US3888096A - Lock-up housing for door lock - Google Patents

Abstract

A lock-up housing unit for covering a door-mounted door locking device, a lock on the lid of the unit engaging and locking to means on the base of the unit.

Description

United States Patent June 10, 1975 Russ [54] LOCK-UP HOUSING FOR DOOR LOCK 1,582,663 4/1926 Bastian 70/306 3,131,985 5/1964 B10 d 339/37 [76] Steve 2311 8th 3,660,996 5/1972 s v nz n .5 70/209 Omaha, Nebr. 68108 22 F, d 4 1973 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1 1 June 435.274 9/1935 United Kingdom .1 70 416 [21] Appl. No.: 366,297 594.693 11/1947 United Kingdom 70/416 I Primary Examiner-A1berl G. Craig, Jr. 70/209 gggg g gg Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Hiram A. Sturges [58] Field of Search 70/161, 168, 209, 232,

70/416, DIG. 56, DIG. 58 1571 ABSTRACT A lock-up housing unit for covering a door-mounted [56] References Cited door locking device, a lock on the lid of the unit en- UNITED STATES PATENTS gaging and locking to means on the base of the unit.

1,026,649 5/1912 Beshore 70/161 4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures 20 181 50 r 84 S 30 Q Q -131 260 \-|3O 261 Q 266 Q 262 '|94 220 is 133 I g -"260 19 '1' 19s V ,1 "if e LOCK-UP HOUSING FOR DOOR LOCK FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention is in the field of lock-up housing units for covering door mounted door locking devices to prevent opening by a thief who can reach through a part of a door he has broken.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Blocking covers proposed in the prior art have had various features detracting from their efficiency of operation and also from their appearance. An example is the device shown in US. Pat. No. 3,660,996 titled Locking Device for a Doorknob Lock" issued to Albert Sybertson on May 9, 1972. In this patent a lid is attached to a base by a hinge in a manner such that a person attempting to open the door must first raise the cover with one hand while operating the lock or the knob or both with the other hand, leaving no hands free for the carrying of packages, a suitcase or the like.

A feature of my new locking cover is to provide a lid which opens in a manner such that one hand need not be used to hold it in open position during the operation of a lock control member.

Another characteristic of the patent is the presence of an exposed hinge pin which can be attacked with tools and then withdrawn to make possible the removal of the cover. In this present invention flexible lid attaching means are not used in a manner such that attack thereon would enable a thief to enter the enclosure to operate the door lock.

The locking device of US. Pat. No. 3,660,996 has a base portion having an enlarged, exposed, and unsightly section for the purpose of the mounting of a lock tumbler mechanism. A special objective of this invention is to move the lock tumbler mechanism from the prior art position to the inside of the locking cover where it makes possible having the entire locking cover be more compact for better appearance and more acceptable use, the bulky lock tumbler mechanism being invisible when the unit is closed, yet out of the way of authorized proper manipulation of the door lock when the lid is off.

Another object is to provide a lock for the lid which latches to a dog mounted on the remainder of the locking cover assembly so that it is not necessary to make the cover extra thick in order to provide thickness for an adequate notch to receive a latch of the lid lock, as is the case in US. Pat. No. 3,660,996.

A further object is to provide a locking cover with means making it possible to remove the lid from the base so completely that it does not project outwardly at a right angle from the door during the operation of the door lock control member.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A lock-up housing unit for covering a door-mounted door locking device, a lock on the lid of the unit engaging and locking to means on the base of the unit, the bulky-like tumbler mechanism being invisible when the unit is closed, yet being out of the way when the lid is in an open position, so that an authorized person can easily manipulate the door-mounted locking device itself,

The door-mounted locking device sometimes being a door knob on which a control means for the locking device is mounted. door knobs having locks thereon requiring substantial amounts of room for the easy manipulation of a knob in the usual manner whereby this invention makes it possible for the lock tumbler mechanism to be out of the way when the lid is removed, so as not to interfere with the operation of the knob itself.

The lid fitting in a slot in the base whereby it is difficult for a thief to insert a prying tool between the lid and the base.

The lid fitting inside ofa slot on the base on an opposite end portion of the lid from a portion on which a lock tumbler mechanism is mounted so as to cooperate with the latter to securely hold both end portions of the lid in place.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a side elevation of the lock-up housing unit ofthis invention, shown in combination with a door and also with a door-mounted locking device of the type in which the latch of the locking device is on an inner side of the door, portions of the door being broken away, the door being seen edgewise from the free-vertical edge of the door with the closest half portion of the housing unit of this invention being removed. and the remainder showing in section, a door-mounted door locking device being shown in full lines and the lid locking tumbler and key mechanism of this invention being shown in full lines, an open position of the lid being shown in dotted lines.

FIG. 2 is a frontal elevation of the parts shown in FIG. 1, but with the lid in open position in full lines, and with the major portion of the lid removed, a Iatchreceiving unit of the locking device mounted on the door being shown in full lines as mounted on the door jamb. Most portions of the door and of the door jamb not being shown for convenience of illustration, although opposing edge portions of the door and door jamb are shown.

FIG. 3 is a frontal elevation of the lock-up housing unit of this invention, shown by itself and in closed position.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the lock-up housing device of this invention as it would be seen from the right hand side in FIG. 3, recognizing that FIG. I is a view showing the housing unit as it would be seen from a left hand side in FIG. 3, but with a portion removed.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of a modification of the lock-up housing of this invention, shown for use on a door having a knob thereon of a type having a lock in it, the locking device of the knob being covered by the housing of this invention, closest portions of the housing unit of this invention being removed and the remainder showing in sections, the lid being shown in closed position.

FIG. 6 is a frontal elevation of the lock-up housing unit of FIG. 5, shown surrounding a knob assembly of the door, the door itself not being shown, the view being taken at a time when the lid is completely removed and not visible.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. I, a door is shown at 10 which is mounted in a door jamb, best seen at 12 in FIG. 2. The door 10 has a door-mounted door locking device 20 mounted on its inner side, the locking device 20 being of a type which protrudes from the inner side of the door and which has a latch 34 protruding into the space on the rearward side of the door jamb 12 and received in a latch-receiving unit 40 attached to the door jamb 12. The locking device 20 is secured to the door by screws 22 and has a control means or control knob 30 mounted thereon. The control knob 30 can also be called a control handle 30.

On the outside of the door is an outer part 50 of the locking device 20, the part 50 being for the purpose of receiving a key when the owner is opening the key from the outside. The handle 30 is for the purpose of rotation by an operator to open a door from the inside.

In the prior art burglars have broken windows in doors, such as the door 10, enabling them to reach in for the turning of the handle 30 to open the locking device without the use of a key.

The object of this invention is to provide a lock-up housing assembly, generally indicated at 100, and which is also referred to herein as a lock-up housing unit 100, which has a base 110 which is rectangular when seen from the inside of the door at a time when a lid 130 of the lockup unit 100 of this invention is removed from the base 110 of the lock-up unit.

The base 110 is screwed to the door by screws 160 which are inside the base 110 where they cannot be reached by a burglar nor by anyone unless they first unlock a lidlock 180 of this invention.

The lid 130 has a ridge 188 extending horizontally across its underside and adapted to fit in a horizontal groove 192 in the upper side of a lower wall 116 of the base 110. The base 110 also has an upper wall 118 and side walls 112 and 114, which together form an annular configuration surrounding an area which is open for receiving the locking device 20 of the door.

The ridge 188 is on the inner side of a horizontal groove 194 extending along the under side of the lid 130 from left to right and snugly receiving the horizontally extending base ridge 196 which is spaced from adjacent parts of the base lower wall 116 by a base lower wall horizontal groove 194 earlier described.

It is to be noted as important that the lid 130 fits the inside of the base 110 so that an attempt to insert a screwdriver at the point 220 would do the burglar no good.

The lid ridge 188 holds the bottom of the cover in place whereas a latch 240 on the lock 180 engages a ledge 242 on the base 110 to hold the upper side of the lid 130 in place.

Whenever the true owner wants to open the door from the inside, he merely needs to take the proper key 250 to open the lid lock 180, which is done by rotating the latch 240 so that it no longer engages the ledge 242. And yet a thief cannot get access to the handle by reaching through a hole broken in the door because he would not have a key 250.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 the lid 130 is shown in open position in dotted lines in FIG. 1 and in full lines in FIG. 2.

When the lid is in open position it is held in place by cable assemblies 260, each of which comprise flexible cables 261 secured by closed loops 266 to eyelet members 262 and 264, secured respectively to the inner side of the lower wall 116 of the base 110, and to the upper side of the normally lower wall 132 of the lid 130, which latter is concave on its inner side, also having a forwardly extending upper wall 134, similar to the lower wall 132, and two forwardly extending side walls 136 on its right and left sides.

The cables 261 are long enough so that the lid 130 can hang freely below the base when it is open.

In operation the rotation of the key 250 will cause the latch 240 to disengage the shoulder or ledge means or dog 242, whereby the upper portion of the lid can be moved outwardly somewhat so that the lid can be lifted to remove the lid ridge 188 from the groove 192 by upper movement of the lid, after which the lid can be allowed to move downwardly into the dotted line position shown in FIG. 1, so that it is out of the way.

Referring to FIG. 4, it will be seen that the base 110 has an opening 296 in that one of its vertical side walls 114 which faces to the right in FIG. 2. The notch 296 receives therethrough an end-most portion of the locking device 20, so that the latch 34 protrudes outwardly freely beyond the adjacent edge of the door 10 so as to engage retractably in the latch receiving member 40 as seen in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE SECOND MODIFICATION FIGS. 5 and 6 show a second modification of the invention in which the modified lockup housing unit 300 is mounted on a door 301 by means of screws 303 in the same manner as is the base 110 of FIG. 1. In fact, the base 302 of modification of FIG. 5 is identical in all respects to the base 110 of FIG. 1, with the single exception that it protrudes a lesser distance from the respective door.

The lid 230 of the FIG. 5 modification is similar in all respects to the lid 130 of the FIG. 1 modification, with but two exceptions. The first exception is that the lid 230 has its cavity 231 of a greater depth, than the cavity 131 of the lid 130. The second difference is that the lid 230 is of a much greater forward to rearward thickness as measured horizontally therethrough in that portion thereof as shown at 232 and surrounding the lock tumbler 280, than is the thickness of the lid 130 in the area surrounding the tumbler portion 181 of the lock 180. The reason for this is to secure the lock tumbler portion 280 more securely because it supports a threaded shank 334, which is much longer than the threaded shank 182 of the lock which supports the latch 240 between two knots 183.

The threaded shank 334 extends through a large nut 333, but extends through it in a freely rotating fashion, having no threaded relationship to the nut 333, just as the shank 182 has no threaded relationship to the large nut 184. The large nuts 184 and 333 are simply parts of the lock mechanism which are stationary with respect to the lid.

As best seen in FIG. 5, outwardly toward a latch 340 from the nut 333 are mutually cooperating mebers 33S and 336, which are common to such locks in the prior art, and which cause the shank 334 to be rotatable only to a limited extent, such as through an arc of 180 degrees.

In the modification of FIG. 5 a special nut 338 threaded to the shank 334 serves to hold the member 336 in firm relationship to the rotating shank 334.

Referring to FIG. 5, the threaded shank 334 has a latch 340 secured firmly to it between a pair of nuts 342 and 344, whereby the latch 340 which has an outermost portion off set forwardly, as is the case also with the latch 240, is adapted to engage the forward side or shoulder of a shoulder means, ledge or dog 342 serving the same purpose as its counter part numbered 242 in FIG. 1.

The reason for the enlarged cavity 231 in the modification shown in FIG. 5 is for receiving the outer end of a modified door locking device 310 which is the combination of a knob 312 having mounted on its terminal end farthest from the door 301, a reciprocating and rotating control member 350 having a diagonal protrusion 360 engagable by the fingers of an operator for facilitating its rotation.

The control member 350 is ofa type which locks the door 301 by means of a latch, not shown, extending directly out from the door 301 towards the door jamb, not shown, in a way common to door-mounted door locking devices of the kind which have their controls 350 mounted in a knob 312 so as to make a combination knob and locking device.

The knob 312 has a base mounting plate 380 attached to the door 301 in a manner not shown but common in the prior art. Because the cavity 231 has a great depth, the threaded shank 334 is longer and all this makes it possible that when the modified lid 230 is in open position the knob 312 will be much more exposed for ease of gripping in a normal manner by an operator than would be the case if the base 302 were deep in the lid shallow as is the case in FIG. 1.

ln FlG. 5 the lid can be flexibly or hingedly supported by flexible cable assemblies 260, as is the case with the lid 130.

Referring to FIG. 6, it will be seen that the inwardly extending flanges 470 at the forward inner sides of the base, and at the bottom of the base, can have a cavity 530 therebetween in order to receive part of the base plate 380 of the knob 310, so that screws 460 can be used just like the screws 160 are in FIG. 1, but so that the lower end wall 416 of the base 302 of FIG. 6 can be disposed much closer to the plate 380 and knob 310 so as to make the entire unit achieve a maximum of compaction, a minimum of size.

I claim:

1. A doorway locking assembly comprising a door jamb having a doorway opening therethrough, a door in said doorway opening, said door having an inner side disposed substantially in a vertical plane, a door locking device mounted on the inner side of said door, said door locking device having a manipulatable locking and unlocking control means thereon extending in a direction outwardly from one side of said door, a lock-up housing unit, said unit comprising: a base having an opening means therethrough receiving at least a portion of said locking device and said control means being inside of said housing unit and guarded by said housing unit, means securing said base to said door, a lid, a lid-lock in said housing, said lid-lock being operable to lock said lid to said base and to unlock said lid from said base, said lid-lock being controllable from the outside of said housing unit, said lid and said base and said lid-lock forming an enclosing assembly which latter sufficiently encloses said control means that a thief cannot manipulate said control means from the lid side of said unit without removing said lid, said lid being removably attached to said base for movement away from said base when said lid-lock is unlocked, said lid being sufficiently large that when said lid is removed from said base this will give an operator sufficient access to said control means to manually operate said control means, that side of said base which faces said door defining a forward side of said base, said lid extending across the rearward side of said base, said lid fitting inside of said base and lapping said base for making it difficult for a thief to insert a prying tool in the space between said lid and said base, said lid and base forming a pair of closure members, one side of at least one of said closure members having both a certain groove means therein and having a certain ridge means thereon, said certain ridge means being disposed exteriorly on its closure member of the groove means of its closure member, the other closure having a groove means removably receiving the ridge means of said one closure member, said one closure member having a wall thickness on an opposite side of its groove from its ridge which latter wall thickness is equal to the wall thickness at its said ridge.

2. The doorway locking assembly of claim 1 further comprising the major portion of said lid-lock being mounted on said lid and therefore when said lid is opened said major portion coming out of the way of an operator who manipulates said control means.

3. The assembly of claim 1 in which said lid is flexibly attached to said base by flexible means located on the innerside of said lock-up housing unit when said lid is in closing position.

4. The assembly of claim 3 in which said flexible means comprises a cable means.

Claims (4)

1. A doorway locking assembly comprising a door jamb having a doorway opening therethrough, a door in said doorway opening, said door having an inner side disposed substantially in a vertical plane, a door locking device mounted on the inner side of said door, said door locking device having a manipulatable locking and unlocking control means thereon extending in a direction outwardly from one side of said door, a lock-up housing unit, said unit comprising: a base having an opening means therethrough receiving at least a portion of said locking device and said control means being inside of said housing unit and guarded by said housing unit, means securing said base to said door, a lid, a lid-lock in said housing, said lid-lock being operable to lock said lid to said base and to unlock said lid from said base, said lid-lock being controllable from the outside of said housing unit, said lid and said base and said lid-lock forming an enclosing assembly which latter sufficiently encloses said control means that a thief cannot manipulate said control means from the lid side of said unit without removing said lid, said lid being removably attached to said base for movement away from said base when said lid-lock is unlocked, said lid being sufficiently large that when said lid is removed from said base this will give an operator sufficient access to said control means to manually operate said control means, that side of said base which faces said door defining a forward side of said base, said lid extending across the rearward side of said base, said lid fitting inside of said base and lapping said base for making it difficult for a thief to insert a prying tool in the space between said lid and said base, said lid and base forming a pair of closure members, one side of at least one of said closure members having both a certain groove means therein and having a certain ridge means thereon, said certain ridge means being disposed exteriorly on its closure member of the groove means of its closure member, the other closure having a groove means removably receiving the ridge means of said one closure member, said one closure member having a wall thickness on an opposite side of its groove from its ridge which latter wall thickness is equal to the wall thickness at its said ridge.

2. The doorway locking assembly of claim 1 further comprising the major portion of said lid-lock being mounted on said lid and therefore when said lid is opened said major portion coming out of the way of an operator who manipulates said control means.

3. The assembly of claim 1 in which said lid is flexibly attached to said base by flexible means located on the innerside of said lock-up housing unit when said lid is in closing position.

4. The assembly of claim 3 in which said flexible means comprises a cable means.

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