IP Library Granted Patent US 11,808,060
Granted Patent B2
US 11,808,060 · App. 17/083,562 · Granted Nov 7, 2023

Lock with sliding lock body portions

Inventor: Matthew Schroll (Glendale Heights, IL)
Assignee: The Eastern Company
E05B67/003E05B71/00E05B73/0005
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,808,060
App. No.
17/083,562
Granted
Nov 7, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one embodiment, the invention provides a lock body comprising a base portion and a moveable portion with each having first and second sides. One of the base portion second side and the moveable portion first side has an extension and the other having a receiver to allow the moveable portion to move translationally with respect to the base portion. A slot is transverse to the extension and cut into one of the face of the second side of the base portion or the first side of the moveable portion. In the open state the portions are separated and in the locked state the faces are substantially adjacent to capture a cylindrical object in the slot. In another embodiment, the lock body is cylindrical with a pair of transverse apertures. A plug inside the lock body moves translationally to capture an object between the apertures.

Claims (23)

1. A system for securing an object to a substrate having an eyelet comprising:

an elongate cable having an outer diameter and with a fixed loop having an interior diameter with the loop created by a splice or swage having an outer diameter at a first end of the cable and a fist also having an outer diameter at a second end of the cable with the fist outer diameter larger than the cable outer diameter, but smaller than the splice or swage outer diameter,

a hollow cylindrical lock body having an exterior diameter and a first portion with a first interior diameter and a second portion with a second interior diameter with the first interior diameter larger than the second interior diameter and a shoulder separating the two interior diameters, the lock body first portion also having a pair of opposed transverse apertures or notches having a first diameter larger than the fist outer diameter, but smaller than the splice or swage outer diameter;

a fixed cap having an exterior diameter and a first end enclosing the end of the first portion of the lock body and a second end proximate the lock body apertures or notches, the cap also having an aperture with the elongate cable slidingly extending through the aperture, with the cap aperture having an axis normal to the axis of the lock body and the cap aperture having a smaller diameter than the lock body apertures, the swage or splice outer diameter and the fist outer diameter, but larger than the cable diameter;

a barrel configured to have limited longitudinal movement in the lock body, the barrel having interior splines configured to accept tumblers, the barrel also having a first face adjacent the pair of lock body apertures or notches and opposite the cap second end;

a barrel spring adapted to bias the barrel away from the cap;

a plug having a keyway and radially extending tumblers, the plug configured to move longitudinally with the barrel and rotate inside the barrel when the tumblers are retracted from the splines by an appropriate key inserted into the keyway, the plug also having a cam that provides motion normal to the longitudinal axis of the lock body when the plug is rotated; and

a bolt in the interior of the lock body biased by a bolt spring to move radially outwardly to contact the shoulder in a first locked state wherein the cap second end and the barrel first face are located at a distance less than the first diameter of the pair of transverse apertures or notches, and configured to be moved by the cam against the bias of the bolt spring to retract the bolt away from the shoulder in an unlocked state, and the barrel spring biases the barrel first face longitudinally away from the cap second end to a distance equal to or larger than the first diameter of the pair of transverse apertures or notches;

and wherein the cable passes through the eyelet in the substrate, the cable, the body and the cap pass through the interior of the cable fixed loop and the cable passes through the object to be secured and the cable and fist pass through the pair of lock body apertures and between the barrel first face and cap second end when the lock is in the unlocked state but the fist will not pass between the barrel first face and cap second end when the lock is in the locked state.

2. The system of claim 1 also having a hat adapted to selectively cover the second end of the lock body.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the cap is fixed to the lock body by transverse pins extending through apertures in the lock body and into transverse bores in the cap.

4. A system for securing an object to a substrate comprising:

an elongate cable having an outer diameter and with a fixed loop having an interior diameter with the loop created by a splice or swage having an outer diameter at a first end of the cable and a fist also having an outer diameter at a second end of the cable with the fist outer diameter larger than the cable outer diameter, but smaller than the splice or swage outer diameter,

a hollow cylindrical lock body having an exterior diameter and a first portion with a first interior diameter and a second portion with a second interior diameter with the first interior diameter larger than the second interior diameter and a shoulder separating the two interior diameters, the lock body first portion also having a pair of opposed transverse apertures or notches having a first diameter larger than the fist outer diameter, but smaller than the splice or swage outer diameter;

a fixed cap having an exterior diameter and a first end enclosing the end of the first portion of the lock body and a second end proximate the lock body apertures or notches, the cap also having an aperture with the elongate cable slidingly extending through the aperture, with the cap aperture having an axis normal to the axis of the lock body and the cap aperture having a smaller diameter than the lock body apertures or notches, the swage or splice outer diameter and the fist outer diameter, but larger than the cable diameter;

a barrel configured to have limited longitudinal movement in the lock body, the barrel having interior splines configured to accept tumblers, the barrel also having a first face adjacent the pair of lock body apertures or notches and opposite the cap second end;

a barrel spring adapted to bias the barrel away from the cap;

a plug having a keyway and radially extending tumblers, the plug configured to move longitudinally with the barrel and rotate inside the barrel when the tumblers are retracted from the splines by an appropriate key inserted into the keyway, the plug also having a cam that provides motion normal to the longitudinal axis of the lock body when the plug is rotated; and

a bolt in the interior of the lock body biased by a bolt spring to move radially outwardly in the first portion of the lock body to contact the shoulder in a first locked state wherein the cap second end and the barrel first face are located at a distance less than the first diameter of the pair of transverse apertures or notches, and configured to be moved by the cam against the bias of the bolt spring to retract the bolt away from the shoulder in an unlocked state, and the barrel spring biases the barrel first face longitudinally away from the cap second end to a distance equal to or larger than the first diameter of the pair of transverse apertures or notches and the bolt is moved to the second portion of the lock body;

and wherein the cable, the body and the cap pass through the interior of the cable fixed loop and the cable passes through the object to be secured and the cable and fist pass through the pair of lock body apertures and between the barrel first face and cap second end when the lock is in the unlocked state but the fist will not pass between the barrel first face and cap second end when the lock is in the locked state.

5. The system of claim 4 having a hat adapted to selectively cover the second end of the lock body.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the cap is fixed to the lock body by transverse pins extending through apertures in the lock body and into transverse bores in the cap.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein the lock body is changed from an unlocked state to a locked state by inserting an appropriate key into the keyway, moving the plug and bolt longitudinally against the bias of the barrel spring so the barrel face and the cap second end are located at a distance less than the diameter of the plug, but equal to or more than the diameter of the cable and the bolt is moved into the first portion of the lock body, the key and plug are rotated and the cam urges the bolt transversely outwardly so it contacts the shoulder.

Assignments (4)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 5, 2025
From: THE EASTERN COMPANY; VELVAC, INCORPORATED; BIG 3 PRECISION PRODUCTS, INC.
To: CITIZENS BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 073461/0008 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 30, 2025
From: TD BANK, N.A.
To: THE EASTERN COMPANY
Reel/Frame 073437/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 23, 2023
From: THE EASTERN COMPANY; VELVAC, INCORPORATED; BIG 3 PRECISION PRODUCTS, INC.
To: TD BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 064083/0430 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 29, 2020
From: SCHROLL, MATTHEW
To: THE EASTERN COMPANY
Reel/Frame 054209/0273 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62929242 · Nov 1, 2019
Related Publication 20210131148A1 · May 6, 2021
Cited By (2)
US 1,108,245 US 12,435,547