Abstract:
This is directed to systems, processes, and machines that protect a urinal from theft. The systems, processes, and machines can deter and prevent the theft of urinals by protecting the compression nut from being turned.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to provisional patent application 61/595,548 filed on Feb. 6, 2012. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       THE NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC 
       [0004]    Not Applicable 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    This invention relates to protection of commercial urinals from theft. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Thieves steal metal in many secured and unsecured forms in order to sell it for scrap. For commercial urinals this is a particularly serious problem. In some restaurants, the bathrooms are located in close proximity to the door. The urinal plumbing can be removed in about 20 seconds and costs $400 to replace. The present invention makes this substantially more difficult, because it secures the urinal flush valve, the removal of which is necessary to abscond with the urinal piping. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention includes methods, systems, and other means for an anti-theft lock assembly. The anti-theft lock assembly comprises an outer bracket mechanically coupled to an inner bracket by a hinge mechanism and a locking mechanism. The outer bracket comprises a first pin hole, a second pin hole, a first lock hole and sometimes a second lock hole. The inner bracket comprises a third pin hole, a third lock hole and sometimes a fourth pin hole and a fourth lock hole. The hinge mechanism further comprises inserting a pin through the first pin hole, second pin hole and third pin hole and permanently fixing the pin to the first pin hole and the second pin hole such that the inner bracket remains ambulatory. The locking mechanism further comprises inserting a key lock through the first lock hole into the second lock hole and activating the key lock. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the invention shown in use. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the outer bracket. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the inner bracket. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a section detail view of the invention along line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is an exploded view of the invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the alternate embodiment of the invention shown in use. 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the alternate embodiment of the invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a bottom view of an alternate embodiment of the invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the alternate embodiment of the invention illustration range of rotational motion. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]    Embodiments of the present invention overcome many of the obstacles associated with thieves stealing urinal piping, and now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings that show some, but not all embodiments of the claimed inventions. Indeed, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. 
         [0020]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of the invention in use. Urinal  22  is connected to a water source by urinal piping  24 . Thieves desire to steal urinal piping  24  because it can be sold for scrap. The owner of urinal  22  and urinal piping  24  desires to protect urinal piping  24  to avoid replacement costs. The owner can accomplish this goal by covering compression nut  20  (not shown) with anti-theft lock assembly  10  as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0021]      FIG. 2  shows anti-theft lock assembly  10  in more detail. Anti-theft lock assembly  10  comprises outer bracket  12  (shown in more detail in  FIG. 3 ), which is mechanically coupled to inner bracket  14  (shown in more detail in  FIG. 4 ) by a hinge mechanism and a locking mechanism. The hinge mechanism involves inserting key bolt  26  through first key bolt hole  16 , second key bolt hole  16 , third key bolt hole  16  and fourth key bolt hole  16  as shown below. The locking mechanism involves inserting pin  28  through first pin hole  18 , second pin hole  18 , third pin hole  18  and fourth pin hole  18 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 3  shows inner bracket  14  in more detail. Inner bracket  14  comprises first key-bolt hole  16 , second key bolt hole  16 , first pin hole  18  and second pin hole  18 . Inner bracket  14  should be made of hard metal that is resistant to puncture such as steel, stainless steel or brass. Notably, steel would provide a more economical solution, but would be subject to rust. Stainless steal would not be subject to rust, but would be more expensive. Brass would provide additional protection against thieves who choose to use a torch to remove anti-theft lock assembly  10  because brass can rapidly displace heat. Regardless of material chosen, inner bracket  14  can be made with conventional metal working technology. 
         [0023]      FIG. 4  shows outer bracket  12  in more detail. Outer bracket  12  comprises third key-bolt hole  16 , fourth key bolt hole  16 , third pin hole  18  and fourth pin hole  18 . Outer bracket  12  should be made of hard metal that is resistant to puncture such as steel, stainless steel or brass for the reasons stated above. Similarly, outer bracket  12  can be made with conventional metal working technology. 
         [0024]      FIG. 5  shows a section view of anti-theft lock assembly  10  along line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 . Outer bracket  16  is mechanically coupled to inner bracket  14  with pin  28  and key bolt  26  as shown above. Here, urinal piping section  24  is shown mechanically coupled to a water source with compression nut  20 . Anti-theft lock assembly  10  is designed to rotate around compression nut  20  without having an adequate surface tension to turn compression nut  20 . That is, as a user turns anti-theft lock assembly  10 , compression nut  20  remains stationary. 
         [0025]      FIG. 6  shows one manner of how a user can use anti-theft lock assembly  10 . As noted above, the user uses anti-theft lock assembly  10  to protect compression nut  20  which mechanically couples a water source to urinal piping  24 . To use the lock a user must permanently fix pin  28  to first pin hole  18  and second pin hole  18 , such that the inner bracket remains ambulatory. This can be done in a wide variety of ways using conventional metalworking technology. For instance, a user could weld outer bracket  12  to pin  18  and leave inner bracket  14  ambulatory about pin  18 . Other techniques involving soldering and press fitting can be equally effective. 
         [0026]    After this a user can compress outer bracket  12  and inner bracket  14  such that first key bolt hole  16 , second key bolt hole  16 , third key bolt hole  16  and fourth key bolt hole  16  are in alignment. At that point a user can insert key bolt  26  through first key bolt hole  16 , second key bolt hole  16 , third key bolt hole  16  and fourth key bolt hole  16  and then activate key bolt  26  to complete the locking mechanism. 
         [0027]      FIG. 7  shows a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the invention in use. Urinal  22  is connected to a water source by urinal piping  24 . The owner can prevent thieves from stealing urinal piping  24  by covering compression nut  20  (not shown) with anti-theft lock assembly  30  as shown in  FIG. 8 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 8  shows anti-theft lock assembly  30  in more detail. Anti-theft lock assembly  30  comprises outer bracket  32  which is mechanically coupled to inner bracket  36  by a hinge mechanism and a locking mechanism. Outer bracket  32  further comprises a first lock hole, which is key bolt hole  34 , a first pin hole and a second pin hole. Inner bracket  36  further comprises a second key bolt hole, which is interference shaft hole  38  (not shown) and a third pin hole. A user can complete the hinge mechanism by inserting a key lock, barrel lock  40  into key bolt hole  34  and inserting a key into key hole  44  as shown in  FIG. 10  below. 
         [0029]      FIG. 9  shows anti-theft lock assembly  30  from a top view. As noted above, outer bracket  32  is mechanically coupled to inner bracket  36  by a hinge mechanism and a locking mechanism. To complete the locking mechanism a user can insert pin  28  through the first pin hole, the second pin hole and third pin hole such that the pin is permanently fixed to the first pin hole and the second pin hole while the inner bracket remains ambulatory. Much like pin  18 , pin  28  can mechanically couple outer bracket  32  to inner bracket  36  in a wide variety of ways. For instance, a user could weld outer bracket  32  to pin  18  and leave inner bracket  36  ambulatory about pin  28 . Other techniques involving soldering and press fitting can be equally effective to complete the locking mechanism. 
         [0030]      FIG. 10  shows one manner of using anti-theft lock assembly  30 . As noted above, outer bracket  32  is mechanically coupled to inner bracket  36  by pin  28 . Inner bracket  36 , further comprises a third lock hole, which is interference shaft hole  38 . Outer bracket  32 , further comprises key bolt hole  34 . To use anti-theft lock assembly  30 , a user inserts outer bracket  32  and inner bracket  36  over compression nut  20 , and then compresses outer bracket  32  to inner bracket  36  as shown. To complete the mechanical couple, the user inserts barrel lock  40  into key bolt hole  34 . Barrel lock  40  further comprises barrel lock male thread  42  which can be mechanically coupled to interference shat hole  38  by inserting a key into key hole  44  in a manner well known in the art.