Leaf Spring Detent

"Charity" wrote: (clip) Does anyone here have any insight as to where exactly I could find such an animal? (clip) Think of it like the tent poles (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Not so much an "insight," as a suggestion/hunch. Look for a sporting goods store in a poor area--they might have a cheap, beat-up tent for sale. or possibly some tent poles. Those things are also used on crutches, adjustable canes, walkers, canopies, etc.

You can easily make one yourself. I suggest you go to your local Home Depot and check out the various models of extension poles they have on sale. The locking mechanism is very simple and could even be modified once you get the idea of how in works. It is just a pin with a rounded end being pushed by a spring (leaf or spiral type) to engage the holes on the telescoping tube. It can be put either on the outside or inside depending on the relative location of the telescoping tube.

McMaster has them, in all different materials, for all different tubing sizes, etc.

Example part:

Part Number: 92988A650 $7.66 per Pack of 5 Material Type Stainless Steel Finish Plain Stainless Steel Type 410 Stainless Steel Pin Type Pins for Telescoping Tubing Pins for Telescoping Tubing Type Quick-Release Button Connector Quick-Release Button Connector Type Single Button Dog Leg System of Measurement Inch Length 1.40" Rockwell Hardness Minimum C42 Specifications Met Not Rated Installation Instructions With a connector installed within the smaller tube, push the smaller tube inside the larger tube until the connector button pops into a hole. For Round Tubing ID .45"-.80" For Square Tubing ID .37"-.80" Button Diameter .250" Button Height .28" Connector Width .365" Connector Thickness .018"

Do it like this:

1) Make a disk out of aluminum or plastic of exactly or very close to the diameter as the inside diameter of your smaller tube.

2) Drill a hole diametrically through that disk at slightly a bigger size than the holes you are planning to drill through the side of the two engaging tubes.

3) Make two pins with a stepped shoulder where the larger diameter is equal to the inside diameter of the hole you drilled through your disk in step 1. Make each pin about a 1/4 in length of the diameter of the disk you made in step 1. The smaller diameter of the pin should be equal or slightly smaller that the holes you're going to drill through your tubes and with a length equal to or slightly longer than the sum of the wall thickness of the two engaging tubes. Round the smaller ends of the pin.

4) Find an appropriate size of spiral spring with an outside diameter slightly less or eqaul to the diameter of the hole drilled through the disk in step 1

5) Assemble the parts inside the hole in the disk. Place one pin inside the hole in the disk, rounded end facing outward. Insert the spring in the hole followed by the other pin with the rounded end facing outward too. You should now have the spring sandwiched in between the 2 pins inside the disk.

6) Compress the pins and spring inside the disk and slide the whole assembly in your tube until it lines up and locks with the hole in your smaller tube.

You should be able to figure out after these steps what to do about it next.

Or buy the part ready made in stainless steel from McMaster for a buck or two and save your hour plus of labor.

To all others who responded, thank for your help. To Pete, this is exactly what I was looking for. I had spent a lot of time already at McMaster's site, but always looking for detents. I had even emailed them asking for something that met the basic rough description I gave here, and believe it or not, their response was a curt "search our website."

The real irony of this is that when I first started searching on google for this part, I was using the phrase telescoping tubing in my search, only to come up with patent info and more proper names for it, which I then used to further google on. If I had stuck to this phrase at McMaster's site, I would have found it straight away. Husband always says I can outsmart myself if I am not careful!

Again, thank you Pete. I'm off to order what I need!

Charity

Pete C. wrote: >

McMaster has them, in all different materials,

Here in UK they are called Button Clips or Tent Pole Clips.

I know someone who uses them in their product. I'll try to find out who makes them. They won't reveal some of their sources to me, but I'll try..