GB2075106A - Bolting mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

A device to be attached to a door or window frame shoots two or more bolts from the frame towards the door etc. when a lock bolt or other member on the door enters the device. The lock bolt enters aperture 30 in the device, or engages arm 30 projecting from it, to move lever 1 inwardly, rotating it about pivot 2 and causing bottom bolt 44 to be shot. The top of lever 1 engages behind the tip of another pivoted lever, spring-biassed into such engagement, to cause another bolt (not shown) to be shot in similar fashion. In order to give a constant throw to bolts 44 etc., irrespective of the throw of the door lock bolt, this latter is arranged to contact arm 1 at a position appropriate to the movement required. This is achieved in the rim mounting of the device by correct positioning and in the mortice mounting by attaching arm 31 to lever 1 at a selected one of holes 7-13. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to door locking mechanisms A lever bolt locking mechanism wherein single or multiple lever arms pivoted at some point along their lengths are deflected by the entry of a door or window lock bolt, or some other deflecting means, into an elongated aperture in which a long exposed section of a lever arm or arms may be struck or deflected by the deflecting means at some selected point in such a manner that a varaiable ratio in the lever arms is obtained and wherein transmitter bolts at the opposite ends of the lever arms are consequently extended at a constant length, irrespective of the length or stroke of the deflecting means, into apertures in or on the lock edge of the door or window and wherein a bumper plate attached to the said lever arms extends from the mechanism in such a manner that the mechanism can be used in either a rim or morticed version.

Existing bolt locking mechanisms for doors employ either a dead bolt alone, a spring bolt alone, or a dead bolt working in conjunction with a spring bolt. Bolts in some existing locks can be controlled from both sides of the door by key, while bolts in other existing locks are controlled from one side of the door by key and from the other side of the door by a lever or knob. Some existing door locks are morticed and others are rim mounted on the back of the door adjacent to its edge. Morticed locks also have morticed receivers flush mounted in the door frame. Rim mounted locks have receivers mounted on the back of the door frame adjacent to its edge.Of whatever variety, existing locks employ a bolt which completes the locking function by movement from its retracted position within .he lock housing in or on the door edge into its shot, or locked position, within a receiver in or on the door frame.

There are two inherent weaknesses in the construction and operation of existing lock structures which render doors to which they are fitted liable to be forced open by outside pressure.

Firstly, one end of the bolt is anchored within the lock housing with the bolts shot position such that the unanchored end of the bolt is moved through an aperture in the lock housing, across the gap between the edge of the closed door and the accompanying door frame, and into a receiver in or on the door frame. Whether or not the lock and receiver are morticed or rim mounted, they are screwed into or onto the door edge and frame respectively. A morticed lock and receiver will provide a stronger structure than a rim mounted lock and receiver as they are encased in the materiel of which the door and door frame are made, and their securing screws are inserted laterally to any thrust through the door, as opposed to the rim mounted locks and receivers which are mounted onto the back of the door and door frame with their securing screws inserted normal to any thrust through the door.However, whether the lock is morticed or rim mounted and of whatever relative strength, the weakest part of any door structure fitted with an existing lock is that section of the door frame adjacent to the receiver. The surface area of the door material adjacent to the lock housing is, due to the size of the lock housing and the mechanism it contains, considerbly greater than the surface area of the door material adjacent to the receiver. Therefore, assuming a standard wooden door and door frame, any force applied through a closed and locked door will be directly concentrated against the surface area of wood adjacent to the receiver.

Further, the construction of modern door frames is such that the volume of wood adjacent to the receiver is relatively small.

Consquently, force applied through a closed and locked door is directly concentrated through the weakest part of the door structure. The result is that the wood adjacent to the receiver shatters under the pressure thereby freeing the receiver and/or bolt from their locations and allowing the door to swing open despite the bolt being in the shot position.

In addition, a second weakness of existing door and lock structures is that existing locks effectively provide only one anchorage point on one door edge. By contrast, the door hinges provide two anchorage points on the other door edge. Therefore the hinge edge of the door is more secure than the lock edge of the door. This imbalance between the two edges means that force applied through the door causes the large unanchored sections of the door between the lock and the top of the door on the lock edge to bend and rotate around the axis formed by the top hinge and the lock. This causes a twisting action to the force and further concentrates the force onto the weakest point along the axis, the section of the door frame adjacent to the receiver.

Thus, if force is applied at shoulder level, which is the normal case, the top securing screw of the receiver will take the main force and be twisted from its location.

The present invention seeks to remedy these faults by providing a multiple lever bolt locking mechanism wherein lever arms pivoted at some point along their length are deflected by the movement of a lock bolt or some other deflecting means into a receiver aperture, and wherein transmitted bolts are extended into receiver apertures in or on the door edge by means of the lever arm deflections. The present invention further provides a means of locking the transmitted bolts in their extended positions even after the lock bolt or other deflecting means has been withdrawn from the receiver aperture. In addition, the present invention provides a variable ratio in the lever arms by allowing the existing lock bolt to strike at some selected position along the lever arm in such a manner that the distance between the point at which the existing lock bolt strikes and the pivot point is varied.

In the preferred arrangement, the lever bolt assembly is situated on the door frame, or on the edge of the opposite door in a double door arrangement, such that the existing door lock bolt enters the appropriate receiver aperture in the assembly and strikes the lever arm at some predetermined point in the case where a rim mounted existing lock is used, or strikes the extended bumper plate which is attached to the lever arm in the case where a morticed existing door lock is used. In the latter case, where a morticed standard existing lock is used, the extended bumper plate passes through a hole drilled in the door frame at right angles to the plane of the door such that the bumper plate is situated within the door frame and is located immediately behind the existing strike plate or receiver of the existing door lock.When the existing door lock bolt is shot, or locked, the bolt enters the existing strike plate or receiver on the door frame as normal and in so doing strikes the bumper plate attached to the lever arms of the lever bolt assembly, causes the lever arms to deflect, and consequently causes the transmitter bolts to shoot into their fully extended position, or locked position.

When the rim version of the existing lock is used the existing lock bolt directly enters the elongated aperture in the lever bolt assembly housing and directly strikes the lever arm causing the lever arms to deflect and so the transmitter bolts to extend from the housing and become locked. Thus, in the case of the rim version of the existing lock being used, the bumper plate is not required and so is removed from the assembly.

Thus, in operation, one standard lever bolt assembly is used for either a rim mounted existing lock or a morticed mounted existing lock, the only difference being in the way by which the lever arms are deflected.

In the preferred embodiment a dual lever arm arrangement is employed in which the main strike lever arm, when deflected, carries the slave lever arm with it and so causes two transmitter bolts to extend from the assembly, however, a single lever arm version of the lever bolt assembly may be used in which only the stike lever arm is employed is a foreshortened housing and the slave lever arm is removed. Thus a single bolt mechanism may also be used.

The effect of having a single transmitter bolt shooting behind the door at, say, twelve inches above the existing door lock bolt has the same effect in reducing the movement, or twisting of the door, caused by impact on the door at shoulder lever.

The joint resultant effect of having the sin gle or dual transmitter bolts extending from the door frame to a point behind the door edge as well as having the existing door lock bolt extending from the door edge into the frame is to greatly reduce the twisting motion between the door extremes and the door bolt and also to increase by an order of magnitude the strength of the door structure.

Additionally, since the door frame has the complete lever bolt assembly inserted on to it, and as the receiver plate on the frame has been extended to a length of, say, thirty inches, any thrust is kept linear to the normal plane of the door frame, and therefore, the effective strength of the frame is increased by orders of magnitude over the single anchor point provided by a normal door lock bolt and receiver assembly.

Thus, the preferred arrangement increases the strength of both the door and the door frame by obviating the rotational thrust of the door and by increasing the effective surface area of the receiver assembly, thereby reduc ing the effective force applied to the receiver assembly by an impact on the door.

A lever bolt assembly made in accordance with the invention may also be used as part of an electronic security system in that means can be provided, using a lever arm micro switch, to indicate and electrical open or short circuit when the door lock bolt is drawn and the lever arm swings into its preset open position. The microswitch is to be contained within a metal housing which is part of the door frame so that it cannot be tampered with as can a mechanical or magnetic switch of the type normally used in security systems.

The lever boly assembly also includes the capability of being used as a self contained lock in itself. When the transmitter bolt is shot into its closed position, that is extended into the receiver on the door edge, or behind the door, a sloenoid plunger or motor driven plunger may be introduced via an aperture in the lever bolt assembly housing such that the transmitter bolt may not be withdrawn, that is removed from the door receiver, unless the retaining plunger is commanded by sone other electrical, mechanical or electronic means.

In a particularly preferred construction, the lever bolt assembly is flush mounted into a rebate cut into the door frame such that its front plate is flush with the surface of the frame edge into which the door closes, and the main housing lies along the indoor surface of the door frame. The vertical position, that is the height from the floor, of the assembly is set in the following manner. First, the throw, or extension of the existing lock bolt is mea sured and noted. Second, the lever bolt as sembly is turned to expose the strike lever arm. Third, the lever arm is deflected to its maximum extent and a rule is slid along the strike lever arm until a measurement is obtained which matches the throw of the existing lock bolt.Lastly, this point is temporarily marked and the lever bolt assembly is slid along the frame edge until the existing lock bolt coincides with the marked point on the strike lever arm. This sets the height of the lever bolt assembly above the floor and is done in this manner to ensure that the transmitted bolts are fully extended independant of the throw or extension of the existing lock bolt. If the existing bolt is of the moriced variety a hole is drilled in the frame adjacent and perpendicular to the existing receiver plate and the lever bolt assembly is placed in such a manner that the bumper plate attached to the strike lever arm moves easily within this drilled hole. If the existing lock bot is rim mounted the bumper plate is removed from the lever bolt assembly and the main housing placed as described above.

The invention may be performed in many ways, and a preferred ernbodimeni is appended, by way of exam pie only, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein like reference numbers denote like parts in several veiws, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of the middle section of the system housing around the point at which the standard lock bolt enters the system housing.

Figure 2 is a plan view of -the system as shown in Fig. 1 Figure 3 is a side view of half of the system.

Figure d is a plan view of the same half of the system shown in Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a side view of the other half of the system 5 shown in Fig. 3.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the same half of the system as shown in Fig. 5.

Referring now to Fig. 1 which shows the mid-section of the system, part 1 6 is the front plate of the system which is attached to the rear plate 1 7 by plate 3 in a manner such that the front plate 1 6 and the rear plate 1 7 are parallel along their length. The materiel forming plates 1 6, 1 7 or 3 may be common metal or plastic that has sufficient rigidity to support the lever bolt structure without deformity under stress. The system structure may be any length required to suit the door or window to wnich it is attached. Plate 3 carries the pivot 2 to which the lever arm assembly 1 is pivoted.In addition plate 3 has two mounting holes 1 8 and 1 9 through which two wood screws or bolts are passed to anchor the assembly to the inside surface of the door frame. Additional mounting holes 20, 21 22 and others are located on the front plate 1 6 at strategic points along the full length of the assembly such that the wood screws or bolts hold the assembly to the front surface of the door frame at an angle of 90 to those bolts or wood screws through holes 1 8 and 1 9 in plate 3.

The same assembly of the system is used for both rim and morticed versions of the system. The complete assembly is mounted as rim mounted unit, that is on the surface of the indoor of the door frame, and when used as a rim lock the standard lock bolt enters the cut out 30 and directly strikes the lever arm assembly causing the transmitted bolt at the extreme ends of the lever arms to deflect into a locked position. When used as a moticed version the complete assembly is mounted exactly as for a rim mounted use but the standard lock bolt now enters the receptacle on the do ,r frame immediately adjacent to the bumper br 31 which is attached to the lever arm 1 by bolt 32.Upon entering the frame receptable, placed immediately adjacent to the front plate 16, the standard lock bolt strikes the bumper plate and thus causes the lever arms to deflect in a manner similar ta that performed in the rim mounted version. To enable the bumper plate 31 to enter the door frame at a point behind the frame receptacle a hole must be drilled, or a cut out made, in the door frame at a point which is horizontally in line with the frame receptacle. This hole, which must be large enough to accomodate the full width of the bumper plate 31, is drilled from the indoor surface of the door frame into the gap behind the frame recepta cle, such that it is hidden behind the main assembly of the multiple lever arm locking mechanism.

In Fig. 1 the lever arm 1 is twisted through a 9QQ turn 4 such that the plane of the lever arm is changed from being perpendicular to the plane of the front plate 1 6 at the pivot point 2 to being parallel to the plane of the front plate 16 at point 6. Point 5 on the lever arm is a bend which turns the lever arm sufficiently to bring it into line with the front plate. The section of the lever arm exposed through cut-out 30 on the front plate 1 6 is six inches long to suit the present purposes but may be made longer or shorter as required.

Along this six inch exposed section of the lever arm seven holes have been drilled and tapped, each hole three quarters of an inch apart and centered upon the center line of the exposed section. In the rim mounted version of the assembly the standard lock bolt can strike the ever arm anywhere along this ex posed section dependant upon how the lever arm locking mechanism is located with re spect to the standard lock bolt. Holes 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 1 2 and 1 3 are points at which the bumper plate 31 can be located on the lever arm 1. By moving the bumper plate along from hole 7 to hole 1 3 the ratio of the lever arms can be changed since the point at which the standard lock bolt strikes the bumper plate with respect to the pivot point 2 is changing.

This change of ratio of the level arms by selection of the point at which the standard lock bolt strikes the lever arm or bumper plate allows for changes in the bolt throw distance of the standard lock bolt. Thus, if the standard lock bolt has a throw of, say, half an inch the multiple lever arm locking mechanism is located such that the standard lock bolt enters hole 30 or strikes the bumper plate at hole 7 on the lever arm. If, alternatively, the standard lock bolt has a throw of one and a half inches the multiple lever arm locking mechanism is located such that the standard lock bolt enters hole 30 at bolt hole 1 3 or strikes the bumper plate at bolt hole 1 3 location.

This variable ratio on the lever arms allows the multiple lever arm locking mechanism to provide a transmitted bolt throw of say, one inch, regardless of the bolt throw of the standard lock bolt from half an inch to one and a half inches. This feature allows the multiple lever arm locking mechanism to be used with an standard lock available today whether it be a spring bolt type or a dead bolt type or any combination of these types of bolts. The importance of this arrangement is that it allows for the maintenance of the maximum bolt throw from the lever arm locking mechanism regardless of the standard lock bolt throw.

Fig. 3 shows a side view of one half of the multiple lever arm locking mechanism which may be used as a single lever arm locking mechanism or when used in conjunction with the other section of the assembly shown in Fig. 5 may be used as a dual lever arm locking mechanism. In Fig. 3 the lever arm 1 and its associated assembly is the same as that shown in Fig. 1, however the complete lever arm is shown in Fig. 3. Lever arm 1 extends from pivot point 2 to a pivot point 42 on transmitter bolt 43. Spacer 41 performs the same function as spacer 3 in that it forms part of the main chassis assembly in that it hold rear plate 1 7 and front plate 1 6 parallel and in addition provides an anchor point for wood screws or bolts which anchor the assembly to the indoor surface of the frame via bolt holes 45 and 46.In addition, spacer 41 acts as a guide for the transmitter bolt to maintain it in a line perpendicular to the plane of the front plate 16, and further supports the lever arm 1 in its traverse between the back plate 1 7 and front plate 1 6. Spacer 40 is placed upside down with respect to spacers 2 and 41 such that it holds the lever arm 1 perpendicular to the plane of front plate 1 6 and prevents the lever arm from moving in any plane except that dictated by the pivot point 2. A further use of spacer 40 is that the holes 47 and 48 now are used to support the top plate which covers the complete assembly. The rear plate 1 7 wraps around the transmitter bolt such that it acts as stop for the bolt as well as a guide for the bolt in a manner such as spacer 41 provides.

Fig. 5 shows a side view of the other half of the main assembly of the multiple lever arm locking mechanism. The assembly shown in Fig. 5 works in conjunction with that half of the assembly shown in Fig. 3. Lever arm 51 is pivoted on spacer 52 by pivot 50 and extends from the pivot point 61 on transmitter bolt 62 to a point 63 at the opposite end of lever arm 51. Point 63 is located immediately behind the extremity of lever arm 1 such that when lever arm 1 is moved by the standard lock bolt it carries lever arm 51 along with it.

Lever arm 51 is held in tension by spring 64 whose function is to keep lever arm 51 in the bolt withdrawn or unlocked position as shown in Fig. 5. Thus, when the standard lock bolt enters cut-out 30 (Fig. 2) and strikes lever arm one, or in the case of the morticed version, when the standard lock bolt striked bumper plate 31, lever arm 1 moves inboard overcoming the tension in spring 64 as it pushes lever arm 51 inboard. Lever arm 1 continues inboard until the standard lock bolt is fully extended. At this point transmitter bolts 43 and 62 should be at their full tra verse if the standard lock bolt has been posi tioned correctly along the exposed length of lever arm 1.That is, when the standard lock bolt is fully extended inboard on the lever arm locking mechanism assembly the transmitter bolts 43 and 62 will be fully extended out board, that is in a locked position.

Upon removal of the standard lock bolt from the multiple lever arm locking mecha nism, i.e. unlocking the door, spring 64 will force lever arm 51 to return to its unlocked position, that is the position shown in Fig. 5, and in doing so, because of its contact with lever arm 1, will carry lever arm 1 with it back into the unlocked, bolt withdrawn posi tion. Thus, lever arm 1 will force lever arm 51 into the locked position when the standard lock bolt strikes lever arm 1, and conversely, lever arm 51 will return lever arm 1 to its unlocked position when the standard lock bolt is removed from cut-out 30, through the action of spring 64.

Fig. 6 shows a plan view of the section of the assembly shown in Fig. 5.

Other forms of control and operation of the multiple lever arm locking mechanism may become apparent from the above description.

These and other means are not to be con strued as limiting the scope and use of the described mechanism.

Claims (15)

1. A lever bolt locking mechanism wherein single or multiple lever arms pivoted at some point along their lengths are deflected by the entry of a door or window lock bolt, or some other deflecting means, into an elon gated aperture in which a long exposed sec tion of a lever arm or arms may be struck or deflected by the deflecting means at some selected point along the exposed section of the lever arms in such a manner that a variable ratio in the lever arms is obtained and wherein transmitter bolts at the opposite ends of the lever arms are consequently extended at a constant length from the mechanical housing into apertures in or on the lock edge of the door or window over a wide range of the length or stroke of the deflecting means and wherein a bumper plate attached to the said lever arms allows the use of the mechanism in either a rim or morticed version.

2. A lever bolt locking mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the mechanism is mounted vertically on the back of the door frame or horizontally or vertically on the window frame closest to the lock such that, when operated the door or window lock bolt is inserted into the appropriate aperture in the mechanism casing or strikes a bumper plate attached to the strike lever arm.

3. A lever bolt locking mechanism according to either claims 1 and 2 wherein lever arms are pivoted at some point along their length by means of a taut band or torsion bar or pivot bolt and/or spring arrangements.

4. A lever bolt locking mechanism according lo any of clams 1 to 3 wherein a strike lever arm is deflected by the movement of a lock bolt, or some other manually or electro ríet bai.icaEl- operated deflecting means, causing rc--tivt1al movement of the lever arm.

5. ,- level bolt locking mechanism accord EnEJ to any of claims 1 to 3 wherein a bumper clale attached to a strile lever arm is struck and 5.3 deflected by the movement of a lock bolt, or some other manually or electro-me c.hnicuIly operated deflecting means, causing rotalit,nal movement of the lever arm.

6. A lever bolt locking mechanism accord irlg to an1 of claims 1 to 5 wherein the def7eclicn of a strike lever arm results, through the rotational movement of the pivoted strike lever arm, in the deflection of transmitter bolts at the opposite end of the strike lever arm.

7. A lever bolt locking mechanism according to any of claims 1 to 6 wherein the deflection of a strike lever arm results in the deflection of a slave lever arm placed at some point behind the strike lever arm and thus meted upon by the movement of the strike lever arm

8. A lever bolt locking mechanism according to any of claims 1 to 7 wherein a slave lever arrn deflected by the movement of a strike lever arm results, through the rotational movement of the pivoted slave lever arm, in the deflection of transmitter bolts at the opposite end of the slave lever arm.

9. A lever bolt locking mechanism accord lig gNy of claims 1 to 8 wherein a slave lever arm is returned to a static inboard position within the mechanism housing by the action of a spring attached between the lever arm and the housing when some deflecting means, such as a lock bolt, is removed from contact with a strike lever arm.

10. A lever bolt locking mechanism according to any of claims 1 to 9 wherein the bolts attached to the opposite ends of a strike lever arm and a slave lever arm are returned to a static inboard position within the mechanism housing by the action of a spring operating on the slave lever arm when some deflecting means, such a a lock bolt, is removed from contact with the strike lever arm.

11. A lever bolt locking mechanism according to any of claims 1 to 10 wherein transmitter bolts are extended laterally and horizontally, or vertically as required, from the mechanism casing into receiver apertures or behind the door or window adjacent to the lock edge of the door or window and at points remote from the door or window lock.

12. A lever bolt locking mechanism according any of claims 1 to 10 wherein transmitter bolts are extended laterally and horizontally from the mechanism housing into receiver apertures on the edge of or the back of the opposite door or window in a double door or window arrangement.

13. A lever bolt locking mechanism according to any of claims 1 to 11 wherein the use of a bumper plate attached to a strike lever arm and inserted into a door frame via a hole cut in the door frame located adjacent to an existing strike or receiver and immediately behind this said existing strike or receiver causes the deflection of a strike lever arm.

14. A lever bolt locking mechanism according to claim 12 wherein the employment of a bumper plate attached to a strike lever arm allows one assembly to be mounted in a rim mounted fashion but yet allow the mechanism to be employed to operate from a rim mounted or a morticed mounted existing door lock or other deflecting means.

15. A lever bolt locking mechanism substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.