IE54456B1 - Locks - Google Patents

Abstract

A lock includes a solenoid-operated striker unit (4) for capturing pin-bolts (9) of the shot bolt assembly (3) of a key-operable locking mechanism (1) ofa hinged door (2). The pin-bolts (9) are captured within a keep channel-member (13) that slides up and down within a fixed channel-member (10) between an upper, release position in which slots (14) in the member (13) are in register with slots (11) in the member (10) and a lower, locking position in which the slots (14) are out of register with the slots (11). The member (10) is set perpendicularly to the general plane of swing of the door (2), the pin-bolts (9) being free to move into and out of the channel-member (13) through the aligned slots (11, 14) when that member has been lifted into its release position by the solenoid (17) or a manually-actuable lever (27). A catch (19) latches the member (13) in this position until released allowing the member (13) to move to its locking position under spring action, in response to entry of the uppermost pin-bolt (9) into the striker unit (4). According to a modification a catch (31) is released by a forwardly-offset pin-bolt (32), and a keep member (30) slides up and down behind an apertured bar (29) rather than within a channel member. Also according to an alternative, a solenoid-lifted cylindrical keep-member (41) rotates about its longitudinal axis in admitting pin-bolts (44) to, and releasing them from, axially-directed slots (46) that capture the pin-bolts (44) when the member (41) moves downwardly under resilient bias.

Description

This invention relates to locks.

Where passage through a doorway into offices or other premises is to be controlled remotely it is common to utilize a conventional key-operated or latching lock-mechanism on the door to engage its bolt within an electrically-releasable striker box on the door frame. Such box either pivots as a whole, or has as one of its sides a flap that pivots, under control of a solenoid mounted in the door frame. The bolt of the lock mechanism is retained by the striker box to preclude j^q opening of the door until such time as the solenoid is energised electrically, whereupon the box or the flap pivots to release the bolt and thereby free the door for opening.

With electrically-releasable locks of the form described above, any attempt to force the door open loads the pivot15 mounting of the box or flap-side, together with the solenoidoperated mechanism associated with it, making the lock very vulnerable in this respect. It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a form of lock that may be used in this context to reduce vulnerability to forcing and generally to improve security.

According to the present invention, there is provided an electrically-operable lock for controlling access through a doorway, comprising: a lock assembly for mounting to a door and a keep assembly operatively associated therewith for mounting at a location adjacent to the door; the lock assembly including a plurality of spaced-apart bolt members adapted to extend from the door into said keep assembly; the keep assembly including a keep member displaceable transversely of the respective paths along which said bolt members move when the door opens, between a first position in -3which the keep member blocks said path to restrain the bolt members from such movement and a second position in which the keep member frees the bolt members from such restraint; and a electrically-energizable device coupled to said keep member for displacing the same from its first to its second position.

Examples of electrically-operable locks in·accordance with the present invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: -4Figure 1 is a front elevation of a first example of an electrically-releasable lock in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the first electrically5 releasable lock taken in the direction of the arrow IX of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional plan view of the lock of Figures 1 and. 2; Figure 4 illustrates the key-operable locking mechanism and bolt assembly of the lock of Figures 1 and 2; Figures 5 and 6 show parts of the striker unit of the lock of Figures 1 and 2 in their relative locations appropriate to successive locking and release positions, respectively, of the lock; Figure 7 is a side elevation of the striker unit of a modified form of the lock of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 8 is an end view of the bolt assembly of the modified form of lock; and Figure 9 illustrates a second example oE electrically20 releasable lock in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, the first example of lock comprises a key-operated locking mechanism 1 which is mounted in a hinged door 2 and which has a bolt assembly 3, and a striker unit 4 which is mounted in the frame 5 of the door 2 to engage with the extended or shot bolt assembly 3 and thereby retain the door 2 locked closed. The lock mechanism -5I in this embodiment of the invention is that of a conventional mortice lock 6 having a dead bolt 7 which, as part of the bolt assembly 3, .is fitted with an extension piece 8 that provides three spaced pin-bolts 9 for engagement with the striker unit 4.

The striker unit 4 incorporates a fixed channel-member 10, illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, that is set perpendicularly to the general plane of movement of the bolt assembly 3 in the opening-closing swing of the hinged door 2. Three slots II in the front upstanding wall 12 of the channel-member 10 are aligned with the throe pin-bolts 9, respectively, of the bolt assembly 3, so as to allow the pin-bolts 9 to pass ♦ freely through the wall 12 upon closing or opening of the door 2 with the bolt 7 shot. A keep channel-member 13 that also has three slots 14 in its front upstanding wall 15, is mounted to slide up and down within the channel-member .10, between an upper position in which the three slots 14 are in register with the three slots 11 respectively (as illustrated in Figure 6), and a lower position in which the two sets of slots 14 and 11 are out of register with one another (as illustrated in Figure 5). The keep channel-member 13 is coupled via a rod 16 to a solenoid 17 to be lifted into the upper, release position against the action of a spring 18, when the solenoid 17 is energised electrically.

While the door 2 is closed with the bolt 7 shot, the three pin-bolts 9 project into the keep channel-member 13. If the keep channel-member 13 is then in its lower, locking position (illustrated in Figure 5) the slots 11 are blocked by the wall 15 of the channel-member 13 so that opening of the door 2 is precluded. Opening of the door 2 remains precluded in this way until either the lock mechanism 1 is operated by means of its key to withdraw the pin-bolts 9 from engagement -6within the channel-member 13, or the solenoid 17 is energised to lift the channel-member 13 to its upper, release position. When the solenoid 17 is energised and the channel-member 13 is thereby lifted into the release position (illustrated in Figure 6) the slots 14 are brought into register with the slots 11. This unblocks the paths of the pin-bolts 9 through the slots 11 and consequently allows the door 2 to be opened.

Provision is made for latching the keep channel-member 13 up in its release position once the solenoid 17 has been energised to free the door 2, until the door 2 is closed again. To this end, and with particular reference to Figures 5 and 6, a spring-biased catch 19 projects through a slot 20 in the rear upstanding wall 21 of the channel-member 10 and a corresponding slot 22 in the rear upstanding wall 23 of the channel-member 13. While the channel-member 13 is in its lower, locking position (Figure 5) there is overlap between the slots 20 and 22 but only to an extent to allow a fingerelement 24 of the catch 19 to project through the wall 23 into alignment with one, in this embodiment the uppermost, slot 11. However when the channel-member 13 is lifted by energisation of the solenoid 17 into its release position (Figure 6), the slot 22 moves into register with the slot 20. This allows the body 25 of the catch 19 to enter the slot 22 under the action of its biasing spring 26, and so latch the ' channel-member 13 in its release position with the slots 11 and 14 in register with one another.

Closing of the door 2 returns the pin-bolts 9 to pass through their respective aligned slots 11 and 14 into the channelmember 13. The uppermost pin-bolt 9 strikes the projecting finger-element 24 displacing the body 25 of the catch 19 back against its spring 26 out of the slot 22. This releases the channel-member 13 to move downwardly under the action of the 5445« -7spring 18, to its locking position (Figure 5) in which the pin-bolts 9 are trapped within the keep channel-member 13, locking the door 2 closed. The spring-biased abutment of the finger-element 24 with the uppermost pin-bolt 9 within the channel-member 13, ensures that the pin-bolts 9 are held positively against the front wall 15 of the channel-member .13 while the channel-member 13 is in its locking position. Also it ensures that the pin-bolts 9 will release cleanly from the striker unit 4 when the solenoid 17 is energised to bring the slots 11 and 14 into register with one another again to free the door 2 to open.

Any attempt to force the door 2 open while the channel-member 13 .is in its locking position, acts through the pin-bolts 9 upon the front wall 15 of the channel--member 13 and thence upon the front wall 12 of the fixed channel-member 10. Since the walls 15 and 12 are at right angles to the direction of movement of the channel-member 13, such action is ineffective to load the solenoid 17 and its intercoupling rod 16. The security of the lock is thus not dependent ultimately on the load-resistance of the operating mechanism of the striker unit 4, but rather on that of a structural item, namely the fixed channel-member 10, that provides the strike abutment for the bolt assembly 3.

The provision of the mutually-spaced pin-bolts 9 (rather than of a comprehensive, single bolt dimensioned to provide comparable strength) to engage the striker unit 4, has the advantage that the stroke of the solenoid 17 required to release the lock, is reduced. It also has advantage from the security point of view since any attempt to force the lock by firearm attack for example, is less likely to free the bolt assembly 3 from retention within the striker unit 4. -8Ulv* striker unit 4 includes provision Cor opening the door 2 from the inside in the event of an emergency or other condition. To this end a pivoted lever 27 (Figure 2) is provided at the rear of the striker unit 4 to engage, when depressed, with the rod 16. Such engagement lifts the rod .16 so as to move the channel-member 13 to be latched in its upper, release position in the same manner as upon energisation of the solenoid 17, until reset by re-closing of the door 2. The lever 27 pivots upon each operational movement of the channel-member 13 during normal electrical actuation of the lock, thereby providing a continual checking indication of the functionality of the lever 27 for emergency use.

A modified form of the lock described above with reference to Figures 1 to 6 is shown in Figures 7 and 8. In this modified form, as shown in Figure 7, a slotted bar 29 provides the strike abutment for the correspondingly-slotted keep channelmember 30. Also, the latching of the keep channel-member 30 is effected by a catch 31 that is located to be engaged by the middle of the three pin-bolts. The middle pin-bolt 32, as shown in Figure 8, is slightly out of alignment with the upper and lower pin-bolts 33 such that it enters the keep channel-member 30 slightly in advance of them. This ensures positive release of the latch, and thereby of the channel25 member 30 into its locking position. It also ensures springbiased retention of the pin-bolts 32 and 33 fast within the channel-member 30, so as to provide a positive release action when the channel-member 30 is returned to its upper, release position.

With the modified form of striker unit shown in Figure 7, the channel-member 30 is urged towards its locking position by a spring 34 that acts on an emergency-release lever 35. The lever 35 as acted upon by the spring 34, bears down at its 544 56 -9inner end 36 on a pin 37 that projects from a rod 3G which intercouples the channel-member 30 with the operating solenoid 39. Depression of the lever 35 against the action of the spring 34 for emergency release of the lock brings the inner end 36 of the lever 35 into engagement with the solenoid core 40 to effect the lifting required of the channel-member 30 for latching it in its release position.

The keep member in each of the two forms of lock described above is of channel section, but this is not an essential of the present invention. A form of lock utilizing a cylindrical keep member is illustrated in Figure 9 and will now be described.

Referring to Figure 9, the cylindrical keep member 41 is coupled with the solenoid (not shown) by a rod 42 that provides for axial displacement of the member 41 from an upper, release position, in which three arcuate guide slots 43 cut in the cylindrical surface of the member 41 are aligned (through slots in a fixed casing not shown) with the three pin-bolts 44 of the locking mechanism 45, to a lower, locking position. The member 41 is mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis, and the extended pin-bolts 44 enter the slots 43 laterally upon closing movement of the door so that they urge the member 41 to rotate through ninety degrees during completion of the closing movement. The pinbolts 44 are by this rotation entered into axially-directed slots 46 in the cylindrical surface of the member 41, thereby allowing the member 41 to be displaced downwardly into its locking postion in which the pin-bolts 44 are trapped within the member 41 to lock the door. This downward displacement takes place under the action of resilient bias that is provided by a mechaniam (not shown) that responds to the ninety-degree rotation of the member 41. Energisation of the solenoid lifts the member 41 to its release position against 4 4 5 f'· -10the action of this bias, returning the pin-holts 44 to the arcuate slots 43. Movement to open the door {which may be urged by the member 41 under the action of a spring that is wound up during rotation of the member 41 upon closing of the door) rotates the member 41 back to free the pin-bolts 44 from the sLots 43.

Claims (14)

1. An electrically-operable lock for controlling access through a doorway, comprising: a lock assembly for mounting to a door and a keep assembly operatively associated therewith for mounting at a location adjacent to the door; the lock assembly including a plurality of spaced-apart bolt members adapted to extend from the door into said keep assembly; the keep assembly including a keep member displaceable transversely of the respective paths along which said bolt members move when the door opens, between a first position in which the keep member blocks said paths to restrain the bolt members from such movement and a second position in which the keep member frees the bolt members from such restraint; and an electrically-energizable device coupled to said keep member for displacing the same from its first to its second position.

2. A lock according to claim 1 further including a manually-operable non-electric device accessible from one side only of the doorway and coupled to said keep member for displacing the same from its first to its second position notwithstanding non-energization of said electricallyenergizable device.

3. A lock according to claim 2 wherein said manuallyoperable device is coupled to said keep member such as to be cycled between its inoperative and operative conditions upon each energization of said electrically-energizable device.

4. A lock according to any preceding claim wherein the keep member has an upstanding wall that serves to block said paths when the keep member is in its said first position, and the 5445 6 -12waLl is apertured such as to enable the bolt members to pass out from behind said wall when the keep member is in its said second position.

5. A lock according to Claim 4 wherein the keep member is 5 located behind a fixed strike member that provides an abutment for the keep member in blocking said paths, and the strike member is apertured correspondingly to the strike member such that the apertures of the keep and strike members are out of register with one another when the keep member is 10 in its said first position and in register with one another when the keep member is in its said second position.

6. A lock according to Claim 5 wherein the strike member is a channel member within which the keep member slides during displacement between its said first and second positions. 15

7. A lock accordng to any one of Claims 4 to 6 wherein the keep member is a longitudinally-sliding channel member.

8. A lock according to any one of Claims 4 to 7 including a latch for retaining the keep member in its said second position and which is released to enable the keep member to 20 move to its said first position in response to entry behind said wall of the bolt member.

9. A lock according to any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the keep member is also mounted for angular displacement about an axis parallel to the line of said displacement.

10. A lock according to Claim 9 wherein the keep member is a cylindrical member that is slotted circumferentially to receive the bolt members as the door is closed and in so 5 4 4 5 6 -13doing to be angularly displaced about said axis for engaging the bolt members with further axially-directed slotting of the keep member, whereby longitudinal displacement of said keep member into its said first position captures the bolt 5 members within the axially-directed slotting of the keep member .

11. A lock according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the bolt members are part of a key-operable lock mechanism so as to be withdrawable from capture by the keep 10 member by key operation of the lock mechanism.

12. A lock according to Claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 6 of the acoarpanying drawings.

13. A lock according to Claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.

14. 15 14. A lock according to Claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 9 of the accompanying drawings.