, thereby attaching the chute to the hopper.
 
8. A spreader system of a vehicle, comprising:
a hopper for receiving material to be spread;
a chute connected to the hopper with first and second hinges, and also including first and second engagement members on opposite side of the chute, each of the engagement members having an engagement hole;
first and second slam latches, mounted on opposite sides of the hopper, for each engaging with the respective engagement holes of the first and second engagement members of the chute, wherein each of the first and second slam latches comprise:
a cover secured to an exterior surface of the hopper and defining a void between an interior surface of the cover and the exterior surface of the hopper;
a first engagement hole formed in the cover that is aligned with a second engagement hole formed in the hopper;
a pin, mounted to an exterior surface of the cover, for back-and-forth movement through the first and second engagement holes;
a support for perpendicularly retaining the pin against the exterior surface of the cover;
a biasing member for urging the pin into engagement with the first and second engagement holes;
a plunger, retained in the void and configured for free back-and-forth movement between a closed position and an open position, wherein the closed position blocks the pin from engagement with the first and second engagement holes, and wherein the open position admits the pin for engagement with the first and second engagement boles; and
wherein each engagement member of the chute is configured for sliding into the void of a respective slam latch and wherein the engagement hole of each engagement member is configured for aligning between the first and second engagement holes of the respective slam latch, wherein the chute is displaced such that each engagement member slides into the respective void and displaces the respective plunger, enabling engagement of the pin with the respective engagement holes, thereby attaching the chute to the hopper.