GB2213251A - Security device for a portable lamp - Google Patents

Abstract

A security device has a receptacle 13 preventing movement of a lamp 17 except in the direction A-A outwards of the receptacle, means 19 operable to secure the receptacle means to a horizontal bar e.g. a carrying lug of a skip within the enclosure 45 defined by the means 19, and barrier means 27 coupled to the means 19 in such a way as, at operation of the means 19, to be moved into the path of lamp movement to a position at which the means 27 is able to prevent lamp withdrawal. The means 19 comprises a singly cranked member 35 and a doubly cranked means 33. An arm 33a of the means 33 is upstanding from the receptacle 13 and an arm 39 of the member 35 is slidable in a sleeve 41 on the arm 33a. The cranked portions 33b and 43 co-operate to define the enclosure 45, and a hole in the crank 43 is registrable with any of the holes 49 in the crank 33b to accommodate different diameter horizontal bars. <IMAGE>

Description

Security Devices This invention relates to security devices and in particular is concerned with security devices for protecting portable lamps against removal from a site.

Battery operated lamps are, as is well known, placed on or adjacent to tidy bins, or skips, left on site, in order to alert motorists and others of the peril created by the presence of the skip. It is regretfully true that such lamps are frequently stolen or tampered with commonly to gain access to the batteries. Apart from the loss of property in the lamps or other components the person for the time being in charge custody or control of the skip may, as a consquence of unauthorised removal or despoliation of lamps stationed at the skip, be found liable, in law, for damage suffered by others arising as a result of the skip's presence. Even where no such action arises in law, the person responsible for the skip's presence is not uncommonly blamed by the police for failing to provide lights at the skip.

The present invention seeks to provide a security device rendering the unauthorised removal of a warning lamp or its parts difficult.

According to the present invention a security device for a portable lamp comprises: a receptacle having an entrance by way of which a lamp as aforesaid may be inserted, and which is such as, when a lamp is so inserted, substantially to prevent movement of the lamp in all directions with respect to the receptacle means otherwise than in the direction of lamp insertion; means operable to secure the said receptacle to a support structure; and means operable by operation of the said receptacle securing means to introduce barrier means into the path of lamp movement outwardly of the said entrance so as, when a lamp is received by the said receptacle, to prevent withdrawal of the lamp or any part from the said receptacle.

Preferably, the said receptacle securing means comprises relatively movable first and second means both of which are attached to the said receptacle means and which are of such construction as, by relative movement, in one sense, therebetween, to be brought to a position, with respect to one another, permitting the two relatively movable means to be secured to one another encompassing, in use, the said support structure and in clamping engagement therewith; and the said barrier means is movable with movement of one of the said two relatively movable means so as, when the support structure is engaged as aforesaid, to lie in the said path of lamp movement.

Preferably one of the said relatively movable means is constrained for sliding movement with respect to the other; and the said barrier means is rigid with the said one of the relatively movable means.

Suitably one of the relatively movable means is in the general form of a singly cranked arm; the said other of the relatively movable means is in the form of a doubly cranked arm having an arm portion upstanding from the receptacle means and provided with sleeve means adapted to receive and to guide the said singly cranked arm for sliding movement with respect to the said upstanding arm portion; and the cranked portions of the relatively movable means co-operate, upon relative movement therebetween, to define an enclosure within which, in use, the support structure may be received for clamping engagement by the cranked portions. Preferably the doubly cranked arm comprises the said upstanding arm portion and a cranked member in the form of a bell crank lever one of the arms of the said cranked member being pivotally connected at its free end to the upstanding arm portion.Conveniently the singly and doubly cranked arms are formed with holes therethrough which, upon relative movement in a certain sense between the said cranked arms may be brought to registration with one another.

Preferably the said registrable holes are adapted to receive the locking lever of a padlock or corresponding structure of any other suitable locking means.

The foregoing and other features of the invention are hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a pictorial view of a security device; Fig. 2 is a pictorial view showing securing devices as depicted in Fig. 1 secured to a skip; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the security device in relation to a warning lamp; Fig. 4 is an orthogonal side elevation of the security device of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a view from the underside of the security device of Fig. 3.

The security device 11 includes a receptacle 13 having an entrance 15 by way of which, in use, a lamp 17 may be inserted.

The receptacle 13 is such that movement of the the lamp 17 so inserted is prohibited by the receptacle in all directions except the direction A-A of lamp insertion.

The security device 11 also has means 19 operable to secure the receptacle 13 to a support structure 31, specifically in the drawings, one of the four lugs outstanding from the sides 23 of a skip 25. The security device 11 further has barrier means 27. And, finally, the device 11 has means, in the embodiment constituted by the said securing means 19, operable by operation of the said securing means 19 to introduce the barrier means 27 into the path A-A of lamp movement outwardly of the entrance 15 thereby to prevent, by obstruction, unauthorised disengagement of the lamp 17 or any part thereof e.g. the batteries (not shown) or the lens portion 31 from the security device.

Proceeding, in relation to the illustrated embodiment of a security device, in accordance with the invention, from the foregoing general statement to a less general consideration of the illustrated structure, the receptacle securing means 19 comprises relatively movable first and second means 33, 35, respectively. Both of the relatively movable means 33, 35, are attached to the receptacle 13. The said means 33, 35, are of such construction as, by relative movement in one sense, therebetween, to be brought to a position, shown, for example in Fig. 3, with respect to one another permitting the said means 33, 35 to be secured together encompassing the support structure, a headed lug 21 of the skip 25, in clamping engagement with the said lug.

The barrier means 27 is movable with movement of one 35 of the relatively movable means 33, 35, so as, when a lug 21 is clampingly engaged as aforesaid, the barrier means 27 lies in the path A-A of the lamp 17 preventing any outward movement thereof through the entrance 15.

Considering the illustrated embodiment in yet greater detail, it will be observed that the means 35 is relatively movable by being slidable in the direction A-A with respect to the means 33. The barrier means 27 is moreover rigid with the said means 35 so that the barrier means 27 necessarily moves in the direction A-A in sympathy with the means 35.

The means 35 is in the form of a singly cranked arm, and the means 33 is essentially in the form of a doubly cranked arm. For reasons to be explained hereinafter the essentially doubly cranked arm 33 is, in the illustrated embodiment, in two parts 33a, 33b, respectively, the part 33a being an arm portion upstanding from the receptacle 13 and the part 33b being in the shape of a bell crank lever pivotally connected to the arm portion 33a at the free end 37 thereof.

The singly cranked arm 35 has a stem 39 and a cranked portion 41. The stem 39 is slidingly received in a sleeve formation 43 integral with the arm portion 33a of the doubly cranked arm 33.

The arm 35 is such and is so arranged that, with sleeve guided sliding movement of the arm 35 with respect to the arm 33, the cranked portion 41 thereof moves broadside across the bell crank lever shaped part 33b so as, with the latter part 33b to define an enclosure 45 within which, in use, the stem of a headed lug 21 of a skip may be received.

The part 33b is provided with a multiplicity of holes 47 and the cranked portion 43 of the part 35 has a single hole 49.

The part 35 may be slidably moved with respect to the bell crank lever shaped part 33b so as to bring the hole 49 of the part 35 to registration with any one of the holes 47 of the part 33b. Depending on the holes so registered the enclosure d5 defined by the parts 35 and 33b may be adjusted to the diameter of the shank of the headed lug 21 thereby to enable a clamping force to be developed, at the said shank, such clamping force serving, of course, to support the device 11 and a lamp 17 received within the receptacle 13. It is to enable the device 11 to be accommodated to a variety of different size support means, specifically, different diameter members as exemplified by the shank of the lug 21, that the doubly cranked part 33 is in two pivotally connected elements, 33a, 33b.

IXere the device to be accommodated to a support means of a predetermined diameter, the doubly cranked part 33 would be in one piece and would have but one hole 47.

In the course of sliding movement of the part 35 with respect to the part 33, and with a lamp 17 received in the receptacle 13, the barrier means 27, moving in sympathy with the part 35, contacts a surface of the lamp 17, in particular, in the arrangement depicted, a collar portion 51 integral with the lamp lens 31.

The locking lever of a padlock (not shown) having been passed through registered holes 37 and 49 of the parts 33b, 35, respectively, and the padlock secured, the lamp 17 is prevented from movement in the direction A-A outwardly of the receptacle 13.

As may be seen the barrier means 27 is, in the embodiment, in the form of a ring 53 having a radially projecting tongue 55 secured, as by welding, to the stem 39 of the part 35. And the receptacle 13 is in the form of a truss having a ring portion 57 from which the arm portion 33a is upstanding; and dependant from the ring 53 and extending diametrally thereacross a cross member 59.

Tshilst the invention has been described with respect to a security device for use with lamps, as 17, of the form depicted in broken line, the invention is applicable to lamps of other construction, the detailed construction of the security device necessarily differing from that shown as determined by the nature of the lamp to be secured. The principle of the invention is of general validity, however, regardless of variation in construction of the lamp and its parts to be secured against unauthorised removal.

Claims (12)

1. A security device for a portable lamp comprises: a receptacle having an entrance by way of which a lamp as aforesaid may be inserted, and which is such as, when a lamp is so inserted, substantially to prevent movement of the lamp in all directions with respect to the said receptacle otherwise than in the direction of lamp insertion; means operable to secure the receptacle means to a support structure; and means operable by operation of the said receptacle securing means to introduce barrier means into the path of lamp movement outwardly of the said entrance so as, with a lamp received by the receptacle to prevent withdrawal of the lamp from the said receptacle.

2. A security device as claimed in claim 1 in which the said receptacle securing means comprises relatively movable first and second means both of which are attached to the said receptacle and which are of such construction as, by relative movement, in one sense, therebetween, to be brought to a position, with respect to one another, permitting the two relatively movable means to be secured to one another encompassing, in use, the said support structure in clamping engagement therewith; and the said barrier means is movable with movement of one of the said two relatively movable means so as, when the support structure is engaged as aforesaid, to lie in the said path of lamp movement.

3. A security device as claimed in claim 2 in which one of the said relatively movable means is constrained for sliding movement with respect to the other; and the said barrier means is rigid with the said one of the relatively movable means.

4. A security device as claimed in claim 3 in which one of the relatively movable means is in the general form of a Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows C L A I M S 1. A security device for a portable lamp comprising a receptacle having an entrance by way of which a lamp as aforesaid may be inserted, the receptacle being formed so that, when a lamp is so inserted, it substantially prevents movement of the lamp in all directions with respect to the said receptacle otherwise than in the direction of lamp insertion, means operable to secure the receptacle to a support structure, and means operable by operation of the said receptacle securing means to introduce barrier means into the path of lac movement outwardly of the said entrance so as, with a lamp receive by the receptacle to prevent withdrawal of the lT from the said receptacle, the said receptacle securing means cotnprising relay veld movable first and second arms both of which are attached to the said receptacle.

2. A security device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the arms are df such constructior. as, by relative movement, in one sense, there- between, to be brought to a position, with respect to one another, permitting the two arms to be secured to one another encompassing, in use, the said support structure in clamping engagement therewith.

3. A security device as claimed in Clain 1 or 2, wherein the said barrier means is movable with movement of one of the said two arms so as, when the support structure is engaged as aforesaid, to lie in the said path of lamp movement0 4o A security device as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein one singly cranked arm; the said other of the relatively movable means is in the form of a doubly cranked arm having an arm portion upstanding from the receptacle means and provided with sleeve means adapted to receive and to guide the said singly cranked arm for sliding movement with respect to the said upstanding arm portion; and the cranked portions of the relatively movable means co-operate, upon relative movement therebetween, to define an enclosure within which, in use, the support structure may be received for clamping engagement by the cranked portions.

5. A security device as claimed in claim 4 in which the doubly cranked arm comprises the said upstanding arm portion and a cranked member in the form of a bell crank lever one of the arms of the said cranked member being pivotally connected at its free end to the upstanding arm portion.

6. A security device as claimed in claim 4 or 5 in which the singly and doubly cranked arms are formed with holes therethrough which, upon relative movement in a certain sense between the said cranked arms may be brought to registration with one another.

7. A security device as claimed in claim 6 in which the said registrable holes are adapted to receive the locking lever of a padlock.

8. A security device substantially as hereindescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings.

of the arms is constrained for sliding movement with respect to the other.

5. A security device as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the said barrier means is rigid with the said one of the arms.

6. A security device as claimed in Claim 4 or 5, wherein one of the arms is in the general form of a single crank and the said other of the arms is in the form of a double crank having a portion upstanding from the receptacle means and provided with sleeve means adapted to receive and to guide the said single crank arm for sliding movement with respect to the said upstanding arm portion.

7. A security device as claimed in Clair.' ó, erein the double crank arm comprises the said upstanding zrm portion and a cranked member in the form of a bell crank lever, one of the arms of the said cranked member being pivotably connected at its free end to the upstanding arm portions.

8. A security device as claimed In any one of Claims 1 to 7, wherein the arms are formed with holes therethrough which, upon relative movement in 2 certain sense between the arms, may be brought to registration with one another.

9. A security device as claimed in Cleim 8, wherein the said registrable holes are adapted to receive the locking lever of a padlock.

10. A security device substantially as hereinbefore described with.

reference to the accompanying drawings.

11. The combination of a portable lamp and a security device for the lamp, the security device being of the form claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 10.

12. The combination of a portable lamp and security device for the lamp, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.