GB2175950A - Locks - Google Patents

Abstract

A series of locks affording varying functions are assembled from a number of basic components which are common to most or all of the variations. The lock may include a bolt member 51 with an associated lock mechanism 30, and a latch mechanism which is manually operable. The bolt 51 is extended by a key operated cam 32 of mechanism 30 engaging a plate 70 which causes a link 57 to pivot and move the bolt by means of connection 56, 58. The cam 32 also lifts a lever 60, which has a common connection with plate 70 to the link 57 at 56a, to engage over a fixed abutment 17 and deadlock the bolt. A linkage mechanism interconnects the lock mechanism and the latch mechanism and may couple the latch mechanism to the bolt member in such a way that manual withdrawal of the latch mechanism overrides the lock mechanism and simultaneously withdraws the bolt member. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Locks Description of Invention This invention relates to locks, primarily of the kind used for securing doors, and which may incorporate a hand operated latch mechanism in addition to a key-operated bolt mechanism.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved lock having one or more novel features or a novel combination of features as hereinafter described.

The present invention resides in a lock having one or more of the following features or any other novel feature as hereinafter described alone or in any combination: a bolt member held in a projected position by a movable abutment member engageable with the bolt member or a part formed or provided thereon and movable out of engagement by a key-operable locking mechanism; the movable abutment member itself engaging a fixed member carried by a casing part, for example, so that inwardly directed endwise force exerted on the bolt member is transmitted through the abutment member to the fixed member, without being transmitted through any linkage between the bolt member and the key-operable locking mechanism;; the movable abutment member being formed or provided on a gated lever which is arranged to cooperate with a fixed abutment or talent which extends through the gate and normally prevents movement of the lever lengthwise unless displaced by the key-operable locking mechanism to an alternative position in which such movement is permitted; the bolt member comprises a manually operable latch assembly and the movable abutment member is formed or provided on a slidable plate; bolt actuating means wherein a bolt member is movable between projected and retracted positions by means of a key-operable locking mechanism, and a manually retractable latch mechanism which is interconnected with the bolt actuating means in such as manner as to enable the bolt member to be withdrawn from its projected position by manual retraction of the latch member;; the latch mechanism incorporating a manually rotatable member which operates to retract the spring-loaded latch, the rotatable member having associated therewith a linkage system interconnecting the latch mechanism and the bolt mechanism; the linkage system including a linkwhich reacts against a fixed abutment to withdraw the bolt member to its retracted position in response to retraction of the latch; the linkage system including means for displacing a locking member from a position in which the latch is held in its projected position to an alternative position in which retraction of the latch is permitted;; bolt actuating means wherein a bolt member is movable between projected and retracted positions by means of a key-operable locking mechanism, and a manually retractable latch mechanism which is interconnected with the bolt actuating means in such a manner as to enable the bolt member to be retracted by a first operation of the key-operable locking mechanism and to enable the latch mechanism to be retracted by a further operation of such key-operable locking mechanism; the latch and locking mechanisms being interconnected by a linkage system incorporating a link which is drivingly engaged by a member which is rotated by operation of said locking mechanism; the link being displaceable by said first operation of said locking mechanism into the path of movement of said member so as to be engaged thereby on said second operation of said locking mechanism;; a manually operable latch mechanism which includes a manually rotatable member which operates to retract a spring-loaded latch, wherein the manually rotatable member is split into two components which are rotatable independently of each other so as to be capable of connection to handles which are thereby operable independently; one of the separate manual rotatable members being associated with a linkage system connected to a key-operable mechanism for a bolt member provided in addition to the latch, the linkage system being so arranged as to enable the bolt memberto be withdrawn from its projected position by manual retraction of the latch member;; a bolt member movable between projected and retracted positions by means of a key-operable locking mechanism which includes a pivoted link drivingly engaged with a lath on which the bolt member when provided is carried, the pivoted link also carrying, at a position between that at which it is engaged with the lath and its pivot point, a gated lever which is arranged to co-operate with a fixed abutment or talent which extends through the gate and normally prevents movement of the lever lengthwise unless displaced by the key-operated locking mechanism to an alternative position in which such movement is permitted; the gated lever and an actuator plate carried by the link are engaged by a cam afforded by a cylindrical lock which operates to pivot the link.

The provision of a movable abutment member enables the bolt to be deadlocked in a way which does not impose a strain on the linkage system between the bolt and the key-operable locking mechanism which is normally used for driving the bolt between its projected and retracted positions.

By driving the bolt lath through a pivoted link which carries the gated lever, the travel of the bolt can be increased relative to the linear movement obtained by the key-operable locking mechanism in proportion to the relative distances from the pivot point of the link to the point at which the gated lever is carried thereon and the point at which the pivoted link engages the lath carrying the bolt member.

The provision of a linkage system between a manually retractable latch mechanism and a keyoperable locking mechanism enables the bolt mechanism to be overridden in an emergency simply by use of the handle associated with the latch mechanisn. Where handles for operation of the latch mechanism are to be provided on both sides of the lock, the latch mechanism can be split so that the bolt mechanism can only be overridden from one side of the lock.

These and other features of the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The accompanying drawings Figures 1 to 9 relate to mechanisms which incorporate separate bolt and latch members and Figures 10 to 12 relate to a locking mechanism not having a separate bolt member. In the drawings: FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a part of a lock casing which houses a key-operatedbolt mechanism, the bolt member being shown in its withdrawn position without other parts of the mechanism; FIGURE 2 illustrates certain components of the bolt mechanism; FIGURE 3 is a view similarto that of Figure 1 showing the complete bolt operating mechanism in a condition just preparatory to the throwing of the bolt by the mechanism towards its projected position; FIGURE4 is view similarto that of Figure 3 showing the mechanism in a condition just afterthe throwing of the bolt into its projected position;; FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of a part of the same lock casing housing a hand operable latch mechanism; FIGURES 6A and B are cross-sectional detailed views on the lines A-A and B-B respectively of Figure 5 on a larger scale; FIGURE 7 illustrates a linkage system which interconnects the lock and latch mechanisms, the system being shown with the bolt in its retracted position; FIGURE 8 is a view similar to that of Figure 7 showing the linkage system with the bolt in its projected position; FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary elevational view of part of a modified lock casing housing a key-operated lock mechanism and a hand operable latch mechanism similar to those illustrated in Figures 1 to 8 but with reduced spacing between them;; FIGURE 10 is a part-sectional eievation of a further embodiment of lock in which the latch assembly is deadlocked by means of a key-operable mechanism; and FIGURES 11 and 12 are sections on the lines C-C and DD respectively of Figure 10.

The embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 8 includes a casing 10 comprising a main body 11 formed as a pressing to afford a side plate 12 with upstanding flanges 1 3a to 1 3e which encloses the mechanisms hereinafter described, a cover plate 12a (shown only in Figure 6) which extends parallel to the side plate 12 to form the opposite side of the casing, and a front plate 14 which in turn carries a face plate 15 secured by screws (not shown).The side plate 12 and the cover plate 1 2a are each formed or provided with various apertures, posts and blocks including particularly a key-hole-shaped aperture 20 for the reception of a cylinder lock mechanism 30 which includes a cylinder 31 and a cylinder cam 32 which, as hereinafter described, actuates a bolt actuating mechanism 50 whereby a bolt 52 is moved between retracted and projected positions. In the vicinity of the aperture 20, the side plate 12 and cover plate 12a each also afford a group of apertures 21a to 21 dfor the reception of bolts or like fastening elements which can thereby extend fully through the casing for the purpose of securing appropriate doorfurniture on opposed faces of a door in which the lock is installed when in use.

Additionally, the side plate 12 and cover plate 12a afford circular apertures 25 which receive rotatable bosses for a spindle to which hand levers or knobs can be attached for the operation of a latch mechanism 80. The side plate 12 and cover plate 1 2a are also formed with a group of apertures 26a to 26c in the vicinity of the circular apertures 25 for further fastening elements for door furniture associated with the latch part of the lock. It is particularly to be noted that the operating mechanisms housed within the casing are so designed and arranged as not to obstruct any of the apertures 21a to 21 d, 26a to 26c in any possible condition.

Referring specifically to Figure 1,the bolt actuating mechanism 50 includes a slidable bolt member 51 comprising a bolt 52 carried at the forward end of a bolt lath 53. The bolt is guided by aligned apertures 14a, 15a in the front plate 14 and face plate 15, and the lath is guided on a fixed peg, or talent, 54 received in a slot 55. The lath is driven longitudinally by means of a pin 56 on a pivoted link 57 engaging in a vertical slot 58 formed in the lath.

The link 57 is mounted on a fixed peg 16 and carries a pin 56a on which is mounted a pivoted lever 60.

The lever 60 includes a central aperture, or gate, 61 which is shaped to afford a forward part 61a and a rearward part 61 b separated by an inwardly projecting tongue 62.

The gate 61 is of conventional shape, whereby the lever 60 may not only pivot on the pin 56a, but also move lengthwise over the talent 54, which nevertheless engages the tongue 62 in such a manner as to prevent forward movement of the lever (and hence the bolt 52) until the lever is lifted by the lock mechanism 30. For this purpose, the lever 60 affords a cam face 63 which is engaged by the cylinder cam 32 as the cylinder 31 of the lock mechanism is rotated so that, over part of the range of movement of the striker, the lever 60 is raised to clear the tongue 62 from the talent54.

The lengthwise movement of the lever 60 is also derived from rotary movement of the cylinder cam 32, and for this purpose the pin 56a also carries an actuator plate 70 pivotally mounted thereon. The plate 70 is formed with a slot 71 in which the talent is located in order to limit movement of the plate in the bolt throwing and retracting directions. At its underside, the plate 70 is formed with a recess 72 of generally rectangular shape and of a length sufficient to acceptthe cylinder cam 32.The arrangement is such that when-the cylinder cam is moved in the bolt throwing direction (arrow A, Figure 3) one radial face engages one end face 73 of the recess, whilst when the cylinder cam is rotated in the bolt retracting direction (arrow B, Figure 4) the other radial face of the cylinder cam engages the other end face 74 of the recess so that the plate 70 is driven in the corresponding direction between the limits imposed by the points at which the cylinder cam 32 becomes disengaged from the recess by virtue of its curved path of movement. Whilst the cylinder cam is engaged within the recess 72, its outerface engages the cam face 63 of the lever 60 thereby lifting it into a position in which it is free to move lengthwise.

Thus, as the cylinder lock is operated to move the cylinder cam 32 along its arcuate path, the lever is first raised to a position such that it is able to move lengthwise, and then the plate 70 is moved by the cylinder cam 32, taking the lever with it since they are both carried on the pin 56a. This causes the link 57 to pivot about the fixed peg 16. This in turn moves the pin 56 through an arc of greater radius than that on which the pin 56a moves, and by virtue of engagement of the pin 56 in the slot 58, the lath 53 is moved through a linear distance substantially greater than the linear movement of plate 70. In this way, the throw of the bolt 52 carried by the lath 53 is substantially greater than the linear movement allowed to the plate 70 by virtue of direct engagement with the cylinder cam 32.

To bias the lever 60 positively into its lowest position, it carries a spring 64 which reacts against a stop 75 formed or provided on the plate 70, which is constrained against vertical movement by engagement of the talent 54 in the slot 71.

In accordance with a particular feature of the invention, the lever 60 is formed or provided with an extension 65 at its forward end which terminates in a hook portion 66 affording an abutment face 67 which is arranged to engage behind the bolt 52 when the latter is in its projected position and over a fixed peg 17 adjacent to the rear of the bolt 52 so as to deadlock the bolt.

As can best be seen in Figure 3, as the cylinder cam 32 engages the cam face 63, it lifts the lever 60 so that the hook portion 66 is raised to a position (as shown at 66') in which it is clear of the peg 17. The lever 60 is then advanced, as the bolt is driven outwardly, to a position in which the hooked portion is above the peg 17 when the bolt is in its fully projected position. Disengagement of the cylinder cam 32 from the cam face 63 at this point, on continued rotation of the cylinder 31, allows the lever to fall (assisted by spring 64) so that the hooked portion 66 engages over the peg 17 as shown in Figure 4with the abutment face 67 immediately behind the bolt 52.

Inwardly directed pressure exerted on the bolt in an attempt to force-the lock is thus resisted by engagement of the rear face of the bolt 52 against the abutment face 67 of the lever extension 65, and such force is transmitted to the fixed peg 17 carried by the casing so that the end of the hook portion is stressed in shear and resistance to movement of the bolt inwardly is afforded primarily by the peg which is fixed to the casing, rather than the force being transmitted through the actuating mechanism 50 to the talent 54 as in conventional designs.

Additionally the relatively small spacing between the bolt 52 and the peg 17 is such asto minimise any tendencyforthe lath 53to buckle laterally.

Preferably, the arrangement is such that the bolt 52 engages the abutment face 67 before the tongue 62 engages the talent 54, although it would be possible to arrange for both points of engagement to occur simultaneously so as to share the load between the peg 17 and the talent 54.

In a variation of the illustrated arrangement, the peg 17 could be positioned directly behind the bolt 52, in the path thereof, so as to project through a slot formed in the lath 53 for this purpose, so that the hook portion of the correspondingly modified lever extension would thus be stressed only compressively.

It will be appreciated that either arrangement offers much greater security as compared with a more conventional arrangement in which force exerted on the bolt 52 would be transmitted through the whole length of the lath 53, and also through pin 56, link 57, pin 56a and lever 60 to the tongue 62.

Referring now to Figures 5 to 8, the lock illustrated also includes a hand operable latch mechanism 80 comprising a latch assembly 81 carried by a slidable lath 82. The latch assembly is guided by apertures 14b, 156 formed in the front plate 14 and face plate 15, and the lath is guided by a square block 18 fixed to the casing and engaging in a slot 83. A spring 85 is arranged to act between the block 18 and latch assembly 81 so that the latter is inwardly displaceable as the door is closed and automatically returns to the projected position in which it cooperates with a keeper to maintain the door latched in its closed position. At its inner end, the lath 82 is formed or provided with a transverse tongue 84 which is apertured for the reception of a tube 76 which is flanged at one end and closed by an end plate 77.The tube 76 receives one end of a spring 85a acting at its other end on the casing and the tongue 84 is slidable relative to the tube so as to afford a lost motion connection. The spring 85a acts through end plate 77 on a follower 86 which, in the illustrated embodiment, is split into two independent arms 87a, 87b which lie in side-by-side relation (see Figures 6A and 6B). Arm 87a is that which in use is at the side of the casing present towards the inside of the room served by the door on which the lock is installed whilst arm 87b is at the side towards the outside of the room. The inside and outside arms 87a, 87b are formed integrally with respective bosses 88a, 88b which are rotatably received in the respective circular aperture 25 formed in the side plate 12 and cover plate 12a. To further assist the location of the bosses, they are formed respectively with an interfitting annular rib and groove 89a, 89b. Each boss is formed with a square section central opening 90a, 90b to receive one end of a respective square section operating shaft (not shown) which will carry a handle or knob at its other end. As can be seenithe central opening of one of the bosses at least does not extend fully through the boss so that the shafts are separated and each can be used to rotate only one of the bosses.

This arrangement makes it possible to incorporate in a lock a linkage as hereinafter described whereby rotation of one of the shafts (normally that which is presented inwardly of the room served by the door on which the lock is installed) overrides the lock mechanism 50 and allows the bolt 52 to be withdrawn to its retracted position simultaneously with the latch assembly 81, even if the lock mechanism is in the deadlocking condition in which the lever extension 65 is behind the bolt 52 as shown in Figure 4. However, if this facility is not required, both central openings can extend fully through the bosses so asto enable a single shaft to extend through both openings 90a, 90b or the split follower 86 may be replaced by a single follower provided on a single boss.

As will be evident, rotation of eitherthe inside boss 88a or the outside boss 88b will cause the associated follower arm 87a, 87b to bear against the end plate 77 and thereby retractthe lath 82 and the latch assembly 81 against the combined forces of springs 85, 85a. However the only spring 85 has to be overcome to allow the latch assembly 81 to retract by co-operation with the keeper due to the lost motion connected with the tube 76.

To prevent the latch assembly 81 being forced inwardly when the door is closed and the latch assembly is in its associated keeper, an arm 91 is pivotally mounted on a fixed peg 22 and biased by means of a coil spring 93 into such a position that an end face 94 of the arm engages behind an abutment 95 formed at the edge of the lath 82.

The arm 91 is formed with a cam face 92 which is engaged by the end of the follower 86 in order to lift the arm so that the end face 94 is clear of the abutment 85 when the latch assembly 91 is retracted manually.

The arm 91 requires to be effective to block inward movement of the latch assembly 81 only when the door to which the lock is fitted is in its position of closure. For this reason,the lock includes a slide plate 96 which is biased outwardly by means of an associated spring 97 and has a tapered projecting nose portion 96a which is arranged to engage the striker plate of the latch keep (not shown) as the door is closed.

Whilst the door is open, the spring 97 projects the plate 96 outwardly and an inclined face 98 afforded by the plate engages a pin 99 carried by the arm 91 so as to liftthe latter into a raised position in which the end face 94 is clear of the abutment 95. When the door is closed, engagement between the nose portion 96a of the plate and the striker plate displaces the plate 96 inwardly, thus allowing the arm 91 to drop so that the end face 94 engages behind the abutment 95.

Where, as in the illustrated embodiment, a split follower 86 is employed, provision may be made for locking the outside handle so that even when the door is only held closed by the latch assembly 80 it cannot be opened from the outside except by means of the key. For this purpose a pivoted stop member 37 is movable into abutment with a stop member 79b formed on the outside boss 88b. The stop member 37 is movable by means of an actuator 35 coupled thereto by means of link 36.

The actuator is retained in one of two positions by means of a leaf spring 34 shaped to engage respective depressions formed in the edge of the actuator for this purpose. In the position illustrated in Figure 5, it will be seen that the stop member 37 prevents rotation of the outside boss 88b in the sense required to retract the latch assembly 81 and thereby prevents the outside handle from being used to move the latch assembly from its projected position. Movement of the actuator 35 to its alternative position displaces the stop member 37 to the position indicated at 37', in which rotation of the outside boss 88b is allowed. However, even when the stop member 37 is in its operative position, the latch assembly can be withdrawn by means ofthe inside handle coupled to the inside boss 88a because of the split follower construction.

When a split follower is not employed,the actuator 35 can be used to operate a latch bolt detent for the purpose of holding the latch assembly 81 in its withdrawn position when it is desired to ensure that the door does not latch. Such an arrangement is illustrated in Figures 10 to 12.

In accordance with a further specific feature of the invention, the bolt actuating mechanism 50 and the latch mechanism 80 are interconnected by means of a linkage mechanism 40, as illustrated in Figures 7 and 8. The mechanism 40 includes a rocker 41 which is mounted on the inside boss 88a and is shaped to include a first arm 42 which overlies the follower arm 87a, and a second arm 43 which extends generally towards the bolt mechanism 50. A projection 78a on the inside boss 88a engages a spigot 43a on the arm 43. The arrangement is such that when the inside boss 88a is rotated clockwise as viewed in Figure 7, by operation of a handle carried by the spindle (not shown) associated with that boss, the rocker 41 is also rotated in the same direction by virtue of engagement of the spigot 43a by the projection 78a.Likewise, when the boss 88a is rotated in an anti-clockwise direction the arm 42 of rocker 41 is engaged by the end plate 77 of the tube 76 so that the rocker 41 is rotated in the same sense. The rocker 41 thus follows the movements of the inside boss 88a. Alternatively the arm 43 could be formed integrally with the inside boss 88a.

The outer end of the arm 43 is pivotally connected to a coupler 44 which at its opposite end carries a pin 45 which projects into a slot 59 formed in the bolt lath 53.

Figure 7 shows the linkage mechanism in the position adopted when the bolt 52 is in its retracted position and the latch assembly 81 is in its projected position. Retraction of the latch assembly 81 manually causes the arm 43 of the rocker 41 to move to the position indicated at 43' and as indicated by arrow C. The pin 45 moves upwardly along the slot 59, as indicated by arrow D to the position indicated at 45' and the bolt mechanism 50 remains unaffected.

If the bolt mechanism is operated to move the bolt 52 to its projected position whilst the latch assembly 81 remains in its projection position, the coupler 44 swings about the pivot 46 whereby it is connected to arm 43 of the rocker 41, and the pin 45 moves along the arc indicated by arrow E as it slides along the length of the slot 59, thereby driving the bolt 52 into its projected position. Thus, the bolt mechanism 50 may be actuated without affecting the latch mechanism.

However, if the latch mechanism 80 is operated by means of the inside boss 88a to retract the latch assembly 81 whilst the bolt 52 is in its projected position, i.e., when the door is locked, the linkage is arranged to retract the bolt 52 and thereby override the lock mechanism 30. It will be appreciated that this effect can only be achieved from one side of the door due to the split follower 86, the rocker 41 being coupled only to the boss 88a associated with the door handle inside the room.

As illustrated in Figure 8, if the rocker 41 is rotated by retraction of the latch assembly 81 when the bolt 52 is in its projected position, the arm 43 again moves to the position indicated at 43'. However, as the pivot 46 moves along line C, the coupler 44, at an intermediate position, engages a fixed peg 27 carried by the casing. As movement of the pivot 46 continues along line C, the coupler 44 is forced to pivot about its point of contact with the peg 27 so that it moves to the position indicated at 44' in Figure 8. The pin 45 thus moves along arc F and in doing so returns the bolt 52 to its retracted position.

To enable the bolt to be retracted in this way, the lever 60 has to be displaced upwardly to disengage the hook portion 66 from peg 17. This is achieved by means of a lateral lug 48 on the coupler 44 which engages a hook 68 which is formed as an upward extension of the lever 60. Thus, as the coupler 44 is initially moved towards the peg 27, the lug 48 also moves upwardly as indicated by arrow G, thus lifting the lever 60 so that the hook portion 66 is clear of the peg 17. As can be seen most clearly in Figures 3 and 4, the hook 68 includes an inclined face 69 at its underside which allows the hook 68 to disengage from the lug 48 as the lever 60 is moved rearwardly with the bolt 52 by means of the coupler 44.

If the ability to override the bolt actuating mechanism in this way is not required, the peg 27 is omitted.

The linkage mechanism 40 also couples the latch mechanism 80 and bolt actuating mechanism 50 in the reverse sense, in that operation of the lock mechanism 30 of the bolt actuating mechanism can be utilised to cause the latch assembly 81 to be withdrawn.

As described above, if both the bolt 52 and the latch assembly 81 are in their projected positions, operation of the bolt mechanism to withdraw the bolt does not affect the latch mechanism, which would normally then require withdrawal by means of the handle. However, in the illustrated embodiment the cylinder lock mechanism can be operated by rotation of the cylinder twice, once to withdraw the bolt 52 and a second time to withdraw the latch assembly 81. In this case the outside boss 88b need not be rotatable and only a fixed handle need be provided on the outside face of the door.

Alternatively the split boss may be replaced by a single, undivided boss.

Withdrawal of the latch assembly by the cylinder lock mechanism 30 is achieved by arranging the lower end of coupler 44 so as to be in the path of rotation of the cylinder cam 32 when the bolt 52 is in its retracted position, so that the cylinder cam 32 lifts the coupler 44 and thereby forces the rocker 41 to rotate in the sense required to withdraw the latch assembly 81.

It can be seen from Figures 3 and 4 that the bolt lath 53 is cut away at its underside to provide clearance for the cylinder cam 32. If the cylinder is rotated in the direction of arrow B in Figure 4, the bolt latch is withdrawn to the position shown in Figure 3, and if the cylinder is rotated a second time, in the same direction, i.e. opposite to arrow A in Figure 3, the cylinder cam will pass beneath the cylinder to the position indicated at 32' where it will engage the end face 44a of the coupler 44 as indicated by arrow H in Figure 7. Continued upward movement of the cylinder cam 32 will thus lift the coupler 44, so that pin 45 again moves in the direction of arrow D along slot 59, forcing the rocker arm 43 to the position shown at 43' and thereby retracting the latch assembly by means of arm 42.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 8 described above, the centre of rotation of the hand operated mechanism, which comprises the axis of rotation of the shafts engaged in bosses 88a, 88b is spaced from the rotational centre of the cylinder lock mechanism 30 by a standard distance of 72 mm, which is a standard adopted for many door furnishings. However, an alternative standard spacing of 57 mm also exists and the lock is capable of modification, as illustrated in Figure 9, to that standard.

As can be seen, the arrangement is generally similar to that previously described in that it employs the same bolt actuating mechanism 50 with the key-hole shaped slot 20 and associated apertures 21a, to 21d and a modified latch mechanism 80A having a modified lath 82A at a lower position than the corresponding lath 82 of the previously described embodiment. The pivoted arm 91 is likewise replaced by a modified arm 91A which is disposed at a lower position and has an end portion 94A which extends upwardly and carries the pin 99 for co-operation with the sliding plate 96 as before. Since the lath 82A is positioned lower than the lath 82, the circular aperture for the shaftreceiving bosses for the handle mechanism is disposed at a correspondingly lower position, at the required spacing from the centre of the cylinder lock mechanism, i.e. in this case 57 mm.The required aperture 25 and the associated apertures 26a to 26c can be formed from the same tool in both cases, and the tool may include means for providing a further aperture 26d near the top of the casing. In this case the modified linkage 40A does not enable the bolt to be withdrawn by operation of the manual handle associated with the inner boss 80a (not shown in Figure 9) and the fixed peg 27 is omitted. However, the linkage 40A provides the function of allowing the latch assembly 80A to be withdrawn by a second rotation of the cylinder lock (not shown in Figure 9) in the manner previously described.

The further embodiment illustrated in Figures 10 to 12 is a deadlocking night-latch in which the cylinder lock mechanism 30 operates to deadlock a latch mechanism which is identical with the mechanism 80 or 80A according to the spacing of the centres as mentioned above. In Figure 10, the latch mechanism 80 is shown corresponding to a spacing of 72 millimetre between centres. The latch mechanism 80 and linkage mechanism 40 are shown only in part. This embodiment also incorporates most of the components of the bolt actuating mechanism 50, but the bolt itself is omitted. Except as hereinafter described, the embodiment shown in Figures 10 to 12 is otherwise substantially identical to that shown in Figures 1 to 8, although the coupler 44 is shown with a shaped nose portion 44b to facilitate co-operation with the cylinder cam 32.

To enable the latch assembly 81 to be deadlocked in the projected position it is formed with a recess 8lato receive a nose piece 101 formed on a vertically movable plate 100 which is guided by pins 28 engaging in slots 102. At its lower end the plate 100 is formed with a transverse, inclined striker 103 which projects into the path of the lath 53 that carries the bolt 52 in the Figure 1 embodiment. The lath 53 is modified in this embodiment (and for interchangeability may be modified similarly in the other embodiments) by the provision of an angled face 53a which is arranged to engage the inclined striker 103 so that as the latch is moved in the direction of arrow J, the angled face 53a engages the inclined striker 103 and thereby lifts the plate 100 to engage the nose piece 101 inthe recess 81a.The lath 53 is moved by means of the cylinder lock mechanism 30 and actuating mechanism 50 as described in relation to the Figure 1 embodiment.

Thus, the latch assembly 80 also serves as a bolt member which is deadlocked by the plate 100 under the control of the cylinder lock mechanism. The pins 28 constitute fixed members carried by the casing to resist any inwardly directed endwise force exerted on the latch assembly without transmitting such force to the linkage between the lock-mechanism and-the plate 100. The fixed peg 17 also assists by being located in a further slot 104 formed in the plate 100 as shown.

To hold the latch assembly temporarily in the withdrawn position,the actuator 35 is arranged to operate a further vertically movable plate 110 instead of the pivoted stop member as shown in Figure 5. The plate 110 is formed with a nose piece 111 which is arranged to enter into the recess 81 a when the latch assembly 81 is in its withdrawn position. The plate 110 is also guided by the pins 28 which engage in slots 112. The plate 110 is drivingly engaged with the actuator 35 by means of a pin 38 on the latter which engages in a horizontal slot 113 formed in the plate. The spring 34 engages detents in the actuator to hold it in its alternate positions, but the opposite end of the spring may, as shown, bear against a lug 105 formed in the plate 100 to urge the latter downwardly, thereby facilitating disengagement of its nose piece 101 from the recess 81a when the cylinder lock mechanism is operated to retract the lath 53.

In a further embodiment (not illustrated) the deadlocking mechanism as illustrated in Figure 10 may be omitted so that the lock then serves as a normal night-latch. In thatevent,the actuating mechanism 50 is also not required, and the movable latch53 may be replaced by a fixed plate affording the slot required for guidance of the pin 45 carried by the coupler 44.

Claims (43)

1. A lock comprising a bolt member, a keyoperable locking mechanism and a movable abutment member which is movable by means of said key-operable locking mechanism into and out of an operative position in which the abutment member is engageable with the bolt member or a part formed or provided thereon so as to hold the bolt member deadlocked in a projected position.

2. A lock according to Claim 1 wherein the movable abutment member engages a fixed member whereby any inwardly directed endwise force exerted on the bolt member is-transmitted by the movable abutment memberto the fixed member.

3. A lock according to Claim 2wherein the movable abutment member is formed or provided on a gated lever which is arranged to co-operate with a fixed abutment which extends through the gate of the lever to prevent lengthwise movement of the lever unless displaced by operation of the locking mechanism to an alternative position which allows such movement.

4. A lock according to Claim3 wherein the movable abutment member comprises a hook-like extension of sajd gated lever, said hook-like extension engaging over a peg which constitutes said fixed member.

5. A lock according to Claim 3 or Claim 4wherein the bolt member is driven by said key-operable locking mechanism.

6. A lock according to Claim 5 wherein the bolt member is carried by a slidable lath which is driven by said key-operable locking mechanism.

7. A lock according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising a manually operable latch mechanism.

8. A lock according to any one of Claims 1 to3 wherein the bolt member comprises a manually operable latch assembly.

9. A lock according to Claim 8 wherein the movable abutment member is formed or provided on a slidable plate.

10. A lodk according to Claim 9 wherein the slidable plate is guided fixed pins whereby any inwardly directed endwise force exerted on the bolt member while engaged by said abutment member is transmitted by the slidable plate to said fixed pins.

11. A lock according any one of Claims 8 to 10 wherein the slidable plate is moved by engagement with a slidable lath which is movable by said keyoperable locking mechanism.

12. A lock according to Claim 7 wherein the manually operable latch mechanism includes a manually rotatable member which operates to retract a spring-loaded latch, the manually rotatable member being split into two components which are rotatable independently of each other so as to be capable of connection to handles on opposite sides of the lock which are thereby operable independently.

13. A lock according to Claim 12 wherein a locking member is manually displaceable into a position in which one of said components of the rotatable member is held against movement in the direction corresponding to withdrawal of the latch mechanism so as to render a handle associated with said one component inoperative.

14. A lock according to Claim 13 wherein the other one of said components is interconnected with the bolt member in such a manner as to enable the bolt member to be withdrawn from its projected position by manual retraction of the latch member by means of said other component of the rotatable member.

15. A lock according to Claim 12 wherein one of said components of the rotatable member is interconnected with the bolt member in such a manner as to enable the bolt member to be withdrawn from its projected position by manual retraction of the latch member by means of said one component of the rotatable member.

16. A lock according to any one of Claims 12 to 15 wherein the manually rotatable member is interconnected with the bolt member by means of a linkage system comprising an arm formed or provided on said rotatable member and a link pivotally mounted on said arm and coupling same to the bolt member.

17. A lock according to Claim 16 wherein the link reacts against a fixed abutment to withdraw the bolt member to its retracted position in response to retraction of the latch by means of said rotatable member.

18. A lock according to Claim 16 or Claim 17, as appendentto Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein the link is coupled to the gated lever so as to move the movable abutment out of the path of movement of the bolt member.

19. A lock according to any one of Claims 16 to 18 wherein the link swings freely about its pivotable connection with said arm during movement of the bolt member between its retracted and projected positions by means of said key-operable locking mechanism.

20. A lock according to Claim 19 wherein during movement of the bolt member from its projected position to its retracted position the link swings into a position in which it is engageable with a member which is rotated by operation of said locking mechanism.

21. A lock according to Claim 16 wherein the linkage system enables the bolt member to be retracted by a first operation of the key-operable locking mechanism and enables the latch mechanism to be retracted by a further operation of the key-operable locking mechanism.

22. A lock according to Claim 21 wherein the linkage system incorporates a link which is drivingly engaged by a member which is rotated by operation of said locking mechanism.

23. A lock according to Claim 22 wherein said link is displaceable by said first operation of the locking mechanism into the path of movement of said member so as to be engaged thereby on said second operation of said locking mechanism.

24. A lock according to Claim 1 wherein the keyoperable locking mechanism includes a pivoted link drivingly engaged with a lath on which the bolt member is carried, the pivoted link also carrying, at a position between that at which it is engaged with the lath and its pivot point, a gated lever which is arranged to co-operate with a fixed abutment which extends through the gate and normally prevents movement of the lever lengthwise unless displaced by the key-operated locking mechanism to an alternative position in which such movement is permitted.

25. A lock according to Claim 23 wherein the gated lever and an actuator plate carried by the link are engaged by a cam afforded by a cylinder lock which operates to pivot the link.

26. A lock comprising a manually operable latch mechanism which includes a manually rotatable member which operates to retract a spring-loaded latch, wherein the manually rotatable member is split into two components which are rotatable independently of each other so as to be capable of connection to handles which are thereby operable independently.

27. A lock according to Claim 26 wherein a locking member is manually displaceable into a position in which one of said components of the rotatable member is held against movement in the direction corresponding to withdrawal of the latch mechanism so as to render a handle associated with said one component inoperative.

28. A lock according to Claim 27 wherein the other one of said components is interconnected with the bolt member in such a manner as to enable the bolt member to be withdrawn from its projected position by manual retraction of the latch member by means of said other component of the rotatable member.

29. A lock according to Claim 26 wherein one of said components of the rotatable member is interconnected with the bolt member in such a manner as to enable the bolt member to be withdrawn from its projected position by manual retraction of the latch member by means of said one component of the rotatable member.

30. A lock according to any one of Claims 20 to 29 wherein the manually rotatable member is interconnected with the bolt member by means of a linkage system comprising an arm formed or provided on said rotatable member and a link pivotally mounted on such arm and coupling same to the bolt member.

31. A lock according to Claim 29 wherein the link reacts against a fixed abutment to withdraw the bolt member to its retracted position in response to retraction of the latch by means of said rotatable member.

32. A lock comprising a bolt member which is movable between projected and retracted positions by means of a key-operable locking mechanism, and a manually retractable latch mechanism which is interconnected with the bolt member in such a manner as to enable the bolt member to be withdrawn from its projected position of manual retraction of the latch member.

33. A lock comprising a bolt member which is movable between projected and retracted positions by means of a key-operable locking mechanism which includes a pivoted link drivingly engaged with a lath on which the bolt member is carried, the pivoted link also carrying, at a position between that at which it is engaged with the lath and its pivot point, a gated lever which is arranged to co-operate with a fixed abutment which extends through the gate normally prevents movement of the lever lengthwise unless displaced by the key-operated locking mechanism to an alternative position in which such movement is permitted.

34. A lock comprising a bolt member carried by a slidable lath which is drivingly engaged by a pivoted link which carries a gated lever and an actuator plate, both of which are arranged to be engaged by a cam afforded buy a cylinder lock which operates to pivot the link and thereby drive the bolt member.

35. A lock comprising a bolt member which is movable between projected and retracted positions by means of a key-operable locking mechanism, and a manually retractable latch mechanism which is interconnected with the bolt member in such a manner as to enable the bolt member to be retracted by a first operation of the key-operable locking mechanism and to enable the latch mechanism to be retracted by a further operation of said key-operable locking mechanism.

36. A lock substantially as herein before described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.

37. A lock substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figure 9 of the accompanying drawings.

38. A lock substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures lotto 12 of the accompanying drawings.

39. A lock including a bolt member movable by means of a mechanism substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

40. A lock including a manually operable latch retraction mechanism substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 5, 6A and 6B of the accompanying drawings.

41. A lock including a bolt member and a latch mechanism interconnected by means of a linkage system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.

42. A lock including a manually operable latch mechanism which is deadlocked by means of a sliding plate and key-operable locking mechanism substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 10 to 12 of the accompanying drawings.

43. Any novel feature or novel combination of features disclosed herein and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings.