US2994217A

US2994217A - Hub-cap lock

Info

Publication number: US2994217A
Application number: US48745A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walter M Miller
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-08-10
Filing date: 1960-08-10
Publication date: 1961-08-01
Anticipated expiration: 1978-08-01

Description

W. M. MILLER HUB-CAP LOCK Filed Aug. l0, 1960 FIGB FIC-3.5

INVENTOR WALTER M. MILLER ATTORNEY United States Patent mee Patented Aug. l, 1961 2,994,217 HUB-CAP LOCK Walter M. Miller, 8 Taylor Ave., Singac, NJ. Filed Aug. 10, 1960, Ser. No. 48,745 l Claim. (Cl. 70-169) My invention relates generally to hub-cap locks, and specically to a hub-cap lock which includes an attachment hook and a key for `adjustable engagement with the wheel of a motor vehicle.

It is vamong the objects of my invention to provide a hub-cap lock which can easily secure a hub-cap to a wheel by the use of Va key of chosen configuration.

It is another object of my invention to provide a hubcap lock which may have a keyway of many different designs to receive many `correspondingly designed keys.

It is another object of my invention to provide a hubcap lock which is resistant to opening except upon the `application of the appropriate key.

It is yet another object of my invention to provide a hub-cap llock that securely attaches a hub-cap to the wheel of a motor vehicle in order to prevent its loss or removal by unauthorizied persons.

Among the further objects andadvantages of my hubcap lock is to provide such an item which is inexpensive, easy to install, easy to operate, and durable.

These objects and advantages las well as other objects and advantages may be achieved by the device shown by way of illustration of the invention in the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the lock-bolt with a keyway in its head;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the hub-cap lock housing;

4FIGURE 3 -is a side view of a spring;

lFIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a hub-cap lock, sleeve and latch;

FIGURE 5 is a `cross-sectional view of a motor vehicle Wheel showing the hub-cap lock in place; and

FIGURE 6 is `a cross-sectional view of the hub-cap lock.

Hub-caps are in gener-al use on motor vehicle wheels to give them `an aesthetically pleasing appearance. Since they are not generally locked in place, but only frictionally engaged by spring fingers or the like, they are easily subject to loss or theft. The present invention provides a simple means whereby va lock may be passed through or attached in an aperture in `a hub-cap or welded to it. A key inserted in the lock -will bring an adjustable hook or latch into engagement with a slot in the motor vehicle wheel, and secure the hub-cap against loss. Since the key may be of many and varied designs, the casual thief cannot readily remove the hub-cap unless he is provided with the speciiically required key, and then only at the risk of detection because some time is consumed in manipulating the key to disengage the latch or hook.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, my auto hubcap has a housing 1.1 which is generally tubular. At one end of the housing 11, there is a generally radial enlargement or llange 12. The housing 11 may be passed through a hole in a hub-cap 13 or the -ange 12 may be soldered or welded to the hub-cap 13 or attached in any suitable manner with the tubular passage in the housing in registration with the hole in the hub-cap to admit a key.

A cover plate 14 is pivotally attached to the ilange 12, so that it may be pivoted to cover the opening in the tubular housing 11. Of course, if the flange 12 is attached to the inside of the hub-cap, the cover 14 is pivotally secured to the other face of the hub-cap 13.

A spring 15 is positioned in the housing 11. 'Ihe housing 11 is provided with a `constriction 16 to retain the spring l5 in the housing and prevent it 'from passing through it. The constriction 16 may be formed by deforming the end of the housing 11 inwardly to define an opening whose diameter is less than that of the spring '15. A threaded bolt 17 is positioned in the housing 11, surrounded by the spring 15. The bolt 17 has a head I8 whose diameter is greater than the spring 15. The outer face of the head 18 is provided with a keyway or key-slot 19. The inner side or face of the head 1-8 is engaged by the spring 15. 'Ihe threaded portion 20 of the bolt extends through the constriction 16 and beyond the inner end of the housing 11.

The housing 11 is surrounded by la slidable sleeve 21 which is, like the housing 111, generally tubular in shape. One end of the sleeve 21 may be provided with an outwardly diverging ared portion 22. The other end of the :sleeve 21 is provided with ,a threaded 'aperture 23 in an inwardly extending integral portion, or in a threaded plug '24 attached thereto. The threaded aperture 23 is dimensioned to receive the threaded end 20, of the bolt in threaded engagement. The sleeve 21 is provided with a hook or latch 2S. This hook or latch 25 is to engage ian aperture in a wheel 26, and to hook or latch with it.

It will be seen that upon the presentation and turning of a key in the key-way 19, the head of the bolt 18 will bear on the spring 15 and tend to overcome it by reason of its engagement with the constriction 16. It will also draw the sleeve 21 and consequently bring the hook 25 into tight engagement with the aperture in the wheel 26, and strongly engage the hub-cap 13 in place on the wheel 25. Disengagement of the hub-cap by accidental means becomes impossible, and theft of the hub-cap becomes ditlicult unless the thief has a matching key and may proceed without being disturbed, to manipulate it.

The foregoing description is merely intended to illustrate an embodiment of the invention. The component parts have been shown and described. They each may have substitutes which may per-form a substantially similar function; such substitutes may be known as proper substitutes for the said components and may have actually been known or invented before the present invention; these substitutes are contemplated as being within the scope of the appended claims, although they are not specically catalogued herein.

What is claimed:

A hub-cap lock comprising a generally tubular housing, a generally radial enlargement at one end of the housing adapted to be attached to a hub-cap, a cover pivotally attached to the enlargement and movable to cover the one end of the housing, a constriction at the other end of the housing defining a seat for a spring, a threaded bolt slidably positioned in the housing and the threaded portion extending outside the housing, a head on the bolt larger than the constriction, a spring larger than the constriction carried by the bolt and engaged at one end with the rear portion of the head of the bolt and at the other end with the constriction, a key slot in the front portion of the head of the bolt, a sleeve slidably positioned around the housing, an internally threaded end portion of the sleeve in threaded engagement with the bolt, a hooked elongated portion on the sleeve engagable with an aperture in a wheel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,040,963 Strong et al. Oct. 8, 1912 1,639,661 Newcomb Aug. 23, 1927 2,594,407 Earnest Apr. 29, 1952 2,807,157 McLin Sept. 24, 1957