GB2179607A - Wheel immobilisers - Google Patents

Abstract

A wheel immobiliser comprising a pair of arms (1,2) adjustably spaced apart by means (3) to accommodate therebetween varying widths of wheels. Further means (11) is provided on one arm (1) of the pair which is adapted for co-operation with a selected wheelnut of a wheel of a vehicle to which the immobiliser is to be fitted. At least one of the arms, in use of the immobiliser, extends beyond the periphery of the wheel for engagement with adjacent body structure of the vehicle or ground to prevent full rotation of the wheel. Access to the adjustment means (3) is prevented by placing a barrel lock in the end of the tube (12) of the adjustment means. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Wheel immobiliser This invention relates to wheel immobilisers such as are fitted to road wheels to prevent unauthorised removal of the associated vehicles.

Wheel immobilisers or clamp have become in creasingly popular both by vehicle owners to prevent theft oscars, caravans and trailers, for example, and by authorities such as the Police to prevent vehicles being removed from illegal parking areaswithout first paying a fine or being otherwise penalised. As a result, there are many wheel immobilisers available but they suffer from many disadvantages such as difficulty in fitting, being cumbersome, and readily open to unauthorised removal.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome or obviate the shortcomings of known wheel immobi liserswithoutincurring any cost penalty.

According to the present invention there is provided a wheel immobiliser comprising a pair of arms adjustablyspaced apart to accommodatetherebetween varying widths ofwheels, and means provided on one arm of the pair and adapted for co-operation with a selected wheel nut of a wheel of a vehicle to which the immobiliser is to be fitted, at least one of the arms, in use ofthe immobiliser, extending beyond the periphery of the vehicle wheel for engagement with adjacent body structure of the vehiclesto prevent full rotation ofthewheel.

The means adapted for co-operation with a selected wheelnut may be in theform of a tubular memberwhich fits over the wheelnut. Alternatively, said means may be adapted to fit over the stud of the selected wheelnutwith the latter being refitted to the stud so as to secure more positively the immobiliser in the operative position.

One or both arms may be provided with toothed means for engagement with the associated rim of the wheel to which the immobiliser is fitted, which again improves the retention of the immobiliser in the operative position. The arms may be adjustably spaced apart by extensible and retractable means interconnecting the arms, the operating mechanism of which is lockable and/or hidden from direct access. The extensible and retractable means may comprise a threaded member rotatably mounted in one arm and limited against axial movement, and a nut orthe like associated with the other arm, whereby on rotation of the threaded member, the two arms are moved forwards or away from each other. The threaded member may be a bolt having a recessed head forthe reception of an Allen key or similar device for rotating the member.The head ofthethreaded member may be located with in the thickness ofthe associated arm with access thereto controlled by a lock such as a barrel lock.

Awheel immobiliser in accordance with the present invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan lisa planviewofthewheelimmobiliser, Figure2 is a front view ofthe wheel immobiliser of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a view from the right of Figure 1, and Figure 4 is a section, on an enlarged scale, on the line iv-iv of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the wheel immobiliser is adapted for fitting to a wide range oftyred wheels such as those commonly used on automobiles, caravans and trailers. The immobilisercomprises a pair of arms 1 and 2 adjustably spaced apart by extensible and retractable means 3 which interconnect the arms intermediate their respective ends. The arms 1 and 2 are movable relative to each other by virtue of the arm 2 being pivotally mounted at one end by a pivot4 between two flanges 5 and 6 formed by a plate 7 which is turned over at one end in a U-shape, the plate being welded or otherwise secured to the arm 1 to form a body portion ofthe immobiliser, and the plate extending only partially along the arm 1 from one end thereof.Both arms 1 and 2 are cranked towards each other attheirfree ends and each has a toothed member 8,9 welded or otherwise attached thereto in the form of a sinusoidal strip of metal. The two toothed members 8 and 9 are located so as to face each other and are adapted for engagement in a selected tooth with the front and rear rims, respectively, of a wheel (not shown) to which the immobiliser is fitted. The arm 1 is longerthanthe arm 2 and is provided at its free end with a tubular extension 11 facing generally towards the arm 2.

Referring now more specifically to Figure 4, the extensible and retractable means 3 comprise an open-ended tube 12 one end of which is welded to, and passes through, the arm 1. The other end ofthe tube 72 slidingly receives a smaller diameter (or cross-sectional area) tube 13 which is attached at its outerend to one side of an eyelet 14formed byashort piece of rectangulartubing through which passes the arm 2 and in which the arm 2 has limited movement about its pivot 4 without having to operate the mechanism 3. Relative sliding or telescopic move ment between the tubes 12 and 13 is effected bya bolt 15 the head 16 of which is capable of limited axial movement between two axially spaced annular inserts 17 and 18 in thetube 12.The bolt head 16is recessed at 19 to receive an Allen key by which the bolt 15 can be rotated, bearing in mind that the head is inset from the end ofthe tube 12. The shank of the bolt 15 is received by an internallythreaded bush or insert 21 attached within the inner end of the tube 13.

The arms 1 and 2 are shown to be of rectangularor square cross-section butthey may be of circular or other cross-section.

In orderto immobilise a wheel using the illustrated embodiment, the bolt 15 is first rotated so as to move the arms 1 and 2 apart sufficiently to pass the arm 2 behind, and the arm 1 in front of, the wheel to be immobilised, at the same time locating the extension 11 on the arm 1 on a selected wheelnut. The wheel nut selected will depend on the size of wheel being handled, the free length of the arm 1 being chosen to accommodate all sizes of automobile, caravan, trail- er,etc.,wheels.With smallerdiameterwheels,the chosen wheelnut may be on the side ofthewheel centre remote from the plate 5 or on the same side for largerdiameterwheels.

With the immobiliserso located, the mechanism 3 is now retracted by rotating the bolt 15 in the appropriate direction, thus drawing the tube 13 within the tube 12 and hence pulling the arms 1 and 2 closer together until the toothed members 8,9 (more speci fically respective teeth thereof) are in engagement with the front and rear rims ofthe wheel, respectively.

On further retraction of the mechanism 3, the immobiliser bites on to the wheel rims and thus cannot be slid therefrom without extending the mechanism 3, atthesametimethearms 1 and 2 being pulled into the tyre which further helps in preventing unauthorised removal. Before the arms 1 and 2 are brought closertogether in this way,the whole device can be allowed to pivot downwardly aboutthe selected wheelnut so thatthe inner edge ofthe plate 7 engages the periphery of the tyre, the device thus being selfadjusting in this respect in as much as the plate 7 will be able to engage some portion ofthe tyre periphery irrespective of the size of wheel involved.

With the immobiliser in the secured or operative position as described, the head 16 ofthe bolt ISis now protected from direct access by placing a barrel lock 22 (Figure 2 - not shown in Figure 4) in the end of the tube 12, the locking mechanism of the lock engaging behind the insert 18 when released on removal of the key, with the head of the lock eitherflush with, or recessed into, the end of the tube 12 to prevent it from being levered out.

If the vehicle fitted with the wheel immobiliser is moved, the immobilised wheel may rotate through a short arc butthen the plate 7 and the arm 2will engage adjacent body structure thus preventing further rotation, orthe arms 1 and 2 will engage the ground, again preventing further rotation, depending on the direction ofthe attempted wheel rotation. The immobiliser is very difficult, if not impossible, to lever from the wheel in view of the very close engagement of the arms 1 and 2 with the wheel rims and tyre, whereby the device affords a very high level of security.

It will be appreciated thatthe depth of wheel press ings varies considerably and in orderto accommodate very deep pressingsaswell as shallow pressings, the extension 11 on the arm may be made adjustable in length so as to take up anyfree play which might otherwise provide a leverage point.

Instead ofsimplyfitting over a wheelnut, the extension 11 of the arm 1 may be provided with a partially closed end which will just fit over a stud when a selected wheelnut has been removed, the nutthen being replaced through an aperture provided in the arm 1 to gain accesstotheextension 11.Thusthe wheel nut can be used to clamp the arm 1 to the wheel atthat point. A lockable wheelnut may be employed oraccessto a normal wheelnut prevented by a barrel lock or other mechanism.

Thus it will be seen thatthe present invention provides a relatively simple wheel immobiliser as regards construction, fitting and removal and yet provides a very high degree of security. Furthermore, a standard immobilisercan be used for any wheel size.

The use of a wheelnut as a location pointforthe immobiliser means that it is impossible to remove an immobilised wheel and replace it with a normal wheel jn orderto effect unauthorised removal ofthe associated vehicle.

Claims (19)

1. Awheel immobilisercomprising a pairofarms adjustablyspaced aparttoaccommodatetherebe- tween varying widths of wheels, and means provided on one arm of the pair of arms and adapted for cooperation with a selected wheel nut of a wheel of a vehicle to which the immobiliser is to be fitted, at least one ofthe arms, in use of the immobiliserrextending beyond the periphery of the vehicle wheel for engagementwith adjacent body structure ofthevehicle to prevent full rotation ofthewheel.

2. Awheel immobiliser according to claim 1, wherein the means adapted for co-operation with a wheel nut comprises a tubular member extending from one of the arms.

3. Awheel immobiliser according to claim 2, wherein the tubular memberfits overthe selected wheelnut.

4. A wheel immobiliser according to claim 2, wherein the tubular extension fits overthe stud with which the selected wheel nut co-operates to secure the wheel to the vehicle, the tubular member being securable in position on the stud by said wheelnut.

5. Awheel immobiliser according to claim 4, wherein the wheelnut is of the lockable type.

6. Awheel immobiliser according to claim 4, wherein the direct access to the wheelnut is prevented.

7. Awheel immobiliser according to any ofthe preceding claims, wherein one or both arms is or are provided with a toothed memberforengagement with the associated rim ofthewheeltowhichthe immobiliser is fitted.

8. Awheel immobiliser according to claim 7, wherein the or each toothed member comprises a sinusoidal strip of material attached to the associated arm.

9. Awheel immobiliser according to any ofthe preceding claims, wherein each arm of the pair of arms is cranked towards the other arm.

10. Awheei immobiliser according to any of the preceding claims, wherein one arm is pivotally mounted with respect to the other arm.

11. Awheel immobiliser according to claim 10, wherein the said one arm is pivotally mounted on a body portion of the immobiliser, which body portion is carried by the other arm.

12. Awheel immobiliser according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the arms are adjustably spaced apart by extensible and retractable means interconnecting the arms intermediate their ends.

13. Awheel immobiliser according to claim 12, wherein the extensible and retractable means comprises a first threaded member rotatable mounted in one arm and limited against axial movement, and a second threaded member associated with the other arm and adapted to receive the firstthreaded member, whereby a rotation ofthefirstthreaded member, the second member is moved generally axially ofthe firstthreaded member and hence the arm associated with the second threaded member moves relative to the other arm.

14. Awheel immobiliser according to claim 13, wherein the firstthreaded member is a bolt housed within a first tubular member carried by one arm, and the second threaded member is an internally threaded bush carried by a second tubular member slidingly received within the firsttubular member.

15. Awheel immobiliseraccordingto claim 14, wherein the head of the bolt is inset from the end of the firsttubular member and access thereto is prevented by locking means associated with that end of the first tubular member.

16. Awheel immobiliser according to claim 15, wherein the locking means is a barrel lock.

17. Awheel immobiliseraccordingtoclaim 15or 16, wherein the first threaded member is rotatable by a key.

18. Awheel immobiliseraccordingto anyof claims 13 to 17, wherein the second threaded member is associated with the other arm via an eyelet through which said other arm passes and within which it has limited free movement relative to said one arm without the need to operate the extensible and retractable means.

19. Awheel immobiliser substantially as herein particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings.