Hold open rod with rotatably mounted pawls as locking members and a snubber

1. A telescoping hold open rod comprising:

(a) telescoping inner and outer members;

(b) a release collar circumferentially encircling said outer member;

(c) at least one rotatably mounted pawl disposed in said outer member;

(d) said at least one rotatably mounted pawl being depressed by said release collar into at least a first depression formed circumferentially in said inner member; and

(e) said at least one rotatably mounted pawl being movable between unlocked and locked positions,

(f) wherein said at least one rotatably mounted pawl is moved to the locked position by extending said inner member from said outer member and extending said release collar from an unlocked position to a locked position; and

(g) wherein said release collar moves, from an unlocked position, in a longitudinal portion of a J-slot by virtue of a spring and then moves to a distal end of a transverse portion of said J-slot by virtue of said spring, to a locked position.

2. A telescoping hold open rod as defined in claim 1 , wherein: said at least one rotatably mounted pawl, when in said locked position and a load is applied to said telescoping inner and outer members, prevents said release collar from being moved and prevents said telescoping inner and outer members from being moved, until said load is released.

3. A telescoping hold open rod as defined in claim 1 , wherein: said at least one rotatably mounted pawl is moved between unlocking and locking channels defined in an inner circumference of said release collar.

4. A telescoping hold open rod as defined in claim 1 , wherein: when a load applied to said telescoping inner and outer members is compressive and said at least one rotatably mounted pawl is in said locked position, a first surface of said at least one rotatably mounted pawl engages a surface of said release collar and a second surface of said at least one rotatably mounted pawl engages a first inwardly sloped surface of said at least a first depression.

5. A telescoping hold open rod as defined in claim 4 , wherein: when said at least one rotatably mounted pawl is in said locked position, a portion of said at least one rotatably mounted pawl protrudes into a locking channel formed in an inner surface of said release collar.

6. A telescoping hold open rod as defined in claim 1 , wherein: when a load applied to said telescoping inner and outer members is tensile and said at least one rotatably mounted pawl is in said locked position, a surface of said at least one rotatably mounted pawl engages a surface of said release collar and a second surface of said at least one rotatably mounted pawl engages a second inwardly sloped surface of said at least a first depression.

7. A telescoping hold open rod as defined in claim 6 , wherein: when said at least one rotatably mounted pawl is in said locked position, a portion of said at least one rotatably mounted pawl protrudes into a locking channel formed in an inner surface of said release collar.

8. A telescoping hold open rod as defined in claim 1 , wherein: when said at least one rotatably mounted pawl is in its said unlocked position, said at least one rotatably mounted pawl rests on a wear plate disposed on said inner member.

9. A telescoping hold open rod as defined in claim 1 , wherein: extending said inner member positions said at least a first depression underneath said at least one rotatably mounted pawl.

10. A telescoping hold open rod as defined in claim 9 , wherein: extending said release collar depresses said at least one rotatably mounted pawl into said at least a first depression.

11. A telescoping hold open rod as defined in claim 1 , wherein: said inner and outer members cannot be moved relative to each other until said release collar is rotated.

12. A telescoping hold open rod as defined in claim 1 , wherein: said motion of said release collar is automatic.

13. A telescoping hold open rod as defined in claim 1 , further comprising:

(a) a rod having an end engaging a surface of a connector fixedly attached to said outer member; and

(b) biasing means disposed between said rod and said inner member to absorb vibrations when said inner and outer members are telescoped together.

14. A telescoping hold open rod comprising:

(a) telescoping inner and outer members;

(b) a release collar circumferentially encircling said outer member;

(c) at least one rotatably mounted pawl disposed in said outer member;

(d) said at least one rotatably mounted pawl being depressed by said release collar into at least a first depression formed circumferentially in said inner member; and

(e) said at least one rotatably mounted pawl being movable between unlocked and locked positions,

(f) wherein said at least one rotatably mounted pawl is moved to the locked position by extending said inner member from said outer member and extending said release collar from an unlocked position to a locked position;

(g) wherein said release collar is rotated from a distal end of a transverse portion of a J-slot to a longitudinal portion of said J-slot; and

(h) wherein said inner and outer members cannot be moved relative to each other until said release collar is rotated.

15. A telescoping hold open rod comprising:

(a) a rod engaging a surface of an end connector fixedly attached to an outer member and an inner member; and

(b) biasing means disposed between said rod and said inner member to absorb vibrations when said inner and outer members are telescoped together;

(c) a release collar circumferentially encircling said outer member;

(d) at least one rotatably mounted pawl disposed in said outer member;

(e) said at least one rotatably mounted pawl being depressed by said release collar into at least a first depression formed circumferentially in said inner member; and

(f) said at least one rotatably mounted pawl being movable in a first direction between unlocked and locked positions and being movable in a direction opposite to the first direction between locked and unlocked positions, and

(h) wherein said release collar moves, from the unlocked position, in a longitudinal portion of a J-slot by virtue of a spring and then moves to a distal end of a transverse portion of said J-slot by virtue of said spring, to the locked position.

16. A telescoping hold open rod as defined in claim 15 , wherein: when said at least one rotatably mounted pawl is in the locked position and a load is applied to said telescoping inner and outer members, a first surface of said at least one rotatably mounted pawl engages a surface of said release collar and a second surface of said at least one rotatably mounted pawl engages an inwardly sloped surface of the at least a first depression in said inner member.

17. A telescoping hold open rod comprising:

(a) telescoping inner and outer cylindrical members;

(b) a cylindrical release collar circumferentially encircling and slidable on said outer cylindrical member;

(c) three rotatably mounted pawls disposed in said outer cylindrical member;

(d) said three rotatably mounted pawls being depressable by said cylindrical release collar to move into at least a first depression formed circumferentially in said inner cylindrical member;

(e) said three rotatably mounted pawls being movable by said cylindrical release collar in a first direction between unlocked and locked positions and being movable in a direction opposite to the first direction between locked and unlocked positions;

(f) a rod engaging a surface of an end connector fixedly attached to said outer cylindrical member of said telescoping inner and outer cylindrical members; and

(g) biasing means disposed between said rod and said inner cylindrical member to absorb vibrations when said inner and outer cylindrical members are telescoped together, and

(h) wherein said release collar moves, from the unlocked position, in a longitudinal portion of a J-slot by virtue of a spring and then moves to a distal end of a transverse portion of said J-slot by virtue of said spring, to the locked position.