AU665882B2 - Locking device - Google Patents

Description

6 65882 Regulation 3,2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

(ORIGINAL)

9 Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: TROLLEY SECURITY COMPANY PTY LTD GEORGE FREDERICK LAYCOCK SANDERCOCKS PATENT ATTORNEYS Suite 6, 50-54 Robinson Street, DANDENONG VIC 3175 ft 44 4 4i 4 Invention Title: LOCKING DEVICE Details of Associated Provisional Application(s): No(s): Australian Provisional Application No. PL6596/92 The following statement is a full description invention, including the best method of performing to me/us: of this it known 1 931230nsspa7Stromley.fii,1 la- TITLE: LOCKING DEVICE FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a locking device.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION In a particular aspect, this invention relates generally to a locking device for locking portable objects against unauthorised removal. More particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to a device which facilitates the selective interchange of key elements.

The term "key elements" as used herein includes within its scope normal key-like instruments, as well as for example tokens such as disks, coins or the like, cards or any other suitable elements.

One particular and preferred application of the present invention relates to a locking device for controlling the use of trolleys or carts of the general type used in supermarkets and at airports. It will be convenient to hereinafter describe the invention with reference to this particular application, however, it is to be understood that this is not to be taken as a limitation as to the scope of the invention. It will become readily apparent to those persons skilled in the art that the locking device of the present invention could be adapted for use in a wide variety of applications. By way of example only, the locking device of the invention could find application in the control of use or monitoring of locker room keys for gymnasiums, motor pools and the like.

Prior Art Reference is made to US Patent Specification 1,592,482 93123msspc.74,trlqy.cap,1 -2- (Falconer) which describes a look and '.ndicator.

While the means for engaging a key or plug shown therein is reasonably satisfactory, the catch shown therein is readily capable of manipulation from outside, and the locking device for retaining the token or indicator moves in a slight arc and is insufficiently guided, That arcuate movement is due to a narrow leaf spring which will also allow a side to side rocking of the locking device which enables the token to be removed.

Still further, the spring is locked in position by the catch which is remote from the locking device and a considerable length of spring is not supported and this is particularly the case in the region of the locking device.

As a result we have found it very easy to open the lock.

Still further, the free ends of the locking device are poorly protected and not well supported making manipulation from outside very easy indeed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved locking device which is capable of enabling selective interchange of key elements and is relatively simple in construction and is designed to inhibit 0-4 unauthorised tampering.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides:a locking device which is capable of enabling selective interchange of at least first and second key elements, the locking device comprising a main housing having first and second deposit stations 931230,cmsspc.074,tro11qytcop,2

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-3which, in use, are associated with first and second key elements respectively, the first deposit station having a first access through which the first key element can be deposited or retrieved and the second deposit station having a second access through which the second key element can be deposited or retrieved, key element retention means including a first retention section associated with the first deposit station and first key element and a second retention section associated with the second deposit station and second key element, each said retention section being capable of adopting a hold position in which, when the key element associated therewith is disposed within the associated deposit station, the key element is inhibited from removal therefrom, and a release position in which the key element can be retrieved from its associated deposit station, said first and second retention sections being arranged so that when one is in said hold position the other is in said release position, biasing means urging said first retention section into said release position and said second retention section into I said hold position, f catch moans operable to hold said first retention section in said hold position and said second retention section in said release position, said catch means being operable to cause said first retention section to be held in said hold position against the action of said biasing means said catch means being releasable by depositing said second key element in said second deposit station, and wherein there is a plate movable between a release position and a hold position and wherein the plate carries a pin which, in the hold position, will inhibit the first key element from removal, 931230xon pc074,troIIyap,3 ilsgp -II I II~ i I i"-lli'l 4 and guide means for the plate adapted to guide the plate along substantially the whole of its path of movement whereby to maintain a substantially entirely linear movement of the plate and of said pin.

PREFERRED FEATURES OF THE INVENTION Preferably the pin has a free end and in the hold position the free end is received within a bore adapted to restrict against lateral movement of the pin in the bore.

Preferably the locking device has a passage leading to said first deposit station which passage being defined by two ispaced apart walls and wherein there is a hole in a first one of said walls into which the free end of the pin is retracted when in the release position and said bore is located in the other one of said walls in alignment with said hole.

Preferably the pin, said hole and said bore constitute part of the guide means for the plate. i Preferably there is a second such pin, a second such hole and a second such bore and they are sufficiently widely :spaced apart as to inhibit unauthorised interference to cause rocking of the plate intermediate the pins.

I 30 Preferably the guide means comprises pins or posts carried by one, other or both of the plate or some other part or parts of the locking device and guide holes for the pins or posts carried by one, other or both of the plate or some other part or parts of the locking device.

Preferably there is a plate which is movable between a release position and a hold position and wherein the plate 93123O0ansspe.O7Jtrolky.p,4 5 carries 3 pins at least one of which, in the hold position, will inhibit the first key element from removal and at least one of which pins is guided along substantially the whole of its path of movement whereby to maintain a substantially entirely linear movement of the plate and of said pins.

Preferably the pins are located at spaced positions on the plate.

Preferably the plate is urged to move by at least 3 springs which are preferably compression springs.

Preferably the plate carries 4 pins at least two of which, in the hold position, will inhibit the first key element from removal and at least two of which are guided along substantially the whole of their paths of movement whereby to maintain a substantially entirely linear movement of the plate and of said pins.

Preferably two of the pins serve to inhibit as aforesaid and are guided along at least 1/3 of their path of movement whereby to maintain a substantially entirely linear movement of the plate. I Said two of the pins are preferably guided along a first part of their path of movement and along a last part of their path of movement.

Such guiding is preferably effected by one or more bodies having through bores in which the pins move.

Such guiding is preferably effected at least in part by a guide plate having through bores.

Preferably the first key element retention means is entirely mounted to a plate.

93123Omsspc.074,toIIeycp5 1 .I I -6 A specific embodiment of a locking device in accordance with this invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of the locking device, Figure 2 is a top plan view of the locking device, Figure 3 is a bottom perspective view of the locking device, Figure 4 is an internal view of the locking device showing a first plate, Figure 5 is a view of the first plate from the opposite side, Figure 6 is a view of a second plate, 4 Figure 7 is a view of a thrd plate,

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Figure 8 is a view of a casing part, Figure 9 is a cross-section on line IX-IX in Figure 8, Figure 10 is a cross-section on line X-X in Figure 8, S 30 Figura 11 is a cross-section on line XI-XI in Figure 4, and Figure 12 is a cross-section on line XII-XII in Figure 4.

INTEGER LIST 1. Locking device 931230.nsspeo74,trolley.amp6 r 7 2. Housing 3. Housing part 4. Housing part Chain 6. End 7. First plate 8. Second plate 9. Coin slot 21. Bore 22. Fastening holes 23. Key 24. Hole 26. Hole 27. Screws 28. Holes 29. Screws 31. Holes 32. Holes 33. Pivot pins 20 34. Pivotable arms Spring S36. Pins 37. Slots S38. Jaws 39. Hole 41. Posts 42. Pivot pin 43. Latch 3. 44. Relieved ij 30 47. Holes 48. Holes or Blind bores 49. Slot 51. Hole 52. Recess 53. Blind holes 54. Blind hole 56. Blind holes 9312 msspe.074,roIIqy p,7 IL- -8- 57. Third plate 58. Slot 59. Pins 6, Pins 62. Bosses 63. Boss 64. Bosses 66. Coil Springs 67. Coil Spring 68. Abutment 69. Trigger 71. Annular groove 72. Face 73. Projection DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH RESPECT TO THE DRAWINGS The locking device 1 shown in the drawings is intended for use to secure shopping trolleys together.

The locking device 1 comprises a housing generally indicated by 2 which is comprised of a housing part 3, a housing part 4, an end 6 or a first plate 7 and a second plate 8.

The housing 2 has a coin slot 9 for receipt of a coin or S*other token.

The housing 2 has a bore 21 by means of which the locking 30 device may be located on a bar of a shopping trolley and *6*44 secured thereto by screws or other fastening means passed into fastening holes 22. Those screws or other fastening means are preferably of a security type which will be difficult to undo unless possessed cf uncommon or specialised tools.

A key 23 is received in a hole 24 in the housing part 4.

931230,nsspcU.74,trollcyap,8 9- The key 23 has a hole 26 to which, in use, is attached a chain 5 which runs to another shopping trolley. Screws 27 secure the housing part 4 to the housing part 3 and pass through holes 28 in the housing part 4, the first plate 7, the second plate 8 and into tiae housing part 3 and in the housing part 3 the holes 28 are threaded tfi ei.*;age the screws 27.

Screws 29 pass through holes 31 in the first plate 7, in the second plate 8 and in the housing part 3 and in the housing part 3 the holes 31 are threaded to engage the, screws 29.

The first plate 7 and the second plate 8 have holes 32 which support pivot pins 33 which extend from the surface of tha first plate 7 shown in Figure 4. Holes 32 1 n the housing part 4 support those, pivot pins 33.

Pivotoble, arms 34 are mounted on the pivot pins 33 and extend on the surface of the Plate, 7 shown in Figus, 4.

The pins 36 are connected by a coil spring 35 which will normally bias the arms 34 towards one another.

At the end of the arms 34 remote from the pivot pins 33 are pins 36 which extend into slots 37 in the first plate 7.

The arms 34 have jaws 38 located adjacent a hole 39 in the plate 7.

Posts 41 are upstanding from the plate 7 and supports a pivot pin 42 which in turn supports a latch 43. The pivot pin 42 in part serves to retain thr arms 34 in position adjacent the plate 7.

the, side, of the plate 7 shown in Figure 5, the plate is j relieved at 44 to accommodate the entry of a coin.

9I1ipO74,WnI(Yap, r 10 The coin slot 9 and the relief at 44 are such as to make it difficult to use an Australian 100 coin in lieu of an Australian $1 coin in the locking device 1. For other coin values and for other countries, minor adjustments may need to be made so the locking device will only accept a particular denomination of coin or other token.

Holes 47 extend through the plate 7 and the plate 8. Holes 48 extend through the plate 8 and the side of the plate 7 shown in Figure 5 has similar holes 48 but which might alternatively be blind bores.

The plate 8 has a slot 49 through which the latch 43 extends and has a hole 51.

The housing part 3 has a recess 52 within which are located blind holes 53, a blind hole 54 and blind holes 56.

O i A third plate 57 is located in the space defined by the 20 recess 52 and the second plate 8.

The third plate 57 has a slot 58 and, on the side seen in Figure 7, upstanding pins 59 and 61.

S 25 On the opposite side, the third plate 57, as can be seen in Figures 9, 10 and 11 has bosses 62, a boss 63 and bosses 64. When the third plate 57 is moved within the recess 52, o! the bosses 62 64 can be received in the blind holes 53, 54 and 56.

SCoil springs 66 are mounted on the bosses 62 and a coil spring 67 is mounted on the boss 63. The coil springs 66 and 67 are received in respective ones of the blind hole 53 and blind hole 54.

The latch 43 has an abutment 68 and a trigger 69.

9312MXcnnpMle-74 1 ri 11 The key 23 has an annular groove 71, a face 72 and a projection 73.

The manner of use of the locking device 1 will now be described from the condition shown in Figures 3 and 11.

Particular reference is made to Figure 11 which shows the key 23 in position with the jaws 38 located in the annular groove 71 and the projection 73 holding the plate 57 away from the plate 8 against the bias of the springs 66 and 67.

As a result, the pins 59 are retracted within the holes 48 and thr pins 61 are retracted within the holes 47 in the plate 8.

In consequence, the pins 61 do not form any form of barrier to the entry of a coin or other token into the coin slot 9 and when such a coin or token in entered into the coin slot S* 9, the coin will come up against the pins 36 and in consequence will move the pivotable arms 34 outward against 20 the spring 35. Such outward movement of the arms 34 will cause the jaws 38 to be moved out of the annular groove 71 so that the key 23 may be removed from the holes 51 and 39.

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As a consequence of the removal of the key 23, the plate 57 r "I *25 will move upwards with respect to the orientation shown in Figure 11 and the pins 59 will enter further into the holes 48 in the plate 8 and into the holes or blind beres 48 in the plate 7 and will restrict the coin against removal from the coin slot 9.

The abutment 68 will engage with the plate 57 by passing through the slot 58 and will hold the plate 57 in an up position as depicted in Figure 12 to restrict against the pins 61 and 59 from lowering with respect to Figures 9 and 10 thereby capturing the coin.

When the key 23 is placed in the holes 39 and 51 the conic -12face 72 will tend to separate the jaws 38 and the projection 73 will push the plate. 57 in a downward direction ns depicted in Figure 11. Further, the face 72 will engage the trigger 69 of the latch 43 to raleft4 the abutment 68 from engagement with the plate 57. As a result, the plate 57 will again takce up the orientation shown in Figure 11 and the pins 61 will be retracted to enable removal of the coin.

The above described locking device ha~s boon found to be Finally it is to be understood that various alterations, modifications and or additions may be incorporated into the various constructions and arrangements of ports without departing from the spirit and ambit of the invention.

The claims and drawings and associated Provisional Specification form part of the disclosure of this specification.

0 64 93I23O~pe.O7AI~y.~np,1~

Claims (11)

1. A locking device which is capable of enabling selective interchange of at least first and second key elements, the locking device comprising i~t a main housing having first and secon~d deposit stations which, in use, are. associated with first and second key elements respectively, #,he first deposit station having a first access through which the first heoy element can be deposited or retrieved and the second deposit station having a second access through V which the. second key element can be deposited or retrieved, is key element retention means including a first retention section associated with the first deposit station and first key element and a second retention section associated with the second deposit station and second key element, each said retention section being capable of adopting a hold position in which, when the key cdamont associated therewith is disposed within the associated deposit station, the key element is inhibited from removal therefrom, and a release position in which the key element can be retrieved II from its associated deposit station, said f irst and second retention sections being arranged so that when 4 one is in said hold position the other is in said release position, biasing means urging said first retention section into said release position and said second retention section into said hold position, catch means operable to hold said first retention section in said hold position and said second retention section in said release position, 931230,ansspe74,tm11kytcnp,13 IL. -14 said catch means being operable to cause said f irst retention section to be held in said hold position against the action of said biasing means said catch moans being releasable by depositing said second key element in said second deposit station, and wherein there is a plate movable between a release position and a hold position and wherein the plate carries a pin which, in the hold position, will inhibit the first key element from removal, and guide means for the plate adapted to guide the plate along substantially the whole of its path of movement whereby to maintain a substantially entirely linear movement of the plate and of said pin.

2. A locking device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the pin has a free end and in the hold position the free end is received within a bore adapted to restrict against lateral movement of the pin in the bore.

3. A locking device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the locking device has a passage leading to said f irst deposit station which passage being def ined by two spaced apart walls and wherein there is a hole in a first one of said walls into which the free end of the pin is retracted when in the release position and said bore is located in the other one of said walls in alignment with said hole.

4. A locking device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the pin, said hole and said bore constitute part of the guide means for the plate.

S. A locking device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein there is a second such pink a second such hole and a second such bore and they are sufficiently widely spaced apart as to inhibit unauthorised interference to cause 93123O~xnsspc.74troIcy.cn,14 15 rocking of the plate intermediate the pins.

6. A locking device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the guide means comprises pins or posts carried by one, other or both of the plate or some other part or parts of the locking device and guide holes for the pins or posts carried by one, other or both of the plate or some other part or parts of the locking device.

7. A locking device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein there is a plate which is movable between a release position and a hold position and wherein the plate carries 3 pins at least one of which, in the hold position, will inhibit the first key element from removal and at least one of which pins is guided along substantially the whole of its path of movement whereby to maintain a substantially entirely linear movement of the plate and of said pins.

8. A locking device as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the pins are located at spaced positions on the plate.

9. A locking device substantially as hereinbefore Sdescribed with reference to any one of the accompanying drawings.

The -etepeW-f-eawree6--eempe4tAens--and-eempou referred to or indicated in the s ecifi-ca;Ton and/or claims of this pp7tidaion, individually or 30 collec ie f:y nd any and all combinations or any two Sr-more-ef--sad-s-teps-or--fea-ti e-s, Dated this 30th day of December, 1993 SANDERCOCKS PATENT ATTORNEYS PATENT ATTORNEYS FOR 'O TROLLEY SECURITY COMPANY PTY LTD 931230,cmsspe.074,trolly cpS 16 ABSTRACT The present invention provides:- a locking device which is capable of enabling selective interchange of at least first and second key elements, the locking device comprising a main housing having first and second deposit stations which, in use, are associated with first and second key elements respectively, the first deposit station having a first access through which the first key element can be deposited or retrieved and the second deposit station having a second access through which the second key element can be deposited or retrieved, key element retention means including a first retention section associated with the first deposit station and first key element and a second retention section associated with the second deposit station and second key element, each said retention section being capable of adopting a hold position in which, when the key element associated therewith is disposed within the associated deposit station, the key element is inhibited from removal therefrom, and a release position in which the key element can be retrieved from its associated deposit station, said first and second retention sections being arranged so that when one is in said hold position the other is in said release position, 4#i biasing means urging said first retention section into said release position and said second retention section into said hold position, and catch means operable to hold said first retention section in said hold position and said second retention section in said release position, 931230,nsspc.074,trolty.ap,16

11-- -Ow 17 said catch means being operable to cause said first retention section to be held in said hold position against the action of said biasing means said catch meann being releasable by depositing said second key element in said second deposit station. $4 I, tto I I *1*1 I Ii $1 I 4 4 931230,cmsspc.074,troIcy.mp,17 I- -4