GB2385090A

GB2385090A - Combined lock and seal mechanism

Info

Publication number: GB2385090A
Application number: GB0200486A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Godfrey Suckling
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-01-10
Filing date: 2002-01-10
Publication date: 2003-08-13
Also published as: GB0200486D0

Abstract

The lock and seal is installed within the fabric of the door 1 so that the fixings are not accessable when the door is closed. The lock 2 has a key access 3 and a rotating part 4 which engages with the closing bolt 6. One end of the closing bolt 7 provides the locking function by extending from the door 1 into a receptacle in the surround. The internal end of the bolt 6 has an inclined surface 8 which traverses left to right on locking. This action causes rod 9 to rise upwards through guide bracket 10 to crank the spindle 11 of the counter 12 via the lever 13 which is attached to rod 9 by pin 17 thereby incrementing the display 14 by one digit. In an alternative embodiment a random number is generated and displayed.

Description

BUILT-IN SEAL AND LOCK This invention relates to a reusable indicative mechanical seal combined with a lock built-into the fabric of the means of access to a space, such as a door, drawer or shutter.

Mechanical seals and locks have been in use for many years, particularly in the transport industry. They come in various forms. Disposable seals usually in the form of metal or plastic strips having a unique number or code embossed thereon and are a one shot closing device such that the seal must be destroyed in order to remove it from a catch or hasp securing a door or shutter. A secure padlock or other form of lock is usually also employed. Although inexpensive, the cost and management of disposable seals proves costly over time.

There has been a great deal of growth in the development of electronic and mechanical random number generators. These devices scramble the display numbers when the seal is broken, indicating authorised or unauthorised opening. These devices are fairly expensive but can be used time and again. They are normally separately secured to provide a lock and a seal.

My patent GB 2312468 combines a lock and a seal in the form of a padlock providing security and indication of use.

All the above methods require devices to be added to or built onto the means of closing to give a seal and seurity and consequently, are unnecessarily expensive.

According to the present invention there is provided a combined indicative mechanical seal and lock assembly built into the fabric of the means of closing, such as a door or a shutter or a drawer. The indicative mechanical seal can be attached to the closing member of a mechanical lock inside the body of, say, a roller shutter door. The indicative seal would be either a sequential mechanical counter which increments one digit with every complete locking cycle from closed to open to closed or a random number generator which scambles the display numbers at every complete locking cycle.

In each case the indicator is directly linked to the final closing member of the lock such as a bolt or catch in the case of a roller shutter.

The combined lock and seal assembly can be installed in for example the fabric of an office door, or a cupboard door, a safety deposit box or drawer, vehicle access doors or a wide variety of applications.

The use of this combined lock and seal within the fabric of the application gives security and guarantees peace of mind that the lock has not been interfered with.

The main inventive step of this invention is to integrate the lock and seal, or seal, within the fabric of the means of closing a space during manufacture or at assembly stage such that it is an integral part of the arrangement. It can also be added to a finished item if provision has been made for it.

This invention will result in considerable savings of expenditure by large users of disposable and electronic seals since the equipment or vehicle can be supplied with the reusable seal installed.

Some enhodiment. s of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which : Figure 1 is a cutaway side elevation of a lock and seal in a typical door in the open or unlocked position.

Figure 2 is the same view with the door in the closed or locked position.

Figure 3 is an end section through the lock and seal in the unlocked position.

Figure 4 is the same end section when in the locked position.

Figure 5 is a roller shutter door lock with built-in and integrated indicator.

Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 show parts of a simple lock, combined with a seal which could be used in any type of door.

The lock and seal is installed within the fabric of the door 1 much in the manner that locks are normally fitted where the fixings are not normally accessable when the door is closed. The lock 2 has a key access 3 and a rotating part4 which engages with the closing bolt 6. One end of the closing bolt 7 provides the locking function by extending from the door into a receptacle in the surround during the locking process. The internal end of bolt 6 has an inclined surface 8 which traverses left to right on locking.

This action causes rod 9 to rise upwards through guide bracket 0 to crank the spindle 11 of the counter 12 via the lever 13 which is attacted to rod 9 by pin 17 thereby incrementing the display 14 by one digit. The display can be observedthrough the window 15 in the viewing aperture 16.

When unlocking the above procedure is reversed. The key operated lock 2 withdraws the bolt 6, via rotating part 4 and knob 5. Asbolt 6 moves from right to left rod 9 descends slope 8-of bolt 6 thereby operating the crank and cocking the counter 12 without changing the display.

Counter 12 canbe substituted by s random number generator which would scramble the numbers of the display 14 when actuated by rod 9.

Figure 5 shows the components of a locking mechanism that could be used in for example a roller shutter door. the lock and seal are installed within the inner and outer plates of the bottom section of the roller shutter. All that is visible is the lock 2 face, the key access 3 and the display 14. The locking component of the shutter 20 is the camlock 21 which has a horseshoe with an open end 23

facing'approximately downwards when not locked. When the 1 shutter is pulled down to close the opening, the camlock 21, which is held on a bearing 22 fixed in the bottom section of the shutter 20, is struck in the open end 23 by a rod 24 which is secured in the base platform 31 where the shutter stops.

Rod 24, being slightly offset, below bearing 22, causes camlock 21 to rotate as the shutter closes. This rotation

brings indent 5 to a position that allows trip arm 26, whichis pivoted on pinion 27, to drop it's lower end 28 into indent 25 by virtue of the tension of spring 29. This action locks camlock 21 in it's position, thereby securing the 20 28 shutter, until trip arm lower end is raised. On opening the rotating part 4 of the lock 2, when moved by key 30, works against spring 29 and rotates trip arm 26 about pinion 27 to raise lower end 28 thereby releasing camlock 21, which is rotated to an open position by spring 31.

In the locking and unlocking sequences pin 32 attached to camlock 21 moves rod 9 vertically to operate crank mechanism 11,13 and 17 (figs 1 to 4), thereby altering the display 14 of counter 12 as described above.

As in the previous embodyment counter 12 can be substituted by a mechanical random number generator designed to fit in the same space as an alternative option.

Rod 24, being slightly offset. below bearing 22, causes camlock 2] to rotate as the shutter closes. This rotation brings indent 75 to a position that allows trip arm 26, whichis pivoted on pinion 27, to drop it's lower end 28 into indent 25 by virtue of the tension of spring 29. This action locks camlock 21 in it's position, thereby securing the 20 28 shutter until trip arm lower end, is raised. On opening the rotating part 4 of the lock 2, when moved by key 30, works against spring 29 and rotates trip arm 26 about pinion 27 to raise lower end 28 thereby releasing camlock 21, which is rotated to an open position by spring 31.

As in the ? previous embodyment counter 12 can be substituted by a mechanical random number generator designed to fit in the same epace as an alternative option.

Claims

1. A combined indicative mechanical seal and lock assembly built into the fabric of a means of closing an opening, such as a door or a shutter or a drawer.

2 A combined indicative mechanical seal and lock assembly as claimed in claim 1, where the mechanical seal is attached to the closing member of a mechanical lock inside the body of the means of closing.

3 A combined indicative mechanical seal and lock assembly as claimed in claim 1 where the mechanical seal is operated directly by the closing member of a mechanical lock inside the body of the means of closing.

4 A combined indicative mechanical seal and lock assembly as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 or claim 3, where the indicative seal is a sequential mechanical counter which increments one digit with every complete locking cycle.

5 A combined indicative mechanical seal and lock assembly as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 or claim 3, where the indicative seal is a random number generator which scrambles the display numbers with every complete locking cycle.