Swivel/rotation lock mechanism?

[tobiasger]

https://imgur.com/a/aRDJVNW

I want to create a stand for some boxes that I would like to lock the rotational position of. I've created this animation (above) that very simply explains the mechanism I'm looking for. I'm not very experienced in this type of stuff when it comes to different ways of mounting and just in general how things mechanically should work, but I'm confident I could build it if I just know a bit more of what ingredients that would be required to achieve this solution.

Imagine that you have two metal poles (like 8020 type of extruded aluminum profiles) and a box would be mounted in between them. I then want to be able to somehow "unlock" the swivel/tilt/rotation of the box, making it possible to adjust the rotation and then "lock" it having the box stay in that angle, as sturdy as possible. The only two real requirements are:

1. The mechanism should be able to hold boxes that weighs up to 35 kg as sturdy as possible.
2. Nothing can go through the box since it will contain things that cannot be crossed.

Open question, how would you go about this? I guess it's a bit two folded in that I would need to find a way of mounting the box to the poles while keeping the possibility of rotating it and then also have this locking mechanism that keeps the box locked in a certain angle.

It would be so appreciated if you could provide as much detail around what tools and hardware components you would use as possible, but I'm happy for any help with this.

 

[b-dog]

I have no solutions but I can help get the ball rolling with some questions. Is this a rigid box that things can be mounted to or a carboard box without structure? Can you set the box on a tray and have the tray rotate and lock? Does the angle have to be infinitely adjustable or would some kind of step be acceptable?

 

[MushCreek]

Yeah, a lot of questions. Do you want to lock/unlock the box with one action, or can you have a lever on each side? If you want to do it with one action, the mechanism has to go down the uprights, either inside of them or on the outside, then couple to a single handle. I've built mechanisms that use a spring loaded ball bearing, moved by a tapered pin to lock and unlock. Or a pin with a groove in it, and a tapered fork to move it in or out. Of course, you could move and lock the box with a segment of a worm gear, which would be self-locking and infinitely adjustable.

 

[txvwnut]

What you are asking for is usually a fabbed part. Most all of them I have seen have a disc with holes in it mounted to the rotating unit and a spring lock pin mounted to the structure. Pull the pin rotate to desired position and release the pin back to locked.

 

[PWC Repair]

I took liberty to sketch up some stick art for ya. Both posts would be notched so the lever will support the whole rear portion of said box.

 

[slowtwitch73]

Do the boxes need to be tilted at set angles or variable?

Is it ok if the the box indexes (stops) at each location?

As stated, some kind of indexing ring with holes (or maybe the box material itself), with a spring loaded plunger fixed to the stand/support could work.

Plungers usually have the ability to be retracted permanently until needed.. at which point it would fall into a hole on the ring every time it passed.

The larger dia you can make the hole pattern, the stronger it will be.

Mcmastercarr and 4x4 shops have spring plungers of all types.