Protective Lock Casing

Abstract

A protective casing for a lock having a body provided with a barrel and a shackle. The casing includes a sheath for surrounding the lock and for surrounding the shackle on three sides, so as to prevent access of cutters, snippers, and the like for breaking the shackle. Suitable flanges are provided on the sheath for protecting against unauthorized removal of the barrel. The lock is fixed to the sheath.

Description

This invention relates to a protective lock casing and, more particularly, to a device for safeguarding a padlock or the like against breaking and tampering to prevent illegal entry.

Various types of padlocks, combination locks, and the like have been produced for safeguarding property, by providing a lock for gates, doors, and other types of closures. These padlocks generally provide protection against unauthorized entry except when burglars or thieves with specialized tools desire to gain entry. These tools generally include cutters for breaking the shackle, or tools for removing the barrel from the lock and thereby permitting opening of the shackle.

The present invention provides means for preventing access to the shackle by snippers or cutters used for such purposes and which also safeguards against removal of the locking barrel while permitting operation of the lock and rotation of the barrel by use of the authorized key.

Still further objects and features of this invention reside in the provision of a protective casing for a lock that is simple in construction, capable of being manufactured out of the most rugged and strong materials in a single casting or forging, which is relatively inexpensive to produce thereby permitting wide use and distribution, and which is provided with means for attaching the casing to a padlock or the like.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of the present invention, which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this protective lock casing, a preferred embodiment of which is illustration in the accompanying drawing, by way of example only, wherein;

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a protective casing for a lock shown with the lock secured therein;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the invention showing the manner in which a lock is secured on a gate or a like enclosure;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view with parts being broken away to show details of the invention, illustrating the device as used for securing closure for a gate or the like; and,

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the invention.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, reference numeral 10 is used to generally designate the protective casing adapted to be utilized with a lock of the type such as a padlock, generally indicated by reference numeral 12. The lock 12 is of the type which is provided with a body 14 having a locking barrel 16 which is key operated and which is provided with a slot 18 therein for receiving the key for actuating the tumblers (not shown) of the locking barrel which control the locking of the shackle 20 of the padlock 12.

The protective casing 10 includes a sheath 22 including a front wall 24, a rear wall 26, side walls 28 and 30, and a generally channel-shaped extension or projection 32, which includes an extension 34 of the side wall 28, an extension 36 of the side wall 30, and an extension 38 of the bottom 26.

The casing 10 also includes a pair of flanges 40 and 42, the flange 40 being integral with and inwardly turned from the front wall 24, while flange 42 is inwardly turned from the side wall 22 and is welded to the enlarged bottom wall 26 against which the body 14 bears. Special types of rivets 50 which extend through the front wall 24 are provided for fixedly securing the padlock 14 within the casing 10 and are of the type that are hammered or force fitted into holes 52, which are previously drilled in the padlock 12.

In use, a key is inserted in the slot 18 and the lock is opened by rotation in the direction of arrows 56. Then, with the shackle 20 in an open position, it is passed through the adjacent eye members 58 and 60 of a fixed gate portion 62 and a movable gate portion 64 respectively. Of course, the protective lock casing can be utilized in conjunction with various other types of enclosures as may be desired.

A latitude of modification, substitution, and change is intended in the foregoing disclosure, and in some instances, some features of the invention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features.

Claims

I claim:

1. A protective casing for a lock having a body, a barrel, a shackle comprising a sheath surrounding said body and having channel-shaped means surrounding said shackle on three sides for protecting said shackle, said sheath including inwardly directed flange means for underlying said body and a portion of said barrel for preventing removal of said barrel yet permitting rotation thereof, and means for securing said sheath to said lock extending through said sheath into said body.

2. A protective casing for a lock according to claim 1, wherein said flange means include a pair of flanges, each underlying a portion of said barrel, said channel-shaped means extending substantially beyond said shackle and being an integral channel extension of said sheath.