AU610855B2 - A security device - Google Patents

Description

I ZAXMAnjs bdou W 1 II Je! apq 6 l 11111.4 L6ZAXMAnSCdONWIrHs 9aD:)V ,Jd 01[1114l~: I lI i I COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA i PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION ~01 (original) FOR OFFICE USE Class Int. Class Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specificatioyn Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority: ,,..,Related Art: 0 a0a "a 0 0 Name of Applicant: ,A2-ddress of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): 'Address for Service: CHASE SECURITY EQUIPMENT PTY. LIMITED 23/456 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, 3004 State of Victoria Commonwealth of Australia DAVIES COLLISON, Patent Attorneys, 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000.

Complete specification for the invention entitled: "A SECURITY DEVICE" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us To: THE COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS (a member of the firm of DAVIES COLLISON for and on behalf of the Applicant).

Davies Collison, Melbourne and Canberra.

c i -~4 i i E i*rUL (4 0 (4 4 (45 (4 (4 (4 (4 4( 3 '1 4' A SECURITY DEVICE The present invention relates to a security ("o4 device and is particularly concerned with a device for releasably securing an article of value to a structure so as to prevent its unauthorised removal.

5 Expensive items of office machinery such as telephone switchboards, computer terminals and screens, tills and like are becoming increasingly the subject of theft. In some cases the article may be secured directly to a structure but this tends to S 10 prevent it being readily moved around the office when so desired.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for selectively securing an article of value to a structure which may permit the article to be readily removed away from its securing location as desired.

According to the present invention there is the firp made in a Convention country in respect of the invention the subject oe. eapplical ion Insert place and date of signature. Declared at l t h S this 2 da of 1987 /9D Signature of declarant(s) (no aftstation required) Note' Initial all alterations.

DAVIES COLLISON. MELBOURNE and CANBERRA.

9r- -2provided a security device comprising rigid first and second support'means having co-operating slide means which permit the first and second support means to be disengaged from each other by relative sliding movement in one direction and engaged with each other by relative sliding movement in a parallel direction, the first and second support means in their engaged condition being prevented from relative movement in any other direction, means to secure one of the support means to a support S 10 structure and means to secure the other of the support means to an article of value, and means to selectively lock the first and second support means in their engaged condition to prevent said relative sliding movement in Soao said one direction, and wherein the securing means 15 comprises rotation means associated with one of the 0 support means and securable to one of the support 0 b structure and artiIgl of value whereby said latter one may be rotated relative to the support means.

Preferably, but not necessarily, the parallel 20 direction for engaging the first and second support means neao is opposite to the one direction.

o The means to secure the respective support means to 50 a support structure and an article of value may comprise openings through the support means through which bolts or S 25 other fasteners may project. Alternatively, each support S0 means may be provided with one of screw threaded nuts and o, a studs for selective engagement with the other and which are used to secure the device to a structure and the article of value to the device. In an alternative embodiment, the securing means may comprise one or more releasable suckers. Suckers are available which can be fastened to the support means and engaged with the support structure or article of value with a force up to, for example, 1500 kg. Alternative securing means may be envisaged.

The rotation means may be in the form of a ball 910227,PHHSPE.012,chasc.spe,2 Y" 0 i i 1 r~r~ e~ilPt~ -3a a 4e41

I

4 I I

I

4El a* a I II a I Ia Oan aaD a1 a a 14 4 44I race. Such a ball race may comprise first and second relatively rotatable plates one of which is secured to the security device and the other of which is securable to the support structure or article of value. One of the plates of the ball race may be secured to the respective support means by bolts or studs from the plate passing through respective openings in the support means and cooperating nuts disposed on the opposite side of the support means. Alternatively, the bolts may be passed through the respective support means and engage screwthreaded open.ings in said one plate. The other plate of the ball race may be secured to the support structure or article of value also by bolts or studs extending from the plate. In the case of bolts securing said other plate, they may conveniently be introduced through openings in the other plate by way of one or more access passages through the support means to which the ball race is secured and through the one plate. A central aperture through the support means may be provided for cabling.

20 Conveniently, the first and second support means in their engaged condition define a substantially enclosed chamber in which means for releasing the support structure or article of value from the security device, or for releasing the aforementioned pivot means, such as a bolt head or nut or a release valve for the sucker, may be disposed. Thus, access to the release means can only be had when the first and second support means are at least substantially disengaged.

The means to selectively lock the first and second oupport means in their engaged condition may X/t4S nnto r (4 910227,PHI-ISPE.012,chasespc,3 4 comprise one or more simple keyed locks which are normally secured to one of the first and second support means and which lockingly engage the other of the first and second support means when the lock is actuated. More conveniently however, there is provided at least one keyed locking device which, even when the key releases the lock, takes time to be separated from both the first and second support means. This has the advantage that even if a thief is able to release the lock or locks with a key it 0 will still take time to separate the or each lock oo from the first and second support means and therefore to separate the first and second support means oooo themselves. Thus, the locking means may comprise one or more keyed locks each of which in the engaged condition of the support means is lockingly engageable with one of the support means when it is releasably ongaged by the other of the support means °ooo and in said engaged condition of the support means is '7 0 20 only releasable from the other of the support means after the o-n support means has been disengaged from o" \the keyed lock.

In a preferred embodiment of the keyed locking d!vice, the one support means has a lock- 0 25 receiving opening therethrough and a screw threaded aperture is provided on the other of the support means and adapted to receive a screw threaded rod of the locking device, the lock-receiving opening being aligned with the screw threaded aperture in the engaged condition of the support means and the locking device comprising a lock cylinder which when disposed in the lock--receiving opening and lockingly engaged therewith is prevented from rotation relative to the threaded aperture and, by virtue of the ti a: threaded engagement of the rod with the aperture, from axial movement relative to either support means.

Advantageously, the locking device is wholly removable from the one support means when it is disengaged therefrom.

One embodiment of a security device in accordance with the present invention will now be described by way ofi example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of part of the security device from above; Figure 2 is an exploded plan view of the part of the security device shown in Figure 1 from below; Figure 3 is an exploded plan view of the part of the o na 15 security device shown in Figure 1 from above; Figure 4 is a front view of one of the support means S of the security device with the locking device removed and taken on line iv-iv of Figure 2; Figure 5 is a front view of the other support means ,oftss 20 with the locking device removed and taken on the line v-v aa of Figure 3; and SFigure 6 is a sectional front elevation showing the 1 security device in use.

The security device 10 shown in the drawings comprises a lower support tray 12, an upper support tray

I

9 14, each fotmed of folded sheet metal such as steel, and i a locking device 16. The support trays 12 and 14 may be formed in any other suitable rigid material.

The lower support tray 12 has a planar rectangular bese 18 and opposed side walls 20 and an end wall 22 extending from the base. Each of the side walls 20 and end wall 22 has an inwardly directed flange 24 at its upper end remote from the V7 910227P HIISPE.012chase,spc,5 6 base 18, the three flanges 24 being shown as continuous but optionally being separated from each other and/or being divided into a plurality of flanges. The front of the lower support tray 12 is therefore open as is the top of the support tray 12 between the flanges 24. The base 18, side walls and flanges 24 projecting from the side walls define opposed slide channels 26 for sliding engagement of the upper support tray 14. The base 18, end wall 22 and flange 24 extending from the end wall 22 define a pocket 28 for receipt of the adjacent end of the o upper support tray 14.

An L-shaped element 30 is welded to the internal surface of the base 18 so that one leg 32 of 0 15 the element 30 projects perpendicularly from the base. The leg 32 has a screw threaded opening 34 therethrough whose axis extends parallel to the slide channels 26. The screw-threaded opening 34 may, for o° example, be defined by a screw-threaded nut (not 20 shown) welded or otherwise secured to the leg 32.

The lower support tray 12 is provided with an array 36 of circular and slotted openings which comprise securing means for securing the lower support tray to either a support structure or an 00 0 0 00 25 article of value, preferably the former, in a manner to be described hereinafter.

The upper support tray 14 has a planar rectangular upper wall 38 and side walls 40 and front wall 42 depending therefrom. At the rear of the upper wall 38, a flange 44 is turned over as clearly shown in Figure 2 to reinforce the rear edge of the wall 38. The upper Support tray 14 is sized to slide in the channels 26 of the lower support tray 12 and to be received wholly within the confines of the 7 lower support tray. The upper support tray 14 is open at its rear edge so as to permit the tray to slide over the element 30 and is also open at its base. When the upper support tray 14 is received wholly within the lower support tray 12, the rear wall 22 of the lower support tray, the base 18 of the lower support tray, the side walls 20 of the lower support tray, the front wall 42 of the upper support tray and the upper wall 38. of the upper support tray substantially close the security device 10 so as to define a chamber 46 therein as clearly shown in Figure 6.

The front wall 42 of the upper support tray has a circular opening 48 therethrough and a cylinder 15 50 clearly shown in Figure 2 is secured immediately behind the front wall in alignment with the opening 48. The cylinder 50 is of such a length that when the lower and upper support trays are slidingly S'"o engaged the cylinder is a close fit between the front ,o a 20 wall 42 of the upper support tray 14 and the leg 32 of the element 30 secured within the lower support o 4 tray 12. The opening 48 and the cylinder 50 are disposed so as to align with the opening 34 in the leg 32 of element The cylinder 50 has an axial passage ftherethrough which is formed in three axial parts. A first cylindrical axial part is defined between the forward end of the cylinder and a shoulder 52 and is of substantially the same diameter as the circular opening 48. The first axial part is of sufficient depth to receive an end flange of the locking device 16. A second intermediate axial part is defined between the shoulder 52 and an end face 54 and has four angularly spaced longitudinal grooves 56 8 therealong which project outwardly from a cylindrical contour def ined by the shoulder 52. The second intermediate part is of a sufficient length to receive a cylinder of the locking device 16 and the grooves 56 are provided to receive pins of the lock cylinder so as to prevent the lock cylinder f rom rotating in the second intermediate part.

The third part of the passage comprises an aperture through the end face 54 of the cylinder which is of substantially the same size and, in the engaged position of the upper and lower supporttrays, is aligned with the opening 34 in the element 30. A screw threaded shank of the locking device 16 is permitted to extend through the aperture 58 either in i screw threaded engagement with the aperture 58 or without such screw threaded engagement.

The locking device 16 comprises a flanged head 60 secured to one end of a lock cylinder 62 and a screw threaded shank 64 projecting axially and 20 rigidly from the other end of the cylinder 62. The lock cylinder 62 has a key slot 66 therein which 00 extends through the f lange 60 and a key (not shown) inserted into the slot. 66 acts to retract spring-loaded pins 68 of the cylinder 62 in well known manner. The lock cylinder 62 does not form o part of the present invention and may be selected from any number of well known devices. The engagement of the locking device 16 is as described above. Thus, with the key inserted in the key slot 66 and the upper and lower support trays in their engaged condition, the screw threaded shank 64 is introduced through the axial passage of the cylinder and into alignment with the threaded opening 34 in element 30, The locking device 16 is then rotated to -9threadingly engage the shank 64 with the opening 34 until the lock cylinder 64 and end flange 62 are wholly received within the axial passage of the cylinder The key is then withdrawn with the pins 68 aligned with the grooves 56 so that the pins engage the grooves and prevent rotation of the locking device. The upper and lower support trays are accordingly lockingly engaged and the longer the shank 64 is the greater the time required to release the locking device. Releasing the locking device 16 is the reverse of the locking procedure. The o upper surface 38 of the upper support tray 14 has an o array of openings 70 therethrough through which studs or other fasteners may be passed for engagement with an 0 0 1 3" W article of value in the manner shown in Figure 6.

ool 15 Referring now to Figure 6, the security device 10 is used in the following manner. The lower support tray 12 "is secured to a support structure such as a desk 72 by fasteners 74 with the upper support tray 14 disengaged therefrom. Similarly, an article of value, here shown as a computer screen 76, is mounted on a rotation device 77 secured to the upper support tray 14 by fasteners 78.

The upper support tray 14 with the computer screen 76 9°o secured thereto is then slidingly engaged with the lower support tray 12 secured to the desk 72 to define the chamber 46 therebetween and the screen 76 is then o^ rotatable relative to the desk 72.

Although Figure 6 represents the fasteners 74 as screw threaded nuts and bolts, it is preferred that any means, such as the head of a bolt, which might be used to disengage one of the desk 72 and computer screen 76 from the security device 10 is located within the chamber 46, for example in the manner of fasteners 78.

The rotation device 77 comprises a ball race provided between a lower plate 82 having s6rew-threaded openings 84 therein with which the bolts 78 are engaged and an upper plate 86 to which the screen 76 is secured i 91o227,PfliSPEI.12,chase.spc,9 sr ~"Fi* by means of bolts 88. The bolts 88 are disposed within the ball race 80 and are therefore not accessible from the exterior. In order to enable the bolts 88 to be secured, aligned passages 90 are provided in the support tray 14 and the lower plate 82 of the rotation device to permit an appnropriate tool (not shown) to be passed therethrough before the support trays 12 and 14 are slidingly engaged. Two sets of aligned passages 90 are shown, respectively for the two bolts 88 illustrated, but respective passages 90 may be provided for each bolt 88 or just one set of aligned passages 90 may be provided if o o all of the bolts 88 are located on an imaginary circle whose centre is the axis of rotation of the rotation o l device 77. A bore 92 is provided through the desk 72, 15 the support trays 12 and 14 and the plates 82 and 86 to enable a cable to pass from beneath the desk to the screen 76.

The screen 76 may be secured to the upper plate 86 before or after the rotation device 77 is secured to the 20 upper support tray 14 but both the screen 76 and the rotation device 77 must be secured to the support tray 14 before the support trays 12 and 14 are slidingly engaged.

Once the upper and lower support trays are slidingly engaged as shown in Figure 6, the locking device 16 is engaged with the element 30 by introducing the screw g% 0threaded shank 64 through the opening 58 in the cylinder a 50 and screw threadingly engaging it with the aperture 34 in the leg 32 of element 30. The screw threaded engagement is made with the key in slot 66 so that the pins 68 are retracted and the screw threaded engagement is continued until the cylinder 62 and flange 60 are wholly received within the passage in the cylinder The key is then removed from the slot 66 with the pins 68 aligned with one pair of the grooves 56 so that the pins 3^ enter the grooves and prevent the locking device 16 from rotating further until the key is re-inserted. Thus, the eti 910227,PHHISPE.Ol2,chas,spe,10 II w 1 j 7 ^y' -i II upper and lower support trays are locked together.

It will be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described herein is given by way of example only and that many modifications and variations may be performed within the scope of the invention. In particular, the device may advantageously be provided with two of the locking device 16, preferably keyed differently, at opposite ends of the trays. Furthermore the rotation device 77 may be secured between the desk 72 and the lower support tray 12 to permit rotation of the screen 76 relative to the desk.

0 :o &aca <i, 910I227,rMO I 2,chascsp.IO c i;

Claims (7)

1. A security device comprising rigid fiist and second support means having co-operating slide means which permit the first and second support means to be disengaged from each other by relative sliding movement in one direction and engaged with each other by relative sliding movement in a parallel direction, the first and second support means in their engaged condition being prevented from relative movement in any other direction, means to secure one of the support means to a support structure and means to secure the other of the support means to an article of value, and means to selectively loc~liz first and second support means in, their engaged condition to prevent said relative sliding movement in said one direction, and wherein the securing means comprises rota~tion means associated with one of the support means and securable to one of the support structure and article of value whereby said latter one may be rotated relative to the support means. 4 2. A sectwrity device according to Claim I wherein the parallel direction for engaging the first and second support means is opposite to the one direction.

3. A security device according to Claim I or Claim 2 Wherein the first and second support means in their engaged condition define a substantially enclosed chamber.

4. A security device according to any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the securing means comprise openings through the support means to receive bolts or other fasteners. A $ecurity device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 Wherein the rotation means includes a plate 1 -12- rotatable relative to the support means and securable to the support structure or article of value by means of a plurality of openings therethrough adapted to receive respective bolts or other fasteners, and wherein the support means has an access passage therethrough with which the openings in the plate may be aligned.

6. A security device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the locking means comprises one or more keyed locks each of which is normally secured to one of the first and second support means and which g g;T lockingly engages the other of the support means when the lock is actuated.

7. A security device according to any one of Claims 1 to 5 wherein the locking means comprises one or more O o keyed locks each of which in the engaged condition of the support means is lockingly engageable with one of the support means when it is releasably engaged by the other of the support means in said engaged condition of the o.o. support means is only releasable from the other of the support means after the one support means has been disengaged from the keyed lock.

8. A security device according to Claim 7 wherein the o one support means has a lock-receiving opening ao therethrough and a screw threaded aperture is provided on the other support means and adapted to receive a screw threaded rod of the locking device, the lock-receiving opening and the screw-threaded aperture being aligned in the engaged condition of the support means, and the locking device comprising a lock cylinder which when disposed in the lock receiving opening and lockingly engaged therewith is prevented from rotation relative to the threaded aperture and, by virtue of the threaded engagement of the rod with the aperture from axial 910227,P tIHSPE,Q12chas.sN,12 -U ii I. p -I II*IYIPF~II

13- movement relative to either support means. 9. A security device as claimed in Claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 27th day of February, 1991. CHASE SECURITY EQUIPMENT PTY. LIMITED By its Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON 0 0ass 0r 00s 0 j K 4- 910227,PtI$HSPE012,ChasespcA3