US3167945A

US3167945A - Keyhole obstructing locking devices

Info

Publication number: US3167945A
Application number: US292652A
Authority: US
Inventors: Goodman Frank
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-07-03
Filing date: 1963-07-03
Publication date: 1965-02-02
Anticipated expiration: 1982-02-02

Description

Feb. 2, 1965 F. GOODMAN 7 3,167,945

KEYHOLE OBSTRUCTING LOCKING DEVICES Filed July 3, 1965 INVENTOR E'ank Goodman ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 3,1673% Patented Feb. 2, I965 3,167,945 KEYHOLE GIES'IRUCTING LLEEKING DEVICES Frank Goodman, 259 W. 77th St, New York, FLY. Filed .Iuly 3, I963, Ser. No. 292,652 It Qlaims. (6i. 7tl--428) This invention relates to locking devices, and more particularly to latch devices for barring access to the keyhole of a door lock.

There are many occasions when it is necessary to bar persons having a door key to certain premises from gaining access thereto by the use of the key. Examples of such occasions are those arising from the need to prevent entry to premises by hotel guests or tenants with unpaid bills, discharged servants etc. Among the conventional methods of preventing such access are the removal of the entire lock and the replacement thereof with a new one, the resetting of the lock mechanism, or the plugging of the keyhole-expedients that are costly, that require special skills and are labor-consuming.

It is an object of this invention to provide a locking device adapted effectively to prevent access to the key aperture of a door or door knob, but which has none of the shortcomings of said conventional expedients. More specifically, it is within the contemplation of my invention to enable the placement of an obstructing wall over the door keyhole, such as the keyhole in a door knob, and the locking thereof in place, by simple manual manipulations. And in this aspect of my invention it is an object to provide a structure which, when operatively locked, cannot be displaced laterally, vertically, forwardly or rearwardly or in any other direction, except by unlocking the device with a special key.

Another object of my invention is to provide a locking device of the above class that can readily be attached to a door knob without mutilating the knob or any portion of the door, and that will, when operatively in place, be attractive in appearance.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a relatively simple and inexpensive device comprising a combination of elements adapted coactively to employ, as the locking component thereof, a conventional locking member, such as a ratchet lock.

Other objects, features and advantages will appear from the drawings and the description hereinafter given.

Referring to the drawings,

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective of a door showing the locking device of my invention operatively in place on a door knob.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the knob with one embodiment of my invention operatively in place.

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the device of FIG. 2 but with the two major components thereof in disassembled relation.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary section of FIG. 2 taken along line 44.

FIGURE 5 is a front view of FIG. 4, with the key removed.

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of the lower locking component of the device shown looking in the direction of arrows 66 of FIG. 3.

FIGURE 7 is a side view of a modified form of my invention shown operatively applied to a door knob.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary section of FIG. 7 taken along line 38.

FIGURE 9 is a front view of FIG. 7.

FIGURE 10 is a side view of another form of my invention shown operatively in place on the door knob.

FIGURE 11 is a section of FIG. 10 taken along line 11-11.

In the form of my invention illustrated in FIGS. 1

to 6, the knob 15 of the door 16 is joined to the shaft 17 attached to the door in conventional manner, the knob 15 being of the type having a keyhole 13 therein positioned at the front wall 19 of the knob. The locking mechanism associated with the keyhole I8 is of conventional construction and is therefore not herein illustrated. The locking device constituting the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 20, comprises two main compenents, the lock member 21 and the bar member 22. As will more clearly appear from the description hereinafter given, the bar 22 is adapted to be operatively inserted into the lock member 21 and locked therein by the operative manipulation of the key 23, the said members having

arm portions

24 and 25, respectively, so proportioned and positioned as to coactively form a loop in embracing engagement with the knob 15 and the said shaft 17, thereby to prevent the detachment of the device from the knob-the bar 22 having a front wall 26 positioned so as to obstruct the said keyhole 18 when the device is operatively in place. It is only when the key 23 is operatively moved to an unlocking position that the bar 22 can be separated from the locking member 21, as indicated in FIG. 3, to enable access to be had to said keyhole 18.

The lock member 21 comprises a body portion 27 containing therein a conventional ratchet lock mecha nism well known to those skilled in the art. Accordingly no description of said locking mechanism in body portion 27 is herein given, particularly since a detailed description thereof is not necessary for an understanding of the present invention. Suffice it to say, for the purpose of this specification, that the locking member 21 contains a locking element adapted to be moved between a locking and releasing position by the operative turning of key 23, such a locking element being indicated in FIG. 2 as element 28 and shown in its locking position in engagement with teeth 29 of the bar 22. The bar is shown inserted Within the slot 30 at the rear of said locking member 21. When the element 28 is in its said locking position, the said bar 22 is operatively locked in place in known manner; and when the element 28 is in its operatively retracted position, the bar 22 is released and can be slid upwardly and removed from the locking member 21.

At the top of the body portion 27 of the locking member 21 is the plate 31, the latter being operatively joined to the body portion so as to form an integral part thereof and having a slot Stla congruent with the slot 30 in the body portion 27. Extending rearwardly from said plate 31 is said arm portion 24 comprising an upwardly extending arm 32 having a bifurcated upper portion 33 with two

fingers

34 and 35 straddling the lower portion of said shaft 17. Said

fingers

34 and 35 contain rearwardly extending

flanges

36 and 37, respectively, providing extended engaging surfaces between said fingers and the opposite sides of the shaft 17. The said bar 22 has a substantially vertical lower portion 38 joined to the said wall 26 overlying the keyhole 1$said wall 26 being of expanded proportions and, in the form illustrated, having

arcuate sides

40 and 41 concentric with the outer periphery of the knob 15 for aesthetic purposes. The wall 26 joins the upper portion 42 of inverted U-shaped configuration which loops over the top of the door knob 15 and then extends downwardly a short distance behind the knob to join the lower expanded portion 43 the lower terminal of which is bifurcated and comprises the fingers 4d and 45 having the respective rearwardly extending

flanges

46 and 47 straddling the upper portion of the shaft 17. The arrangement is hence such that the flanged

lower fingers

34 and 35 and the flanged

upper fingers

44 and 45 cooperate to embrace the shaft 17 on opposite lateral looped portion 42 of bar 22 and the rear portion 39 of plate 31 coaot to prevent vertical movements of the interengaged bar 22 and lock 21; and the wall 26 of the bar 22 in cooperation with the

rear arm portions

24 and 25 prevent any forward or rearward movement of the locking device. Hence, in such locked posit-ion, the wall 26 is at all times maintained in obstructing position withrespect to the keyhole 18.

All that need be done to remove the wall 26 from its said obstructing position is operatively to manipulate the key 23, and effect a removal of the bar 22, in the manner aforesaid. Thus, both the attachment and removal of this device can be effected without mutilating the door knob or any portion of the door, and without effecting any structural changes Within the locking member of the door.

In the form of my invention shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the locking member 49 is cooperatively interengageable with the bar and operatively detachable therefrom, in the manner aforesaid, by manipulating a key in the keyhole 52 at the bottom of the body portion of'locking member 49; The plate 53, joined to the top of the locking member 49, contains the rearwardly extending arm 54 having upwardly extending

fingers

55 and 56 in embracing engagement with the shaft 17 of the doorknob 15. The upper hooked portion 57 of the bar member 50 engages the upper portion of the knob 15, but it does not extend down to the shaft 17 as in the first embodiment above described. In this form of my inventionithe intermediate portion 58 of the bar 54) is in obstructing relation to the keyhole 18, in the manner aforesaid. A lateral shifting of the interengaged bar 55 and locking member 49 is prevented solely by the operative engagement of the

fingers

55 and 56 of the arm 54 with the shaft-17; and

'a displacement in other directionsis prevented by the operative engagement of portions of the two

main components

49 and 50 in the manner illustrated and hereinabove described.

In the form of my invention illustrated in FIGS. and 11, the locking component 5% comprises a body portion 60 flanked by the upper and lower

horizontal walls

61 and 62, respectively, the slot 63 for the bared being disposed at the. front of the said body portion 6% the upper plate 61 having therein the slot'63a congruent with slot 63 to permit the insertion of the said bar 64. The said lower plate 62 is adapted to receive a key, substantially like 'key 23 of FIG. 2 at keyhole'65, the locking mechanism with the body portion 69 being substantially similar to the conventional mechanism referred to in the description of locking member 21. The said locking member 59 has at the rear thereof two upwardly extending

fingers

66 and 67 flanking the lateral sides of the knob shaft 17 and preventing a lateral movement of the device with respect to said shaft 17 and the knob 15. Joining said fingers is the arcuate Wall 79 in underlying engagement with said shaft 17. Extending'upwardly from the bottom plate 62 to substantially the tops of said

fingers

66 and 67 are the

ribs

68 and 69, respectively, to give rigidity to the entire lock component. The looped top 63 of the ratchet lock, said bar having an arm with a portion therebar 64 embraces only the upper portion of the knob 15,

substantially in the manner of the device shown in FIG. 7. The two main components 59 and 64- thus cooperate to prevent access to the keyhole 13, in the manner aforesaid; but additionally the combination of the upper and

lower plates

61 and 62, the two

fingers

66 and 67 and'the two

ribs

68 and 69 give such rigidity to the device as to resist any attempt at dislodgement of the unit by bending it away from the doorknob.

In the above description, the invention has been disclosed merely by way of example and in preferred manner; but obviously many variations and modifications may be made therein. It is tobe understood, therefore, that atleast one of said arms having a bifurcated terminal portion in embracing engagement with said shaft, locking means to releasably hold said components in saidloperative position, and a wall connected to one of said arms and positioned in obstructing relation to said keyhole when said components are in said operative position.

2. In combination with a door having a knob and a keyhole, a locking device comprising two; separable knobengaging components, a ratchet lock attached to one of said components, the other of said components having a bar proportioned for coactive releasable engagement with said ratchet lock, a wall on one of said components proportioned and positioned for obstructing relation to said keyhole when said bar is in operative engagement with said lock, said components having respective curved sections formed'to coactively embrace said knob when said wall is in said keyhole-obstructing position.

3. In combination with a door having a shaft supporting a knob with a keyhole therein, a locking device comprising two separable knob-engaging components, one of said components having a ratchet lock and an arm having a portion thereof engageable with a rear portion of said knob, the other of said components having a bar proportioned for coactive releasable engagement with said of spaced from said arm of said other component and engageable with a rear portion of said knob, a wall portion on one of said arms proportioned and positioned for obstructing relation to said keyhole when said bar is in operative engagement with said lock, both of said arms having sections thereof shaped to coactively embrace said knob when saidtwall portion is in said keyhole-obstructing position.

4; In a locking device, the combination according to claim 3, said arm of the component'which has said ratchet lock being engageable with the underside ,of said knob, said arm of said bar being ,engageable with the top of said knob.

5. In a locking device, the combination according to claim 3, said arm of the component which has said ratchet lock being engageable with the underside of said knob, said arm of said bar being engageable with the top of said knob, said keyhole-obstructing wall portion being joined to said bar and being operatively. disposed in'front of said knob.

6; In a locking device, the combination according to claim 3,'said arm of the component which has said ratchet lock being engageable with the underside of said knob, said arm of said bar being engageable with the top of said knob, said keyhole-obstructing wall being of enlarged proportions with the lateral edges thereof conforming substantially to the adjacent peripheral portions of said knob and being joined tosaid bar and being operatively disposed in front of said knob.

7. Ina locking device, the combination according to claim 3, a plate joined to said ratchet lock, said arm of the component with said ratchet lock being joined to said plate, said plate having a slotted portion therein for operatively accommodating said bar.

8i In a locking device, the combination according to .claim 3, at least one of said arms having a bifurcated terminal in straddling engagement with said shaft.

9. In a locking device, the combination according to Telaim 3., said arm of the component which has said ratchet lock being engageable with the underside of said knob, said arm of said bar being engageable with the top of said knob, both of said arms having bifurcated terminals in straddling engagement with the respective lower and upper portions of said shaft.

10. In combination with a door having a shaft supporting a knob with a keyhole therein, a locking device comprising two separable knob-engaging components, one of said components having a ratchet lock, an upper and a lower plate joined to the respective top and bottom portions of said lock, and two fingers extending upwardly from said lower plate and being in flanking engagement with said shaft, the other of said components having a bar proportioned for coactive releasable engagement with said ratchet lock, said bar having an arm with a portion thereof engageable with a rear portion of said knob, a wall portion on said bar proportioned and positioned for obstructing relation to said keyhole when said bar is in operative engagement with said lock, an arcuate wall joining said fingers and in underlying engagement with said shaft, said upper plate and the said arm of said bar engaging the respective lower and upper portions of said knob when said wall portion is in said keyhole-obstructing position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS ALBERT H. KAMPE, Primary Examiner.

Claims

2. IN COMBINATION WITH A DOOR HAVING A KNOB AND A KEYHOLE, A LOCKING DEVICE COMPRISING TWO SEPARABLE KNOBENGAGING COMPONENTS, A RATCHET LOCK ATTACHED TO ONE OF SAID COMPONENTS, THE OTHER OF SAID COMPONENTS HAVING A BAR PROPORTIONED FOR COACTIVE RELEASABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID RATCHET LOCK, A WALL ON ONE OF SAID COMPONENTS PROPORTIONED AND POSIUTIONED FOR OBSTRUCTING RELATION OF SAID KEYHOLE WHEN SAID BAR IS IN OPERATIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH