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

• US 5,794,925 A
• Filed: 09/14/1995
• Issued: 08/18/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Master Lock Company (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Master Lock Company (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Inventors: Weis, Robert Douglas, Fantl, Steven Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Eley, Timothy V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILSON, LEE D
• Application Number:
  US08/528,175
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 269/231, 269/237, 269/238, 269/239, 269/254 R, 269/296, 269/298, 269/299
• US Class Current: 269/237
• 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. A holding device for objects of different sizes comprising:

a) a horizontal base defining a first support;

b) a pair of guide members with upper and lower ends and opposed horizontally spaced surfaces between which said objects are to be positioned for supporting on one of said first support and a second support;

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 relative to and above said base and extending downwardly toward said base for pivoting movement relative to said base between a first closed position with said arms defining said second support spaced in vertical alignment above said first support and a second open position spaced laterally of said first support to provide access between said arms to said first support for supporting an object.

2. The holding device of claim 1, further comprising:

a) pivot means for pivotally mounting each of said guides at their upper ends, said pivot means being spaced from each other by a predetermined distance; and

b) the opposed surfaces of said guide members extend downwardly from said pivot means toward each other to define a minimum spacing therebetween which is less than said predetermined distance.

3. The holding device of claim 1, wherein:

a) said guide members are pivotally mounted to hang by gravity in said first closed position.

4. The holding device of claim 1, further comprising:

a) spring means connected between the lower ends of said guide members to resiliently hold them in said first closed position.

5. A holding device 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 plug assembly with shearable pins positioned in said housing centrally between said side walls, the 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 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 apparatus comprising:

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 relative to and above said base and extending downwardly toward said base for pivoting movement relative to said base between a first closed position with said arms defining a second support for said second lock housing spaced in vertical alignment above said first support by said predetermined reference distance and a second open position spaced laterally of said first support to provide access between said arms to said first support for said support lock housing; 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 device of claim 5 for holding lock housing, 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 means varies and is at a minimum at a location along said opposed surfaces which is located above the maximum housing width of a lock housing supported on either one of said first and second supports.