Abstract:
A locking system for a dead bolt and slam bolt locking of a movable door to a stationary keeper comprises a lock housing defining a cylinder chamber having an opening alignable with a keeper recess in the closed position of the door. A spherical locking bolt is mounted on a piston which is slidably and sealably movable in the cylinder chamber between an inner non-locking position and an outer locking position. The interior of the cylinder chamber is filled with a non-compressible fluid by outward movement of the piston and a normally closed check valve prevents exhaust of such fluid to produce a dead lock conditon. The check valve is alternatively opened by a manual key or by remotely controlled energization of a solenoid.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a security lock mechanism for doors, gates and the like of the type employed for regulating access to secured areas, and more particularly to an improved security lock mechanism adapted both for dead lock and slam lock operation. 
     2. Summary of the Prior Art 
     Lock mechanisms for doors and gates employed for regulating access to secured areas have been the subject of many prior art patents. It is recognized in this art that any security mechanism must have the capability of assuming a dead lock position, yet also be capable of slam lock operation. The term dead lock position means literally that the door or gate is positively locked against movement in response to any force applied to the door or gate. Operation of the lock mechanism from the dead lock position to an open position normally requires the insertion and turning of key or, for remotely controlled lock systems, the energization of a solenoid which effects retraction of the locking bolt from the dead lock position. 
     By slam lock position, the prior art patents, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,475 issued to BUSHNELL et al., refer to a locking mechanism which will permit the gate or door to be slammed to a closed position even though the locking bolt is positioned in its locking position. Slam locking is generally accomplished by a camming action exerted on the locking bolt by the striker plate. The conventional mechanism provide a camming surface on either the striker plate or the locking bolt which is engaged by contact of these two elements to exert a retraction force on the locking bolt sufficient to permit the gate or door to reach its closed position, whereupon the locking bolt resumes its extended position to lock the door or gate in the closed position. 
     The locking mechanism of the prior art have predominately involved complex mechanical linkages, particularly when a remotely controlled solenoid is incorporated in the locking mechanism. Such linkages are subject to wear and have a relatively short life when employed on a door that is frequently locked and unlocked. More importantly, prior art locking mechanisms are subject to failure to shift to an open position when any significant force is applied to the door which the lock mechanism is securing, whether that force be a lateral, or a vertical force. As is well known, locking systems used in jail cells are particularly subject to this type of abuse by the occupant arbitrarily applying a lateral or vertical force to the door at the time that the locking mechanism is being remotely operated by a guard who cannot readily ascertain that the prisoner is attempting to foul up the operation of the lock. Lateral forces on the door as low as 15 lbs. have been found to completely bind up many conventional cell door locking mechanisms and prevent unlocking. This is a serious defect in prior art mechanically operated locking systems. If one or more panic stricken individuals seek to escape through the locked door, they will kick, and push laterally on the door with sufficient force to bend the locking mechanism and prevent the unlocking and opening of the door. 
     Pneumatic operation of a locking system has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,948 issued to AUSTIN, JR. et al. Such locking system uses compressed air and a solenoid controlled valve to effect movement of the locking bolt to and from a locking position with respect to a striker plate. This system is, of course, subject to immediate failure in the event that pressured air becomes unavailable for any reason. In such event, resort must be had to a key to manually effect the movement of the locking bolt to and from its locked and open positions. 
     In remotely controlled locking systems, it is highly desirable that a reliable indication be provided as to whether the locking bolt is positioned in its extended locked position or its retracted, unlocked position. A variety of mechanisms have heretofore been proposed to accomplish this objective, but none have provided a highly reliable yet economical system for indicating the locking bolt position. 
     There is, therefore, an established need in the field of security lock systems for a locking arrangement that will successfully operate even when very substantial lateral or vertical forces are applied to the locked door or gate. Moreover, a locking system is required for remote operation which does not rely upon the existence and proper operation of a source of pressured air. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved security lock mechanism of the type generally referred to above and adapted for both dead lock and slam lock operation while providing reliable operation over extended periods of time, either by key or a remotely controlled solenoid, and overcoming the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior art systems. 
     A locking system embodying the method and apparatus of this invention contemplates the mounting of the locking bolt on a piston which slidably and sealably cooperates with a cylinder chamber provided in the lock housing to move the locking bolt between a projecting locking position in engagement with a striker plate, or to a retracted position wherein the locking bolt does not extend beyond the face of the lock housing. A spring biases the piston to its locking position. The cylinder chamber in which the piston is mounted is normally filled with a non-compressible fluid. Such cylinder chamber is in communication with a fluid passage leading to a fluid reservoir chamber which is also defined within the lock housing. Sufficient fluid is inserted so as to fill the cylinder chamber, the fluid passage, and at least a portion of the fluid reservoir chamber in order to maintain fluid in the fluid passage when the piston is moved to its locking position. A check valve is mounted in the fluid passage and cooperates with a valve seat surrounding the fluid passage opening to prevent flow of fluid from the cylinder chamber to the fluid reservoir chamber, thus creating a fluid blocking of the locking bolt in its locked position, and creating a dead lock condition for the locking bolt. 
     To release the locking bolt from its dead lock position, the check valve is opened to permit fluid flow from the cylinder chamber into the fluid reservoir chamber. Such flow then permits the piston carrying the cylinder lock to move to a retracted position in the cylinder, permitting the unlocking of the locking bolt. In accordance with this invention, such movement of the locking bolt is produced through the manual application of an opening force to the door and the utilization of a hardened steel ball as the locking bolt. Such spherical locking bolt cooperates with a semi-spherical recess defined in the striker plate, and the opening of the check valve followed by the application of an opening force to the door will result in the camming of the spherical locking bolt and its supporting piston inwardly in the cylinder chamber to release the locking bolt from the striker plate. 
     The same action is repeated whenever the door is slammed to its closed position with the spherical locking bolt projecting from the lock housing and the check valve in its open position. As previously mentioned, the spring normally maintains the locking bolt in such projecting position. So long as the check valve is maintained in its open position, the slamming of the door produces a camming action by the striker plate against the spherical locking bolt to force the bolt inwardly and permit the door to fully close, following which the spring bias on the piston returns it to a locked position, but is not a dead lock position until the opening force is removed from the check valve to close the fluid passage between the cylinder chamber and the fluid reservoir chamber. 
     The operation of the check valve may be accomplished either by a key manually inserted in a conventional lock set assemblage to effect the turning of a cylindrical member which is connected by a linkage to the stem of the check valve. Alternatively, a solenoid may be mounted in the lock housing to permit the remote operation of the check valve to an open position. The core of such solenoid is preferably connected by a suitable linkage to the same cylindrical member as employed for the key unlocking operation and such cylindrical member will turn to effect the shifting of the stem of the check valve to a closed position, thus converting the lock into its dead lock condition. 
     A further feature of this invention is the utilization of a magnetic band surrounding the piston portion of the spherical locking bolt assemblage to indicate, at a remote location, the actual position of the locking bolt. The position of the magnetic band is detected by a conventional magnetic detector mounted in an annular groove provided in the cylinder wall of the chamber. The proximity of the magnetic ring to the magnetic detector will provide a signal at a remote location indicating whether the lock is in its locked or unlocked position. Obviously, a lock embodying this invention will always be in its extended locking position unless it is deliberately tampered with to restrain the spherical locking bolt in a retracted position relative to the lock housing. 
     In accordance with this invention, the check valve is constructed in such manner as to constitute a two stage pressure relief and flow valve. In the initial movement of the check valve from its closed position, a limited flow passage is provided for the fluid. The first stage requires a small force to be applied to the stem of the check valve assembly. Such initial flow, however, has the effect of reducing whatever pressure existed in the cylinder chamber so that a second stage of movement of the check valve assembly is accomplished against a lower back pressure, hence permitting the check valve assembly to be readily moved to its fully open position wherein a large flow area is provided for fluid to flow from the cylinder chamber into the fluid reservoir chamber. 
     Further objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the annexed sheets of drawings, on which is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a lock housing embodying this invention shown in cooperative relationship to a striker plate. 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on a vertical plane passing through the center vertical axis of the lock housing. In this view, the mechanism for operating the locking bolt is shown in its dead lock position. 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the mechanism for operating the locking bolt in the bolt-open position. 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged scale view of the check valve, showing the elements thereof in their open position. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIG. 1, an elongated housing 1, preferably having a generally rectangular cross section is provided for mounting on a plate 2 by which the housing is secured in the end face of a door frame with a cooperatively placed door, gate or other closure which is moveable about a vertical pivot and requires security locking in a dead bolt position, yet can be unlocked manually by a key or remotely by the energization of a solenoid 3. The lock housing 1 may be mounted in either the end face of the door frame or the end face of the door itself, depending upon the requirements of each individual installation. In the preferred embodiment, the lock housing will be mounted in the door frame. 
     Solenoid 3 has a threaded bottom end 3a which is engaged in a horizontal plate 2a which is welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the rear face of the mounting plate 2. Solenoid 3 includes conventional coils (not shown) which surround a core 3b which is axially movable in an upward direction upon energization of the solenoid coils. 
     Referring to FIG. 2, the vertically elongated lock housing 1 is suitably rigidly secured to the mounting plate 2, as by bolts or welding, and defines, at its lower end, a horizontal axis, cylindrical chamber 10 which is coaxially aligned with a corresponding cylindrical opening 2b in the mounting plate 2. An actuating piston 12 is slidably and sealably mounted within the cylinder chamber 10 by an annular seal 11. Additionally, a magnetized band 14 is mounted in an annular groove provided on the piston 12 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. 
     The front face 12a of the piston 12 is utilized to mount a locking bolt which, in accordance with this invention, preferably comprises a hardened steel ball 15 made of the same material as high quality ball bearings, such as a chrome molybdenum steel alloy. To efficiently mount the ball 15, the front face 12a of piston 12 is preferably formed as a spherical segment surface. The ball 15 is retained within the cylindrical opening 10 by a cover plate 16 which is secured to the front face of the mounting plate 2 by any conventional means and has a circular opening 16a co-axially aligned with the cylinder bore 10 but having a smaller diameter so as to retain the ball 15 within the cylindrical chamber 10. 
     The piston 12 is continuously biased outwardly relative to the cylindrical bore 10 by a compression spring 13. Thus, the spherical locking bolt 15 is normally positioned in projecting relationship beyond the cover plate 16 to engage a spherical segment recess 20a provided in a striker plate 20 which is conventionally secured to the door or gate which is to be locked (FIG. 1). 
     The upper end of the lock housing 1 defines a fluid reservoir chamber 18 which is above the cylinder chamber 10. Reservoir chamber 18 has vertical axis threads 18a provided in its lower end to receive a check valve mounting ring 17 which has a vertical passage 17a therethrough to provide communication between the cylinder chamber 10 and the fluid reservoir chamber 18. A check valve assembly 25 is mounted within the fluid passage 17a to selectively control the passage of fluid from cylinder chamber 10 to reservoir chamber 18. In accordance with this invention, and as best shown in FIG. 4, the check valve assembly 25 comprises a sleeve valve element 26 having a cylindrical body portion 26a of lesser diameter than the fluid passage 17a and, at its lower end, being radially enlarged to define an external conical sealing surface 26b which is cooperable in sealing relationship with an internal conical sealing surface 17b provided at the bottom end of the fluid passage 17a. Thus, when the sleeve valve 26 is moved upwardly to engage the external sealing surface 26b and the conical sealing surface 17b, the effective flow passage through the check valve 25 is reduced to the bore area of the sleeve valve 26. 
     A poppet valve 28 is provided having an elongated stem portion 28a extending vertically upwardly through the bore of sleeve valve 26 and having an enlarged head 28b formed on its bottom end and defining a conical sealing surface 28c which is engageable with an internal conical sealing surface 26c formed on the bottom end of the sleeve valve 26. Thus, when the poppet valve 28 is moved upwardly, it will effect a sealing engagement with the sleeve valve 26 and will also carry the sleeve valve upwardly into sealing engagement with the internal seal 17b surrounding the fluid passage 17, hence effectively closing such fluid passage. The greater the fluid pressure differential between the cylinder chamber 10 and the reservoir fluid chamber 18, the greater will be the upward force exerted on the sleeve valve 26 and poppet valve 28, thus providing assurance against any leakage of fluid through the check valve 25 when a high pressure differential is produced in the cylinder chamber 10 by door opening forces exerted on the spherical locking bolt 15. 
     Check valve assembly 25 is biased upwardly by a spring 29 which surrounds the poppet valve stem 28a. Spring 29 operates between an upwardly facing surface 17d formed in the check valve mounting element 17 and an abutment 28d secured to the upper portions of the stem 28a of the poppet valve 28. Thus, the check valve assembly 25 is normally disposed in a closed position relative to the fluid passage 17a. 
     A second abutment sleeve 28e is secured to the medial portions of the stem 28a of the poppet valve 28 and provides a lost motion connection between the poppet valve 28 and the sleeve valve 26 during any downward movement of the poppet valve 28. This construction insures that the initial opening of the valve assembly 25 is accomplished against a relatively small fluid pressure force exerted on the small diameter head portion 28b of poppet valve 28. After the poppet valve head 28b is disengaged from sealing engagement with the sleeve valve 26, the fluid pressure in the cylinder chamber 10 is rapidly reduced so that when the second abutment 28e engages the top of the sleeve valve 26 (as shown in FIG. 3), relatively little additional force is required to effect the disengagement of the sleeve valve 26 from the sealing surface 17b, thus providing a relatively large flow area through the fluid passage 17a. 
     Check valve assembly 25 is actuated by a linkage 30 which, in turn, is actuated either by the solenoid core 3b or manually by the insertion of a key in a conventional cylinder lock set (not shown) which results in the rotation of a cylindrical element 42 rotatably mounted in the upper portions of the lock body 1. 
     Thus, linkage 30 includes a generally reverse Z-shaped link 32 having its upper horizontal arm 32a pivotally connected to the bottom end of the solenoid core 3b by a pin 3c and its lower horizontal arm 32b having a downward extension 32c. The end of extension 32c is pivotally connected to one end of a lever 32e, medially pivoted on a pin 33 whose lower end 32f is in abutting relationship with the top end of the stem 28a of poppet valve 28. Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the spring 29 normally biases the linkage 30 to the position illustrated in FIG. 2 wherein the check valve assemblage is in its closed position. The rotation of the cylinder 42 manually by a key, or remotely by energization of solenoid 3, will produce in a counter clockwise rotation of the lock cylinder 42 and result in a downward displacement of the stem portion 28a of the poppet valve 28. The poppet valve 28 first opens, as previously mentioned, and then the lost motion connection provided by the second abutment 28c moves downwardly into engagement with the sleeve valve 26 to effect the complete opening of the check valve assembly 25, as illustrated in FIG. 3. 
     The advantages of a locking system embodying the method and apparatus of this invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. When the cylinder chamber 10, the fluid passage 17 and at least a portion of the reservoir chamber 18 are filled with a non-compressible fluid, the outward movement of the piston 12 under the bias of the spring 13 will push the spherical locking bolt 15 to an outwardly projecting position relative to the cover plate 16, as illustrated in FIG. 2, and hence in position to enter the spherical segment recess 20a of the striker plate 20 to achieve a dead bolt cooperation therewith. The reduced pressure in cylinder chamber 10 will open check valve assembly 25 to produce fluid flow to fill cylinder chamber 10. Retraction movement of the spherical locking ball is prevented by virtue of the fact that the check valve assembly 25 closes by the fluid pressure produced in any inward movement of piston 12 and spring 29. The piston 12 supporting the spherical locking bolt 15 cannot move inwardly due to the presence of the trapped fluid in the cylinder chamber 10. 
     To permit the release of the spherical locking bolt 15 from its dead lock position, it is only necessary to turn the lock set cylinder 42 in a counter-clockwise direction by a key, or by remote energization of the solenoid 3 which, through the connecting linkage 30 effects a downward movement of the poppet valve 28, resulting in the complete opening of the check valve assembly 25. When an opening force is applied to the door, the ball 15 will be readily cammed inwardly and the movement of the supporting piston 12 is no longer prevented by the fluid in the cylinder chamber 10 since it can readily flow into the fluid reservoir chamber 18 as a result of the opening of the check valve assembly 25. 
     With the lock set cylinder 42 maintained in the same position as described for effecting the release of the spherical locking bolt from the dead lock position, the locking system will function as a slam lock. When the door is open, the spherical locking bolt 15 again resumes its projecting position shown in FIG. 2 under the bias of the spring 13 but the check valve assembly 25 remains open. Thus, when the door is slammed to its closed position, the striker plate will engage the spherical locking bolt 15 and cam it inwardly and such inward movement of the supporting piston 12 is not prevented by the fluid in the cylinder chamber 10 due to the fact that the fluid passage 17 is not closed by the check valve assembly 25. 
     The magnetic band 14 on piston 12 cooperates with a magnetic sensor 20 mounted in the wall of cylinder chamber 10 to produce an electric signal when the locking bolt 15 and piston 12 move between their extended and retracted positions. Such electric signal can be utilized to provide an indication at a remote location of the position of the locking bolt 15. The locking system of this invention is particularly advantageous in that the application of lateral forces to the door such as a force exerted by one individual or by a number of individuals in a panic situation, will, contrary to prior art devices, have no adverse effect on the operation for release of the spherical locking bolt from its dead lock position. The application of lateral forces to the closed door will produce a camming action on the ball forcing it inwardly, but will not produce any binding action on either the key operation of the lock set cylinder 42 or the solenoid operation of such cylinder. By either means, the cylinder 42 can be readily rotated in a counter clockwise direction to open the check valve assembly 25, following which any opening force on the door will cam the spherical locking bolt 15 back into the cylinder chamber 10 without interference from the fluid disposed therein, which flows out through the fluid passage 17 and into the fluid reservoir chamber 18. Thus, the locking system embodying this invention overcomes all of the disadvantages of prior art systems and does not involve any complex linkages or the need for pneumatic or fluid pressure sources. It should be particularly noted that even though the securement of the spherical locking bolt in its dead lock position is accomplished by a hydraulic fluid, there are no hydraulic pumps required to operate the aforedescribed locking system. 
     Modifications of this invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and it is intended that all such modifications be included within the scope of the appended claims.