GB1597126A - Door bolt devices - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO DOOR BOLT DEVICES (71) We, SIDNEY RUSSELL AND SONS LIMITED, a British Company, of Wednesbury Road Works, Walsall, Staffordshire, 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 statement:- This invention concerns improvements relating to door bolt devices.

The well known common door bolt has great utility and is relatively inexpensive when compared with other locking devices for doors. However, when used on the inside of a doors such a bolt can be released if a pane or panel, in or adjacent the door, is forced; and when used on the outside of a door, such a bolt requires to be held closed by a padlock to prevent it being released illegitimately. These disadvantages restrict the utility of such bolts, and an object of the invention is to enable them to be reduced or, preferably, avoided.

According to the present invention there is provided a door bolt device comprising an elongate bolt, a mounting, and locking means; wherein the bolt is arcuately movable and is longitudinally slidably located by the mounting, in an elongate way provided in the mounting, for longitudinal movement between a retracted position, in which -the bolt is substantially accommodated in the way provided by the mounting, and an extended position in which the bolt projects from the mounting for engaging in a retaining member separate from the mounting; wherein the locking means comprises a blocking member non-rotatably slidably disposed in said way, for movement longitudinally of the way, at least one ring, located by the mounting so as to be rotatable around the blocking member, together with a recess and a projection which can, by rotational movement of the ring. be moved relatively from an obstructing condition, preventing movement of the blocking member, to a non-obstructing condition permitting longitudinal movement of the blocking member in said way from a blocking position, wherein the blocking member obstructs the bolt being moved out of the extended position, so as to permit the bolt to be moved longitudinally.

The blocking member is preferably coaxial with the bolt and spring loaded towards the blocking position, and the locking means is preferably arranged to enable the blocking member to be retained in its non-blocking position.

The locking means preferably comprises a small plurality of such rings with associated projections and recesses.

Each recess may be formed in one of the rings or in the blocking member itself, and additional small or blind recesses may be provided as an additional security measure, (to give a false tactile impression to a person manipulating the ring to try to feel when the ring has reached the non-obstructing condition).

The mounting preferably comprises a base and a cover permanently secured together to hinder dismantling of the device. The base or the cover, and the retaining member may each have one or more securing lugs disposed in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the bolt, so that the mounting and retaining members can be secured, in use, by transverse screws through said lugs, as well as the usual face screws.

A door chain assembly may be incorporated into the device, by providing a chain anchorage on the retaining member, and a known form of elongate keyhole retaining slot in the mounting.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, wherein: Figure 1 shows a bolt device of the invention in front elevation together with an associated retaining device; Figures 2 and 3 are sectional views corresponding to the lines Il-Il and III--III in Figure 1; and Figures 4 and 5 are part sectional views of a locking means incorporated into a device of the invention and a modified form of the locking means.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, the bolt device generally comprises an elongate bolt 10, a mounting 11, and locking means 12, together with a retaining member 13.

The mounting 11 comprises a base 14 and a cover 15.

The base is substantially planar except for a perpendicular terminal lug 16. The cover is preferably flanged to accommodate the base, is longitudinally ridged to provide a bolt way 17, and is slotted to provide a guide slot 18 for an operating peg 19 of the bolt 10.

The retaining member 13 is similarly ridged to accommodate the bolt, and is provided with a pair of perpendicular lugs 16A.

The locking means 12 comprises a blocking member 20, which is slidably located in said way so as to be co-axial with the bolt 10; three rings 21 located in slots in the cover and base so as to be rotatable around the blocking member; and three annular locking recesses 22. an annular retaining recess 23 and a longitudinal recess 24 formed in the blocking member 20. Each ring has an internal radially directed projection 25 engagable in the recesses as hereinafter described, and the base has a projection 26 permanently engaged in the longitudinal recess 24 to prevent rotation of the blocking member.

The blocking member is disposed so as to be slidably located between the cover and the base in axial alignment with the bolt, and has an axial extension 27 at one end slidably engaged in a recess in the bolt to maintain the relative co-axial alignment of the bolt and blocking member 20. The other end of the blocking member 20 is abutted by a spring 28 retained between the base and the cover by a lug 29 of the cover.

The rings 21 are movable into a nonobstructing condition wherein all three projections 25 are aligned in the longitudinal recess 24, the blocking member is free to be moved by the bolt or the spring 28 between a blocking position, shown in Figures 1 and 2, and a non-blocking position shown in Figure 4.

When the blocking member is in the blocking position the rings can be turned into (and out of) an obstructing condition in which the projections are located in the annular locking recesses 22 to prevent any substantial movement of the blocking member from the blocking position, whereby to lock the bolt in the extended position shown in Figures 1 and 2.

When the blocking member is in the nonblocking position, one of the rings 21 can be rotated to engage (and disengage) its projection in the retaining recess 23 whereby to retain (and release) the blocking member in (and from) the non-blocking position.

In the modification shown in Figure 5, the blocking member 50 is provided with three radially outwardly extending projections 51 accommodated in a longitudinal groove 52 in the base; and each ring 55. has an internal transverse recess 53 which opens into an internal annular recess 54. This modified locking means is similar in function to that described and is shown with the blocking member in the blocking position and the rings 55 in the non-obstructing condition in which the projections 51 are aligned with the transverse recesses 53 to permit longitudinal movement of the blocking member.From this position, the rings can be rotated to the obstructing conditions wherein the projections engage in the annular recesses 54 to prevent movement of the blocking member, No retaining recess is provided, because the blocking member can be retained in the nonblocking position by engaging the left hand end projection behind the end face 56 of the right hand end ring.

The peripheral surfaces of the rings 21, 55 are provided with characters, e.g. letters or numbers, in the manner of a combination lock, to enable a person knowing the combination code to turn the rings to align the projectors 25, 51 with the relevant recess 24 or recesses 53, whereby to bring the locking means out of the obstructing condition and into the non-obstructing condition.

In use, the device is secured, for example, to a door, by means of face screws through holes 30 in the mounting and further transverse screws through similar holes (not shown) in the lug 16, and the retaining member 13 is likewise secured, for example, to a door frame, by means of face screws through holes 31 and by further transverse screws through holes (not shown) in the lugs 16A, so that the device and retaining member are aligned as shown in Figures 1 and 2 when the door is closed.

When the locking means is set so that the blocking member is retained in the nonblocking position, the bolt can be operated in the traditional manner, but when desired the bolt can be locked in its extended position, shown in Figures 1 and 2, by releasing the blocking member so that it is moved by the spring to the blocking position and then by rotating the rings 21 or 55 to bring the locking means into the obstructing condition to prevent the blocking member and the bolt being retracted.

The device has many advantages when compared with traditional door bolts, e.g. it can be locked without requiring a padlock or other separable lock, it can be constructed so as to be very robust, the parts of the mounting can be welded together to prevent dismantling, and it is relatively inexpensive to produce when compared with alternative lockable assemblies or combinations of fastening devices.

The mounting itself has several advantages. For instance, the perpendicular lug enables the mounting to be secured to a door or other member so as to resist forces tending to pull the face screws out of the door or other members, the cover can be of decorative form and made simply from sheet material, and the cover is relatively easily cleaned and painted.

Various modifications of the device are included in the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. For example, an elongate keyhole shaped socket 35 can be provided in the mounting as indicated in broken lines in Figure 1, to accept, in known manner, a slider head of a known form of door chain, and the retaining member may incorporate an anchorage for the door chain, to give an assembly serving the function of a lock, a bolt, and a door chain, for little more than the cost of an equivalent bolt.

Whilst it is preferred to make the device primarily from mild steel, other materials may be used, and brazing, bonding swaging or rivetting may be adopted for securing the cover and base together.

A washer may be provided between the bolt and blocking member to serve to retain lubricant in and to exclude dirt from the locking means. The rings may be spring loaded, by wavy washers located alongside the rings.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A door bolt device comprising an elongate bolt, a mounting, and locking means; wherein the bolt is arcuately movable and is longitudinally slidably located by the mounting, in an elongate way provided in the mounting, for longitudinal movement between a retracted position, in which the bolt is substantially accommodated in the way provided by the mounting, and an extended position in which the bolt projects from the mounting for engaging in a retaining member separate from the mounting; wherein the locking means comprises a blocking member non-rotatably slidably disposed in said way, for movement longitudinally of the way, at least one ring, located by the mounting so as to be rotatable around the blocking member, together with a recess and a projection which can, by rotational movement of the ring, be moved relatively from an obstructing condition, preventing movement of the blocking member, to a non-obstructing condition permitting longitudinal movement of the blocking member in said way from a blocking position, wherein the blocking member obstructs the bolt being moved out of the extended position, so as to permit the bolt to be moved longitudinally.

2. A device as claimed in claim I, wherein the blocking member is spring loaded towards the blocking position.

3. A device as claimed in claim I or 2, wherein the locking means is arranged to enable the blocking member to be retained in a non-blocking position in which the blocking member allows the bolt to be moved freely between said retracted and extended positions.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the blocking member is co-axial with the bolt.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1 or any one of claims 2 to 4 as appended to claim 1, wherein the locking means comprises a small plurality of such rings with associated projections and recesses.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein each recess is formed in one of the rings or in the blocking member itself, and wherein additional small or blind recesses are provided.

7. A device as.claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the mounting comprises a base and a cover permanently secured together to hinder dismantling of the device.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the base or the cover, and the retaining member each have one or more securing lugs disposed in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the bolt, so that the mounting and retaining members can be secured, in use, by transverse screws through said lugs, as well as the usual face screws.

9. A device as claimed in any preceding claim incorporating a door chain assembly comprising a chain secured by an anchorage on the retaining member and engageable in a keyhole retaining slot in the mounting.

10. A door bolt device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 or Figures 1 to 3 as modified by Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.

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

Claims (10)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. to pull the face screws out of the door or other members, the cover can be of decorative form and made simply from sheet material, and the cover is relatively easily cleaned and painted. Various modifications of the device are included in the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. For example, an elongate keyhole shaped socket 35 can be provided in the mounting as indicated in broken lines in Figure 1, to accept, in known manner, a slider head of a known form of door chain, and the retaining member may incorporate an anchorage for the door chain, to give an assembly serving the function of a lock, a bolt, and a door chain, for little more than the cost of an equivalent bolt. Whilst it is preferred to make the device primarily from mild steel, other materials may be used, and brazing, bonding swaging or rivetting may be adopted for securing the cover and base together. A washer may be provided between the bolt and blocking member to serve to retain lubricant in and to exclude dirt from the locking means. The rings may be spring loaded, by wavy washers located alongside the rings. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A door bolt device comprising an elongate bolt, a mounting, and locking means; wherein the bolt is arcuately movable and is longitudinally slidably located by the mounting, in an elongate way provided in the mounting, for longitudinal movement between a retracted position, in which the bolt is substantially accommodated in the way provided by the mounting, and an extended position in which the bolt projects from the mounting for engaging in a retaining member separate from the mounting; wherein the locking means comprises a blocking member non-rotatably slidably disposed in said way, for movement longitudinally of the way, at least one ring, located by the mounting so as to be rotatable around the blocking member, together with a recess and a projection which can, by rotational movement of the ring, be moved relatively from an obstructing condition, preventing movement of the blocking member, to a non-obstructing condition permitting longitudinal movement of the blocking member in said way from a blocking position, wherein the blocking member obstructs the bolt being moved out of the extended position, so as to permit the bolt to be moved longitudinally.

2. A device as claimed in claim I, wherein the blocking member is spring loaded towards the blocking position.

3. A device as claimed in claim I or 2, wherein the locking means is arranged to enable the blocking member to be retained in a non-blocking position in which the blocking member allows the bolt to be moved freely between said retracted and extended positions.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the blocking member is co-axial with the bolt.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1 or any one of claims 2 to 4 as appended to claim 1, wherein the locking means comprises a small plurality of such rings with associated projections and recesses.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein each recess is formed in one of the rings or in the blocking member itself, and wherein additional small or blind recesses are provided.

7. A device as.claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the mounting comprises a base and a cover permanently secured together to hinder dismantling of the device.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the base or the cover, and the retaining member each have one or more securing lugs disposed in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the bolt, so that the mounting and retaining members can be secured, in use, by transverse screws through said lugs, as well as the usual face screws.

9. A device as claimed in any preceding claim incorporating a door chain assembly comprising a chain secured by an anchorage on the retaining member and engageable in a keyhole retaining slot in the mounting.

10. A door bolt device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 or Figures 1 to 3 as modified by Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.