CA1054819A - Internal lock for trailer door - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT
A new closure mechanism designed for mounting on the inner sufaces of doors and the like. In a first embodiment it includes a socket component and a bolt component, the latter including a bolt slidable in a housing and driven through a rack by a pinion with a non-circular aperture for receiving an actuator. A key actuated lock member causes an arm to protrude into or withdraw from the path for the actuator from outside the door. The arm is so positioned as to be backed up by other structure, so as to resist impact from outside. In a second embodiment the pinion normally engages both the rack of the bolt member and a short thin rack section fixed to the housing, but may be translated axially to disengage the fixed rack section and enable displacement of the bolt member, the same actuating tool which rotates the pinion being further adapted to translate it as well. In the second embodiment, a redundant external padlocking arrangement is provided in addition to the locking member first described.

Description

10548~9 Ba~kground of the Invention This invention relates to the general field of industrial and private security, and more particularly to means for preventing unauthorized access to unattended spaces having closure members such as hinged, sliding, or rolling doors. Although designed primarily for use in industrial applications, for securing the doors of garages, warehouses, truck trailers, and the like, the invention is susceptible to size reduction, retaining the inventive principle, to the point where it can be used for private homes, truck cabs, storage cabinets, and related applications.
The problem of unauthorized intrusion is most serious in connection with professional intruders, since the usual amateur is ill-equipped, ill-trained, and ill-informed as to where intrusions will be profitable and as to the safeguards to be encountered, and, hence, is soon apprehended. In the nature of things there are un-avoidably many instances where warehouses, railroad cars, truck trailers, seasonal storage facilities, and the like must, as a practical matter, be left individually unattended, although within general security supervision as by the rounds of a night watchman or security patrol, or by a central, remote alarm system.
~ s those familiar with the field of security know, it is very nearly impossible to design any arrangement for keeping a determined, unalarmed, leisurely and well-equipped intruder out of any unattended space. Locks and other security measures are designed to delay the intruder, for an interval of unwelcome duration, or to require him to gain the desired access by means so noisy, or otherwise so equipped with alarms, as to summon security personnel to the scene, or perhaps to make his retreat from the ~ea inconvenient or time-consuming, particularly if 11~548~

the object of his attention is itself bulky, heavy, or awkward to handle. Premises secured according to these principles are usually passed over by miscreants in favor of other premises not so pxotected.
Professional intruders are not deterred by reluctance to damage a lock, a door, a hinge, a wall, or the like. Moreover, they are modern enough to be equipped with portable tools of relatively great power such as hardened bolt cutters or battery energized drills, hydraulic powered spreader bars, and hole saws.
Any security device exposed on the outside of a protected area is susceptible to violence: thus, padlocks, hinge pins, and so on are little more than invitations to commence destruction at a particular spot.

Summary of the Invention This invention comprises a locking arrangement particu-larly adapted for utility against professional intruders. All of its operating parts are mounted on the inside of the door to be protected. It is also so constructed that its moving member may be strong and heavy, to an extent impossible if the member itself were key-actuated, actuation of the member being by means of an operator of bar-like strength, and key operation being limited to means for preventing insertion of the actuator. While the invention is principally disclosed in connection with a truck trailer, it is also shown in use with an upwardly sliding or rolling garage door, and its utility for warehouses, railroad cars, refrigerated chambers, and so on is readily apparent. One embodi-ment of the invention further includes means for preventing the moving member from initial displacement when a trailer door is moved laterally in its own plane, and may include further redundant padlocking means for preventing easy unauthorized a~cess to the key first mentioned.

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It is a principal object of the invention to provide a ne.w and improved means for locking a closure member in a closed position comprising: a bolt component for mounting on the inside of a closure member, including a housing and a boss projecting to extend through the closure member to the outside surface there-of; a bolt member arranged to slide in said housing; a bolt operator arranged for rotation within said housing, around an axis passing through said boss, to cause sliding movement of said bolt; an aperture in said boss aligned with said axis for passing an actuator to said bolt operator; a stop plate movable in a cavity in said boss between a first position, in which it affords access of the actuator to said operator, and a second position, in which it extends across said axis to prevent pass-age of said actuator; and key actuated means in said boss to move said stop plate between its first and second positions.
Preferably the bolt member includes a rack, and said bolt operator comprises a pinion meshing with said rack, mounted for rotation in said housing and axially formed with a non-circu-lar aperture to receive the actuator.
Preferably the key actuated means includes a lock secured in said boss by means accessible only from the side of said boss, so as to be inaccessible through the material of a closure member when the housing is installed therein. The lock includes a shaft rotatable by a key in said lock and carrying said stop plate, and the stop plate in its second position is axially supported by means including the housing so that axial force applied thereto through the aperture is without disabling effect on the lock.

:, j 1~5~19 Various advantages and features of novelty which charac-terize my invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, its advantages, and objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the drawing which forms a further part hereof, and to the accompanying descriptive matter, in which there are illustrated and described certain preferred embodiments of the invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings In the drawings, FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a truck trailer having my invention installed at rear and side doors;
FIGURE 2 is a view in perspective of the mechanism removed from the rear door and viewed from the outside;
FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view in perspective of the mechanism from inside the trailer;
FIGURE 4 is a view in elevation of the mechanism of FIGURE 2, with parts broken away for clarity of illustration;
FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 3;
FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5;
FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIGURE 3;
FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of FIGURE l;
FIGURE 9 shows my invention applied to a garage or ware-house door;
FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary view similar to FIGURE 9 to a larger scale and seen from within;

FIGURE 11 is a view like FIGURE 4 showing a second embodi-ment of the invention;

1~54819 FIGURE 12 is a perspective view of a truck trailer having a modified embodiment of my invention installed at its doors;
FIGURE 13 .is a view in perspective of the improved mechanism removed from the door, and showing the side which engages the door;
FIGURE 14 is an end view of the bolt component of the improved mechanism seen from the left in FIGURE 13, with parts broken away;
FIGURE 15 is a view in elevation of the bolt component of the improved mechanism showing the side which is remote from the door, with parts broken away;
FIGURE 16 is a view like FIGURE 15 of the strike component of the improved mechanism;
FIGURE 17 is a detail showing a portion of the bolt mechanism in a different condition; and FIGURE 18 is a sectional view taken along the line 18-18 of FIGURE 13.

Descri tion of the Preferred Embodiments p Turning now to Figure 1, a truck trailer 20 is shown to have a side door 21 hinged along its forward edge 22 and a pair of rear doors 23 and 24 hinged at their outer edges 25 and 26 to overlap centrally at 27, and having the usual latching hardware operated by handles 30 and 31. My closure mechanism, indicated by the reference numeral 32, is better shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4 to comprise a strike or socket component 33 attached to door 24, as by fastenings 34, and a bolt component 35, attached to door 23 as by fasteners 36. Fasteners 34 and 36 may be rivets, carriage bolts, or any such devices which are not amenable to removal from outside the door.
Bolt component 35 is shown to comprise a mounting plate 40 of generally rectangular out:Line with an upper projection 41, 1054~9 to which there is welded or otherwise secured a hollow cylindrical boss 42 of circular cross section, and of axial length equal to or less than the thickness of the door 23, so that when inserted from within the trailer into a round hole 43 in the door, the end cap 44 of the boss 42 does not project outwardly therebeyond.
A housing 45 is secured in any suitable manner to the surface of plate 40 opposite boss 42, and like plate 40, is generally rectangular with an upper projection at 46. The upper surface 47 and lower surface 50 of housing 45 are horizontal, its end 51 and the upper surface 52 of portion 46 are beveled toward plate 40, and its end 53 is open. Mounting plate 40 and housing 45 cooperate to form a channel in which a bolt member 54 may slide horizontally as suggested at 55. Bolt member is of very signifi-cant dimensions and weight. A stop screw 56 may project downwardly from member 54 to move in a slot 57 in housing 45, for physically limiting the horizontal movement of member 54 in each direction, and a spring urged ball detent 60 may be provided in housing 45 to engage in depressions 61 and 62 in bar member 54 at the ends of its travel. Also, the end 63 of member 54 may be shaped and beveled if this is preferred.
As mentioned, bolt member 54 is strong and massive, and is not suitable for movement by turning of any conventional key.
Actuation of the bolt member is accomplished by a bolt operator in the form of a pinion 64 mounted for rotation on hubs 65 and 66 in aligned openings in housing 46 and mounting plate 41. Pinion 64 is axially apertured at 67, the aperture being splined or hexagonal or of some other non-circular conEiguration. Pinion 64 is positioned in housing 44 so that its axis 69 passes through boss 42, and a bore 70 is formed in cap 44 in line with axis 69 and of diametex greater than that of the circle circumscribing aperture 67. Pinion 64 meshes with a rack 71 cut in the upper edge of bolt member 54.

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It will be clear, as suggested in Figure 2, that if an ac1:uating tool such as a T- or L-wrench having a hexagonal or splined shaft, as shown at 72, is inserted through bore 70 in cap 44, it may pass through to aperture 67 of pinion 64. Such a tool may be constructed with the ruggedness required to turn pinion 64, thus moving bolt member in its channel.
A key actuated lock mechanism 80 is secured in cap 44 as by threading into a suitable tapped hole, and is held in place by a set screw 81: when the mechanism is installed, the set screw is completely covered within the thickness of the door 23, and, hence, is not available for unauthorized loosening. A non-circular shaft 82 extends from lock mechanism 80 to rotate in the hollow of boss 42 through a portion of a turn with turning of the proper key, and an arm or stop plate 83 is riveted or otherwise secured to shaft 82. In the locked condition of the mechanism, arm 83 projects directly across bore 70, as shown in Figure 6, to prevent entrance of actuating tool 72 into aperture 67. The space between arm 83 and hub 66 is very slight, so that even if a punch is inserted into bore 70 and hammered violently against arm 83, the latter is so firmly supported through pinion 64 by housing projection 46 that no damage to the lock mechanism occurs which could result in removal of arm 83 as an impediment to the actuator.
In the unlocked condition of the mechanism, arm 83 takes the position shown in broken lines in Figure 6, clearing the path to aperture 67 for an actuating wrench.
Strike or socket component 33 i5 shown to comprise a base plate 90 to which is secured a housing 9l having an open end 92 and a beveled closed end 93, plate 90 and housing 9l defining a socket sized to receive bolt member 54 when the latter is actuated to the right as seen in Figure 4. Bar member 54 extends into the socket for a very considerable distance, and yet remains contained within housing 45 a considerable distance also. Thus, even if the 1~54819 latching hardware is released by handles 30, 31, my mechanism prevents opening of either or both doors and, hence, prevents access to the interior of the trailer. This would be true even if doors 23, 24 were each vertically folded instead of solid doors.
Figure 8 shows my invention in plan as applied to the side door of the trailer. Here the bolt component 100 is secured to door 21, and socket component 102 is secured to the body of the trailer. In this application, socket component 102 may be omitted if desired. This figure also shows that the customary overlap of door 21 against the trailer protects the bolt member from mechanical attack, as by levers or saws.
The placement of the locking mechanism inside rather than outside of the door, while protecting the mechanism from àttack by intruders, has one possible problem in that for vehicle use, a moving bar could be so impacted by shifting cargo as to prevent unbarring the door. The provision of housings 45 and 91 thus has the further virtue of preventing shifting cargo from interferring with bolt operation. Even if heavy cargo impact should dent one of the housings, the leverage available by use of actuators like 72 is sufficient to force the bolt member into the desired position.
Figure 9 shows a conventional rising door 110 of four panels 111, 112, 113 and 114 with its conventional latch mechanism at 115, and Figure 10 is a view of the inside of the door to a larger scale, showing my mechanism installed just above the conventional latch, socket component 120 being secured to wall 121 of the building and bolt component 122 being secured to door panel 112. Although the movement of closure 112 is one of sliding in its own plane rather than hinging out of its own plane, it is clear that access by intruders is prevented in this case as well as in that shown in Figure 1.

1059~19 Figure 11 shows a modified embodiment of the invention.
Here, bolt member 130 is a generally U-shaped metal member having reinforcing cross pieces 132 and 133. Mounting plate 134 and housing 135 are simple rectangles, and the boss is repositioned so that pinion 136 is located between the legs of the U, rack 137 being cut on the inside of the lower one of the legs. This structure can be resorted to when it is desired to have even greater strength and rigidity, by reason of larger dimensions than is available in the structure first described. Socket member 140 is, of course, dimensioned to accord with the larger bolt member.
Figures 12-18 illustrate another embodiment of the invention which comprises an improvement on the embodiment described above. It has been found in practice that a bolt member of sufficient strength to resist attack and perform its ~unctions reliably is of very considerable mass and hence possesses considerable inertia. The violent shocks inherent in truck trans-portation sometimes result in such forces acting on the bolt member as detent 60 is unable to resist, and unintended inertial sliding of the bolt member may occur to unbolt the door. This is prevented in the improved embodiment of the invention.
Figure 12 shows a truck trailer 220, like that in Figure 1 having a side door 221 and end doors 222 and 223 including my improved closure mechanism at 232. This mechanism is shown in Figures13, 15 and 16 to constitute a strike or socket component 233 and a bolt component 235, which are attached on the inside of the trailer by fastenings 234, 236.
Bolt component 235 is shown to comprise a mounting or base plate 240 of rectangular outline to which there is secured by peripherally positioned screws 239 (See Figure 14) a cup-shaped boss 242 of circular cross section and of axial length substantially equal to the thickness of door 221 or door 223, so that when inserted from within the trailer into a round hole in the door 5g~81~
the end of the boss does not project outwardly therebe~ond.
A housing 245 is secured in any suitable manner to the surface of plate 240 opposite boss 242, and like plate 240 is generally rectangular. The upper surface 247 and the lower sur-face 250 of housing 245 are horizontal, its end 251 is beveled to-ward plate 240, and its end 253 is open. Plate 240 and housing 245 cooperate to form a channel in which a bolt member 254 may slide horizontally. The bolt member comprises a bar 258 of square cross-section bent into a roughly G-shaped configuration, the opening being closed by a rack 259 welded thereto with its teeth extending inwardly. No ball detent and cooperating de-pressions are needed in this embodiment of the invention.
Actuation of bolt member 254 is accomplished by a bolt operator in the form of a pinion 264 mounted for rotation on hubs 265 and 266 (see Figure 18) in aligned openings in housing 245 and mounting plate 235. Pinion 264 is axially apertured, one end 267 of the aperture being splined, or hexagonal, or of some other non-circular configuration such, for example, as pentagonal. Pinion 264 is positioned in housing 244 so that its axis 269 passes through boss 242, and a bore 270 is formed, in the end of the boss, in line with axis 269 and of diameter greater than that of the circle circumscribing aperture 267. Pinion 264 meshes with rack 259.
It will be clear that if an actuating tool 273 such as a T- or L-wrench having a shaft 272 configured to mate with aperture 267 is inserted through bore 270, it may pass into the aperture in the pinion. Such an actuating tool may be constructed with the ruggedness required to slide bolt member 254 in housing 245.

1054~3~9 The face width of pinion 264 is somewhat less than the space between base plate 235 and housing 245, and hubs 265 and 266 are both of greater axial dimensions than the thickness of the metal in which they rotate. A spring 274 is partially housed in one end of pinion 264 and acts against a cap 275 secured outside housing 245 to normally urge the pinion toward plate 235. A short piece of tooth rack 276 is welded inside plate 235 in a position to normally engage the teeth of the pinion, and hence lock the bolt member 254 against any linear motion. Element 276 is thinner than the space "t" between pinion 264 and housing 245: when an actuating tool is inserted into actuator 267 and bottomed, and axial force is applied, the pinion moves axially, compressing spring 273 until the pinion teeth disengage laterally from element 276 and the pinion is now free to turn, driving bolt member 254 as desired.
A key actuated lock member 280 is recessed in the end of boss 242, being held in place by a lock nut 281. A non-circular shaft extends from member 280 to rotate in the hollow of boss 242 through a portion of a turn, upon the insertion and turning of the proper key, and an arm or stop plate 283 is non-rotatably secured to the shaft as by a washer 284 and nut 285. In the locked condition of the mechanism, stop plate 283 projects directly across bore 270 to prevent entry of actuating tool 272 into aperture 267, and further extends into a supporting groove 286 in boss 242 to resist force axially applied through bore 270. In the unlocked condition of the mechanism, stop plate 283 clears the path to aperture 267 for the actuating tool.
Strike or socket component 233 is shown to comprise a base plate 290 to which is secured a housing 291 having an open end 292 and a beveled closed end 293, plate 290 and housing 291 defining a socket sized to receive bolt member 254 when the latter is actuated to the left as seen in Figure 13.

For additional security, a first lug 294 is welded to boss 242 and a second lug 295 is pivoted to boss 242 about a pin 296. The lugs have pierced upstanding ears 297, 298 through which a padlock 299 may be passed presenting a barrier to access to lock member 280.
From the foregoing, it will be evident that I have invented a new closure mechanism characterized by mounting wholly within the space to be protected and constructed in size and massiveness to resist efforts to disable it. An actuator of comparable strength and durability is also provided. The actual key actuated mechanism functions solely to move a blocking arm into or out of a blocking position in which it prevents the actuator from reaching the bolt operator, and may also be protected by a redundant padloeking arrangement.
Numerous eharacteristies and advantages of my invention have been set forth in the foregoing deseription, together with details of the strueture and funetion of the invention, and the novel features thereof are pointed out in the appended elaims.
The diselosure, however, is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrange-ment of parts, within the principle of the invention, to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims (9)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY
OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. Means for locking a closure member in a closed position, comprising:
a bolt component for mounting on the inside of a closure member, including a housing and a boss projecting to extend through the closure member to the outside sur-face thereof;
a bolt member arranged to slide in said housing;
a bolt operator arranged for rotation within said housing, around an axis passing through said boss, to cause sliding movement of said bolt;
an aperture in said boss aligned with said axis for passing an actuator to said bolt operator;
a stop plate movable in a cavity in said boss between a first position, in which it affords access of the actuator to said operator, and a second position, in which it extends across said axis to prevent passage of said actuator;
and key actuated means in said boss to move said stop plate between its first and second positions.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said bolt member includes a rack, and said bolt operator comprises a pinion meshing with said rack, mounted for rotation in said housing and axially formed with a non-circular aperture to receive the actuator.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which the last named means includes a lock secured in said boss by means accessible only from the side of said boss, so as to be inaccessible through the material of a closure member when the housing is installed therein.

4. The structure of claim 3 in which said lock includes a shaft rotatable by a key in said lock and carrying said stop plate, and in which said stop plate in its second position is axially supported by means including said housing so that axial force applied thereto through said aperture is without disabling effect on said lock.

5. Means for locking a closure member requiring components too massive for reliable actuation directly by a key, comprising, in combination:
a bolt member for sliding with respect to said closure member into and out of engagement with a member adjacent to said closure member;
a housing, for enclosing and guiding said bolt member, to be mounted on the inner surface of the closure member, including a boss projecting therefrom to extend through said closure member to the outer surface thereof;
a bolt operator arranged for rotating, within said housing, about an axis passing through said boss, to cause sliding of said bolt member;
an aperture in said boss aligned with said axis for passing an actuator capable of transmitting sufficient force to cause said operator to slide said bolt member;
and key actuated means in said boss for preventing passage of the actuator through said orifice.

6. Means for locking a closure made up of a pair of separately hinged members arranged to come together in a common plane comprising, in combination:

a bolt member;
means mounted on the inner surface of one of said hinged members for enclosing and guiding said bolt member in sliding movement toward and away from the other hinged member;
a socket for said bolt member carried by the inner surface of the other hinged member, the dimensions of said bolt member and the depth of its intromission into said socket being sufficient to prevent pivotal movement of either said hinged member;
a boss projecting from said housing to extend through said closure member to the outside surface thereof;
a bolt operator arranged for rotation within said housing, around an axis passing through said boss, to cause sliding of such bolt member;
an aperture in said boss aligned with said axis for passing an actuator for said bolt operator;
a stop plate movable in a cavity in said boss between a first position, in which it affords access of said actuator to said operator, and a second position, in which it extends across said axis to prevent passage of said actuator;
and key actuated means in said boss for moving said stop plate between its first and second positions.

7. Means for preventing unauthorized access to the interior of a transportation vehicle for merchandise comprising, in combination:
a closure member having an edge movable with respect to a second member to provide said acess to said vehicle;

a bolt member slidable on the inside of said closure member toward and away from said second member;
a strike member on the inside of said second member for receiving a portion of said bolt member, to thereby prevent relative motion of said closure member;
said strike member comprising part of a socket, and said bolt member being enclosed in a housing, so that shifting of merchandise within said vehicle cannot interfere with movement of said bolt member;
means for mounting on the inside of said closure member to guide said bolt member, including a boss projecting therefrom to extend through said closure member to the outside surface thereof;
a bolt operator arranged for rotation within said housing, around an axis passing through said boss, to cause sliding of said bolt member;
an aperture in said boss aligned with said axis for passing an actuator for said bolt operator;
a stop plate movable in a cavity in said boss between a first position, in which it affords access of said actuator to said operator, and a second position, in which it extends across said access to prevent passage of said actuator;
and key actuated means in said boss moving said stop plate between its first and second positions.

8. The structure of claim 1 in which said housing includes a stop element and said bolt operator comprises a pinion con-tinuously remeshing with a rack on said bolt member and axially displaceable between positions in which it does and does not also engage said stop element.

9. The structure of claim 1 together with redundantly lockable means for preventing access to said key actuated means.