GB2234477A

GB2234477A - Vehicle security apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2234477A
Application number: GB9009034A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian Henry Emmett
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-04-28
Filing date: 1990-04-23
Publication date: 1991-02-06
Also published as: GB9009034D0

Abstract

A vehicle security apparatus for locking a drive shaft or prop shaft 12 comprises an anchor ring 10, having a plurality of spaced holes 14 around its periphery, attached to the shaft and a pin 16 slidable in a support 20 and moved by a lever 22 into one of the holes to restrain the shaft from rotation. The mount mechanism 24 includes a lock to prevent operation of the lever 22. <IMAGE>

Description

VEHICLE SECURITY APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is concerned with security apparatus for a vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides security apparatus for a vehicle which includes anchor means adapted to be secured to a component of the vehicle which moves when the vehicle moves and a locking device which is actuable to engage with the anchor means thereby to restrain the said vehicle component against movement.

The vehicle component may be any appropriate component on the vehicle and preferably is a component in the vehicle drive transmision. A suitable component is a prop shaft of the vehicle, or a drive shaft.

The invention may be used with a front or rear wheel drive vehicle, or with a four wheel drive vehicle.

The anchor means may include a plurality of anchor formations and the locking device may include a locking member which is engageable with at least a selected one of the anchor formations.

The anchor means may comprise an anchor ring which is concentrically fixed to the prop shaft and which has a plurality of anchor formations, such as holes, and the locking member may comprise a pin or equivalent component which is insertable into one of the holes, thereby to restrain the prop shaft against rotation.

The locking device is preferably mounted below a floorboard of the vehicle and means may be provided, operable from above the floor, to actuate the locking device.

The actuating means, in one embodiment of the invention, may include a manually operable lever and a lock which is actuable to prevent operation of the lever, when required.

In a different form of the invention the actuating means includes a solenoid for causing movement of the locking device.

With either form of the invention use may be made of a lock, which when engaged, prevents pin movement and which, when released, permits pin movement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is further described by way of examples with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic side view of security apparatus mounted to a vehicle, according to one form of the invention, Figure 2 is an end view of the arrangement shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 shows in block diagram form an interlock mechanism for use with the apparatus shown in Figure 1, and Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1 of security apparatus according to a variation of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED ~EMBDDIMENTS Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings illustrate vehicle security apparatus according to a first form of the invention which includes an anchor ring 10 which is mounted concentrically to a prop shaft 12 of the vehicle and which is attached to the prop shaft in any appropriate way, for example by being welded thereto. The anchor ring 10 is formed with a plurality of spaced holes 14 around its periphery, as shown in Figure 2.

A pin 16 is mounted below the floorboard 18 of the vehicle for slicing movement in a support 20 which is fixed to the floor board. The arrangement shown in Figure 1 is largely schematic and the support 20 can be of any appropriate shape or at any suitable position to ensure that the pin 16 is accurately guided in its movement in a manner which is apparent from the following description.

One end of the pin is pivotally attached to a lever 22 which extends through a lever mount 24, on an upper surface of the flocrboard, and which terminates in a knob 26.

The lever 22 can be moved to and fro, in a linear fashion, as is indicated by means of a double headed arrow 28. When the lever is pushed forward the pin 16 is pushed backwards and enters the hole 14 which is at that time in register with the line of the pin. On the other hand if the lever 22 is moved backWards the pin 16 is withdrawn from the hole with which it is engaged.

The mount mechanism 24 preferably includes a lock which can only be actuated when the vehicle is stationary. This may be achieved for example by using a sensor device 30 which detects movement of the prop shaft 12 and which, through a solenoid or equivalent device which forms part of the mount mechanism 24, prevents actuation of the lock when the prop shaft 12 is rotating.

Figure 3 shows a block diagram of the aforementioned interlock mechanism. The sensor 30 is responsive to rotational movement of the prop shaft 12. This may be implemented by mounting a small magnet to the prop shaft and by using a search coil in the sensor which detects passing movement of the magnet. While the sensor 30 has a positive output, indicating that the prop shaft 12 is moving, a solenoid 32 is energised. The solenoid 32 is de-energised when the sensor 30 detects that the prop shaft 12 is stationary, and the solenoid thereby moves a pin 34 out of engagement with a catch 36 the movement of which is otherwise controlled by means of a key operated lock 38. It follows that the catch 36 can only be moved, by means of the lever 22, when the pin 34 is disengaged from the catch and the lock 38 is released.

When the pin 16 is engaged with the anchor ring 10 prop shaft movement is prevented. It is therefore not possible to drive the vehicle away and this reduces the possibility that the vehicle can be stolen. The device of the invention does not prevent the vehicle from being towed away but, if this is the case, it will be necessary to tow the vehicle and the drive wheels will have to be elevated for the prop shaft 12, locked in the manner described, prevents rotation of the drive wheels.

Figure 4 shows a different version of the security apparatus of the invention. Use is again made of an anchor ring 10, of the kind shown in Figure 2, which is welded concentrically to a prop shaft 12 of the vehicle. Mounted to the underside of the floor board 18 of the vehicle are two bushes 40 and 42 and an elongate pin 44 is slidingly mounted in the bushes.

A clamp 46 is attached to a central location of the pin 44. A yoke 48 extends from the clamp to a solenoid 50.

A solenoid lock 52 is mounted to the floorboard 18 adjacent the clamp 46. The solenoid lock has a catch 54 which is engageable with either side of the clamp 46, depending on its position, to prevent unwanted movement of the clamp and hence of the pin 44.

The electromagnet 52 is used, analogously to the arrangement shown in Figure 3, to prevent unwanted movement of the pin when the vehicle is moving. Thus the electromagnet 52 can only be released or actuated when the prop shaft 12 is stationary. If the prop shaft is stationary and the pin is in the position shown in Figure 4 then, upon actuation of the solenoid lock 52 the catch 54 is retracted and the clamp 46 is moved to the left in the drawing under the restoring action of a spring 56 which is associated with the solenoid 50. The pin 44 is thereby withdrawn from the respective hole 14 in the ring 10 and the prop shaft is therefore free to rotate.

When the pin is withdrawn in the manner described the electromagnet 52 is again actuated so that the catch 54 engages with the opposing side of the clamp and prevents the pin from inadvertently entering the anchor ring 10.

If the apparatus of the invention is to be actuated then it is necessary to have the prop shaft 12 stationary. The electromagnet 52 is energised so that the catch 54 is disengaged from the clamp 46 and the solenoid 50 is then energised thereby to push the yoke 48 to the right and so cause the pin 44 to engage with a respective hole 14 in the ring.

With the clamp 46 at the right hand limit of its stroke the catch 54 automatically engages with the left hand side of the clamp and prevents unwanted retraction of the pin. The spring 56 is tensioned at the same time.

The invention thus provides security apparatus which acts on the prop shaft of a vehicle and thereby prevents rotation of the prop shaft. This prevents the vehicle from being driven away. The apparatus is under the control of an interlock mechanism which prevents inadvertent actuation of the apparatus. Moreover the apparatus is subject to the control of a suitable lock which may be of any appropriate kind. The arrangement is such that the lock cannot be actuated unless the interlock procedure is satisfied. The security apparatus may be manually or electrically operated.

Two examples of the invention have been given. The invention is not limited to the details described in connection with the examples and modifications thereto can be made without departing from the principles of the invention. Thus it is possible to engage a locking means, in any appropriate way, with the prop shaft or with any component which is associated directly or indirectly with the prop shaft. The essence of the invention lies in using a locking device to restrain power transmission to the driven wheels of the vehicle and so prevent the vehicle from being stolen or from being used in an unauthorised way. As has been indicated the locking device may be attached to any suitable component which preferably is in the drive transmission of a vehicle such as a prop -shaft, or a drive shaft if the vehicle is a front wheel drive vehicle.

Claims

1. Vehicle security apparatus which includes anchor means adapted to be secured to a component of the vehicle which moves when the vehicle moves, and a locking device which is actuable to engage with the anchor means thereby to restrain the said vehicle component against movement.

2. Vehicle security apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the said vehicle component is a component in the vehicle drive transmission.

3. Vehicle security apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the said vehicle component is a prop shaft, or a drive shaft, of the vehicle.

4. Vehicle security apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the anchor means includes a plurality of anchor formations and the locking device includes a locking member which is engageable with at least a selected one of the anchor formations.

5. Vehicle security apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the anchor means comprises an anchor ring which is concentrically fixed to the prop or drive shaft and which has a plurality of anchor formations, the locking device including a locking member which is engageable with at least one of the anchor formations.

6. Vehicle security apparatus according to claim 4 or 5 wherein the anchor formations are holes, and the locking member is a pin which is insertable into one of the holes, thereby to restrain the prop or drive shaft against rotation.

7. Vehicle security apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the locking device is mounted below a floorboard of the vehicle.

8. Vehicle security apparatus according to claim 7 which includes means, operable from above the floorboard, to actuate the locking device.

9. Vehicle security apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the actuating means includes a manually operable lever, and a lock which is actuable to prevent operation of the lever.

10. Vehicle security apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the actuating means includes solenoid means for causing movement of the locking device.

11. Vehicle security apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10 which includes interlock means which prevents actuation of the locking device when the said vehicle component is moving.

12. Vehicle security apparatus which includes a ring which is mounted concentrically to a prop shaft, or a drive shaft, of the vehicle and which has a plurality of anchor formations, a pin which is mounted below the floorboard, and actuator means for causing the pin to move into engagement with one of the anchor formations thereby to restrain the prop or drive shaft against rotation.

13. Vehicle security apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the actuator means includes a lever which is manually operable from above the floorboard to move the pin.

14. Vehicle security apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the actuator means includes a solenoid which is operable to move the pin.

15. Vehicle security apparatus according to claim 12, 13 or 14 which includes a lock which, when engaged, prevents pin movement and, when release6, permits pin movement.

16. Vehicle security apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 15 which includes interlock means which prevents movement of the pin when the prop or drive shaft is moving.

17. Vehicle security apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the accompanying drawings.

18. Security apparatus for a vehicle which includes a device which is adapted to engage with a prop or drive shaft of the vehicle, or means associated or engaged with the prop or drive shaft, thereby to restrain rotation of the prop or drive shaft.