GB2295419A

GB2295419A - Lockable housing preventing access to a rotatable door handle

Info

Publication number: GB2295419A
Application number: GB9423942A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Innes Pottinger
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-11-26
Filing date: 1994-11-26
Publication date: 1996-05-29
Anticipated expiration: 2014-11-26
Also published as: GB9423942D0; GB2295419B

Abstract

A portable lock comprises a housing 3 for attachment to a door handle 2. The housing 3 covers at least part of the handle 2 and is secured to the door and the handle. In a first embodiment the housing is wedged against a lever handle 2 by a telescopic arm 4 with a lock 6, the other end of the arm 4 being attached by a clip 5 to the bottom of the door. In a second embodiment an adjustable length of cord (4, Fig 2) is attached to a U-shaped clip 5, which embraces the top of the door, and the other end is connected to the housing 3. A locking mechanism 6 comprising a pulley block (7, Fig 2a) and a self-jamming cleat provide the adjustment. A third embodiment comprises a box with an inclined slot (11, Figs 3, 3a) for use with a door knob. The slot (11) has a narrow section (13) which is jammed under the knob as the arms 4 are telescoped apart, thus preventing the knob from being turned. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a novel lock for doors, and in particular to a portable lock which can be applied to a door.

In most buildings, only a few of the doors have locks thereon.

These tend to be the external doors. Often it is desireable to lock doors, such as internal doors, may be on a temporary basis, and in such circumstances the installation of a mortice or latch lock or bolt would deface the door and require the expense of a skilled tradesman to fit it. The invention seeks to provide a lock which can simply be applied to a door without damage to or defacement of the door.

According to the present invention there is provided a lock for fitment to a door of the type which is opened by turning a handle connected to a latch comprising a housing for attachment over the handle and which covers at least part of the handle, and means for securing the housing between the door and the handle whereby the handle is prevented from being turned and thus rendering the door unuseable.

In one embodiment the housing is secured between the handle and the door by means of a telescoping arm having one end attached to the housing and the other end attached to the bottom of the door. In another embodiment of the invention the housing is secured to the door by means of an adjustable length of cord having one end attached to the housing and the other end attached to the top of the door.

The housing may be a U-shaped cradle to accommodate handles in the form of levers, or the housing may be a box with a wedging slot to receive handles in the form of knobs.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows the lock with a telescoping arm attached to a door handle in the form of a lever, Figures 2 and 2a show the lock with a cord attached to a door handle in the form of a lever, and Figures 3 and 3a show the lock with a telescoping arm of Figure 1 attached to a door handle in the form of a knob.

Referrring to figure 1, there is shown a door 1 with lever type handle 2 which operates a latch (not shown) as is common in the art. The lock of the invention comprises of a housing in the form of a U-shaped cradle 3 which is wedged against the lever 2 by means of a telescopic arm having two telescoping members 4a,4b. Arm 4a may be of solid metal square in cross section, and arm 4b may be of hollow box section. One end of arm 4a is attached to cradle 3, and another end of arm 4b is attached to a clip 5 which is attached to the bottom of door 1. Clip 5 is U-shaped to embrace both sides of the door. A key-operated lock 6, when locked, prevents telescopic movement between arms 4a,4b.

In use of the device of Figure 1, the key-operated lock 6 is first unlocked

and the clip 5 fitted around the door base and the cradle placed

1bç Davm c~4 C > o5O under the lever The two arms are then telescoped apart so that the cradle 3 is wedged against the lever 2, and the lock 6 locked. The cradle 3 effectively is secured between the lever and the door. The cradle prevents lever from turning downwards, and hence the latch attached to the lever cannot be operated to open the door.

Referring to Figures 2 and 2a, the lock operates on the same principle as the lock of Figure 1 except that a cord 4a,4b (such as pre-streched rope) prevents the lever 2 from being turned downwards. In this embodiment, the total length of cord 4a,4b can be adjusted by means of a locking mechanism 6 having a pulley block 7 and self-jamming cleat 8. One end of cord 4a is attached to cradle 3, and oneend of cord 4b is attached to clip 5. Clip 5 is U-shaped to embrace both sides of the door.

In use of the device of Figure 2, the clip 5 is placed on the top of the door, and the cradle 3 fitted to the lever 2. The cord is then put under tension by pulling the loose end of cord 4a and jamming it in cleat 8. The cradle 3 is effectively secured between the lever and the door and prevents lever 2 from turning downwards.

Referring to Figures 3 and 3a, there is shown an alternative to the cradle used in Figure 1 for use with doors with knobs rather than lever handles. Instead of the cradle, the housing is in the form of a box 9 which embraces the knob handle 10.

The side of the box 9 adjacent the door has an inclined slot 11 having a widened portion 12 though which the knob is passed through initially, and a narrow slot which is less than the diameter of the knob. In use of the device of Figure 3 and 3a, when the arms 4a,4b are telescoped apart, the narrow slot 13 is jammed under the knob 10, thus preventing the housing from being removed as it is secured between the knob and the door.

The housing therefore prevents the knob from being turned to open the door.

The lock of the invention can be made of any suitable material/s such as plastics and/or metal.

Further modifications of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The invention also may be a device in the form of a housing which fits over and covers the knob or handle on one side of a door. The housing would not nescessarily stop the handle or knob from being rotated, but could simply prevent a door being opened from one side by preventing access to the knob or handle on that one side. Such a device would be useful in allowing the pasage of persons through a door in one direction only. Such a housing could also be designed with additional features to have a dual role of either covering the handle or knob, or covering the handle or knob and preventing rotation of the handle or knob. The invention is thus further defined as a device having a housing for covering a door handle or knob and means for securing the housing to a door. The means for securing the housing to the door could be a removable telescopic arm which is attached at one to the housing and at the other end to the bottom of the door. The door handle or knob slides into a slot in the housing (similar to Figure 3a and 3a above) and the housing is then locked by the arm in a fixed position so that it cannot slide off the handle or knob.

Claims

1. A lock for fitment to a door of the type which is opened by turning a handle connected to a latch, which lock comprises a housing for attachment over the handle, and means for securing the housing to a door, whereby in use the housing is attached over and covers at least part of the handle to prevent the door being opened from the side thereof on which the housing is attached.

2. A lock as claimed in claim 1 comprises means for engaging a handle comprising a lever, such that, when in use on a door, rotation of the lever is prevented and the door is thereby prevented from being opened from either side.

3. A lock as claimed in claim 1 for use with a handle in the form of a knob wherein access to the knob is prevented by the housing.

4. A lock as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the means for securing the lock to a door comprises a telescopic arm extending from the housing, the end of the arm remote from the housing being securable to the bottom of the door and means for locking the arm at a desired length when secured to a door.

5. A lock as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5 wherein the means for locking the telescopic arm is operable by a key.

6. A lock as claimed in any claim 4 or claim 5 wherein the arm comprises a clip at the end thereof remote from the housing.

7. A lock as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the means for securing the lock to a door comprises a cord extending from the housing, the end of the cord remote from the housing being securable to the top of a door, and means for adjusting and locking the cord length at a desired length when the lock is secured to a door.

8. A lock as claimed in Claim 7 wherein the cord has a clip at the free end thereof.

9. A lock as claimed in claim 6 or claim 8 wherein the clip is u-shaped to engage both sides of the door.

10. A lock as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the housing comprises a u-shaped cradle to accommodate handles comprising a lever.

11. A lock as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the housing is a box with a wedging slot.

12. A lock substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figure 1 or in Figure 2, or in Figure 3, or in further modifications as shown in drawings No 1, No 2, No 3 or No 4.