GB2526146A

GB2526146A - Improvements to lock decoders

Info

Publication number: GB2526146A
Application number: GB1408722.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Jennings
Original assignee: UAP Ltd
Current assignee: UAP Ltd
Priority date: 2014-05-16
Filing date: 2014-05-16
Publication date: 2015-11-18
Anticipated expiration: 2034-05-16
Also published as: GB201408722D0; GB2526146B

Abstract

The lock decoder 1 comprises a dummy blade 2 for insertion into a keyway of a lock to be decoded/picked. The blade 2 houses an end 8 of at least one pick lever 3. A tensioning arm 12 is secured at one end to the decoder. A removable collar 13 is slidably mounted on the blade 2 to shorten the length of the blade and convert the decoder for use with locks with shorter keyways which may have fewer tumblers. The decoder may be used on vehicle doors and then on a vehicle ignition that may include an extra tumbler. The collar 13 increases the strength and rigidity to the part of the blade which protrudes from a shorter keyway reducing its tendency to buckle under torque when used as a lock pick. The plate may include a pattern of bitting codes 7 for indication of a tumbler position via pointer 11 of pick lever 3.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS TO LOCK DECODERS

The present invention relates to lock decoders for use in locksmithing and in particular but not exclusively to vehicle lock decoders.

Lock decoders are used by locksmiths to decode a lock so that a key can be cut to gain entry, typically to a vehicle, where the correct key has been lost or is not available, for example if the vehicle has been abandoned or stolen. The decoder usually also enables such a lock to be picked. When in use a blade housing one or more pick levers is inserted into the lock and a tensioning arm of the decoder is used to apply torque to the blade and thereby to the rotatable core or plug of the lock to enable the lock to be picked. However, in lock decoders that are adapted to decode and pick the ignition lock of a vehicle in addition to the vehicle's door locks, the application of torque to the blade when in use in a door lock cam cause the blade to buckle, bend or even snap. This problem arises because vehicle ignition locks are usually provided with one or more pins and wafers than the door locks of the vehicle. Hence, the keyways of the door locks are usually shorter than the keyway of the ignition lock. This means that when in use in a door lock the blade of the decoder is not fully inserted into the lock and protrudes slightly. As the blade of the decoder tends to be delicate, the torque applied to it via the tensioning arm can cause it to buckle, bend or even snap at its end adjacent the face of the lock cylinder.

The object of the present invention is to obviate or substantially mitigate the aforesaid problem.

According to the present invention there is provided a lock decoder comprising a blade which is adapted for insertion into a keyway of a lock to be decoded and which houses an end of at least one pick lever, a tensioning arm which is secured at one end to the decoder adjacent the blade, and a removable collar slidably mounted on the blade such the collar covers an end of the blade that protrudes from a lock with a shorter keyway when the decoder is in use and is removable from the blade to permit the blade to be fu'ly inserted into a longer keyway of another lock.

The collar thereby imparts strength and rigidity to that part of the blade which protrudes from the shorter keyway in order to reduce its tendency to bend, buckle or snap when torque is applied to the blade by manual pressure on the tensioning arm.

Preferably, the collar defines a passageway through which the blade passes, the cross-sectional profile of the passageway at at least one end of the collar matching the exterior profile of the blade.

Preferably also, the blade is integrally formed with a sleeve through which the pick lever or levers pass and the collar is preferably adapted to is slide partially over at least part of the sleeve. This increases the strength and rigidity imparted to the blade in use of the decoder.

Other preferred but non-essential features of the present invention are described in the dependent claims appended hereto.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Fig. 1 is a perspective view from one side and end of a lock decoder in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but from the other side and end of the decoder and with a collar forming part of the decoder detached therefrom; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but from the other end of the decoder; and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the decoder shown in Fig. 1.

A lock decoder 1 is shown in the drawings and comprises a blade 2 that is adapted for insertion into a lock to be decoded and that houses at least one and preferably a pair of pick levers 3, as shown in the drawings. The blade 2 is integrally formed with a sleeve 4 through which the pick levers 3 pass. The blade 2 thereby forms a dummy key that may be inserted into a lock to be decoded up to a shoulder 5 defined by the sleeve 4. Conjoined to the other side of the sleeve 4 from the blade 2 is a plate 6 bearing markings 7 that form a grid on the plate 6. The markings 7 represent bitting codes for 0 keys that are capable of unlocking a lock of the type to be decoded by the decoder 1. The pick levers 3 are moveable longitudinally with respect to the blade 2 and the plate 6 and also rotate relative to them, the sleeve 4 limiting the extent to which the levers 3 may rotate. The end S of each pick lever 3 housed by the blade 2 is provided with an outwardly turned feeler 9 so that is the pick lever 3 can detect the location of wafers and pins within the lock.

The feelers 9 project on the opposite sides of the blade 2 so that one pick lever can detect the pins at the top of a lock and the other can detect the pins at the bottom of the lock. If the lock decoder 1 has only one pick lever 3, the end of it may be provided with two outwardly turned feelers 9. The other end of the pick lever or each of the levers 3 lies above the plate 6 and projects slightly beyond it. This end of the lever or each of the levers 3 is provided with a handle 10 to assist in manipulation of the lever 3 and with a pointer 11 that is used in conjunction with the markings 7 to decode a lock.

A tensioning arm 12 is rotatably secured at one end to the sleeve 4 so that when the decoder 2 is not in use it can lie flat covering the plate 6 and when the decoder 1 is use it can be rotated to project substantially at right angles to the blade 2 and the plate 6 in order that it can be used to apply torque to the blade 2 when it has been inserted into a lock.

A removable collar 13 is slidably mounted on the blade 2. The collar 13 defines a passageway 14 through which the blade 2 passes. The cross-sectional profile of at least a first part of the passageway 14 adjacent an end of the collarl3 matches the exterior profile of the blade 2, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The blade 2 is profiled because it is intended to act as a dummy key and is therefore provided with one or more grooves and/or sides i6 similar to the key it is intended to imitate. The collar 13 therefore imparts strength and rigidity to the collar 13 when it is in use. Preferably this is increased by adapting the collar 13 so that it can slide partially over at least part of the sleeve 4. In this case the cross-sectional profile of the rest of the passageway 14 adjacent the other end 17 of the collar 13 matches the exterior profile of the sleeve 4, which is typically rectangular as shown in Fig. 3.

As described above, each decoder 1 is usually adapted for use with a particular model of vehicle and in many cases the keyways of a vehicle's ignition lock and door locks are different lengths, the ignition lock keyway being usually longer than the door locks keyways. The length of the is aforesaid first part i8 (see Fig. 4) of the collar 13 that covers the blade 2 is therefore commensurate with the difference in length between the key-ways of the door locks and the keyway of the ignition lock. This means that when the collar 13 is removed from the blade 2 and the blade 2 is inserted into the ignition lock, the blade 2 can be fully inserted up to the shoulder 5 defined by the sleeve 4. However, were the blade 2 of the decoder 1 to be inserted into one of the vehicle's door locks in this condition, the shorter length of the keyway would mean that part of the blade 2 adjacent the sleeve 4 would protrude from the lock. The collar 13 is intended to cover this protruding part of the blade 2 and is therefore positioned over the blade 2 and part of the sleeve 4, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, when the decoder 1 is in use in a lock with a shorter keyway. The end 15 of the collar 13 thereby provides a second shoulder that bears against the face of the lock when the collar 13 is in use and the collar 13 as a whole prevents the blade 2 from buckling, bending or snapping when torque is applied to the blade 2 by the tensioning arm 12.

The lock decoder 1 in accordance with the invention is intended to be operated in a conventional way to pick and/or decode a lock and this will not be described further here. However, it will be appreciated that the collar 13 enables it to overcome the aforementioned problem without affecting its mode of operation as a lock pick or decoding tool. It will be appreciated that while a lock decoder of the invention is primarily for use in decoding the locks of particular vehicles, the use of the collar 13 enables the decoder to be used to decode other locks, whether for a vehicle or otherwise, that has a keyway shorter than the blade 2.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A lock decoder comprising a blade which is adapted for insertion into a keyway of a lock to be decoded and which houses an end of at least one pick lever, a tensioning arm which is secured at one end to the decoder adjacent the blade, and a removable collar slidably mounted on the blade such that the collar covers an end of the blade that may protrude from a lock with a keyway shorter than the blade when the decoder is in use and is removable from the blade to permit the blade to be fully inserted into a keyway of a lock that is of the same or a longer length than the blade.
2. A lock decoder as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the blade is integrally formed with a sleeve through which the pick lever or levers pass.
3. A lock decoder as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the tensioning arm is rotatably mounted on the sleeve.
4. A lock decoder as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the collar defines a passageway through which the blade passes, the cross-sectional profile of the passageway at at least one end of the collar matching the exterior profile of the blade.
5. A lock decoder as claimed in Claim 4, wherein said one end of the collar provides a shoulder that is adapted to bear against a face of a lock.
6. A lock decoder as claimed in Claim 2 or in any of Claims 3 to 5 when dependent on Claim 2, wherein the collar is adapted to slide partially over at least part of the sleeve.
7. A lock decoder as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the cross-sectional profile of the passageway defined by the collar at the other end of the collar matches the exterior profile of the sleeve thereby enabling part of the collar to slides over at least part of the sleeve.
8. A lock decoder as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 7, wherein the decoder is adapted for use with a particular model of vehicle and the length of that part of the collar that covers the blade is commensurate with a difference in length between keyways of a door lock and an ignition lock of said vehicle.
9. A lock decoder substantially as described herein with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.