GB2134057A - Steering lock - Google Patents

Abstract

U-sectioned member 10, reinforced with spacers 18, 20, can be locked onto rim 26 of a steering wheel 24 by means of a padlock 30 through aligned holes 22 so as to project substantially tangentially from the wheel. The members 10 accordingly prevents or inhibits proper steering by means of the wheel 24, by reason of collision with adjacent structure (not illustrated) of the vehicle. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Steering lock This invention concerns a steering lock for fitting to a motor vehicle having a steering wheel thereby effectively to immobilise the vehicle by inhibiting rotation of the steering wheel so as to prevent the vehicle from being properly steered.

Various devices have already been proposed for attachment to a motor vehicle's steering wheel to make the wheel fast against rotation or to inhibit its rotation; in general, however, these have all been relatively complicated in design and/or expensive in construction. An object of the present invention is to provide an improved arrangement which is effective to restrict steering wheel rotation to such an extent that proper steering of the vehicle is impossible, which is of very simple form and operation, and which can, therefore, be produced much less expensively than the prior known proposals.

With this object in view, the present invention provides a steering lock, for fitting to the steering wheel of a motor vehicle so as to inhibit rotation of said wheel, comprising an elongate member having, at least at one end thereof, a channelshaped configuration whereby the member may be fitted to and locked onto the rim of the steering wheel so as to project substantially tangentially therefrom so that rotation of the wheel will then be impeded by said member encountering adjacent structure of the vehicle.

Preferably the said member is a metal member of U section along substantially its entire length, aligned holes in the opposed walls of the member enabling the member to be locked onto the steering wheel rim by means of a padlock.

The member may, if desired, be strengthened or reinforced by fixed spacers between the opposed walls.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, it will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a front view of a practical embodiment of the steering lock of the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end view taken as at the left hand side of Fig. 2 or Fig. 3; and Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating the steering lock of Figs. 1 to 3 locked onto a steering wheel of a motor vehicle.

As shown in the various figures, the illustrated preferred embodiment of the steering lock of the invention comprises an elongate metal member 10, shaped for instance by rolling or pressing relatively thick sheet steel, which is substantially of U-section along its entire length. The crosssectional shape is such as to provide opposed sidewalls 12, 14, at opposite sides of a channel.

These sidewalls 12, 14 are of substantially constant height over a short distance at one end (which is the "mounting end" of the device) as at 16, and then taper slightly to a minimum height at the other end 1 7 (which is the "free end" of the device).

Stiffening spacers 1 8 and 20 are provided between the sidewalls 1 2 and 14 respectively about half way along the member 10 and close to the extremity of the mounting end, and about midway between these spacers, aligned padlock holes 22 are provided through the walls 12, 14.

Fig. 4 of the drawings shows how the device is fitted to a steering wheel 24 of a motor vehicle when it is required effectively to immobilise the vehicle. The device is fitted to the steering wheel by offering the channel at the mounting end 1 6 of the member 10 to rim 26 of the wheel 24 so that the member extends substantially tangentially reiative to the rim 26 as shown. It is then locked in place by securing a padlock 30 through the holes 22. So fitted, the member 10 prevents proper steering 24 of the vehicle, since the wheel 24 can only be turned through a relatively small extent as determined by collision of the free end 1 7 of the member 10 against some adjacent structural component (not shown) of the vehicle, such as the dashboard, windscreen, bulkhead or the like.Thus, the lock inhibits proper steering of the vehicle and effectively immobilises the vehicle.

The invention is not confined to the precise details of the foregoing example and variations may be made thereto. For instance, it is not essential that the elongate member 10 should be of U-section or channel section along its entire length. All that is necessary is that at least an end part of the member should be of channel or trough-like configuration so as to fit to the steering wheel rim in the manner illustrated; thus, the rest of the member could, if desired, be solid.

The member 10 can, of course, be of any suitable elongate shape; moreover other ways of securing it to the steering wheel can be adopted in the place of the padlock 30. Other variations are possible within the scope of the following claims.

It is to be appreciated that the principal advantage of the invention lies in its extreme simplicity; all comparable known arrangements for preventing or inhibiting steering wheel rotation are complicated and relatively much more expensive.

1. A steering lock, for fitting to the steering wheel of a motor vehicle so as to inhibit rotation of said wheel, comprising an elongate member having, at least at one end thereof, a channel shaped configuration whereby the member may be fitted to and locked onto the rim of the steering wheel so as to project substantially tangentially therefrom so that rotation of the wheel will then be impeded by said member encountering adjacent structure of the vehicle.

2. A steering lock as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said member is a metal member of U-section along substantially its entire length, aligned holes in the opposed walls of the member enabling the member to be locked onto the steering wheel rim by means of a padlock.

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

Claims (4)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Steering lock This invention concerns a steering lock for fitting to a motor vehicle having a steering wheel thereby effectively to immobilise the vehicle by inhibiting rotation of the steering wheel so as to prevent the vehicle from being properly steered. Various devices have already been proposed for attachment to a motor vehicle's steering wheel to make the wheel fast against rotation or to inhibit its rotation; in general, however, these have all been relatively complicated in design and/or expensive in construction. An object of the present invention is to provide an improved arrangement which is effective to restrict steering wheel rotation to such an extent that proper steering of the vehicle is impossible, which is of very simple form and operation, and which can, therefore, be produced much less expensively than the prior known proposals. With this object in view, the present invention provides a steering lock, for fitting to the steering wheel of a motor vehicle so as to inhibit rotation of said wheel, comprising an elongate member having, at least at one end thereof, a channelshaped configuration whereby the member may be fitted to and locked onto the rim of the steering wheel so as to project substantially tangentially therefrom so that rotation of the wheel will then be impeded by said member encountering adjacent structure of the vehicle. Preferably the said member is a metal member of U section along substantially its entire length, aligned holes in the opposed walls of the member enabling the member to be locked onto the steering wheel rim by means of a padlock. The member may, if desired, be strengthened or reinforced by fixed spacers between the opposed walls. In order that the invention may be fully understood, it will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a front view of a practical embodiment of the steering lock of the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end view taken as at the left hand side of Fig. 2 or Fig. 3; and Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating the steering lock of Figs. 1 to 3 locked onto a steering wheel of a motor vehicle. As shown in the various figures, the illustrated preferred embodiment of the steering lock of the invention comprises an elongate metal member 10, shaped for instance by rolling or pressing relatively thick sheet steel, which is substantially of U-section along its entire length. The crosssectional shape is such as to provide opposed sidewalls 12, 14, at opposite sides of a channel. These sidewalls 12, 14 are of substantially constant height over a short distance at one end (which is the "mounting end" of the device) as at 16, and then taper slightly to a minimum height at the other end 1 7 (which is the "free end" of the device). Stiffening spacers 1 8 and 20 are provided between the sidewalls 1 2 and 14 respectively about half way along the member 10 and close to the extremity of the mounting end, and about midway between these spacers, aligned padlock holes 22 are provided through the walls 12, 14. Fig. 4 of the drawings shows how the device is fitted to a steering wheel 24 of a motor vehicle when it is required effectively to immobilise the vehicle. The device is fitted to the steering wheel by offering the channel at the mounting end 1 6 of the member 10 to rim 26 of the wheel 24 so that the member extends substantially tangentially reiative to the rim 26 as shown. It is then locked in place by securing a padlock 30 through the holes 22. So fitted, the member 10 prevents proper steering 24 of the vehicle, since the wheel 24 can only be turned through a relatively small extent as determined by collision of the free end 1 7 of the member 10 against some adjacent structural component (not shown) of the vehicle, such as the dashboard, windscreen, bulkhead or the like.Thus, the lock inhibits proper steering of the vehicle and effectively immobilises the vehicle. The invention is not confined to the precise details of the foregoing example and variations may be made thereto. For instance, it is not essential that the elongate member 10 should be of U-section or channel section along its entire length. All that is necessary is that at least an end part of the member should be of channel or trough-like configuration so as to fit to the steering wheel rim in the manner illustrated; thus, the rest of the member could, if desired, be solid. The member 10 can, of course, be of any suitable elongate shape; moreover other ways of securing it to the steering wheel can be adopted in the place of the padlock 30. Other variations are possible within the scope of the following claims. It is to be appreciated that the principal advantage of the invention lies in its extreme simplicity; all comparable known arrangements for preventing or inhibiting steering wheel rotation are complicated and relatively much more expensive. CLAIMS

1. A steering lock, for fitting to the steering wheel of a motor vehicle so as to inhibit rotation of said wheel, comprising an elongate member having, at least at one end thereof, a channel shaped configuration whereby the member may be fitted to and locked onto the rim of the steering wheel so as to project substantially tangentially therefrom so that rotation of the wheel will then be impeded by said member encountering adjacent structure of the vehicle.

2. A steering lock as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said member is a metal member of U-section along substantially its entire length, aligned holes in the opposed walls of the member enabling the member to be locked onto the steering wheel rim by means of a padlock.

3. A steering lock as claimed in claim 2 wherein the member is strengthened or reinforced by fixed spacers between the opposed walls.

4. A steering lock substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.