IE53361B1 - A fastening means for padlocks and the like - Google Patents

Abstract

A fastening means for shutters, doors or windows, particularly as a "ground lock" for roller shutters, comprises: an eye-bolt (3) forming a staple removably screwed into an anchorage element (2) secured in the group and having an internally threaded portion (11) spaced from the open end of the anchorage element (2); and an abutment member (40) secured to the leading edge of the shutter (1), door or window, and having a slot (48) into which the eyebolt (3) can pass. The abutment member (40) comprises a hasp portion (43) and two wall portions (44, 45) forming a housing for a padlock (41). A guard plate (52) is provided at one end of the abutment member to bridge the wall portions (44,45) and prevent the bolt being forcibly driven through the padlock. In a second embodiment, the abutment member has no wall portions but has an upstanding lug adjacent the slot, the lug having an aperture adapted to register with the aperture of the eyebolt so that both apertures can receive the bolt or shackle of a lock.

Description

This invention relates to a fastening means for padlocks and other locking devices, in particular when used to secure shutters, doors and windows, and especially roller shutters for lock-up business premises.

Such shutters are normally made of channel slats of aluminium or other metal.

There is a need for a strong, tamper-proof fastening means for use in conjunction with padlocks and the like when these are used to secure the leading edge of roller shutters or doors (particularly sliding doors or up and over cantilever doors) to a base such as the ground, a floor, or sill or frame member, including a vertical frame member if the shutter or door is horizontally slidable rather than vertically slidable.

A known fastening means for padlocks and the like for roller shutters includes a padlock receiver projecting from and embedded in a base such as the ground and an aperture into which the receiver can pass in the leading edge or flange of the shutter. The leading edge of the shutter is then secured to the ground by passing the bolt or shackle of a padlock through the receiver and locking the padlock thereon.

The leading edge or flange acts as an abutment member against the padlock, thus resisting movement of the shutter when the padlock is in place.

Alternatively, a separate abutment member can be secured to the leading edge of the shutter for additional strength. It is known to provide a receiver in the form of a link which can be removed from the base so as not to project therefrom, when not in use.

According to the present invention, there is provided a fastening means comprising a receiver link having an aperture for receiving the bolt or shackle of a padlock, an anchorage element adapted to engage with the receiver link and to be secured in a base, a threaded portion of the receiver link being engageable with a complementary threaded portion of the anchorage element, and an abutment member adapted to be secured to the leading edge of a shutter, door or window and having a slot into which the receiver link can pass, said abutment member comprising a hasp portion and a pair of wall portions at right angles to said hasp portion to house a padlock with the bolt or shackle of the padlock across said slot. Preferably the slot extends into the wall portions.

Preferably the padlock is a padlock of rectangular configuration having two main flat parallel faces which abut against the said wall portions when the padlock if in position on the abtment member.

Suitably, the receiver link has an externally threaded spindle integral therewith, and the anchorage element which is open at at least one end has a complementary internally threaded portion intermediate its ends, the internally threaded portion of the anchorage element being spaced from an open end thereof by an unthreaded collar portion adapted to guide the spindle of the receiver link into axial alignment with the internally threaded portion of the anchorage element when the receiver link is placed therein. The internally threaded, portion of the anchorage element can conveniently be formed by the threaded portion of a nut secured within the anchorage element.

Preferably, the free end of the threaded spindle of the receiver link has a rounded nose.

S3361 One embodiment of the fastening means according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a fastening means according to the invention and a padlock for use therewith, 5 Figure 2 is a front elevation of the device showing those parts below ground level in cross-section, Figure 3 is a plan view of the abutment member in the device, Figure 4 is one end view of the abutment member of the device showing the padlock and the receiver link in storage position, Figure 5 is the other end view of the assembly of Figure 4, Figure 6 is a side view of the receiver link of the device.

The Figures show one form of a fastening means for a padlock when used to secure the leading edge of a roller shutter 1 to an anchorage 2 embedded in the ground.

The fastening means comprises a receiver link 3 having an aperture 4 in a staple portion 51 and a threaded spindle portion 5 integral therewith.

The receiver link 3 fits into the anchorage 2 and projects above ground level in engagement therewith. The anchorage element 2 comprises an open-ended cylindrical barrel 9 having a circumferential flange 10 at the bottom to hold the barrel in the ground. The flange is part of a plate which closes the bottom end of the barrel 9. A hexagonal nut 11 having the same diameter as the internal diameter of the barrel 9 is a tight fit within the barrel near to its upper end. A collet 12, also having substantially the same external diameter as the internal diameter of the barrel 9, rests on top of the nut 9. The inside wall of the collet 12 is smooth and acts as a guide for the spindle 5 which is a free fit therein. By turning the staple portion of the receiver link 3, the lower end of the threaded spindle 5 can be engaged with the internal thread of the nut 11, before the shutter 1 is pulled down to ground level.

When in use, only the staple portion of the receiver link 3 projects above ground level, as seen in Figure 2. The leading edge of a roller shutter 1 has secured thereto an abutment member 4o.

The barrel and collet parts of the anchorage 2 can be made of gun 5 barrel, or the whole anchorage element can be cast in one piece, with the internal thread formed on a lathe. All parts are suitably electroplated for protection from corrosion.

The receiver link 3 can conveniently be removed from the anchorage 2 and locked into the padlock when not in use. The collet 12 allows the receiver link to be dropped into the barrel in axial alignment with the nut 11, so as to be easily engageable with the internal thread.

A plastic plug (not shown) can be employed to cover the opening of the anchorage at ground level to prevent ingress of dust when the shutter is raised and the fastening means is not in use. Such a plug would preferably be flush with the upper rim of the anchorage element and ground level, and can be adapted for removal by means of a key.

If desired, an extension piece can be fitted to the anchorage to extend downwardly therefrom, if a deep foundation is required. Suitably, the extension piece may comprise a long bolt which can be screwed into a second internally threaded portion (e.g. a nut, similar to nut 11) located at the base of the barrel 9.

The abutment member 40 is designed to accommodate a sliding bolt padlock 41 of rectangular configuration. The padlock has two main flat .parallel faces, two end faces and two side faces, all of which are rectangular. At one side the body of the padlock has a deep slot so that two arms are formed, with the slot forming a gap between them. A cylindrical bolt slides in bearings in the two arms; the bolt -bridges the gap when the padlock is closed, and protrudes from one end face of the body when the padlock is open. The lock is operated-by a key, inserted in a keyhole in the other end face. The arm of the padlock which contains the key-operated mechanism is wider than the other arm, so that the slot between the arms is offset from the centre line of the padlock. Padlocks of this kind, made of brass, are commercially available, for example under the Trade Mark ALA from Naples, Italy.

The abutment member 40 comprises a fixing portion 42 at the rear, a hasp portion 43 at right angles thereto and two parallel wall portions 44, 45 at right angles to the hasp portion. The fixing portion 42 is secured through fixing holes 57 by a pair of bolts 15 and nuts 16 to the vertical portion of the bottom angle section of shutter 1. The 20 bolt head can be welded in position, as in Figure 2. One wall portion 44 is located at the forward edge of the hasp portion. The fixing portion 42, hasp portion 43 and forward wall portion 44 are conveniently formed of one piece of steel plate bent into U-shape. The inner wall portion 45, which is located approximately midway between 2^ the forward wall portion 44 and the fixing portion 42, comprises a piece of steel plate welded to the hasp portion 43. The two wall portions 44, 45 are both of approximately equal height to the main faces 46, 47 of the padlock 41, and are separated by a distance which is marginally greater than the width of the padlock, so that the 2θ padlock is a sliding fit between the wall portions. The abutment member has a length which is marginally greater thanthat of the padlock. Thus the wall portions 44, 45 and hasp portion 43 define a housing having dimensions roughly equally to those of the padlock so that the padlock is received and shielded in the housing.

The hasp portion 43 and forward wall portion 44 are penetrated by a slot 48 which is offset with respect to the middle of the abutment member ’so that it comes into alignment with the slot 49 in the padlock. The slot 48 extends behind the inner wall portion 45. If necessary, a shallow indentation may be cut in the forward edge of the shutter flange 18 so as to register with the rear edge of slot 48. A coincident slot 50 is provided in the inner wall portion 45, similar to that in forward wall portion 44. The space created by the slots 48, 49, 50 is dimensioned so as to receive the staple portion 51 of the receiver link in said slots with good tolerance for moving the staple portion 51 within the said space, in order to adjust for variations in the relative positions of the shutter and the anchorage 2. The staple portion 51, in this particular embodiment, does not fit between the two wall portions but is accommodated by the slots 48 and 50 in the wall portions (see Figures 4 and 5).

As shown in Figure 4, one end of the abutment member is provided with a guard plate 52 which bridges the lower parts of the two wall portions 44, 45 and is welded to said wall portions and to the hasp portion 43. The guard plate 52 strengthens the structure of the wall portions and prevents bolt 53 of the padlock being driven out through end wall 54 of the padlock by a person hammering on the exposed end of the bolt at the other end wall 55. Due to the offset position of the slot 49, there is only one correct orientation of the padlock in the housing. The keyhole 56 of the padlock is accessible above the guard plate 52 and, by virtue of the upright position of the padlock, is spaced sufficiently far from the ground surface for convenient operation of the key without contact between the operator’s hand and the ground.

The space between the inner wall portion 45 and the rear fixing por30 tion 42 can be used to accommodate the padlock 41 if there is a need to store it in a position where it does not engage with the staple portion 51. The separation of the inner wall portion 45 from the rear fixing portion 42 is sufficient for the bolts 15 to be introduced at either end of the abutment member into the fixing holes 57. The bolts are suitably coach bolts having a stock portion of square cross section between the head and the threaded shank. The fixing holes have a diameter which is larger than that of the shank but marginally smaller' than the diagonal dimension of the square stock portion (for example, in the case of a hole having a shank of 10 mm diameter and a stock portion with a diagonal dimension of 13.5 mm, a fixing hole of 12.5 mm is suitable). Then as the nut 16 is tightened on the bolt, at the rear of the shutter, the corners of the square shank portion cut into the metal around the fixing hole and when the bolt is fully installed it is gripped firmly against rotation. This minimises any risk of the bolts being loosened from the front of the shutter.

In the staple portion 51 the shackle portion 56 is formed from steel rod bent into a U-shape and welded at the ends of both of its limbs to the threaded spindle 5.

When a shutter is being closed, for example at night, the leading edge of the shutter is brought down to about waist level and the padlock is opened by a key inserted in keyhole 56 and the bolt 53 springs out to the position shown in figure 1. If the shutter has two or more similar locking mechanisms, the padlocks can be chosen such that a single key opens all of them. The receiver link 3 is screwed down into the anchorage 2 and the leading edge of the shutter is lowered again until the staple portion 51 enters the space provided by slots 48 and 50. Padlock 41 is placed into its housing between wall portions 44 and 45 and is closed so that the bolt 53 bridges slot 49 and engages in the aperture in the staple portion 51 (see Figure 2). The padlock is shielded on three faces by wall portions 44, 45 and hasp portion 43.

It cannot be slid endways or lifted upwards because of the engagement of the staple portion 51 with the bolt 53.

When the shutter is to be opened, the padlock is opened by the key and the padlock is then preferably lifted up out of its housing. The bolt can be closed (out of engagement with staple portion 51) and the key can be used to open one or more similar padlocks. The shutter is raised to about waist height; the padlock 41 is restored to its - 9 53361 housing; the receiver link 3 is unscrewed from the anchorage 2 and inserted into the space provided by slots 48, 49, 50; the bolt 53 is closed to retain the receiver link in a storage position; and the shutter is raised to its fully open position.

The present invention provides a locking mechanism which is strong and resistant to tampering and yet which is convenient to use and which makes provision for storage of the various components when the mechanism is not in use.

The padlock, and particularly its slotted face adjacent to the bolt, is shielded from tampering by its housing.

If desired, the padlock can be secured in position in the housing, e.g. by a rivet or bolt. However it is preferred to leave the padlock free so that it can be lifted out of the housing in the manner desdescribed above, and also so that it can be taken away for maintenance of the lock mechanism, or for replacement if keys are lost or compromised, e.g. with reason to believe that they have been duplicated.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a shutter moving upwardly and downwardly relative to the ground, it can be adapted for use with a shutter or door or window which moves in a horizontal direction to close against a vertical frame or post, in which or to which the anchorage is secured. In this case, the receiver can be integrated into the anchorage because it is not necessary to remove the receiver during daytime.

Claims (7)

1. A fastening means comprising a receiver link having an aperture for receiving the bolt or shackle of a padlock, an anchorage element adapted to engage with the receiver link and to be secured in a base, 5 a threaded portion of the receiver link being engageable with a complementary threaded portion of the anchorage element, and an abutment member adapted to be secured to the leading edge of a shutter, door or window and having a slot into which the receiver link can pass, said abutment member comprising a hasp portion and a pair of wall 10 portions at right angles to said hasp portion to house a padlock with the bolt or shackle of said padlock across said slot .

2. A fastening means according to claim 1, wherein said slot extends into said wall portions.

3. A fastening means according to either of claims 1 and 2, wherein 15 said wall portions and hasp portion define a housing to receive and shield a padlock of rectangular configuration having two main flat parallel faces and a flat side face having a slot therein in register with the slot in the abutment member.

4. A fastening means according to any of claims 1-3, wherein a 20 guard plate is provided at one end of the abutment member to bridge said wall portions.

5. A fastening means according to any of claims 1-4 which also comprises a padlock having two main parallel faces which abut against said wall portions when the padlock is housed therebetween and having 25 a bolt which slides transversely of said slot to engage the aperture in the receiver link.

6. A fastening means according to claim 1, wherein the threaded portion of the receiver link is an externally threaded spindle and the threaded portion of the anchorage element is an internally threaded portion which is spaced from an open end of the anchorage element by 5 an unthreaded collar portion.

7. Fastening means substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.