Patent ID: 6851285

Claim:
A keyless locking device comprising: a cylindrical plunger having a near end and a distal end and a key thereon a distance from the near end and at a location about the circumference of the plunger; a cylindrical sleeve for releasably and rotatably receiving the plunger, having an open top portion, a bottom portion and a circumferential lip fixedly mounted within the sleeve separating the top and bottom portions, the lip having a bottom surface; a keyway axially disposed within the sleeve passing through the top portion of the sleeve and through the lip, the key slidably mating with the keyway; at least one indicium circumferentially disposed about one of the sleeve or the near end of the plunger, including one known indicium being substantially axially aligned with the location of the keyway if on the sleeve or substantially axially aligned with the location of the key if on the plunger; wherein the distance between the key and near end of the plunger is sufficient to permit the key to extend into the bottom portion below the lip and maintain the near end of the plunger outside the sleeve; a spring member within the bottom portion that is compressed when in contact with the distal end of the plunger, biasing the plunger upward; whereby to lock the device the plunger is inserted into the sleeve, the key sliding along the keyway through the lip into the bottom portion, the distal end compressing the spring member, and then the sleeve and plunger are rotated with respect to each other and released, the spring biasing the plunger upward and locking the key onto the bottom surface of the lip; whereby to unlock the device the sleeve and plunger are pressed together, the distal end compressing the spring member, and rotated with respect to each other until the one known indicium is aligned, respectively, with the key or keyway, the spring biasing the plunger out of the sleeve, and then the plunger is removed from the sleeve, the key sliding along the keyway through the lip and into the top portion for removal.