GB2203790A

GB2203790A - Mounting for lock barrel

Info

Publication number: GB2203790A
Application number: GB08709858A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Harry Cadman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-04-25
Filing date: 1987-04-25
Publication date: 1988-10-26
Also published as: GB8709858D0

Abstract

Apparatus 10 for mounting a lock barrel 12 in the door 16 of a vehicle comprises collars 18, 20 and screws 24. The collar 18 has a cut-out, shaped to fit in a conventional groove 28 provided in the barrel 12, to render the collar immovable along the barrel 12. The collar 20 is movable along the barrel 12 and is located between the collar 18 and a flange 22 near the front face 26 of the barrel 12. The screws 24 are located in threaded holes in the collar 18. The screws 24 can be tightened to force the collar 20 towards the flange 22 to trap the door 16, thereby securely mounting the lock. <IMAGE>

Description

Apparatus for Mounting Lock Barrels The present invention relates to apparatus for mounting a lock barrel of the type having a generally cylindrical barrel with a keyhole in one end face, a circumferential flange relatively close to that end face and a circumferential groove towards the other end of the barrel. Lock barrels of this type are hereinafter referred to as being of the type defined.

Lock barrels of the type defined are used for instance in motor vehicles, for locking doors. They are mounted in the outer panel of the door so that only the keyhole face and flange are visible from outside the vehicle, the rest of the barrel being housed within the door. In a prior proposal for mounting lock barrels of the type defined, a collar of spring steel is located in the circumferential groove, where it is held by its own resilience. The collar incorporates spring steel fingers which project from the groove towards the flange. These fingers bear against the inside of the outer panel of the door.

The spring steel fingers of this arrangement have been found to cause undue wear, by gouging the inner surface of the outer panel. Eventually, the fingers cease to hold the barrel against rotation, so that the lock becomes inoperable. As a key which has been placed in the lock is turned, the whole barrel turns with it, so that the lock mechanism is not operated.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate this and other disadvantages of the prior art.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for mounting a lock barrel of the type defined in an aperture in sheet material, the apparatus comprising a first member engageable with the barrel to be immovable along the barrel, over a collar locatable over the barrel and between the first member and the flange of the barrel, the collar being movable along the barrel, and adjustable means acting between the first member and the collar and operable to force the collar towards the flange, whereby the edge of the aperture may be trapped between the flange and the collar.

Preferably the first member is a second collar having a cut-out shaped to engage with a complementary formation on the barrel to prevent longitudinal movement of the second collar with respect to the barrel.

Preferably the formation on the barrel is a circumferential groove. Preferably the cut-out has generally parallel lead surfaces extending from the mouth of the cut-out, connected by an inner circular surface of substantially the same radius as the circumferential groove qn the barrel.

Preferably the or each collar is made from plate material.

Preferably the face of the first collar which bears on the sheet, in use, has a bevelled edge.

Preferably the bevelled edge is the edge between said face and the circumferential face of the collar.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a lock comprising a lock barrel of the type defined, a first member engaged with the barrel and immovable along it, a collar located over the barrel between the first member and the flange, and movable along the barrel, adjustable means acting between the first member and the collar and operable to force the collar towards the flange, whereby the edge of an aperture in sheet material may be trapped between the flange and the collar to mount the lock in the aperture.

One embodiment of the apparatus will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a barrel of the type defined and indicating the method of using the apparatus of the invention; and Fig. 2 is a profile of the first member of the embodiment.

Fig. 1 shows apparatus 10 for mounting a lock barrel 12 of the type defined in an aperture 14 in sheet material indicated at 16. The apparatus 10 comprises a first member indicated at 18 engagable with the barrel 12 to be a immovable along the barrel. A collar 20 is located over the barrel and between the first member 18 and the flange 22 of the barrel. The collar 20 is movable along the barrel 12. Adjustable means 24 in the form of screws act between the first member 18 and the collar 20 and are operable to force the collar 20 towards the flange 22, whereby the edge of the aperture 14 may be trapped between the flange 22 and the collar 20.

The barrel 12 is of generally cylindrical form and has a first end face 26 in which there is a keyhole.

The circumferential flange 22 extends around the face 26. Further along the barrel 12, there is a circumferential groove 28 in which the spring steel collar of the prior proposal would have been fitted.

Behind the groove 28, a mechanism 30 of conventional form provides connections between the lock barrel and other components of the door lock in known manner. The mechanism 30 includes a finger 32 which turns about the axis of the barrel 12 when a key is turned in the keyhole. This motion of the finger 32 causes the door to be locked or released.

The member 18 is a collar made of steel plate and having a generally circular profile as shown in Fig. 2.

A cut-out 34 is provided in the collar 18 and has a mouth 36. Two generally parallel lead surfaces 38 lead away from the mouth 36 and are connected by an inner circular surface 40 which has substantially the same radius as the circumferential groove 28. The circular surface 40 is substantially semi-circular and tangential to the lead surfaces 38 so that the collar 18 may be slid over the barrel 12 to locate in the groove 28 in the position indicated in Fig. 1. In this position, the walls of the groove 28 prevent axial movement of the collar 18 along the barrel 12. The collar 20 is a simple circular washer made from sheet steel and having an opening of sufficient diameter to allow the collar 20 to be located over the barrel 12 and be free to slide along the barrel 12. This axial movement of the collar 20 is limited by the flange 22 and the collar 18, when in position.Two threaded holes 41 are provided for the screws 24.

The collar 20 has a face 42 which bears on the sheet material 16 when the barrel 12 is installed, and also has a circumferential face 44. The edge between the faces 42 and 44 is bevelled to reduce the likelihood of gouging of the sheet material 16 by the collar 20.

The barrel 12 shown in Fig. 1 is installed in the aperture 14 in the following manner. The barrel 12 is offered up to the aperture 14 from the left hand side as shown in Fig. 1, and the mechanism 30 and the majority of the length of the barrel 12 are passed through the aperture 14, until the flange 22 abuts the sheet material 16. The collar 20 is then located over the barrel 12 from the right hand side as shown in Fig. 1.

The collar 18 is slid into the groove 28 so as to be immovable along the barrel 12. Finally, screws 24 are screwed through the screw holes 41 in the collar 18 and tightened until they bear on the collar 20, driving it towards the flange 22. Tightening continues until the sheet material 16 is trapped between the flange 22 and the collar 20 sufficiently tightly to prevent rotation of the barrel 12 in the aperture 14.

Various modifications may be made to the above described embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention. For instance, other means may be used to fix the collar 18 against movement along the barrel 12, although it is convenient to make use of the groove 28 already provided in barrels of the type defined. The screws 24 may be replaced by bolts. Butterfly headed screws might be used to facilitate tightening.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

1. Apparatus for mounting a lock b-arrel of the type defined in an aperture in sheet material, the apparatus comprising a first member engageable with the barrel to be immovable along the barrel, a collar locatable over the barrel and between the first member and the flange of the barrel, the collar being movable along the barrel, and adjustable means acting between the first member and the collar and operable to force the collar towards the flange, whereby the edge of the aperture may be trapped between the flange and the collar.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first member is a second collar having a cut-out shaped to engage with a complementary formation on the barrel to prevent longitudinal movement of the second collar with respect to the barrel.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the formation on the barrel is a circumferential groove.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the cut-out has generally parallel lead surfaces extending from the mouth of the- cut-out, connected by an inner circular surface of substantially the same radius as the circumferential groove on the barrel.

5. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the or each collar is made from plate material.

6. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the face of the first collar which bears on the sheet, in use, has a bevelled edge.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the bevelled edge is the edge between said face and the circumferential face of the collar.

8. Apparatus substantially as described above with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A lock comprising a lock barrel of the type defined, a first member engaged with the barrel and immovable along it, a collar located over the barrel between the first member and the flange, and movable along the barrel, adjustable means acting between the first member and the collar and operable to force the collar towards the flange, whereby the edge of an aperture in sheet material may be trapped between the flange and the collar to mount the lock in the aperture.

10. A lock substantially as described above with reference to the accompanying drawings.