GB1567322A

GB1567322A - Locking assembly with deadlocking means

Info

Publication number: GB1567322A
Application number: GB2219/76A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: WEEKS AND TAYLOR Ltd
Current assignee: WEEKS AND TAYLOR Ltd
Priority date: 1977-01-19
Filing date: 1977-01-19
Publication date: 1980-05-14
Also published as: SE7700439L; FI770135A

Description

(54) LOCKING ASSEMBLY WITH DEADLOCKING MEANS (71) We, WEEKS & TAILOR LIMITED, of 83 Park Street, Bristol, BS1 5PJ, a British Company, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following state ment : - This invention relates to locks, and more particularly to a lock assembly having two separate units, comprising a stud and a casing respectively, arranged to be releasably locked together.

Examples of such lock assemblies are to be found in our UK Patents Nos. 1 394 422 and 1 519 948. These locks comprise a casing having a passage to receive the stud, a sleeve which fits closely around the stud being axially slidable within the casing, and one or more locking elements movably located in openings in the sleeve to lock the stud in the casing by relative movement between the sleeve and the casing, a releasable lock being provided for holding the sleeve in that position in which the casing is secured by the locking element or elements to the stud.This may be done by so shaping the casing around the sleeve that in one axial position of the sleeve the or each locking element is forced by engagement with the casing radially inwardly to engage in a recess in the stud, while in another axial position of the sleeve the casing is shaped to allow the locking element to move radially outwardly free of engagement with the stud.

In patent No. 1 519 948 a locking plate is rotatable about the axis of the sleeve and has a cam surface which moves a ball into abutment with a step in the sleeve so as to retain the sleeve in the locked condition.

In Patent No. 1 394 422 a locking plate is radially movable with respect to the sleeve and is urged by a spring into engagement with a step in the sleeve to retain the sleeve in the locked condition, in which position a deadlocking pawl acts on the locking plate.

In each case, the locking plate is moved away from the locking position by the action of a key-operated lock.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lock assembly having two separate units arranged to be releasably locked together and comprising a stud and a casing respectively, the casing having a passage to receive the stud, a slide being mounted on one of the units to be disposed between the stud and a side of the passage when the stud is inserted in the passage, the slide being capable of limited sliding movement axially of the passage to and from an operative position, at least one locking element arranged to be displaced in an opening of the slide to a position in which it locks the stud in the passage while the slide is in the operative position and being displaceable therefrom when the slide is displaced away from its operative position, a locking member being arranged to be engageable with the slide when the units are assembled together and the slide is in its operative position, thereby to lock the units together, an arcuate deadlocking member being rotatably displaceable in the casing about the passage to and from a blocking position in which it blocks movement of the locking member from its operative position, the units being releasable from each other by the action of a key-operated lock which is arranged to swing the deadlocking member from its blocking position and displace the locking member from its operative position.

Such deadlocking means can be formed by a relatively large member constructed to withstand shock loads without risk of release or of jamming and be able to prevent the release of the locking member by any means other than the appropriate key, so that even the removal of the key-operated lock from the assembly will not allow release of the assembly.

In a preferred arrangement the deadlocking member is disposed in a region of the casing remote from said passage and in its blocking position it protrudes behind the locking member to prevent the return of the locking member from its operative position. A particularly robust construction is obtained if the deadlocking member is engaged between the locking member and a wall of the casing when in its blocking position.

Advantageously a common element of the key-operated lock is arranged to sequentially displace the deadlocking member from its blocking position and displace the locking member from its operative position when the units are to be released from each other.

With this arrangement the displacements can be effected in a very simple manner, without requiring delicate mechanism elements or closely controlled adjustments if a pivoting element is provided on the deadlocking member for engagement with said common element and acts on the locking member to effect at least a part of its displacement.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lock assembly having two separate units arranged to be releasably locked together and comprising a stud and a casing respectively, the casing having a central passage to receive the stud, a slide being disposed between the stud and the passage when the stud is received in the passage, said slide being mounted on one of the units for limited sliding movement axially of the stud and passage, at least one locking element being arranged to be displaced in an opening in the slide to a position in which it locks the stud in the passage axially of the casing while the slide is in its operative position, said at least one element being displaceable from its locking position when the slide is displaced from its operative position, a locking member in the casing being relatively displaceable radially of the passage for engagement with an abutment face of the slide to secure the slide in its operative position and an arcuate deadlocking member in a radially outer region of the casing being rotatably displaceable about the axis of the passage to a blocking position in which a portion of the deadlocking member is disposed between the locking member and the casing when the locking member is in its engaging position with the slide thereby blocking the return of the locking member from said engaging position, a key-operated lock having an element that acts to displace the deadlocking member and the locking member to permit the stud to be released from the casing.

The locking member is preferably in the form of a plate guided to be displaceable radially of the passage to abut a step in said slide when in the operative position, and ad vantageously the guidance is obtained in a very compact manner by using for this purpose the shanks of securing screws holding a back plate on the casing,. A very strong yet compact construction results when it is generally ring-shaped with an inner peripheral portion providing said abutment and an outer peripheral portion providing an engagement face for an element of the deadlocking member.

Preferably, spring means bias the deadlocking member resiliently to its operative position. To allow the locking assembly to be put in its operative state without the use of a key, so that for example the driver of a goods vehicle need carry no key yet the goods can only be unlocked when the vehicle has reached its delivery destination, it is possible to provide further spring means that bias the locking member resiliently to its operative position.

In order that the invention and its advantages may be more clearly understood, one embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 shows a plan view of the underside of the casing of a lock assembly according to the invention with the base plate removed and the locking member in the released condition, Fig. 2 shows a view similar to that of Fig. 1, but with the locking member in the operative condition, and Fig. 3 shows a diametrical cross-section through the lock assembly comprising the casing of Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawings, the lock assembly comprises a casing 10 of hardened steel adapted to be fitted over and locked to a stud 12 having a dependent shank 12a, which may be screw-threaded, adapted to be secured to one of two relatively movable members (not shown) to be locked together.

the other member having a hasp H fixed to it that is held on the stud by the casing 10.

The casing contains a locking mechanism enclosed by a base plate 16 fixed to the body by three screws 17 and having an opening 18 into which a cylindrical sleeve 20 within the casing projects. The sleeve receives and is a close fit around the stud 12.

The sleeve is non-rotatable but axially slideable in passage 11 in the casing 10. and is urged by a spring 22 towards the opening 18. At its outer end, the sleeve is cut back on one side to provide a step 21, which by engagement with the base plate 16 limits the extent to which the spring 22 can push the sleeve outwards into the opening 18. The wall of the sleeve is provided with three apertures 28 in each of which is located a steel ball 30, the diameter of which is somewhat large than the wall thickness of the sleeve. The apertures 28 are located so that with the sleeve urged against the spring 22 to its uppermost position in the casing (Fig.

3) the balls 30 move radially inwardly to enter a peripheral recess 14 in the stud 12.

The casing passage 11 adjoining the balls at this point closely surrounds the sleeve so as to force the balls into engagement with the recess 14.

The sleeve is held in its uppermost locked condition by means of a steel locking plate 34 which has a central opening 32 with a pair of lips 33 that can engage under the step 21 of the sleeve. The locking plate is slideable radially with respect to the sleeve into and away from abutting engagement within the step 21 in the sleeve, the shanks of the screws 17 guiding its movement. The lodging plate is urged towards the engaged position by compression springs 29, and is moved out of the engaged position by the action of an eccentric pin 40 projecting from the end of the barrel of a cylindrical lock 42, which is operated by means of a key through a keyhole 43 in the top of the casing.In its disengaged position, the locking plate has three recesses 34 that allow the balls 30 to move radially outwards free from the stud as the sleeve 20 moves axially outwards, a chamfer 32 of the passage 11 forming a transition region for said move ment of the balls.

A deadlocking member for the locking member is provided by an arcuate member 45, e.g. of steel, which is rotatable about the sleeve axis. The deadlocking member 45 is urged in the clockwise direction (as seen from below in Figs. 1 and 2) by the action of a tension spring 47, connected at one end 46 to the member 45 and at the other end 48 to a fixed point on the casing, and the member can be moved in the opposite direction, against the action of the spring, by the pin 40 of the key-operated lock which is received in a recess 49 in the top face of the member 45. A pawl 51 is mounted at 53 to the deadlocking member 45 at one side of the recess 49 to provide an engagement for the pin 40 and is freely pivotable on its mounting between the limits set by the inside rim of the casing and the locking plate 31.

Considering the operation of the lock in more detail, Figs. 2 and 3 show the lock in the condition in which it is locked on the stud 12. The sleeve 20 is raised within the housing, so that the balls 30 are cammed inwardly into the recess 14 in the stud 12.

The casing is thus held on the stud by the balls 30, but is freely rotatable about the stud. The sleeve 20 is held in the raised condition by abutment of the locking plate 31 under the step 21. The locking plate is urged into this position by the springs 29, and is deadlocked there by engagement of the tip 55 at one end of the deadlocking member 45 with a shoulder 57 on the locking plate 31 preventing retraction of the locking plate 31 from the engaged position, the member 45 having been urged into the blocking position by the spring 47. In this position of the pin 40 the key can be removed from the lock 42.

When it is desired to remove the casing from the stud, the key is inserted, and the pin 40 rotated thereby in an anticlockwise direction (as seen in Figs. 1 and 2). This brings the pin 40 into engagement with the pawl 51 which is prevented from pivoting by the adjacent locking plate and which rotates the deadlocking member 45 anticlockwise against the spring 47, bringing the tip 55 clear of shoulder 57 of the locking plate. The deadlock is thus removed, and continued rotation of the key causes the pin 40 to act, through the pawl 51 at first, to move the locking plate out of engagement with the step 21 against the action of the springs 29. During the latter part of this movement, the spring 47 is prevented from returning the deadlocking member 45 in the clockwise direction because the pawl 51 is maintained in abutment with the pin 40.As soon as the locking plate 31 is clear of the step 21, the spring 22 is able to push the sleeve 20 axially outwardly through the opening 18, allowing the balls 30 to move radially outwardly into the annular chamfer 32 and the recesses 34 thus releasing the stud. The key can then be rotated in the opposite direction to bring the pin 40 back to the position shown in Fig. 2, which allows the key to be withdrawn.

The casing thus released can be relocked onto the stud at any time without the use of a key, simply by receiving the stud in the sleeve, and then pushing the casing axially onto the stud. This causes the sleeve to be pushed upwardly into the casing against the action of the spring 22 into the position shown in Fig. 3, at which point the balls 30 are engaged in the recess 14 in the stud and with the rise of the sleeve the locking plate 31 is also automatically moved into engagement under the step 21 by the springs 29 to keep the sleeve in the engaged position. At the same time, the spring 47 is urging the deadlocking member 45 clockwise and the displacement of the locking plate allows the tip 55 to move into the position shown in Fig. 2, establishing the deadlock.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A lock assembly having two separate units arranged to be releasably locked together and comprising a stud and a casing respectively, the casing having a passage to receive the stud, a slide being mounted on one of the units to be disposed between the stud and a side of the passage when the stud is inserted in the passage, the slide being capable of limited sliding movement axially of the passage to and from an oper

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Claims

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3) the balls 30 move radially inwardly to enter a peripheral recess 14 in the stud 12.

The casing passage 11 adjoining the balls at this point closely surrounds the sleeve so as to force the balls into engagement with the recess 14.

The sleeve is held in its uppermost locked condition by means of a steel locking plate 34 which has a central opening 32 with a pair of lips 33 that can engage under the step 21 of the sleeve. The locking plate is slideable radially with respect to the sleeve into and away from abutting engagement within the step 21 in the sleeve, the shanks of the screws 17 guiding its movement. The lodging plate is urged towards the engaged position by compression springs 29, and is moved out of the engaged position by the action of an eccentric pin 40 projecting from the end of the barrel of a cylindrical lock 42, which is operated by means of a key through a keyhole 43 in the top of the casing.In its disengaged position, the locking plate has three recesses 34 that allow the balls 30 to move radially outwards free from the stud as the sleeve 20 moves axially outwards, a chamfer 32 of the passage 11 forming a transition region for said move ment of the balls.

A deadlocking member for the locking member is provided by an arcuate member 45, e.g. of steel, which is rotatable about the sleeve axis. The deadlocking member 45 is urged in the clockwise direction (as seen from below in Figs. 1 and 2) by the action of a tension spring 47, connected at one end 46 to the member 45 and at the other end 48 to a fixed point on the casing, and the member can be moved in the opposite direction, against the action of the spring, by the pin 40 of the key-operated lock which is received in a recess 49 in the top face of the member 45. A pawl 51 is mounted at 53 to the deadlocking member 45 at one side of the recess 49 to provide an engagement for the pin 40 and is freely pivotable on its mounting between the limits set by the inside rim of the casing and the locking plate 31.

Considering the operation of the lock in more detail, Figs. 2 and 3 show the lock in the condition in which it is locked on the stud 12. The sleeve 20 is raised within the housing, so that the balls 30 are cammed inwardly into the recess 14 in the stud 12.

The casing is thus held on the stud by the balls 30, but is freely rotatable about the stud. The sleeve 20 is held in the raised condition by abutment of the locking plate 31 under the step 21. The locking plate is urged into this position by the springs 29, and is deadlocked there by engagement of the tip 55 at one end of the deadlocking member 45 with a shoulder 57 on the locking plate 31 preventing retraction of the locking plate 31 from the engaged position, the member 45 having been urged into the blocking position by the spring 47. In this position of the pin 40 the key can be removed from the lock 42.

When it is desired to remove the casing from the stud, the key is inserted, and the pin 40 rotated thereby in an anticlockwise direction (as seen in Figs. 1 and 2). This brings the pin 40 into engagement with the pawl 51 which is prevented from pivoting by the adjacent locking plate and which rotates the deadlocking member 45 anticlockwise against the spring 47, bringing the tip 55 clear of shoulder 57 of the locking plate. The deadlock is thus removed, and continued rotation of the key causes the pin 40 to act, through the pawl 51 at first, to move the locking plate out of engagement with the step 21 against the action of the springs 29. During the latter part of this movement, the spring 47 is prevented from returning the deadlocking member 45 in the clockwise direction because the pawl 51 is maintained in abutment with the pin 40.As soon as the locking plate 31 is clear of the step 21, the spring 22 is able to push the sleeve 20 axially outwardly through the opening 18, allowing the balls 30 to move radially outwardly into the annular chamfer 32 and the recesses 34 thus releasing the stud. The key can then be rotated in the opposite direction to bring the pin 40 back to the position shown in Fig. 2, which allows the key to be withdrawn.

The casing thus released can be relocked onto the stud at any time without the use of a key, simply by receiving the stud in the sleeve, and then pushing the casing axially onto the stud. This causes the sleeve to be pushed upwardly into the casing against the action of the spring 22 into the position shown in Fig. 3, at which point the balls 30 are engaged in the recess 14 in the stud and with the rise of the sleeve the locking plate 31 is also automatically moved into engagement under the step 21 by the springs 29 to keep the sleeve in the engaged position. At the same time, the spring 47 is urging the deadlocking member 45 clockwise and the displacement of the locking plate allows the tip 55 to move into the position shown in Fig. 2, establishing the deadlock.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A lock assembly having two separate units arranged to be releasably locked together and comprising a stud and a casing respectively, the casing having a passage to receive the stud, a slide being mounted on one of the units to be disposed between the stud and a side of the passage when the stud is inserted in the passage, the slide being capable of limited sliding movement axially of the passage to and from an oper

ative position, at least one locking element arranged to be displaced in an opening of the slide to a position in which it locks the stud in the passage while the slide is in the operative position and being displaceable therefrom when the slide is displaced away from its operative position, a locking member being arranged to be engageable with the slide when the units are assembled together and the slide is in its operative position, thereby to lock the units together, an arcuate deadlocking member being rotatably displaceable in the casing about the passage to and from the blocking position in which it blocks movement of the locking member from its operative position, the units being relasable from each other by the action of a key-operated lock which is arranged to swing the deadlocking member from its blocking position and displace the locking member from its operative position.
2. A lock assembly according to claim 1 wherein the locking member is in the form of a plate guided to be displaceable radially of the passage to abut a step in said slide when in the operative position.
3. A lock assembly according to claim 2 wherein the locking member is generally ring-shaped with an inner peripheral portion providing said abutment and an outer peripheral portion providing an engagement face for an element of the deadlocking member.
4. A lock assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the locking member is resiliently biased to its operative position.
5. A lock assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the deadlocking member is disposed in a region of the casing remote from said passage and in its blocking position it protrudes behind the locking member to prevent the return of the locking member from its operative position.
6. A lock assembly according to claim 5 wherein the deadlocking member is engaged between the locking member and a wall of the casing when in its blocking position.
7. A lock assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the deadlocking member is resiliently biased to its blocking position.
8. A lock assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a common element of the key-operated lock is arranged to sequentially displace the deadlocking member from its blocking position and displace the locking member from its operative position when the units are to be released from each other.
9. A lock assembly according to claim 8 wherein a pivoting element is provided on the deadlocking member for engagement with said common element and acts on the locking member to effect at least a part of its displacement.
10. A lock assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said passage is disposed centrally of the casing, the lock being offset to one side of said passage and the engagement of the locking member with the slide being arranged to occur at the opposite side of said passage.

said deadlocking member being arranged to effect its blocking action at a region to said opposite side and remote from said passage.
11. A lock assembly having two separate units arranged to be releasably locked together and comprising a stud and a casing respectively, the casing having a central passage to receive the stud, a slide being disposed between the stud and the passage when the stud is received in the passage, said slide being mounted on one of the units for limited sliding movement axially of the stud and passage, at least one locking element being arranged to be displaced in an opening in the slide to a position in which it locks the stud in the passage axially of the casing while the slide is in its operative position, said at least one element being displaceable from its locking position when the slide is displaced from its operative position, a locking member in the casing being relatively displaceable radially of the passage for engagement with an abutment face of the slide to secure the slide in its operative position and an arcuate deadlocking member in a radially outer region of the casing being rotatably displaceable about the axis of the passage to a blocking position in which a portion of the deadlocking member is disposed between the locking member and the casing when the locking member is in its engaging position with the slide thereby blocking the return of the locking member from said engaging position, a key-operated lock having an element that acts to displace the deadlocking member and the locking member to permit the stud to be released from the casing.
12. A lock assembly constructed and arranged for use and operation substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.