GB1585182A - Locking devices - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO LOCKING DEVICES (71) I, DENNIS CLAUDE SMITH, a British Subject, of 20 Newton Park, Newton Soinay, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention concerns improvements in or relating to locking devices.

According to the present invention there is provided a locking device for use in combination with a cover placed over an opening, said device including a member adapted to extend across the opening, brackets adapted for mounting to a structure defining the opening, and for rotatably mounting said member and a stop member fixed to said member, at least a portion of said member having a cammed cross-section whereby with said cover over said opening said member may be rotated to bring said portion into contact with the cover, rotation being limited by abutment of said stop member with said cover or said structure at a point just beyond the point of contact of the high point of the cammed portion with the cover or surface.

Preferably said member comprises a cylinder and two stub axles mounted on the ends of the cylinder with their axes coincident and spaced from the axis of the cylinder.

Preferably the brackets each include an L-shaped slot, one limb thereof lying substantially parallel to the plane of the opening and having an open end to admit a stub axle, the other limb extending away from said opening and having a closed radiused end to accommodate said axle and allow pivotal movement thereof relative to the bracket.

Preferably a handle is provided extending substantially radially from the member and fixed thereto, the end of said handle providing said stop member.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a door closing an opening in a structure and a locking device for holding said door closed; and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

A rectangular opening (not shown) in a structure 10 is closed by a rectangular plate door 12. A locking device is provided to hold the door in the closed position and comprises a pair of brackets 14 welded to the structure on opposite sides of the opening, each bracket including an L-shaped slot 16 one limb of which runs substantially parallel to the structure 10 and has an open end, the other running substantially perpendicularly or the structure 10 and having a closed radiused end. The locking device includes also a cylinder 18 which is provided at each end with stub axles 20 the axes of said axles being coincident and displaced from the axis of the cylinder 18.

A handle 22 is fitted to the cylinder 18 and extends radially thereof.

In operation with the cylinder 18 removed from the brackets 14 clear access is given to the opening in the structure 10.

To close the opening the door 12 is placed in position over the opening and the cylinder 18 is pivotally mounted in the brackets by arranging the handle 22 such that the stub axles 20 can be entered into the slot 16 at its open end and moved along the slot to rest against its closed end.

Once in this position the cylinder which acts as a cam is rotated by the handle 22 until its surface makes contact with the door 12. Further rotation of the handle 22 tends to compress the door and/or cylinder and a high point is reached when the line beween the point of contact of the cylinder surface with the door and the axle axis is perpendicular to the plate surface. Further rotation of the handle 22 beyond this high point tends to cause further unaided rotation of the cylinder due to the compression of the arrangement, this further rotation being arrested by abutment of the end of the handle 22 with the door. The door is thus clamped or locked in position.

Various modifications can be made with out departing from the invention, for example, the cylinder 18 could be replaced by a plate-like member having a radiused outer surface adapted to abut the door 12 and mounted on a shaft.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A locking device for use in combination with a cover placed over an opening, said device including a member adapted to extend across th opening, brackets adapted for mounting to a structure defining the opening and for rotatably mounting said member and a stop member fixed to said member at least a portion of said member having a cammed cross-section whereby with said cover over said opening said member may be rotated to bring said portion into contact with the cover, rotation being limited by abutment of said stop member with said cover or said structure at a point just beyond the point of contact of the high point of the cammed portion with the cover or surface.

2. A locking device as claimed in claim 1, in which said member comprises a cylinder and two stub axles mounted on the ends of the cylinder with their axes coincident and spaced from the axis of the cylinder.

3. A locking device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the brackets each include an L-shaped slot, one limb thereof having an open end to admit said member, the other limb having a closed radiused end to accommodate said axle and allow pivotal movement thereof relative to the bracket.

4. A locking device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, in which a handle is provided extending substantially radially from the member and fixed thereto, the end of said handle providing said stop member.

5. A locking device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanving drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (5)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. door is thus clamped or locked in position. Various modifications can be made with out departing from the invention, for example, the cylinder 18 could be replaced by a plate-like member having a radiused outer surface adapted to abut the door 12 and mounted on a shaft. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A locking device for use in combination with a cover placed over an opening, said device including a member adapted to extend across th opening, brackets adapted for mounting to a structure defining the opening and for rotatably mounting said member and a stop member fixed to said member at least a portion of said member having a cammed cross-section whereby with said cover over said opening said member may be rotated to bring said portion into contact with the cover, rotation being limited by abutment of said stop member with said cover or said structure at a point just beyond the point of contact of the high point of the cammed portion with the cover or surface.

2. A locking device as claimed in claim 1, in which said member comprises a cylinder and two stub axles mounted on the ends of the cylinder with their axes coincident and spaced from the axis of the cylinder.

3. A locking device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the brackets each include an L-shaped slot, one limb thereof having an open end to admit said member, the other limb having a closed radiused end to accommodate said axle and allow pivotal movement thereof relative to the bracket.

4. A locking device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, in which a handle is provided extending substantially radially from the member and fixed thereto, the end of said handle providing said stop member.

5. A locking device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanving drawings.