Locks – Portable – Fetters
Patent
1994-11-28
1996-08-13
Meyers, Steven N.
Locks
Portable
Fetters
70 14, 70 54, E05B 7300, E05B 6738
Patent
active
055445055
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a lock bracket. It relates particularly to a substantially tamper-proof bracket for securing together two adjacent objects such as a gate and a fence post. The invention will be described with particular reference to the application of securing gates against intruders, but it is to be understood that the invention has many other applications such as securing bicycles to bicycle racks or securing objects to motor vehicle roof racks or other fixtures.
The problem of securing premises against intruders has been around for some time. When premises are surrounded by fences, a gate often provides a weak spot for intruders to attack.
Double gates are conventionally secured by means of a chain passed around the end of each gate when the gates are closed, and the chain is held in place by a padlock. A single gate is conventionally secured by means of a chain passing around the end of the gate and an adjacent fence post when the gate is shut, with the chain being secured by a padlock.
Chain-secured gate arrangements are vulnerable to attack by bolt cutters, saws, files, chisels and other such devices. It is possible to make chains out of a harder form of steel which resists breaking, but such chains are still unlikely to be effective against determined intruders. Furthermore, padlocks themselves are vulnerable to attack by means of bolt cutters, saws and other similar devices. It is common for the shackles of padlocks to be made of hardened steel but such shackles are still insufficient to deter determined intruders.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a lock bracket for securing together two adjacent objects, comprising two bracket members which cooperate to define between them an area into which the two adjacent objects fit, the bracket members being movable relative to each other between an open orientation, in which the lock bracket can be placed around or removed from the two adjacent objects, and a closed orientation in which the two adjacent objects can be held securely in the area defined between the two bracket members, wherein each of the two bracket members has a padlock receiving means, and the two padlock receiving means cooperate when the lock bracket is in its closed orientation, allowing a padlock to lock the bracket members together.
Because the bracket members can be considerably more substantial than the links in a normal chain, the bracket members can provide a greater amount of resistance to intruders than is provided by a conventional chain. It is preferred that the degree of resistance to intruders be increased by manufacturing the two bracket members from a hardened material, with hardened steel being especially preferred. Where the lock bracket is made from steel, it is further preferred that the whole lock bracket be hardened after it has been constructed. This can be effected by means of carbon impregnation, according to known techniques.
In some embodiments of the present invention, the two bracket members may be connected together by means of a hinge. The hinge may be more vulnerable to an attack by an intruder than is the rest of the lock bracket, because the connections between elements of the hinge and their respective bracket members may provide a smaller quantity of material through which an attacker must cut than that provided by the rest of the lock bracket. In order to inhibit attacks on the hinge, it is preferred that the hinge be offset to one side of the lock bracket, such that the hinge presses against or almost presses against one of the two adjacent objects when the lock bracket is installed. It is much more difficult for an intruder to manoeuvre a saw or file to cut through the hinge or a hinge weld if the hinge is pressing up against an object than if the hinge is positioned away from the objects such that an intruder is given plenty of room to manoeuvre a saw or file.
In order to reduce the risk of attack on a padlock used in connection with the lock bracket, it is preferred that one or more padlock shielding membe
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Clark Paul J.
McIntosh John D.
McIntosh John Dalwyn
Meyers Steven N.
Pham Tllyet-Phllong
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