GB2204090A

GB2204090A - A container for a lock

Info

Publication number: GB2204090A
Application number: GB08807894A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Francis Edward James Toomey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-04-24
Filing date: 1988-04-05
Publication date: 1988-11-02
Anticipated expiration: 2008-04-05
Also published as: GB8709719D0; GB2204090B; GB8807894D0

Abstract

The container 2 comprises a housing 4 having a finger-operated locking bolt 6, a space 8 for the lock, and a pivotable closure member 10, the closure member 10 being pivotable from a first position in which it prevents operation of the locking bolt 6 to a second position in which it enables operation of the locking bolt 6, and the housing 4 being such that it allows the lock to be locked only from the outside of an establishment and the locking bolt 6 to be operated only from the inside of the establishment. The container may be associated with a security device such as grill for a window or a security door (66, Figures 5, 6) secured adjacent a normal front door (68, Figures 5, 6) whereby the security door can be opened from the inside during normal or emergency conditions. As shown, compartment 20 in which bolt 6 is slidable is positioned on top of compartment 22 for the lock which may be a 5-lever mortise lock - a key therefor is insertable through a keyhole (18, Figure 2) at front face of housing 4. Closure member 10 has side portion 40 to extend round side 42 of housing 4 and stop member 55 to limit travel of bolt 6 when member 20 is lowered into first position. Rotatably operated bolt may be employed. Striker plate (26, Figures 3, 4) has apertures (24, 56) and main arm (58) and side arm (60). <IMAGE>

Description

A CONTAINER FOR A LOCK This invention relates to a container for a lock.

With the increasing advent of crime, many persons are beginning to feel unsafe even in their own homes.

Such persons are often reluctant to open their front door to a caller in case the caller should be a violent criminal who will push his or her way into the home, intent on committing a theft,a personal assault or other criminal deeds.

Home security, for example in houses and flats, has been increased in recent times with the fitting of security doors which are intended to supplement existing doors, and also with security grills which are intended to supplement existing windows The security doors and security grills provide another barrier for the potential criminal to overcome. In the case of a security door, providing the security door is locked, a person such as a housewife can open their normal front door without fear of an intruder pushing his or her way into the home because the security door will still be in position and locked.

The security doors are usually made of metal and they are also usually in the form of an open framework. Thus a person opening their normal front door can talk quite easily through the open framework security door and, only when the caller has been recognised or has provided appropriate identity, then the security door can be open and if it is necessary to allow the caller to have entrance into the home. The known security doors are locked with a key and Local Authorities are beginning to become concerned about the use of these key locking security doors. Even if the key to the security door is kept in the vicinity of the security door, for example on a hook on a wall near the door, problems can arise in emergency services gaining access to a home or other establishment if the security door is locked and the person inside is unable to obtain the key and unlock the door.For example, in the case of fire, smoke may be too dense for people to stand up and reach a key. The persons may be constrained to crawl along the floor. In this case, emergency fire fighting services cannot easily gain access into the home or other establishment since their way will be barred by the security door. Other emergency situations can arise where doctors and home helps need to gain access to a home to help an elderly and/or an arthritic person. Often such persons are mobile to the extent that they can move in wheelchairs or they can crawl but sometimes they are unable to stand and thus obtain the key for the security door to allow entrance to their home.

The existence of the security doors, whilst helping to alleviate crimes conducted in the home, can thus in certain emergency situations cause further problems. It is an aim of the present invention to enable the continued use of the security doors, and other similar security devices such for example as security grills, whilst at the same time reducing the above mentioned problems that can be caused by the security doors in emergency circumstances.

Accordingly, this invention provides a container for a lock, which container comprises a housing having a finger-operated locking bolt,a space for the lock, and a closure member, the closure member being movable from a first position in which it prevents operation of the locking bolt to a second position in which it enables operation of the locking bolt, and the housing being such that it allows the lock to be locked only from the outside of an establishment and the locking bolt to be operated only from the inside of the establishment.

Thus, when a person goes into an establishment such for example as a house or flat, they can lock the security door using the finger-operated locking bolt.

Similarly, the locking bolt can be used when a person inside the- establishment wishes to open the security door and leave the establishment. In a case of emergency such for example as a fire where dense smoke apertains, a person calling to the front or rear door of the house can, if the front or rear entrance is provided with a security door, open the security door merely by moving the locking bolt.

The locking bolt will usually be positioned at a normal bolt locking height so that the person will be able to reach up to the locking bolt from a lying position on the floor and it will not be necessary for the person to stand up and possibly be overcome by smoke whilst searching for the key. A person leaving the establishment can easily lock the security door from the outside using a key or other device in the normal manner of known locks. Because the key or other device cannot be used from the inside, there is no possibility of a person overiding the safety feature provided by the finger-operated locking bolt of the container of the present invention.

The container may be one in which the housing has a first compartment in which the locking bolt is positioned, and in which the housing has a second compartment which defines the space for the lock.

Usually, the first compartment will be positioned on top of the second compartment.

Preferably, locking bolt is a sliding locking bolt. Other types of locking bolt such for example as rotatably operated locking bolts may also be employed.

The sliding locking bolt may be provided with abutment means to stop the sliding locking bolt sliding out of the housing. The abutment means is advantageously a pin extending outwardly from the sliding locking bolt.

The sliding Thcking bolt 'nay be provided with an aperture to receive a finger for sliding the locking bolt backwards and forwards. Obviously, the sliding bolt can be operated by means of a person's thumb instead of a finger if a person should find this more convenient.

The closure means is preferably a hinged closure means which pivots about a hinge.

The hinge is preferably constructed to be rugged and durable and a particularly suitable type of hinge is a piano-type hinge.

The closure member is preferably a closure flap.

The closure flap may have a main portion which extends over a major part of a rear face of a housing, and a side portion which extends around a side of the housing, the main portion being connected at its upper edge to the hinge, and the side portion being such as to extend from the upper edge of the main portion downwardly for a length which is not as long as the length of the main portion. The side portion is designed to stop persons outside the security door trying to open the locking bolt by means of bent wire or similar devices.Because the side portion stops short of the complete length of the main portion, children playing with the closure flap are substantially prevented from trapping their fingers in the closure flap. I9 the side portion were to extend the complete length of the main portion, it is possible that children playing at raising and lowering the flap could get their fingers sandwiched between the edge of-the side portion and the rear face of the housing. Thus the container of the present invention is designed to stop such accidents happening.

The lower edge of the main portion of the closure flap advantageously extends at an angle to the remainder of the main portion to provide a finger lever portion which can be gripped during raising and lowering of the flap.

The depth of the finger lever portion can advan'ageously be varied to take up space between the security door and a normal door which can be arranged to be closely adjacent the closure flap, or other closure member. As it will be appreciated, if the normal establishment door closes virtually completely against the closure member, the normal door prevents access to the closure member. Since positioning of security doors in relation to normal doors may vary from house to house, the finger lever portion provides an advantageous method of taking up varying space.

If desired however other space -occupying means may be employed.

The container of the invention may be manufactured and sold without the lock. It is to be appreciated however that the container may also be provided with the lock.

The lock may be a five lever mortice deadlock.

The lock is preferably an Aldridge five lever mortice deadlock. The lock may be 2i" (6mm) long and it may be used with a 7" (12.5mm) long striking plate.

The present invention also extends to the combination of the container and a striking plate.

The invention further extends to the combination of a security device when fitted with the container of the present invention. The security device may be a security door, a security grill for a window, or any other design security device. The security device can thus be fitted adjacent normal doors of establishments such for example as houses and flats and even offices and shops if desired.

The doors will usually be hinged doors but they may be sliding doors or patio doors as may be required. Similarly, if a security grill is fitted adjacent the outside of a window then the window can be of any desired operating type.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective from the rear and one side of a container for a lock; Figure 2 is a front view of the lock shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of a striker plate; Figure 4 is a top plan view of the striker plate shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 shows a security door fitted with a container as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the security door being locked but an inner normal house door being open; and Figure 6 shows on a reduced scale the security door shown in Figure 5 but with the normal house door closed.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a container 2 for a lock (not shown). The container 2 comprises a housing 4 having a finger-operated locking bolt 6, a space 8 for the lock, and a closure member in the form of a closure flap 10. The closure flap 10 is pivotable about a piano-type hinge 12 from a first position in which it prevents operation of the locking bolt to a second position in which it enables operation of the locking bolt. The second position is a raised position and is shown in Figure 1. The first position is a downward position in which the closure flap 10 will have been pivoted downwardly so that it lies adjacent the rear face 14 of the housing 4 and extend to the bottom of the rear face 14 of the housing 4.

It will be seen from Figure 2 that the front face 16 of the housing 4 is provided with a keyhole 18 for enabling a key to be inserted into a Aldridge 5-lever mortice deadlock fitted in the space 8. The rear face 14 of the housing 4 is plain so that there is no provision for a key hole for enabling a key to operate the lock from the rear side of the container 2. Thus the housing 4 is constructed such that it allows the lock to be locked only from the outside of an establishment, and the locking bolt to be operated only from the inside of the establishment.

The container 2 is such that the housing has a first compartment 20 in which the locking bolt 6 is positioned. The housing has a second compartment 22 which defines the space 8 for the lock. As can be seen from Figure 1, the first compartment 20 is positioned on top of the second compartment 22.

The locking bolt 6 is a sliding locking bolt and Figure 1 shows the locking bolt 6 slid to its forward position in which it would normally be engaged in an aperture 24 in a striking plate 26 fitted to a door frame (not shown).

The locking bolt 6 is prevented from sliding out of the first compartment 20 by means of an abutment means in the form of a pin 28 which projects outwardly from the rear face 30 of the locking bolt 6 and which engages a rear edge 32 of a guide member 34 in which the locking bolt 6 slides.

It will be seen that the locking bolt 6 is provided with an aperture 36 to receive a finger for sliding the locking bolt6 bacds and forwards.

The closure flap 10 has a main portion 38 which is substantially the same length but which is not quite the same width as the rear face 14 of the housing 4. The reduced width of the closure flap 10 enables the closure flap 10 to clear any door frame (not shown) that is employed. The closure flap 10 also has a side portion 40 which extends at right angles to the main portion 38. The side portion 40 extends around a side 42 of the housing 4. As shown, the main portion 38 is connected at its upper edge 44 to the hinge 12. The side portion 40 extends from the upper edge 44 of the main portion 38 downwardly for a length which is approximately half the length of the length of the main portion 38, see Figure 2. The lower edge of the main portion 38 extends at an angle to the remainder of the main portion 38 to form a finger lever portion 46.The closure flap 10 can thus be raised and lowered about the hinge 12 by gripping the finger lever portion 46. As the closure flap 10 is lowered from the position shown in Figure 1, it will be apparent that a person's fingers could possibly become trapped between the leading edge 48 of the side portion 40 and the edge 50 of the side 42. A child playing with the closure flap 10 could thus cut or bruise their fingers and, for this reason, the side portion 40 does not extend for the complete length of the closure flap 10. The distance between the end 52 of the side portion 40 and the end 54 of the main portion 38 forms a space in which the fingers cannot be trapped and can easily be moved if there is any tendancy for fingers to become trapped.

The closure flap 10 also has a stop member 55 which extends into the first compartment 20 when the closure flap 10 is in its lowered position. When the stop member 55 is in its lowered position, it is effective to limit the inward travel of the locking bolt 6.

The locking bolt 6 may be made of brass or any other desired and appropriate material.

When the lock is operated to a locked position, the bolt of the lock will move into an aperture 56 in the striker plate 26. The striker plate 26 has a main arm 58 and a side arm 60.

The housing 4 has welded to it a top U-channel member 62 and a bottom U-channel member 64. These two U-channel members 62,64 enable the container to easily be welded to a security door as shown in Figures 5 and 6 as security door 66.

As can be seen from Figures 5 and 6, the security door 66 is in the form of an open framework which has been secured in the door opening closely adjacent a normal wooden front door 68. When the front door 68 is closed, the front door 68 is closely adjacent the rear face 14 of the housing 4 so that the closure flap 10 cannot be raised until such time as the front door 68 is opened. Any variations in space between the front door 68 and the security door 66 can be taken up by varying the size of the finger lever portion 46 which may typically be 1" (2.5mm) wide, As shown in Figure 5, a lady 70 has been able to open the front door 68 and can talk in safety through the security door 66. If the lady 70 wishes to open the security door 66, during normal conditions or in emergency conditions, it is only necessary to raise the closure flap 10 and slide the locking bolt 6 from its locking position to its non-locking position. A key is not required. If the lady 70 should wish to leave her house, then she would lock the front door 68 in the usual manner; she would then close the security door 66 and lock it with a key in the key hole 18 in the usual manner that locks are locked.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the design of the security door 66 may be varied from that shown in Figures 5 and 6. Also, a security device other than a security door may be provided with the container 2 of the present invention. Different types of locks may be employed and the locks can be in various designs and sizes. The container 2 will usually be made of metal such for example as stainless steel but various sorts of metal and other materials such for example as strong reinforced plastics materials may also be employed.

Similarly, the security door 66 will usually be made in solid steel but other materials may also be employed. The illustrated security door 66 has square cross section members but members of other cross sections such for example as circular or rectangular members can be employed. Other types of closure members than the closure flap can be employed, as can other types of locking bolt 6.

Claims

1. A container for a lock, which container comprises a housing havingafinger-operated locking bolt, a space for the lock, and a closure member, the closure member being movable from a first position in which it prevents operation of the locking bolt to a second position in which it enables operation of the locking bolt, and the housing being such that it allows the lock to be locked only from the outside of an establishment and the locking bolt to be operated only from the inside of the establishment.

2. A container according to claim 1 in which the housing has a first compartment in which the locking bolt is positioned, and in which the housing has a second compartmet which defines the space for the lock.

3. A container according to claim 2 in which the first compartment is positioned on top of the second compartment.

4. A container according to any one of the preceding claims in which the locking bolt is a sliding locking bolt.

5. A container according to claim 4 in which the sliding locking bolt is provided with abutment means to stop the sliding locking bolt sliding out of the housing.

6. A container according to claim 5 in which the abutment means is a pin extending outwardly from the sliding locking bolt.

7. A container according to any one of claims 4 - 6 in which the sliding locking bolt is provided with an aperture for receiving a finger or thumb for sliding the locking bolt backwards and forwards.

8. A container according to any one of the preceding claims in which the closure means is a hinged closure means which pivots about a hinge.

9. A container according to claim 8 in which the closure member is a closure flap.

10. A container according to claim 9 in which the closure flap has a main portion which extends over a major part of a rear face of the housing, and a side portion which extends around a side of the housing, the main portion being connected at its upper edge to the hinge, and the side portion being such as to extend from the upper edge of the main portion downwardly for a length which is not as long as the length of the main portion.

11. A container according to claim 10 in which the lower edge of the main portion of the closure flap extends at an angle to the remainder of the main portion to provide a single lever portion which can be gripped during raising and lowering of the flap.

12. A container according to any one of the preceding claims and including the lock.

13. A container according to claim 12 in which the lock is a five lever mortice deadlock.

14. A container for a lock, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

15. The combination of a container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and a striking plate.

16. The combination of a security device when fitted with the container of the present invention.

17. The combination claimed in claim 16 in which the security device is a security door, or a security grill for a window.