GB2235720A - A lock for a builder's skip - Google Patents

Abstract

A lock for a skip shown in Figure 1 with the front flange cut away, comprises a clamp with a casing (1) defining a substantially U-shaped body portion (6, 7, 13), which can be fitted over a lug (16) or other part of a skip (5). Movable means (11, 12) are provided which can be located beneath the lug (16) or through a hole in the skip (5) and secured in position, for example by means of a padlock (26), on the body portion (6, 7) to prevent use of at least one of the means (16) provided on the skip (5) for its transportation. Preferably, the casing (1) accommodates a lighting means (22). <IMAGE>

Description

A LOCK FOR A BUILDER'S SKIP The present invention relates to a lock for a builder's skip to prevent unauthorized transportation of the skip.

Builder's skips are large open containers used for transporting building materials or waste. Usually, they are transported by specially constructed vehicles fitted with lifting gear and a flat rear bed on to which a skip can be hoisted. However, when in use on site, the skip is unloaded from the transporter vehicle and parked in a suitable position either to receive or to supply material. As skips are often left unguarded parked on the highway or on a building site, the theft of skips together with their contents is a common problem.

The object of the present invention is to overcome this problem by the provision of a means which will impede the unauthorized transportation of a skip.

In addition, under the Highways Act 1980 and the Road Traffic Regulations Act 1967, a local council can require skips parked on the public highway to be suitably lit at night.

The present invention can also be adapted by the provision of additional means to enable a skip to meet the requirements of these Acts.

According to the present invention there is provided a lock for a skip comprising a clamp with a substantially U-shaped body portion, which can be fitted over a lug or other part of a skip, and movable means which can be located beneath the lug or through a hole in the skip and secured in position on the body portion to prevent use of at least one of the means provided on the skip for its transportation.

Preferably, the clamp comprises a casing accommodating a lighting means.

Preferably also, the U-shaped body portion comprises a portion of the casing defining a U-shaped slot and the movable means comprises a locking bar which can slide within the casing to cover and close the open end of the U-shaped slot.

Preferably also, the casing defines two spaced Ushaped slots and two adjacent locking bars are provided, each bar having a lug defining a hole, the holes in the lugs registering with one another when the bars are each covering respectively the open ends of the U-shaped slots so that a locking means can be passed through the holes and the locking bars secured in position with respect to the casing.

The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a lock according to the invention when fitted to a skip and with a front casing portion broken away to reveal the interior structure thereof; Figure 2 is a rear view of the lock shown in Figure 1; Figures 3 and 4 are transverse cross-sectional views along the lines III-III and IV-IV shown in Figure 2 respectively; Figure 5 is an end view of the lock shown in Figure 2; and Figure 6 is a sectional view of the end of the lock shown in Figure 5 along the line VI-VI.

As shown in the drawings, a lock according to the invention comprises a hollow fabricated box-like casing 1 of substantially C-shaped cross-section. The casing 1 is designed to be used with the open side 2 of the crosssection underneath the lock and the lower edge of the front wall 3 is curved inwardly to form an interior flange 4 to strengthen the casing 1. The length of the casing 1 is commensurate with the length of a skip 5, as shown in Figure 1, but this need not necessarily be the case.

The rear wall 6 of the casing is strengthened by the provision of an second parallel internal wall 7, which thus defines a narrow compartment 8 running the substantially the whole length of the casing 1. Between the walls 6 and 7 are two partitions 9 which divide the compartment 8 to form a track 10 to guide a pair of locking bars 11,12 which are located therein and can slide to and fro along the length of the casing 1. In addition, two substantially U-shaped slots 13,14 are formed in the walls 6 and 7. These slots 13,14 are open along the lower edge of the walls 6 and 7 and are, therefore, accessible from beneath the casing 1 when it is in use.

One of the slots 13 is made wider than the other to permit the lock to be used with different sizes of skips, as will be explained, but the narrow slot 14 is made of sufficient width to accommodate the stem portion 15 of a lug 16 of the skip 5. It will also be appreciated that the slots 13,14 themselves cut through the track 10 but the locking bars 11 and 12 are each of sufficient length to be supported by the track 10 on both sides of the slots 13,14 when slide into positions straddling the slots 13,14.

The locking bars 11 and 12 lie side by side within the track 10 and are each provided with a horizontally projecting lug 17 which is welded to the lower edge of the bar 11,12. The lugs 17 are each pierced by a hole 18 and when the bars are slid in opposite directions so that each of them straddles one of the slots 13,14 and is supported by the track 10 on both sides of the slot 13, 14, these holes 18 register with one another as shown in Figure 3. In order to accommodate the lugs 17 and movement of the bars 11 and 12, an elongate slot 19 is cut into the lower portion of the track 10 between the U-shaped slots 13,14.

The ends 20 and 21 of the casing 1 are closed and are each adapted to accommodate a lighting arrangement.

As shown in Figure 6, each end of the lock is provided with a lamp 22 comprising a bulb 23, reflector 24 and shaded transparent cover 25 of known construction and preferably complying with British Standard 3143, Part 2, which relates to low intensity battery operated road danger lamps. As can be seen in the drawings, behind the lamp 22 at one end 20 of the casing is space for a battery pack to power the lamps at both ends 20,21 ot the casing are wires for this can be run between the lamps 22 inside the closed upper portion of the compartment 8.

In use, the lock is designed to be located over and secured to the transportation lugs 16 on one side 23 of a skip 5, as shown in Figure 1. Firstly, the locking bars 11 and 12 are slid inwardly of the casing so that they do not straddle the slots 13 and 14. The slots 13 and 14 are then located over the stem portions 15 of the lugs 16 so that the walls 6 and 7 of the lock are positioned between the side 23 of the skip 5 and the enlarged heads 24 at the ends of the lugs 16. It will be appreciated that the provision of the wider slot 13 enables the lock to be used with various skips where the lugs 16 are differently spaced.

When in position, the locking bars 11 and 12 are slid into place so that they straddle the slots 13 and 14 and clamp the lock into place on the skip 6 so that it cannot then be lifted off the lugs 6. As indicated in the drawings, the gap between the upper edge of the locking bars 11 and 12 and the lower edges of the walls 6 and 7 defining the slots 13 and 14 is too narrow to enable the enlarged heads 24 of the lugs 16 to pass through. This also prevents the lock from being pulled off the lugs 16.

In order to secure the locking bars 11 and 12 in position, a padlock 26 can be passed through the holes 18 and thereby clamped to the bars 11,12 preventing their relative movement. The padlock 26 is virtually hidden from view and is protected from the elements by being located beneath the canopy provided by the casing 1.

Thus the lock of the invention will impede a skip 5 fitted with the lock from unauthorized transportation by preventing a carrier vehicle from being able to link up to it via the lugs 16. In addition, the provision of the lamps 22 permit the skip hirer or owner to fulfil any requirement imposed on him to light the skip at night under the Highways Act, 1980 and the Road Traffic Regulations Act, 1967.

Although in this example a lock has been described which can be clamped to two lugs 16 on one side of a skip 5, the invention also covers the provision of a lock designed to clamp to only one lug 16. Here, only a single locking bar would be required, which could be padlocked or otherwise secured to the casing. "Single" locks of this type could also be supplied fastened in pairs by means of chains, for use on skips with none standard lug spacings, or bars.

Apart from clamping the lock of the invention to the transportation lugs of a skip, the invention can also be used with skips which are only provided with transportation holes through which a chain is fastened.

In this case, the lock is fitted over the edge of the side of the skip and the locking bar passed through the hole and secured in position in the casing by a padlock or other similar means.

Claims (7)

1. A lock for a skip comprising a clamp with a casing defining a substantially U-shaped body portion, which can be fitted over a lug or other part of a skip, and movable means which can be located beneath the lug or through a hole in the skip and secured in position on the body portion to prevent use of at least one of the means provided on the skip for its transportation.

2. A lock as claimed in Claim 1, in which the casing accommodates a lighting means.

3. A lock as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the U-shaped body portion comprises a portion of the casing defining a U-shaped slot and the movable means comprises a locking bar which can slide within the casing to cover and close the open end of the U-shaped slot.

4. A lock as claimed in Claim 3, in which one side of the casing has an exterior and an interior wall defining a compartment therebetween which forms a track for the locking bar.

5. A lock as claimed in Claim 4 when dependent on Claim 2, in which the compartment is divided into two regions by at least one partition, one region comprising the track and the other comprising a conduit for wires connected to the lighting means.

6. A lock as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 5, in which the casing defines two spaced U-shaped slots and two adjacent locking bars are provided, each bar having a lug defining a hole, the holes in the lugs registering with one another when the bars are each covering respectively the open ends of the U-shaped slots so that a locking means can be passed through the holes and the locking bars secured in position with respect to the casing.

7. A lock for a skip substantially as described herein with respect to the accompanying drawings.