GB2216943A

GB2216943A - Cylinder lock

Info

Publication number: GB2216943A
Application number: GB8808150A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian Gibbons
Original assignee: GIBBONS OF WILLENHALL Ltd
Current assignee: GIBBONS OF WILLENHALL Ltd
Priority date: 1988-04-07
Filing date: 1988-04-07
Publication date: 1989-10-18
Also published as: GB8808150D0

Abstract

A cylinder lock (10) comprises a body to receive a plug 17 which is rotatable relative to the body by a key 18, wherein the body comprises two separate parts 11 and 15 which are secured together. Part 15 is preferably made from a rolled flat blank. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Cylinder Lock Description of Invention This invention relates to a cylinder lock of the type which is used to allow operation of a latch using a key.

Previously, such cylinder locks have comprised a body which is produced for example by die castinq in one piece and is formed with an opening to receive a usually cylindrical, key receiving plug. The body and the plug are formed with aligned openings which receive pin tumblers to prevent the plug being rotated relative to the body without insert ion of an appropriate key into a keyway of the plug.

The pin tumblers are usually spring biased towards the plug and thus assembly of the plug, tumblers and springs can be difficult.

According to one aspect of the invention we provide a cylinder lock comprising a body to receive a plug which is rotatable relative to the body by a key, wherein the body comprises first and second separate parts which are secured together.

It has been found that the manufacture of a cylinder lock in accordance with the invention is facilitated by providing the body in two separate parts.

Preferably the cylinder lock is of the kind having a plurality of pin tumblers of different lengths and each comprising upper and lower segments, which tumbers are each received in an associated passageway which comprises a first opening in the body which is aligned with a second opening of the plug so that the plug can only be rotated when the tumblers are moved in the passageways by an appropriate key to bring joins between the upper and lower segments of all the pin tumblers into alignment in a plane where the first openings in the body connect with the corresponding second openings of the plug.

In an arrangement in accordance with the invention, preferably the first openings in the body extend through the first body part through the second body part to connect with the second openings of the plug.

The first body part may be produced in any desired manner, for example by die casting or fabrication and the second body part may conveniently be made by fabrication from a flat blank.

The first and second body parts may be secured together by means of an interengaging formation on one or other of the body parts.

The first body port may in one example comprise a face plate through which the plug extends, the first body part being formed to receive the second body part which may, for example, be cylindrical where the plug is cylindrical.

The plug may hove a keyway to receive a key such that the key acts upon the lower segments to move the pin tumblers in their associated passageways; The lock may further comprise a cover which is engaged with both the first and second body parts to add rigidity to the connection between them.

The cover may comprise a first cover part which shrouds the first and second body parts, and a cover plate connected to the cover part, and in use, being adjacent the face plate.

The cover may retain the pin tumblers in their respective first openings.

According to a second aspect of the invention we provide a method of manufacturing a cylinder lock in accordance with the first aspect of the invention comprising forming first and second body parts separately and securing the body parts together.

The first body part may be made by die casting and the second body part may be formed from a flat blank.

The method may include providing the flat blank with a series of openings which, when the flat blank is formed into the second body port and secured to the first body part, are aligned with openings in the first hody part.

The invention will now be described with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE I is an exploded perspective view of a cylinder lock in accordance with the invention, and a key, FIGURE 2 is a side cross section through the lock of Figure I showing in an assembled condition with a key inserted.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of a flat blank used in the manufacture of the lock of Figures 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawings, a cylinder lock 10 for mounting in for example, an opening through a door, comprises a first body part 11 which has a face plate 12 and a pair of openings 13 which are threaded and arranged to receive fasteners as is conventionally known.

The lock further comprises a second body part 15 which is of generally cylindrical configuration having an internal hollow 16 to receive a cylindrical plug 17 which may be rotated within the hollow 16 by means of a key 18.

The plug 17 is of conventional design and has a keyway 20 to receive the key 18, and in one end thereof, an opening 21 to receive a latch operating arm 22 which is secured relative to the plug 17 by means of a clip 23.

The plug 17 has, extending axially thereof, a plurality of openings, five in the present example, shown at 24 to 28, and the end opposite to the recess 21 the plug 17 has a shoulder 29 which restrains movement of the plug 17 axially within the hollow 16 in the direction shown by arrow A.

The cylindrical second body part 15 has in an end thereof, a notch 30 to receive the clip 93, so that the plug 17 is also prevented from movement axially in the hollow 16 in a direction opposite to the direction shown hy arrow A.

The first body part 11 has a pair of interengaging formations 32 and 33.

Formation 32 comprises a lip on the inside of a face plate 12 to receive the end of the second body part 15, and the second interengoging formation 3 comprises a clasp formation which grips the exterior of the second body part 15 as shown in Figure 2.

The first body part II is preferably made by die casting, although could otherwise made e.g. by fabrication as required. The second body part 15 is made from a flat blank which is shown at 35 in Figure 3. The blank has tongues 36 which, when the blank 35 is rolled into a cylindrical configuration, are received in receiving formations 37 on an opposite side of the blank, in order to maintain the second body part 15 in its cylindrical configuration.

The blank 35 is formed with a series of openings 24a,25a,26a,27a,28a, which, when the plug 17 is received within the formed second body part 15, align with corresponding openings 24 to 28 respectively.

The first body part 12 also has openings 24b,25b,26b,27b,28g which are aligned with the openings 74a to 28a when the second body part 15 is secured to the first body part II as shown in Figure 2. Thus the openings provided in the body parts II and 15 extend through the first body part II and open from an exterior surface of the first body part 11 as indicated at 4R, and extend through the second body part 15 to connect with the openings 24 to 28 provided in the plug 17, at least when the plug 17 is in the position shown in the drawings.It will of course be appreciated that when the plug 17 is rotated by the key 18 as hereinafter described, the openings ?4 to 28 in the plug 17 would then not be aligned with the openings provided jointly by the body parts II and IS.

The aligned openings provide passageways in which pin tumblers are received as indicated at 40-44 each of the pin tumblers comprising a pair of segments of differing lengths. The pin tumblers 40-44 received in the passageways are urged towards the plug 17 by springs 40a-44a which are located in the openings 24b-28b of the first body part 11.

Normally, when a key 18 is not inserted into the keyway 20, the pin tumblers 40-44 are urged towards the plug 17 so that the upper segments as seen in the drawings, of the pin tumblers extend across a plane P where the openings 24-28 of the plug and the openings provided by the first and second body parts 11 and 15 join so that the plug 17 cannot be rotated relative to the body parts 11 and IS. However, upon insertion of an appropriate key, the pin tumblers are raised by serrations 46 of the key by an appropriate amount to bring the joins between the upper and lower segments of the pin tumblers 4044 into alignment with the plane P so that the plug 17 and hence the latch arm 22 can be rotated by the key 18.

In a conventional arrangement, the first and second body parts II and 15 are manufactured in a single part and it will be appreciated that there is considerable difficulty in inserting springs and tumblers in openings which extend into the body. In an arrangement in accordance with the present invention, by providing the first and second body parts II and 15 separately, this assembly is considerably facilitated. The springs 40a-46a and pin tumblers 40-44 can be inserted in their passageways from surface 48 and the open ends of the openings 24b-28b subsequently closed.

The first and second body parts may simply be secured together as a force fit or additional means may be provided as hereinafter described to lock the parts 11,15, together.

The lock further comprises a cover comprising a cover part 50 and a cover plate 51.

The cover part 50 is generally cylindrical and has an open end 52 to receive the assembled body parts 11,15, and an opposite closed end 53. The diameter d of the cover part 50 and wall thickness are such that edge 54 of the cover part 50 sits in a recess 55 of face plate 13.

In the closed end 53 the cover part has an opening 56 through which an end 57 of the plug 17 and the second body part IS extend, and the closed end 53 being provided with a tag 58 which is engaged in the notch 30 of the second body part 15 to add rigidity to the connection between the first and second body parts 11,15.

The closed end 53 of the cover part 50 also has openings 59 to give access to the threaded openings 13 of the first body part 11 through the cover part 50.

It will be appreciated that the cover part SO will close the open ends of openings 24b-28b to retain the springs 40a-44a and pin tumblers 40-44 in their respective passageways.

The cover plate 51 is adapted to be received over the face plate 12 and be engaged with the cover part so e.g. by a spinning operation, to connect the cover part and cover plate together, the plate Sl having an opening 60 through which the key 18 may be engaged in keyway 20.

Various modificotions may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, instead of the first body part 11 having a pair of interengaging formations 32 and 33 to receive the second body part 15, the second body part 15 may be provided with interengaging formations which engage with and receive the first body part II. However, the arrangement described with reference to drawings is preferred.

If desired, in place of preforming the openings 24a-28a in the flat blank 35 from which the second body part 15 is made, the openings may be formed at the same time as forming the openings in the first body part 12 by drilling entirely through the second body part 15 prior to inserting the plug 17. In this event, it would be necessary to blank off the unwanted openings provided in the second body part 15 opposite the openings 24a-28a and so again, it is preferred to preform the openings 24a-28a prior to assembly.

In the arrangement described, there are five passageways in which pin tumblers 40-44 are received. In an alternative arrangement, more or less than five pin tumblers may be provided in appropriate passageways.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, in the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, or a class or group of substances or compositions, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

I. A cylinder lock comprising a body to receive a plug which is rotatable relative to the body by a key, wherein the body comprises two separate parts which are secured together.
2. A lock according to Claim 1 which is of the kind having a plurality of pin tumblers of different length and each comprising upper and lower segments which tumblers are each received in an associated passageway which comprises a first opening in the body which is aligned with a second opening of the plug so that the plug can only be rotated when the tumblers are moved in the passageways by an appropriate key to bring joins between the upper and lower segments of all the pin tumblers into alignment in a plane where the first openings in the body connect with the corresponding openings of the plug.
3. A lock according to Claim 2 wherein the openings in the body extend through the first body part through the second body part to connect with the second openings of the plug.
4. A lock according to any one of Claims I to 3 wherein the first body part is produced by die casting and the second body part is made from a flat blank.
5. A lock according to any one of the precedinq claims wherein the first and second body parts are secured together by means of an interengoginq formation on one or other of the body parts.
6. A lock according to any one of the precedinq claims wherein the first body part comprises a face plate through which the plug extends the first body part being formed to receive the second body part.
7. A lock according to Claim 6 wherein the second body part is generally cylindrical and the plug is generally cylindrical.
8. A lock according to any one of Claims 2 to 7 where appendant to Claim 2 wherein the plug has a keyway to receive a key such that the key acts upon the lower segments to move the pin tumblers in their associated passageways.
9. A lock according to any one of the preceding claims which further comprises a cover which is engaged with both the first and second body parts.
10. A lock according to claim 9 wherein the cover comprises a cover part which shrouds the first and second body parts and a cover plate connected to the cover part.
II. A lock according to claim 9 or claim 10 where appendant to claim 2 wherein the cover is adaptedto retain the pin tumbers in their respective first openings.
12. A cylinder lock substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.
13. A method of manufacturing a cylinder lock according to any one of the preceding claims comprising forming first and second body parts separately and securing the first and second body parts together.
14. A method of producing a cylinder lock substantially as hereinhefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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