NZ757465B2 - Mogul cylinder lock assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention relates to a mogul cylinder assembly 1 for use with a lock assembly 2, having a movable bolt 4. The mogul cylinder assembly includes a housing 6 having a void 18 formed therein to receive a body 19. The body has a bore 20 configured to accommodate a barrel 21 which is rotatable relative to the body 19 when in use. The mogul cylinder assembly 1 also includes a fastening member 44 for fastening the body 19 to the housing 6. tive to the body 19 when in use. The mogul cylinder assembly 1 also includes a fastening member 44 for fastening the body 19 to the housing 6.

Description

Mogul Cylinder Lock Assembly Technical Field This invention relates to a mogul cylinder assembly for use with a lock assembly. The lock assembly is of the kind that has a casing, and a bolt movable relative to the casing from an extended positon to a retracted position. The combination of the mogul cylinder and lock assembly has applications in high security environments where they are exposed to attacks involving high impact and excessive force, such as detention centres and prisons. It will be convenient to hereinafter describe the invention with reference to this particular application however it should be appreciated that there may be other applications.

Background of Invention A cylinder assembly may be broadly defined as a key operated mechanism, and it will generally act as an interface between a user and a lock assembly. The cylinder assembly will generally include a housing and a barrel that form a shear line therebetween and the barrel is rotatable relative to the housing with a key. The barrel can have a keyway profile formed at least at the entrance to the keyway, for limiting interaction to only those keys that have a suitable longitudinal profile. The cylinder assembly will also include a series of tumblers which interact with bittings formed on the key. The longitudinal profile and the bittings both act as coding for the key, so that only keys with appropriate coding can rotate the barrel to operate the cylinder assembly. The operation of the cylinder assembly may result in unlocking of hub(s) so that they can be rotated to retract the bolt, or alternatively the cylinder assembly can act directly on the bolt. Accordingly as the cylinder assembly acts as the interface, it is a popular component for unauthorised users to try to circumvent, when trying to retract the bolt of the lock assembly.

The tumblers come in many forms and can include pin, wafer and disc tumblers. In the case of pin tumblers, there is a series of lock pins and a series of drive pins that need to be arranged relative to the shear line between the barrel and the housing, according to the bittings on the key. In the case of the wafer and disc tumblers, there are a series of wafers and discs that can interact with a side bar which is positioned relative to the shear line. The cylinder assembly will often include a set of springs for urging each tumbler towards a preferred orientation or position relative to a barrel, so the tumbler can prevent rotation of the barrel relative to the body. The orientation or position of each tumbler relative to a barrel of the cylinder assembly can be adjusted to suit different bitting on the key. Where the coding on the original key becomes compromised, it can be desirable to disassembly the cylinder assembly to adjust the orientation or position of the tumblers to suit a different bitted key.

While it is not uncommon for a locksmith to be called out to a site to reconfigure the tumblers of a cylinder assembly, it ought to be appreciated that reconfiguring tumblers on site is more difficult than reconfiguring tumblers in a locksmith’s workshop. The combination of tumblers, springs and side bars, all of which are quite small can be difficult to handle without appropriate tools. These components are preferably handled with tweezers, while the housing is preferably retained in a steady position in a vice. Accordingly it is not uncommon for a locksmith to suggest to their client in a residential or commercial situation to remove the cylinder assembly and bring it into the locksmith’s shop in order that the tumblers can be reconfigured.

Cylinder assemblies and lock assemblies in detention centres are critical for assisting with the selective movement of detainees within the centre. Given that the detention centre is a controlled environment, the detainees should not have access to specialist tools to circumvent the cylinder assembly or lock assembly.

Instead the detainees are more likely to use blunt force firstly on the cylinder assemblies as they are the interface. Accordingly it is popular to use an oversized form of cylinder assembly referred to as a mogul cylinder assembly which has a larger housing to absorb the blunt force impact(Prashanth to confirm if this is the reason why a Mogul cylinder housing is oversized) A mogul cylinder will include tumblers in the same manner as a normal cylinder, and they are adjustable in order to suit a different coded key. However it ought to be appreciated that detaching the mogul cylinder from the lock assembly and taking it to a locksmiths shop is not an option when it relates to a detention centre.

Furthermore, it can be stressful for the locksmith to have to handle the tumblers, springs, and sidebars in the environment of a detention centre while detainees are sharing the same environment.

It would be desirable to provide a mogul cylinder assembly that permits adjustment of the tumblers while simplifying the process for the locksmith on site.

A reference herein to a patent document or other matter which is given as prior art is not to be taken as an admission that that document or matter was, in Australia, known or that the information it contains was part of the common general knowledge as at the priority date of any of the claims.

Summary of Invention According to this invention there is provided a mogul cylinder assembly for use with a lock assembly having a casing and a bolt movable relative to the casing, the mogul cylinder assembly including a housing having a void formed therein, an external surface of the housing is formed with a thread for interacting with a ring having a threaded inner surface for securing the housing to a lock assembly casing when in use, a body which is locatable in the void having a bore formed therein, a barrel located within the bore with a plurality of tumblers acting between the barrel and the body for controlling rotation of the barrel relative to the body, the barrel having a keyway formed therein for accommodating a key so that the barrel can be rotated about an axis relative to the body when in use, a fastening member which fastens the body to the housing, the housing is formed with a shaft which extends from a first aperture in an external surface of the housing into the void, the shaft is configured to accommodate the fastening member when fastening the body to the housing, the body is formed with a shaft which is aligned with the shaft in the housing when the body is located in the void, the shaft in the body is configured to accommodate the fastening member.

When the mogul cylinder assembly includes the tumblers acting between the barrel and the body for controlling rotation of the barrel relative to the body, such an arrangement has the advantage in that the body may contain the tumblers and be detached from the housing for offsite reconfiguration of the tumblers. Furthermore if the shape of the body is relatively common, the locksmith can preconfigure a spare body, barrel and tumblers off site, and merely changeover with the existing body, barrel and tumblers on site. This reduces the time that the locksmith will need to spend on site. It also simplifies the process of adjusting the keyway profile of the barrel.

It is preferred that the shaft in the body extends through the body, and the fastening member is configured to pass through the body, as this provides a slightly more secure attachment of the body to the housing. The shaft in the housing may extend from the first aperture through the housing towards a second aperture in the external surface of the housing. The second aperture provides the advantage of facilitating the process of removing the fastening member by allowing end pressure to be applied to the fastening member through the second aperture. The shaft may be formed in any suitable position within the housing and one positon includes the shaft in the housing occupying a line which makes a chord with the external surface of the housing. Furthermore the shaft in the housing may also extend in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to said axis. It is further preferred that the housing includes a recess in the external surface adjacent the shaft which is configured to accommodate a head of the fastening member so that the head of the fastener is recessed relative to the external surface. The head of the fastener may be any suitable shape so as to limit the extent of the movement of the fastener into the shaft.

Therefore the shape of the recess may take any suitable shape so as to accommodate the head.

The housing preferably includes a front end opening to the void and a back end opening to the void so that the body can be located in the void from the front end.

It is further preferred that the front end opening and the back end opening are configured so that the body can be located in the void through the front end opening only. This facilitates the accurate location of the body within the void by allowing the body to be inserted into the void until it abuts a rear wall of the housing. The front end opening is preferably substantially oval shaped and the back end opening is preferably substantially circle shaped, however these shapes may vary.

The housing also preferably includes at least one groove formed in an outer surface of the housing which extends in a direction substantially parallel with said axis configured for interaction with a casing of the lock assembly. The groove can be provided to key into a feature of the housing so as to inhibit rotation of the housing relative to the casing when in use.

A preferred embodiment of the mogul cylinder lock assembly will be herein after described in greater detail by reference to the accompanying drawings. The detailed description and drawings are merely illustrative of how the invention might be put into effect so that the specific form and arrangement of the various features, as described and illustrated is not to be understood as limiting on the invention.

Brief Description of Drawings Figure 1 is a preferred embodiment of the mogul cylinder assembly when mounted to a preferred embodiment of a lock assembly.

Figure 2 is a partial exploded isometric view of a mogul cylinder and a mortice lock assembly.

Figure 3 is an exploded isometric view of a mogul cylinder.

Figure 4 is an exploded view of the mogul cylinder from Figure 3 from a rear side thereof.

Figure 5 is a rear isometric view of the mogul cylinder from Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a rear elevation view of the mogul cylinder from Figure 5.

Detailed Description Figure 1 illustrates the mogul cylinder assembly 1 when attached to a lock assembly 2 of the kind having a casing 3 and a latch bolt 4 that extends at a side edge of the casing 3. Figure 1 also illustrates an auxiliary bolt 5 extending at the side edge of the casing 3 that interacts with the latch bolt 4 in a manner that will be understood by those skilled in the art so as to achieve a deadlatching function. The form of the lock assembly 2 illustrated in Figure 1 is intended for mounting to an inner surface of a door (not shown) whereas the lock assembly 2 illustrated in Figure 2 is of the form intended to be mounted in a mortice cavity in a side edge of a door (not shown). The mogul cylinder assembly 1 illustrated in Figure 2 include substantially cylindrical housing 6 having a threaded external surface 7 formed thereon. The housing 6 is located at least partially within a cylindrical sleeve or spacer 8, a front end of the spacer 8 abutting a collar 9 formed around the periphery of the housing 6 adjacent the front face of the housing 6. A rear end of the spacer 8 abuts a side wall of the casing 3 of the lock assembly 2 when the mogul cylinder assembly 1 is installed. A locking ring 11 which in use is located inside the casing 3 has a threaded internal surface which engages the threaded external surface 7 on the housing 6 when attaching the mogul cylinder assembly 1 to the lock assembly 2.

It should also be noted from Figure 2 that the lock assembly 2 illustrated includes a detent member 12 forming part of a lock mechanism for interaction with an inner and outer hub (not shown) the manner in which the detent member 12 moves to lock or release the inner or outer hub should be understood by those skilled in the art and does not form part of the invention. Furthermore, the latch bolt 4 illustrated in Figure 2 includes bevelled latch bolt head 13 extending out from a front face of the casing 3 and a latch bolt frame 14 shown in dotted line within the casing 3. Both the latch bolt frame 14 and the detent member 12 are positioned for interaction with a cam 15 (see Figure 3) forming part of the mogul cylinder assembly 1. Figure 2 also illustrates the housing 6 being formed with a longitudinally extending groove 16 formed down the side of the housing 6. A similar groove 16 is formed down the opposed side of the housing 6 (see Figure 6), with each groove 16 being configured to interact with triangular shaped projections 17 formed on the side wall of the casing It can be appreciated from Figure 3 that the housing 6 is formed with a void 18 therein which is shaped to receive a body 19. The body 19 is in turn formed with a bore 20 which is shaped to accommodate a barrel 21 that can be rotated about an axis X-X relative to the body 19 when in use. Figure 3 also illustrates a series of top pins 22, bottom pins 23 and springs 24 which are each locatable within separate cavities 25 formed in the body (not shown) and the barrel 21 in a manner that will be familiar to those skilled in the art. Whilst Figure 3 illustrates pin tumblers 22, 23, it ought to be appreciated that the invention is not to be limited for use with pin tumblers 22, 23 only and that the invention also applies to other form of tumblers such as disc and wafer tumblers.

The barrel 21 is formed with a collar 26 adjacent the front end thereof which abuts a bearing surface 27 formed at the front of the body 19 surrounding the bore 20. The abutment of the collar 26 on the barrel 21 with the bearing surface 27 in the body 19 limits the extent to which the barrel 21 can be inserted into the bore 20.

The barrel 21 is formed with a rectangular groove 28 at a rear end thereof (see also Figure 4). The rectangular groove 28 is shaped to accommodate a rectangular tongue 29 formed on a front surface of a cam mount 30. The rear surface of the barrel 21 is formed with a pair of threaded apertures 31 (see Figure 4), formed on opposed sides of the rectangular groove 28 which accommodate a first set of screw fasteners 32 when attaching the cam mount 30 to the barrel 21. It can also be appreciated from Figure 4 that the housing 6 is formed with a rear opening to the void 18 which is shaped to accommodate the cam mount 30 in a manner that it may rotate within a cylindrical recess 33. The cylindrical recess 33 is formed with a bearing surface 34 which is engaged by the front surface of the cam mount 30 so as to limit the extent to which the cam mount 30 can enter the recess 33.

Figures 3 and 4 also illustrate a plate 35 having a pair of apertures formed therein to receive a second pair of screw fasteners 36 therethrough when fastening the cam 15 to the cam mount 30. It should also be noted from Figure 4 in particular that the cam 15 is formed with a central aperture 37 defined at least in part by a pair of parallel sides. The parallel sides to the aperture 37 locate on outer sides of a pair of shoulders 38 formed on opposed sides of the rear surface of the cam mount 30.

This arrangement ensures that any torque transferred through rotation of the barrel 21 to the cam mount 30 is transferred directly to the cam 15 and not applied to the second set of screw fasteners 36 retaining the plate 35.

It can also be appreciated from Figures 3 and 4 that the housing is formed with a recess 39 adjacent a rear end thereof. Furthermore, the body 19 is formed with a pair of apertures 40 on opposed sides thereof (see both Figures 3 and 4) with each aperture leading to a shaft 41 (see Figure 6), formed adjacent at rear of the body. When the body 19 is located in the void 18 the shaft 41 of the body aligns with a shaft 42 formed in the housing 6 (see also Figure 6), with the shaft 42 in the housing 6 extending from the recess 39 as seen in Figure 3 to an aperture 43 formed on the opposed side of the housing 6 (see Figure 4). The shaft 41 in the body 19 and the shaft 42 in the housing 6 can be aligned to accommodate a fastening member 44 for fastening the body 19 to the housing 6. The fastening member is formed with a head 45 at one end to limit the extent to which the fastening member 44 can be inserted through the shaft 42 in the housing 6 and the shaft 41 in the body 19. It ought to be appreciated that the locksmith can detach the body 19 from the housing 6 by removing the fastening member 44 from the shaft 42 and detaching the cam mount from the barrel 21. This enables the barrel 21, tumblers 22, 23 and body 19 to remain as a single unit which can be replaced by a body 19, barrel 21 and tumblers 22, 23 which have been configured to receive a key of different coding. Furthermore, this arrangement also allows for a barrel 21 having a different key profile to be introduced to the mogul cylinder which adds another layer of complexity for an unauthorised user attempting to circumvent the coding.

It ought to be appreciated from the foregoing that the mogul cylinder assembly 1 as hereinbefore described facilitates adjustment of the tumblers 22, 23 by enabling the body 19, barrel 21 and tumblers 22, 23 to be removed as single unit from the site. The ability to simply replace the barrel 21 with a keyway of a different profile provides a further surprising benefit.

Various alterations and/or additions may be made to the mogul cylinder as hereinbefore described without departing from the spirit or ambit of the invention.

Claims (10)

The claims defining the invention are as follows:

1. A mogul cylinder assembly for use with a lock assembly having a casing and a bolt movable relative to the casing, the mogul cylinder assembly including a housing having a void formed therein, an external surface of the housing is formed with a thread for interacting with a ring having a threaded inner surface for securing the housing to a lock assembly casing when in use, a body which is locatable in the void having a bore formed therein, a barrel located within the bore with a plurality of tumblers acting between the barrel and the body for controlling rotation of the barrel relative to the body, the barrel having a keyway formed therein for accommodating a key so that the barrel can be rotated about an axis relative to the body when in use, a fastening member which fastens the body to the housing, the housing is formed with a shaft which extends from a first aperture in an external surface of the housing into the void, the shaft is configured to accommodate the fastening member when fastening the body to the housing, the body is formed with a shaft which is aligned with the shaft in the housing when the body is located in the void, the shaft in the body is configured to accommodate the fastening member.

2. A mogul cylinder assembly according to claim 1 wherein the shaft in the body extends through the body, and the fastening member is configured to pass through the body.

3. A mogul cylinder assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the shaft in the housing extends from the first aperture through the housing towards a second aperture in the external surface of the housing.

4. A mogul cylinder assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the shaft in the housing occupies a line which makes a chord with the external surface of the housing.

5. A mogul cylinder assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the shaft in the housing extends in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to said axis.

6. A mogul cylinder according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the housing includes a recess in the external surface adjacent the shaft which is configured to accommodate a head of the fastening member so that the head of the fastener is recessed relative to the external surface.

7. A mogul cylinder according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the housing includes a front end opening to the void and a back end opening to the void so that the body can be located in the void from the front end.

8. A mogul cylinder according to claim 7 wherein the front end opening and the back end opening are configured so that the body can be located in the void through the front end opening only.

9. A mogul cylinder assembly according to claim 7 or 8 wherein the front end opening is substantially oval shaped and the back end opening is substantially circle shaped.

10. A mogul cylinder according to any one of the preceding claims including at least one groove formed in an outer surface of the housing which extends in a direction substantially parallel with said axis configured for interaction with a casing of the lock assembly.