US2883850A - Knob locking device - Google Patents

Description

April 28, 1959 S FALCK 2,883,850.

KNOB LOCKING DEVICE Filed May 5, 1955 nvwszyrox. JAMES STANLEY FALGK z mgzk A T TOR/V5 Y United States Patent KNOB LOCKING DEVICE James Stanley Falck, Chevy Chase, Md.

Application May 5, 1955, Serial No. 506,151

6 Claims. (Cl. 70-431) This invention relates to a new device for preventing or foiling attempts of burglars to enter buildings, more especially residences.

A method frequently employed by burglars, or house breakers, to effect entry is to select an outer door hidden, if possible, from a street or other houses, such as a kitchen or basement door, which usually has glass in the upper part, and to break or cut out an opening in a light large enough to put the hand through. It is then an easy matter to put the hand inside and unlock the door by means of the key usually left in the lock, or to merely turn the knob if the lock is of the type wherein the bolt is actuated by a button in the inside knob or by a key inserted from the outside into a key hole in the outer knob. If the lock is of this latter type the inserted hand can easily release the latch by means of the button and then turn the knob from the inside or the outside.

A particular object therefore of the present invention, in the light of the foregoing, is to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a new and novel means whereby, even though access may be had to the inner side of a door by breaking out, or cutting out a part of a glass pane, it will not be possible for any person to gain entry into a residence or other building by the manner stated.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a new and novel means whereby a person making a hand opening in a door in the manner stated, or in any other manner, will be unable to grasp the door knob whereby to force the turning of the same by hand or by an applied implement.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a device for preventing the unauthorized entry into a dwelling in the manner above stated, which is readily applicable to the door knob without making any changes or alterations in the door or lock structure and which may be applied and removed without marring or otherwise injuring the door hardware.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character stated which is so constructed that it may be applied to the knob of an automatically locking fixture whereby all outside doors may each be equipped with the invention and the homeowner needs only to close behind him the door by which he leaves with the assurance that that door as well as all other outside doors of his house cannot be entered.

The foregoing and possibly other objects are attained by the provision of a casing formed to be slipped over the door knob to completely enclose the same and extend toward the face of the door around the shaft on which the knob is carried. This casing is formed to have extended transversely through it, an elongate substantially U-shaped yoke, the legs of which straddle the knob shaft behind the knob. Means, such as a padlock, is then applied to one or both legs of the yoke to prevent withdrawing the yoke and the legs of the yoke prevent the casing from being slid off the knob.

The padlock may be attached to one or both free ends of the legs of the yoke by passing the link or hook of the lock through an opening in one leg or through openings in both legs. Where the lock is connected to a leg, or to the legs, of the yoke the casing will be free to turn on the knob but cannot come off and thus a grasp cannot be obtained of the knob to turn it. Where it may be desired to secure the casing against turning a screw eye is secured in the door below'the knob to be positioned between the free ends of the yoke legs so that the hook or link of the padlock may be passed through the screw eye also. By this means the padlock may be retained against movement and thus make it difiicult for a housebreaker to pick the lock.

In the case of a door having a key-hole below the knob the link or hook of the padlock may be run through the head of the key, which is conventionally in the form of a ring, and thus the twofold object will be attained of preventing the turning of the'casing with the yoke and padlock and also preventing the pushing of the key out of the keyhole from the outside.

The invention will be best understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification with the understanding that the invention is not confined to a strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

In the drawing: I

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a portion of the inner side of a door showing the device of the present invention in perspective and applied to the door knob or handle.

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal section taken substantially on the line 22 of Figure l, the door knob being in elevation.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating the use of the device in association with a door key.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the reference character D generally designates a door having window panes, a portion of one only of which is shown and designated 10.

The numeral 12 designates the door knob, carried by the shaft 14, the face plate surrounding the shaft and secured to the door, being designated 15.

The type or style of door handle or knob here illustrated is that wherein the locking mechanism is actuated by a key inserted in a key-slot in the outer knob (not shown) while such mechanism is operated'from the inside for locking or unlocking the door by the button 16.

This type of lock requires no key-hole in the door below the knob, but the present invention is equally well adapted for use on the key-hole type of lock, and, in fact, has some additional advantages, as it may be connected with the key, when the latter is left on the inside, in the key-hole, as hereinafter described.

The invention generally embodies three essential parts, comprising a cylinder, or casing 20, a yoke 21 and a padlock 22, though a fourth part in the formof a screw eye 24, may be used in association with the essential three.

The cylinder, or casing 20, comprises the cylindrical one-piece wall 25 which is closed at one end by the solid end wall 26.

The cylinder is of the proper inside diameter to receive the knob 12, and is of the proper length to abut at its open inner end the face of the door, without the end wall 26 striking the latch control button 16.

The wall 25 has formed therethrough opposite pairs of slots or openings. The openings forming one pair on one side are designated 27 and the openings forming the other and opposite, pair, are designated 28. The openings of each pair are spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical wall and the spacing is at least as great, or greater, than the diameter of the knob shaft 14 for the purpose about to be described.

The yoke 21 is here shown as comprising a single piece of strap iron, steel, or other suitable material, which is formed in a U shape to provide the two spaced parallel legs 29 and the cross connection 30 therebetween. The spacing between the legs 29 is in correspondence with the spacing between the slots of each pair and the length of each slot is such as to snugly receive the width of the legs 29, which are inserted therethrough to extend across the width of the cylinder, as shown. Obviously, therefore, the slots 27 are in line transversely of the cylinder to permit this.

As is also shown the yoke legs 29 are of a length materially greater than the diameter of the cylindrical casing 20, and each leg 29 has formed therethrough adjacent to its end, an eye 31, which is distanced from the cross connection so as to lie outside the cylinder when the yoke legs are extended through the receiving slots 27 and 28.

The slots 27 and 28 are also so positioned with respect to the length of the casing, or to the rear open end thereof, as to lie inwardly from, or behind, the knob 12 when the casing is in place so that when the yoke legs are extended through the transversely aligned pairs of slots 27 and 28, they will straddle the knob shaft 14, behind the knob as shown.

After the casing has been placed in position on the knob, as it is illustrated and the yoke has been connected therewith by extending the legs through the slots, the lock 22 is attached.

The lock 22 here shown is one of any number of types which may be employed, and accordingly it is to be understood that in showing and describing this particular type or style, there is no intention to limit the invention in any respect as it will be readily obvious that the only requirement is of a lock having an element of suitable form to pass through one or both of the eyes 31 in the yoke legs 29.

The lock here shown comprises the body 32 having openings or passages 33 to receive the shanks 34 forming the side members of a U-shaped bolt or hook, generally designated 35. This lock is of a common well known type, being used principally as a bicycle lock, and accordingly it is not believed that a more detailed description is required for an understanding of its use as a part of this invention.

Another type of lock which may be employed is the common padlock where the hook or bolt is also of U form but has one shank or leg slidably and pivotally permanently coupled with the lock body while the other, and shorter, shank, or leg, is movable into and out of an opening in the body. When this type of lock is employed the hook shank need be engaged only through the eye 31 or one leg 29.

In the application of the safety device to a door knob it will be apparent, from the foregoing description that after the casing has been slipped over the door knob, the yoke 21 is applied by extending the legs through the aligned opposite pairs of slots 27 and 28.

The leg eyes 31 will thus be exposed at the side of the casing opposite from the cross connection 30.

The lock 22 is then applied by extending one shank 34 either through one eye 31, in which case thelock would hang down from the end of the yoke leg, or by running the shank across between the legs through both eyes 31, in which latter case, after the locking coupling is established between the two shanks 34 and the body 32, the lock will lie horizontally as shown when the yoke is positioned with the legs hanging down.

With the device applied to a door knob in the manner 4 thus far described it will be seen that the shaft 14 of the door knob will be loosely engaged between the legs 29 of the yoke, which legs are behind and may engage the rear of the knob 12. Thus the casing cannot be withdrawn from the knob although it would be free to turn thereon. Accordingly any attempt to turn the knob, or to get at it, so that it could be turned, would be foiled.

As an additional feature, to block or make difficult, any attempt of an intruder to get a key into the lock with which to release it, there is secured or fixed in the body of the door, an anchor eye, here shown as the screw-eye 24, the screw 36 of which is fixed so that the eye or head 38, will be so positioned that when the yoke legs 29 are in hanging position, the head 38 will be located between the ends of the yoke legs and the leg eyes 31 and the eye of the screw-eye head will be in line, so that the shank 34 of the lock bolt may be passed therethrough. By positioning the lock so that the end of the body in which the key-hole (not shown) is formed, will be directed toward and across the adjacent edge of the door, it will be seen that a person putting his hand through an opening in the window would have difiiculty fitting a key in the lock.

Where the present invention is applied to a door knob forming a part of a door lock mechanism of an older type in which there is a key-hole below the knob, and in which key-hole the key is usually left, the device may be coupled with the key to prevent the latter being pushed from the key-hole, from the outside of the door.

Door keys of the older type door lock mechanisms universally have flat heads of open or ring formation which would be located approximately in the position of the head 38 of the screw eye 24. Accordingly the pad lock hook may be engaged through one or both leg eyes 31, and the ring of the key head; or through the key head ring and one leg eye only.

Fig. 4 shows the application of the safety device to a door knob of the older type lock mechanism referred to.

Here in this Fig. 4, the door body is designated D The knob is not shown, but below the knob is the keyhole 40, in which is shown a conventional key 41 having a ring head 42.

The ring head 42 of the key 41, lies between the ends of the hanging yoke legs 29, the ring opening being in line with the eyes 31 of the yoke legs.

The numeral 43 generally designates the type of the padlock herein before referred to, in which the hook 44 is permanently coupled by one shank with the body but movable outwardly and rotatable so that the end of the other and shorter shank may be passed through a ring or other opening. In the use of such a padlock the end of the hook is engaged through the eye 31 of one yoke leg and through the head of the key as shown. Thus, the two-fold object is attained of securing the knob covering casing against movement and securing the door key so that it cannot be pushed out of the key-hole.

While in the illustrations of the device and in the description, the yoke 21 has been shown and described as formed of flat material, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be considered as limited to the use of material of this form, since material of any other form suitable for the attainment of the desired objects obviously may be employed.

Also it is understood that the invention is not limited in the character of the materials which may be used for the cylindrical casing or the yoke.

It will be seen from the foregoing description and illustrations that there is provided by the present invention a safety device which is of relatively simple construction and may be economically produced an inexpensively marketed and which will very effectively protect homes and other buildings while the occupants are away, against entry by sneak thieves in the manner frequently resorted to, as described.

The protective device can be easily and quickly placed K3 in position for use and removed without in any way altering the form or construction of the door or the lock mechanism.

While the illustration of the casing 20 shows a cylindrical body 25 having an end wall 26 as a separate member seamed thereof, it is to be understood that the casing is not limited to the construction shown as it is within scope of the present invention to use a drawn or onepiece casing in which the circular wall 25 and end wall 26 may be formed in one piece.

I claim:

1. A locking device for the purpose described comprising a cylinder of an inside diameter slightly larger than the major diameter of a door knob and of a length greater than the length of a door knob and shaft from the face of the door to the end of the knob, said cylinder having one end closed and the other end open, said cylinder further having pairs of slot openings in the side wall thereof and in alignment transversely thereof, an elongate U-shaped yoke of flat strap material having spaced legs free at their ends and formed for extension through said aligned openings transversely through the cylinder, the material between the legs substantially conforming to the surface of the cylinder and adapted to lie thereon, the legs being of a length greater than the diameter of the cylinder, and at least one leg having an aperture therethrough near the free end thereof providing a means whereby said yoke may be secured by at least one leg against withdrawal from said opening by engagement of a locking agent in said aperture.

2. In combination with a door and an inside knob joined thereto by a shaft, the knob having a lock controlling button thereon, an elongate cylindrical shield having an open end to receive the knob and shaft and closed at its other end to cover and shield said button, the cylinder being of such length that when in such shielding position the open end will abut the door, the cylinder having two pairs of openings in the side wall, the openings of one pair being aligned transversely of the cylinder with the opposite pair, an elongate substantially U-shaped yoke having spaced legs extending across the cylinder through the aligned pairs of openings in straddling relation with said shaft and engaging the knob on the door side thereof, and means secured to a free end of a leg for preventing withdrawal of the yoke legs from said openings whereby removal of the cylinder and access to the button is prevented.

3. The invention according to claim 2, with means coupling the last means with the side of the door from which the knob projects for preventing turning of the cylinder on the knob.

4. The invention according to claim 2, wherein said last means comprises a lock having an element thereof passing through an aperture in an end portion of one leg of the yoke.

5. The invention according to claim 2, with means for coupling the last means to the door preventing turning of the cylinder on the knob comprising a member carried by the door below the cylinder and having an apertured terminus disposed between the ends of the legs, at least one of said legs having an aperture there through, and a padlock having a movable element adapted to be passed through said leg aperture and through said apertured terminus.

6. The invention according to claim 2, with a screw eye secured in the body of the door between the ends of the yoke legs, said yoke legs having apertures therethrough in line with one another and with the eye of the screw, and a padlock having a hasp adapted to be passed through the aligned apertures and screw eye.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,463,195 Mungan Mar. 1, 194.9

FOREIGN PATENTS 5,130 Great Britain Feb. 27, 1914 351,049 Great Britain June 22, 1931 372,457 Great Britain May 12, 1932

Images