WO2006021022A1

WO2006021022A1 - A lock cylinder

Info

Publication number: WO2006021022A1
Application number: PCT/AU2004/001150
Authority: WO
Inventors: John Russell Watts
Original assignee: Yarra Ridge Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2004-08-27
Filing date: 2004-08-27
Publication date: 2006-03-02

Abstract

A pin cylinder housing comprising a longitudinally extended member having an axially extended bore and multiple orthogonal substantially cylindrical pin recesses each extending from the bore to an opening in a side surface, and a plug by which to terminate pin recesses, said plug occupying a plug recess within the housing comprising the sum of a slotted recess having a depth and extending between spaced pin recesses, said plug comprising a member having side cap portions defined in part by an arcular peripheral cap edge and an outer surface sharing the same form as the side surface, said arcular peripheral cap edge being defined in part by a radius substantially the same as the radius that defines the pin recesses.

Description

Title

A lock Cylinder Field of the Invention

This invention relates to lock cylinders locks that generally include a housing and an angularly displaceable barrel supported within a cylindrical bore of the housing. Both the housing and barrel are intersected by one or more pin recesses, each pin recess being orthogonal to the pivotal axis of the barrel, radially disposed relative to the pivotal axis and each pin recess defined by an axis within the same plane. Each pin recess (in an undisplaced barrel) comprises a first portion within the housing and a second portion within the barrel and in some forms each pin hole extends inwardly from an opening at the exterior surface of the casing; the opening being plugged to close off the pin holes to capture the pins and springs within. The barrel includes a longitudinally extended keyway to accept a key, this keyway intersecting each of the pin recesses that support at least a pair of substantially cylindrical moveable pins that are spring biased towards the keyway.

When the correct key is inserted, the junctions between the pairs of pins is moved to coincide with the junction between the barrel and housing thus enabling the barrel to be rotated within the housing. The barrel is operably connected to other parts of the lock so that this barrel rotation (in response to key rotation) can be employed to change the state of the lock from, for example, a locked state to an unlocked state.

Lock cylinders are often configured as an independent assembly that can be assembled to the other parts of a lock, these other parts usually being embodied within another assembly (commonly known as a lock body). A common form of cylinder assembly is a double cylinder comprising a pair of opposed barrels connected to a common pivotally displaceable cam supported within a common element comprising opposed cylinder housing that are connected by a bridge portion to comprise a double housing. Often the cam has a substantially radially disposed arm that acts as the operable connection between the double cylinder and lock body.

The blade of the key includes a cut for each pair of pins, the cut having a depth to correlate with the length of the associated pin. Different length pins require different depth cuts. When a change of key is required the pins need to be changed so that it is desirable to have a convenient and quick method of replacing pins within the pin chambers that does not detract from the appearance of the cylinder or appreciably lessen the security provided by the cylinder.

A convenient method, where the housing comprises a casting is to configure the housing to include a first part with the bore and pin recesses and a second hollow part that (amongst other things) provides plugs for the openings. Where the housing is machined from solid brass, this method is not convenient and too expensive. For machined brass cylinders, it is conventional for each pin hole to be closed off by a separate cap comprising a cylindrical pin that is driven into the exterior end of the pin hole but this leads to significant difficulties in replacing pins.

Others have substituted removable grub screws for the caps, these screws being removed to replace the pins within but the grub screws reduce security, detract from the appearance and this method does not same appreciable time.

Objectives of this invention include: a) providing a cylinder where pins can be replaced quickly and conveniently, and b) providing a method of manufacture of the plug and housing (and preferably where the plug and housing could be of the same material) and c) to provide an efficient method of manufacture of a low cost plug that will enable the plug to be employed in low priced "commodity" cylinders. Summary of the Invention

According to the invention, there is a pin cylinder housing comprising a longitudinally extended member having an axially extended bore and multiple orthogonal substantially cylindrical pin recesses each extending from the bore to an opening in a side surface, and a plug by which to terminate pin recesses, said plug occupying a plug recess within the housing comprising the sum of a slotted recess having a depth and extending between spaced pin recesses, said plug comprising a member having side cap portions defined in part by an arcular peripheral cap edge and an outer surface sharing the same form as the side surface, said arcular peripheral cap edge being defined in part by a radius substantially the same as the radius that defines the pin recesses. In some forms of the invention, the form of the side surface comprises a planar surface.

In some forms of the invention, the slotted recess extends between the two most widely spaced pin recesses.

In some forms of the invention, the plug comprises a substantially laminar member that in part extends to the depth of the slotted recess.

In some forms of the invention, the outer surface is interrupted by circular indentations each defined in part by axis coaxial with the axis of the associated pin recess.

In some forms of the invention, offset outer surfaces and an offset surface of the laminar together comprise the indentation.

In some forms of the invention, the form of the side surface between pin holes is provided by substantially undeformed portions of the laminar.

In some forms of the invention, the cylinder housing and plug include an orthogonal aperture configured to receive a common fastener. In some forms of the invention, the orthogonal apertures are substantially cylindrical and extend from one surface to an opposed surface of the housing and are configured to receive a removable spring pin.

In some forms of the invention, the outer surfaces comprise planes defined in part by an normal vector that is parallel to the pin recess axii. According to the invention, there is pin cylinder housing and plug substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

According to the invention, there is method of manufacture of a cylinder housing and plug, including machining pin recesses (each said recess defined by an axis within the same plane) and machining a plug recess by moving a rotating cutter longitudinally between the locations of spaced pin recesses to provide a slotted recess having a depth, manufacturing a plug to suit the plug recess by pressing out a substantially laminar plug blank characterized by an edge having hump portions within and a thickness substantially the same as the slotted recess, placing the plug blank within a die having a slotted aperture intersected by cylindrical recesses, the cylindrical recesses having a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of the pin recesses, the slotted aperture having a width substantially the same as the slotted recess displacing material from each hump portion into a pair of cylindrical recesses to an extent limited by the walls of the cylindrical recesses to form side cap portions having an outer surface, and displacing the plug from the die.

In some forms of the invention, the metal is displaced by a rotating tool.

In some forms of the invention, the metal is displaced by a punch.

In some forms of the invention, each side cap portion has an underside surface whose form is determined by the form of an underside of the associated cylindrical recess.

According to the invention, there is a method of manufacture of a cylinder housing and plug substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Definitions and Conventions Employed

This specification describes improvements for locks and cylinders for displaceable wings that (for convenience) are referred to herein as "locks" and throughout this specification and claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "locks" or variations such as "lock" will be understood to imply the inclusion of complete locks for displaceable wings and improvements for locks for displaceable wings.

Throughout this specification and claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

Throughout this specification and claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the positional prepositions such as rear, forward are used to assist in description of the preferred embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings and have in general no absolute significance. Throughout this specification and claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "preferably" or variations such as "prefer" does not mean nor infer that that the inventions described in the "Description of the Preferred Embodiments" are necessarily restricted to the form of an integer or collection of integers referred to as preferred.

Throughout this specification and claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the words 'Wing" embraces both doors and windows. Throughout this specification and claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "housing" refers to the element that supports the barrels, pins and springs, partial pin chambers and in some cases a cam; "barrel refers to the cylindrical element having a keyway (recess) and partial pin chambers; "pins" refers to the pins within pin chamber pairs and comprising two or more to comprise a set; "plug" refers to a member that closes off a pin chamber and within the invention closes off all the pin chambers; "fastener" refers to the element that intersects the pin to retain it within the housing and in some forms comprises a standard roll pin; "plug blank" refers to an elment that is formed to comprise a plug. The word "arcular" means pertaining to a portion of the periphery of a circle.

Description of the Figures

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded isometric view of a conventional double cylinder housing,

Figure 2 is an isometric view of the cylinder of Fig 1 with caps assembled;

Figure 3 is an exploded isometric view of a double cylinder housing and plug subject of an invention herein,

Figure 4 is an isometric view of the cylinder of Fig 3 with the plug assembled;

Figure 5 is an exploded isometric view of a double cylinder housing and alternative plug subject of an invention herein,

Figure 6 is an isometric view of the cylinder of Fig 5 with the alternative plug, Figure 7 is a schematic side view of the partial double cylinder housing of Fig

6,

Figure 8 is the section AA of Fig 7,

Figure 9 is a side view of a plug blank,

Figure 10 is an isometric view of the plug blank and die, Figure 11 is a schematic view of two types of rotating tools and a formed plug within the die,

Figure 12 is the cross-section AA of Fig 11 showing the formed plug within the die, Figure 13 is the cross-section BB of Fig 11 showing the formed plug within the die,

Fig 14 is the die of Fig 12 with the plug removed,

Fig 15 is an enlarged isometric view of a plug,

Fig 16 is an enlarge view of the double housing of Fig 6, Fig 17 is an enlarge view of the double housing of Fig 4.

Referring to Fig 1 , one sees a double housing 1 for a substantially conventional double cylinder, the double housing 1 comprising a first housing 2 and a second opposed housing 3 connected to comprise a single element. Each housing includes a substantially cylindrical axially extended bore 9 and substantially cylindrical pin recesses 4 that extend inwardly from openings 49 in a side surface 5 of the respective housings; the side surface of common housings being characterized by a radius of 5 MM and in some forms also being characterized by an elongated planar surface 6 that extends the length of the housing and having a width "w1" substantially equal to the diameter "d" of the pin recesses 4. The pin recesses in many forms of conventional double cylinder are terminated by substantially cylindrical caps 7.

Cylinder housings (both single and double) subject of an invention herein are substantially conventional but are characterized by a slotted recess 12 that extends inwardly from the side surface 5 and to a depth "d1"; one such suitable depth being 6 MM, the depth employed commonly by caps 7. The slotted recess extends between one end pin recess 10 and the other end pin recess 11 to intersect the pin recesses therebetween - each pin recess being orthogonal to the axis of the bore, radially disposed relative to the that axis and each pin recess being defined by an axis within the same plane. The plug recess 13 comprises the sum of the slotted recess and the adjacent cylindrical portions of the pin recesses outside the slotted recess. The slotted recess 12 has a width "w2" less that the diameter of the pin recesses d so that when a pin is introduced into a pin hole it is supported from the time of entering the

Substitute Sheet pin recess, (i.e. it is supported while within the pin recess at a position where the pin recess is intercepted by the slotted recess).

In the invention, the caps associated with each cylinder casing are replaced by a single plug 14 comprising a substantially laminar portion 15 (as shown in Fig 15) in one form comprising a longitudinally elongated substantially rectangular member having thickness and a length limited by the walls of the end pin recesses 10 and 11 and a width "w3" to mate (with small clearance) within the slotted recess 12. At the outer end 16 there is a pair of sideways extending side cap portions 17 for each pin hole, the side cap portions each having an outer surface 47 defined by an arcular peripheral cap edge 48 that mates (with small clearance) with a side wall of a pin recess 4.

In one form of the invention as shown in Figures 3 and 4 and 17, the housing is configured to include the planar surface 6 having a width not less than d and the plug 14 is further configured such that when in the housing the outer end 16 of the plug (including the outer surfaces 47) conforms to the general form of the planar portion 6 so that the housing and plug together appear as a single element but with a narrow profiled slot 18 within the planar portion.

In another form of the invention as shown in Figures 5 and 6 and 16, the housing is configured to include the planar surface 6 having a width not less than d and the alternative plug 21 is configured such that when in the housing, the outer end portions 19 of the laminar portion 15 (being those portion between pin recesses) conforms to form of the planar portion 6 but the outer surfaces 47 of the side cap portions 17 and the outer surface 20 of the laminar portion that extends between the opposed outer surfaces 47 are similarly inwardly offset as shown to provide a single offset surface defined by a circular periphery so that the housing and plug together appear as a single element but with pin recesses terminated by recessed caps as is common in some cylinders (but in fact having an inconspicuous gap between the walls of the pin recesses and the cap edges 48. In this embodiment, the housing and plug together appear as a conventional housing comprising a single element with capped off pin recesses that is distinguished by narrow slots 22 that extend between the pin recesses.

Some strength of the plug considerations are addressed by a wide substantially rectangular laminar portion 15 but support for the pins is best served by a narrow slotted recess as is resistance to forced removal of the plug. Another consideration is the need for each modified pin recess (i.e. modified by the intersection of the slotted recess) to adequately support pins from the time of being introduced into the pin recess so that pins can easily be introduced into pin recesses without the need to supply additional support for the pins when they are in an intersection of the slotted recess and a pin hole. In practice it has been found that a slot width of about 60% of the pin recess diameter: a) provides a plug of adequate strength that is resistant to being forceably removed from the plug recess, and b) leaves sufficient (substantially cylindrical) side wall of each pin recess to enable each to adequately support pins. The plugs described above can be manufactured by a method, subject of an invention described in this specification, comprising displacing metal from the laminar portion 15 to produce plugs characterized by the cross-section shown in Fig 8, where the outer end 16 of the plug takes one of the two forms described above while the laminar portion15 is within the slotted recess 12. In considering clearance we should be mindful of the need for the plug to be freely displaceable within the plug recess once the fastener has been removed to enable the plug to be removed.

For acceptable levels of security and appearance, the clearances between the plug recess and plug must be very small - the clearance being a function of both the accuracy of machining the slotted aperture and pin-holes and the accuracy of manufacturing the plugs. Experimentation and analysis has shown that for acceptable levels of security and appearance the manufacturing tolerances for the plug must be close to zero since the plug recess tolerances themselves are will be almost all that can be tolerated for the combined tolerances; i.e. the plugs must be manufactured to very close tolerances not normally achievable in the commercial casting and machining of components and not achievable by the processes employed to manufacture "commodity" cylinders.

The method of manufacture, subject of an invention herein, includes pressing out in-expensive plug blanks 24, in one form as shown in Fig 9, from sheet metal and preferably from brass when the housing is of brass. In one form of brass plug, the method includes pressing out plug blanks from half hard sheet brass and later annealing the blanks to make them softer and more malleable; the hardness assisting in the forming operation and resulting in a better formed plug. The plug blank can be pressed from sheet metal having a thickness substantially the same as the slotted recess (less working clearance) or it can be pressed from slightly thicker material and pressed to reduce its thickness to that desired. The plug blank has an outer end 25 that is profiled to include straight portions 26 that when the plug is assembled, coincide with the surface 6 of the housing between pin holes - this portion of the outer end to remain unchanged while the side cap portions are formed. For each pin recess there is a raised portion 27 having a volume that is substantially proportional to the volume of the adjacent pair of side cap portions that will derive from that particular raised portion. In one form, the raised portions comprise a curved hump whose height at any particular longitudinal position is proportional to the orthogonal width of the side cap portion at that particular longitudinal position. On this basis, the ends of the hump (corresponding to a side cap orthogonal width of zero) have zero height and the height in the middle of a hump is maximum to correspond with the maximum orthogonal width of the side cap portion - it will be appreciated that adhering strictly to the principles described above will produce side cap portions having (at least adjacent to the planar portion 15) undesirable sharp peripheral edges - (the first of the preferred plug designs, as shown in Fig 3 and 4 having this deficiency)

It is important to note that the two outer raised portions 21 are different to the others because these two humps must provide an additional volume of material from which to manufacture end cap portions 28 that extend outwardly longitudinally. The exact form of the hump, as shown in Fig 9, (while relying on the principles described above) was derived by iterative experimentation in which a range of hump shapes were manufactured and formed and the results evaluated.

The method of manufacture includes a die 29 comprising a rectangular slotted aperture 30 that extends through the die configured to mate (with clearance) with the plug blank 24. At an upper end, the slotted aperture is intersected by cylindrical recesses 32 each having a profiled underside recess 33 corresponding with side cap portions underside 34 and being defined by a radius identical to that of the arcular cap edge 48, the profiled underside recess 33 assisting in the manufacture of the corresponding side cap portion by defining a boundary beyond which material of the blade portion cannot be displaced. The spaces within the die adjacent to the slotted recess corresponding to each side cap portion can be called a cavity.

During experimentation, a rotating tool was urged towards the hump of a plug blank supported in a die having a slotted aperture and cylindrical apertures 32 that extended the depth of the die. These experiments showed that the material in general, had a tendency to deform in such a way as to create side cap portions having a thickness 36 at any point that was substantially inversely proportional to the distance from the axis 35 of a pin recess. For convenience, and to comply with the natural tendencies, the underside shape described above is adopted for the cavities. [The form of the undersides 34 is substantially inconsequential to the invention because the side cap portions are included primarily to improve the appearance of the blade portion that performs the function of capturing the pins and springs. The side cap portions need only have the strength and integrity to resist corrosion and be resistant to mild physical attack as well performing the aesthetic tasks described above].

The die 29 also preferably includes a laminar stripper punch 37 that in an undisplaced position defines the lower edge 39 of the aperture against which the lower end 38 of the plug blank locates, a position from which it can be displaced by mechanical means to eject the plug from the die. The die may also include displaceable side pins 40 (supported in transverse apertures 41 of the die) that can be displaced by mechanical means into the side apertures 42 of the plug blank to help support the plug blank during forming operations.

Once within the die, the material of the plug blank can be displaced by one of following methods: a) advancing a spinning tool 43 longitudinally (having a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of the cylindrical recesses 32) into a cylindrical recesses 32 and applying a downwards force to displace material from a hump into a pair of associated die cavities provided to form a pair of side cap portions that take the form of the cavities; the tool preferably comprising a very blunt bladed screw driver form 44 as shown, or a series of similar such tools each designed to perform a different aspect of the material displacement; b) advancing a spinning tool 45 of an orbital riveter longitudinally into a cylindrical recesses 32 and applying a downwards force to displace material from a hump into a pair of cavities to form a pair of side cap portions that take the form of the cavities; where the locus of movement of the head is within the diameter of the cylindrical recesses 32, and where the tool preferably comprises a conical head to preclude contact with the side walls of the cylindrical recesses 32; or a series of similar such tools each designed to perform a different aspect of the material displacement; c) advancing a punch longitudinally into a cylindrical recesses 32 and applying a downwards force to displace material from a hump into a pair of cavites to form side cap portions that takes the form of the cavities - although this method of manufacture is sound, it requires more substantial machinery and tooling. Any of the tools can be advanced to a depth where the tool leading end is substantially level with the straight portions 26 to provide a first type of preferred plug as shown in Fig 3 and 4, in which case the raised portions 27, cylindrical portions 32 and cavities 33 are together configured to produce this plug.

Alternatively, any tool can advanced to a depth where the tool leading end is substantially level with the straight portions 26 and then advanced further to provide the second of the preferred plug types as shown in Fig 5 and 6, where the cap edges have greater thickness - this being the preferred form of the preferred plug designs for both strength and appearance reasons; in which case, the raised portions 27, cylindrical portions 32 and cavities 33 are together configured to produce this plug. Once formed, the plugs are removed from the die by a stripper plate which is displaced by mechanical means towards the plug till the plug has left the die.

For convenience, the plug blank is configured to be a mirror image about a horizontal plane as shown so that the plug blank can be inserted into the die either way up. In some cylinders, it is also possible to configure the plug blank to be a mirror image about a central vertical plane as shown so the plug blank can be inserted into the die with either end towards one end of the casing.

Once manufactured, each plug is assembled into a plug recess that is intersected by a transverse through-aperture 46 that extends sideways for the length of the housing. An aperture 42 of the (assembled) plug may share a longitudinal axis with the longitudinal axis of the aperture 46 of the housing enabling a roll pin 47 to be inserted to retain the plug within the housing. The depth of the slotted recess 12 is preferably configured to be identical to the depth "d2" shown in Fig 9, and the axis of the through aperture 46 is preferably a little further from the planar portion 6, than the axis of the associated aperture 42 so that the act of inserting the roll pin urges the plug inwardly and retains the plug biased inwardly.

Another aspect of the invention is a method changing pins where upon removal of the roll pins, the plugs are outwardly displaced by the pins within the pin recesses enabling all the pins and springs to be removed and subsequently replaced by alternative pins to suit a chosen key.

Claims

The Claims Defining the Invention Are:

1 A pin cylinder housing comprising a longitudinally extended member having an axially extended bore and multiple orthogonal substantially cylindrical pin recesses each extending from the bore to an opening in a side surface, and a plug by which to terminate pin recesses, said plug occupying a plug recess within the housing comprising the sum of a slotted recess having a depth and extending between spaced pin recesses, said plug comprising a member having side cap portions defined in part by an arcular peripheral cap edge and an outer surface sharing the same form as the side surface, said arcular peripheral cap edge being defined in part by a radius substantially the same as the radius that defines the pin recesses.

2 A pin cylinder housing and plug according to Claim 1 , wherein the form of the side surface comprises a planar surface.

3 A pin cylinder housing and plug according to any one of the above claims, wherein the slotted recess extends between the two most widely spaced pin recesses.

4 A pin cylinder housing and plug according to any one of the above claims, wherein the plug comprises a substantially laminar member that in part extends to the depth of the slotted recess.

5 A pin cylinder housing and plug according to any one of the above claims, wherein the outer surface is interrupted by circular indentations each defined in part by axis coaxial with the axis of the associated pin recess.

6 A pin cylinder housing and plug according to Claim 4, wherein offset outer surfaces and an offset surface of the laminar together comprise the indentation.

7 A pin cylinder housing and plug according to any one of the above claims, wherein the form of the side surface between pin holes is provided by substantially undeformed portions of the laminar. 8 A pin cylinder housing and plug according to any one of the above claims, wherein the cylinder housing and plug include an orthogonal aperture configured to receive a common fastener.

9 A pin cylinder housing and plug according to Claim 8, wherein the orthogonal apertures are substantially cylindrical and extend from one surface to an opposed surface of the housing and are configured to receive a removable spring pin.

10 A pin cylinder housing and plug according to any one of the above claims, wherein the outer surfaces comprise planes defined in part by an normal vector that is parallel to the pin recess axii.

11 A pin cylinder housing and plug substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

12 A method of manufacture of a cylinder housing and plug, including machining pin recesses (each said recess defined by an axis within the same plane) and machining a plug recess by moving a rotating cutter longitudinally between the locations of spaced pin recesses to provide a slotted recess having a depth, manufacturing a plug to suit the plug recess by pressing out a substantially laminar plug blank characterized by an edge having hump portions within and a thickness substantially the same as the slotted recess, placing the plug blank within a die having a slotted aperture intersected by cylindrical recesses, the cylindrical recesses having a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of the pin recesses, the slotted aperture having a width substantially the same as the slotted recess displacing material from each hump portion into a pair of cylindrical recesses to an extent limited by the walls of the cylindrical recesses to form side cap portions having an outer surface, and displacing the plug from the die.

13 A method of manufacture of a cylinder housing and plug according to Claim 12, wherein the metal is displaced by a rotating tool. 14 A method of manufacture of a cylinder housing and plug, according to Claim 12, wherein the metal is displaced by a punch.

15 A method of manufacture of a cylinder housing and plug, according to Claim 12, wherein each side cap portion has an underside surface whose form is determined by the form of an underside of the associated cylindrical recess.

16 A method of manufacture of a cylinder housing and plug substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.