Patent attributes
A locking mechanism for a shaft provides secure frictional engagement to the shaft while manually operable to be removed from the shaft. There is a first cylinder allowable to slide freely on the shaft. One or more holes retaining one or more balls allow a projection of the balls into an interior of the first cylinder. A tensioning ring (second cylinder) partially overlaps the first cylinder, retains the balls within the holes, and has at least a portion of the inside diameter increasing in diameter. A biasing mechanism acts against the second cylinder to urge the balls into the first cylinder interior to frictionally engage the shaft. Two release mechanisms movable with the biasing mechanism manually actuated against the bias move the second cylinder to allow the balls to freely move within the holes and the locking mechanism to be slid onto and removed from the shaft.
