Apparatus for holding a lock assembly and shearing the assembly pins thereof

• US 5,839,309 A
• Filed: 11/25/1997
• Issued: 11/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Master Lock Company LLC (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Master Lock Company (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fantl, Steven Albert, Weis, Robert Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Gall, Lloyd A.
• Application Number:
  US08/978,629
• Time in Patent Office: 364 Days
• Field of Search: 70/358, 70/360, 70/361, 70/493, 70/422, 70/375, 70/378, 70/392, 70/421, 70/382-385, 70/387, 70/50-52, 70/DIG. 75, 70/31, 29/426.4, 29/434, 225/2, 225/93
• US Class Current: 70/493
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 11/00 Work holders not covered by any preceding group in the subclass, e.g. magnetic work holders, vacuum work holders for holding or positioning work for welding, soldering, or cutting by applying heat locally B23K37/04; specially adapted to machine tools B23Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 5/06 Arrangements for positively actuating jaws
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/0004 Lock assembling or manufacturing making locksmith's goods of sheet metal B21D53/38; assembling in general B23P21/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 27/00 Cylinder locks or other locks with tumbler pins or balls that are set by pushing the key in
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 67/00 Padlocks permutation locks E05B37/00; Details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/12 With preliminary weakening
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/30 Breaking or tearing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49821 by altering or destroying work part or connector
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4984 Retaining clearance for motion between assembled parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7576 Sliding and rotary plug
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7605 Pin tumblers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7684 Plug
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7734 Automatically key set combinations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7949 Yielding or frangible connections

Abstract

A holding device for padlocks having lock housings of different sizes. The holding device includes guides for positioning the padlocks so that a shell-plug assembly disposed within the lock housing is maintained at a prescribed location. The holding device is attached to a shearing apparatus for shearing assembly pins in the shell-plug assembly.

Claims

1. The improvement in an apparatus for shearing assembly pins in a shell-plug assembly of a lock having a shell with a longitudinal shell axis and a plug with a longitudinal plug axis rotatably mounted therein, by application of a force on said plug parallel to said plug axis, comprising a frame;

a recess in the frame to receive a first shell-plug assembly comprising said shell and said plug, said recess including shell holding means for holding said shell against movement during shearing; and

plug translation means for translating the plug while the shell is held, the improvement comprising;

a) a holding device for holding a lock housing defined at least in part by a shell of a second shell-plug assembly therein, said holding device being connected to said frame on a side of said recess opposite said plug translation means and in communication with said recess, said holding device including a support for said lock housing positioned to align the plug of said second shell-plug assembly thereof in the path of movement of said plug translation means as it is translated in an advance direction.

2. The improvement of claim 1, wherein:

a) said shell holding means for said first shell-plug assembly is mounted for movement between a first position along said shell axis and between said recess and said holding device for holding the shell of said first shell-plug assembly against movement during said shearing and a second position spaced from said shell axis to provide direct open communication between said recess and said holding device.

3. The improvement in an apparatus for shearing assembly pins in a shell-plug assembly of a lock defined at least in part by a shell with a longitudinal shell axis and a plug with a longitudinal plug axis rotatably mounted therein, by application of a force on said plug parallel to said plug axis, comprising a frame;

a recess in the frame to receive a first shell-plug assembly comprising said shell and said plug, said recess including shell holding means for holding said shell against movement during shearing; and

plug translation means for translating the plug in an advance direction while the shell is held, the improvement comprising;

a) a holding device, connected to said frame and in communication with said recess so as to position the plug of a second lock in axial alignment with said plug translation means as said plug translation means is translated in said advance direction.

4. The improvement of claim 3, wherein:

a) said shell holding means for said first shell-plug assembly is mounted for movement between a first position along said shell axis and between said recess and said holding device for holding the shell of said first shell-plug assembly against movement during said shearing and a second position spaced from said shell axis to provide direct open communication between said recess and said holding device.

5. The improvement of claim 3 wherein said holding device is connected to said frame for holding different sized lock housings, each lock housing having opposed front and back walls, spaced from each other to define a lock housing width, and opposite side walls connecting said front and back walls together, and a shell-plug assembly with shearable pins positioned in said housing centrally between said side walls, the shell-plug assembly of a first lock housing, with a first housing width, being spaced from said side walls thereof by a first distance and the shell-plug assembly of a second lock housing, with a second housing width smaller than said first housing width, being spaced from the side walls thereof by a second distance less than said first distance to define a predetermined reference distance, the holding device including:

a) a horizontal base defining a first support for said first lock housing;

b) a pair of guide members with upper and lower ends and opposed horizontally spaced surfaces between which said lock housings are to be positioned, said surfaces being spaced from each other by a minimum spacing less than said first lock housing width;

c) a support arm on the lower end of each guide member, with the arm of one guide member extending toward the arm of the other guide member;

d) said guide members being pivotally mounted above said base and extending downwardly toward said base for pivoting movement between a first closed position with said arms defining a second support of said second lock housing spaced vertically above said first support by said predetermined reference distance and a second open position to provide access to said first support; and

e) pivot means for pivotally mounting each of said guide members at their upper ends, said pivot means being spaced from each other by a distance greater than said minimum spacing of the opposed surfaces of said guide members.

6. The improvement of claim 5 for holding lock housings, each of which has a varying lock housing width which is at a maximum centrally between said side walls, wherein:

a) the spacing between the opposed surfaces of said guide members varies and is at a minimum at a location above the maximum housing width of the lock housing supported on said first and second supports.