GB1561318A

GB1561318A - Locking device

Info

Publication number: GB1561318A
Application number: GB49460/77A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1977-11-28
Filing date: 1977-11-28
Publication date: 1980-02-20

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO A LOCKING DEVICE (71) I, ROGER ALAN DAVIS, of British Nationality, of 78, Vicarage Road, Ware, Herts, do hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in, and by the following statement:- The present invention relates to a locking device and more particularly the present invention relates to a locking device suitable for use on skips to prevent the unauthorised removal of such skips.

Skips are large metal troughs specifically adapted to be carried on lorries, and such skips are frequently used in connection with the disposal of refuse, particularly refuse which is bulky or heavy. It is common practice for such skips to be delivered, by lorry, to a location such as a building site, a site of a house being demolished, a factory, or the like, the skip then being filled with refuse. When the skip has been filled with refuse the lorry returns and collects the skip, the skip then being taken to a tip where the contents of the skip are tipped out.

The skips in general use of the present time are provided with four horizontally outwardly directed lugs, one adjacent each corner of the skip. Each lug comprises a substantially cylindrical rod having a vertical end plate, the end plate being oval or egg shaped. The lorries that are utilised to transport the skips are provided with a hydraulically operated lifting frame having chains which terminate in coupling devices adapted to engage with the said lugs. Each coupling device comprises a metallic member having aperture therethrough which has a shape corresponding to the shape of the vertical plate provided on each of the lugs, and the arrangement is such that the member may be slid past the plate, and will then be retained in position on the lug by the vertical end plate, the coupling device engaging the lug when the lifting frame is lifted.

Since virtually all skips in use of the present time are provided with identical lugs, it is possible for skips to be removed by unauthorised personnel using a standard lifting frame mounted on a lorry, and thus if a skip is left in an exposed position there is a considerable risk that the skip will be stolen.

The present invention seeks to provide a locking device to prevent the stealing of such a skip.

According to this invention there is provided a device for preventing unauthorised removal of a skip having lifting lugs, each lug comprising a substantially cylindrical rod with a vertical end plate, said device comprising a housing having a plurality of walls with an aperture or recess in one wall thereof to accommodate the rod of a lifting lug, a locking bar movable from a release position in which the housing may be mounted on or removed from said lug to a locking position in which the locking bar extends between two opposed walls of said housing which are adjacent said one wall and substantially perpendicular thereto to retain the cylindrical rod within the recess so that the housing may not be removed from the lug, and means to lock said locking bar in said locking position.

Preferably said housing has a slot to accommodate part of an end plate provided on said lug.

Conveniently said housing comprises a substantially "U" sectioned member and a second member secured thereto extending between the free ends of the arms of the "U", said second member defining an elongate open ended slot extending axially of the "U" sectioned member, which slot constitutes said aperture or recess said second member also defining a slot between part thereof and the base of the "U" at the end of the housing adjacent a closed end of said axial slot to accommodate part of the end plate provided on the lug.

Advantageously the locking bar and the housing are provided with apertures which are co-aligned when said bar is in the locking position to constitute said means to lock the locking bar in said locking position.

The invention also relates to a locking device as described above in combination with a padlock having a hasp dimensioned to pass through said co-aligned apertures.

Preferably one arm of the "U" sectioned member has a slot therein the locking bar passing through said slot and being secured to the housing by studs or other protrusions provided or formed on the locking bar on either side of said slot, said studs or protrusions being incapable of passing through said slot.

Conveniently the portion of the locking bar between said studs or protrusions is arcuate to facilitate hinged movement of the locking bar.

Advantageously said locking bar comprises a linear portion, and a second portion at right angles thereto, said aperture being in the said second portion.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, and so that further features thereof may be appreciated, the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front perspective view of one locking device in accordance with the invention showing part of a skip to which the locking device is to be connected.

Figure 2 is a second front perspective view of the same locking device when connected to the skip and Figure 3 is a rear perspective view of the same embodiment of the invention in a different position.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings a locking device in accordance with the present invention comprises a housing 1 that may be located over a lug 2 mounted on a skip 3, means being provided to enable the housing to be locked securely in position.

When the housing 1 is locked in position over the lug 2 as shown in Figure 2, it is not possible to utilise the coupling member usually provided on a standard lifting frame to engage the lug 2, and it is envisaged that if one such housing 1 is mounted on a lug 2 of a skip 3 it will be difficult to move the skip, and if two such housing 1' are located on two lugs 3 it will be impossible to move the skip.

The housing 1 is formed from two members of steel or other rigid metal, the first member 4 being a substantially "U" crosssection, having a planar base, and perpendicular arms, the free ends of the arms of the "U" being in turned 5. This channel section is intended, in use of the device, to be vertical. A round aperture 6 is formed in one side arm of the channel, adjacent the base thereof, and a slot 7 is formed in the other side wall of the channel opposite and slightly above the said aperture 6.

A second member 8 is welded or otherwise secured to the channel, the second member comprising a planar portion 9 which extends between the two inwardly turned flanges S of the channel member and extends over the entire length of the channel member. This planar portion is parallel with the base of the "U" cross-section member 4 and terminates in an inwardly directed flange 10 which extends towards the front of the housing at the top thereof, this flange being flush with the uppermost surface of the "U" sectioned member 4.

This flange terminates in a downwardly directed flange portion 11 located on the interior of the housing. An elongate slot 12 having a round upper end is formed in the said planar portion 9 of the second member 8, this slot 12 being of substantially constant cross-section and being open towards the lower part of the device.

A locking bar 13 is provided, the locking bar being a bar of rigid metal having a linear portion 14 adapted to extend across the width of the "U" shaped member 4, this linear portion 14 terminating an arcuate portion 15 which extends through the said slot. The arcuate portion. continues with a further short linear portion, and two studs 16, 17 or the like are mounted on the bar at either end of the arcuate portion rs, the studs protruding from the bar and the arrangement being such that when the arcuate portion is positioned within the slot 7 provided in the housing the two studs prevent the bar from being separated from the housing. At the other end of the bar 13 there is a further linear portion 18 which extends substantially at right angles to the bar, this planar portion being provided with an aperture 19 therein. The arrangement is such that the tar 13 may be moved from a position in which the bar 13 extends across the width of the housing 1, the two aperturves 6, 19, then being coaligned as shown in Figure 2, to a position in which the bar 13 is hinged downwardly and is substantially coaligned with one of the side walls of the "U" shaped channel, as shown in Figure 1.

It utilising a locking device as herein described to immobilise a skip initially the locking bar 13 is moved to a position in which the locking bar 13 is coaligned with one side wall of the "U" sectioned member 4 as shown in Figure 1. The housing is then located over a lug 2 mounted on a skip 3, the top part 20 of the front plate of the lug protruding upwardly through the slot defined between the flange 11 provided on the second member 8 and the front of the "U" sectioned member 4. The cylindrical portion of the lug protrudes through the slot 12 provided in the rear of the housing.

When the housing has been so positioned the locking bar 13 is moved pivotally until the locking bar 13 extends transversely across the housing. The aperture 19 in the locking bar and the aperture 6 in the housing are then aligned, and the hasp 21 of a padlock 22 is inserted through the coaligned apertures 6, 19, the padlock then being secured. The locking bar 13 prevents the housing from being removed from the lug 2, and thus the housing is secured to the lug and the coupling member provided on the conventional lifting frame utilised for lifting skips cannot be engaged with the lug.

It will be appreciated that if two such housings are located on two lugs of a skip the skip cannot readily be moved by unauthorised personnel.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A device for preventing unauthorised removal of a skip having lifting lugs, each lug comprising a substantially cylindrical rod with a vertical end plate, said device comprising a housing having a plurality of walls with an aperture or recess in one wall thereof to accommodate the rod of a lifting lug, a locking bar movable from a release position in which the housing may be mounted on or removed from said lug to a locking position in which the locking bar extends between two opposed walls of said housing which are adjacent said one wall and substantially perpendicular thereto to retain the cylindrical rod within the recess so that the housing may not be removed from the lug, and means to lock said locking bar in said locking position.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said housing has a slot to accommodate part of an end plate provided on said lug.

3. A device according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said housing comprises a substantially "U" sectioned member and a second member secured thereto extending between the free ends of the arms of the "U", said second member defining an elongate open ended slot extending axially of the "U" sectioned member which slot constitutes said aperture or recess, said second member also defining a slot between part thereof and the base of the "U" at the end of the housing adjacent a closed end of said axial slot to accommodate part of the end plate provided on the lug.

4. A device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the locking bar and the housing are provided with apertures which are co-aligned when said bar is in the locking position to constitute said means to lock the locking bar in said locking position.

5. A device according to claim 4 in combination with a padlock having a hasp dimensioned to pass through said co-aligned apertures.

6. A device according to claim 3 or any claim dependent thereon wherein one arm of the "U" sectioned member has a slot therein the locking bar passing through said slot and being secured to the housing by studs or other protrusions provided or formed on the locking bar on either side of said slot, said studs or protrusions being incapable of passing through said slot.

7. A device according to claim 6 wherein the portion of the locking bar between said studs or protrusions is arcuate to facilitate hinged movement of the locking bar.

8. A device according to claim 4 or any claim dependent thereon wherein said locking bar comprises a linear portion, and a second portion at right angles thereto, said aperture being in the said second portion.

9. A locking device substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. defined between the flange 11 provided on the second member 8 and the front of the "U" sectioned member 4. The cylindrical portion of the lug protrudes through the slot 12 provided in the rear of the housing. When the housing has been so positioned the locking bar 13 is moved pivotally until the locking bar 13 extends transversely across the housing. The aperture 19 in the locking bar and the aperture 6 in the housing are then aligned, and the hasp 21 of a padlock 22 is inserted through the coaligned apertures 6, 19, the padlock then being secured. The locking bar 13 prevents the housing from being removed from the lug 2, and thus the housing is secured to the lug and the coupling member provided on the conventional lifting frame utilised for lifting skips cannot be engaged with the lug. It will be appreciated that if two such housings are located on two lugs of a skip the skip cannot readily be moved by unauthorised personnel. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A device for preventing unauthorised removal of a skip having lifting lugs, each lug comprising a substantially cylindrical rod with a vertical end plate, said device comprising a housing having a plurality of walls with an aperture or recess in one wall thereof to accommodate the rod of a lifting lug, a locking bar movable from a release position in which the housing may be mounted on or removed from said lug to a locking position in which the locking bar extends between two opposed walls of said housing which are adjacent said one wall and substantially perpendicular thereto to retain the cylindrical rod within the recess so that the housing may not be removed from the lug, and means to lock said locking bar in said locking position.