GB2201719A

GB2201719A - Key operated lock

Info

Publication number: GB2201719A
Application number: GB08704071A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Frank Johnson
Original assignee: ABT HARDWARE Ltd
Current assignee: ABT HARDWARE Ltd
Priority date: 1987-02-21
Filing date: 1987-02-21
Publication date: 1988-09-07
Also published as: GB8704071D0

Abstract

The lock 10 has a bolt movable between locking and releasing positions and at least one tumbler 44, 44a to control movement of the bolt lathe between said positions, the or each tumbler being displaceable in a direction which is not perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the bolt lathe 21 by means of a key (37 Figure 5) between a locking position in which movement of the bolt lathe to the releasing position is prevented and a releasing position in which movement of the bolt lathe 21 to the releasing position can be effected by a further movement of the key. The lock is specially suitable for fitting as a mortice lock in a wing especially is relatively thin patio sliding door. As shown, the tumblers 44, 44a slide rectilinearly parallel to the direction of movement of bolt 21 but the tumblers may slide along non-rectilinear path or may be in the form of pivoted latches pivotable about axis so as to extend generally transversely to direction of movement of bolt lathe 21. It is preferred that direction of movement of tumblers is parallel to direction of movement of lathe 21 but the directions of movement may be inclined at up to 75%. One or more (as shown two) locking studs 18 are attached to bolt lathe 21 - and the threaded engagement shown permits adjustment - other arrangements are envisaged (hook or L-shaped latches or link to remote locking mechanism). When key is rotated, the bit engages end surface 46 of sliders 44 to move them up so that gate slots 47 become aligned with each other and with path of movement of nose 48 of pivoted element 49. Thereafter a nose 30 on a thrower disc 32 enters a talon 44 of lathe 21 and moves it upward. The slider 44a has a V-shaped projection to engage thrower disc 32 to retain it in locked position. <IMAGE>

Description

" Key operated lock" Description of Invention This invention is to a key operated lock, hereinafter referred to as being of the kind specified, having a bolt movable between locking and releasing positions and at least one tumbler, to control movement of the bolt between said positions, the or each tumbler being displaceable by means of a key between a locking position in which movement of the bolt to the releasing position is prevented and a releasing position in which movement of the bolt to the releasing position can be effected by a further movement of the key.

Hitherto the or each tumbler has been displaced by the key, in use, in a direction which is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the bolt between the said locking and releasing position. Consequently the width occupied by the lock is relatively great since is must accommodate the bolt and tumbler for such movement in mutually perpendicular directions.

An object of the invention is to provide a key operated lock of the kind specified in which the width is reduced compared with the width of known locks and hence render the lock suitable for fitting, as a mortice lock, in relatively thin doors such as patio doors.

According to one aspect of the invention we provide a key operated lock of the kind specified wherein the tumblers are disposed so as to be displaced in a direction which is not perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the bolt.

Preferably the tumblers are disposed so as to be displaced in a direction parallel or substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the bolt.

The or each tumbler may be arranged for translatory movement or rotary movement.

Of course, where the or each tumbler is arranged for rotary movement it is the direction of a tangent to the arcuate movement of the part of the tumbler which is operative to control said movement of the bolt which comprises said direction of displacement.

The lock may comprise a thrower element having a key bit engagable part and rotatable as a result thereof by the key and having a bolt driving part which is adapted to move the bolt from the locking position to the releasing position, the bolt driving part being angularly offset from the key bit engagable part.

The bolt driving part may be angularly offset from the key bit engagable part by 900 or substantially 900.

The bolt may have an abutment part for engagement with a detent element movement of which is controlled by the or each tumbler.

The detent element may have a part for engagement with the or each tumbler, the detent element being biased, by movement of the bolt from the locking position to the releasing position towards engagement with the or each tumbler and movement of the detent element sufficient to permit of movement of the bolt being permitted only when the or each tumbler has been moved to the releasing position by the key.

The lock may comprise a lock case in which the or each tumbler and bolt are movably mounted and the detent element may be pivotally mounted in said case.

The engagement between the bolt and detent element may comprise a cam and follower arrangement so that movement of the bolt causes camming movement of the detent member.

The or each tumbler and the bolt may be slidably mounted in said case for rectilinear sliding movement relative to the case in directions which are mutually parallel.

The or each tumbler may be resiliently biased to said locking position.

The bolt may carry at least one locking part which projects generally transversely relative to the direction of movement of the bolt and extends through an opening provided in the case.

Alternatively, the bolt within the case may be connected by a link passing through an opening in an end wall of the case to a locking part at a location remote from the lock.

According to another aspect of the invention we provide a wing having engaged in a mortice therein a lock according to the first aspect of the invention.

The wing may be a sliding door and the lock may be positioned in a mortice in a vertical edge surface of the door and the bolt may have at least one locking part which extends through an opening in the case of the lock and is movable into locking engagement with a keeper provided on a frame of the patio door positioned adjacent the lock in the closed position of the door.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: FIGURE I is a side elevation of a lock embodying the invention with parts omitted for clarity; FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of the lock of Figure 1; FIGURE 3 is an end elevation of the lock of Figure I looking in the direction of the arrow A in Figure 1; FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary side elevation, to an enlarged scale, of part of the lock of Figure I; and FIGURE 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a lock 10 comprising a generally rectangular casing II having spaced parallel side walls 12a, 12b, a fore end face 13, rear end face 14 and top and bottom ends 8, 9. The side wall 12, each end face 14 and top and bottom ends 8, 9 may be made of a one piece pressing in steel or brass and the fore end face 13 and side wall 12 assembled thereto by any suitable means such as by rivetting, welding or brazing.

The fore end face 13 has a locating peg 15 projecting outwardly therefrom and elongate slots 16 through which pass shanks 17 of locking studs or pirn 18 having heads 19 at their outer ends. The shanks 17 are threadedly received in brackets 20 fixed to a bolt lathe 21. The threaded engagement between the shanks 17 and brackets 20 permits of adjustment of the extent of projection of the heads 19 from the fore end face 13 and hence permits accommodation of variation in gap width between the fore end face 13 and a striker plate, not shown, proulKded with a pair of keyhole apertures provided for engagement by the shoot 18.

The bolt lathe 21 is mounted for rectilinear sliding movement within the case 11 adjacent the side wall 12a and has a transversely extending flange 22 which extends across the fore end 13 of the case II over a portion of the length thereof. The bolt lathe 21 is provided with a generally rectangular cut out 23 adjacent its mid-point and a talon formation 24 is provided in the base wall 25. The talon formation 24 comprises a transversely extending generally rectangular slot part 26 but with slightly diverging sides and and outer part 28 with outwardly diverging and generally arcuate sides.

The talon formation 24 is to receive a nose 30 of a thrower element 31 which comprises a disc part 32 adjacent one end of a generally cylindrical barrel part 33 having reduced diameter end parts 34 which are journal led in circular apertures 35 provided in the side walls 12a, 12b. The barrel part 33 has an internal diameter of a size to receive the shank 36 of a key 37 and a longitudinal extending slot 38 to receive the bit of the key 37. The thrower disc 32 is likewise provided with such a slot as shown at 40 and it will be observed that the slot 40 is angularly displaced relative to the thrower nose 30by900.

The side plate 12a is provided with a central recessed part 41 against which a shoulder 42 provided on the key 37 engages. This is to ensure that the bit of the key is aligned with the tumblers, hereinafter to be described, and the thrower disc 32 whether the key is inserted through the opening in the plate 12a or the plate 12b. it will be appreciated that this recess is necessary because of the presence of the bolt lathe 21 between the thrower disc 32 and the plate 12a in regions other than the central recess region 41.

Slidably mounted on transverse pins 43 extending between the plates 21 a, 12b are a plurality, in the present example four, tumblers in the form of sliders 44. The sliders 44 have elongate slots 45 in which the pins 43 are received to guide the sliders 44 for movement in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of the bolt lathe 21. Each slider 44 has an end surface 46 for engagement with an appropriate part of the bit of the key so that each slider 44 is moved up, in Figure 4, so that gate slots 47 therein, which are provided at different distances from the surface 46 in each slide 44, become aligned with each other and with the path of movement of a nose 48 of a bolt stump arm (or detent element) 49 pivoted relative to the case 11 by a pivot pin 50 extending between the plates 12a, 12b.

The bolt stump arm 49 has a transversely extending peg 51 which is received in a truncated V-shaped slot 52 provided in the bolt lathe 21.

In use, the key 37 is inserted into the lock through the opening in the plate 1 2a at the position as shown in Figure 4. The key 37 is then rotated, in an anticlockwise direction as shown in Figures I and 4 so that initially the bit of the key engages the surfaces 46 of the sliders 44 and moves the sliders up in Figures I and 4 to align the slots 47 with the path of movement of the nose 48 of the bolt stump arm 49.

Thereafter the thrower nose 30 enters the talon 24 and causes the bolt lathe 21 to move upwards in Figures I and 4, this movement being permitted because the peg 51 carried by the bolt stump arm 49 is permitted to travel along the slot 52 in the bolt lathe 21 because the nose 48 can move into the aligned slots 47 as the surface of the slot 52 cams the peg 51 to cause the bolt stump arm 49 to pivot about the pin 50 towards the sliders 44.

In the present example an additional slider 44a is provided having a surface 46a with a V-shaped projection 53 which is adapted to engage the surface of the thrower disc 32 and to engage in a correspondingly shaped detent recess 54 to retain the thrower disc in a predetermined locked position.

A cut out 55 is provided in the slider 44a so that it does not interfere with the movement of the bolt stump arm nose 48 since the slider 44a-is not, of course, engaged by the key bit but only by the periphery of the thrower disc 32. Because of the thus shorter movement of the slider 44a the slots 45a provided therein are shorter than the slots 45 provided in the other levers.

All the sliders 44, 44a are biased downwardly in Figure 4 by a leaf spring 56 one end of which is received in a slot 57 provided in each lever and the other end of which engages in abutment surface 58 on a wall 59 extending from the back wall 14.

Although in this example the tumblers have been described as sliders 44, 44a which slide rectilinearly, if desired, the sliders can be arranged to slide along a non-rectilinear path. Alternatively the tumblers may be in the form of pivoted latches which in this case could be pivoted about an axis so as to extend generally transversly to the direction of movement of the bolt lathe so that the position of engagement between the gate slot 47 and bolt stump lever 49 would move in an arc a tangent to which at the position of engagement between the bolt stump lever 49 and the gate slot 47 lies parallel or substantially parallel the direction of movement of the bolt lathe.

Although it is preferred that the direction of movement of the tumblers is parallel to the direction of movement of the bolt lathe, because this arrangement provided the narrowest lock, the invention encompasses arrangements where the directions of movement of the bolt lathe and tumblers are not parallel or substantially parallel but are inclined to each 0 other to slightly or at a significant angle, for example, at up to 45 or even 750.

If desired, the locked position of the lock may be such that the slot 40 for the key bit extends at a desired orientation, for example, it may be oriented at 900 to the orientation shown in the Figures. This would have the advantage that the latch could be inserted in a mortice in a door or the like in the appropriate orientation to achieve movement of the bolt lathe in a desired direction for movement from a locking to an unlocking position since with the key slot thus orientated the key slot would be horizontal whereas with the version illustrated the key slot would be inverted when the lock is located in a door in an inverted position.

Although in this example the bolt lathe has been described as being connected to two locking studs or pins if desired it may be attached to one, or more than two, locking studs or pins or to one or more latches which may be of a desired configuration, for example, could be of generally L-shape or hook configuration. Further alternatively, instead of locking pins similar to the locking pins 18 the bolt lathe could be connected by a suitable link to a locking mechanism at a position remote the lock, for example, at the top or bottom of a door or other wing in a mortice of which the lock is received.

Although the lock of the present invention is intended to be received in a mortice in a door or other wing such as a window with the fore end aligned with a side edge of the wing the lock may be used in any other desired application. The lock is particularly suitable for use with a patio door where the relative narrow width between the fore end and back end permitted by the above described design enables the latch to be received in a relatively narrow vertical framework thereby improving the aesthetics of such a door and permitting the maximum possible glazed area within a given aperture.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, or a class or group of substances or compositions, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

I. A key operated lock of the kind specified wherein the tumblers are disposed so as to be displaced in a direction which is not perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the bolt.
2. A lock according to Claim I wherein the tumblers are disposed so as to be displaced in a direction parallel or substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the bolt.
3. A lock according to Claim I or Claim 2 wherein the or each tumbler is arranged for translatory movement or rotary movement.
4. A lock according to any one of Claims I to 3 wherein the lock comprises a thrower element having a key bit engagable part rotatable by the key and having a bolt driving part which is adapted to move the bolt from the locking position to the releasing position, the bolt driving part being angularly offset from the key bit engagable part.
5. A lock according to Claim 4 wherein the bolt driving part is angularly offset from the key bit engagable part by 900 or substantially 900.
6. A lock according to any one of Claims I to 5 wherein the bolt has an abutment part for engagement with a detent element, movement of which is controlled by the or each tumbler.
7. A lock according to Claim 6 wherein the detent element has a part for engagement with the or each tumbler, the detent element being biased, by movement of the bolt from the locking position to the releasing position towards engagement with the or each tumbler and movement of the detent element sufficient to permit of movement of the bolt being permitted only when the or each tumbler has been moved to the releasing position by the key.
8. A lock according to Claim 7 or Claim 8 wherein the engagement between the bolt and detent element is achieved by means of a cam and follower arrangement so that movement of the bolt causes camming movement of the detent member.
9. A lock according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the lock comprises a lock case in which the or each tumbler and bolt are movably mounted and the detent element where provided, is pivotally mounted in said case.
10. A lock according to Claim 9 wherein the or each tumbler and the bolt is slidably mounted in the case for rectilinear sliding movement relative to the case in directions which are mutually parallel.
II. A lock according to Claim 10 wherein the bolt carries at least one locking part which projects generally transversely relative to the direction of movement of the bolt and extends through an opening provided in the case.
12. A lock according to Claim 10 wherein the bolt within the case is connected by a link passing through an opening in an end wall of the case to a locking part at a location remote from the lock.
13. A lock according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the or each tumbler is resiliently biased to said locking position.
14. A lock substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.
15. A wing having engaged in a mortice therein a lock according to any one of Claims I to 14.
16. A wing according to Claim 15 which is a sliding door, the lock being positioned in a mortice in a vertical edge surface of the door and the bolt having at least one locking part which extends through an opening in a case of the lock and is movable into locking engagement with a keeper provided on a frame of the door positioned adjacent the lock in the closed position of the door.
17. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein or shown in the accompanying drawings.