Lockable gas cap assemblies

Claim 1

In a lockable gas cap assembly, an outer hollow shell having a first circular central aperture; an inner hollow shell having a second inwardly cusped central aperture and adapted for attachment to a filler tube for a gas tank; cylindrical locking means comprising a front hollow body having adjacent front and rear portions, the front portion of the hollow body having a radial slot extending through the wall thereof, and a rear, key-operated cylindrical tumbler receivable within the hollow body for angular rotation with respect thereto through a predetermined first circumferential distance, the tumbler having a forwardly extending first projection aligned with and disposed within the slotted front portion of the hollow body and having a peripheral recess normally in registration with the radial slot in the hollow body, the tumbler being rotatable, when the key is operated, to present the unrecessed portion of the periphery of the first projection opposite the radial slot; first retaining means removably carrying the inner shell for coaxial rotation within the outer shell; second retaining means for removably securing the locking means within the first aperture of the outer sleeve, the inwardly cusped peripheral wall of the second aperture of the inner shell surrounding the slotted forward portion of the hollow body of the locking means when the locking means and inner shell are retained within the outer shell; and an elongated follower member adapted for radial sliding movement in the radial slot in the hollow body between the periphery of the underlying first projection of the tumbler and the overlying cusped peripheral wall of the inner shell, whereby when the key is operated the unrecessed portion of the projection of the tumbler urges the follower member against the surrounding peripheral wall of the inner shell to be restrained against rotation by the cusp.