LOCK ARRANGEMENT FOR CONTAINERS

Abstract: A lock arrangement (31) for containers (30) com­ prising a latch with a crossbar (1) and a coun­ terpart (2), the crossbar (1) and the counterpart (2) being equipped with lock members (4, 5) pro­ vided with holes (34). The lock members are locked together by means of a padlock (6). When the lock arrangement is shut, the lock members (4, 5) are inside a housing (7) mounted on the crossbar (1) or the counterpart (2). The housing (7) is shaped and arranged in such a way that it tightly encloses the padlock (6) and the lock members (4, 5), when the padlock (6) provided with a straight shackle (8) is in its locked position. The housing (7) and the lock members (4, 5) are furthermore pro­ vided such that the padlock (6) is insertable in the housing (7) via an opening therein by a rec­ tilinear movement in at least two directions (9 a , 9 b ) perpendicular to each other. The crossbar (1) and the counterpart (2) are fastened to the con­ tainer by means of safety fastening means, such as bolts (3), the heads of which being on the same level as the crossbar (1) and/or the counterpart (2). This results in a simple and burglar-proof lock arrangement for containers. The lock arrange­ ment is permanently fixed to the container.

Description: The invention relates to a lock arrangement for containers comprising a latch with a crossbar and a counterpart, the crossbar and the counterpart being equipped with lock members provided with holes, said lock members being locked together by means of a padlock. US-2,166,660-A discloses a lock arrangement suitable for use with a container. The arrangement comprises a crossbar mounted on one of the elements to be locked and a counterpart having a hole on the other such element. The crossbar carries a housing tightly enclosing a cylinder lock having a straight shackle which may be brought into engagement with the hole of the counterpart upon key actuation of the lock. The other crossbar end is fastend on the first-mentioned element by means of safety fasteners, i.e. bolts whose heads are flush with said first element. Similarly, the counterpart is mounted by means of bolts whose heads are sunk into the counterpart itself. Upon an attempt of burglary, the connection between the shackle and the counterpart hole has to absorb the forces applied by e.g. a crowbar. US-4,106,315 discloses another lock arrangement suitable for use with a container. On the first and second element to be connected by the lock, a first and a second connector are mounted each provided with holes whose axes are aligned when the elements are in closing position. The lock arrangement comprises a padlock having a generally U-shaped shackle and a lock piece. The shackle is welded into the interior of a housing which, with the elements locked, tightly encloses the padlock and the connectors. Also, these connectors are mounted on the elements by bolts the heads of which are also within the protective housing and thus can be termed safety fastening means. Once the parts are prepared to be locked, the lock piece may be inserted via a housing opening along a straight path. Upon unlocking, the padlock is separated into two parts, i.e. the lock piece and the shackle connected to the housing. The present invention as defined in independent claim 1 aims at a lock arrangement particularly suited for containers and exhibiting the least possible access to the padlock once the container is locked. The dependent claims define preferred details of the concept of the invention. When the lock arrangement is shut, the lock members are inside a housing mounted on the crossbar or the counterpart, said housing being shaped and arranged in such a way that it tightly encloses the padlock and the lock members, when the padlock provided with a straight shackle is in its locked position, and the housing and the lock members are furthermore provided such that the padlock is insertable in the housing via an opening therein by a rectilinear movement in at least two directions perpendicular to each other, and the crossbar and the counterpart are fastened to the container by means of safety fastening means, such as bolts, the heads of which being on the same level as the crossbar and/or the counterpart. Since the lock members and the shackle of the padlock are tightly enclosed by the housing when the lock arrangement is shut, it is virtually impossible to obtain access to these vital parts by e.g. a saw or a crowbar. When the fastening means are secured a burglar is not tempted to try to force the lock arrangement by removing said fastening means. All part are fastened to the container, thus avoiding various forms of loose rods. A further advantage of the inventive arrangement is that all parts are permanently connected with the container, and only the lock itself is removable when the lock arrangement is not in use. Preferably, the housing is box-shaped and completely closed off at four of the six sides, partly closed off on the fifth side and open on the sixth side. Consequently the lock is accessible only from one side, rendering it difficult for a burglar to obtain access to the vital parts of the lock by means of various tools. In a preferred embodiment of the lock arrangement the lock member in the housing is fastened to two of the sides of the housing and to an edge of the fifth side. This results in a substantial part of the padlock being situated inside the housing and thus completely inaccessible when the padlock is in its locked position. In the preferred embodiment of the lock arrangement the lock member mounted in the housing forms a chamber therein, said chamber being closed off on five sides, apart from the hole in the lock member, while the sixth side of the chamber is open, thus increasing the inaccessibility. Preferably, the first insertion direction of the padlock is parallel to but not coinciding with the axis of the hole through the lock members. The lock members may be made of thick plate-shaped blanks, and the total thickness of the blanks is slightly less than the largest width the padlock is able to bridge. This renders it very difficult to twist the lock apart. In the preferred embodiment the fastening means include bolts retainable during the lock arrangement being mounted on the container, e.g. by means of the bolt having a hexagonal socket at the end opposite the head. As a result it is impossible to get a grip on the heads of the bolts from outside by using various types of tools. In the preferred embodiment the fastening means in form of bolts are secured against cutting off by means of sleeves arranged around the shanks of the bolts, and that the sleeves are freely rotatable, although the bolts are secured, and that the sleeves are countersunk in the spacers, and the counterpart is an integral part of the spacers. When a person attempts to cut through the shank of the bolt by either cutting down between the parts of the lock arrangement or by cutting said parts off, the sleeve only rotates, thus preventing cutting-off of the bolts. Preferably, the sleeves are of hardened steel or of sintered hard metal. Thus the bolts are manufactured from inexpensive materials, while the sleeves are extremely hard. Small round articles of even thickness are easily manufactured from extremely hard materials. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the padlock is of substantially rectangular shape with an aperture in the middle, and the straight shackle substantially forms one of the four sides of the padlock, ensuring a better hold of the lock. This embodiment is described in greater detail below and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 illustrates a container with a mounted lock arrangement, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment, Figure 3 is a bottom view of the housing of the lock arrangement, and Figure 4 is a sectional view along the line IV-IV of Figure 3. Figure 1 illustrates a container having the general reference numeral 30 and comprising a lock arrangement having the general reference numeral 31. The lock arrangement of Figure 2 is a latch comprising a crossbar 1 and a counterpart 2. The crossbar 1 is bolted to the container 30 by fastening means, such as bolts 3. Each bolt has a head 22 fitting into a recess in the crossbar 1. The outermost part of the head 22 is on the same level as the outermost part of the crossbar 1. The bolt 3 extends through different types of spacers 35 and counterpieces 36 into a hole in the container 30. The bolt 3 is then secured with a nut 37. Sleeves 24 and 25 are inserted in the different types of spacers 35 and between the crossbar 1 and the spacers 35. The sleeves 24, 25 are countersunk in the spacers. The counterpart 2 is an integral part of one of the spacers and provided with a hook-shaped part. The end of the bolt 3 opposite the head 22 has e.g. a hexagonal socket or a thread or a simple hole, so that the bolt is retainable inside the container 30, when the bolt is tightened or loosened. A lock member 4 with a through hole 34 is fastened to the counterpart 2. The lock member 4 with the through hole 34 consists of a plate welded to the counterpart 2. A second lock member 5 is positioned inside the housing 7 and welded to the crossbar 1. The housing has the shape of a 6-sided box with the sides 11, 12 and 13 visible in Figure 2. The fifth side is substantially the crossbar 1. The end of the housing 7 farthest away from the upper side 13 is reinforced with double plates. Figure 3 is a bottom view of the housing 7. Sides 11, 12, 14 and 15 of the housing 7 are visible. The sixth side 16 is actually open, as it is the side allowing a view into the inside of the housing 7. The lock member 4 fastened to the counterpart 2 is visible in the inside of the housing 7. The lock member 4 registers with the second lock member 5 fastened to the sides 12, 14 and 15 inside the housing. Figure 4 is a sectional view of the housing 7 along the line IV-IV of Figure 3. A padlock 6 with a straight shackle 8 is arranged in the housing. One end of the shackle 8 is knurled. Neither the padlock 6 nor the shackle 8 are shown in a sectional view in Figure 4. The sides 11, 13, 14, and 16 of the housing 7 surround the padlock 6. The padlock is lockable by means of a key 33. The shackle 8 in the padlock 6 is displaceable through the holes 34 in the two lock members 4 and 5. The lock member 5 fastened inside the housing 7 is fastened parallel to an edge 21 of the fifth side, thus forming a chamber 32. The fifth side 15 is substantially formed by the crossbar 1. When the padlock 6 is to be inserted in the housing 7, it has to be moved along two directions 9 a , 9 b . The first part of the movement, in the direction 9 a , is perpendicular to the crossbar 1, the subsequent movement 9 b is substantially parallel to said crossbar. When the padlock 6 is in place so that it grips around the lock members 4 and 5 the shackle 8 is inserted through the holes 34 of the lock members 4, 5 and the key 33 is turned and removed. Consequently the padlock and thus the lock arrangement are locked. Owing to the difficulties connected with obtaining access to the central lock parts the lock arrangement is well secured againgst burglary. The invention is not restricted to the above embodiments. The housing can e.g. have curved sides, when this is more suitable for a given type of padlock. The sleeves may be made of granular material, and various parts of the lock arrangement can be made of special materials, such as plastics or ceramics, and the parts can be through-hardened, case hardened.

Claims: A lock arrangement (31) for a container (30), comprising a crossbar (1) and a counterpart (2), the crossbar (1) and the counterpart (2) each being equipped with lock members (4, 5) provided with holes (34), the crossbar (1) and counterpart being lockable together by means of a U-shaped padlock (6) provided with a straight shackle (8), the padlock in locked position embracing said lock members (4, 5) while said shackle extends through said holes (34), the arrangement further comprising a housing (7) mounted on said crossbar or said counterpart and tightly enclosing said lock members (4, 5) and said padlock (6) and shackle (8) in said locked position, said housing having an opening dimensioned to permit insertion of said padlock laterally offset with respect to said lock members (4, 5) in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of said holes (34), and to shift it then in a lateral direction into said locking position, and that the crossbar (1) and the counterpart (2) are fastened to the container by means of safety fastening means, such as bolts (3), the heads of which being on the same level as the crossbar (1) and the counterpart (2), respectively. A lock arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the housing (7) is box-shaped and completely closed off at four (11, 12, 13, 14) of the six sides (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16), partly closed off on the fifth side (15) and open on the sixth side (16). A lock arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the lock member (5) in the housing (7) is fastened to two of the sides (11, 12, 13, 14) of the housing (7) and to an edge (21) of the fifth side (15). A lock arrangement as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, characterised in that the lock member (5) mounted in the housing (7) forms a chamber (32) therein, said chamber being closed off on five sides, apart from the hole (34) in the lock member (5), while the sixth side of the chamber (32) is open. A lock arrangement as claimed in any of the preceding claims 1-4, characterised in that the first insertion direction (9a) of the padlock (6) is parallel to but not coinciding with the axis of the hole (34) through the lock members (4, 5). A lock arrangement as claimed in any of the preceding claims 1-5, characterised in that the two lock members (4, 5) are made of thick plate-shaped blanks, and that the total thickness of the blanks is slightly less than the largest width the padlock (6) is able to bridge. A lock arrangement as claimed in any of the preceding claims 1-6, characterised in that the fastening means include bolts (3) retainable during the lock arrangement being mounted on the container, e.g. by means of the bolt having a hexagonal socket at the end opposite the head (22). A lock arrangement as claimed in any of the preceding claims 1-7, characterised in that the fastening means in form of bolts (3) are secured against cutting off by means of sleeves (24, 25) arranged around the shanks of the bolts, and that the sleeves (24, 25) are freely rotatable, although the bolts are secured, and that the sleeves (24, 25) are countersunk in the spacers (35), and that the counterpart (2) is an integral part of the spacers (35). A lock arrangement as claimed in any of the preceding claims 1-8, characterised in that the sleeves (24, 25) are of hardened steel or of sintered hard metal. A lock arrangement as claimed in any of the preceding claims 1-9, characterised in that the padlock (6) is of substantially rectangular O-shape, and that the straight shackle (8) substantially forms one of sides of the rectangular O-shape.

Inventors: LARSEN, ALLAN RALF
Applicants: SERVIAL FINANS APS
Application year: 1988
Main classification: E05C19
IPC codes: E05C19, E05B67