GRINDER RESISTANT LOCK

Abstract

U-shaped locks are provided with an external shell made from a relatively soft metal that clogs grindings disks and reduces their cutting effectiveness.

Claims

1. A grinder resistant lock according to the invention includes: (a) a U-lock comprising (i) a U-shaped shackle made of a hardened metal and exhibiting first and second arms on either side of a centrally located curved portion, and (ii) a lockable crossbar that releasably engages a terminal end on each of the shackle first and second arms; and (b) a shackle shell over and around substantially the entire length of the shackle and being made from a material that is softer than the shackle steel and sufficiently thick to clog a coarse grit cutting wheel when contacting said shell and thereby reducing the cutting efficiency of the cutting wheel.

2. A grinder resistant lock according to claim 1 wherein said shackle shell comprises aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

3. A grinder resistant lock as in claim 1 wherein said shackle shell is in the form of two U-shaped half shell sections, each half having a groove of a width and length to fit the U-shaped shackle.

4. A grinder resistant lock as in claim 3 wherein two of the half shell sections have been welded together around the shackle.

5. A grinder resistant lock as in claim 3 wherein two of the half shell sections have been secured together around the shackle with fasteners.

6. A grinder resistant lock as in claim 3 wherein two of the half shell sections have been secured together around the shackle with a high impact adhesive.

7. A grinder resistant lock as in claim 3 wherein each shackle shell section further exhibits internal fins that extend radially away from said groove.

8. A grinder resistant lock as in claim 7 wherein said fins extend radially straight away from said groove.

9. A grinder resistant lock as in claim 7 wherein said fins extend radially diagonal away from said groove.

10. A grinder resistant lock as in claim 7 wherein said fins exhibit an S-shape extending away from said groove.

11. A grinder resistant lock as in claim 7 wherein said fins exhibit a U-shape extending away from said groove.

12. A grinder resistant lock according to claim 1 wherein said lockable crossbar further comprises a crossbar shell that extends over and around substantially the entire length of the lockable crossbar and being made from a material that is softer than the lockable crossbar and sufficiently thick to clog a coarse grit cutting wheel when contacting said shell and thereby reducing the cutting efficiency of the cutting wheel.

13. A protective, U-shaped, shackle shell configured to fit over and around substantially the entire length of a U-lock shackle and being made from a metal that is softer than hardened steel, wherein said shackle shell is sufficiently thick to clog a grinder wheel contacting said shell and thereby reduce the cutting efficiency of the grinder wheel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] FIG. 1 shows an external front view of U-shaped lock having a shackle shell and a crossbar shell according to the invention.

[0020] FIG. 2 is an external side view of U-shaped lock according to the invention.

[0021] FIG. 3 presents a view of a U-shaped lock according to the invention with sectioned illustration of a U-shaped shackle shell installed and S-shaped internal fins.

[0022] FIGS. 4 and 5 show external and internal views, respectively, of the keyhole cover and slider on the bottom of the crossbar.

[0023] FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of a U-shaped lock having an elliptical shackle shell according to the invention.

[0024] FIG. 7 shows an exploded parts view of the U-lock according to the invention.

[0025] FIG. 8 depicts a shackle shell having internal, horizontal fins.

[0026] FIG. 9 depicts a shackle shell having internal, diagonal fins.

[0027] FIG. 10 depicts a shackle shell having internal, U-shaped fins.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] A grinder resistant lock according to the invention starts with a U-lock having a hardened steel shackle and locking crossbar and then adds an outer shackle shell of a material that is softer than the hardened steel used in the shackle. The relatively soft metal of the shackle shell serves as a sacrificial element that melts under the frictional heat of the grinding operation and thereby clogs the cutting grit surfaces of the grinding blade. As the blade becomes clogged, it is less able to cut the relatively soft metal shell and less able to affect the hardened steel of the shackle.

[0029] The U-lock comprises a U-shaped shackle made of a hardened metal. It has first and second arms on either side of a centrally located curved portion thereby forming the shape of the letter U. The terminal end of each leg exhibits some form of engageable surface feature, which do not have to be the same type of surface feature, that allows the shackle to be engaged or disengaged by a lockable crossbar. For example, one terminal end may have an outward bend that extends laterally into the crossbar while the other terminal end exhibits a slot across the inner width of the shackle end forming a slotted locking foot at the ends of the first and second arms. A locking arm associated with the locking mechanism inside the crossbar then extends or retracts from engagement with this shackle slot and there by lock or unlock the crossbar. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,746.

[0030] Hardened steel is most commonly used for the shackle of a U-lock. There are, however, many levels of hardness and steel alloy formulations. The optimal hardness is generally considered to be within the range of 63-70 HRC with a weight of at least 2 kg and a diameter of at least 12 mm, and preferably within the range of 13-19 mm. (Many bolt cutters have a cutting edge hardness of about 61-62. Files and hack saws are 58-61 HRC)

[0031] The lockable crossbar is generally cylindrical in cross section and houses a locking mechanism made with a rotatable shaft that extends or withdraws locking arms from engagement with at least one of the shackle terminal end surface features.

[0032] The crossbar of the U-lock according to the present invention includes a hardened insert in the crossbar that is externally secured with countersunk screws. These screws are located on the upper side of the crossbar under the shackle shell and extend into the insert located within the crossbar. This location prevents the screws from being unscrewed when the shackle and shell are locked to the crossbar. This externally fastened insert is a way of protecting the hardened steel crossbar from attack by an angle grinder.

[0033] The shackle shell of the invention fits over and around substantially the entire length of the shackle that is not engaged or protected by the crossbar lock. Pointedly, the shell protects substantially the entire length of the shackle from the upper surface of the crossbar lock at the shackle's first terminal end to the portion above the crossbar at the shackle's second terminal end.

[0034] The shackle shell of the invention is made in substantial part, if not completely, from a material that is softer than the shackle steel but which is of a nature and thickness that is sufficient to clog a coarse grit cutting wheel and reduce its cutting efficiency when trying to cut the shall and shackle. Suitable materials include aluminum, aluminum alloys, aluminum-containing polymeric composites, and brass although aluminum and its alloys are preferred.

[0035] The shackle shell of the invention preferably exhibits one or more formed, internal discontinuities or void spaces that interfere with the efficient operation of the leading edge of the grinding blade during an attack.

[0036] Permanent mold casting is the preferred process to make the shackle shell. Die casting a cheaper and faster process for casting aluminum parts cannot be used for making the shackle shell because die cast parts are to porous to weld. Additionally the alloys selected for consideration have a copper content less than 0.5%. It is essential that the copper content of the alloys is low in order for it to be welded in a commercially viable process. The main purpose of copper in aluminum alloys is to increase the alloys reactivity to heat treatment, however, increased copper also decreases weldability and reduces corrosion resistance. Table 1 below identifies some of the suitable aluminum alloys for use in the shackle shell of the invention. The values indicate maximum limits unless shown as a range or a minimum.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Chemical Composition Limits for Aluminum Alloys (Wt %) OTHERS OTHERS Al Alloy Si Fe Cu Mn Mg Cr Zn Ti EACH TOTAL MiN. 1070 0.20 0.25 0.04 0.03 0.03 — 0.04 0.03 0.03 — 99.70 1100 0.95 Si + Fe 0.05-0.20 0.05 — — 0.10 — 0.05 0.15 99.00 3003 0.6 0.7 0.05-0.20 1.0-1.5 — — 0.10 — 0.05 0.15 Rem. 3004 0.30 0.7 0.25 1.0-1.5 0.8-1.3 — 0.25 — 0.05 0.15 Rem. 3005 0.6 0.7 0.30 1.0-1.5 0.20-0.6  0.10 0.25 0.10 0.05 0.15 Rem. 3104 0.6 0.8 0.05-0.25 0.8-1.4 0.8-1.3 — 0.25 0.10 0.05 0.15 Rem. 4004 9.0-10.5 0.8 0.25 0.10 1.0-2.0 — 0.20 — 0.05 0.15 Rem. 4104 9.0-10 5 0.8 0.25 0.10 1.0-2 0 — 0.20 — 0.05 0 15 Rem. 4043 4.5-6.0  0.8 0.30 0.05 0.05 — 0.10 0.20 0.05 0.15 Rem. 4045 9.0-11.0 0.8 0.30 0.05 0.05 — 0.10 0.20 0.05 0.15 Rem. 5005 0.30 0.7 0.20 0.20 0.50-1.1  0.10 0.25 — 0.05 0.15 Rem. 5050 0.40 0.7 0.20 0.10 1.1-1.8 0.10 0.25 — 0.05 0.15 Rem. 5052 0.25 0.40 0 10 0.10 2.2-2.8 0.15-0.35 0.10 — 0.05 0.15 Rem. 5252 0.08 0.10 0.10 0.10 2.2-2.8 — 0.05 — 0.03 0.10 Rem. 5056 0 30 0.40 0.10 0.05-0.20 4.5-5 6 0.05-0.20 0.10 — 0.05 0 15 Rem. 5657 0.08 0.10 0.10 0.03 0.6-1.0 — 0.05 — 0.02 0.05 Rem. 5182 0.20 0.35 0.15 0.20-0.50 4.0-5.0 0.10 0.25 0.10 0.05 0.15 Rem. 6061 0.40-0.8  0.7 0.15-0.40 0.15 0.8-1.2 0.04-0.35 0.25 0.15 0.05 0.15 Rem.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Hardness Tensile Hardness Hardness Strength Brinell Vickers Alloy Temper (MPa) HB HV AA1050A H2 100 30 30 H4 115 35 36 H6 130 39 H8 150 43 44 H9 180 48 51 0 80 21 20 AA2011 T3 365 95 100 T4 350 90 95 T6 395 110 115 T8 420 115 120 AA3103 H2 135 40 40 H4 155 45 46 H6 175 50 50 H8 200 55 55 H9 240 65 70 0 105 29 29 AA5083 H2 330 90 95 H4 360 100 105 H6 380 105 110 H8 400 110 115 H9 420 115 120 0 300 70 75 AA5251 H2 210 60 65 H4 230 65 70 H6 255 70 75 H8 280 80 80 H9 310 90 90 0 180 45 46 AA5754 H2 245 70 75 H4 270 75 80 H6 290 80 85 H8 315 90 90 H9 340 95 100 0 215 55 55 AA6063 0 100 25 85 T1 150 45 45 T4 160 50 50 T5 215 60 65 T6 245 75 80 T8 260 80 85 AA6082 0 130 35 35 T1 260 70 75 T4 260 70 75 T5 325 90 95 T6 340 95 100 AA6262 T6 290 T9 360 AA7075 0 225 60 65 T6 570 150 160 T7 505 140 150

[0037] Preferred materials for the shackle shell are weldable aluminum alloys having a Knoop hardness of at least 50, and more preferably a Knoop hardness within the range of 70-140.

[0038] The most preferred aluminum alloys for the shackle shell include Aluminum A356.0-T6 (Rockwell B Hardness=49; Knoop Hardness=103), Aluminum A356.0-F (Knoop Hardness=78), Aluminum A357.0-F, Aluminum A357.0-T6 (Rockwell B Hardness=56; Knoop Hardness=114), and Aluminum 6061-T6 (Rockwell B Hardness=60; Knoop Hardness=120).

[0039] FIG. 1 is an external view of the protected lock of the invention with the U-shaped shackle shell 1 whose terminal ends 2, 3 are joined by a lockable crossbar 4 having a covered lock 5 on the bottom of crossbar 4. Lockable crossbar 4 may be made of hard metal or may be covered with its own soft metal shell around internal, lockably engageable, lock components.

[0040] FIG. 2 is a side view of the protected lock shown in FIG. 1. Weld 6 joins first shell 7 to second shell 8 in a permanent, preferably flush, connection.

[0041] FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of a U-shaped lock 9 according to the invention. As shown, the U-shaped shackle 10 is covered by the U-shaped shackle shell 1 which is itself covered by a durable plastic or rubber outer cover 11 to avoid scratching of the finish on the locked bike. S-shaped fins 12 between adjacent fin openings 13 are formed along the interior of the shackle shell. These internal discontinuity structures interfere with an angle grinder disk as it attempts to grind its way through shell 1 on its way to shackle 10.

[0042] Lockable crossbar 14 is made with lock core 15 that engages internal locking bar sections 16. Each locking bar section 16 is configured to engage a slot or groove 17 in each terminal end 18 of shackle 10 when shackle 10 is inserted into crossbar 14. Lock core 15 is generally between a crossbar left shell end cap 19 and crossbar right shell end cap 20 that are joined together within crossbar 14 and secured in position with flush retaining screws 21.

[0043] A keyhole cover 22 and slider 23 are movable for a short distance to cover the keyhole of the locking core for protection against water, dirt, grit, etc. See FIGS. 4 and 5. As shown, the keyhole slider can be moved between a first covering position and a second open position that allows access to the lock core within the crossbar.

[0044] FIG. 6 illustrates a cross sectional view of an embodiment with elliptical shackle shell 24, internal S-shaped fins 25, and shackle groove 26 for shackle 10. The internal details are the same or very similar to those shown in FIG. 3. The exterior depth of elliptical shell 24 are desirably of a thickness that the transverse distance through shell 24 is preferably greater than about 2.5 inches (6.35 cm) to make the distance too far for a typical, battery-powered, angle grinder blade to reach shackle 10. Such blades are typically about 4 inches 10 cm) in diameter. The distance between the legs of the shackle shell 24 are also desirably too short to fit a typical angle grinder head connected to a blade. Such sizing enhances the resistance of the present lock to attacks by angle grinders.

[0045] O-rings 37 around shackle 10 are helpful to block contaminants from access to shackle 10 and to solidly position shackle 10 in groove 26.

[0046] FIG. 7 shows an exploded parts view of the U-lock according to the invention. U-shaped shackle 10 is covered by a pair of shackle shells 1 that are welded around shackle 10. The lockable crossbar 14 is shown as having lock core 15 with locking bar 16. These elements are within crossbar insert 27 within crossbar outer body 28 that is sealed on either end with a first end cap 29 and second end cap 30. Retaining screws 21 secure crossbar insert 27 inside crossbar outer body 28. Access to lock core 15 is selectively closable by moving keyhole slide 23 over opening 31 in keyhole cover 22. In its closed position, slide 23 protects lock core 15 from exposure to water, dirt, and materials that might clog or foul lock core 15.

[0047] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, shackle shell 1 preferably has a series of S-shaped fins 12 formed into the interior of each shell when formed, preferably by casting. It is within the scope of the invention, however, that shackle shell 1 would use straight fins that extend away from the shackle groove, e.g., horizontal fins 32 that extend substantially perpendicular to shackle groove 26 (FIG. 8) or diagonally extending fins 33 that are at a non-perpendicular, non-parallel angle (e.g., an angle within the range of 1°-45°) relative to shackle groove 26 (FIG. 9). It is also within the scope of the invention to form nonlinear fins inside shackle shell 1, such as the S-shaped fins 12 discussed above or U-shaped fins 34 as shown in FIG. 10. Each of these fin shapes are formed during the casting process of shell 1 by forming voids within each shell 1. These voids form the desired fins therebetween and act as a discontinuity that interferes with efficient angle grinding thereby enhancing the security of the shell-protected shackle.

[0048] Preferably, shackle shell 1 is formed by welding together two complementary shell halves. To this end, it is desirable to provide each shell section with a chamfer 35, 36 on the inside and the outside edges, respectively, of the U-shaped shell section. The width and depth of the chamfer is preferably of sufficient depth and width to allow the weld to be ground substantially flat and flush with the exterior of the joined shells.

EXAMPLES

Example 1

[0049] Because the main goal of this lock is to be angle grinder resistant, our first test entailed cutting sample sections with an angle grinder. We prepared a test specimen using a pair of solid shell sections welded in position around a hardened steel rod that became secured in a central channel formed in each section. A series or probe holes drilled into the shell allowed us to measure the temperature of the rod during the welding process and as the shell was attacked by an angle grinder.

[0050] The welding test yielded encouraging results. We welded small rectangular test blocks to control as many variables as possible in addition to cylindrical sections similar to those that will be found on the product. With the various fillet sizes in the rectangular blocks, we were able to create multiple acceptable welds. This shows that the fillet design is not only feasible, but also readily modifiable to achieve various weld profiles. In addition to welding 6061 sample blocks, we also welded A356, a casting-specific alloy. The casting alloy produced even better results than the 6061, leading us to reason that the welding of a cast aluminum part is entirely possible.

[0051] As the two controlled sections of the tests show, pulse MIG welding is an entirely viable manufacturing process. Using a grounding process involving a copper strap and a bolt yielded excellent results and the v-blocks used to fixture the half-cylindrical sections while we welded worked equally well.

[0052] As the more important section of the test, some specific parameters were established prior to testing. We wanted to test how quickly each design could be plunge cut to the depth of the shackle and how quickly an angle grinder could cut through the section entirely. For the purposes of consistency, we called the latter a “360 cut” because we would need to cut from all sides of the test section. If a 4.5″ diameter cutting wheel is loaded into the grinder, hypothetically a maximum cutting depth of 2.25″ can be obtained. However, the housing on the transmission of the angle grinder limits the cut to approximately 1.5″ or less when the cutting wheel is new. As the wheel is an abrasive cutting wheel, the diameter of the wheel decreases as the cut progresses. We observed decreases of almost 0.2″ in diameter while cutting the test section during our cut around the shackle. Our plunge cut tests proved successful, primarily due to equipment failure.

[0053] The severe load involved with cutting through a 3″ diameter piece of aluminum took its toll on the battery. Approximately every 4 minutes, the battery needed to be removed to cool and recharge. The first plunge cut on the S2 section required two batteries, the first died at 3:44 (hours:minutes) and the second took us to the end of the cut at 5:38. The second plunge cut test was completed in 2:12 with one battery.

[0054] The 360° test exacerbated the rate of battery drain. We needed three different batteries and approximately 12 minutes with a 4.5 inch wheel to remove the aluminum and reach the steel shackle. At this point, we had also noticed enough of a diameter decrease in the cutting wheel to be unable to reach the steel shackle inside the aluminum.

[0055] We also noticed approximately a 50° F. increase in the temperature of the shell material. The results of this test, however, are encouraging for two reasons. Instead of being able to make a simple plunge cut from one side as is possible on every other available lock on the market, a thief must be able to cut from all sides. While this in itself is extremely challenging due to the presence of a bike and a street sign or bike rack, a thief must also come prepared with extra batteries (six, three amp-hour batteries, if they choose the same tool we did) and extra cutting discs. The relatively low temperature rise of the shell material is also not sufficient to affect the hardness of the steel in the shackle.

[0056] A plunge cut test took us 2:12 in the S5 section. We cut approximately 180 degrees. For the S2 section, the cut took 3:44 until the first battery died and 5:38 until the second battery died. While the S2 section offers significantly more cut resistance, the S5 section did not lack in cutting difficulty.

[0057] The 360° cut on S5 took even longer. The first battery lasted until 3:55 and approximately 180 degrees. We refrigerated the battery after recharging in an attempt to hold off the overheating issue. This next battery lasted until 8:00 and was able to reach most of the way around. After another recharging and cooling cycle, we noticed the two ends of the cut did not line up perfectly. As the kerf left by the cutting wheel is only a few millimeters thick, any slight error in angle results in the ends of the cut being misaligned as shown by the lower red arrow. We used the next battery to clean up the cut and try and sever the remaining material, but we were unable to fully cut through the aluminum due to the worn down disc not being able to reach far enough past the gears of the grinder. The battery died at 12:00.

Example 2

[0058] The next phase of testing for the development of an angle grinder resistant lock was to test a shackle shell having an elliptical, cross section, shape

[0059] The elliptical cross section shape places the shackle on the inside of the shackle shell thereby placing the majority of the aluminum shackle shell material on the outside of the shackle. This allows for the overall weight of the lock to be reduced from approximately 15 lbs to about 10 lbs. The theory behind this design is that the angle grinder will not be able to cut the shackle on the inside of the U-lock because the gap in the U is smaller than the diameter of the angle grinder disc.

[0060] Previously the main concern with the feasibility of this design was the heat from welding this part being so high that it would reduce the hardness of the hardened steel. After seeing how the welding of the previous test sections had no effect on the hardness of the steel, the elliptical shackle shell shape should be feasible. Similarly after seeing how the 4.5″ angle grinder failed to cut the round shackle shell design there is optimism that the elliptical shackle shell design will work.

[0061] FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the elliptical test section with S-curve internal fin design. The holes in the test section can be used to insert a thermocouple to monitor temperature during welding. They would not otherwise be used in a commercial product.

[0062] FIG. 11 shows how the welded elliptical shackle shell sections are installed to test if an angle grinder can cut the inner surface of a U-lock design when the grinding disc is bigger than the gap between the covered shackle legs.

[0063] The disclosures of all patents cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference.