GB2338464A - A security device for a wheeled vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

A security device (2) for a wheeled vehicle comprising two limbs (26,28) which are rotatably connected to a fixed base (4), and furthermore may rotate about two mutually perpendicular axes. The limbs are rotated towards each other on either side of a wheel (not shown) and come into contact in a location between the hub and the rim of the wheel, or in the cases where the wheel is inclined or the arms are of unequal length, a location proximal to the space between the hub and the rim. The limbs are provided with apertures (38,40) at their free ends which are brought together and aligned so that they are capable of receiving a locking bolt (not shown). All parts of the locking means may be fabricated from hardened steel.

Description

1 Security 12evice 2338464 This invention relates to a security device,

and in particular to a security device used to prevent the theft of motorcycles, bicycles and other vehicles provided with wheels which have at least one aperture between the hub and rim and through which a locking device may be passed. The security device of the invention is ideally attached to premises where the vehicle is to be temporarily or permanently stored.

Although the following description is provided with reference to motorcycles as the invention is primarily directed towards the prevention of theft of these vehicles, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited exclusively to use in connection therewith, as the security device may be used to safeguard any of the vehicles described above.

The increase in both ownership of and value of motorcycles in recent years has precipitated a concomitant rise and possibly disproportionate increase in motorcycle crime, especially theft.

The common practice of motorcycle owners, especially those who are privileged enough to also own a motor car, is to chain their motorcycles in garages or lock ups to a ring or hook or the like which is incorporated in or otherwise secured to the concrete floor or brick wall of said structure when the motorcycle is not being used. This may be either when weather conditions prevent enjoyable riding, for example during the winter, or when the motorcycle is to be stored for any length of time, for example overnight.

Although the motorcycle may not be in the view of the public, and thus of thieves. the vast majority of motorcycle theft occurs from such garages and lockups as described above, because with currently and freely available bolt-cropping equipment, it is a simple and quick procedure for a thief to cut the chain and free the motorcycle, regardless of the relative security provided by any padlock used in the fastening of the chain.

It should be noted that although chains fabricated from hardened steel are available. the cost of these chains often dissuades motorcycle owners from purchasing such items, and even when such chains are used to secure motorcycles, they are still prone to attempts to break them. Furthermore, there may be available boltcropping devices which are adapted for the cutting of hardened steel.

Alternative security devices are available which although marginally more effective than chains, are still disadvantaged by the fact that a determined thief can generally quickly compromise the device. For example, there are available so-called "U-locks" which comprise a U-shaped hardened steel member, the extremities of which are received in two apertures provided in a locking barrel. The extremities of the U-shaped member are provided with locking lugs which lock behind corresponding lugs within the locking barrel which are rotated into place after the correct key has been inserted at one end of the locking barrel and rotated therein.

1 i This device is commonly used to secure bicycles to railings and the like in public places, and such is also commonly used as a simple deterrent to theft of a motorcycle from a public place, in which case the security device is often simply locked through the spokes of the motorcycle wheel without being further anchored to a practically immovable object. The disadvantage of these U-shaped locks is their inherent weakness within the locking barrel which receives and locks therein the extremities of the U-shaped member.

3 Although the locking of the motorbike in public as described above temporarily prevents theft thereof, the use of the U-shaped locking device is of little advantage when securing a bike in a garage or a lockup, because in such locations, thieves are generally unseen, and they therefore have more time to compromise the lock. In such cases.5 the locking barrel of the U-shaped locking device is prone to attack) merely because it is generally freely accessible to the various compromising techniques and implements which a thief may use.

Furthermore, the anchor to which the locking devices described above may be an expensive item, and may require specialised fitting within a garage or lockup, due to the requirement that it be secured to either the wall or floor of the structure as securely as possible.

From the above, it will be understood that the purchase of one of said anchors, together with additional security devices such as chains,, and/or padlocks and U-shaped locking devices, renders motorbike security an expensive consideration, often in the region of ú200. This figure may appear reasonable when it is considered that the total cost of the motorbike which the security device protects may be worth more that ú10000, but the increasing ease with which such security devices may be compromised has prompted the inventor to provide an improved security device which mitigates against compromise by thieves and further is of substantially lower overall cost to the motorcyclist.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a security device with enhanced security by preventing restricting access to the weaker parts of the device.

According to the invention there is provided a security device for a wheeled vehicle comprising a base to which two limbs are rotateably connected. said base being secured to a wall or floor or the like, 4 characterised in that said limbs are provided at their free ends with apertured lugs which are brought into contact in a location between a hub and a rim of a wheel of said vehicle by rotation of the limbs towards one another and on either side of said wheel such that the apertures are brought into alignment and are capable of receiving a locking bolt therethrough.

The locking bolt referred to above is preferably of the type commonly available, being of U-shaped configuration and provided with a spigot therein which is slidable in a direction generally parallel to the web of the U-shaped lock between first and second positions. In the first position, the spigot is retracted and the locking bolt can be placed over the apertured lugs of the limbs referred to above. Thereafter the spigot is urged through the apertures in the said lugs and locked by conventional means in its second position wherein the lugs are maintained in contact with one another and are prevented from being separated by the flanges of the U-shaped locking bolt, and the spigot prevents removal of the bolt.

It is preferred that the limbs of the security device are arcuate along at least a portion of their length, said limbs being curved towards one another proximate their free ends to prevent any hindrance to the rotational movement of the limbs which may be caused by the rim of the wheel or tyre thereon. In the case of a motorbike, the arcuate nature of the limbs permits the motorbike to be locked to the device regardless of whether it is supported on a "side-stand" or "centre-stand".

The limbs of the security device are preferably of equal length. Alternatively, one limb of the security device is longer than the other limb to permit the vehicle wheel or tyre to be locked regardless of the angle of said wheel or tyre.

It is preferred that either limb has one or more degrees of freedom of movement to allow greater flexibility in movement of the limbs.

It is yet further preferred that the apertured lugs on the limbs are brought into substantially planar mating contact on rotation of said limbs.

It is further preferred that dimensions of the U-shaped locking bolt are such that a small amount of play is provided between the outer faces of the apertured lugs on which the locking bolt is placed, and the inner faces of the flange members of said U-shaped locking bolt.

It is further preferable that the apertures provided in the said lugs are in the shape of slots, or alternatively the largest dimension of the apertures is greater than the diameter of the spigot which passes therethrough, such that in combination with the toleranced fit of the locking bolt thereon, it is possible to fit the locking bolt over the lugs when they are not in mating or planar contact with one another.

It is preferred that the apertured lugs, the limbs, the base of the security device, the rotatable connections and the locking bolt are all fabricated from hardened steel.

The fundamental advantage which the security device according to the invention has over existing security devices is the restricted access which a thief is granted to the weaker components of the device according to the invention. In general, it is considered that the spigot and locking means are the most easily compromised components of such a security device. According to the invention, access is severely restricted to these components by the rim and hub of the wheel which is secured by the security device. It is impossible for a thief to contact the spigot of the locking bolt because it is 6 either completely surrounded by the U-shaped locking bolt itself, or by the apertured lugs at the ends of the limbs.

In order to gain access to the spigot of the locking bolt, or to compromise any other component of the locking arrangement, the wheel of the motorbike would need to be damaged extensively, by for example cutting all or a large number of the spokes between the rim and the hub of the wheel.

A further advantage of the invention which results from a particular rectangular configuration of both apertured lugs and locking bolt which is covered by the invention is that even if one of the limbs of the device could be cut,, which is extremely unlikely in a short time due to the nature of hardened steel, this would not immediately allow for removal of the motorbike from the security device. A second step of either cutting the alternate limb, or compromising the locking bolt would be required to free the motorbike. This is never the case with existing security device which when the device has been compromised once, the motorbike can be easily removed.

Embodiments of the invention are provided by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings wherein:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a security device according to the invention; i 1 1 1 Figures 2a, b show a sectional views of a locking bolt which is ideally suited for use with the device of Figure 1, and which is in its first open position in Figure 2a and in its second closed position in Figure 2b, and Figure 3 shows a elevational view of the security device of Figure 1 in use around a wheel of a vehicle.

7 Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a security device according to an alternative embodiment of the invention.

Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a modified configuration of a portion of the device according to the invention.

Referring firstly to Figure 1, security device 2 is provided with a base plate 4 in which are drilled a number of apertures 6 which are countersunk as shown and which receive bolts, one of which is shown at 8. The depth of the countersink is ideally equal to the depth of the head 10 of each of the bolts 8 which are used to secure the base plate 4 to the concrete floor of a garage or the like (not shown), thus ensuring the tops of the bolts are flush with the upper surface of the base plate when fully screwed into the floor. In the embodiment shown, the head 10 of the bolt 8 is hexagonally recessed at 11 to receive an Allen key.

Obviously, it is desirable that the base plate be extremely difficult to detach from the floor, and therefore to prevent simple extraction of the bolts 8,, small ball bearings one of which is shown at 10 whose diameter is marginally greater than the largest dimension of the hexagonal recess 11 such that once the ball bearing has been lightly hammered into said recess, it is practically impossible to remove. Thereafter, an Allen key cannot be inserted into the recess 11 and thus the plate 4 is secured to the floor.

Towards the rear of the base plate 4 are provided a pair of bosses 14> 16 which may be either integrally formed with the base plate 4 or welded thereon, but in either case, each boss contains a pin 18, 20 which is free to rotate about an axis 22 in the direction shown by arrows 24 or the reverse of that direction within the boss and cannot be removed therefrom. To each of said pins is connected a 8 arcuate limb 26. 28 is such a manner so as to allow rotation of each limb in mutually perpendicular planes, as demonstrated by arrows 301 32. These two degrees of freedom of movement of either limb allows great flexibility in the movement of the limbs. It is to be appreciate that any convention connection which allows two degrees of freedom of movement may be used to connect the limbs 26, 28 to the base plate 4, and the connection means described above is given only by way of example.

At the free end of each of the limbs 26, 28, lugs 34, 36 of a rectangular cuboid shape are provided with apertures 38, 40 therethrough. The freedom of movement of the limbs allows these lugs to be brought into mating contact with their apertures aligned as shown in the figure, and in Figures 2A, B such that a locking bolt 42 can be placed over the lugs and a spigot 44 slidable within the locking bolt 42 between first and second positions can be urged through the apertures 38, 40 to lock the limbs 26, 28 together.

Referring to figures 2A, B, the locking bolt 42 is of generally Ushaped configuration with a web 46 connecting a flange 48 to a flange 50 which also houses a locking barrel 52 of the locking bolt 42. The locking barrel 52 is provided with a slot 54 which is capable of receiving a key 80 shown in Figure 2B, and on insertion of the correct key, the barrel 52 is permitted to rotate in a forward direction as shown by arrow 54, or in the reverse direction.

The spigot 44 is connected to the barrel 52 and is surrounded by a spring 56.

To lock the limbs of the security device together, the locking bolt 42 is positioned with its flanges 48, 50 on either side of the lugs 34, 36 with the locking barrel in its first retracted position as shown in 9 Figure 2A. The key 80 is inserted within the locking barrel which is subsequently pushed against the spring 56.

The outer surface of the locking barrel is provided with a groove 58 with a longitudinal portion and a circumferential portion which receives a protrusion 60 provided on the inner surface of the recess in which the locking barrel 52 slides. On complete insertion of the locking barrel 52. the spigot 44 has completely passed through the apertures 38, 40 and the locking barrel may be rotated in the direction shown by arrow 54 and the protrusion 60 engages within the circumferential portion of the groove 58 such that said locking barrel is retained thereby. This position is shown in Figure 2B.

The free end of the spigot 44 may be received by a recess 62 provided in the flange 48, but in both Figures 2A and B it should be observed that there are slight tolerances in the fit of the locking bolt 42 over the lugs 34, 36, and this allows for play between all the components parts of the security device. This allows for the fitting of the locking bolt as described above when the lugs are not in planar mating contact as shown in the Figures, or when the lugs are slightly separated.

Furthermore, it should be noted that the description provided above with reference to the locking bolt is provided only by way of example, and any desired configuration of locking bolt could be used provided that it restricted access of a thief to the spigot 44 which passes through the apertures 38, 40.

Referring now to Figure 3, the locking device 2 is shown locked in place between a hub 62 and a rim 64 of a wheel 65 of a motorbike (not shown). A tyre 66 is provided around the rim 64 and a number of spokes 68 connect the rim 64 to the hub 62.

The limbs of the locking device, one of which is shown at 26, raised and brought together between the hub 62 and rim 64 such that the lugs, one of which is shown at 34 contact approximately in the plane of symmetry of the wheel 65 which is perpendicular to its axis of rotation when the motorbike is supported in an upright position by a centre stand or the like. In the case that the motorbike is supported by a side-stand, in which case the motorbike will be inclined at a slight angle to the vertical, the contact of the lugs 34, 36 will ideally be in a plane which approximately divides the base plate 4 in half.

Furthermore, the size of the lugs 34, 36 and the locking bolt 42 is such that the contact between the lugs occurs between the spokes of the wheel, and the locking bolt may be easily applied on top of the lugs without hindrance from said spokes.

A security device incorporating further embodiments is illustrated in Figure 4. Bosses 14 and 16 provided on base plate 4 each contain a forked pin 70 and 72, connected to arcuate limbs 74 and 76 respectively.

Forked pins 70 and 72 are free to rotate about an axis 22 in the direction shown by arrows 24 and also in mutually perpendicular planes, as demonstrated by arrows 30 and 32. It is noted that a further type of rotatable connection could be used, for example a ball and socket type connection, which would allow more than two degrees of freedom of movement of either limb.

Limb 76 is longer than limb 74 thereby permitting a vehicle wheel or tyre to be locked to the device regardless of the angle of said wheel or tyre, which could occur for example when the bike to which the wheel is attached is supported by a side stand.

A 11 It is noted that the security device could include any combination of embodiments described herein.

It will be appreciated that the facility for compromising the security device according to invention is minimised by its construction, which is ideally of hardened steel, and the restricted access to the locking bolt and spigot contained therein, said restriction resulting from both the proximity of the locking bolt to the rim and hub and the hindrance caused by the spokes, and also by the configuration of the locking bolt itself which conceals the apertured lugs at the end of the limbs of the security device.

It is also to be mentioned that the apertured lugs 34, 36 may be formed integrally with the arcuate limbs 26, 28, as shown in Figure 5. Integrally formed ends 78, 80 may then simply be overlapped to bring apertures 82, 84 sufficiently into register such that the locking bolt mentioned above can be slid therethrough.

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Claims (8)

1. A security device for a wheeled vehicle comprising a base to which two limbs are rotateably connected, said base being secured to a wall or floor or the likeY characterised in that said limbs are provided with apertures at their free ends, one or other or both of said limbs having first been passed between a hub and a rim of a wheel of said vehicle by rot ation of the said limb or limbs on either side of said wheel such that the apertures are brought into alignment and are capable of receiving a locking bolt therethrough.

2. A security device according to claim 1 wherein the limbs of the security device are arcuate along at least a portion of their length.

3. A security device according to any preceding claim wherein the limbs of the security device are curved towards one another proximate their free ends.

4. A security device according to any preceding claim wherein the limbs are of unequal length.

5. A security device according to any preceding claim wherein either limb has at least two degrees of rotational freedom of movement.

6. A security device according to any preceding claim wherein the free ends of the limbs are brought into substantially planar mating contact on rotation of said limbs, apertures being aligned thereby.

7. A security device according to any preceding claim wherein the apertures are in the shape of slots to allow for a small amount of play during and after insertion of the locking bolt therethrough.

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8. A security device according to any preceding claim wherein the limbs, the base of the security device, the rotatable connections and the locking bolt are all fabricated from hardened steel.