Armored cable-type lock assembly with special end fittings for the armored cable thereof

Claim 2

A lock assembly comprising an elongated flexible armored cable having a fixed end and a free end and provided with a series of longitudinally spaced annular locking grooves therealong, a lock housing secured to said fixed end and having therein a transverse bore for sliding reception therethrough of said free end in order to produce a closed variable size loop, said housing being formed with a cylindrical lock-receiving socket having a bottom wall with an opening which communicates with said bore, a cylinder lock fixedly disposed in said socket, said cylinder lock including a lock cylinder slidable axially in said bore and provided with a locking member on its inner end, said cylinder being movable bodily between a retracted position wherein the locking member projects through said opening and into said bore for selective engagement with said annular locking grooves, and a projected position wherein the locking member is withdrawn from said bore, spring means yieldingly biasing said cylinder to its projected position, releasable latch means effective between said lock cylinder and the wall of said bore for latching the cylinder in its retracted position, and keyactuated means disposed within said lock cylinder for releasing said latch means.

Claim 3

A lock assembly as set forth in claim 1 and wherein the opening in the bottom wall of said lock-receiving socket is in the form of a diametrically extending slot, and the locking member is in the form of a flat-sided flange which is slidable in said slot and thus prevents turning movement of the lock cylinder within said lock-receiving socket.

Claim 4

A lock assembly as set forth in claim 2 and wherein said releasable latch means comprises a latch bolt mounted for diametric sliding movement in said lock cylinder between a retracted position wherein it is disposed within the cylindrical confines of the cylinder and a projected position wherein the forward end thereof is projected radially from the cylinder, and a recess is formed in the wall of said lock-receiving socket and into which the forward end of the latch bolt extends when the lock cylinder is in its retracted position.

Claim 5

A lock assembly as set forth in claim 2 and wherein said lock cylinder is provided with spaced apart rim flanges which define therebetween an annular recess, and a snap ring is disposed within said recess and seats within an annular internal annular groove in the wall of said lock-receiving bore and serves to maintain the lock cylinder permanently in position within said latter bore.

Claim 6

A lock assembly as set forth in claim 2 and wherein said lock cylinder is of a composite nature and is comprised of inner rear and outer front cup-shaped telescopic sections which are maintained in their fixed telescopic relationship by means of radial drive pins which pass through the walls of such sections.

Claim 7

A lock assembly as set forth in claim 2 and wherein said key-actuated means comprises fixed and rotatable barrel parts within said lock cylinder, an eccentric pin which is connected to said rotatable barrel part and projects into a circular recess in the latch bolt, and a key-responsive split tumbler mechanism for releasably locking the rotatable barrel part to the fixed barrel part.

Claim 8

A lock assembly as set forth in claim 1 and wherein said flexible armored cable comprises a stranded steel cable having one end thereof fixedly secured to said lock housing, and a plurality of tubular sheathe-like armor sections slidingly received over said cable and bridging the distance between said free end and said fixed end, said armor sections including alternately arranged ball members presenting convex frusto-spherical bearing surfaces at their opposite ends and cylindrical socket members presenting concave fRusto-spherical bearing surfaces at their opposite ends, each ball member being provided with a cylindrical bore therethrough which communicates with frusto-conical recesses at its opposite ends, the steel cable passing through said bore and recesses and the recesses constituting clearance areas for the cable to enhance the extent of angular flexing of the armored cable.

Claim 9

A lock assembly as set forth in claim 7 and wherein each socket member is formed with a cylindrical bore therethrough which communicates with frusto-conical recesses at its opposite ends, the steel cable passing through said latter bore and recesses and the recesses constituting clearance areas for the cable to enhance the extent of angular flexing of the armored cable.

Claim 10

A lock assembly as set forth inclaim 7 and wherein said armor sections further include a terminal end section into which the end region of the steel cable which is remote from the lock housing extends, and a helical compression spring which encircles said end region, bears at one end against the cable and at its other end against said terminal end section so as to place the cable under tension and draw adjacent armor sections hard against each other.

Claim 11

A lock assembly comprising an elongated flexible stranded cable having a fixed end and a free end, a plurality of tubular armor sections telescopically and loosely received over said cable in end-to-end contiguity, thus establishing an armored cable assembly, adjacent armor sections defining therebetween ball and socket connections which collectively permit articulation of the armored cable assembly, said armor sections defining a series of longitudinally spaced external annular locking grooves, a lock housing on the fixed end of said cable, a terminal end fitting on the free end of the cable, said lock housing being provided with a transverse bore for sliding reception therethrough of said free end of the cable together with the associated armor sections to produce a closed variable size loop, key-actuated locking means in said lock housing and including a retractable locking flange designed for selective projection into said grooves to thus establish different size loops, said lock housing being formed with a cylindrical socket the wall of which is provided with an internal annular groove therearound, a cylindrical anchoring collar mounted on said free end of the cable and provided therearound with an external annular groove, said collar fitting snugly within said cylindrical socket with said internal and external grooves in circumferential register, and a split snap ring seated within the last-mentioned grooves and serving permanently to retain said collar within said socket.

Claim 12

A lock assembly comprising an elongated flexible stranded cable having a fixed end and a free end, a plurality of tubular armor sections telescopically and loosely received over said cable in end-to-end contiguity, thus establishing an armored cable assembly, adjacent armor sections defining therebetween ball and socket connections which collectively permit articulation of the armored cable assembly, said armor sections defining a series of longitudinally spaced external annular locking grooves, a lock housing on the fixed end of said cable, a terminal end fitting on the free end of the cable, said lock housing being provided with a transverse bore for sliding reception therethrough of said free end of the cable together with the associated armor sections to produce a closed variable size loop, key-actuated locking means in said lock housing and including a retractable locking flange designed for selective projection into said grooves to thus establish different size loops, said lock housing being formed with a cylindrical socket the wall of which is provided with an internal annular groove therearound, a cylindrical anchoring collar mounted on said free end of the cable and provided therearound with an external annular groove, said collar fitting snugly within said cylindrical socket with said internal and external grooves in circumferential register, and a split snap ring seated within the last-mentioned grooves and serving permanently to retain said collar within said socket.

Claim 13

A lock assembly as set forth in claim 10 and wherein said anchoring collar is formed with a frusto-conical bore into which said free end of the stranded cable projects, and a tapered wedge disposed within said frusto-conical bore and serving to spread the strands of said cable apart and against the wall of said frusto-conical bore in order thus fixedly to secure the collar on said free end of the cable.

Claim 14

A lock assembly comprising an elongated flexible stranded cable having a fixed end and a free end, a plurality of tubular armor sections telescopically and loosely received over said cable in end-to-end contiguity, thus establishing an armored cable assembly, adjacent armor sections defining therebetween ball and socket connections which collectively permit articulation of the armored cable assembly, said armor sections defining a series of longitudinally spaced external annular locking grooves, a lock housing on the fixed end of said cable, a terminal end fitting on the free end of the cable, said lock housing being provided with a transverse bore for sliding reception therethrough of said free end of the cable together with the associated armor sections to produce a closed variable size loop, key-actuated locking means in said lock housing and including a retractable locking flange designEd for selective projection into said grooves to thus establish different size loops, said terminal end fitting being in the form of a cup-shaped member having a relatively deep socket therein and provided therearound with an internal annular groove into which the free end of said cable projects, a reaction collar on said free end of the cable and slidable within said socket, a guide collar surrounding the free end region of the cable and provided with an external annular groove therearound, said guide collar fitting snugly within said socket with said internal and external grooves in circumferential register, a split snap ring seated within said latter grooves and serving permanently to retain the guide collar within said socket, and a compression spring encircling the free end region of said cable and interposed between said reaction and guide collars and serving to take up lost motion between said guide collar and the adjacent armor sections.

Claim 15

A lock assembly comprising an elongated flexible stranded cable having a fixed end and a free end, a plurality of tubular armor sections telescopically and loosely received over said cable in end-to-end contiguity, thus establishing an armored cable assembly, adjacent armor sections defining therebetween ball and socket connections which collectively permit articulation of the armored cable assembly, said armor sections defining a series of longitudinally spaced external annular locking grooves, a lock housing on the fixed end of said cable, a terminal end fitting on the free end of the cable, said lock housing being provided with a transverse bore for sliding reception therethrough of said free end of the cable together with the associated armor sections to produce a closed variable size loop, key-actuated locking means in said lock housing and including a retractable locking flange designEd for selective projection into said grooves to thus establish different size loops, said terminal end fitting being in the form of a cup-shaped member having a relatively deep socket therein and provided therearound with an internal annular groove into which the free end of said cable projects, a reaction collar on said free end of the cable and slidable within said socket, a guide collar surrounding the free end region of the cable and provided with an external annular groove therearound, said guide collar fitting snugly within said socket with said internal and external grooves in circumferential register, a split snap ring seated within said latter grooves and serving permanently to retain the guide collar within said socket, and a compression spring encircling the free end region of said cable and interposed between said reaction and guide collars and serving to take up lost motion between said guide collar and the adjacent armor sections.

Claim 16

A lock assembly as set forth in claim 12 and wherein said reaction collar is formed with a frusto-conical bore into which said free end of the stranded cable projects, and a tapered wedge disposed within said frusto-conical bore and serving to spread the strands of said cable apart and against the wall of said frusto-conical bore to thus fixedly secure the collar on said free end of the cable.