U.S. patent number 3,728,879 [Application Number 05/113,358] was granted by the patent office on 1973-04-24 for heavy cable shackle padlock.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Best Lock Corporation. Invention is credited to Walter E. Best.
United States Patent |
3,728,879 |
Best |
April 24, 1973 |
HEAVY CABLE SHACKLE PADLOCK
Abstract
A padlock having a heavy cable shackle of selected length,
constructed to provide good lock security. Identical long cable end
pieces are received in parallel bores in a pad lock case and extend
into a lock cavity formed by three overlapping parallel bores. The
shackle-heel end piece is rotatably fixed in its bore by a heel
plate engaged in a retaining groove of the piece and secured
against the cavity end wall by a taper-head screw on the axis of
one of the cavity bores. The shackle toe end piece is releasably
dead-locked in its bore by a toe tumbler or bolt engaged in a
retaining groove of the piece and slidably held against the cavity
end wall by a retaining plate, which carries a throw assembly
rotatable on the axis of the central cavity bore. The retaining
plate has one end engaged in a supporting groove in the case and is
supported at the other end, and held in the groove, by a plug
rotatably locked in one cavity bore and held against removal by an
8-shaped key-actuated lock core received in the other two cavity
bores.
Inventors: |
Best; Walter E. (Indianapolis,
IN) |
Assignee: |
Best Lock Corporation
(Indianapolis, IN)
|
Family
ID: |
22348974 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/113,358 |
Filed: |
February 8, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
70/38R; 70/369;
70/49 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E05B
67/003 (20130101); Y10T 70/483 (20150401); Y10T
70/452 (20150401); Y10T 70/765 (20150401) |
Current International
Class: |
E05B
67/00 (20060101); E05b 067/22 () |
Field of
Search: |
;70/49,30,14,15,16,18,38A,38C,38B,369,370 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
812,771 |
|
Sep 1951 |
|
DT |
|
1,515,234 |
|
Jan 1968 |
|
FR |
|
72,554 |
|
Sep 1947 |
|
NO |
|
Primary Examiner: Wolfe; Robert L.
Claims
1. A cable shackle padlock, comprising
a heavy cable shackle having a heel piece and a toe piece attached
to its ends, each having a prong for insertion in a bore in a lock
case and having a retaining groove in position to be exposed for
engagement within such case,
a lock case having bores for the reception of said prongs and
having side walls and an end wall defining a lock chamber
intersecting said bores,
a heel plate mounted against said end wall in edgewise engagement
with the retaining groove of said heel piece, a bolt in said chamer
and slidable transversely of the toe-piece-receiving bore into
endwise engagement in the retaining groove of the toe piece prong
to releasably lock the toe piece in the case, a plate support
shoulder formed in the case,
a retaining plate supporting the bolt and engaged endwise toward
said toe piece bore in supported engagement with said plate support
shoulder, and
a plug having a seated position in a portion of said chamber at the
opposite end of said retaining plate, having an end surface
positioned to support said opposite plate end, and having an end
portion extending across the end of the retaining plate to block it
against movement out of engagement with said plate support
shoulder,
said plug being interlocked with the case and being shaped to
define therewith a lock core-receiving opening for the reception of
a lock core therein,
and a throw member mounted in said retaining plate and operable by
said lock core to retract said bolt.
2. A cable shackle padlock as in claim 1 in which said
prong-receiving bores are parallel bores intersecting the end wall
of the chamber and said heel plate is mounted flat against said end
wall.
3. A cable shackle padlock as in claim 1 in which said chamber
comprises three overlapping bores, and said heel plate is
positioned at the inner end of an outer one of said bores and
retained by a screw aligned with that bore, and the plug is mounted
in that bore.
4. A cable shackle padlock as in claim 1 in which said plate
support shoulder is formed by a groove in the case wall into which
one end of the plate is engaged for support of such end, said plug
end surface supporting the opposite end of the plate.
5. A cable shackle padlock as in claim 1 in which said case and
plug are so shaped that the plug is received in the case by
relative axial movement thereof, and have bayonet-locking lugs
thereon in position to be interengaged by rotation of the plug in
its axially inserted position in the case, the plug having an edge
portion which projects into said lock core-receiving opening when
the plug is rotationally oriented with said lugs in disengaged
relation, and a lock core received in said opening and blocking
movement of said edge portion into said opening and thereby
blocking said plug from disengagement from said case.
6. A cable shackle padlock as in claim 1 in which said lock case
comprises a thick end portion between the end wall of the chamber
and the end of the case, and said prongs and prong receiving bores
interfit in said thick end portion over an axial length in excess
of the diameter of the prongs, to thereby resist lateral forces on
the cable and prongs and isolate the lock mechanism therefrom.
7. A cable shackle padlock, comprising
a heavy cable shackle having a heel piece and a toe piece attached
to its ends, each having a heavy prong for insertion in a bore in a
lock case and having a retaining groove in position to be exposed
for engagement within the case,
a lock case having a lock chamber therein defined by side walls and
an end wall of thick section,
a pair of parallel bores through said thick end wall of said
chamber for the reception of the prongs of said heel piece and toe
piece,
said prongs extending in interfitting relation with said end wall
through a long bore length in excess of their diameter, whereby
lateral forces on said cable end pieces are transmitted to the
thick section of the case and isolated from the lock mechanism
within the lock chamber,
and lock mechanism within the chamber comprising retaining bolts
mounted against said thick end wall and engaged endwise in the
retaining grooves of the prongs to lock the same in said bores.
8. A cable shackle padlock as set forth in claim 7 with the
addition of shoulders on said heel and toe pieces in position to
engage the outer face of said thick portion of the case and thereby
prevent inward thrust forces on said pieces from being transmitted
to said lock mechanism.
9. A cable shackle padlock as set forth in claim 6 with the
addition of shoulders on said heel and toe pieces in position to
engage the outer face of said thick section when the prongs thereof
are locked in the case.
Description
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a heavy-duty padlock having a shackle
formed of a heavy cable of selected length. The two ends of the
cable are fitted with end pieces, which may be of identical shape,
swaged or otherwise secured thereto. Each end piece forms a long
heavy prong having a retaining groove adjacent its end, adapted to
be inserted in a long receiving bore in the lock case. One end of
the lock case has a thick end wall with spaced bores therein for
reception of the cable end prongs, and the other end of the case
has a lock cavity therein which overlaps the spaced bores and has a
flat end wall. The cavity is desirably formed of three overlapping
parallel bores which form longitudinal ribs therebetween, parts of
such ribs are milled away to leave retaining lugs on the walls of
the cavity, and the cavity walls are also milled to form a groove
for supporting one end of a lock bolt retaining plate in a manner
analogous to that used in certain conventional shackle padlocks.
The cable end piece forming the heel of the shackle is retained in
one bore in the case by a heel tumbler plate engaged in the
retaining groove of the end piece and fixed against the end wall of
the case cavity, as by a taper-head screw coaxial with an outer one
of the bores forming the case cavity. The other cable end piece,
forming the shackle toe, is rotatably and releasably locked in its
bore by a toe tumbler or bolt slidably mounted against the cavity
end wall. The bolt is held in place by a retaining plate, and is
operated by a throw assembly mounted therein. The retaining plate
is received at one end in the milled cavity groove and is supported
at the other end, and blocked from disengagement from the groove,
by a plug inserted in the cavity bore coaxial with the said
toe-plate screw, and bayonet-locked in place by engagement with the
retaining lugs formed on the cavity walls. A key-actuated lock core
of 8-shape is inserted in the other two cavity bores and releasably
locked in place by engagement of a locking lug thereon with another
retaining lug in the lock case. The bolt and shackle ends are
desirably shaped to provide dead-locking action, requiring positive
key actuation both to receive the toe-shackle in the case and to
release it, and the throw assembly is arranged to block
bolt-retraction except when key-actuated.
The lock is of sturdy construction and provides a high degree of
security. All lock assembly parts are wholly nclosed within the
one-piece lock case and protected from access by the key-controlled
lock core when such core is inserted and locked in place. The cable
shackle end prongs are held securely by means which permits them to
rotate on their axes, and to resist strong lateral forces.
THE DRAWING
The accompanying drawing illustrates the invention, and shows a
preferred embodiment. In such drawing,
FIG. 1 is a central longitudinal section through a cable shackle
padlock embodying the invention;
FIG. 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a section on the line 4--4 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a bottom end elevation on the lock shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a removable lock core used in the
lock of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but with the lock core in place,
and showing the lock core and shackle plug in elevation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The padlock shown in the drawing comprises a cable shackle 10 and a
lock case 12. The cable may be either bare or covered with a sheath
14. The opposite ends of the cable are fixed in end pieces 16 and
18 which may be swaged in place and may be of identical shape. Each
has a central cylindrical portion forming a shoulder 19, and a
prong portion 20 projecting therefrom which is provided adjacent
its end with a retaining groove 22 separating the main body of the
prong from an end portion 24. The end piece 16 is the shackle heel
piece and the end piece 18 is the shackle toe piece.
The lock case 12 is an integral one-piece body formed with a heavy
end wall 13 having parallel bores 26 and 28 therein for the
reception of the prongs 20 of the shackle heel and toe pieces 16
and 18. Preferably, the prongs 20 and bores 26 and 28 interfit over
a long axial length in excess of the prong diameter, to resist
strong lateral forces and isolate them from the lock mechanism. A
cavity 30 is formed in the opposite end of the case 12, for the
reception of the locking mechanism. As shown in FIGS. 2-5, the
cavity 30 is formed by boring three spaced overlapping bores 32,
34, and 36, and by subsequently milling away portions of the
longitudinal ribs between the bores to form flat sides 38 and 40
but to leave inwardly projecting lugs 42 adjacent the outer end of
the cavity and lugs 44 spaced inward from such outer lugs 42. The
inner end of the cavity has a flat end face 48 and the right edge
of the cavity is milled to form a groove 46 adjacent the flat inner
end face 48. The outer end of the cavity bores are desirably
counter-bored to form a peripheral groove 31.
The shackle heel piece 16 is received in its bore 26 with its
shoulder 19 abutting against the end of the lock case 28. Its prong
20 lies with its retaining groove 22 beyond the cavity end face 48,
and is rotatably retained in place by a heel tumbler plate 50
engaged edgewise in the groove 22 and held flat against the end
face 48 by a taper head screw 52 positioned on the axis of the
cavity bore 32. The cable toe piece 18 has its prong 20 rotatably
and removably received in the lock case bore 28 with its retaining
groove 22 positioned to be engaged by a toe tumbler plate or bolt
54 slidably mounted against the end face 48 and held in place by a
retaining plate 56. The retaining plate is retained at its forward
end (to the right in the drawings) by engagement in the retaining
groove 46 milled in the lock case. Such forward end is centrally
cut away to clear the end portion 24 of the shackle toe piece prong
20, and thus forms end fingers 58 which lie in the groove 46 at the
sides of such end portion 24, as shown in FIG. 3.
A throw assembly 60 is rotatably mounted in the retaining plate 56
on the axis of central cavity bore 34, and consists of a circular
head 61 rotatably mounted in a seat in the plate 56, a pair of
throw legs 62 fixed to the head, and an eccentric stud 64 fixed on
the head and engaged in a close-fitting cross slot 55 in the toe
tumbler plate or bolt 54. The stud is located in a position in
which it normally blocks retraction of the bolt 54 from its locking
position shown in full lines in FIG. 2, and from which it is not
readily moved by a force in a retracting direction from the bolt.
The rear end of the retaining plate 54 (to the left in the
drawings) is supported by a removable plug 68 received in the bore
32 of the lock cavity 30. The plug has a central blocking lug 70 at
its upper end which projects across the rear end of the retaining
plate 56 and blocks such plate against movement out of the groove
46 and which also lies in blocking relation with the taper head
screw 52 which holds the heel tumbler plate 50, and hence blocks
release of such taper head screw and the heel tumbler plate. The
plug 68 also forms an end shoulder 72 underlying the rear end of
the retaining plate 56 to support such rear end against the bolt
50.
The plug 68 is a formed body which is slidable axially into the
bore 32 of the case. It is shaped on its right face 74 to form an
arc of a cylindrical wall co-axial with the central bore 34 and
thus to define with such bore 34 and the bore 36 an 8-shaped
opening for the reception of the correspondingly-shaped lock core
shown in FIG. 6. The left side of the plug 68 is shown as
conforming with the bore 32, but in practice it is sometimes found
convenient to use a plug 68 which has portions milled away at the
left for purposes of use in other padlocks. The plug 68 is retained
in the case by the bayonet-lock engagement of a pair of lugs 76 on
the side of the plug with either or both of a set of lugs 42 and 44
on the inner face of the case 12. In assembly, the plug 68 is
inserted axially in the bore 32 in a rotationally oriented position
in which the lugs 76 lie in the central bore 34 and thus can move
past the ribs 42 ane 44 as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4. When
the plug 68 is fully inserted, it is then rotated to the full line
position shown in FIG. 4 to carry its lugs 74 over the casing lugs
42 and 44 and lock the plug 68 in place. Desirably, there is some
frictional engagement between the parts to make this assembly self
sustaining in the absence of a lock core in the bores 34 and
36.
The lock core shown in FIG. 6 is of the type shown in Frank E. Best
U.S. Pat. No. 2,814,942. Such core comprises a body 80 of
eight-shape configuration which contains a key plug 82 in its lower
lobe, operable by a key 84. The body 80 has a narrow radial flange
81 at the front adapted to be received in the counterbored groove
31 of the case when the eight-shaped body is inserted in the
correspondingly-shaped opening formed by the bores 34 and 36 of the
case 12. A retaining lug 86 projects from the side of the body 80
at the rear, and is retractable by use of a control key in the key
plug 84 to permit insertion and removal of the core from the case.
When the lock core body 80 is in place in the case 12, the
retaining lug 86 is projected from the body 80 by turning the
control key. The lug 86 engages over one of the lugs 44 on the
inside of the case to retain the lug core in place until it is
removed by use of the control key. The presence of the lock core in
the case 12 blocks rotation of the plug 68 from its bayonet-locked
position and thus prevents removal of that plug from the case.
The lock core is operable for normal purposes by an operating key
84, which turns the key plug 82 without retracting the lug 86. The
key plug contains two diametrically spaced holes 84 which receive
the legs 62 of the throw member 60 so that the key plug 82 is
connected to the throw member 60 to turn it and thereby actuate the
bolt 54.
The lock is of sturdy construction, and supports and locks the ends
of the heavy cable 14 together with a high degree of security. In
assembly, the prong 20 of the heel piece 16 is inserted in the bore
26, and is rotatably secured in place by mounting the heel tumbler
plate 50 in the case in edgewise engagement with the retaining
groove 22 of the heel piece. The bolt 54 is then inserted against
the end wall 48, and the retaining plate 56 laid against the bolt
54 and moved forward (rightward) into engagement with the retaining
groove 46. The throw assembly 60 is previously mounted in the
retaining plate, and has its operating lug 64 engaged in the cross
slot of the bolt 54. The plug 68 is then inserted axially into the
bore 32 of the cavity to carry its end lug 70 past the rear end of
the retaining plate 56 and carry its supporting shoulder 72 against
the lower face of that retaining plate 56. The plug 68 is then
rotated from its dotted line position in FIG. 4 to its full line
position to carry its locking lugs 76 over the case lugs 42 and 44,
to bayonet-lock the plug 68 in place. A lock core as shown in FIG.
6 is then inserted into the eight-shaped opening formed by the
shackle plug face 74 and the bores 34 and 36. The mounted position
of the core is shown in FIG. 7.
When assembled, the lock parts hold the shackle heel piece 16
securely but rotatably in the bore 26. The heel tumbler plate 50 is
secured by its screw 52 and removal of the screw and the plate is
blocked by the plug 68. The dead-locking bolt 54 requires
key-operated retraction for either insertion or withdrawal of the
toe piece 18. When the bolt is in locking position, it is blocked
from retraction by the lug 64 of the throw member 60, and the throw
member in turn is held from rotation except when a proper operating
key is present in the key plug 82. In the absence of such key the
shackle is dead-locked against removal. Rotation of the key plug 82
by a proper key rotates the throw member 60 and causes the
eccentric lug 64 to retract the bolt 54 and thus to open the
shackle toe receiving bore 28 to allow insertion and retraction of
the toe member 18 in the lock. The long engagement of the prongs 20
with the bores 26 and 28 strongly supports them against lateral
forces and isolates such forces from the lock mechanism. I
claim:
* * * * *