Cylinder lock assembly

Abstract

A cylinder lock assembly is provided having a cylinder lock including an externally threaded housing, an internally threaded adjustable extension for mating with said housing and adjusting the combined length of said housing and extension to the width of the door in which said assembly is to be installed. The assembly is further provided with a door plate and end plate for mounting the assembly to the door.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to cylinder lock assemblies and more particularly to cylinder lock assemblies of a universal nature whereby such assemblies may be used in doors of varying widths.

Cylinder locks are generally utilized in metal doors having front and rear sheets of metal and a space therebetween. The cylinder locks have a cylindrical housing which extends part of the way between the front and rear sheets of metal and are secured within the door by screws which extend from the rear sheet to the threaded bores in the rear surface of the cylindrical housing in order to prevent rotation of the housing relative to the door. In securing the cylinder lock in this manner, the metal sheets are deformed to provide the necessary counter forces to the screws to hold the cylinder lock firmly in the door. While securement of the cylinder lock to the door in this manner provides initial firm securement, due to fatigue of the metal sheets, the cylinder lock eventually becomes loose requiring continual retightening.

The present invention avoids the above problem by providing a cylinder lock assembly which is adjustable during installation to the width of the door whereby the cylinder housing is secured within the door without the need to substantially deform the metal sheets of the door. Thus, the possibility of loosening by eventual metal fatigue is substantially eliminated and the need for retightening is substantially eliminated.

The above feature not only eliminates loosening of the cylinder lock within the door but also enables more effective usage of a door plate to cover the face or front surface of the cylinder housing. In particular, the same metal fatigue which causes loosening of the cylinder lock within the door also causes loosening of the door plate enabling the insertion of a prying tool between the door and the door plate. Through the use of the present invention, such metal fatigue is substantially eliminated and the door plate remains securely and firmly pressed against the door to prevent the insertion of a tool between the door and door plate.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a cylinder lock assembly having extension means for adjusting the combined length of the cylinder lock housing and extension to approximately the width of the door.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide means for securing both a cylinder lock and door plate to a door whereby these elements remain tightly secured to the door in spite of the passage of substantial time which would otherwise result in metal fatigue of the metal door and loosening of the cylinder lock and door plate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above objects are accomplished by means of the present invention which briefly includes a cylinder lock having an externally threaded housing and an internally threaded cylindrical extension for mating with the housing and adjusting the combined length of the housing and extension to approximately the width of the door in which the lock is to be installed. A door plate is provided together with an end plate for securing the lock, door plate and end plate as a single unit to the door not moveable relative to the door.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the cylinder lock assembly of the instant invention; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cylinder lock assembly of the instant invention as installed omitting the tumbler arrangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will next be described with respect to the drawings herein. The present invention utilizes a cylinder lock 10 of the rim lock type having a rod 12 extending from the key plug of the cylinder lock 10. The cylinder lock 10 may include either a single row of tumbler elements or multiple rows of tumbler elements for added protection against picking.

Cylinder lock 10 is mounted between the two sheets of metal 14 and 16 of a hollow metal door. Since metal doors may be of varying thickness, an adjustment member 18 is provided in the form of an internally threaded cylindrical sleeve which threadedly mates with the external threads on cylinder lock 10 and may be rotated for adjustment of the combined length of the cylinder lock and adjustment sleeve to the thickness of the door.

The cylinder lock 10 and adjustment sleeve 18 are mounted to the metal sheets 14 and 16 of the door through utilization of a door plate 20 and an end plate 22. Specifically, adjustment sleeve 18 is placed upon cylinder lock 10 and rotated such that the combined lengths of these elements is adjusted whereby rim 24 engages sheet 14 to align the face of the lock in the same plane as sheet 14 when the combined unit is inserted into the door such that sleeve 18 engages sheet 16. Screws 26 and 28 are inserted through apertures 30 and 32 of end plate 22 and corresponding holes in sheet 16 to threadedly engage bores 34 and 36, respectively, in the end surface of the cylinder lock 10. These screws are then tightened to securely retain the cylinder lock 10 in the door. Since the combined length of the cylinder lock 10 and adjustment sleeve 18 is substantially equal to the thickness of the door, sheets 14 and 16 are not deformed to a substantial extend during the tightening. Thus, metal sheets 14 and 16 do not lose this elasticity after the lock has been installed for a substantial period of time and the lock does not become loose in the door.

After the lock has been secured to sheets 14 and 16, door plate 20 is placed over the face of the lock with aperture 38 in alignment with the key plug 40 of the cylinder lock. Door plate 20 has a pair of projection lugs 42 and and 44 thereon which enter corresponding apertures in sheet 14 and a pair of projections 46 and 48 which mate with corresponding detents in the face of cylinder lock 10 to prevent rotation of the cylinder lock 10 relative to the door plate 20. Lugs 42 and 44 have threaded bores therein for receipt of screws 50 and 52, respectively, which pass through apertures 54 and 56, respectively in end plate 22 to secure the door plate 20 to the door. Since screws 50 and 52 are outside sleeve 18 while screws 26 and 28 are inside sleeve 18, the tightening of screws 50 and 52 serve to further tighten the securement of the lock within the door. Furthermore, the fact that the combined length of sleeve 18 and lock 10 is substantially equal to the width of the door, substantially prevents deforming of sleeves 14 and 16 in the event that an effort is made to pry plate 20 from the door. Bevelled edge 58 of plate 20 additionally prevents prying and grasping by a tool.

Rod 12 extending from the key plug extends through an aperture in sheet 16 as well as aperture 60 in end plate 22 to operate a bolt operating mechanism (not shown).

Additional apertures 62,64,66 and 68 are shown in end plate 22. These apertures may be needed for alignment purposes of where additional lugs are provided on door plate 20 or where additional threaded bores are provided in the end surface of the cylinder lock 10.

It is seen from the above that the present invention enables the assembly of a cylinder lock in metal doors of varying thickness such that the locks do not loosen after time and having a door plate and end plate which cooperate with an adjustment means to retain the lock secure to the door and prevent prying of the door plate.

While the present invention has been described with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof numerous modifications will now become apparent therefrom such as various arrangement of the number and locations of the fastening means. It is therefore desired that the scopes of the present invention not be determined by the foregoing illustration but rather by the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A cylinder lock assembly, comprising:

a cylinder lock having an externally threaded housing having front and rear surfaces and having a key plug extending through said housing, said key plug having a key slot therein and a key hole exposed at the front surface of said housing;

adjustable extension means having an internally threaded aperture therein for threadedly mating with said externally threaded housing for adjusting the combined length of said cylinder lock and extension means to approximately the width of a door in which said cylinder lock assembly is to be installed;

a plurality of threaded bores in said rear surface of said housing;

a plurality of screws of a length greater than the difference between the length of said housing and said combined length for securing said assembly to a door; and

end plate means having a plurality of apertures therein in alignment with said threaded bores in said rear surface of said housing for receiving said screws and securing said assembly to a door.

2. A cylinder lock assembly as defined in claim 1 further including a door plate covering said front surface of said housing and having an aperture therein in alignment with said keyhold permitting insertion of a key in said keyhold and rotation of said key; means projecting from said door plate in the direction of said cylinder lock having internally threaded bores therein; apertures in said end plate means alignment with said internally threaded bores in said door plate; and screws passing through said apertures and threadedly mating with said projecting means to secure said end plate means and said door plate to the door.

3. A cylinder lock assembly as defined in claim 2 further including a plurality of recesses in said face of said cylinder lock and protrusions on said door plate in alignment with said recesses for mating therewith to prevent rotation of said cylinder lock with respect to said door plate.

4. A cylinder lock assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said adjustable extension means is an internally threaded cylindrical sleeve.