IE911128A1

IE911128A1 - Locks

Info

Publication number: IE911128A1
Application number: IE112891A
Authority: IE
Original assignee: Parkes Josiah & Sons Ltd
Priority date: 1990-04-05
Filing date: 1991-04-04
Publication date: 1991-10-09
Also published as: GB9105974D0; GB2242702A; GB2242702B

Abstract

A multi-point lock has a central unit 1 with a deadbolt 10 and spring bolt 9, and end units 2, 3 housing remote bolts 4, 5 operated from the central unit through a drive linkage 32/6/7. When the remote bolts are thrown the drive linkage is blocked against withdrawal by an abutment member 40/42 engaging a slide 32. The member 40/42 is carried by a follower 23 which is linked to the locking cylinder assembly 12 and which can keep the drive linkage 32/6/7 locked irrespective of the possible forced retraction of the central unit bolts 9 and 10. The abutment shown in a pin 40 extending through a slot 41 in one side of inner casing 8 and carrying a roller 42 which runs in a slot (43, Figure 2) in a cover plate 11. Follower 23 is journalled round a boss 27 of a follower (22, Fig.4) which is received on a spindle. A link 29 is liftable by a cam (16, Figure 5) of cylinder assembly 12. The spindle is linked to one or two handles. <IMAGE>

Description

Locks The present invention relates to locks for doors or other closures and more particularly relates to so-called multi5 point locks of the kind comprising: a main lock unit and one or more bolts located remotely from the main lock unit but being operable therefrom through a reciproca'ole drive linkage; the main lock unit including a main bolt, a keyrecognition mechanism through which the main bolt can be withdrawn by turning a correct key, and a rotary drive member adapted to be turned by an associated handle or the like manipulable element to reciprocate said drive linkage for throwing and withdrawing said remote bolt(s).

A multi-point lock of this kind is disclosed for example in our United Kingdom patent specifications nos. 2168105 and 2196382. As shown therein, a main deadbolt and an element of the drive linkage for the remote bolt(s) are effectively interlocked so that while the main bolt is thrown it blocks the remote bolt(s) also from being withdrawn. A disadvantage of this particular arrangement, however, is that if the main bolt can be forced back by extreme pressure in an attack upon the lock, the remote bolt(s) are thereby also freed for withdrawal by operation of the associated handle and the security afforded by those bolts is overcome.

The present invention seeks to provide a solution to this disadvantage and accordingly resides in a multi-point lock of the kind stated wherein the main lock unit further - 2 comprises an abutment member adapted to block withdrawing movement of said drive linkage when said remote bolt(s) are thrown, irrespective of the position adopted by said main bolt, and means interconnecting said abutment member with said key-recognition mechanism whereby the abutment member can be withdrawn from its blocking position by turning the correct key.

In this way, an extra level of key security is applied to 10 the lock, in that even if an attack upon the installation can succeed in forcing back the main bolt the remote bolt(s) will remain blocked by the aforesaid abutment member, the withdrawal of which itself requires use of the correct key.

In one embodiment, the aforesaid abutment member may be in the form of a spring-biased member which automatically engages a portion of the drive linkage for the remote bolt(s) to block withdrawal thereof whenever that linkage moves to its thrown position. A possible disadvantage of that arrangement, however, is that the remote bolt(s) may become locked by inadvertent or malicious operation of the associated handle even though the main bolt is withdrawn, so that persons not in possession of a correct key may become trapped inside, or locked out from, a building equipped with that lock contrary to the intentions of the key holder(s). In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, therefore, this potential problem is overcome by providing that the aforesaid abutment member is adapted also to block movement of the drive linkage in the sense to throw the remote bolt(s) when the remote bolt(s) are withdrawn. In this way, movement of the remote bolt(s) both to and from their locking position is placed under the control of the key holder(s). - 3 The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:5 Figure 1 is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of multi-point lock in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a side view of the central unit of the lock of Figure 1; Figures 3 and 4 show the mechanism within the inner casing of the central unit, with the main bolt withdrawn; Figures 5 and 6 show a detail of the mechanism of the central unit in two operative conditions; Figure 7 shows the central unit, with an outer cover plate removed, when functioning as an ordinary latch; Figure 8 shows the central unit, with an outer cover plate removed, during throwing of the end unit bolts; Figure 9 shows the central unit, with an outer cover plate removed, with the end unit bolts and the main bolt thrown; and Figure 10 shows the central unit, with an outer cover plate removed, after withdrawal of the main bolt and during withdrawal of the end unit bolts.

Referring to Figure 1, the illustrated multi-point lock comprises a main or central unit 1 and upper and lower end units 2 and 3, each intended for installation mortice-wise into the hollow stile of an aluminium or UPVC door for example. The end units 2 and 3 have deadbolts 4 and 5 which are thrown and withdrawn by the lowering and raising of respective drive bars 6 and 7 linked to the central - 4 unit 1. The end units are preferably constructed in accordance with our United Kingdom patent specification no. 2168105 to which reference is directed for a fuller description .

The central unit 1 is shown to a larger scale in Figure 2. It comprises an inner casing 8 bearing a chamfered spring bolt 9 and a deadbolt 10. To either side of the inner casing 8 there is an outer cover plate 11 and various components for use in transferring motion to the end units and 3 are borne in the spaces between the inner casing and the plates 11 as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The mechanism within the inner casing is shown in Figures and 4, the components identified at 19, 23 and 29 in Figure 3 being omitted from Figure 4. The deadbolt 10 is adapted to be thrown and withdrawn in conventional fashion by means of a conventional locking cylinder assembly (not shown in 3 Figures 3 and 4 but identified at 12 in Figures 2 and 5 to 10) received through casing apertures 13. To this end, the tail of the deadbolt has respective drive surfaces 14 and 15 for engagement by the cam 16 of the cylinder assembly and a spring-biased detainer 17 borne between these drive surfaces which is lifted by the cylinder cam from one side to the other of a racking slot not shown) in the casing to deadlock the bolt in its thrown and withdrawn positions. The cylinder assembly for shifting the bolt 10 may be double ended, i.e. to be key operated from both sides of the door, or may be key operated from the outside only and provided with a thumbturn for turning the cam from the inside.

The bolt 9 is normally biased to extend from the casing 8 by a spring 18 and when the door is closed is blocked against end pressure by means of a pivoted lever 19 biased downwardly by a spring 20 and released to fall by - 5 depression of a slide 21 on contact with the associated striking place (not shown). The lever 19 can be raised and the springbolt 9 withdrawn by turning (in the clockwise sense as viewed in Figures 3 and 4) either one of two followers 22, 23 within the casing 8. The follower 22 (Figure 4) is biased anticlockwise (as viewed) against a stop 45 by a spring 46 and has a leg 24 to sweep the lever 19 and to draw in the spring bolt 9 by engagement with a block 25 on the tail of the bolt. Ic 10 has a hole 26 to receive the usual square-sectioned spindle from associated lever handles on both sides of the door. Alternatively, if a so-called nig’ntlatch function is to be provided, the spindle will be split in known fashion so that the follower 22 can be turned to withdraw the springbolt 9 only from the inside of the door .

The follower 23 (Figure 3) is journalled around the boss 27 of the follower 22 and is rotatable completely independently of the follower 22 and the aforesaid spindle. It coo has a leg 28 to sweep the lever 19 and draw in the springbolt 9 by engagemenc with the block 25. It is operable by the cylinder cam 16 through a link 29 to which it is pivoted at 30. More parcicularly, when the cylinder cam is turned 360° anticlockwise (in the sense as viewed in the Figures) to throw out the deadbolt 10, the link 29 is pivoted clear of the turning circle of the cylinder cam by engagemenc with a shoulder 31 on the bolt tail. The subsequent 360° clockwise turning of the cylinder cam to withdraw the deadbolt accordingly does not serve to operate the link 29, although it is returned to is position shown in Figures 3 and 5 by engagement with the retracting bolt head, after the cylinder cam has passed by. From this position, a further clockwise turning of the cam 16 through a limited angle, as shown in Figure 6, is effective to lift the link 29 and turn the follower 23 to withdraw the spring bolt 9. Although this - 6 withdrawal of the springbolt by means of the cylinder cam 16 (i.e. by means of a key from the outside, at least) is not essential in a case where a nighclatch function is not provided, the provision of the follower 23 and link 29 in the lock is in any event necessary for a further purpose as will become apparent from the following description of the operation of the end unit bolts 4 and .

Turning now to Figure 7 in conjunction with Figure 2, a vertically-reciprocable slide 32 is borne on each side of the inner casing 8 of the central unit 1, beneath the respective cover plate 11. These two slides are interconnected by pins 33,34 above and below the inner casing 8 which pins also serve for connection to the respective end unit drive bars 6 and 7. The assembly of slides 32 together with both bars 6 and 7 therefore always reciprocates as a unit. Associated with each slide 32 is a respective follower 35, also borne between the inner casing 8 and the respective cover plate 11. These followers have holes 36 to receive the aforesaid handle spindle and will be turned whenever the handle on the respective side of the door is turned; i.e. when a split spindle is provided for a nightlatch function the outside handle will be linked through the spindle to the outside follower 35 although not to the follower 22, while the inside handle will be linked through the spindle to both the inside follower 35 and the follower 22. Each follower 35 has a pair of circumferentially spaced ears 37,38 for driving the slide 32 up and down by engagement with a lug 39 thereon when the respective handle is turned through the requisite angle as will be described below.

As seen also in Figures 3, 5 and 6, the follower 23 inside the central unit casing 8 has a lateral pin 40 ar the end of its leg 28 which, as shown in Figures 7-10, extends out through a profiled slot 41 in one side of the inner casing - Ί 8 and carries a roller 42 which runs in a slot 43 in the corresponding outer cover plate 11 (Figure 2). The slide 32 of the end unit drive linkage on this side of the central unit is configured to present a lug 44 in the vicinity of the pin/roller 40/42 for a purpose to be described below.

Figure 7 shows the condition of the central unit when the deadbolt 10 is withdrawn, the handles are at rest and the slide/drive bar assembly 32/6/7 is in its upper position which corresponds to the withdrawn condition of the end unit bolts 4,5. In this condition the lock therefore acts as a simple latch, with the spring bolt being retractable by depression of the inside handle through the angleo^ti.e. to turn the follower 22 clockwise as viewed in Figure 4) and likewise by depression of the outside handle or by key operation from the outside (to turn the follower 23) as the case may be. The clockwise (as viewed in Figure 7) movement of the follower(s) 35 consequent upon depression of the handle(s) has no effect on the slides 32 in this condition, by virtue of the lost motion afforded by the spacing of the ears 37,38.

To throw the upper and lower end unit bolts 4 and 5 from this condition, from either side of the door, it is necessary to lift the respective handle through the angle β (as shown in Figure 8). From Figure 7 it will, however, be seen that the pin/roller 40/42 of the follower 23 lies directly below the lug 44 of the adjacent slide 32 so that any attempt to throw the end unit bolts in this condition will be blocked. Instead, it is necessary first to turn the correct key in the locking cylinder assembly 12 (or the alternative thumb turn, if fitted, if on the inside of the door), to turn the follower 23 through the link 29 from its Figure 5 to its Figure 6 position and thereby turn the pin/roller 40/42 clear of the lug 44 as shown in Figure 8. While the pin/roller 40/42 is held back in - 8 this position, the adjacent handle can be lifted as also shown in Figure 8, so that the upper ear 38 of the respective follower 35 accordingly engages the adjacent lug 39 to drive the slide/drive bar assembly 32/6/7 downwards, which has the effect of throwing out the end unit bolts as more fully described in our United Kingdom patent specification no. 2168105. Following this, the handle can be released to resile to its rest position and the key (or thumb turn) can be turned back, to place the pin/roller 40/42 above the lug 44 as shown in Figure 9.

In this condition the slide/drive bar assembly 32/6/7 is blocked from being driven up and withdrawing the end unit bolts irrespective of the position of the main bolt 10.

The anticlockwise (as viewed in the Figures) movement of the spindle part within follower 22 consequent upon lifting of the handle is permitted without turning that follower by virtue of the cut-away shape of the follower hole 26 as seen in Figure 4.

The deadbolt 10 can also now be thrown out as shown in Figure 9, by operation of the correct key in the cylinder assembly 12 (or by operation of the aforesaid thumbturn on the inside if fitted). On each side the deadbolt 10 carries a lateral pin 47 with a roller 48, running through slots 49 in the casing 8 and adjacent cover plate 11, which are positioned above a lug 50 on the adjacent slide 32 when the deadbolt is thrown. Reference to Figure 7 shows that this pin and roller are blocked from forward movement by the lug 50 when the slide/drive bar assembly 32/6/7 is in its upper position, which ensures that the end unit bolts 4 and 5 must be thrown before the bolt 10.

It will be appreciated that there is no mechanical connection between the pin/roller 40/42 which blocks withdrawal of the end unit bolts 4,5 and either of the bolts 9 or 10 whereby forcing back those central unit bolts, with a jemmy for example, can effect retraction of - 9 the pin/roller from its blocking position on the slide 32. Rather, the only way to release the pin/roller 40/42 from the slide 32 is by turning of the follower 23 through the cylinder cam 16, thus requiring use of the proper key (from the outside, at least).

More particularly, to unlock the door from the Figure 9 condition in which all four bolts 4,5,9,10 are thrown, the cylinder cam 16 is first given a complete 360° turn in the clockwise direction (in the sense as viewed in the Figures) to withdraw the deadbolt 10, and is then turned further clockwise through a limited angle to lift the link 29 and turn the follower 23 from its Figure 5 to its Figure 6 condition. The leg 28 of this follower accordingly withdraws the spring bolt 9 as previously described, and at the same time the pin/roller 40/42 runs back to clear the lug 55 as shown in Figure 10. The plates 32 and end unit drive bars 6 and 7 are accordingly now freed for their own withdrawing movement and, while the pin/roller 40/42 is held withdrawn by the key (or thumbturn on the inside if fitted), the relevent handle is depressed through the angle cz to turn the respective follower 35 and lift the slide/drive bar assembly 32/6/7 by engagement of the ear 37 with the lug 39 as also shown in Figure 10, thereby withdrawing the end unit bolts 4 and . The door can therefore now be opened, whereafter releasing the cylinder and handle returns the centre unit mechanism to the condition shown in Figure 7.

Claims

1. A multi-point lock comprising: a main lock unit and one or more bolts located remotely from the main lock unit 5 but being operable therefrom through a reciprocable drive linkage; the main lock unit including a main bolt, a keyrecognition mechanism through which the main bolt can be withdrawn by turning a correct key, a rotary drive member adapted to be turned by an associated handle or the like 10 manipulable element to reciprocate said drive linkage for throwing and withdrawing said remote bolt(s), an abutment member adapted to block withdrawing movement of said drive linkage when said remote bolt(s) are thrown, irrespective of the position adopted by said main bolt, and means 15 interconnecting said abutment member with said keyrecognition mechanism whereby the abutment member can be withdrawn from its blocking position by turning the correct key. 20

2. A lock according to claim 1 wherein said abutment member is adapted also to block movement of the drive linkage in the sense to throw the remote bolt(s) when said remote bolt(s) are withdrawn. 25

3. A lock according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said interconnecting means comprise a linkage which is operable by the key-recognition mechanism to withdraw the abutment member from its blocking position only when said main bolt is withdrawn.

4. A lock according to any preceding claim wherein said abutment member is carried by an element which is borne for limited rotary movement within the main lock unit, whereby the abutment member moves arcuately into and from 35 its blocking position.

5. . A lock according to claim 4 wherein said element is - 11 borne to turn about the same axis as said rotary drive member, but independently thereof.

6. A lock according to any preceding claim wherein said 5 main lock unit further includes a spring-biased latch bolt which can be withdrawn by turning the correct key when said main bolt is withdrawn.

7. A lock according to claim 6 wherein said latch bolt 10 is adapted to be withdrawn by means of a further rotary drive member which is operable by the key-recognition mechanism .

8. A lock according to claim 7 when appended to claim 4 15 or claim 5 wherein said element which carries said abutment member comprises said further rotary drive member .

9. A lock according to claim 1 wherein said abutment 20 member is in the form of a spring-biased member which automatically engages a portion of said drive linkage to block withdrawal thereof whenever that linkage moves to its thrown position. 25

10. A multi-point lock substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.