Leveraging leaf lock

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for opening / closing and locking a door leaf by driving a vertical linkage comprising an upper rod and a lower rod, said device comprising a rotating control plate and a handling lever, said control plate comprising a first buttonhole for connecting the upper rod and a second buttonhole for connecting the lower rod, a movable connecting means passing through each buttonhole allowing each rod to be connected to its respective buttonhole, said buttonholes being oblong in shape and preferably arched, and situated symmetrically with respect to the center of the control plate and substantially tangentially to the peripheral area of ​​the control plate, the handling lever being substantially arched in shape and formed of two parts substantially tangential to each other,including a first proximal part integral with the control plate and a second distal part comprising a handle, and the device having three positions: - a semi-automatic closing position in which, if the closure is on the left side of the door leaf, the proximal part of the lever extends at an angle of 0° in a trigonometric plane, the first buttonhole is located in an arc between 90° and 180°, and the second buttonhole is located in an arc between 270° and 0°, respectively if the closure is on the right side of the door leaf, the proximal part of the lever extends at an angle of 180° in a trigonometric plane, the first buttonhole is located in an arc between 0° and 90°, and the second buttonhole is located in an arc between 180° and 270°; - an opening position,in which the control plate is pivoted in a first direction so that the distal part of the lever is located outside the rotation range of the door leaf; - a secure locking position in which the control plate is pivoted in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, from the semi-automatic closing position, and in which the position of the buttonholes and the movable linking means is fixed by virtue of the position of the buttonholes being substantially perpendicular to the axis of the rods.

Description

Object of the invention

[0001] The invention relates to a door leaf opening / closing device, in particular a device for a door leaf integrated into a livestock or animal handling or containment structure, for example, cattle, equines, sheep, or others. More specifically, the device allows the door leaf to be opened / closed and locked in a secure position.

[0002] The present invention also relates to a livestock transport module, whether it is placed on a self-propelled vehicle, on a towed vehicle of the trailer type, or carried on a platform or other transport structure, the door structure of which includes such a leaf opening / closing device. State of the art

[0003] For ease of reading, in the rest of this document, the term "livestock trailer" will generically refer to any module for transporting livestock and other animals, whether it is placed on a self-propelled vehicle, on a towed vehicle such as a trailer, or carried on a platform or other transport structure, without this generic term in any way limiting the scope of application.

[0004] Considering the purpose of transport, it is conventional that the terms "front", "rear", "left" and "right" are considered in relation to the direction of advancement of the transport.

[0005] Generally, a livestock trailer consists of a transport cage enclosed at least at its base by a floor or bottom plate, and on all four sides by walls. The animals pass through an opening, most often located in the rear wall, but sometimes also in one of the side walls of the trailer. An opening may also be provided in one of the trailer's walls for an operator to access.

[0006] These opening sections are generally made up of either a hinged platform around a lower horizontal axis to serve as an access ramp or transfer bridge, or a structure consisting of one or two door leaves each mounted pivoting laterally on a frame around a vertical axis.

[0007] The literature includes a large number of documents dealing with the stress experienced by animals during transport, particularly in livestock trucks. Anyone experienced with livestock and other animals knows that during unloading, the animals being transported will be very nervous and will tend to rush out of the transport space as soon as it is opened.

[0008] Opening the animal gate after transport, for example upon arrival in pastures, particularly after winter during the livestock's first outing, is therefore a perilous operation. Once unlocked, the gate can open suddenly and unexpectedly under the pressure of the animals, with inherent risks for the operator. The operator can be struck, more or less violently, by the gate, or even be compressed or crushed between a swing gate and one of the barriers that are frequently deployed on either side of the opening to guide the animals during loading and unloading.

[0009] Similarly, when it comes to bringing animals back from pasture, they are not necessarily inclined to walk docilely into the livestock trailer. The same barriers can then be used to guide the livestock. Some animals, more timid or fearful, may also suddenly turn around inside the trailer in a sudden effort to get out, before the operator has been able to lock the opening. The risk to the operator is then the same: being violently struck by the opening section pushed by the animal, and / or being compressed or even crushed between a swinging door and one of the barriers.

[0010] Surprisingly, although this is a very topical issue to which all occupational safety organizations are paying particular attention, the inventor could not find any document dealing specifically with this safety issue.

[0011] Document FR3057007 describes a telescopic device positioned between the door and the livestock trailer frame. This document discloses a sliding mechanism with a pre-tensioned locking lug that slides along a rod equipped with several indexing holes along its length. The lug can be engaged in these holes to adjust the door opening. However, the operator must manually pull the locking lug to disengage it from the slide's indexing holes in order to open or close the door, and must release it to lock the desired opening position. During this entire process, the operator is positioned on one side of the door. Livestock on the other side, which they cannot see, may suddenly push or repel the door, potentially striking or crushing the operator.

[0012] Another well-known device for opening / closing a door leaf intended for a door frame comprising locking holes, the leaf being considered as the space within the internal limits of the door frame, includes a control device with a lever for moving the door leaf and driving a vertical linkage comprising a lower and an upper rod, each actuating a bolt at its distal end. Each bolt is provided with a return spring and a bolt connected to its respective rod. In the rest position, the return spring holds the bolt partially outside the perimeter of the door leaf, the bolts being, when the door leaf is closed, aligned with the strike plate holes in the door frame.

[0013] The control device that interests us includes a connection plate extending from the lever, allowing each rod to be connected to the lever in order to set them in motion.The connecting plate includes two oblong buttonholes, in which the two rods are respectively connected by means of a connecting lug each passing through one of the buttonholes, so that, in use, the movement in a first direction of the lever causes the movement of the connecting lugs in order to move each rod and move the locking rods from an automatic closing position to an opening position of the door leaf, and vice versa. The opening and closing device is in a so-called automatic closing position when the distal bolts extend at least partially beyond the perimeter of the door leaf, the lugs being located at one end of their respective buttonhole and free to move there towards the opposite end thanks to the position of the buttonholes.Thus, as they pass through the strike plate housing, the bolts, advantageously equipped with a beveled or rounded end, retract before engaging in the strike plate holes. Conversely, the opening and closing mechanism is in an open position when the bolts are retracted within the perimeter of the door leaf, allowing the leaf to pivot freely.

[0014] This principle of semi-automatic closing via a rotating control plate with oblong openings can be found, for example, as early as 1920 in DE375926 for the road, rail, and other transport sectors. It is also found in pedestrian doors, for example EP1766169, in the fastening of superstructures, for example US 2022 / 0251888, or even for computer enclosures, for example US11570926.

[0015] In the field of rear swing doors for road trailers, US3953061 offers a largely similar closing device, except that the oblong connecting holes are located not in the rotating plate, but rather at the proximal end of the rods, and the control lever simultaneously actuates a coaxial eccentric disc. In one of the three lever positions, the eccentric portion of this disc is rotated to the rear of the adjacent door leaf, so that the latter is caught between the disc and the outer edge of the first leaf. This position is called "full locked." Objectives of the invention

[0016] The main purpose of the present invention is to equip a rotating plate control device for opening / closing a door leaf with a device that ensures operator safety during opening and closing. In particular, the device of the present invention aims to provide easy opening control outside of areas dangerous to the operator, as well as a safety or transport lock that completely secures the closure of the livestock trailer against the sudden pushes of large animals or against the jolts of transport, both of which could disengage the device's locks. Indeed, in the closed position, the force of some animals bracing themselves against the door leaf in an attempt to escape can cause the locks of prior art livestock trailers to pop out, even with the bolts inserted in the strike plates.The same problem can also be caused by road jolts, which can deform the superstructure to the point that the bolts come out of their strike plates. Too many accidents in the agricultural sector bear witness to this. Generally, to prevent such accidents, livestock trailers equipped with a prior art device often also include an external locking bar that engages in two lateral hooks. One can easily imagine the impact of such an accident on the health of the livestock during transport. But the critical moment from a human perspective is when the operator pulls the handle to unlock the gate during unloading. As explained above, the operator risks being violently struck and / or thrown backward by the gate, which opens suddenly and violently under the pressure of the livestock. Agricultural insurance companies record many cases of accidents of this type, which can be avoided thanks to the device of the present invention.

[0017] The challenge of the device according to the present invention is also to provide the simplest and least expensive device to implement, as well as with minimal bulk. Main characteristic elements of the invention

[0018] A first aspect of the present invention relates to a device for opening / closing and locking a door leaf by driving a vertical linkage comprising an upper rod and a lower rod, said device comprising a rotating control plate and a handling lever, said control plate comprising a first buttonhole for connecting the upper rod and a second buttonhole for connecting the lower rod, a movable connecting means passing through each buttonhole allowing each rod to be connected to its respective buttonhole, said buttonholes being oblong in shape and preferably arched, and situated symmetrically with respect to the center of the control plate and substantially tangentially to the peripheral area of ​​the control plate,the handling lever being substantially arched in shape and formed of two parts substantially tangential to each other, of which a first proximal part is integral with the control plate and a second distal part includes a handle, and the device having three positions: , a semi-automatic closing position in which, if the closure is on the left side of the door leaf, the proximal part of the lever extends at an angle of 0° in a trigonometric plane, the first buttonhole is located in an arc between 90° and 180°, and the second buttonhole is located in an arc between 270° and 0°, respectively if the closure is on the right side of the door leaf, the proximal part of the lever extends at an angle of 180° in a trigonometric plane, the first buttonhole is located in an arc between 0° and 90°, and the second buttonhole is located in an arc between 180° and 270°; an opening position, in which the control plate is pivoted in a first direction so that the distal part of the lever is located outside the range of rotation of the door leaf;a secure locking position in which the control plate is pivoted in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, from the semi-automatic closing position, and in which the position of the buttonholes and the movable linking means is fixed thanks to the position of the buttonholes which is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the rods. ;

[0019] According to preferred embodiments of the invention, the device further comprises one of the following features, or an appropriate combination thereof: The proximal and distal parts of the handling lever form an angle of 90° or greater; the orientation of the distal part of the handling lever indicates the direction of pull corresponding to the first opening direction of the device; the lever is equipped with a selector with a locking pin pointing towards the side of the leaf and able to fit into a safety locking orifice or an automatic closing orifice provided in a fixed arched sector along which the lever pivots; the proximal ends of the lower and upper rods are offset from their axis and have a chicane or zigzag shape; the distal part of each rod consists of a flat rod that fits into a slot in the locking rod with a fixing element passing through the flat rod and the locking rod at the slot, allowing the pivoting connection of each rod to the respective locking rod;The locking rod is inserted into two sliding bearings between which the said locking rod is surrounded by the return spring and a washer which, under the effect of the spring, bears against a pin housed in a bore passing through the locking rod in its distal part.

[0020] Another aspect of the invention relates to a door comprising one or more door leaves, a door frame, and an opening / closing and locking device according to the invention. The door may include a strike plate with a deflecting approach section affixed by any means over the holes in the door frame corresponding to the bolts.

[0021] A third aspect of the invention relates to a livestock and other animal transport module, whether it is placed on a self-propelled vehicle, on a towed vehicle of the trailer type, or carried on a platform or other transport structure, generically called a "livestock trailer", characterized in that it includes a door with an opening / closing and locking device according to the invention. Brief description of the figures

[0022] Examples of embodiments of the invention are described in more detail later with the aid of the attached figures.

[0023] As a reminder, by convention, for the purposes of describing these figures, the terms "front," "rear," "left," and "right," as well as ordinal numbers, are considered in relation to the direction of travel of the livestock trailer. Elements examined separately must be considered in their normal position within the complete livestock trailer. Similarly, structural elements such as beams will be described as longitudinal and transverse if they are positioned in the direction of travel, respectively parallel and perpendicular to the direction of travel. There Figure 1 shows a perspective of a livestock trailer rear door including an example of an opening / closing device according to the invention, the rear door being detached from the livestock trailer on which it can be mounted. Figure 2shows an exploded view of a livestock trailer door leaf including an example of an opening / closing device according to the invention. Figure 3 shows an exploded view of a lock in an example of an opening / closing device according to the invention. Figure 4 shows an exploded view of a rotating control plate opening / closing device according to the invention. Figure 5 shows a perspective of the lock of the Figure 3 , when the opening / closing device is positioned in the open position. The Figure 6 shows a perspective of the lock of the Figure 3 , when the opening / closing device is positioned in the automatic closing or safety locking position. Figure 7 shows a perspective of the rotating control plate opening / closing device of the Figure 4 in the open position. The Figure 8shows a perspective of the rotating control plate opening / closing device of the Figure 4 in the automatic closing position. Figure 9 shows a perspective of the rotating control plate opening / closing device of the Figure 4 in the safety locking position. General description of the invention

[0024] To overcome the drawbacks of the prior art, the present invention proposes an opening / closing and locking device for a door leaf mounted to pivot about a vertical axis. The complete door may consist of one or two leaves within a door frame with a bottom rail and a top rail. The door leaf comprises a panel (solid or not) with two vertical edges, one of which is connected to the door frame by means allowing it to pivot, such as hinges. In the following description, the edge on the hinge side is referred to as the "fixed edge" and the edge on the opposite side is referred to as the "opening edge." As is customary, the door leaf is in the closed position when all its edges are against the door frame, and the door leaf is in the open position when the opening edge is not in contact with the door frame.

[0025] The opening / closing mechanism consists of a movable vertical rod located on the opening edge of each door leaf. The upper and lower distal ends of the rod can each engage in a locking hole located respectively in the upper and lower rails of the door frame. A small, angled sliding plate (such as a strike plate) is provided on each rail, positioned above the rod to guide its movement within the locking holes.

[0026] Two guide bearings are provided in the terminal region of the opening edge of the sash. Each of the distal ends of the linkage passes through the guide bearings. Between these two bearings, each rod is surrounded by a spiral spring and pierced by a pin; a washer is preferably placed between the spring and the pin around the rod to create a locking mechanism.

[0027] The vertical linkage is divided into an upper rod and a lower rod. Advantageously, each of these rods has, on its proximal side (i.e., the side opposite the door frame rails), an end section offset from its main axis, forming a chicane. These end sections are connected to a control device, preferably pivoting around a fixed point on the door leaf, and preferably at a height suitable for manual operation by an operator.

[0028] The control device comprises a control lever with a handle and a connecting plate for linking the control device to the rods. The connecting plate forms the end of the lever opposite the control handle and is pivotally connected to the door leaf around a central axis of rotation. The two rods are connected to the lever via the connecting plate, which has two oblong slots through which the upper and lower rods are movable, respectively, using two connecting lugs. The two slots are positioned substantially tangentially to the same imaginary circle around the axis of rotation of the plate. Preferably, they are advantageously arched in shape.

[0029] Preferably, the control lever consists of two parts substantially tangential to each other, the proximal part being fixed to the control plate and the distal part comprising a handle. The lever's shape, substantially arched, but which may also be curved, angular, mitered, or angular, preferably has an angle greater than or equal to 90° between its proximal and distal parts. The lever includes a selector with a locking pin that holds the plate in various positions around its axis of rotation. Rotating the lever thus allows the arrangement of the buttonholes to be changed, causing the lower and upper rods to move and ultimately open, close, or lock the door leaf.To achieve this, a control slide is provided in contact with the control lever, preferably behind it, between the lever and the door leaf, and fixed to the latter. The slide has two holes into which the locking pin of the control lever can be inserted, depending on the desired position. This slide is preferably curved to follow the rotation of the control lever and welded to the door leaf. The locking pin passes through the lever and is held securely in place by the lever, which is equipped, on the side opposite the door leaf, with a pull-out mechanism ensuring a good grip. This pin locks automatically in the two holes provided in the slide, allowing the control lever to be automatically locked at the two points of rotation of the lever corresponding to the two holes in the slide.To unlock the control mechanism and change the lever's angular position, the operator simultaneously pulls on the selector and the lever, the length of which provides a degree of flexibility. Alternatively, a movable lug pre-tensioned by a spring could be used.

[0030] The buttonhole arrangement on the connecting plate is precisely designed to offer three operational positions: an open position when the locking pin is separated from the two holes, with the lever fully rotated in the direction indicated by its handle; an automatic closing position where the locking pin is engaged in a slide closure hole corresponding to the central hole; and a transport locking position where the locking pin is engaged in a slide locking hole corresponding to the other hole. These positions are determined by the position of the buttonholes, oriented according to the rotation of the connecting plate.

[0031] The relative positioning of the buttonholes and the lever is such that when, in a trigonometric plane, the proximal part of the lever extends at an angle of 0°, the first buttonhole, which receives the upper rod, is located within an arc between 90° and 180°, and the second buttonhole, which receives the lower rod, is located within an arc between 270° and 0°. This rotational position of the turntable corresponds to the semi-automatic closing position.

[0032] When the connecting plate is brought to the open position by the lever, the rotation of the buttonholes, via the connecting lugs, pulls the rods towards their proximal ends, thus changing the position of their distal ends to extract them from their locking holes in the door frame rails. The door leaf can then pivot freely. Trigonometrically, the proximal part of the lever extends at an angle approaching 90°, the first buttonhole that receives the upper rod lies within an arc between 180° and 270°, and the second buttonhole that receives the lower rod lies within an arc between 0° and 90°.The connecting lugs of the rods are positioned against the stop of their respective buttonhole, and are thus forced to move towards a common horizontal plane with the axis of rotation of the lever, which has the effect of extracting the distal ends of the linkage from their locking hole.

[0033] The specific shape and configuration of the lever allows it to be manipulated from a non-opening area, thus protecting the operator from the sudden reaction of the livestock: the handle of the lever is brought from a vertical position to a near horizontal position oriented towards the opening edge of the door leaf and outside the rotation range of the door leaf.

[0034] In the self-closing position, when, trigonometrically speaking, as explained above, the proximal part of the lever extends at an angle of 0°, the first slot for the upper rod is located within an arc between 90° and 180°, and the second slot for the lower rod is located within an arc between 0° and 270°. The upper rod's connecting lug is at its upper stop in its slot, and the lower rod's connecting lug is at its lower stop in its slot. When the door leaf is pushed towards the door frame, the slots allow the connecting elements to move towards the horizontal plane common to the axis of rotation of the plate. This allows the upper and lower rods to lower and raise respectively as they pass over the oblique sliding plate preceding the locking holes. In doing so, the rod return springs are compressed.As soon as the distal ends of the rods reach the locking holes, the springs are released, returning the central connecting lugs to their starting position in their slots. This engages the distal ends of the rods in the locking holes, preventing them from disengaging because the lever's position is locked onto the control slide by the locking pin in the automatic closing orifice.

[0035] Pushing the door leaf as if to "slam the door" is thus sufficient to stop it in the closed position, without having to make an additional manual control in a risk area: without this automatic bilateral engagement of the rod ends in the locking holes, the livestock could still suddenly push the door and injure the operator.

[0036] The third position of the connection plate is the safety locking position, which allows the closure to be completely secured both against the furious charge of livestock and during movement, when the jolts of rolling are likely to disengage the locks by forcing on the return springs at the ends of the rods, springs which over time may also see their pressure force erode.

[0037] In this transport locking position, still considering the trigonometric plane, the proximal part of the lever extends at an angle approaching 270°. The buttonhole that receives the upper rod is located within an arc between 45° and 135°, and the buttonhole receiving the lower rod is located within an arc between 225° and 315°. The connecting lug of the upper rod is then at the stop of the upper buttonhole on the 135° side, and that of the lower rod at the stop of the lower buttonhole on the 315° side. In these positions, given the offset shape of the rod end sections connected to the connecting plate and the locking of the lever on the control slide via the locking pin in the locking hole, any movement of the linkage is impossible: the closure is completely secure.Since the buttonholes are approximately horizontal, this prevents vertical movement of the tabs and therefore of the rods.

[0038] The preceding description pertains to a door leaf with its pivot point on the right. The discerning reader will understand that for a panel with its pivot point on the left, a mirror image must be taken of the relevant components of the operating mechanism. It also goes without saying that the device configuration can be reversed to perform a downward opening pull. Description of a preferred embodiment of the invention

[0039] There Figure 1Figure 1 shows a door 1 intended to be fixed by means of some hinged device to the rear frame 2 of a livestock trailer, only the rear part of which is shown in dashed lines. The door 1 is intended to close the rear opening of the livestock trailer during transport and to allow passage for the livestock during loading and unloading operations.

[0040] In the illustrated example, door 1 consists of two leaves: a left leaf 3 and a right leaf 4, one being a vertically symmetrical reflection of the other. Of course, the invention also applies to a door consisting of a single leaf.

[0041] Each leaf 3 or 4 has along its opening side a vertical rod 5 housed in a casing 6 and controlled by a control device 7. For locking, the respective rod 5 of the leaf 3 or 4 concerned extends, as explained later, its lower and upper distal ends through holes made (but not shown) in the frame 2, advantageously reinforced by a strike plate 8 fixed in any way and on which the ends of the rod 5 can slide, aided in particular by the inclined part of the strike plate 8. In the illustrated example, this strike plate 8 is designed for two leaves; a person skilled in the art will quickly adapt it for a single-leaf door.

[0042] There Figure 2illustrates the mechanism of the invention by means of the single right-hand leaf 4, the fairing 6 of which has been cut away. The vertical linkage 5 is composed of a lower rod 9 and an upper rod 10. Their distal ends, namely those directed towards the frame 2, are each provided with a lock 11, the details of which will be better illustrated in Figure 3 Their proximal ends are offset from the linkage axis, creating a staggered geometric shape, in other words a zigzag shape, and are linked to the control device 7, here equipped with a comfort handle 12, the arrangement and operation of which will be explained in the context of the Figure 4 The zigzag shape of the proximal ends of the rods 9 and 10 ensures a maximized amplitude of their movement along the stroke of the control device 7 despite the compact dimensions of the fairing 6.

[0043] There Figure 3details the lock 11 located at the distal end of the upper rods 9 and lower rods 10 directed towards the frame 2. The Figures 5 And 6The figures illustrate the lock when the device is in the open and closed positions, respectively. The fairing 6 is provided at each of its distal ends with two sliding bearings 13 through which a locking rod 14 is inserted. The locking rod 14 has a bore 15 in its distal portion. In the space between the sliding bearings 13, the rod 14 is surrounded by a washer 16 and a suitable type of spring 17, for example, a spiral spring, with a length equal to or greater than the distance between the bearings 13. The proximal portion of the locking rod 14 is connected to the distal portion of the rod 9 or 10 by means of any connecting element 18.For example, the distal part of each rod 9, 10 can consist of a flat rod fitting into a slot in the locking rod 14, with the connecting element 18 passing through the flat rod and the locking rod 14 at this slot, allowing a pivot connection of the rod 9, 10 to the locking rod 14 to transform the movement of the rods 9 and 10, similar to that of a connecting rod, into a vertical rectilinear movement, preventing misalignment of the locking rods 14. A suitable retaining means, for example a pin 19, is inserted into the bore 15 before the end slide bearing 13. This assembly has the effect of maintaining pressure on the locking rods 14 to push them towards the frame 2, as shown in the figure. Figure 6 .

[0044] There Figure 4 details the control device 7 of the locks 11. The Figures 7 And 8illustrate the control system when the opening / closing device is in the semi-automatic opening and closing positions, respectively. figure 9This illustrates the control device when the opening / closing device is in the safety-locked position. The door leaf 4 has an arched sector 20 with a central recess and a rotation bearing 21 located in the central recess. The arched sector 20 is provided, preferably in its lower part, with a locking hole 22 and, preferably in its middle part, with an automatic closing hole 23. The control device 7 comprises a control lever 24 with a distal and a proximal part forming an arc, preferably at an angle greater than or equal to 90°, the distal part comprising a handle 12, and the proximal part extending into a connecting plate 29.The end of the lever 24, namely the connecting plate 29, which is preferably circular, is positioned on and in contact with the rotating bearing 21, and is provided with a central bushing 25 and two slots, preferably arched 26, preferably located near its periphery. The lever 24 is fixed to the rotating bearing 21 using suitable hardware, for example, a bolt-nut-washer assembly, passing through both the rotating bearing 21 and the central bushing 25 so as to clamp them without preventing rotation of one relative to the other. For improved ergonomics and safety, the control end of the lever 24 located on the side of the handle 12 is offset in some way, for example by folding, away from the flap 4 to avoid striking it during operation.The lever 24 is also provided, shortly before its offset, with a selector with a locking pin 27, one end of which passes through the lever 24 to fit into one of the locking holes 22 or automatic closing holes 23.

[0045] The offset proximal ends of the rods 9 and 10 are connected to the connecting plate 29 of the lever 24 by means of some device 28, here a bolt-nut-washer assembly called a "connecting lug". Each connecting lug 28 is housed in the slot 26 corresponding to the offset of the proximal ends, so as to be able to move within it. In the example illustrated on the Figure 4 , the lower rod 9, the end of which is offset to the right, is linked in the right buttonhole 26; the upper rod 10, offset to the left, is linked in the left buttonhole 26, so that the rotation of the lever 24 results in a maximized amplitude of displacement of the rods 9 and 10.

[0046] The position of the buttonholes 26 is specifically designed so that the lever 24 can be operated by standing to the left of the right-hand gate 4, apart from the possible sudden pivoting of the latter under the pressure of the cattle to be unloaded, and so that, when the pin 27 is housed in the automatic closing orifice 23, the connecting lug 28 is located at the end of the buttonhole 26 corresponding to the linked rod: at the lower end of the right buttonhole 26 for the lower rod 9, at the upper end of the left buttonhole 26 for the upper rod 10.

[0047] Thus, with the selector and its pin 27 housed in the automatic closing hole 23, when the door leaf 4 is pushed towards the door frame 2 and the locking rods 14 of the lower rods 9 and upper rods 10 slide over the curved part of the strike plates 8, the locking rods 14 retract into the casing 6, compressing their respective springs 17 and simultaneously pushing back the rods 9 and 10, whose proximal ends move into the slots 26. Once the locking rods 14 have passed through the curved part of the strike plates 8, they are pushed back by the action of the springs 17 into the holes in the strike plates 8 and through them into the locking holes of the door frame 2. The rods 9 and 10 follow the movement and their connecting lug 28 returns to its starting position in the slots. 26.The door closes automatically, without the incoming livestock being able to push it back before the additional safety locking operation characteristic of the invention.

[0048] It is also important to be able to fully lock the closure to prevent the jolts of rolling or the furious kicks of nervous livestock from causing the rods 9 and 10 to shift. To this end, the device of the invention can be placed in a third position, known as the safety locking position. To do this, the operator moves the lever 12 away from the plane of the flap 4, taking advantage of the flexibility of its design, to release the selector pin 27, and then rotates it in the opposite direction to the direction of the handle 12 until the selector pin 27 is inserted into the locking hole 22. This causes the buttonholes 26 to pivot to a substantially horizontal position on the trigonometric plane where the connecting lugs 28 are wedged at the opposite end of the buttonholes 26.The substantially horizontal position of these rods, aided by the insertion of the selector pin 27 locked in the locking hole 22, prevents any movement of the rods 9 and 10. The opening / closing device is in a safety-locked position when the connecting lugs 28 protrude at least partially from the perimeter of the door leaf 3, 4 and when the position of the buttonholes 26 prevents the movement of the lugs 28 within them, locking the door leaf 2 in a closed position, identical to the automatic closing position, except that the rods 9 and 10 are then blocked. Indeed, the orientation of the buttonholes in a substantially horizontal position on the trigonometric plane prevents the vertical movement of the lugs 28 and the rods 9 and 10.

[0049] To open the door by releasing the right leaf 4, the operator also moves the lever 24 away from the plane of the leaf 4 to release the selector 27, then turns the lever 24 in the direction suggested by the orientation of the handle 12 until the end of its travel, the handle 12 coming into a substantially horizontal position: the operator being then positioned safely under the protection of the left leaf 3 which is still locked, an untimely push from the livestock on the leaf 4 will naturally cause him to let go and withdraw his hand under the protection of the left leaf 3.

[0050] In this movement of the lever 24, the buttonholes 26 pivot in the same direction as the lever 24, causing the forced retraction of the rods 9 and 10, and consequently, the retraction of the locking rods 14. As soon as the latter are extracted from the strikes 8, the pivoting of the sash is free.

[0051] Before closing the flap for transport, the operator places the lever 24 with the selector and its pin 27 in the automatic closing orifice 23. And so on.

[0052] As a reminder, the illustrative description above is equally applicable to a single-leaf door and a mirror configuration of the right leaf 4 described above applies to the left leaf 3. Similarly, the positions of the buttonholes 26 and the handle 12 can be adapted for an opening movement opposite to that described above.

[0053] Notwithstanding the fact that the present invention has been disclosed by means of a detailed description explaining an alternative embodiment and various aspects of the invention, those skilled in the art will see that the full scope of the invention is by no means limited to the example presented here. The invention has a scope that is proportionate to the claims of this patent, including all elements or aspects that would be considered equivalent to those disclosed in the principal or dependent claims. List of reference symbols

[0054] 1 Door 2 Door frame 3 Left door leaf 4 Right door leaf 5 Vertical rod 6 Fairing 7 Control device 8 Strike plate 9 Lower rod 10 Upper rod 11 Lock 12 Lever handle 13 Sliding bearing 14 Lock rod 15 Bore in lock rod 16 Washer 17 Spring 18 Rod-lock connecting element 19 Pin 20 Arched sector 21 Rotating bearing 22 Locking hole 23 Self-closing hole 24 Lever 25 Rotating / pivot axis 26 Buttonhole 27 Selector with locking pin 28 Rod-lever connecting lug 29 Lever connecting plate

Claims

1. A device for opening / closing and locking a door leaf (3, 4) by driving a vertical linkage comprising an upper rod (10) and a lower rod (9), said device comprising a rotating control plate (29) and a handling lever (24), said control plate (29) comprising a first slot (26) for connecting the upper rod (10) and a second slot (26) for connecting the lower rod (9), a movable connecting means (28) passing through each slot (26) allowing each rod (9, 10) to be connected to its respective slot (26), said slots (26) being oblong in shape and preferably arched, and located symmetrically with respect to the center of the control plate (29) and substantially tangentially to the peripheral area of ​​the control plate (29), characterized in thatthe handling lever (24) is substantially arched in shape and formed of two parts substantially tangential to each other, a first proximal part integral with the control plate (29) and a second distal part comprising a handle (12), and in thatThe device has three positions: - a semi-automatic closing position in which, if the closure is on the left side of the door leaf, the proximal part of the lever (24) extends at an angle of 0° in a trigonometric plane, the first buttonhole (26) is located in an arc between 90° and 180°, and the second buttonhole (26) is located in an arc between 270° and 0°, respectively if the closure is on the right side of the door leaf (3,4), the proximal segment of the lever (24) extends at an angle of 180° in a trigonometric plane, the first buttonhole (26) is located in an arc between 0° and 90°, and the second buttonhole (26) is located in an arc between 180° and 270°; - an open position, in which the control plate (29) is pivoted in a first direction so that the distal part of the lever (24) is located outside the rotation range of the door leaf (3, 4);- a secure locking position in which the control plate (29) is pivoted in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, from the semi-automatic closing position, and in which the position of the buttonholes (26) and the movable linking means (28) is fixed thanks to the position of the buttonholes (26) which is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the rods (9, 10).

2. Opening / closing and locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the angle between the proximal and distal parts of the handling lever (24) is equal to or greater than 90°.

3. Opening / closing and locking device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The orientation of the distal part (12) of the handling lever (24) indicates the direction of traction corresponding to the first opening direction.

4. Opening / closing and locking device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lever (24) is equipped with a selector with a locking pin (27) pointing towards the side of the leaf (3, 4) and able to fit into a safety locking orifice (22) or an automatic closing orifice (23) provided in a fixed arched sector (20) along which the lever (24) pivots.

5. Opening / closing and locking device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the proximal ends of the lower and upper rods (9 and 10) are offset from their axis and have a chicane or zigzag shape.

6. Opening / closing and locking device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in thatthe distal part of each rod (9, 10) consists of a flat rod fitting into a slot reserved in the locking rod (14) with a fixing element (18) passing through the flat rod and the locking rod (14) at the slot, allowing the pivoting connection of each rod (9, 10) to the respective locking rod (14).

7. Opening / closing and locking device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the locking rod (14) is inserted into two sliding bearings (13) between which said locking rod (14) is surrounded by the return spring (17) and a washer (16) bearing under the effect of the spring (17) against a pin (19) housed in a bore (15) passing through the locking rod (14) in its distal part.

8. Door comprising a door frame (2) and at least one door leaf (3, 4) characterized in thatthe leaf (3, 4) is provided with an opening / closing and locking device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. Door according to claim 8, characterized in that a strike plate (8) with a deflecting approach section is affixed by any fixing to the holes in the door frame (2) corresponding to the locks (11).

10. Module for transporting livestock and other animals, whether placed on a self-propelled vehicle, on a towed vehicle such as a trailer, or carried on a platform or other transport structure, generically called a "livestock trailer" characterized in that It includes a door according to one of claims 8 or 9.

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