DESCRIPTION

This invention concerns a padlock.

Padlocks are used frequently for locking gates, doors and lids of containers. However, because they are exposed, it is possible to remove them by force.

An object of this invention is to provide a padlock with a cover to deter or even prevent removal of a padlock by force.

According to the invention there is provided a padlock and cover surrounding the padlock, the cover comprising a front wall, a rear wall, sidewalls connecting the front and rear walls, a top and a base, the base having an opening therein for access to the padlock keyhole and the front wall having an opening therein to allow access to the padlock bolt, and means for locking the padlock from outside the cover.

The means for locking the padlock preferably comprises a pusher for acting on the padlock bolt. The pusher preferably comprises a plate or the like that can act on the bolt and a stem through a wall of the cover which is used to push the plate onto the bolt. The stem preferably has a knob on its remote end to facilitate operation thereof.

Alternatively, the means for locking the padlock may be the cover itself by pushing the cover upwardly, whereby padlock bolt is urged into a locking position by contact with a side of a staple on which the padlock is fitted.

The top wall of the top wall of the cover is preferably reinforced.

The front wall of the cover preferably has a stepped opening. The front wall may have a top edge with one or two steps. Preferably the higher part of the front wall

overlaps the end of the padlock, in which the padlock bolted is permanently retained. The higher part of the stepped front wall may prevent removal of the padlock from the cover.

The cover may have a finger extending inwardly from a top edge of the front wall. The finger overlies the top of the padlock and serves to resist attempts to pull the cover off the padlock, because of interference with the padlock bolt.

The sidewalls of the cover may project forward of the front wall. The sidewall projections preferably coincide with the gap between the front wall top edge and the top of the cover. The sidewall projections may taper towards the base. Alternatively, the sidewall projections may have rounded bottom edges.

The cover for the padlock is preferably made of metal, such as of mild steel. Ideally, the cover is made from a sheet of mild steel cut, folded and welded to form the cover. Preferably the cover is part made before insertion of the padlock, such as through the base of the cover, before completion of the cover, such as by closing the base, whereby the padlock may be irremovable from the cover.

The padlock and cover of the invention may be used to secure together conventional hasp and staple arrangements or for locking slidable lock bolts. Alternatively it is also proposed that the padlock and cover of the invention be used in combination with padlock receivers mounted either side of a door opening, such as one on a door and the other on a frame for the door or one on each of a pair of doors. The receivers preferably form together an enclosure for receiving the padlock and cover and further preferably each has a locking arm which are secured together by the bolt of the padlock when it is pushed downwardly into its locking position. The receivers together preferably provide an opening for the means for locking the

padlock from outside the cover and preferably provide an opening for a key for unlocking the padlock. In this embodiment having a stepped front wall for the cover is not essential, as the cover is in an enclosure that prevents direct removal of the cover from the padlock.

Preferably the one or both of the receivers will be magnetic or contain a magnet to hold the padlock and cover in place prior to locking the padlock.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to that accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of a padlock and cover according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a bottom view of the padlock and cover of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a front view of padlock receivers on a pair of doors;

Figure 4 is a side view of a padlock receivers of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a padlock receiver of Figure 3;

Figure 6 shows a padlock and cover in the receivers of Figure 3; and

Figure 7 shows a padlock and cover in the receivers of Figure 3 in a locked position.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, a padlock 10 is enclosed within a cover 12. The padlock 10 is of a conventional type having a body 14 and a U shaped bolt 16, one end of which is permanently retained in the body. The U-shaped bolt 16 is reciprocally moveable between a first position where the other end of the bolt is free and a second position where it is locked in the body, requiring a key 18 to unlock it. The bolt is usually spring biased to an unlocked position. The bolt is also rotatable to facilitate insertion through the staple of a hasp and staple combination.

The cover 12 is made of mild steel sheet folded to shape and welded where

appropriate. The cover has a front wall 20, a rear wall 22, sidewalls 24 and 26, a top 28 and a base 30. The rear wall 22 of the cover 12 extends the full height of the cover, whereas the front wall 20 does not to leave an opening 32, through which the bolt 16 of the padlock 10 is accessible and, in particular, the free end of the bolt when unlocked can be manoeuvred to fit the padlock onto a staple of a hasp and staple combination, hi fact, the front wall 20 of the cover 12 is stepped, so that is higher on one side than the other. The higher side overlies the side of the padlock where the bolt is retained and the lower side overlies the side of the padlock where the bolt is lockable.

The base 30 of the cover 12 has an opening 42 therein of less width than that of the padlock body 14 in order to retain the padlock within the cover but also to provide access to the keyhole of the padlock.

The top wall 28 of the cover 12 may be reinforced, such as by addition of a further layer of mild steel.

The padlock and cover will be provided as a unit. In other words, the padlock will not be removable from the cover.

The overall height of the cover will be such that there is sufficient space above the bolt of the padlock to allow it to open but insufficient height for the padlock to be manoeuvred through the opening in the front of the cover.

In order to close the padlock, a pusher 50 is provided to act on the bolt of the padlock. The pusher 50 has a plate 52 with a pad 53 on its underside, a stem 54 extending from the plate 52 through the top wall 28 of the cover and a knob 56 on the stem end. Pushing down on the knob 56 pushes the plate onto the bolt to push it into a locking position in the padlock.

When the padlock is opened using the key 18, the bolt springs upwards from the body of the padlock pushing the plate upwards and hence the stem 54 extends further from the top of the cover ready for the next locking operation.

Turning to Figures 3 to 7 of the accompanying drawings, the padlock 10 of Figures 1 and 2 may be fitted within an enclosure 60 formed by receivers 62 provided either side of a door opening, i.e. one on a frame 64 and the other on a door 66 to be closed in the frame or one on each of a pair of doors that close together.

The receivers 62 have a back plate 68 with screw holes 70 for screws or bolts to secure the receiver to a door or frame. Each receiver 62 is generally a mirror of the other. Each has a wall 72 upstanding from the back plate 68 around three sides thereof, so that together the receivers form a rectangular enclosure 60 for the padlock and cover when a door is in the closed position. Top and bottom parts 73, 74 respectively of the wall 72 are cut away so that together the enclosure has top and bottom openings 76, 78. The top opening 76 being for the pusher 50 to lock the padlock and the bottom opening 78 for a key for unlocking the padlock.

Each receiver 62 has extending normally from the back plate 68 an L-shaped locking member 80 over which the bolt 16 of the padlock 10 sits in the locked position to hold the receivers together. Because the padlock cover 12 fits snugly in the receivers 62, the padlock 10 cannot be lifted off the locking members 80 or pulled out of the enclosure 60. One or both of the receivers 62 has a magnet 82 therein to hold the padlock and cover when first placed in the receivers and before the padlock is locked.

The receivers are preferably fitted to a door or frame screws or bolts through the door or frame and a backing plate 84 (see Figure 4) on the opposite of the door or

frame for added strength.

To use the padlock and cover with the receivers of Figure 3, the door or doors to which the receivers are fixed is or are closed. The padlock and cover in an unlocked state is placed into the enclosure formed by the receivers and the pusher 50 pressed down to move the padlock bolt into the locked position over the locking members as shown in Figure 7 or the drawings. In the locked condition, the door or doors cannot be opened and access to the padlock is denied by the cover and the enclosure.