GB2139166A

GB2139166A - Locking device

Info

Publication number: GB2139166A
Application number: GB8333213A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Derek Victor Beamish
Original assignee: Beamish & Son Ltd V W
Current assignee: Beamish & Son Ltd V W
Priority date: 1983-04-27
Filing date: 1983-12-13
Publication date: 1984-11-07
Also published as: GB2139166B; GB8333213D0

Abstract

A locking device for vehicles has a tube 1 surrounding the handbrake 2 and a strap 4 extending downwards from the tube attached to the gear lever 7. A cover 12 for the gear lever may fit over the lever and also be attached to the gear lever. Neither gears nor brakes may be used with the device fitted. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Locking device This invention relates to a locking device for immobilising motor vehicles. It is intended to provide a device which is cheap and easy to manufacture, is robust and easily applied to a motor vehicle to render it undrivable and easily released when the owner returns to the vehicle.

In most types of motor car the handbrake is operated by a handle mounted on the floor between a lower "off" position and an upper on 'position, the handle sloping forwardly in both positions, and the gear lever extends upwardly from the floor a short distance in front of the handbrake handle. The present invention provides a device which engages both the gear lever and the brake handle to prevent operation of the gear lever and to secure the brake handle in its "on" position thus preventing or hindering driving of the vehicle.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a locking device for vehicles comprising a tubular member capable of fitting over a floormounted handbrake handle of a vehicle with the handle in its raised position and a rigid strap integral with the tubular member and capable of being fastened to a floor-mounted gear lever of the vehicle, the strap extending below the tubular member when fitted to the handbrake handle and fastened to the gear lever and preventing lowering of the handbrake lever.

When the tubular member is fitted over the handbrake and the strap fastened to the gear lever, for example by means of a padlock, the strap prevents the brake being released as contact between the downwardly extending strap and the vehicle floor restricts the downward movement of the brake handle; also the strap prevents operation of the gear lever.

The device may further comprise a cover, which may comprise a tube having a closed upper end on a plate attached to the lower end of the tube, which fits over the top of the gear lever and is fastened to the strap and gear lever. Such a cover prevents the strap being lowered relative to the gear lever, further ensuring that neither the brake handle northe gear lever may be operated.

The strap, and the cover when provided, may have holes through which the prongs of an ordinary padlock may pass to secure the device in piace. The strap may have a plurality of holes spaced along its length so that it may be used with different vehicle models which have different distances between the handbrake handle and gear lever.

Locking devices according to embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a locking device, Figure 2 shows the device of Figure 1 applied to a car, Figure 3 shows another locking device applied to a car, Figure 4 shows part of the device of Figure 3.

The device shown in the drawings-comprises a steel tubular member 1 dimensioned to fit over the handle of a car handbrake 2. Member 1 may be of round, square or any other cross-section and is made large enough to fit over the brake handle of any standard type of car with a certain degree of play. The upper end 3 of the tubular member may be an open-ended or it may be closed, for example by a metal end-plate or a cap of plastics material.

The lower side of the tubular member is welded to a strap 4 of steel sheet. The strap is shaped so that it extends downwardly from member 1 and its lower edge 5 is close to horizontal when the member 1 is applied to the brake handle with the brake in its "on" position, as shown in Figure 2. The length of the strap is such that its end 6 extends to the gear lever 7 situated in front of the hand brake handle. End 6 has a curved portion 8 to extend part way around the gear lever and a hole 9 to receive a padlock 10 for locking the strap to the gear lever.

The end of the strap engages the gear lever with sufficient play to allow the lever to move between its usual operating positions: thus the gear may be left in neutral, forward or reverse as desired. However, with the padlock applied the device cannot be removed from the handbrake and, because of strap 4, the handbrake cannot be released.

The device shown in Figure 3 is generally similar to that of Figures 1 and 2 and like parts are denoted by like numerals. However in this case the strap 4 is provided with a plurality of holes 9 to engage the padlock (not shown in the drawingO, the holes being distributed along the length of the strap so that the device may be used with different designs of car having different distances between the handbrake handle 2 and the gear lever 7 and the free end of the strap is not provided with a curved portion to engage the gear lever, but with an indent 11 which serves the function of an additional hole 9.

The strap is fastened to the gear lever by a padlock as in the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2; however in addition a gear lever cap 12 is fitted over the gear lever and is retained in position by the padlock 10.

The cap is shown separately in Figure 4. It comprises a cylindrical part 13 having a closed upper end to surround the upper end of the gear lever 7 and the knob on the gear lever and a plate 14 welded to the cylindrical part provided with holes 15 of similar dimensions to holes 9 in the strap. When the device is fitted to a vehicle the strap 4 and cap 12 are together attached by the padlock to the gear lever as shown in Figure 3.

With this embodiment the cap 12 prevents the strap 4 being lowered towards the floor of the car so that the handbrake cannot be released even partially and the gear lever cannot be moved by even a small distance. It also prevents access to the upper end of the gear lever so that the gear lever knob cannot be removed by unscrewing. If an attempt is made to lift the end of strap 4 clear of the gear lever abutment of the upper surface of the strap 4 with the gear lever knob prevents further raising of the strap. The strap is thus secured in a position in which it prevents operation of the gear lever even if the handbrake handle can be forced to move up or down against its usual retaining mechanism.

The embodiment of Figures 3 and 4 is particularly suited to cars which have a relatively short gear lever, including many sports cars, as the distance of the upward movement of the strap required to disengage the strap from the gear lever with the knob removed is then relatively small. As stated, the gear lever cannot be operated with the device applied but the lever can still be left in forward, neutral or reverse, that is in different positions relative to the handbrake, when the device is applied as the padlock may be applied to different positions along the strap passing through different holes 9 which are spaced along it.

The device may be made of ordinary steel and is preferably coated with a plastics material. It may be brightly coloured so as to be visually obvious to deter thieves. The device may be made in various sizes to fit different models of car but a single device, especially that of Figures 3 and 4, may fit a wide variety of vehicle models.

Claims

1. A locking device for vehicles comprising a tubular member capable of fitting over a floormounted handbrake handle of a vehicle with the handle in its raised position and a rigid strap integral with the tubular member and capable of being fastened to a floor-mounted gear lever of the vehicle, the strap extending below the tubular member when fitted to the handbrake handle and fastened to the gear lever and preventing lowering of the handbrake lever.

2. A device according to claim 1, in which the strap is provided with at least one hole for receiving a padlock to fasten the strap to the gear lever.

3. A device according to claim 2, in which the strap is provided with a plurality of holes spaced along its length.

4. A device according to claim 1,2 or 3 in which the end of the strap remote from the tubular member is provided with a hook to engage the gear lever.

5. A device according to any preceding claim including a cover to fit over the upper end of the gear lever and capable of being fastened to the strap and the gear lever.

6. A device according tq claim 5, in which the cover comprises a tube having a closed upper end and a plate attached to the lower end of the tubular member, the plate having a last one hole for receiving a padlock to fasten the plate and the strap to the gear-lever.

7. A device according to any preceding claim, in which one end of the tubular member is closed.

8. A locking device for vehicles, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 or Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.