Lock-Protecting Hasp

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention pertains to locking members and, more particularly, pertains to a lock-protecting hasp including two mounting hasps and a shackle lock.

2. Description of the Prior Art

There has been a long-felt need for a hasp which will protect shackle locks, especially protecting the locks from bolt cutters or pry bars. There has been a special need for suitable hasps on semi-trailers.

Prior art semi-trailers have used shackle locks which have been easy to remove by cutting the shackle with a bolt cutter or inserting a pry bar into the shackle which is engaged in a lock on a semi-tractor/trailer and prying the lock away from the hasp on the semi-tractor/trailer. While some have tried to use stronger case hasp and locks, this has not solved the problem. Some companies do not even use locks but just use a stranded wire with a lead seal hoping that the wire/seal arrangement will deter breakins, but such is not often the case.

The prior art door handles which swing 180.degree. to lock the door in position and then drop down 90.degree. to engage against a hasp for subsequently accepting a shackle block have provided easy access of removing the shackle lock with either bolt cutters or pry bar. This is especially so because the lock is exposed in open view to an individual who desires either to cut the shackle or pry the shackle with respect to the body of the lock.

The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of prior art by providing a lock-protecting hasp which fully encloses and protects not only the shackle of the lock with respect to the lock body but also provides outside mounting hasp encompassing the shackle in the body of the lock preventing cutting or prying of the shackle or of the body of the lock.

The general purpose of the present invention is to provide a lock-protecting hasp for encompassing the shackle and body of the lock-protecting hasp for use on at least one door member or on two doors such as the doors of a semi-trailer. The lock-protecting hasp is easy to use such as by a tractor/trailer driver or any other individual and requires no manual dexterity or skill to lock the lock into position on the doors.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a lock-protecting hasp including identical and opposing outside mounting hasps of an L-shaped structure where the bend of the L is slightly angular with respect to the surface, two elongated opposing holes in the leg of the L for accepting a shackle of a lock and including outer radial circumferences on the elongated holes providing for rotation of the shackle of the lock, a spacer secured to each top surface of the leg of the L member including elongated opposing holes of a slightly larger height and width and including a slightly larger radial outer circumference, and a protector block secured to the outer edge of the spacer and disposed along the longitudinal length slightly above the elongated holes of the spacer and leg of the L member, a plurality of bolt holes in the upper portion of the L member, and a corresponding back plate having a plurality of holes corresponding and in alignment to those holes in the L member whereby the outside mounting hasp is bolted to doors or a door and a member with at least three bolts providing for secure engagement to the door and respective member, and a shackle lock which engages through opposing align holes in one end of the legs and respective spacers and through opposing align holes at the other end of the leg and the respective spacer and being engaged into a locking position thereby securing the shackle through the respective holes in substantially close relationship between the spacer leg and spacer and the protector blocks covering any area of freedom between the shackle lock body and the respective spacers and legs preventing any exposed portions of the shackle or lock body for prying by pry bar or cutting by bolt cutter. The backing plate can have lips to accept a U-shaped channel not only to protect the nuts of the bolts from damaging any adjacent objects but also providing for further security.

A significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a lock-protecting hasp which protects the shackle of the lock. The lock-protecting hasp takes up any extra slack with the spacer member and protector block on each of the mounting hasps. The lock-protecting hasp accepts any shackle lock and is especially intended for use with case-hardened locks such as the Abeloy lock made in Finland. The lock-protecting hasp utilizes a minimum of from three to five bolts preventing anyone's removing the hardware.

Another significant aspect of the present invention is a lock-protecting hasp which would take a considerable period of time, much longer than three minutes, to gain access to the lock-protecting hasp. The only foreseeable way of removing the lock-protecting hasp would be with a cutting torch which would not only take a considerable period of time and require heavy equipment such as acetylene tanks, but would also attract a considerable amount of attention, especially when sparks would be flying, whether it would be day or night, during the cutting process.

Another significant aspect of the present invention is a lock-protecting hasp which provides absolute security and keeps doors locked especially doors of a semi-trailer, preventing theft of loads in the semi-trailer.

A further significant aspect of the present invention is a lock-protecting hasp which can utilize any size bolts and accept any size lock. The lock-protecting hasp protects a shackle and provides substantially little or no space to insert any tools such as a bolt cutter, pry bar, or any type of saw in an attempt to remove the lock.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof, and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a rear view of a semi-tractor/trailer having a lock-protecting hasp mounted on the two opposing doors of the semi-tractor/trailer;

FIG. 2 illustrates an enlarged top view of the lock-protecting hasp, partially cut away on the ends;

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of the lock-protecting hasp, partially cut away on the ends; and,

FIG. 4 illustrates an end view of the lock-protecting hasp.

FIG. 1, which illustrates an end view of a lock-protecting hasp, the present invention, shows the lock-protecting hasp 10, secured to opposing right door 12 and left door 14 of a semi-trailer 16. The lock-protecting hasp includes a right outside mounting hasp 18, a left opposing aligned outside mounting hasp 20, and a lock 22 including a shackle 22a secured between the right and left outside hasps 18 and 20. The outside mounting hasps also include a spacer and protector block, as later described in detail. A plurality of bolts secure the outside mounting hasps 18 and 20 to the doors 12 and 14 respectively with a plurality of round-headed square-shanked carriage bolts and can also use inside mounting support plates 24 and 26 respectively.

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged top view of the lock-protecting hasp 10 with the ends partially cut away. The right outside mounting hasp 18 includes a flat longitudinal member 18a having a plurality of holes 18b.1 through 18b.5 disposed in a triangular relationship with respect to each other. Angular member 18c with respect to the flat member 18a extends at a crease line 18c.1 to a point of the leg 18d at the line 18d.1. The leg includes two elongated shackle holes 18e.1 and 18e.2, as later described in detail, positioned in the leg on the same axial line with respect to each other. The right outside mounting member 18 can be made of 3/16" steel or other like material. A longitudinal rectangular spacer 28 secures to the leg 18d such as by welding and includes two elongated opposing aligned holes 28a.1 and 28a.2 of slightly larger size than the holes 18e.1 and 18e.2 to facilitate locating the forward end of the shackle 22a of the lock 22. The spacer 28 is made of like material as is the outside mounting hasp, such as 3/16" steel. A protector block 30 secures to the spacer 28. The very top of the spacer is illustrated in FIG. 4 and can be made out of 1/4" bar stock and welded to the spacer. Left outside mounting hasp 20 includes identical structural elements including longitudinal member 20a, holes 20b.1 through 20b.5, angular member 20c at crease line 20c.1, leg 20d at crease line 20d.1, longitudinal holes 28.1 and 28.2, spacer 32 including elongated holes 32a.1 and 32a.2 and protector 34.

FIG. 3, which illustrates a side view of the lock-protecting hasp 10 mounted to right door 12 and left door 14 shows right outside mounting hasp 18 bolted to right door 12 with a plurality of round-headed carriage bolts 36.a and 36.b which extend through the right door 12 through an inside mounting support plate 38 having corresponding holes 38.a and 38.b. Right door 12 can include an overlapping strip 12a to insulate the outside climate conditions from the inside of the trailer. All other numerals correspond to those structural elements previously described in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 illustrates an end view of the right outside mounting hasp member 18 and associated structure including the trailer door 12, round-headed carriage bolts 36 in another embodiment of an inside mounting support plate 44 including bolt holes 44a and 44b and lips 44c and 44d. A channel 46 including corresponding lips 46a and 46b slide over lips 44c and 44d respectively. Channel 46 can include an end member 46c which abuts up to the end of the mounting plate and also include an opposing scored end--not illustrated in FIG. 4 for purposes of clarity in the drawing--which can be hammered down to close and encompass the other end of the channel as described. It is to be noted that the elongated holes 18e.1 and 18e.2 have radial outer circumferential edges 18e.3 and 18e.4 to allow for rotation of the shackle within the elongated holes 18e.1 and 18e.2. The elongated holes 28a.1 and 28a.2 of the spacer include outer radial circumferential holes 28a.3 and 28a.4 respectively to allow for rotation of the shackle 22a of the lock 22 likewise. The oversize of the holes 28 with respect to 18 is to allow for finding and placement of the end of the shackle into the holes 18 and 28 and respectively through the holes 20 and 32 in the opposing leg and spacer. These holes are also illustrated in FIG. 3.

The lock-protecting hasp 10 is installed on suitable doors or a door and a stationary member by bolting the outside mounting hasp 18 and 20 utilizing round-headed carriage bolts with appropriate inside mounting support legs as required. The members 18 and 20 are identical physical structure and can be interchanged, two sets of numbers being utilized for purposes of description of the structural element and explanation in mode of operation.

In operation, a lock 20 having an open shackle 22a with a key is held in an individual's hand with the lock body 22 held such that the end of shackle 22a for a right-handed individual is positioned through hole 18e.4, 28a.4, 20e.4, and 32a.4, then the lock body is rotated one-quarter counterclockwise turn, the lock body 22 is then flipped from a downward position towards the individual and upward the right hand and then the lock body is rotated one-quarter turn in a counterclockwise direction having the end of the shackle go through holes in order 32a.1, 20e.1, 18e.1, and 28a.1, and then the lock body 22 is rotated towards the individual and in towards the trailer door 180.degree., at which time the shackle is held with the individual's left hand and lock body 22 is pushed toward the shackle locking the shackle into the lock, at which time the key 22b is turned, thereby engaging the locking mechanism and subsequently removed. For a left-handed person, the operation would be reversed, the respective operation taking into account the reversal of the structural elements.

The protector blocks 30 and 34 prevent engagement of a pry bar or a cutter about shackle 22a about lock body 22 or in between shackle 22a or lock body 22 and any of the structural support of the lock-protecting hasp 10 and accompanying members 18 and 20.

The lock 22 is removed in a likewise manner after being unlocked with a reverse operation of the steps.

Various modifications can be made to the lock-protecting hasp in the present invention without departing from the apparent scope thereof. Each of the outside mounting hasps including the spacer protector block can be cast from steel or other like material and be one continuous member. Depending upon the particular application, the size of the outside mounting hasp and the elongated holes can be varied for different size doors and different size lock bodies. Inherently, the larger the lock and the larger the members, the stronger the lock system.