In a locking device having a locking head movable between a locked and an unlocked state, a shackle member including a linear shank having an outer surrounding surface, first and second end portions and a length and a thickness, said shackle member including a latch portion disposed at the shank first end portion and configured to engage said locking head, and a stop member disposed at the shank second end portion, a method for varying the diameter of the linear shank to adapt the locking device to variable sized apertures in components to be locked with said device, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a sleeve with an inner diameter sized to closely fit over said shank in an engaged position with said sleeve having an inner surrounding surface and a sleeve length sufficient to extend over a majority of the length of said shank when in the engaged position with the inner surrounding surface of said sleeve in substantially confronting relation with the outer surrounding surface of said shank over substantially the length of said sleeve thereby to achieve a close-fitted mated engagement with said shank; (b) in the alternative, either (i) telescopingly engaging said sleeve onto said shank and thereafter positioning said shank and sleeve together within one sized aperture or (ii) positioning said shank without said sleeve being engaged thereon within another sized aperture; and (c) thereafter engaging said locking head with said latch portion. view more

A locking hitch pin device for interconnecting a hitch bar with a hitch receiver, said bar and receiver each including apertures disposed therein for receiving the hitch pin device, said device comprising:</claim-text> (a) a hitch pin shank having and second end portions and a thickness dimension; (b) a latch portion disposed at said first end portion; (c) a locking head member movable between locked and unlocked states and configured for selective engagement with said latch portion; (d) a stop member disposed at said second end portion; (e) a sleeve for selective engagement with said hitch pin shank to selectively vary the thickness dimension thereof to match the size diameter of the hitch bar and the receiver apertures to permit snug engagement therewith; and (f) a retaining apparatus operative to resist removal of said sleeve from said hitch pin shank when said locking head member is in the unlocked state and removed from said latch portion. view more

A locking device adapted for alternative close-fitted insertion within a first aperture having a first diameter and a second aperture having a second diameter larger than the first diameter, comprising:</claim-text> (A) a shackle member including (1) indrical shank having a shank diameter of a first selected size for mated engagement with the first aperture such that said shank may be inserted into and removed from the first aperture (2) a latch portion located at a first end portion of said shank and (3) a stop portion located at a second end portion of said shank; (B) a locking head configured to selectively engage said latch portion to define a mounted state and movable between a locked state wherein said locking head is lockably secured to said shackle and an unlocked state wherein said locking head is removable from said shackle; (C) a sleeve formed as a cylindrical shell having an inner diameter sized and adapted for close-fitted yet removable telescopic engagement on said shank and a larger, outer diameter of a selected size for close-fitted, mated engagement with the second aperture, said sleeve operative when received on said shank such that said shank and sleeve may be inserted together into and together removed from the second aperture. view more

A locking device adapted for close-fitted, alternative insertion within first and second apertures having different sizes, comprising:</claim-text> (a) a shackle member having a shank portion; (b) a locking head movable between a locked state and an ked state; (c) a latch portion disposed at said shank first end portion and configured to selectively engage said locking head; (d) a stop portion disposed at said shank second end portion; and (e) a sleeve carried on said shank such that said shank and said sleeve together provide said shackle with one operative thickness dimension for close-fitted insertion within one of said first and second apertures, said sleeve being removable from said shank such that said shackle has another operative thickness dimension smaller than said one operative thickness dimension for close-fitted insertion within another of said first and second apertures said sleeve operative when received on said shank such that said shank and said sleeve may be inserted together into and together removed from said one of said first and second aperatures. view more

A locking device adapted for insertion into first and second apertures having different sizes, comprising:</claim-text> (a) a shackle member having a shank terminating in first and second ends, said shank having a length between the first and second (b) a locking head movable between a locked state and an unlocked state; (c) a latch portion disposed at the first end of said shank and configured to selectively engage said locking head; (d) a stop portion disposed at the second end of said shank; and (e) a sleeve removably disposed and carried on said shank when in an engaged position with said sleeve having a sleeve length such that, when in the engaged position, said sleeve extends over a majority of the length of said shank, said shank and said sleeve together defining a size conversion structure for said shackle, said size conversion structure having one operative thickness dimension for insertion into one of said first and second apertures when said sleeve is in the engaged position and another operative thickness dimension smaller than said one operative thickness dimension for insertion into another of said first and second apertures when said sleeve is removed from said shank. view more