U.S. patent number 3,765,196 [Application Number 05/266,984] was granted by the patent office on 1973-10-16 for armored cable-type lock assembly with special end fittings for the armored cable thereof.
Invention is credited to Stanley C. Balicki.
United States Patent |
3,765,196 |
Balicki |
October 16, 1973 |
ARMORED CABLE-TYPE LOCK ASSEMBLY WITH SPECIAL END FITTINGS FOR THE
ARMORED CABLE THEREOF
Abstract
An armored ball and socket-type cable having a first end fitting
in the form of a lock housing which establishes a slip joint for
the medial region of the cable and a second end fitting which
establishes a lost motion take-up device for the cable. Novel
anchor means are provided for permanently securing the two end
fittings to the ends of the cable, a novel cylinder lock is
associated with the lock housing (first end fitting) for removably
projecting a locking bolt into locking engagement with selected
armor sections, and two forms of armor sections are capable of
being used in connection with the stranded cable proper.
Inventors: |
Balicki; Stanley C. (Franklin
Park, IL) |
Family
ID: |
23016821 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/266,984 |
Filed: |
June 28, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
70/49; 70/360;
70/18 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E05B
67/003 (20130101); Y10T 70/7576 (20150401); Y10T
70/483 (20150401); Y10T 70/409 (20150401) |
Current International
Class: |
E05B
67/00 (20060101); E05b 067/06 (); E05b
073/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;70/18,49,15,14,30,360,417 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Wolfe; Robert L.
Claims
Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire
to secure by letters patent is:
1. A lock assembly comprising an elongated flexible armored cable
having a fixed end and a free end and provided with a series of
longitudinally spaced annular locking grooves therealong, a lock
housing secured to said fixed end and having therein a transverse
bore for sliding reception therethrough of said free end in order
to produce a closed variable size loop, said housing being formed
with a cylindrical lock-receiving socket having a bottom wall with
an opening which communicates with said bore, a cylinder lock
fixedly disposed in said socket, said cylinder lock including a
lock cylinder slidable axially in said bore and provided with a
locking member on its inner end, said cylinder being movable bodily
between a retracted position wherein the locking member projects
through said opening and into said bore for selective engagement
with said annular locking grooves, and a projected position wherein
the locking member is withdrawn from said bore, spring means
yieldingly biasing said cylinder to its projected position,
releasable latch means effective between said lock cylinder and the
wall of said bore for latching the cylinder in its retracted
position, and key-actuated means disposed within said lock cylinder
for releasing said latch means.
2. A lock assembly as set forth in claim 1 and wherein the opening
in the bottom wall of said lock-receiving socket is in the form of
a diametrically extending slot, and the locking member is in the
form of a flat-sided flange which is slidable in said slot and thus
prevents turning movement of the lock cylinder within said
lock-receiving socket.
3. A lock assembly as set forth in claim 2 and wherein said
releasable latch means comprises a latch bolt mounted for diametric
sliding movement in said lock cylinder between a retracted position
wherein it is disposed within the cylindrical confines of the
cylinder and a projected position wherein the forward end thereof
is projected radially from the cylinder, and a recess is formed in
the wall of said lock-receiving socket and into which the forward
end of the latch bolt extends when the lock cylinder is in its
retracted position.
4. A lock assembly as set forth in claim 2 and wherein said lock
cylinder is provided with spaced apart rim flanges which define
therebetween an annular recess, and a snap ring is disposed within
said recess and seats within an annular internal annular groove in
the wall of said lock-receiving bore and serves to maintain the
lock cylinder permanently in position within said latter bore.
5. A lock assembly as set forth in claim 2 and wherein said lock
cylinder is of a composite nature and is comprised of inner rear
and outer front cup-shaped telescopic sections which are maintained
in their fixed telescopic relationship by means of radial drive
pins which pass through the walls of such sections.
6. A lock assembly as set forth in claim 2 and wherein said
key-actuated means comprises fixed and rotatable barrel parts
within said lock cylinder, an eccentric pin which is connected to
said rotatable barrel part and projects into a circular recess in
the latch bolt, and a key-responsive split tumbler mechanism for
releasably locking the rotatable barrel part to the fixed barrel
part.
7. A lock assembly as set forth in claim 1 and wherein said
flexible armored cable comprises a stranded steel cable having one
end thereof fixedly secured to said lock housing, and a plurality
of tubular sheathe-like armor sections slidingly received over said
cable and bridging the distance between said free end and said
fixed end, said armor sections including alternately arranged ball
members presenting convex frusto-spherical bearing surfaces at
their opposite ends and cylindrical socket members presenting
concave frusto-spherical bearing surfaces at their opposite ends,
each ball member being provided with a cylindrical bore
therethrough which communicates with frusto-conical recesses at its
opposite ends, the steel cable passing through said bore and
recesses and the recesses constituting clearance areas for the
cable to enhance the extent of angular flexing of the armored
cable.
8. A lock assembly as set forth in claim 7 and wherein each socket
member is formed with a cylindrical bore therethrough which
communicates with frusto-conical recesses at its opposite ends, the
steel cable passing through said latter bore and recesses and the
recesses constituting clearance areas for the cable to enhance the
extent of angular flexing of the armored cable.
9. A lock assembly as set forth inclaim 7 and wherein said armor
sections further include a terminal end section into which the end
region of the steel cable which is remote from the lock housing
extends, and a helical compression spring which encircles said end
region, bears at one end against the cable and at its other end
against said terminal end section so as to place the cable under
tension and draw adjacent armor sections hard against each
other.
10. A lock assembly comprising an elongated flexible stranded cable
having a fixed end and a free end, a plurality of tubular armor
sections telescopically and loosely received over said cable in
end-to-end contiguity, thus establishing an armored cable assembly,
adjacent armor sections defining therebetween ball and socket
connections which collectively permit articulation of the armored
cable assembly, said armor sections defining a series of
longitudinally spaced external annular locking grooves, a lock
housing on the fixed end of said cable, a terminal end fitting on
the free end of the cable, said lock housing being provided with a
transverse bore for sliding reception therethrough of said free end
of the cable together with the associated armor sections to produce
a closed variable size loop, key-actuated locking means in said
lock housing and including a retractable locking flange designed
for selective projection into said grooves to thus establish
different size loops, said lock housing being formed with a
cylindrical socket the wall of which is provided with an internal
annular groove therearound, a cylindrical anchoring collar mounted
on said free end of the cable and provided therearound with an
external annular groove, said collar fitting snugly within said
cylindrical socket with said internal and external grooves in
circumferential register, and a split snap ring seated within the
last-mentioned grooves and serving permanently to retain said
collar within said socket.
11. A lock assembly as set forth in claim 10 and wherein said
anchoring collar is formed with a frusto-conical bore into which
said free end of the stranded cable projects, and a tapered wedge
disposed within said frusto-conical bore and serving to spread the
strands of said cable apart and against the wall of said
frusto-conical bore in order thus fixedly to secure the collar on
said free end of the cable.
12. A lock assembly comprising an elongated flexible stranded cable
having a fixed end and a free end, a plurality of tubular armor
sections telescopically and loosely received over said cable in
end-to-end contiguity, thus establishing an armored cable assembly,
adjacent armor sections defining therebetween ball and socket
connections which collectively permit articulation of the armored
cable assembly, said armor sections defining a series of
longitudinally spaced external annular locking grooves, a lock
housing on the fixed end of said cable, a terminal end fitting on
the free end of the cable, said lock housing being provided with a
transverse bore for sliding reception therethrough of said free end
of the cable together with the associated armor sections to produce
a closed variable size loop, key-actuated locking means in said
lock housing and including a retractable locking flange designed
for selective projection into said grooves to thus establish
different size loops, said terminal end fitting being in the form
of a cup-shaped member having a relatively deep socket therein and
provided therearound with an internal annular groove into which the
free end of said cable projects, a reaction collar on said free end
of the cable and slidable within said socket, a guide collar
surrounding the free end region of the cable and provided with an
external annular groove therearound, said guide collar fitting
snugly within said socket with said internal and external grooves
in circumferential register, a split snap ring seated within said
latter grooves and serving permanently to retain the guide collar
within said socket, and a compression spring encircling the free
end region of said cable and interposed between said reaction and
guide collars and serving to take up lost motion between said guide
collar and the adjacent armor sections.
13. A lock assembly as set forth in claim 12 and wherein said
reaction collar is formed with a frusto-conical bore into which
said free end of the stranded cable projects, and a tapered wedge
disposed within said frusto-conical bore and serving to spread the
strands of said cable apart and against the wall of said
frusto-conical bore to thus fixedly secure the collar on said free
end of the cable.
Description
The present invention relates to an armored cable-type lock
assembly of the general type which is shown and described in my
U.S. Pat. No. 3,696,647, granted on Oct. 10, 1972, and entitled
"CABLE-TYPE LOCK ASSEMBLY," the present lock assembly being an
improvement over that which is disclosed in such patent.
The present lock assembly is designed primarily for use as a
tie-down lock for a motorcycle, a go-cart, a mini-bike, a
snowmobile, or any other wheeled sporting vehicle, as well as for a
sail or a motor boat, and in this respect it does not differ from
the lock assembly of my aforementioned patent. Structurally,
insofar as the cable armor per se of the present invention is
concerned, it is similar to that of the patented lock assembly in
that it consists of ball and socket members which are threaded onto
a flexible stranded steel cable. Two forms of cable armor are
disclosed herein, each being similar to a corresponding form of
armor disclosed in said patent but possessing certain inherent
advantages, principal among which is the ability of the cable to
make a relatively sharp bend or curve without binding of the armor
sections (ball and socket members).
Functionally also there is a similarity between the patented and
the present cable-type lock assemblies in that each includes a pair
of end fittings, one of which is in the form of a lock housing
which establishes a slip joint for the medial region of the armor
sections and the other of which establishes a lost motion take-up
device for said sections. Furthermore, each lock assembly is
capable of being put to use for tie-down purposes by threading an
end of the armored cable through a transverse bore in the lock
housing in order to establish a variable size loop, and then
locking such medial region of the armored cable in a fixed position
when the desired loop size has been attained, a key-operated
cylinder lock which is secured within the lock housing being
provided for this purpose. Because of these similarities both of
structure and function between the two cable-type lock assemblies,
the general objects of the present invention are substantially the
same as those set forth in my aforementioned Patent No.
The improvements which constitute the novel subject matter of the
present invention reside mainly in a novel and more effective means
for anchoring the opposite ends of the cable in the end fittings,
i.e., the lock housing and the lost motion take-up device and, in
addition, a novel key-operated lock housing and cylinder lock
combination by means of which the lock housing may be caused to
interlock with the cable armor at selected regions therealong.
Insofar as the anchoring means are concerned, whereas such means in
the case of the patented lock assembly consist of captured tubular
sheet metal ferrules which are either crimped or soldered to the
ends of the cables after the latter are initially threaded through
the respective end fittings, i.e., the lock housing and the lost
motion take-up device, the present anchoring means consist of
machined anchor members in the form of metal collars which may be
affixed to the ends of the cable prior to application of the lock
housing and the take-up device to the cable. Thereafter, the anchor
members are applied to the end fittings by a push-in-and-snap
action, after which the assembly is a complete and permanent one
which cannot be taken apart except by the use of a cutting torch or
the like. This anchoring and assembly arrangement enables the cable
and its armor to be fashioned and assembled for inventory purposes
in predetermined lengths so that individual customer requirements
may be attended to on a retail basis by selecting the desired
armored cable length and then snapping the two end fittings in
position on the armored cable to effect a permanent and
self-contained lock assembly.
Insofar as the key-operated lock housing and cylinder lock
combination is concerned, whereas the patented combination embodies
a positive action, cam-operated withdrawal means for disengaging a
locking flange from the cable armor sections in the vicinity of the
slip joint, the present lock housing and cylinder lock combination
employs a pop-up type of cylinder lock which, when it moves bodily
from a seated and latched position to its popped-out position,
withdraws the locking flange from engagement with the cable armor
sections. The cylinder lock is maintained in its seated position by
means of a slidable latch bolt which, when withdrawn from a
projected latching position under the influence of a key and
tumbler arrangement, allows the entire cylinder lock to shift
bodily to its popped-out position, thereby releasing the cable
armor for sliding movement through the lock housing. The advantages
of such a lock housing and cylinder arrangement will be set forth
presently, the principal advantage being in the construction of a
simpler and less costly combination of parts and one which may be
inventoried separately from the lock housing and snapped
permanently into position in such housing at the time of retail
sales.
The provision of an armored cable-type lock assembly such as has
briefly been outlined above, and possessing the stated advantages,
constitutes the principal object of the present invention. Numerous
other objects and advantages, not at this time enumerated, will
become readily apparent from a consideration of the following
detailed description.
The invention consists in the several novel features which are
described herein and are more specifically defined by the claims at
the conclusion hereof.
In the accompanying single sheet of drawings forming a part of this
specification, one illustrative embodiment of the invention, but
with two forms of cable armor, is shown.
In these drawings:
FIG. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view, partly in elevation, taken
centrally and longitudinally through the proximate or locking end
region of an armored cable-type lock assembly embodying the present
invention;
FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of
FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 1 but taken
on a central longitudinal plane which is at a right angle to the
sectional plane of FIG. 1, and showing the armored cable, with a
different form of cable armor, threaded through the lock housing
and locked in position therein; and
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, partly in elevation, taken
centrally and longitudinally through the distal end region of the
cable-type lock assembly.
Referring now to the drawings in detail and in particular to FIGS.
1 to 3, inclusive, the cable-type lock assembly of the present
invention is comprised essentially of four separately manufactured
and assembled components, namely, an armored cable, two forms of
which are designated by the reference numerals 210 and 10 in FIGS.
1 and 3, respectively, an end fitting in the form of a lock housing
12 at one end of the armored cable, a second or terminal end
fitting in the form of a lost motion or slack take-up member 14 at
the other end of the armored cable, and a cylinder lock 16 which is
permanently received within the lock housing 12.
For descriptive purposes herein, the end of the armored cable to
which the lock housing 12 is applied will be referred to as the
"fixed" end, while the other end of the armored cable to which the
terminal end fitting 14 is applied will be referred to as the
"free" end.
Considering first the nature of the armored cable 10 which is
illustrated in FIG. 3, the cable is comprised of a central length
of flexible stranded steel cable 20 over which there is threaded
series of tubular sheathe-like armor sections including alternately
arranged male ball members 22 and female socket members 24. All of
the ball members 22 are identical in configuration and are in the
form of spherical beads of relatively massive construction. Each
ball member presents an outer spherical surface which is
interrupted by a central bore 26. The latter extends diametrically
through the member and receives the stranded cable 20. The opposite
ends of the bore 26 in each ball member 22 communicate with
frusto-conical recesses 28 which perform a function that will be
set forth presently. The diameter of the bores 26 is slightly
greater than the outside diameter of the stranded cable 20 with the
result that the ball members 22 will slide easily along the cable
during cable and ball member assembly operations and with the
further result that after the assembly is complete the ball members
22 will not bind against the cable.
All of the socket members 24 are identical and each is in the form
of a tubular bead having an axial bore 30 extending therethrough.
At each end of the bore 30 there is formed a frusto-conical recess
32, the outer rim of which communicates with a semi-sopherical
socket 34 of annular configuration, the curvature of the socket
being conformable to the curvature of the outer surface of the
adjacent ball member 22 in the alternate arrangement of ball and
socket members 22 and 24. The effective depth of each socket 34 is
slightly less than the radius of a ball member 22 and,
consequently, an intervening ball member 22 between two adjacent
socket members 24, when seated within the opposed sockets 34, will
present a limited exposed peripheral portion of the ball member and
will maintain the adjacent socket members slightly spaced apart and
thus establish a flexible ball and socket joint between such
adjacent socket members. As shown in FIG. 4, the socket members 24
which extend inwardly an appreciable distance from the terminal end
fitting or slack take-up member 14 are provided with medial
circumferential locking grooves 36, the purpose of which is to
establish a series of locking shoulders for cooperation with a
locking flange which is associated with the cylinder lock 16 in a
manner that will be described subsequently. It is to be noted at
this point that the bores 26 in the ball members 22 and the bores
30 in the socket members 24 are of relatively short axial extent,
specifically on the order of approximately twice the diameter of
the bores. The slant angle of the frusto-conical recesses 28 at the
ends of the bores in the ball members 22 and of the frusto-conical
recesses 32 at the ends of the bores 30 in the socket members 24 is
on the order of 30.degree., the various recesses constituting
clearance areas which allow for relatively steep angular bends or
curves in the assembled armored cable since there are no sharp rim
edges that ordinarily would contact the stranded cable 20 in the
absence of such frusto-conical recesses. Whereas, in the absence of
such clearance recesses, an angular flexion of approximately
45.degree. would be possible, albeit, not without some danger of
cable cutting, when the frusto-conical recesses 28 and 32 are
provided a flexion of as much as 55.degree. can be effected with no
danger of cable cutting, these figures being based on the
illustrated form of armored cable 10 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 of
the drawings. It will be understood that by varying the depth and
angularity of the frusto-conical recesses 28 and 32 and of the
semi-spherical sockets 34, the maximum curvature of which the
armored cable 10 is capable will be varied accordingly.
It will be understood, of course, that the effective length of any
given armored cable 10 will be a direct function of the number of
ball members 22 and socket members 24 which are employed on the
stranded steel cable 20. As previously stated, these members 22 and
24 are alternately threaded on the cable 20, there being one more
ball member than there are socket members so that each end of the
cable armor will present one of the ball members 22. After the
requisite number of ball and socket members have been threaded on
the stranded cable 20 so as substantially to cover the cable from
end to end, each end of the cable will have applied thereto a
tubular machined retaining collar. One of these retaining collars
is designated by the reference numeral 40 in FIG. 3 and is
operatively applied to the lock housing 12, and the other of the
two collars is designated by the numeral 42 in FIG. 4 and is
operatively applied to the slack take-up member 14.
The collar 40 is of cylindrical configuration and has formed
therein a frusto-conical axial bore 44 of relatively small slant
angle. The inner end of the collar 40 is formed with a
semi-spherical socket 46 which is commensurate in diameter to the
diameter of the adjacent ball member 22. The outer cylindrical
surface of the collar 40 is provided with a medial external annular
groove 48 which cooperates with a snap ring 50 in securing the
collar 40 permanently within the confines of the lock housing 12 in
a manner that will be made clear presently. The collar 40 is
applied to the adjacent or fixed end of the stranded cable 20 by
initially inserting such end of the cable into the semi-spherical
socket 46 and then through the bore 44 until it becomes flush with
the outer end face 52 of the collar, after which a plurality of
tapered wedges 54 are driven endwise into the adjacent end of the
cable in order to spread the steel strands thereof outwardly and
against the tapered wall of the bore 44 much in the manner that a
wedge is driven into the distal end of a wooden hammer handle in
order fixedly to maintain the same in the eye of the head of the
hammer. By this expedient, tension which may be applied to the
cable 20 will enhance the wedging action of the wedges 54 and
prevent withdrawal of the adjacent end of the cable 20 from the
bore 44 in the retaining collar 40.
The collar 42 (see FIG. 4) is similar to the collar 40 except for
the fact that it is of somewhat smaller diameter and is devoid of
an external annular groove therearound, as well as of a
semi-spherical socket in its inner end. It is applied to the
adjacent or free end of the cable 20 in the same manner as the
collar 40 is applied to the fixed end of the cable, i.e., by means
of tapered wedges 56 which force the cable strands against the wall
of a tapered or frusto-conical axial bore 58 which is formed in and
extends through the collar 42. Said collar 42 constitutes a
reaction member for one end of a helical compression spring 60
which surrounds the free end of the stranded steel cable 20, the
other end of the spring bearing against one end face 62 of a guide
collar 64. The other end face of the guide collar is formed with a
semi-spherical recess 66 which bears against the adjacent ball
member 22 of the armored cable. The guide collar 64 has formed
therearound an external annular groove 68 within which the inner
marginal portion of a snap ring 70 is seated, the groove and snap
ring being designed for locking engagement with the terminal end
member or slack take-up fitting 14 in a manner that will be set
forth presently.
It is to be understood that at the time of assembly of the armored
cable 10, the collar 42 is applied to the free end of the cable 20
in such a manner that the compression spring 60 is caused to exist
under a slight degree of compression so that the guide collar 64 is
forced yieldingly against the adjacent ball member 22 with a
moderate degree of pressure, thus transmitting pressure
successively from ball member to socket member and vice versa
throughout the entire length of the armored cable, the two
retaining collars 42 and 40 constituting terminal reaction members
which assimilate or contain such pressure.
The thus completed or assembled armored cable 10 constitutes an
individual or unitary cable lock component which may be inventoried
by the retailer in predetermined lengths for subsequent application
thereto of the two end fittings, i.e., the lock housing 12 and the
slack take-up member 14, the former being applied to the collar 40
and the latter being applied to the guide collar 64.
The lock housing 12 is generally in the form of a pear-shaped body,
the large end of which has formed therein a cylindrical
lock-receiving socket 72, while the small end has formed therein a
socket 74, the two sockets being coaxial with the lock housing 12.
The socket 74 is designed for reception of the retaining collar 40
on the fixed end of the stranded cable 20. Said socket 74 is
provided with a semi-spherical countersocket 76 in the rim or outer
end region thereof, such countersocket being designed for mating
cooperation with the adjacent ball member 22 of the armored cable
10. The socket 74 is provided with a medially disposed continuous
annular groove 78 which registers with the external annular groove
48 in the collar 40 so that when the latter collar is inserted
endwise in the socket 74 of the lock housing 12 the snap ring 50
will fall in place between the two grooves and thus permanently
anchor the fixed end of the armored cable 10 to the lock housing
12.
The central portion of the lock housing 12 is provided with a
transverse bore 80, the diameter of the bore being slightly greater
than the external diameter of the various socket members 24. This
transverse bore 80 is designed for reception therethrough of a
medial region of the armored cable 10 in order that a variable size
loop may be established for vehicle-locking purposes, as, for
example, when the free end of the armored cable is passed through
the frame or wheel of a motorcycle and then threaded through the
bore 80 as shown in FIG. 3. After pulling the cable through the
bore 80 until the desired size of loop is attained, the cylinder
lock 16 is manipulated to lock the armored cable 10 to the lock
housing 12.
It is to be noted that in connection with any given linearly
straight length or span of the armored cable 10, the socket members
24, in combination with the intervening ball members 22, define a
series of annular locking grooves 82 (see FIGS. 3 and ) and are
designed for selective cooperation with a locking flange 84 which
is associated with the cylinder lock 16 and the nature of which
will be set forth presently. When this locking flange is projected
forwardly from the inner end of the cylinder lock 16, it is capable
of entering a selected groove 82 or 36 in order securely to lock
the lock housing 12 in a fixed axial position along the armored
cable 10. When the locking flange 84 is withdrawn from the selected
groove 82 or 36 and into the confines of the lock housing 12, the
armored cable is released and the lock housing 12 may be slid
therealong into a position wherein it is free with respect to the
free end of the armored cable 10.
The cylinder lock 16 is of the "pop-up" axial tumbler type and
involves in its general organization a composite lock cylinder
embodying two telescopic cylinder parts. The latter consist of a
front part 86 and a cup-shaped rear part 88, the former part being
telescopically received within the latter part and being fixedly
and permanently secured thereto by means of a pair of coaxial
radially extending anchor or drive pins 90. The two lock cylinder
parts 86 and 88 are formed with outwardly extending annular rim
flanges 92 and 94 which define therebetween an annular recess 96.
The latter has disposed therein the inner portion of a snap ring
98. The outer portion of said snap ring seats within an annular
internal groove 100 which is formed in the wall of the cylindrical
lock-receiving socket 72 in the large end of the lock housing 12.
The entire lock cylinder 16 is shiftable bodily as a unit between a
retracted position within the socket 72 wherein the snap ring 98
engages the rim flange 86 of the front part 86, and a projected
position wherein the snap ring 98 engages the rim flange 94 of the
rear part 88, such position being shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1.
Two helical compression springs 102 are received in small sockets
104 in the rear or inner end face of the rear cylinder part 88 and
bear at their inner ends against the bottom wall 106 of the socket
72, the purpose of such spring being yieldingly to urge the
cylinder lock 16 into its projected position. The previously
mentioned locking flange 84 is integrally formed on the rear end of
the rear cylinder part 88 and is of sharp right-angle configuration
in cross section in order that it will positively engage within a
selected locking groove 82 or 36 with no danger of slipping under
the influence of armored cable tension. Said locking flange 84
projects through a diametrically disposed slot 108 which is formed
in the bottom wall 106 of the socket 72. The distal edge of the
flange 84 is recessed on an arcuate bias as indicated at 110 in
FIG. 1 so that when the lock cylinder 16 is in its retracted
position within the confines of the socket 72, the locking flange
will be projected into a selected locking groove 82 or 36 of the
armored cable 10 and the arcuate edge or relief area of the locking
flange will mate with the spherical outer surface of the adjacent
ball member 22 of the bottom of the groove 36, depending on whether
the flange in one of the grooves 86 on one of the grooves 36.
The cylinder lock 16 further includes a rotatable barrel part 112
which is disposed and rotatably mounted in the composite lock
cylinder and has an outwardly extending annular flange 114. The
latter, in combination with a fixed inner barrel part 115,
establishes an interfacial plane 116 which is normally intersected
by a series of split, spring-biased, axial tumblers 118 as is
conventional in connection with an axial tumbler type lock. When
all of the splits of the split tumblers 118 lie in the common
interfacial plane 116, the outer barrel part 112 is capable of
being rotated, otherwise not. The inner barrel part 115 is
maintained in fixed relation with the front and rear parts 86 and
88 of the composite lock cylinder by the anchor or drive pins 90
(see FIG. 3). Rotation of said outer barrel part 112 is
accomplished under the control of a key 120 having a tubular body
portion 122 which is provided with tumbler-displacing shoulders 124
and a manipulating wing 126. The body portion 112 of the key 120 is
telescopically receivable over the outer end of the outer barrel
part 112 and, when so received, the shoulders 124 serve to bring
the various tumblers 118 to their positions of lock release as is
customary with a conventional axial tumbler type lock.
Means are provided for releasably latching the cylinder lock 16 in
its retracted position within the socket 72, this position serving
to project the locking flange 84 through the slot 108 for
cable-locking purposes as previously described. This retracted
position of the cylinder lock 16 may thus be regarded as the
"locked" position of the lock housing 12, although it is not
necessarily the locked condition of the lock cylinder 16.
Similarly, the projected or "popped-out" position of the cylinder
lock 16 may be regarded as the unlocked condition of the lock
housing 12 although it does not necessarily represent the unlocked
condition of the cylinder lock.
The means for releasably latching the cylinder lock 16 in its
retracted position embodies a cylindrical latch bolt 130 which is
longitudinally slidable in a cylindrical bore 132 in the inner end
portion of the cup-shaped rear cylinder part 88. The bore 132
extends transversely of said rear cylinder part 88 and a portion of
its wall intersects the bottom wall of the rear cylinder part 88 so
that the upper or outer portion of the latch bolt 130, as viewed in
FIG. 3, is exposed to the lower or inner end of the rotatable
barrel part 112. A small eccentric pin 134 on the lower or inner
end of the barrel part 112 projects into a circular recess 136 (see
FIG. 2) which is formed in the flattened upper or outer portion of
the latch bolt 130 and thus provides a lost motion interlock for
translating rotational movement of the barrel part 112 into
longitudinal sliding movement of the latch bolt 130. A helical
compression spring 140 extends into a longitudinal socket 142 in
the inner end of the latch bolt 130 and serves yieldingly to urge
the bolt to a projected position wherein the outer or distal end
thereof enters a recess 144 (see FIGS. 1 and 3) which is cut in the
cylindrical wall of the bore 72 in the lock housing 12.
The end fitting or slack take-up member 14 is shown in FIG. 4 and
it consists of an elongated thimble-like member which, in effect,
constitutes a terminal armor section and defines a relatively deep
socket 150. An enlarged counter-socket 152 in the lower or open end
region of the thimble-like member defines with the socket 150 an
annular shoulder 154 in the medial region of said thimble-like
member. The countersocket 152 is formed with an annular snap
ring-receiving groove 156, the function of which will become
apparent presently. The rim region of the slack take-up member 14
is formed with semi-spherical recess 158 of annular configuration,
this recess being designed for mating engagement with the adjacent
ball member 22 of the armored cable 10.
The end fitting or slack take-up device 14 is adapted to be
manufactured in quantity and stocked by a retailer who may apply
one such fitting to each armored cable at the time the latter is
sold to a customer. To assemble the end fitting 14 on the cable,
the cable-attached collar 42 is pushed into the bore 52 until such
time as the snap ring 70 which is disposed within the annular
groove 68 in the guide collar 64 snaps into position within the
groove 156. At this time, the assembly is complete and permanent
and no disconnection is possible.
In the operation of the cylinder lock 16, assuming that the lock is
in its retracted position within the confines of the bore 72, and
that the latch bolt 130 is in its projected position so that it
extends into the recess 44 in the wall of the bore 72, insertion of
the key 120 into the cylinder lock will cause the various split
tumblers to shift axially so that the splits defined thereby lie in
the aforementioned interfacial plane 116 of the rotatable and fixed
barrel parts 112 and 115, thereby permitting turning of the key and
together with the rotatable barrel part 112. Such rotation of the
barrel part 112 will shift the position of the small eccentric pin
134, and the latter will ride against the circular edge of the
recess 136 and, by a camming action, withdraw the outer or distal
end of the latch bolt 130 from the recess 144. As soon as the latch
bolt 130 clears the downwardnly facing shoulder which is afforded
by said recess 144, the two springs 102 will project the entire
cylinder lock 16 upwardly to the dotted-line position in which it
is shown in FIG. 1, thereby withdrawing the locking flange 84 from
the particular locking groove 82 or 36 in which it may be seated
and freeing the lock housing 12 from the medial region of the
armored cable 10 for sliding therealong in either direction. It is
to be noted that during rotation of the barrel part 112, the mating
locking flange 84 and the elongated slot 108 through which it
projects prevent turning of the composite cylinder 86, 88 in the
bore 72.
It is also to be noted that when the cylinder lock 16 moves bodily
toward its raised dotted-line position, the extreme distal end of
the latch bolt rides on the smooth cylindrical wall of the socket
72, the bolt remaining in its retracted position against the
yielding or biasing action of the compression spring 140. The key
120 may be withdrawn from the cylinder lock 16 at any time and
ordinarily after the cylinder lock has moved to its raised or
"popped-out" position, the key will be removed and the lock housing
will thus remain in its unlocked condition until such time as it is
again desired to engage the housing with the armored cable. At this
time, it is necessary merely to adjust the cable 10 in the
transverse bore 80 of the lock housing 12 until the locking flange
84 is brought into register with the desired locking groove 82 or
36, as the case may be, at which time the lock cylinder 16 will be
pushed manually to its retracted position within the bore 72. As
soon as this occurs, the latch bolt 130 will snap into its
projected position and enter the recess 144 in order thus to
maintain the cylinder lock in such retracted position with the
locking flange 84 in interlocking engagement with the selected
locking groove 82 or 36.
The above-described terminal end fittings 12 and 14, i.e., the lock
housing and the slack take-up member, are useable without
modification in connection with the alternate form of armored cable
210 which is illustrated in FIG. 1. When so used, the stranded
cable proper 20 and the two end fittings remain precisely the same
as heretofore described, the only difference in the lock assembly
as a whole being in the use of a different form of armored cable.
Instead of employing male ball members 22 and separate female
socket members 24, all of the armor sections with the exception of
the use of a single terminal ball member 22, are identical and each
is in the form of a tubular body 212 which is of cylindrical design
and presents male and female end regions. The male end region is in
the form of an axially extending reduced post-like section 214 on
the outer end of which there is formed semi-spherical ball fragment
216, while the female end region embodies a semi-spherical socket
218 which is conformable in shape to that of the ball fragment 216.
A straight cylindrical bore 220 extends through the ball fragment
216 and the post-like section 214 and opens into the small end of a
frusto-conical counterbore 222. The large end of such counterbore
opens into the semi-spherical socket 218.
The tubular bodies 212 of the armored cable 210 are threaded onto
the stranded steel cable 20 in end-to-end fashion so that each ball
fragment 216 is received in a socket 218 in the next adjacent
tubular body 212. When the cable is placed under tension by reason
of assembly of the terminal end fitting (slack take-up member 14),
a universal ball and socket joint is established between each pair
of adjacent bodies 212. The frusto-conical counterbores 222
function in the manner of the frusto-conical recesses 32 of the
ball members 22 of the armored cable 10.
Since the female end of one of the tubular bodies 212 opposes the
lock housing 12, it is necessary to interpose one of the ball
members 22 between such tubular body and the lock housing, such
ball member mating with the adjacent spherical recess 76 of the
lock housing 12 and the adjacent semi-spherical socket 218 of said
one tubular body 212.
The invention is not to be limtied to the exact arrangement of
parts shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this
specification as various changes in the details of construction may
be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the
invention. Therefore, only insofar as the invention is particularly
pointed out in the accompanying claims is the same to be
limited.
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