GB2334995A

GB2334995A - Theft prevention security device

Info

Publication number: GB2334995A
Application number: GB9804842A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Michael Tomlin
Original assignee: SEACURE Ltd
Current assignee: SEACURE Ltd
Priority date: 1998-03-06
Filing date: 1998-03-06
Publication date: 1999-09-08
Anticipated expiration: 2018-03-06
Also published as: GB2334995B; GB9804842D0

Abstract

A security device, particularly for preventing or deterring theft of outboard motors, comprises a pair of cups (1a, 1b) each having a hole (2) in its base (3) for the passage of an anchoring bolt and having a hole (8) in its side which communicates with the interior of a hollow shalt (6, 7) fixed to the respective cup (1) and aligned with a long axis substantially parallel to the respective cup base (3), at least one cup (1) having a hole in its side opposed to such communicating hole (8), a pair of caps (10) for the cups (1), the caps (10) also having opposed holes (11) in their side walls for receipt of a bar (9) of sufficient length to project into the cups (1), and means for releasably locking the bar (9) against axial movement which would release one or both of the caps (10).

Description

1430 1 2334995 SECURITY DEVICE, ESPECIALLY FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS This

invention relates to security devices. - This invention was made with particular reference to the security of outboard motors and to the prevention or deterrence of their theft.

Outboard motors are typically fixed to the transom of the boat which they are intended to drive using bolts, usually four, secured by nuts. Such can readily be undone by a thief using a spanner.

Various attempts have been made to deter a potential thief e.g. by securing a nut on a bolt by piercing the bolt with a transverse hole and mserting some form of locking pin, but this may be of little practical deterrent effect unless considerable inconvenience is also to be caused to a legitinate user who wishes to remove the motor, for example for servicing or winter storage.

Attempts have also been made to secure outboard motors using chains and padlocks. Many padlocks are ill-adapted to the rigours of a marine environment, and the use of chains and padlocks, besides being aesthetically unattractive, may also not prove an effective deterrent against a thief equipped with bolt-cutters or even a hacksaw.

It is an object of this invention to provide a security device for a bolted anchorage, especially for an outboard motor, in which the above disadvantages are alleviated.

According to this invention, there is provided a security device for a bolted anchorage which comprises: a pair of cup members each having a hole in its base for the passage of an anchoring bolt, and an internal diameter appropriate for the receipt of an anchoring nut and a spanner for the tightening thereof, 1430 2 each said cup member also having a hole in its side which communicates with the interior of a hollow shaft member fixed to the respective cup member and aligned with a long axis substantially parallel to the respective cup member base, at least one said cup member having a hole in its side opposed to such communicating hole, a bar member which is insertable along the hollow of the shaft member(s) and is of sufficient length to project into a said cup member at each end of such shaft, a pair of cap members each sized to fit within said a said cup member to close its top, said cap members also having opposed holes in their side walls for receipt of a said bar member when it is inserted to project into each said cup member, and means for releasably locking said bar member against axial movement which would release one or both of said caps.

The present invention thus provides a security device for a bolted anchorage, which device can be of a neat and tidy appearance, which can be used to prevent ready access to two bolts of the anchorage, and which provides a considerable degree of security. The security device is appropriate for a protecting a wide variety of bolted anchorages, but it is especially appropriate for securing an outboard motor, and the present description will hereinafter be confined to its use in that context.

In some embodu'nents of the invention, a single shaft member of fixed length has a said cup member fixed to each of its ends. The bolt holes in fixing plates of outboard motors tend to be spaced apart by one of a number of standard distances. The length of such a single shaft member may be chosen appropriate to accommodate such a standard spacing, and thus 1430 3 different sized outboard motors may be secured by choosing a security device having one of a small number of standard sizes.

It is preferred, however, that there are two said shaft members which are axially movable one within the other whereby the cup members may be coupled together so that their relative spacing is variable by altering the extent to which one said shaft is inserted into the other. By virtue of this adjustability of the spacing between the cup members which are adapted to receive the anchormig bolts, a security device may be adapted to secure one of a variety of differently sized anchorages, so that the device may be used with a variety of different makes and models of outboard motor or other device. Furthermore, it will be noted that when a pair of outboard motors are bolted to a single transom, such adjustability may also allow one bolt of each anchorage to be protected, thus securing both motors with a single security device according to this preferred embodiment of the mivention.

The shaft members may simply be telescopically slidable one within the other, since their relative axial securing will be effected by the anchoring bolts. They may be constituted as tubes, e.g. rectangular or cylidrical tubes, but it is qw'te sufficient that they be constituted by channel section members.

In use, anchoring bolts will be passed through fixing points fast to an outboard motor and through holes 'm the transom of a boat and any mounting plate which may be used. If access to such bolt heads is not obstructed by the motor itself, it may be appropriate to use coach bolts or other bolts with shanks which lock them against turning andlor heads which do not provide significant purchase for a spanner.

1430 4 The bases of a pair of cup members will be passed over the ends of the bolts and secured in position using washers and nuts which may be tightened using a socket wrench. If the shaft members are constituted as channels, adjustment of the spacing of the cup members is automatic when they are put up to the bolts separately and the shaft members are subsequently inserted one into the other.

The cap members are then inserted into the cup members with their respective side holes aligned, and the bar member is passed along within the shaft members to project into each of the cap and cup member pairs and thus lock the cap members against removal. This locking bar member may be solid or hollow. Unless the shaft formed by the two shaft members is at its maximum length, the locking bar member will then project through at least one cup member on the opposite side to its shaft member. It is preferred that there should be one said cup or cap member which has only one hole Mi its side walls rather than a pair of opposed holes. This means that the locking bar will be inserted into a blind hole and this 'm turn promotes security. In some embodiments, it can also promote alignment of the locking bar for reasons which will be described below.

The bar is then locked against removal. One suitable method for doing this is to place a locking unit at or towards the cup end of the larger shaft member. Such a locking unit could comprise a housing fixed to that larger shaft member for containing a bolt member threadable into such shaft member to engage with a detent in or on the locking bar. Such bolt member might be threaded into a nut welded to a face of the shaft member, The bolt member could suitably be provided with one or more flats or other shaped surfaces engageable by a key-operated deadlock.. An especially suitable form of deadlock is a pin-tumbler cylinder lock of the type whose pin- 1430 tumblers are each arranged parallel to the axis of the cylinder. The housing would preferably also contain means for locating and supporting the end of the bolt member opposite its head. It inight also be desirable to so shape and arrange the bolt member that the resistance to movement provided by the deadlock has a mechanical advantage over the means for turning its head. Thus a rather small Allen or star-drive hole might be provided in the head of the bolt member, or a screw-driver slot or cross might be provided.

In another embodiment, a bolt member engages the locking bar against movement and that bolt member is itself protected by a separate cover member which is engaged by a deadlock.

It is common to these embodiments that some form of bolt member engages some formation on the bar member to prevent its withdrawal for release of the security device. In order to achieve or facilitate such engagement, it is in many cases desirable to have some proper axial positioning of the locking bar within the hollow shaft. This can be achieved in a very simple manner by arranging the various elements so that when an end of the locking bar abuts against an unplerced side wall of a cup member it is in the proper axial positioning for engagement by the bolt member. If desired, the locking bar may have some formation such as a wedge shape, on its end which may co-operate with a cup member (or a cap member) m order to provide rotational aligriment of the locking bar with a bolt member.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be descnibed by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:

Figures 1 to 3 are each a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of 1430 6 security device in accordance with the invention, and Figure 4 is a sectional view illustrating a lock housmig and its contents.

In the drawings, a security device for a bolted anchorage which comprises a pair of cup members 1 a, 1 b each having a hole 2 in its base 3 for the passage of an anchoring bolt (not shown). Each cup member 1 has an internal diameter appropriate for the receipt of an anchoring nut and a spanner for the tightening thereof. Each cup member 1 also has a hole 4 in its side 5 which communicates with the interior of a hollow shaft member 6 or 7 fixed to the respective cup member 1 and aligned with a long axis substantially parallel to the respective cup member base 3. At least one said cup member 1 b has a hole 8 in its side opposed to such communicatmig hole 4.

A bar member 9 which is insertable along the hollow of the shaft members 6, 7 and is of sufficient length to project into a said cup member 1 a, 1 b at each end of such shaft 6, 7.

A pair of cap members 10 is provided, each sized to fit within said a said cup member I a, I b to close its top. These cap members 10 also have opposed holes 11 in their side walls 12 for receipt of the bar member 9 when it is inserted to project into each of the cup members 1 a, lb.

As is particularly shown in Figure 4, the security device also includes means for releasably locking said bar member agamist axial movement which would release one or both of said caps.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated, there are two shaft members 6, 7 which are axially movable one within the other whereby the cup members 1 a, 1 b are coupled together so that their relative spacing is variable by altering the extent to which one such shaft member 7 is inserted into the 1430 7 other 6. By virtue of this adjustability of the spacing between the cup members 1 a, 1 b which are adapted to receive the anchoring bolts, the security device may be adapted to secure one of a variety of differently sized anchorages, so that the device may be used with a variety of different makes and models of outboard motor or other device. Furthermore, it will be noted that when a pair of outboard motors are bolted to a smigle transom, such adjustability may also allow one bolt of each anchorage to be protected, thus securing both motors with a single security device according to this preferred embodiment of the invention.

The shaft members 6, 7 may simply be telescopically slidable one within the other, as illustrated, since their relative axial securing will be effected by the anchoring bolts. They may be constituted as tubes, e.g. rectangular or cylMidrical tubes, but it is quite sufficient that they be constituted by channel section members as shown.

In use, anchormig bolts will be passed through fixing points fast to an outboard motor and through holes 'm the transom of a boat and any mounting plate which may be used. If access to such bolt heads is not obstructed by the motor itself, it may be appropriate to use coach bolts or other bolts with shanks which lock them against turning and/or heads which do not provide 20 sigmficant purchase for a spanner.

The bases 3 of a pair of cup members 1 a, 1 b will be passed over the ends of the bolts and secured in position using washers and nuts which may be tightened using a socket wrench. If the shaft members are constituted as channels, adjustment of the spacing of the cup members is automatic if they are put up to the bolts separately and the shaft members 6, 7 are subsequently inserted one into the other.

1430 8 The cap members 10 are then inserted into the cup members 1 a, 1 b with their respective side holes 11 aligned, and the bar member 9 is passed along within the shaft members 6, 7 to project into each of the cap 10 and cup 1 a, 1 b member pairs and thus lock the cap members 10 against removal. This locking bar member 9 is preferably solid. Unless the shaft formed by the two shaft members 6, 7 is at its maximum length, the locking bar member 9 will then project through at least one cup member I b on the opposite side to its shaft member 7. It is preferred that there should be one said cup or cap member which has only one hole in its side walls rather than a pair of opposed holes.. This means that the locking bar will be inserted into a blind hole and this in turn promotes security. It can also promote alignment of the locking bar 9.

The bar 9 is then locked against removal. One suitable method for doing this is to place a locking unit at or towards the cup end (1 a) of the larger shaft member 6. Such a locking unit is shown in Figure 4.

The locking unit comprises a housing 13 fixed to, and formed as an extension of, that larger shaft member 6. Within the housing is welded a nut 14 to form a bIffid anchorage for a grub screw 15. A second nut 16 is welded to the opposite side of the housing over a hole in the housing 13 in alignment with the first nut 14. In order to secure a locking bar 9, that bar is fed along the hollow shaft 6, 7, as far as it will go. Its travel may be limited by a side wall 5 of cup member 1 a, or by a side wall 12 of cup 10 depending on the detailed construction. At that position a threaded hole 17 provided in the locking bar 9 will be located at the position of the nut 14 forming the blind anchorage for the grub screw 15. If desired, the locking bar may have some formation such as a wedge shaped ridge or groove on its end which co-operates with a correspondingly shaped formation on a cup 1430 9 member (or a cap member) in order to provide rotational alignment of the locking bar with a bolt member. The grub screw 15 is driven e.g. using an Allen key through housing nut 16 into the threaded hole 17 in the locking bar and thence into the blind anchorage formed by the nut 14 to serve as a bolt member which secures the locking bar 9 in position. In order to cover the grub screw 15, and protect that in its tum against unauthorised removal, a grub screw cover 18 is then placed into the housing nut 16. The grub screw cover 18 may be constituted by a second grub screw or by an unthreaded pin which simply drops into the housing nut 16. The grub screw 10cover 18 is provided with a recess 19 which is engageable by a tang 20 of a deadlock 21 operated by a removable key 22. An especially suitable form of deadlock is a pm"-tumbler cylinder lock of the type whose pin-tumblers are each arranged parallel to the axis of the cylinder.

1430

Claims

1. A security device for a bolted anchorage which comprises: a pair of cup members each having a hole in its base for the passage of an anchoring bolt, and an internal diameter appropriate for the receipt of an anchoring nut and a spanner for the tightening thereof, each said cup member also having a hole in its side which communicates with the interior of a hollow shaft member fixed to the respective cup member and aligned with a long axis substantially parallel to the respective cup member base, at least one said cup member having a hole in its side opposed to such communicating hole, a bar member which is insertable along the hollow of the shaft member(s) and is of sufficient length to project into a said cup member at each end of such shaft, a pair of cap members each sized to fit within said a said cup member to close its top, said cap members also having opposed holes in their side walls for receipt of a said bar member when it is inserted to project into each said cup member, and means for releasably locking said bar member against axial movement which would release one or both of said caps.

2. A security device according to claim 1, wherein there is one said cup or cap member which has only one hole in its side walls rather than a pair of opposed holes.

3. A security device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein there are two said shaft members which are axially movable one within the other whereby the cup members may be coupled together so that their 1430 relative spacing is variable by altering the extent to which one said shaft is inserted into the other.

4. A security device according to claim 3, wherein a locking unit is placed at or towards the cup end of the larger shaft member.

5. A security device according to claim 4, wherein the locking unit comprises a housing fixed to that larger shaft member for containing a bolt member threadable into such shaft member to engage with a detent in or on the locking bar.

6. A security device according to claim 5, wherein the bolt 10 member is threaded into a nut welded to a face of the shaft member.

7. A security device according to claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the bolt member is provided with one or more flats or other shaped surfaces engageable by a key-operated deadlock.

8. A security device according to claim 7, wherein the bolt member is shaped and arranged so that the resistance to movement provided by the deadlock has a mechanical advantage over the means for turning its head.

9. A security device according to any of claims 5 to 8, wherein the housing also contains means for locating and supporting the end of the bolt member opposite its head.

10. A security device according to any preceding claim, wherein a bolt member engages the locking bar against movement and the bolt member is itself protected by a separate cover member which is engaged by a deadlock.

1430 12

11. A security device according to any preceding claim, wherein a bolt member engages a formation on the bar member to prevent itswithdrawal for release of the security device.

12. A security device according to any preceding claim, wherein the locking bar has a formation on its end which co-operates with a cup member or a cap member in order to provide rotational alignment of the locking bar with a bolt member.

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