Pilferage deterrent device for lading, carrying vehicles, such as boxcars and the like

• US 4,598,941 A
• Filed: 08/04/1983
• Issued: 07/08/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stanford C. Nelson
• Original Assignee: Stanford C. Nelson
• Inventors: Nelson, Stanford C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wolfe, Robert L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/520,179
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 292/238, 292/108, 292/130, 292/131, 292/134, 292/136, 292/230, 292/236, 292/336, 292/210, 292/132, 292/133, 292/135, 292/237, 292/231-235, 292/239, 292/337, 292/205 , 292/104, 292/346, 292/DIG. 46, 105/378, 105/308 P, 105/308 R
• US Class Current: 292/134
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 63/18 with arrangements independent of the locking mechanism for retaining the bolt or latch in the retracted position
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/02 Locks for railway freight-cars, freight containers or the like; Locks for the cargo compartments of commercial lorries, trucks or vans
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0941 Lever
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/564 Swinging bolt, swinging detent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/62 Bolt casings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/79 Bolt guards

Abstract

Pilferage deterrent device for box car, container or trailer doors of the type in which the device is toward the top of the door out of reach of a person standing on the ground, and only accessible to release the latch from the top, by a person standing on a loading dock or elevated platform. The latch cooperates with a keeper and both the keeper and latch are enclosed so access cannot be had to the latch to release the latch by a pole or elongated tool.

A pivoted release member termed a trigger extends above a housing for the latch and is transversely pivoted to the housing and protected by the housing to prevent access to said release member from the ground. The release member has camming engagement with the latch and is operable by hand to cam the latch out of engagement with the keeper and accommodate opening of the door.

Claims

1. A pilferage deterrent device for a door assembly for a lading carrying vehicle having a floor and vertical side and end walls upwardly therefrom to form an enclosure and a door opening leading through at least one of said walls a door movable from an open position into a position in alignment with the door opening and into the door opening in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the side of the door, a keeper recessed in a side wall of the vehicle adjacent the door opening and extending parallel to the plane of the door, a latch extending along the door and parallel thereto beyond the door opening, a pivot for said latch eccetric of the center thereof, enabling said latch to drop to a latched position by gravity, said latch having a free end portion extending at right angles to the plane of the door and having an advance strike surface engageable with said keeper, a camming surface extending from said strike surface in a direction toward the outer side of the door when the latch is in its locked position and a latching surface engageable with said keeper to retain the door from outward movement relative to the door opening, a trigger pivoted for movement about an axis outside of the limits of said latch but within the extended margins thereof and parallel to the pivotal axis of the latch, said trigger serving as a hidden release for the latch and having a camming end depending from its pivot, a counterweight forming the upper end of said trigger and spaced along said latch from the pivotal axis of said trigger to a position above the pivotal axis of said latch and biasing the camming end of said trigger out of engagement with said latch, said latch having a portion at its rear end adapted to be engaaged by the camming end of said trigger, upon movement of said trigger about its axis toward the rear end portion of said latch, to raise said latch relative to said keeper and to release said latch from said keeper upon movement of the door in a direction to open the door, and a casing for said latch and trigger mounted on the door at an elevation closer to the top than the bottom of the door whereby the trigger cannot normally be reached except from an elevated platform, and preventing access to said counterweight except from the top thereof, said casing for said latch including parallel spaced plates, an inner plate of which is secured to the door, at least one spacer bar spacing said plates apart and preventing access to said latch from beneath the body of said latch, and a guard plate extending from the outermost of said plates upwardly along the outside of said trigger close to the upper end thereof.

2. The pilferage deterrent device of claim 1 in which the counterweight extends along the outermost of said plates inside of said guard plate and has an under surface extending over and along the top surface of the outermost of said plates to limit movement of said trigger in a direction toward said latch and keeper.

3. The pilferage deterrent device of claim 2 including a door post defining a margin of the door opening, a sleeve recessed in the door post in alignment with and opening to the strike surface of said latch, and in which said keeper is a bar enclosed by and extending across said sleeve and secured thereto at its ends.

4. The pilferage deterrent device of claim 3 in which the strike surface of said latch extends at right angles relative to the plane of the door to enter said sleeve when the door is pushed inwardly into a closed position.

5. The pilferage deterrent device of claim 3 in which the door post is in the form of a Z-bar having oppositely extending legs and the sleeve extends through and is mounted on the outermost of said legs.

6. The pilferage deterrent device of claim 2 including a sleeve recessed within the car wall adjacent the door opening, a mounting plate secured to the outer surface of the car wall and mounted on the car wall adjacent the door opening, a backing plate secured to the inside of the car wall, and securing means extending through said backing plate and mounting plate, and mounting said mounting plate and sleeve to the wall of the car adjacent the door opening.

7. The pilferage deterrent device of claim 6 in which the mounting plate and back-up plate are adjustably mounted on the wall of the car, to align said sleeve and keeper with the strike and inclined surface of the latch.

8. The pilferage deterrent device of claim 6 in which the strike surface of the latch and inclined camming surface thereof extend at right angles with respect to the body of the latch in a direction parallel to the axis of said pivot and said surfaces are inclined toward the door opening at an angle in the order of 10°

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