Padlock device

• US 6,490,892 B1
• Filed: 02/22/2000
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Highfield Manufacturing Company
• Original Assignee: Highfield Manufacturing Company
• Inventors: Freiman, Glen
• Primary Examiner(s): BARRETT, SUZANNE LALE DINO
• Application Number:
  US09/507,975
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 70/2, 70/34, 70/63, 701/58--63
• US Class Current: 70/34
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/0089 for utility meters or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 67/36 Padlocks with closing means other than shackles ; Removable locks, the lock body itself being the locking element; Padlocks consisting of two separable halves or cooperating with a stud
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/30 Hasp
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/443 Single stem or shank
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5544 Pivoted

Abstract

A barrel lock padlock is provided which can be used to engage the hasp-and-staple fitted to an enclosure such as a gas or electricity meter box. The housing of the barrel lock has a slot into which the staple can be passed to align with the bore in the housing in which the plunger of the barrel lock is movable, so that when the plunger is moved to the locking position by its spring it passes through the staple to lock the box. A key is passed through a key hole in a cap of the lock to engage the plunger and retract it, allowing the padlock to be removed from the staple.

Claims

1. A padlock comprising a housing, a bore in the housing, a plunger movable axially of the bore, spring means biasing the plunger toward one end of the bore, a cap closing the other end of the bore, key engagement means at the end of the plunger nearer the cap, a key hole in the cap aligned with said key engagement means and a slot in said housing transverse to and intersecting said bore, the slot being adapted to receive the staple of a hasp-and-staple fastening whereby the plunger may pass through said staple to lock an enclosure fitted with said hasp-and-staple fastening wherein the housing is formed with a further bore transverse to the plunger bore and on the side of the slot nearer the cap through which further bore a plunger-retention member may be passed to hold the plunger in the unlocked position against the action of the spring means.

2. The combination of a padlock as claimed in claim 1 and an enclosure having a hinged lid and provided with a hasp-and-staple fastening, wherein the hasp is a hasp upstanding from a side wall of the enclosure and the staple is pivotable at one end relative to the lid whereby the other end of the staple may be swung through or withdrawn from said hasp, said other end of the staple having an aperture which, when said other end of the staple is inserted in said slot of said padlock, may be coaxially aligned with said bore of said padlock whereby said plunger may pass through said aperture of the staple to lock the lid of the enclosure.

3. The combination claimed in claim 2, wherein the staple is fabricated from sheet metal to be generally J-shaped and wherein the slot in the padlock is parallel-sided to receive the apertured end of the staple as a sliding fit.

4. A padlock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cap is in the form of a body from one end of which a spigot projects and wherein said other end of the bore of the housing is of enlarged diameter to receive said spigot, the body having a blind bore which, in the assembled condition of the cap and housing is axially aligned with the bore in the housing, said key hole being formed at the blind end of the bore in the cap and said spring means being a compression spring which in the assembled condition of the cap and housing is trapped between the plunger and the blind bore in the cap body.

5. A padlock as claimed in claim 4, wherein the body of the cap is surrounded by a metal casing which extends beyond the end of the body remote from the spigot to form a crown for the body, said crown having slits through which a seal may be passed to cover the key hole.

6. A padlock as claimed in claim 1 wherein said further bore is a blind bore which is intersected by the plunger bore intermediate the ends of the further bore.

7. A padlock as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bore in the housing in which the plunger is movable is a blind bore which is intersected by said slot intermediate the ends of said bore.

8. The key operated lock housing and lock assembly of claim 1 wherein said staple comprises a moveable member of a hinged box lid of a box, said moveable member arranged to engage a hasp projecting from said box such that when engaged said hinged box lid is locked in position and may not be opened.

9. The key operated lock housing and lock assembly of claim 2 wherein said lock assembly secures said staple in engagement with said hasp.

10. A padlock as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a seal member interspaced between said housing and said spring means at the end of said bore nearest said cap, said seal member for preventing the entry of dirt and debris into said padlock.

11. A padlock comprising a padlock housing, a bore in the padlock housing, a plunger movable axially of the bore, a spring biasing the plunger toward one end of the bore, a cap closing the other end of the bore, key engagement means at the end of the plunger nearer the cap, a key hole in the cap aligned with said key engagement means and a slot in said padlock housing transverse to and intersecting said bore, the slot being adapted to receive the staple of a hasp-and-staple fastening whereby the plunger may pass through said staple to lock an enclosure fitted with said hasp-and-staple fastening wherein the padlock housing is formed with a further blind bore which is intersected by the plunger bore intermediate the ends of the further bore and wherein the said blind bore is positioned between said slot and said cap so that the a plunger-retention member may be placed in the blind bore to hold the plunger in the unlocked position against the action of the spring means.

12. A padlock as claimed in claim 11 further comprising a seal member interspaced between said padlock housing and said spring means at the end of said bore nearest said cap, said seal member for preventing the entry of dirt and debris into said padlock.