GB2199977A - Coin operated door lock - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a coin operated door lock in which the door can be opened from one side by retracting the bolt 16 using the actuator 57 when a coin 42 bridges between abutments 46 & 58 provided on the separately movable parts 16 & 54 of the door bolt. When the door is opened from the other side using a separator actuator which turns the pawl 90, one part of the bolt is moved relative to the other and the coin drops away. <IMAGE>

Description

DOOR LOCK This invention relates to door lock sets of the kind having a coin operated mechanism and for use for example on the doors of cubicles in public conveniences.

According to the invention a door lock has a bolt comprising two parts which are relatively displaceable until bridged by a coin, whereupon the two parts are unitarily displaceable, each of the parts being provided with an operating member which project to opposite sides of the door, whereby one of the members is ineffective to retract the bolt for door opening until the coin is in position, and, when the other of the members is displaced again to retract the bolt for re-opening, the coin is discharged.

According to an important feature of the invention, the coin mechanism and the bolt are enclosed in a shallow box-like casing made as a metal casting with a plurality of screwtapped bores distributed around the mouth of the box, so that the box can be mounted on a door and secured in place on the door by screws passing through the thickness of the door. The use of a casting for these purposes is particularly advanageous in enabling a rigid construction to be achieved, and also enabling substantial variations in external appearance at relatively minor cost in tooling.

One presently preferred embodiment of the invention is now more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing one side of a cubicle door provided with the lock set of the present invention; Figure 2 is a similar perspective view showing the opposite side of the same door; Figure 3 is a perspective rear view of the lock set parts seen in Figure 1; Figure 4 is an enlarged elevation of Figure 3; and Figures 5-7 are further views similar to Figure 4 but showing parts in different positions.

Referring now to the drawings,. the door 10 is provided on the outside of the cubicle with an instruction plate 12 for example worded as shown in the drawing, and also with the lock casing 14 which is made as a casting, for example and conveniently a sand casting. Also visible in Figure I are the projecting springloaded (first) latch bolt 16, the second operating means 18, a coin slot 20 and a cubicle status indicator (vacant/engaged) 22.

Mounted on the opposite side of the door is a second and manually slidable bolt 24 and means, here illustrated as a doorknob 26, which form the first 4 means for retracting the first bolt 16.

Figure 3 shows a rear view of the main casing which is in the form of a casting provided with tapped bores 30 for screws which project through the thickness of the door to fasten the lock casing to the door.

The coins, accumulated in the mechanism may be removed for example through a door (not shown) in the general area D Figure 1 which is locked by a separate key actuated mechanism via keyhole 32.

Alternatively a cashbox may be located within the casing for example in the area C Figure 3 which can be removed complete after release of the key actuated mechanism mentioned, or after releasing the lock L in Figure 3. Various other possibilities exist but are unimportant in relation to the present invention.

Turning now to the mechanisms of the lock, Figure 4 shows coin guides 40 which lead from the slot 20 to a location 42 in the bolt mechanism. The bolt 16 includes a stop face 44 forming part of a lost motion mechanism, and a second stop face 46 forming part of the received coin location and support. The bolt 16 is also integral with the cam 48, and is guided for sliding movement by a pin 50 located in a slot in the bolt. The sliding movement is generally in the direction of the arrows 52.

Also forming part of the first bolt mechanism is a plate 54 likewise guided for sliding movement in the same direction of the arrows 52 by the same pin 50 and via further slots. Plate 54 has an abutment stop 56 and is fast with pin 58 which projects through the door to be fast with the bolt operating means 18 shown in Figure 1. Abutment stop 56 also forms a second coin locating and receiving surface 58. The bolt 16 is urged to the locking position, that is to the right in Figure 4, by the tail of a torsion spring 60 acting on one face of the coin abutment 46, and the plate 54 is urged in the same direction by the tail of a second torsion spring 62.The operation of one part of the mechanism can now be understood: when a coin is dropped through the slot, down the guides, and comes to rest in the illustrated position of Figure 4, movement of the control member 18 of Figure 1 so as to take pin 58 to the left in Figure 4, couples the plate 54 and the bolt 16 together so that the bolt can be withdrawn from engagement with its keeper on the door frame, and the door can be opened. When the control member 18 is released, the springs return the bolt to the shot position. If and when there is no coin present in the position shown in Figure 4, any movement of plate 54 to the left is accompanied by movement of coin abutment 58 towards the abutment 46, and hence lost motion of the plate 54 relative to the bolt 16. Figure 5 shows the bolt retracted position with the coin in place.

Figure 4 also shows a pin 70 which extends into the mechanism from the second bolt 24 so as to be slidable generally in the direction of the arrows 72 Figure 2 when the second bolt is shot or retracted.

This pin is located to engage the tail 74 of an actuating plate pivoted at 76 (most clearly seen on Figure 6) and the plate carries an actuating pin 80 for pivoting pawl 82 about its fulcrum pin 84 and, in turn, for lifting pin 86 which carries the indicator plate 22. Hence, as the second bolt is shot to lock the door, the plate is lifted to display the engaged sign rather than the vacant sign. When the secpnd bolt is retracted, the plate 74 can return to the illustrated position in Figure 4 partly under gravity, and also assisted by the return cam 88 which is also gravity operated, or if desired may also be spring assisted.

The door knob or other operating means 26, Figure 2, is arranged upon actuation to turn the cam 90 Figure 4, to displace cam face 48 in the direction of the arrows 52 and hence move the bolt 16 to the left as shown in Figure 7, without displacing plate 54. Hence the space between the faces 46 58 is increased allowing the coin 42 to drop through into the coin box. Upon release of the door knob, the spring 62 is operative to return the parts to the Figure 4 position.

A further pawl 92 is pivoted on the backplate 94 on fulcrum 96 and is arranged to be displaced into the Figure 4 position by movement of the plate 74 to the Figure 6 position - that is to say when the second bolt is shot, and is pivoted to the Figure 5 position of the pawl 92 by the bolt 16 when the latter is retracted as in Figure 7, and in that return of the pawl it assists in displacing the plate 74 back to the Figure 4 position.

Claims (4)

1. A door lock has a bolt comprising two parts which are relatively displaceable until bridged by a coin, whereupon the two parts are unitarily displaceable, each of the parts being provided with an operating member which project to opposite sides of the door, whereby one of the members is ineffective to retract the bolt for door opening until the coin is in position, and, when the other of the members is displaced again to retract the bolt for re-opening the coin is discharged.

2. A door lock as claimed in Claim 1 comprising a coin mechanism which, together with said bolt is enclosed in a shallow box-like casing made as a metal casting with a plurality of screwtapped bores distributed around the periphery of the mouth of the box, so that the box can ba mounted on a door and secured in place on the door by screws passing through the thickness of the door.

3. A door lock as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the screws, or some of the screws also serve to fix a second bolt on the opposite face of the door.

4. A door lock sustantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

4. A door lock as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the screw or some of the screws also serve to fix a door knob (for return of the bolt) on the opposite face of the door.

5. A door lock substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows CLAINS 1. A door lock having a bolt comprising two parts whicare relatively displaceable until bridged by a coin, whereupon the two parts are unitarily displaceable, each of the parts being provided with an operating member which project to opposite sides of the door, whereby one of the members is ineffective to retract the bolt for door opening until the coin is in position, and, when the other of the members is displaced again to retract the bolt for re-opening the coin is discharged, comprising a coin mechanism which, together with said bolt is enclose in a shallow box-like casing made as a metal casting wit a plurality of screwtapped bores distributed around the periphery of the mouth of the box, so that the box can be mounted on a door and secured in place on the door by screws passing through the thickness of the door.

2. A door lock as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the screlils, cr some of the screws aiso serve to fix a second bolt on the opposite face of the door.

3. A door lock as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the screw or some of the screws also serve to fix a door knob (for return of the bolt) on the opposite face of the door.