US3415086A - Locking bayonet connector securement - Google Patents

Description

DCC. 10, p M TRAlNOR LOCKING BAYONET CONNECTOR SECUREMENT Filed July 2'?, 1967 Il lll 5.. n

United States Patent Gftice 3,415,086 Patented Dec. 10, 1968 LOCKING BAYONET CONNECTOR SECUREMENT Patrick M. Trainor, Chicago, Ill., assignor, by court order, to Shapiro, Levine and Crane Filed July 27, 1967, Ser. No. 656,526 2 Claims. (Cl. 70-240) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE `One of a pair of cooperating bayonet connector members comprises the projecting rear portion of a pin tumbier lock cylinder that is rotatable in a case having a large flange on its front end. Studs project rearwardly from the flange for fastening the lock case to a movable panel. The other bayonet member is formed as the head of a bolt that is receivable in a hole through a stationary part and is axially adjustably securable by a pair of nuts engaging opposite sides of the stationary part.

This invention relates to a locking device for releasably securing a door or movable panel such as, for example, an automobile hood or rear deck, or a vending machine access panel; and the invention is more particularly concerned with a key actuable locking securement that is especially Well adapted for retro-fitting, that is, for installation in 4the eld by an ultimate user or a service agency.

There are many types of installations in which a locking device of the type just -mentioned is useful. The owner of a customized automobile, for example, might desire a good, secure means of locking its hood to prevent the hood from being raised by unauthorized persons; and he would be particularly interested in a hood lock which would very precisely establish the locked position of the hood in relation to adjacent parts of the automobile body structure and which would in itself be inconspicuous but attractive so as to contribute to the utmost refinement of exterior appearance.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a key actuating locking device which can be readily iustalled in the field with few and simple tools and with little labor and a minimum of skill, and which can be readily adjusted to enable precise positioning of the hood or other movable part that is secured by the device when the device is in its locked condition.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide, in a locking device of the type that comprises a pair of bayonet connector members, means for readily installing one of the bayonet members and for axially adjusting the same with great ease and convenience so that the position of the connection between the bayonet members can be established very precisely.

Another specific object of this invention is to provide a very simple, rugged and dependable but inexpensive key actuated locking device of the bayonet connection type, having one of its bayonet members formed as the rear end portion of the rotatable plug or cylinder of `a cylinder lock, and particularly of a cylinder lock of the type having axial tumblers and which is controlled by a tubular key.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a locking device of the character described that is neat and inconspicuous, so as not to detract from the appearance of the hood, panel or other part on which it is installed.

With these observations and objects in mind, the manner in which the invention achieves its purpose will be appreciated from the following description and the accompanying drawings. This disclosure is intended merely to exemplify the invention. The invention is not limited to the particular structure disclosed, and changes can be made therein which lie within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the invention.

The drawings illustrate one complete example of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an automobile having a pair of locking devices of this invention installed on its hood for locking the hood in its closed position;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective view on a larger scale of one of the locking devices of this invention shown installed on an automobile hood; and

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal sectional View on a still larger scale taken on the plane of the. line 3 3 in FIG- URE 2.

'Referring now to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 5 designates generally a locking device of this invention, shown installed on the hood 6 of an automobile to hold the hood securely in a predetermined closed position and prevent unauthorized persons from raising it. For such hood securement two of the locking devices 5 are preferably employed, one near each side of the hood, near the end of the hood remote from its hinges or pivots, in order to afford maximum yassurance that the hood will be held with complete security and stability, unaffected by wind, road bumps and vibration.

In general the locking device of this invention comprises a pair of telescopable bayonet connector members 7 and 8, one comprising the rear end portion of the cylinder 9 of a cylinder lock 10, and the other comprising the head of a bolt 11. In this case the male bayonet member 7 comprises the rear of the lock cylinder 9 and the female member 8 comprises the head of the bolt 11.

Forming one of the bayonet elements as the 4head of a bolt enables it to be very readily installed on a fixed .part adjacent to the door, panel or the like to be secured by the device, and also provides for very facile adjustment. Thus in the case of an automobile hood, the bolt 11 can be secured to a brace 12 or the like, such as a radiator core support bar, by drilling through the structural member a hole of a size to clear the bolt, inserting the bolt into the hole, and securing the bolt by means of nuts 13 that are threaded onto the bolt to clampingly engage opposite surfaces of the structural member. Axial adjustment of the bayonet -connector member is of course accomplished by axial adjustment of the nuts along the bolt.

The cylinder lock 10 has a cylindrical housing or case 14 with a substantially large radially outwardly project ing ange 15 at its front, and has a coaxial rearwardly opening bore 16 and a forwardly opening counterbore 17. The plug or cylinder 9 has a rear spindle portion 18 which is received in the bore in the housing and projects therebehind, and has an enlarged head portion 19 at its front which is received in the counterbore 17 and which cooperates with the forwardly facing shoulder defined by the junction of the bore andthe counterbore to prevent rearward displacement of thecylinder relative to the case. A spring clip ring 20 received in a circumferential groove in the spindle portion of the cylinder cooperates with the rear rim of the case to confine the cylinder against forward displacement.

In its head portion the cylinder has a coaxial well 21 with a forwardly opening enlargement or counterbore 22. A key boss 'member 23 which is generally T-sha'ped in longitudinal section has its stern portion press-fitted into the smaller diameter rear portion of the well 21, but the head portion of the key boss member has ya somewhat smaller diameter than the counterbore 22 to cooperate with the inner surface of the latter in defining an annular ,forwardly opening key socket 24 in which a tubular key 25 is receivable. The front faces of the flange 15, of the head portion 19 of the cylinder and of the key boss member 23 are all flush with one another and are preferably chromium plated or otherwise provided with an attractive surface finish.

In the head portion 19 of the cylinder there are a plurality of tumbler wells 26 that are parallel to the cylinder axis and equispaced radially therefrom as well as spaced at equal intervals circumferentially These open to the rear of the head portion, but their front end portions open laterally to the annular key socket 24. In the locked condition of the cylinder the tumbler wells 26 align coaxially with forwardly opening driver wells 27 in the casing. A driver 28 in each driver well is urged forwardly by a small coiled compression spring 29 that reacts against the bottom of the driver well, so that when there is no key in the cylinder the driver is partway received in its axially aligned tumbler well, thereby preventing rotation of the cylinder. A tumbler 30 in each tumbler well engages the front end of the well to define the most forward position of the driver.

The key 25 for the lock has shallow forwardly opening notches 31 in the outer surface of its tubular shank, each engageable with a tumbler 30. When the key is inserled into the key socket 24, a suitable index mark 32 on the key is aligned with a mark 33 on the front face of the cylinder to establish the proper rotational position of the key, at which, when fully inserted, the key drives the tumblers back to where their rear ends are on the plane of the rear surface of the head portion 19 of the cylinder to free the cylinder for key propelled rotation.

The rear spindle portion 1S of the cylinder, which projects behind the lock casing, is of a diameter to be readily receivable in an upwardly opening well 34 in the female bayonet member 8, and a transverse pin 35 extends through it near its rear end. The female bayonet member 8 of course has suitable L-shaped bayonet slots 36 in which the pin 35 is engageable when the bayonet niembers are brought into telescoping relation, so that upon rotati-on of the male bayonet member 7 in one direction a secure connection can be established between the members.

Retrofit installation of the connector of this invention is very simple by reason of one of the bayonet members being formed as the head of the bolt 11, as above described, and further by reason of a plurality of threaded studs 37 which are spot welded to the rear of the flange 15 on the lock case and project rearwardly therefrom. As a part of a kit, a template (not shown) having a pressure sensitive adhesive on one side thereof can be provided to facilitate drilling a central hole for the case and spaced smaller holes for the stu-ds` Nuts 38 on the studs cooperate with the underside of the hood or panel on which the lock is installed to hold the lock in place thereon with the flange 15 overlying its outer surface.

If the hood has an inner hood panel 39, substantially larger holes are drilled in the inner panel coaxially with the studs 37, of a size to clear the nuts 38 and permit access to them, and tubular spacers 40 are slipped over the studs before the nuts are threaded onto them. The spacers permit the nuts to be readily accessible through the holes in the inner panel,

From the foregoing description taken with the accompanying drawings it will be apparent that this invention provides a locking secufrement for an automobile hood, vending machine panel or the like that is neat and inconspicuous in appearance, is very easily installed and is very readily adjustable.

What is claimed as my invention is:

1. A locking device for releasably securing an automobile hood and the like a stationary element beneath' said hood, comprising in combination, a lock case including a pin-tumbler lock mounted in said case having a rotatable cylinder with its front end accessible at the outer surface of the hood adapted to be rotated by means of a proper key insertable into the case, ya first connector member mounted as a coaxial rear end portion of said cylinder and projecting rearwardly therefrom, a second connector member having elongated portion fixedly securable to said stationary element beneath the hood, and means associated with each of said first and second connector members cooperable upon rotation of said lock cylinder to establish a connection therebetween, characterized by:

(A) said lock case having a substantially large radially outwardly projecting flange at the front thereof, adapted to overlie the outer surface of said hood on which the lock case is mounted; and

(B) a plurality of studs projecting rearwardly from said flange and fastening means on the rear end portions of said studs for securing and maintaining said flange flatwise engaged with the hood.

2. In a locking device of the character described:

(A) a pin tumbler lock having (l) a housing with a substantially large radially projecting circumferential flange on its front, and

(2) a cylinder rotatable in said housing and having its rear end portion projecting therefrom and ormed as a first bayonet connector member;

(B) a plurality of studs projecting rearwardly from said flange and spaced from the housing and from one another;

(C) a nut on each of said studs;

(iD) a bolt having its head formed as a second bayonet connector member cooperable with said first bayonet connector member; and

(E) a pair of nuts on said bolt adapted to clampingly engage opposite sides of a part having a hole therethrough in which the bolt is received, for clampingly securing the bolt in the part in a desired position of axial adjustment relative to the part.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,286,739 6/1942 Krause 292-341 2,594,599 4/1952 Uhri 220-25 2,877,637 3/1959 G-reenwald 7086 3,267,706 8/1966 Kerr 70^3631l MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner. R. L. WOLFE, Assistant Examiner.l

U.S. Cl. X.R. -451, 370, 161

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