Cylinder lock plug

Claim 2

For use in the cylinder of a cylinder lock a plug comprised of first and second plug sections, a plug sleeve and a retaining means, said plug sleeve having an inner surface for receiving said first and second plug sections and a substantially cylindrical outer surface with a plurality of radially oriented pin holes disposed therein, said first and second plug sections having an enlarged first end section, a second end section and a center section therebetween, said first and second plug sections being retained in adjacent cooperative relationship with facingly disposed surfaces by said plug sleeve, said facingly disposed surfaces being contoured to define a keyway and a plurality of pin cavities aligned with the respective pin holes in said plug sleeve, said enlarged first end of said first and second plug sections together defining a front face having a diameter greater than the diameter of said outer surface of said plug sleeve, said retaining means engaging said first and second plug sections on said second end sections and defining a surface extending outward beyond the diameter of said outer surface of said plug sleeve to retain said first and second plug sections and said plug sleeve in functional disposition with respect to each other and with respect to said cylinder.

Claim 3

The plug of claim 1 wherein said plug sleeve is of substantially uniform cross-section, except for said pin holes, having a thickness in the region of said pin holes sufficient to dispose the inner surface of said last named region adjacent the top of said keyway.

Claim 4

The plug of claim 2 wherein said plug sleeve has a longitudinal groove on the inner surface of said plug sleeve diametrically opposite said pin holes for receiving and guiding the lower edge of a key.

Claim 5

The plug of claim 3 wherein the inner surface of said plug sleeve is a substantially cylindrical surface interrupted by an inward projecting longitudinal region containing said pin holes and by inwardly disposed, substantially parallel projections defining, at least in part, said longitudinal groove, and said center sections of said plug sections locate on said last named cylindrical surface and being maintained in substantially fixed separation by surface abutting the sides of said inward projecting longitudinal region and said parallel projections.

Claim 6

The plug of claim 1 wherein said plug sleeve is a plastic member.

Claim 7

The plug of claim 1 wherein said first and second plug sections are sintered metal sections.

Claim 8

The plug of claim 1 wherein said retaining means is comprised of a cap having internal threads adjacent one end thereof, said second end section of said first and second plug sections having threads forming a portion of a threaded cylindrical surface and said cap engaging said threads on said first and second plug sections.

Claim 9

The plug of claim 7 wherein said cap is locked against rotation at a position on said threads so as to limit the axial motion of said plug sections and said plug sleeve with respect to the cylinder by a cylindrical locking member and a coil spring, said first plug section having a groove in its outer surface extending from said second end section and terminating part way along said plug, said cap having an inwardly directed shoulder, with an inwardly directed serrated surface, projecting over the end of said first and second plug sections, and partially covering said groove to retain said locking member in said groove, said locking member and said coil spring being located in said groove so That said coil spring urges said locking member toward said inwardly projecting shoulder, said locking member having an area of reduced diameter adjacent the outer end thereof engaging said serrated surface to prevent substantial rotation of said internally threaded cap.

Claim 10

The plug of claim 8 wherein said second plug section has a groove in its outer surface extending from said second end section and terminating adjacent said first end section.

Claim 11

In a cylinder lock, a cylinder assembly comprised of a cylinder having a substantially cylindrical inner surface and a pin tumbler chamber with a plurality of pin tumbler holes containing pin tumblers and pin tumbler springs, and a cylinder plug having first and second plug sections, a plug sleeve having a length substantially equal to the length of said cylinder and a retaining means, said plug sleeve having an inner surface for receiving said first and second plug sections and a substantially cylindrical outer surface slidably fitting within said cylinder, with a plurality of radially oriented pin holes cooperatively disposed therein with respect to said pin tumbler holes in said cylinder, said first and second plug sections having an enlarged first end section, a second end section and a center section therebetween, said first and second plug sections being retained in adjacent cooperative relationship with facingly disposed surfaces by said plug sleeve, said facingly disposed surfaces being contoured to define a keyway and a plurality of pin cavities aligned with the respective pin holes in said plug sleeve, said enlarged first end of said first and second plug sections together defining a front face having a diameter greater than the diameter of said outer surface of said plug sleeve, said retaining means engaging said first and second plug sections on said second end sections and defining a surface extending outward beyond the diameter of said outer surface of said plug sleeve to retain said first and second plug sections and said plug sleeve in functional disposition with respect to each other and with respect to said cylinder.

Claim 12

In a cylinder lock, a cylinder assembly comprised of a cylinder having a substantially cylindrical inner surface and a pin tumbler chamber with a plurality of pin tumbler holes containing pin tumblers and pin tumbler springs, and a cylinder plug having first and second plug sections, a plug sleeve having a length substantially equal to the length of said cylinder and a retaining means, said plug sleeve having an inner surface for receiving said first and second plug sections and a substantially cylindrical outer surface slidably fitting within said cylinder, with a plurality of radially oriented pin holes cooperatively disposed therein with respect to said pin tumbler holes in said cylinder, said first and second plug sections having an enlarged first end section, a second end section and a center section therebetween, said first and second plug sections being retained in adjacent cooperative relationship with facingly disposed surfaces by said plug sleeve, said facingly disposed surfaces being contoured to define a keyway and a plurality of pin cavities aligned with the respective pin holes in said plug sleeve, said enlarged first end of said first and second plug sections together defining a front face having a diameter greater than the diameter of said outer surface of said plug sleeve, said retaining means engaging said first and second plug sections on said second end sections and defining a surface extending outward beyond the diameter of said outer surface of said plug sleeve to retain said first and second plug sections and said plug sleeve in functional disposition with respect to each other and with respect to said cylinder.

Claim 13

The plug of claim 10 wherein said plug sleeve is of substantially uniform cross-section, except for said pin holes, having a thickness in the region of said pin holes sufficient to dispose the inner surface of said last named region adjacent the top of said keyway.

Claim 14

The plug of claim 11 wherein said plug sleeve has a longitudinal groove on the inner surface of said plug sleeve diametrically opposite said pin holes for receiving and guiding the lower edge of a key.

Claim 15

The plug of claim 12 wherein the inner surface of said plug sleeve is a substantially cylindrical surface interrupted by an inward projecting longitudinal region containing said pin holes and by inwardly disposed, substantially parallel projections defining, at least in part, said longitudinal groove, and said center sections of said plug sections located on said last named cylindrical surface and being maintained in substantially fixed separation by surfaces abutting the sides of said inward projecting longitudinal region and said parallel projections.

Claim 16

The plug of claim 10 wherein said retaining means is comprised of a cap having internal threads adjacent one end thereof, said second end section of said first and second plug sections having threads forming a portion of a threaded cylindrical surface and said cap engaging said threads on said first and second plug sections.

Claim 17

The plug of claim 14 wherein said cap is locked against rotation at a position on said threads so as to limit the axial motion of said plug sections and said plug sleeve with respect to the cylinder by a cylindrical locking member and a coil spring, said first plug section having a groove in its outer surface extending from said second end section and terminating part way along said plug, said cap having an inwardly directed shoulder, with an inwardly directed serrated surface, projecting over the end of said first and second plug sections, and partially covering said groove to retain said locking member in said groove, said locking member and said coil spring being located in said groove so that said coil spring urges said locking member toward said inwardly projecting shoulder, said locking member having an area of reduced diameter adjacent the outer end thereof engaging said serrated surface to prevent substantial rotation of said internally threaded cap.

Claim 18

The plug of claim 15 wherein said second plug section has a groove in its outer surface extending from said second end section and terminating adjacent said first end section and said first end section has a hole therethrough cooperatively disposed with said groove for receiving and guiding an indicator pin therein.