Abstract:
A lockable wire mesh security and closure including a locking member which engages and locks to both the top wall and the bottom wall of the enclosure. The locking member can be latched into position and locked in place to securely lock the enclosure.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to a wire enclosure and in particular to a lockable wire enclosure and a locking mechanism therefor. 
   Lockable wire enclosures are well known in the prior art and are conventionally used for securely storing valuable materials, such as packages, tools, valuable parts, medicines, and the like. 
   Conventionally, wire enclosures have been used for such storage since the stored items are fully visible so that inventory control is facilitated. Additionally, the stored items are accessible to airflow and to light for improved storage. Such secure storage prevents pilferage of the stored items, while still enabling authorized persons to access the materials. Many of such prior art wire enclosures are mounted on wheels or casters for ease of movement of the materials from place to place. Conventionally, the walls of such enclosure are made of a heavy-duty gauge wire mesh. While some prior art enclosures include a slidable front door, the more common arrangement is to have two hinged front doors. Conventionally also, the enclosures are provided with one or more wire mesh shelves. 
   Such prior art enclosures or security carts have used a variety of locking mechanisms to securely lock the doors in order to prevent access except to authorized persons. In some prior art enclosures, heavy-duty metal frames are provided, including conventional catalog locking arrangements for locking the door to the frame of the enclosure. A problem with such arrangements has been that the door is not securely locked to either the bottom wall nor to the top wall of the enclosure. This creates a problem in that the door may be forced away from the top wall or the bottom wall whereby unauthorized persons have access to the contents of the enclosure, while the door is still locked. 
   In other prior art arrangements, the doors have been made of solid metal or other solid materials such as wood. While this creates a more secure enclosure, the disadvantage of this arrangement is that visibility of the contents of the enclosure has been sacrificed to greater security. 
   Other prior art locking arrangements have also been used but these all have the disadvantage that the arrangements are expensive and therefore less desirable. 
   It is therefore desired to provide a wire mesh enclosure and a secure locking arrangement therefor. 
   In particular, it is desired to provide a wire mesh enclosure which may be securely locked while at the same time securing the doors to both the wire mesh top wall and the wire mesh bottom wall of the enclosure. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a wire mesh enclosure wherein the door or doors may be locked and, at the same time, securing the door(s) to both the top wall and the bottom wall of the enclosure by means of a locking mechanism. 
   The invention further comprises a wire enclosure which may be securely locked by means of a locking mechanism which includes a latch. A rod-like member is rotatably attached to one of the doors and is also slidable in a vertical direction relative to the door. The rod-like member includes hook members at both its top and bottom. The top wall and the bottom wall of the enclosure both include engaging hooks. The rod-like member, in the closed position of the door, may be rotated whereby the hook members engage the hook engaging members of the top and bottom enclosure walls and securely lock the door to the top wall and bottom wall. The rod-like member may also be raised to place the rod-like member in a latched position. The rod-like member may then be locked in position by means of a padlock or the like. 
   The invention also comprises a top wall, a bottom wall, first and second walls, and a door hingedly secured to the first side wall. A locking member is movably secured to the door. The locking member has one end. The engagement member is disposed on either the top wall or the bottom wall. Therefore, when the door is closed, the locking member may be moved to a locking position so that the end of the locking member engages with the engagement member and secures the door to one of the top wall and the bottom wall. 
   The invention still further comprises a wire enclosure having a top wire mesh wall, a bottom wire mesh wall, first and second wire mesh side walls, and first and second doors. The doors are hingedly secured to respectively the first and second side walls. A locking member is rotatably secured to the first door. The locking member has two ends. First and second engagement members are disposed respectively on the top wall and the bottom wall. When the door is closed, the locking member may be rotated to a locking position so that the two ends of the locking member engage with respectively the first and second engagement members and thereby secure the doors to both the top wall and the bottom wall. 
   The invention also comprises a latching mechanism for a wire enclosure. The wire enclosure includes a top wall, a bottom wall, and first and second hinged doors. A locking member is rotatably secured to the first door. The locking member includes two hooks. First and second engagement members are secured to both the top and bottom walls so that, when the door is closed, the locking member may be rotated and the hooks engage with the engagement member so thereby secure the door to both the top wall and the bottom wall. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent, and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a security cart according to the invention; 
       FIG. 2  shows the cart of  FIG. 1  with the doors in the open position and the top wall hinged upwardly; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a wire enclosure according to the invention showing one of the doors in the open position; 
       FIG. 4  shows the wire enclosure of  FIG. 3  with both doors closed and the locking mechanism in the latched position; 
       FIG. 5  shows an enlarged partial view of the locking mechanism according to the invention; and 
       FIG. 6  shows an enlarged top view of the front area of the wire enclosure of  FIG. 3  with the top hook member engaged with the top engaging hook. 
   

   Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplification set out herein illustrates one preferred embodiment of the invention, in one form, and such exemplification is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. 
   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , a wire enclosure  10  is shown which includes a top wall  12 , a bottom wall  14 , side walls  16  and  18 , and a back wall  20 . Two doors are shown hingedly respectively connected to the two side walls by means of six hinges, three of which are shown on each side of the enclosure. The enclosure is also provided with a bottom frame  28  and four casters so that the enclosure is a security cart. Casters  26  are optional for a stationary enclosure. Each of the walls and doors of the enclosure comprises a tubular steel frame and a heavy wire mesh which is welded to the frame. In the preferred embodiment, the round frame tubing is 1¼″ 11 gauge, and the wire mesh is made of 1″ 16 gauge wire. The base frame square tube is 1¼″ 16 gauge steel with 1″×4″ reinforced steel rod. 
   Referring to  FIG. 2 , two shelves  38  are shown. The shelves may also be made of heavy wire mesh or may be made of other materials such as wood. As further shown in  FIG. 2 , the top wall  12  is hingedly connected to the back wall by means of two hinges  36 . These hinges may be loops at the ends of two wire members of the top wall wire mesh. 
   While each of the walls of the enclosure are made of a wire mesh material, it should be understood that any one or more of these walls may be constructed of a solid material such as, for instance, sheet steel material or wood. However, for ease in conducting a visual inventory of the contents of the enclosure, it is preferable that the walls are made of a wire mesh. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  5  and  6 , a locking member  44  is provided on door  22 . The locking member is shown as a rod-like member  44  which has hooks  50  and  52 , respectively, at its top and bottom. Locking member  44  is rotatably secured to door  22  by means of three ferrules  46 . Member  44  is not only rotatable in ferrules  46  but can also be moved up and down with respect to those ferrules, as seen in FIG.  2 . By referring to  FIG. 5 , it can be seen that member  44  includes a handle  58  which is welded at  60  to member  44 . Further, it can be seen that the top portion of the handle  64 , in the position of  FIG. 5 , rests on ferrule  46  while the bottom portion of the handle  72  is located at a distance  62  below ferrule  46 . Locking member  44  can therefore not only rotate relative to ferrule  46  but can also be moved up a distance  62  relative to ferrule  46 . As best seen in  FIG. 5 , door  24  includes a latch holder  68  which is welded to tubular member  32   b  of door  24 . A latch  66  is welded to latch holder  68 . It should also be noted that, while two doors are shown in the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-6 , one door could be used. 
   In operation, as best seen by referring to  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  6 , the two doors are shown in the open position of FIG.  3 . It should be noted that for the sake of simplicity the mesh of the walls and doors of the enclosure is not illustrated in either  FIGS. 3 and 4 . Further, it can be seen that the enclosure of  FIGS. 3 and 4  does not include casters. Top wall  12  includes a hook  54  which is formed from the end of a wire member of the top wall wire mesh. Similarly, bottom wall  14  includes a hook  56 , shown here as a wire loop. Hook  56  is shown as a loop but may be an open hook similar to hook  54 . Similarly, hook  54  may be a closed loop similar to hook  56 . 
     FIG. 4  shows the doors  22  and  24  in the closed and latched position. To achieve this latched position, door  24  is closed, door  22  is closed, and thereafter locking member  44  is lifted a distance equal to or smaller than distance  62 , while handle  58  is rotated, so that hook  50  engages hook  54 , and hook  52  engages hook  56 . Thereafter, handle  58  is moved downwardly into the position of  FIG. 5 , assisted by gravity, whereby handle  58  will be latched behind latch  66 . In this position, it can be seen that locking member  44  securely engages top wall  12  and bottom wall  14 , thereby securing the bottom wall  14  and the top wall  12  to door  22  and latching door  22  to door  24  by means of latch member  66 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , a padlock  70  can then be used to lock latch holder  68  and handle  58  together so that doors  22 ,  24  and walls  12  and  14  are all securely locked together. The enclosure is now securely locked. To open doors  22  and  24 , the procedure is reversed. 
   While this invention has been described as having a preferred design, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.