AU2356199A - An improved linkage - Google Patents

Description

I

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

Applicant: BACOZ DEVELOPMENTS PTY LTD Actual Inventor: Brian Arthur Cook Title: An Improved Linkage Priority: Address for Servic Refer PP2820 6 April 1998 e: Bacoz Developments Pty Ltd PO Box 207 North Shore 3214 IP Australia Documents received on: 0 1 APR 1999 Batch No: The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to the applicant(s): An Improved Linkage The present invention relates to a linkage for transferring pivotal motion to linear motion, and vice versa, the linkage being suitable for use in mechanisms employed to drive fastening and locking systems installed in buildings and vehicles for securing doors, windows, hatches, covers, lids and other like structures.

Mechanical systems including the mechanism can be operable by manually actuated drive means or by electric, electromagnetic, pneumatic or other drive means which control and/or assist the operation of the mechanism, thereby controlling and/or actuating the door fastening or locking system. In addition, parts of the mechanism can serve as parts of an electronic, electric or pneumatic circuit to achieve its actuating and/or controlling function.

In its broadest form the present invention provides a mechanism which forms at least a part of a mechanical system for securing a door or window or other like structure, S* wherein, the mechanism includes at least one linkage comprising a member able to pivot about a pivot axis, which has at least one projection or spigot extending from it in a direction substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis, each projection or spigot engaging with a respective at least one suitably configured bar, whereby in response to pivoting of the member the bar(s) undergo reversible motion through a range of travel, during which the engagement between the projection or spigot and the bar(s) is maintained; wherein, the reversible motion of each bar engaged with the member is at least •partially synchronous with the motion of all of the bars engaged with the member; and wherein, the mechanism actuates or at least partially enables or disables operation of the said mechanical system.

In preferred forms of the present invention, the mechanism is employed to drive at least one door bolt toward an extended position whereby a door is fastened and/or drive at least one door bolt toward a retracted position whereby a door is unfastened. Where a member drives a bar in one direction only, the reverse motion of the bar must be achieved by other drive means, such as bias elements or ancillary drive means which return the bar to its initial position prior to drive being imparted by the member. In other preferred forms of the present invention, the mechanism is employed to control operation of a door bolting system. For example, a manually operated mechanism on Page 1 An Improved Linkage one face of a door can be assembled so that it is made operable or inoperable by use of a key, whereby availability of operation of a door securing system installed to the opposite face of the door is allowed or disallowed. Without restricting the generality of the foregoing and the scope of the present invention, for the sake of clarity in the description which follows, the discussion will consider simple forms and embodiments in which door securing bolts are operatively connected to bars within mechanisms according to the present invention.

Preferably, where there is provided more than one projection or spigot, they will be spaced from each other by a substantial distance so as to be independently displaced. In this respect, reference to a substantial distance should be understood to be a distance S•that is something more than the width of a projection or spigot, and preferably something more than several such widths. For example, if three projections or spigots are provided on a member, it may be preferred for the projections or spigots to be spaced equidistant about the periphery of the member, or at least equidistant about a major portion of the periphery of the member.

It will thus be appreciated that the linkage of the present invention will most likely not be embodied in a member with a continuous arrangement of equally sized and configured projections or spigots located about its periphery, each projection or spigot being spaced from an adjacent projection or spigot only by a distance which approximates its own width. Indeed, it is envisaged that various embodiments of the linkage in accordance with the present invention will include members with only one, two, three or four projections or spigots spaced apart by substantial distances, the location of each being independent of the location of any adjacent projections or spigots. In this respect, the projections or spigots may be considered to be independently displaced one from another, such that a projections or spigot is provided relatively isolated from any other projection or spigot.

Furthermore, an additional benefit of the improved linkage of the present invention is that, unlike a rack and pinion arrangement, the mechanical engagement between the member and the bar occurs outside the periphery of the member. The pivotal radius of the member is represented by the distance between the point of engagement between a Page 2 An Improved Linkage projection or spigot with a bar and the pivot axis of the member. And the pivotal radius for any projection or spigot is independent of the pivotal radius for any other projection or spigot. Indeed, the present invention does not require that the member and the bar(s) be in specific or close proximity to each other (as is the case for a rack and pinion mechanism). Thus, the displacement of the same or similar components in relation to each other may be varied according to the amount of resultant travel desirable in the bar(s).

It is preferable that as far as possible the operational relationship between a member and a bar involves a direct transfer of motion from one to the other. Where the projection is a spigot of constant cross section engaging within a cylindrical hole within a bar, then there will necessarily a minor loss of motion within the linkage as the angle the *-*projection or spigot presents to the hole increases and decreases during pivoting of the member. However, even this loss of motion within the linkage can be eliminated by countersinking the hole, for example, or using a projection or spigot which has a larger cross section toward its outer end, or engaging the projection or spigot within an transverse axle contained within the bar whereby the rotation of the axle would accommodate variations in the angle of the projection or spigot to the bar during its travel.

In preferred forms the components of the mechanism according to the present invention are mounted in a housing or casing suitable to contain the components, to maintain their operational relationship with each other and to enable the mounting of the whole to the surface of a door or the like, or to facilitate the whole being mounted into a mortise or other recess made within a door. Alternatively, the linkage may be located around a spindle, axle or the like about which the at least one member is pivotable, rotatable or otherwise movable, and onto which a part of the linkage is mounted.

Alternatively, the linkage may be included in a cavity within a door, for example, or the linkage may be incorporated into the construction of the door.

In some preferred forms of the present invention at least one bias element can be introduced to the operational engagement of a projection or spigot with a bar. For example, a helical compression spring is placed around a projection or spigot so that the spring is progressively compressed as the member pivots causing the bar to travel Page 3 An Improved Linkage from a bolt retracting position to a median point in its travel. Compression of the spring would be progressively released as the projection or spigot and bar travel toward either a bolt extending or retracting position. The effect of such an arrangement would be to bias the bar toward one or other of the limits of its travel, thereby helping to ensure that the bar did not accidentally shift from the position to which it had been intentionally moved. Security of the resulting mechanism would also be enhanced because the necessary force required to overcome the spring bias would be extremely difficult to apply by manipulating some part of a door bolt for example. Safety would also be enhanced because the handle operating the member, for example, would have a definite and positive feel in progressing from a door securing position toward a door opening position and vice-versa. In this respect, it would be difficult to leave a door 'half locked' or 'half unlocked', which is of particular importance in the case of blast doors for example. Accommodation of the length of the biasing spring could be achieved in several ways. For example, a member and a bar may be located so that there is a S•distance between them sufficient to accommodate the length of the compressed spring, or a bar and/or a member may have a counter boring around the projection or spigot which will similarly accommodate the spring.

While it is usually more practical for door securing bolts, to be manufactured as *..."separate components which can be coupled to a mechanism at the time of installation to the door, this need not necessarily be the case. At least one of the bolts securing the door may also comprise a bar engaging with one or members within the mechanism.

There are practical limitations to this arrangement due to the length required of some bolts, particularly for large doors. However, where the length of a bolt is relatively short, then the combination of both functions within the same component has advantages in simplifying the manufacture and installation of the bolting system. Whatever the case may be, the present invention does not require a bar to be of any specific form or length, only that it be co-operable within at least one member, so that a bar may be of any suitable form thought desirable in fulfilling its function, either in driving another component which fastens a door or operates another mechanism or other equipment or apparatus, or in comprising the component which directly performs these functions.

According to the present invention a member or a bar is able to be driven by drive Page 4 An Improved Linkage means to operate the mechanism containing the linkage and this would most commonly be a manual or another unassisted type of drive means. But it may be electrical, electromechanical, mechanical, pneumatic or any other suitable drive means, including being driven by another mechanism according to the present invention. For manual operation, one preferred method would include the mounting of a handle to a member so that, as the handle is turned, motion would be imparted to the bar to either extend or withdraw a bolt securing a door. With use of a pneumatic drive means, for example, it would be preferable to connect the spindle extending from an air cylinder to a bar, thereby more or less directly affecting the extension and withdrawal of the door securing bolt.

The present invention also provides that one or more bars may engage with a single member and/or that one or more members may engage with a single bar and that in turn each projection or spigot may have one or more bars engaging with it. It will be understood that a mechanism according to the present invention may be made of varying complexity, the degree of complexity being selectable by varying the number and type of components employed within a mechanism and their operational relationship with each other, largely at the discretion of those making use of the present invention.

A member may be a plate stamped or punched from sheet metal or another suitable material, or it may be of a more complex form being manufactured by forming or drawing a sheet metal blank. A bar would generally be of an elongate form, whether made of a solid material, a hollow section or a stamped, formed, drawn or pressed metal shape, although this may not necessarily be the case, particularly when the amount of linear movement required is relatively small. Also, while in many instances a member might usefully be pivotable or rotatable about a pivot axis which was more or less centrally located within the periphery of the member, the pivot axis may be closer to one edge of the member than another or the member may pivot about a point on its periphery so that the pivot axis is external to the member.

A projection or spigot may be mounted within a member and extend beyond its periphery, or it may be an integral part of the member extending beyond the main body of the member. The exact composition of a bar, a member and a projection or spigot is Page An Improved Linkage largely a matter of preference to be decided by those making use of the present invention and will at least in part be determined by their desire to minimise manufacturing costs for the resulting door bolting mechanism while maintaining the utility of function and physical strength available from an assembly according to the present invention.

Although it is not a specific requirement, bias elements may be included in mechanisms according to the present invention apart from their introduction into the linkage. These may take the form of compression, torsional or extension springs employed to drive components of the mechanism, or to inhibit or retard their motion. Examples of their use include the introduction of a compression spring to a bar so that it is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the bar, thereby urging the bar toward a position in which a bolt S is extended beyond an edge of the door to which the mechanism is installed. Alternatively, a compression spring might be introduced so that it brings pressure to bear on a lateral face of the bar thereby increasing the frictional force to be overcome when moving the bar, and helping to ensure that the bar does not move from a position to which it has previously been moved. Similarly, bias elements may be introduced to equipment or other mechanisms operationally connected to a mechanism according to the present invention. For example, a compression spring urging a door securing bolt toward the extended limit of its travel would coincidentally move a bar connected to -the door securing bolt to a respective limit of its travel, thereby pivoting the member a commensurate amount and driving any other bars linked to the member to respective 0000•0 "limits of their travel.

The present invention also allows that a biasing of the mechanism may be achieved by a judicious selection of the components which are to be attached to a mechanism. For example, a mechanism employed to drive bolts to the top and bottom of a door may be gravity biased. In this respect, the components within the mechanism may be of equal density and weight, however, the bolt connected to the bar extending toward the top of the door would be selected so that the majority of its length is of a hollow construction, whereas the bolt connected to the bar extending toward the bottom of the door (being of the same or possibly larger cross section) would be selected so that the majority of its length would comprise solid material so that, even though it may be of a shorter length, its mass would be greater than that of the topmost bar, thereby inducing a Page 6 An Improved Linkage gravitational bias within the mechanism which would tend to keep the bars and bolts connected to them in a fully extended position. The opposite could be achieved by ensuring that the mass of the topmost bolt exceeds the mass of the bottom bolt.

While a single member connected to a single bar characterises a simple linkage in accordance with the present invention, the present invention would usually be employed in more complex forms to manufacture mechanisms where multiples of bolts are employed to fasten a door. In one preferred form a bolt extends toward the top edge of a door and one extends toward the bottom edge of the door, and the mechanism contains two cylindrical members operatively connected by a shared bar located between them so that movement in one member is transferred to the shared bar and thereby to the other member. In this form, one member could drive a bar connected to the top extending bolt and the other member drive a bar connected to the bottom S"extending bolt. Operation of the resulting mechanism could be by a handle mounted to one of the members, for example, or by connecting drive means to one of the bars. In a further embodiment of this form of the present invention, the shared bar could also be ;:connected to a door bolt extending toward the leading edge of a door, or the bar itself might be lengthened so as to enable its use as a door securing bolt.

"In many applications, each component of a mechanism according to the present invention would comprise a single entity, or where a component was made from more than one part then the resulting assembly would operate as a single entity. In some circumstances it may be that a loss of motion is to be provided within a member and/or a bar as distinct from the minimal loss of motion within the engagement between a member and a bar as discussed above. For example, where a mechanism is to be used as an emergency exit device requiring egress through a door to be available at all times, but the external operating handle was to remain locked and secure at all times, then a lost motion coupling would be required to facilitate this function. One way of achieving this would be to manufacture a bar which was longitudinally bifurcated so that one section would be operable only by the inner operating handle associated with the mechanism while the other section would respond to the external operating handle, thereby operating both sections of the bar simultaneously. Alternatively, the member might be made of two complimentary sections biased to act as a clutching assembly, whereby the Page 7 An Improved Linkage internal handle might be operated independently of the external handle which is locked in stationary secured position, whereas the external handle when unlocked would also operate the unrestrained internal operating handle. Other methods of achieving similar results are available, and it would depend on the circumstances and application for a mechanism as to which would be the preferred operational means.

In a further preferred form of the present invention, an assembly would comprise one member and two bars. In a first embodiment of this form, the bars would be located on either side of a cylindrical member, for example, one employed to extend and withdraw a bolt at the top edge of a door (or the leading edge of a door) and the other employed to extend and withdraw a bolt at the bottom edge of a door (or the trailing edge of a door). In a second embodiment, the bars might be located substantially perpendicular to each other, so that the following options become available securing to the top and trailing edge of a door, securing to the top and leading edge, securing to the bottom S, and leading edge, securing to the bottom and trailing edge. While it is preferred that the Soo:. door bolts are installed so that they are substantially perpendicular to the respective door edge, and it is therefore generally convenient to locate the bars so that they extend either at 90 degrees or 180 degrees in respect to each other, within practical functional °limits (such as allowing for the dimensions of the materials used to make them) the displacement of the bars may be at angles other than these.

In other preferred forms of the present invention, a mechanism may comprise a single member and three or four bars. For example, bars can be employed to extend bolts to the top and bottom of a door, and a bolt to the leading or trailing edge of a door. Or, where there are four bars engaging with a single member, the bolts can be extended at each side of a door. In this, as with the other forms of the present invention described above, discussion has been limited to the connecting of one door securing bolt to each bar. It will be understood that this is not required to be the case, it may be that in order to disperse the point loading at one or more edges of a door, a bar might be operatively connected to two or more door securing bolts which are mounted onto a connecting bar which is moved toward either bolt extending or retracting positions by a bar.

Other preferred forms of the present invention, provide a member located further from Page 8 An Improved Linkage one bar and closer to another, whereby the same movement of the member can be translated to a greater amount of linear motion in the first bar when compared to the latter. In this way, a facility can be provided in which the motion of two or more bars connected to the same member can exhibit different amounts of travel between their respective extended and retracted positions. For many doors, the gap between the bottom of the door and floor level is significantly greater than the gap between the leading edge and the top edge and their respective parts of the door frame. Thus, the bar moving toward the bottom edge of a door has greater travel than the bolt(s) moving toward other edges of the door, thereby improving the extension of the bottom securing bolt into the floor so that the door is more properly secured.

Another preferred form of the present invention enables a bar to be operated by a member toward extended and retracted positions, thereby driving another mechanism, odevice, assembly or apparatus; or alternatively to prohibit the operation of another mechanism, device, assembly or apparatus. For example, where a door is a very high door it may be considered desirable that in addition to having a bolt extending beyond the top edge of the door, there should also be a bolt extending beyond the leading edge of the door adjacent the upper section of the door jamb. A ready means of achieving this would be to include another mechanism according to the present invention which is driven by the bolt extending toward the top of the door. Connecting a bar within this secondary mechanism to that bolt would enable the bar to drive the member which in turn drives two other bars one extending toward the top edge of the door and the other extending toward the leading edge of the door. The same principle of operation may be employed to provide securing bolts at all edges of a door and to drive or operate other ancillary equipment or other mechanisms installed to the same or other doors.

In further preferred forms of the present invention, a mechanism may contain a linkage comprising one or more bars which operatively connect to a member so that they run counter to the other bar(s) connected to the same or other members within the mechanism. For example, in a mechanism where two members sharing a bar each have another bar connected to them, all three bars are able to simultaneously move bolts toward extended positions at respective edges of the door. By reversing the positioning of each Page 9 An Improved Linkage unshared bar to the opposite side of the housing, when the members are rotated in directions as previously, the unshared bars are now moved toward bolt retracting positions, while the shared bar would still move toward a bolt extending position. This form of the present invention is desirable where there are adjacent doors hung within the same frame, and there is a requirement that the operation of the handle on one mechanism can simultaneously unfasten both doors. By employing this form on the secondary leaf (its use is not precluded on the primary leaf, but is generally not desirable), the extension of a horizontally extending bolt belonging to a mechanism on the primary leaf would drive the shared bolt of the other mechanism to what may be considered to be its bolt retracting position, thereby moving the other bolts in this mechanism to bolt extending positions. In other words, the primary leaf mechanism is S used to drive the secondary leaf mechanism and all securing bolts on both leaves are extended to secure the door the shared bolt in the mechanism on the secondary leaf would not usually have a door securing bolt connected to it. To open the doors, the mechanism installed to the secondary leaf would be operated. To enable either mechanism to be operated to extend or retract the securing bolts, a bias means would be introduced to both, thereby allowing either mechanism to respond to the other. In this form, a spring bias would be preferable to help ensure reliable operation and may be used by itself or in conjunction with other biasing means.

see* By simplifying the character of the linkages which can be employed in a mechanism °driving door securing bolts without significantly affecting its structural strength and durability, the mechanism is relatively inexpensive to manufacture because it might be made in a machine shop having only a lathe and a drilling machine, for example. While this does not necessarily mean that it is desirable that the components be manufactured to less exacting specifications, the amount of precision in manufacture required for making gears and racks would not be essential in the making of components for assembly of a mechanism according to the present invention. Indeed, even if greater precision was thought to be desirable in the manufacture of the components, then the present invention in its simplest form requires the mechanical interaction of a significantly reduced portion of each component of the mechanism, when compared to a rack and pinion arrangement for example, less machining time is required to manufacture a mechanism which results in at least similar (if not improved) operational facility.

Page An Improved Linkage While it is probable that the most economical manufacture of a mechanism according to the present invention would employ steel for the housing and the components, because the components can be sufficiently operationally independent of one another, other materials and composites are available for use. For marine applications it may be preferable to use stainless steel components, whereas in areas involving food preparation the use of aluminium may be preferred. In areas handling products with a high flammability risk, or exceptionally corrosive atmospheres, components and casings using plastics may be desirable. The present invention extends the scope of usable materials because of the simplified engagement means between the member(s) and the bar(s) to which each may be connected, so that even relatively brittle or soft materials may be employed in a mechanism without there necessarily being adverse effects.

Components used in a mechanism can be manufactured by any suitable method including turning, drilling, casting, stamping, forming and punching, the method employed depending upon the type of component, the material from which the component is to be S made, the application to which the resulting mechanism will be put and the functional utility and security required. There is an advantage in the manufacture of materials which are as light as practically possible and the present invention allows that a bar, for example, might be made using a standard commercially produced rolled hollow section which might only need to be cut to length and drilled. By simplifying the means of the mechanical linkage between the components, the present invention envisages that those components may also be reduced to a simple form without affecting their utility.

A further advantage arises from the provision of a mechanism in which the size of the at least one member is not necessarily dependent upon the amount of movement required from the at least one bar(s). In a mechanism that employs gear teeth to provide a mechanical linkage between the components, the amount of travel in a bar is directly related to the angular displacement of the pinion, for example. Accordingly, if a greater amount of travel was to be required of the bar then there would necessarily have to be more gear teeth cut into the bar and the pinion would necessarily have to be increased in size. This can adversely affect machining times and also requires that for mechanisms driving doors bolts further beyond the edge of a door, the size of the housing or casing containing the necessarily larger components must be increased in Page 11 An Improved Linkage size. The present invention provides that, unlike a rack and pinion arrangement, the mechanical engagement between the member and the bar occurs outside the circumference or periphery of the member. How far beyond the circumference or periphery at which this engagement occurs is a matter to be decided at the discretion of those using the present invention. However, the present invention does not require that the components be in a specific or close proximity to each other as is the case for a rack and pinion mechanism, for example so that the displacement of the same or similar components in relation to each other may be varied according to the amount of resultant travel desirable in the bars. A bar may be manufactured so that it presents an inclined face to the member which, depending on the configuration of the projection or spigot from the member, would allow a further variation in the point of contact and the relative mechanical advantage available between the components. The face of the bar 0-00.: presented to the member may not be just a simple incline, but may comprise any shape or profile thought desirable including arcuate bights or undulations or pitches.

4. A significant and time consuming problem encountered with door bolting mechanisms and door locks in general is the provision of means to lubricate the components within •the housing containing the mechanism, without requiring the disassembly of the bolting *o 44 system or lock or its partial removal from a door. Use of this feature is not necessarily S"limited only with mechanisms according to the present invention, and may most simply be achieved by manufacturing at least one of the bars or the locking bolt or latch of a door lock to have a suitable hollow section passing longitudinally inward from its extremity. A suitable cap may then be installed into or onto the hollow section so that the mechanism may be lubricated by feeding lubricant through the hollow section, therefrom to the confines of the housing or casing. It is preferred that the longitudinal channel connect with at least one transverse aperture in the bar so that lubricant would pass into the housing at one or more intermediate points along the length of the bar.

Particularly where a mechanism is rim mounted, installed into a mortise or contained within a door, the facility to lubricate the mechanism without requiring its disassembly or removal from the door offers significant economies in time and resources.

In situations in which periodic maintenance intervals are expected to be greater than normal, a bar or door bolt can be manufactured to contain a hollow section greater than Page 12 An Improved Linkage that which would ordinarily be required to convey lubricant into the mechanism. The additional volume available within this hollow section would act as a reservoir for lubricant which, depending upon its viscosity, would flow into the mechanism over an extended period of time, thereby allowing maintenance to be required less often.

In more complex forms of this feature, it may be arranged that on each occasion a bar or lock bolt is fully retracted the stem of a pin or piston installed into a hole contained within the bar or lock bolt contacts the edge of the mechanism casing or housing, thereby being moved further into the bar or lock bolt and acting as a rudimentary mechanical pump which discharges a small quantity of lubricant from the reservoir into the interior of the casing or housing. This arrangement is of particular advantage for i mechanisms which are operated only occasionally and may be in relatively inaccessible positions but because they serve as safety devices are required to be always in good working order.

o There are many variations available to users of this invention, however, it is preferred that the means by which lubricant is transferred to the casing or housing and the components be kept as simple as possible, and that any additional assembly, apparatus or device employed to further distribute the lubricant also be as simple as possible.

Otherwise the purpose and functionality of the invention is likely to be nullified because the lubrication system itself may demand more regular maintenance than the door securing mechanism or lock to which it is installed.

In the applicant's earlier Australian patent 681560 there is provided a bolt which undergoes at least in part simultaneous rotational and linear movement which can be directly applied to at least one of the bars in a mechanism according to the present invention. Alternatively, such a bolt may be external to the mechanism but be driven by the mechanism; or a device or apparatus employing the patent may be used to drive the mechanism. An advantage achievable in employing the patent within a mechanism according to the present invention would be a further extension of the travel of a bar in relation to a member in addition to those forms and embodiments which have been discussed above.

Page 13 An Improved Linkage Brief Description of Drawings In order that the present invention may be understood in more detail, description is now directed to the accompanying drawings. The particularity of those drawings and the associated description does not supersede the generality of the preceding broad description of the present invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is an isometric partially exploded view of a door securing system including a mechanism according to the present invention; e: Figure 2 is a schematic view of a mechanism according to the present invention with a biped member and stop means; SFigure 3 is an isometric view of three simple linkages according to the present invention in which there is detail of spigots engaging with respective bars; o Figure 4 is a schematic view of a mechanism according to the present invention in which there is one member and two bars; Figure 5 is a schematic view of a mechanism according to the present invention in which there is one member and three bars; Figure 6 is a schematic view of a mechanism according to the present invention in which there is two members and three bars; Figure 7 is a schematic view of a mechanism according to the present invention in which there is one member and four bars; Figure 8 is a schematic view of two mechanisms according to the present invention in which they are operatively connected and/or interact with each other; Page 14 _1 An Improved Linkage Figure 9 is a schematic view of a mechanism in which a member is located on an axle and two bars are retained on spigots; Detailed Description of the Drawings Figure 1 shows a partially exploded view of the parts of a multiple point bolting system incorporating a mechanism 16 according to the present invention. A handle 19 is mounted within a member 11 which is contained within housing 10 and is permanently linkedwith bars 12a and 12b connected to which are connecting bars 13a and 13b into which bolt ends 14a and 14b are inserted and positioned at the edge of a door within guides 15a and 15b. As handle 19 is pivoted anti clockwise (usually about one eighth of a full rotation), member 11 drives with bars 12a and 12b drawing them further within •oooo housing 10 and retracting bolt ends 14a and 14b so that they would be flush with the edges of the door to which the mechanical system has been installed. Connecting bars 13a and 13b can be shortened to suit a smaller door size or extension pieces added to S"suit a larger door. A number of the embodiments of the present invention which follow S•are suitable for inclusion in door securing or locking systems of this type which can engage the door frame at two or more points, thereby securing a door with a high degree of resistance to physical attack.

In a first embodiment of the present invention as shown in Figure 2 there is a mechanism 20 contained within a housing 21. Linkage 22 comprises a member 23 with spigots 24a and 24b extending from it, engaging bars 25a and 25b respectively. As member 23 pivots clockwise, bars 25a and 25b are moved linearly toward respective edges of housing 21, and vice versa. Housing 21 would usually have a cap (not shown) and would thereby fully enclose components of mechanism 20 and maintain an operational relationship by means of the ribs, guides, punchings or stumps formed or mounted within the cap and/or housing between member 23 and bars 25a and 25b and limit the movement of the bars so that the engagement between spigots 24a and 24b and bars and 25b is continuous and linkage 22 is maintained during operation of mechanism 21. Figure 2 shows bars 25a and 25b having respective reduced portions 26a and 26b of indefinite length which pass through housing 21. However, portions 26a and 26b may be of the same size or larger than bars 25a and 25b; and they may not be a part of Page An Improved Linkage bars 25a and 25b but be separate components installed to the bars; and portions 26a and 26b of themselves may be respective assemblies of components. Portions 26a and 26b may extend to the edges of the door to which mechanism 21 has been installed to serve as door securing bolts or function as connecting rods to which larger or specially shaped bolt ends are mounted to fasten the door.

Member 23 as shown is a biped component into which spigots 24a and 24b have been inserted; and which has a hole 27 drilled through it. Member 23 can be an extruded or machined component or it could be a pressed steel component which has spigots 24a and 24b formed as an integral part of that pressing. Alternatively, member 23 may be a component formed by sand casting, pressure casting, shell moulding, extrusion or any other suitable manufacturing process, spigots 24a and 24b being formed as an integral part of the member 23 or installed to member 23 at a later stage of production. The material(s) from which member 23 is made may be the same material, different materials or a compound, laminate, alloy or other composite of materials depending upon the o• application to which an assembly according to the present invention is to be put.

Spigots 24a and 24b may also be made from any suitable material and mounted into a receiving hole in member 23, welded to the periphery of member 23, passed into a lateral slot in member 23 or any other suitable fashion in which it will maintain an operational relationship with member 23 as required by the present invention. Similarly, in one preferred form, bars 25a and 25b may be of solid square steel, however, bars and 25b may be a round or other polygonal solid material, a hollow section, or components formed from sheet metal or any other suitable components capable of maintaining an operational relationship with spigots 24a and 24b, thereby maintaining engagement with member 23.

In Figure 2, casing or housing 21 is shown as larger than it might necessarily need to be, requiring the installation of stop 28 to limit the movement of member 23. In preferred forms, member 23 has a boss or a similar projection extending in one or both directions aligned with its pivot axis, which are received into formations or apertures within housing 21, thereby locating member 23 within the housing. Alternatively, a spindle inserted into hole 27 and passing through suitable apertures in housing 21 would achieve a similar purpose. Housing 21 may be of any configuration and need not Page 16 An Improved Linkage be of any particular size, it generally being preferable to minimise its size to save the cost of material(s). However, other considerations may in part determine the size and shape of housing 21 such as the situational requirements of the application to which the completed mechanism is to be put; and economies in maintaining a basic commonality in components between various types of mechanisms. For example, housing 21 is similar to the casings or housings shown in a number of the embodiments discussed below.

Hole 27 formed in member 23 is shown as a simple round aperture, but it may be a tapered aperture or one which is polygonal. For example, where a handle is to be employed as a drive means for the mechanism, the shape of hole 27 would be determined by the shape of a spindle which is to pass through it and its method of engagement with member 23. Alternatively hole 27 may not pass through member 23, but may be a blind hole, or it may be omitted altogether if the mechanism is to be driven by means applied other than to member 23. In a preferred form, member 23 may be driven Soby a lever handle mounted to a square spindle passing through member 23, in which case hole 27 would be broached to accommodate the spindle. Alternatively, drive to o member 23 may be achieved by engagement of the drive means into a slotted keyway formed within member 23 or a component mounted to the surface of member 23.

Bias means can be introduced to the assembly in a number of ways. For example, a compression spring could be installed at the end of bar 25b to drive it outward toward a bolt extending position; or a compression might be installed around reduced portion 26b so that it is located between bar 25b and an edge of housing 21, an arrangement which drives bar 25b inward toward a bolt retracting position. Guide 28 could be a leaf spring which would bear against member 23, thereby imposing some frictional impediment to the ready movement of member 23. Guide 28 may also have an indentation in it at the point it contacts member 23 which could cooperate with a notch in the periphery of member 23 to positively position it in a bolt retracting and/or extending position.

It will be understood that the simplicity of construction of a mechanism according to the present invention, as shown in Figure 2, can provide significant advantages both in the use of a wide variety of materials and ease of manufacture of the component parts Page 17 An Improved Linkage of an assembly employing the linkage; and the variety of functions and utility available.

In Figure 3 three alternative engagements between a member and a bar are shown. Item in Figure 3 illustrates a linkage according to the present invention between a member 30a and a bar 3 Ia, wherein a spigot 32a engages with a hole 34a formed in bar 3 la. Hole 34a may be a blind hole or be open ended or it may have ends of greater diameter than its middle. Its function being to accommodate spigot 32a whereby drive can be transferred from member 30 a to bar 3 la, or vice versa, with minimal (if any) loss of motion, thereby achieving the maximum mechanical advantage afforded by the linkage. Some operating clearance is required between the external diameter of spigot 32a and the internal diameter of hole 34a, however, by forming hole 34a as a conical hole or one which is countersunk or counter bored, loss of motion between spigot 32a and bar 31 a can be minimised or eliminated. Other more complex arrangements can achieve a similar result. In Figure 3 there is shown a member 30b with spigot 32b extending from it to engage an axle 36b rotatable within a transverse slot 34b within bar 3 lb. As member 30b pivots, thereby moving bar 3 lb toward an intermediate position in it travel, the aspect of spigot 32b changes with respect to bar 3 lb and axle 36b rotates to accommodate this change. A further alternative is shown in Figure 3 (c) where member 30c has a spigot 32c extending from it to engage bar 3 lb, spigot 32c having an enlarged extremity 3 8c which engages in slot 34c within bar 31 c. In each of these arrangements, loss of motion between the respective member and a bar can be effectively eliminated, thereby allowing direct transference of motion from the member owes to the bar to maximise the travel of the bar and consequently the amount of travel available to a door securing bolt connected to the bar. Shown in Figure 3, bars 3 Ia, 31 b and 31 c have a reduced end 39a, 39b and 39c respectively, indicating that these bars may be employed as door securing bolts. Albeit that the end of a door bolt may be of any shape, including cone and wedge shapes for special purposes, a cylindrically shaped bolt end is generally considered the most useful. Members 30a, 30b and 30c are shown having a boss 35a, 35b and 35c respectively extending from a lateral face to be located within an aperture in a housing containing the mechanism. Each boss is shown as concentric to the axis of the cylindrical bar from which members 30a, 30b and are made, whereby that axis for each would also be coincident with the pivot axis for each member. While this usually a matter of general convenience and utility, particular- Page 18 An Improved Linkage ly in the design of components manufactured by repetition on a lathe, a pivot axis need not be centralised within a member but may be offset toward one side of the member a result being that the mass of the member being asymmetrically disposed about the pivot, whereby the member would tend to move to a position at one extremity of its travel, rather than the other.

Figure 4 shows a mechanism according to present invention including a member 41 having a cylindrical shape engaging bars 43a and 43b by means of spigots 42a and 42b respectively, the assembly being accommodated within housing 40 which is similar to housing 21 in Figure 2. Bars 43a and 43b being relatively short, have rods of indefinite length 44a and 44b respectively installed into them which, for example, could extend toward the top and bottom ofa door to fasten it. This mechanism is one of the simplest ooooo .forms according to the present invention, the whole of the mechanism comprising eight components plus an operating handle, and it could satisfactorily serve as a door securing system without the need for additional componentry. Hole 45 in member 41 is a cylindrical shape as shown but may also contain a helical thread to receive the threaded end of a spindle, or it may contain hardened splines so that a cylindrical spindle may be pressed into it to provide facility for the mounting of an operating handle. Bias means can be introduced to the respective ends of bars 43a and 43b to urge the bars toward bolt extending or retracting positions as the desired by users of the present invention.

Adopting the commonality of dimensions in housing 40 and housing 21 of Figure 2 enables users of the present invention to assemble a variety of different mechanisms offering differing functionality but using the same basic housing (and cap). This facility represents a significant cost saving to a manufacturer, because the preparation of tooling for the forming of a pressed metal housing (or its manufacture by any other means) is a significant portion of the manufacturing input and standardisation of this part of the product creates a significant opportunity for creating a competitive advantage. Particularly, where short product runs are involved, or there is a desire to reduce inventory of completed product, thereby enabling relatively short lead times by assembling individual mechanisms as required by customer demand.

Figure 5 shows a fUrther embodiment of the present invention in which a member 51 Page 19 An Improved Linkage engages bars 52a, 52b and 52c so that bolts 53a, 53b and 53c are simultaneously moved to and from extended positions. Spigots 54a and 54b are of the same size, whereas spigot 54c is of a larger dimension, however, the travel of bar 52c will not necessarily be any greater than that for bars 52a and 52b. A compression spring 55 is located around bolt 53c urging bar 52c toward a bolt retracting position, whereby member 51 is driven in a clockwise direction thereby driving bars 52a and 52b toward bolt retracting positions. A similar result is obtainable by ensuring that bolt 53a is of significantly greater length and mass than bolt 53b, in which case the mechanism would be gravity biased so that the bolts are automatically withdrawn when a drive force is removed from member 51, for example. The opposite arrangement would be available by placing compression spring at the opposite end of bar 52b to bolt 53b and/or ensuring that bolt 53b was of greater mass than bolt 53a.

.ooooi The arrangement in Figure 5 provides that a mechanism including of this type can be installed to a door for securing the door at the top, bottom and leading edge, for example. However, the bars driving the top and bottom bolts would necessarily be offset from one another by at least the diameter of member 51, which in some situa- :tions may be undesirable. In Figure 6 an embodiment of the present invention is shown which allows bars 62a and 62b (extending bolts to the top and bottom of a door, for •example) to travel along the same axial line. Within housing 60 is contained members 61a and 61b each engaging two bars. Member 61a has a spigot 63a engaging with bar 62a and aspigot 63c engaging with bar 62c which is also engaged with spigot 63d 9..

extending from member 61b, also having spigot 63b extending from it to engage bar 62b. The benefit of this arrangement is that movement in member 61 a can be directly transferred to member 6 lb, and vice versa. And a longitudinal drive force applied to bar 62c can directly drive member 61a and member 61b a similar result may be obtainable by applying a longitudinal drive force to bar 62a or 62b but to maintain a mechanical equilibrium it is preferable that the drive be applied to bar 62c. Member 6 lb is shown to be smaller in diameter than member 61 a, however, the movement of bar 62b is not necessarily any less than for bar 62a, nor need the movement of member 61a when compared to member 61b be any less, because spigots 63a and 63b are projected to present a similar pivotal radius, as are spigots 63c and 63d respectively. The smaller diameter of member 61b does create the necessity for guide means to be provided for Page An Improved Linkage bars 62b and 62c. A stump 64 is shown constraining the movement of bar 62c to travel along its longitudinal axis, whereas the guide means for bar 62b is a rib created in the cap (not shown) which encloses the mechanism within housing 60. As discussed above, differing amounts of travel is obtainable from different bars engaged with the same member. Differentiation is available in each coupling of a member and a bar within a linkage according to the present invention and the complexity and degree of such differentiation is a matter of selection at the discretion of those using the invention. For example, spigot 63d extends further beyond the periphery of member 61b than does spigot 63 c relative to member 61 a, but the pivotal radius of both spigots is the same, Which in turn are less than the pivotal radii for spigots 63a and 63b. Accordingly, bar 62c travels a lesser distance than does bar 62a or 62b when member 61a or 61b pivot, which is of advantage in reducing the necessary size of housing .:oooi .o In Figure 6, bar 63c is shown not to extend beyond housing 60, its primary function being to transfer motion from member 61a to member 61b. And a compression spring Sacting on one end or the other of bar 63c would drive it and thereby bars 62a and 62b toward bolt retracting or extending positions. In a variation of this embodiment of the present invention, bar 63c can be elongated so that it extends beyond the edge of housing 60 sufficiently to serve as a door securing bolt or to receive the mounting of a connecting rod to a door securing bolt. Although a mechanism according to this embodiment requires additional components, apart from the advantage of having bars linearly opposed, an advantage is derived from the opposed rotary or pivotal motion of the members. Anti-clockwise motion in member 61 a would cause a rightward motion in bar 62c (and upward motion in bar 62a) thereby causing clockwise motion in member 61b (and downward motion in bar 62b). A lever handle mounted on a spindle passing through member 61a would have to be lifted upward to move bolts connected to bars 62a and 62b toward extended positions, which action is contrary to that conventionally required of a door handle, for example. By mounting the lever handle to member 61b, a normal downward pressure exerted on the door handle would move the bars 62a and 62b toward bolt retracting positions, which would be operationally acceptable for a door hinged on its left hand side. Should the door be hinged on its right hand side, the mechanism shown in Figure 6 would be rotated through 180 degrees and the operating handle then mounted to member 61 a to achieve an acceptable result at the same time Page 21 An Improved Linkage ensuring that the cap for housing 60 is closest to the surface of a door thereby deterring tampering with the mechanism.

A further embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 7, wherein an assembly not dissimilar to that shown in Figure 5 comprises a member 71 is operatively engaged with bars 72a, 72b, 72c and 72d. Bar 72b extends beyond housing 70 and the limits of motion available for the mechanism are determined by bar 72d and spigot 73d.

Bar 72d is longer than bars 72a and 72c so that it will contact the edge of housing first as the bars are driven by member 71 toward bolt extending positions, thereby limiting the amount of travel that would otherwise be available to bars 72a and 72c.

Spigot 73d has an enlarged shank which will contact ferrule 74a as the bar 72d is moved toward a bolt retracting position, thereby limiting the motion of all other bars in .oo.oi that direction. Housing 70 is of the same dimensions as the housing in other embodiments of the present invention, but the diameter of member 71 is reduced so as to allow ferrules 74a, 74b, 74c and 74d to be located within housing 70. The ferrules can fulfil a number of functions to support the installation of a cap to housing 70, to enable housing 70 to be fastened to a door with fasteners passing through each ferrule and to guide components within the mechanism. As shown in Figure 7, except for ferrule 73d, the other ferrules of themselves do not perform a function as guide means, however, by °placing a suitable sleeve around each ferrule or by enlarging their diameter they could then obviate the need for guide means being formed within the cap to housing Figure 8 shows two embodiments of the present invention which have bars operatively connected to one another. Mechanism 80a is similar to the embodiment shown in Figure 7 and mechanism 80b is similar to that shown in Figure 6, their arrangement being such that either is drivable by the other utilising the connecting rod 84 between bar 81b of mechanism 80b and bar 8 1la of mechanism 80a. Alternatively, bar 8 1la could be extended to become a part of mechanism 80b so that the one bar is shared by the two different mechanisms. The arrangement shown is such that clockwise motion in member 82b will move bar 8 lb further into its housing thereby moving bars 83a and 83b toward bolt extending positions. In the same movement, bar 81a is drawn toward the edge of its housing which simultaneously moves the other bars connected to member 82a toward bolt extending positions. The arrangement shown in Figure 9 Page 22 An Improved Linkage would be suitable for installation to a single large door and the type of mechanisms connected in such a fashion may be varied to suit individual situations. An alternative arrangement of mechanisms 80a and 80b would be suitable for installation to a pair of doors. For example, connecting rod 84 would be removed and either or both bar 81 a and 81b extended or have a suitable extension mounted to them so that as bar 81a is moved toward a bolt extending position it would contact the end of bar 8 lb and drive it further within its housing. A compression spring is mounted at the other end of bar 8 lb so that when member 82a is pivoted in a clockwise direction bar 81a would be driven by the compression spring outward, thereby retracting bars 83a and 83b. In this fashion mechanism 80a would fasten the right hand leaf of the door set and simultaneously cause mechanism 80b to fasten the left hand leaf. Operation of mechanism 80a would similarly unfasten both door leaves. Figure 9 is an example of a variety of operational .arrangements available employing mechanisms according to the present invention, and it will be understood that the available arrangements are not limited to direct coupling :of particular mechanisms or components within the mechanisms. For example, by mounting two mechanisms together so that the pivotal axis of at least one member in each is substantially aligned, movement in one member can be effectively transferred to .the other, or motion limited or prohibited, whichever is thought desirable by users of the present invention. Mechanisms according to the present invention may also be directly to indirectly coupled to other assemblies, apparatus or devices so that operation of one or the other is controlled so as to enable or prevent fastening or unfastening ofa door.

A further embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 9 in which a mechanism 90 comprises a member 91 which pivots about a spindle 97 and has a large spigot 92 (which serves as a door securing plate) and smaller spigots 93a and 93b which have reduced ends 94a and 94b respectively engaged by bars 95a and 95b. As this type of mechanism is intended as a very cheap assembly, member 91 may be a pressed sheet metal component, for example, which would include all three spigots, or it may be desirable, for example, to install spigot 93a and 93b after the manufacture of member 91 by spot welding another component containing both spigots to member 91. The bars and 95b may be rectangular bars, for example, with round holes or slots located at their ends through which reduced ends 94a and 94b are passed and retainer clips, discs Page 23 An Improved Linkage or nuts are fitted to secure the engagement of the bars. An assembly of this type has particular application to metal furniture such as cupboards and lockers and for vehicle locking systems because it does not need a housing and can be operatively supported and located about spindle 97.

Finally, it is to be understood that various alterations, modifications and/or additions may be introduced into the constructions and arrangements of parts previously described without departing from the spirit or ambit of the present invention.

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Claims (32)

1. A mechanism forms at least a part of a mechanical system for securing a door or window or other like structure, wherein, the mechanism includes at least one linkage comprising a member able to pivot about a pivot axis, which has at least one projection or spigot extending from it in a direction substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis, each projection or spigot engaging with a respective at least one suitably configured bar, whereby in response to pivoting of the member the bar(s) undergo reversible motion through a range of travel, during which the engagement between the projection or spigot and the bar(s) is maintained; wherein, the reversible motion of each bar engaged with the member is at least partially synchronous with the motion of all of the bars engaged with the member; and wherein, the mechanism actuates or at least .:oooi partially enables or disables operation of the said mechanical system.

2. A mechanism according to claim 1 wherein, at least one bar comprising a part of the at least one linkage is a door securing bolt or has a door securing bolt operatively connected to it.

3. A mechanism according to claims 1 to 2 wherein, at least one bar is a part of more than one linkage, each linkage being part of the same or a different mechanism.

4. A mechanism according to claims I to 3 wherein, at least one member is (directly or indirectly) drivable by at least one bar.

A mechanism according to claims 1 to 4 wherein, the pivotal radius of each projection or spigot within the at least one linkage is substantially the same.

6. A mechanism according to claims 1 to 5 wherein, movement of at least one member and/or at least one bar is constrained to operate within predetermined limits, the resulting movement in the member(s) and the bars(s) being restricted to a lesser amount than that which would otherwise be available in maintaining the at least one linkage. Page An Improved Linkage

7. A mechanism according to claims 1 to 6 wherein, at least a part of the mechanism is contained within a case or a housing which determines the relative dispositions and operational relationships of the components comprising the mechanism, and constrains the motion of at least one of the components within predetermined limits.

8. A mechanism according to claims 1 to 7 wherein, at least one bias means is introduced into the at least one linkage.

9. A mechanism according to claims 1 to 8 wherein, the mechanism is subject to at least one bias means external to the at least one linkage or the mechanism.

10. A mechanism according to claims I to 9 wherein, the displacement of two or more .:oo.i projections or spigots are disposed equidistantly around the periphery of the member.

11. A mechanism according to claims 1 to 10 wherein, at least one member is of a S•cylindrical solid component having a circular or elliptical cross section. 9

"12. A mechanism according to claims I to 11 wherein, at least one member has a projection or boss, on one or both sides, extending in a direction aligned with its pivotal axis and is receivable into a suitable aperture within a case or housing.

13. A mechanism according to claims 1 to 12 wherein, at least one projection or spigot is a hollow or solid cylindrical projection or spigot, the major portion of which has a uniform cross section.

14. A mechanism according to claims 1 to 13 wherein, at least one projection or spigot is an integral part of the member.

A mechanism according to claims 1 to 14 wherein, at least one bar is a hollow component.

16. A mechanism according to claims 1 to 15 wherein, the mechanism is employed to drive another assembly, apparatus or device or another mechanism. Page 26 An Improved Linkage

17. A mechanism according to claims 1 to 16 wherein, the mechanism can be driven, directly or indirectly, by manual exertion and/or by another part of the human anatomy.

18. A mechanism according to claims 1 to 17 wherein, the mechanism can be driven by at least one electrical and/or electronic and/or pneumatic and/or magnetic device, apparatus or mechanism.

19. A mechanism according to claims 1 to 18 wherein, at least one part of a member exhibits a loss of motion relative to its other part(s) during operation of the mechanism.

A mechanism according to claims 1 to 19 wherein, at least one part of a bar exhibits a loss of motion relative to its other part(s) during operation of the mechanism.

21. A mechanism according to claims 1 to 20 wherein, at least one of its components forms a part of an electrical circuit. i

22. A mechanism according to claims 1 to 21 wherein, at least one of its components is operatively associated with an electrical switching device, apparatus or assembly.

23. A mechanism according to claims 1 to 22 wherein, a handle or knob is mounted onto or into a member or is otherwise operatively connected to the member to drive the mechanism.

24. A mechanism according to claims 1 to 23 wherein, a push bar or push pad mechanism intended for emergency egress use is operatively connected to the mechanism.

A mechanism according to claims 1 to 24 wherein, a key cylinder or a lockable and releasable handle or knob assembly or other like securing means is operatively connected to the mechanism.

26. A mechanism which includes a door bolt, a lock bolt or a bar which contains a conduit, whereby a lubricant can be conveyed into the mechanism. Page 27 An Improved Linkage

27. A mechanism according to claims 1 to 26 wherein, the said conduit comprises a main artery and subsidiary conduits, slots or apertures affecting the dispersal of a lubricant within the mechanism.

28. A mechanism according to claims 1 to 27 wherein, the door bolt, lock bolt or bar also contains a chamber able to contain a resevoir of lubricant for dispersal within the mechanism.

29. A mechanism according to claim 28 wherein, the door bolt, lock bolt or bar has mounted within it and connected to the said chamber a component or an assembly to limit and/or assist the flow or dispersal of lubricant within the mechanism. e

30. A mechanism according to claims I to 29 wherein, components within the mechanism interact with the door bolt, lock bolt or bar to assist the passage of lubricant to parts ofthe mechanism. 9

31. A mechanism according to claims 1 to 30 wherein, operation of at least a part of the mechanism is controlled by an apparatus or device external to the mechanism.

32. A mechanism for a door securing or bolting system substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 9 S"Dated: 5 April 1999 Author: Brian Arthur Cook Page 28