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US 4,726,202 AGranted
Fluid line lock assembly
OwnerJoseph P. Loacanoinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lock assembly and a fluid or fuel line lock assembly resisting theft. The lock assembly includes a housing with a chamber an aperture for a key, and a cutaway. An inner member, preferably frusto-conically shaped, is inserted in the chamber from a direction opposite the key aperture and is secured therein, for example, by a cover member threaded into the end of the chamber opposite the key aperture. The fuel line lock uses the lock assembly and provides housing breakaway, fuel shut-off, line crimping, and air drawing features to frustrate a potential thief of the motor vehicle using the fuel line lock assembly of the present invention.
Claims41
A lock assembly comprising:
- a housing having a longitudinal axis;
- a frusto-conical chamber formed in said housing and extending along said longitudinal axis, said frusto-conical chamber having a large end and a small end;
- aperture means in said housing extending axially from said small end of said frusto-conical chamber to the exterior of said housing;
- an axially extending slot in said housing adjacent said frusto-conical chamber;
- a frusto-conical inner member fitted within said housing, said frusto-conical inner member having a large end and a small end;
- key aperture means formed axially in said small end of said frusto-conical inner member;
- lock means disposed partially within said frusto-conical inner member and selectively reciprocable therefrom into and out of said slot in response to a preselected key means inserted through said aperture means into said key aperture means and rotated therein;
- and
- securing means securing said frusto-conical inner member in said frusto-conical chamber.
6 more elements
A fluid line lock assembly comprising:
- a housing having a longitudinal axis;
- a chamber formed in said housing and extending along said longitudinal axis, said chamber having a circular cross section and having one end and an other end;
- internal thread means formed in said housing adjacent said other end of said chamber;
- aperture means in said housing extending axially from said one end of said chamber to the exterior of said housing;
- cutaway means formed in said housing extending from said chamber;
- an inner member having a circular cross section and fitted into said chamber, said inner member having one end ajacent said aperture means and an other end opposite said one end;
- key aperture means formed in said one end of said inner member;
- lock mean disposed partially within said inner member and selectively reciprocable therefrom into and out of said cutaway means in response to insertion of preselected key means into said aperture and rotation of said preselected key means therein;
- a valve member fitted in said chamber adjacent said other end of said lock means, said valve member being rotatably driven by said key aperture means;
- first passageway means formed in said housing;
- second passageway means formed in said valve member and selectively engageable with said first passageway means in a preselected angular position of said valve member;
- and
- securing means adajcent said valve means and securing said valve body and said inner member within said chamber:
- said securing means further comprising cover means having external thread means selectively engageable with said internal thread means of said housing.
11 more elements
A fluid line lock assembly comprising:
- a housing having a lngitudinal axis;
- a chamber formed in said housing and extending along said longitudinal axis, said chamber having a circular cross section and having one end and an other end;
- aperture means in said housing extending axially from said one end of said chamber to the exterior of said housing;
- cutaway means formed in said housing extending from said chamber;
- an inner member having a circular cross section and fitted into said chamber, said inner member having one end adjacent said aperture means and an other end opposite said one end;
- wherein said inner member increases in diameter from said one end towards said other end, and further wherein said chamber has a portion shaped similarly to said inner member;
- key aperture means formed in said one end of said inner member;
- lock means disposed partially within said inner member and selectively reciprocable therefrom into and out of said cutaway means in response to insertion of preselected key means into said aperture and rotation of said preselected key means therein;
- a valve member fitted in said chamber adjacent said other end of said lock means, said valve member being rotatably driven by said key aperture means;
- first passageway means formed in said housing;
- second passageway means formed in said valve member and selectively engageable with said first passageway means in a preselected angular position of said valve member;
- and
- securing means adjacent said valve means and securing said valve body and said inner member within said chamber.
10 more elements
A fuel line lock assembly for selectively shutting off the supply of fuel from a fuel tank to an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle and for installation adjacent a first aperture in a structure of said motor vehicle, said fuel line lock assembly comprising:
- a housing having a longitudinal axis;
- a chamber formed in said housing and extending along said longitudinal axis, said chamber having a circular cross section and having a small end;
- a second aperture in said housing extending axially from said small end of said chamber to the exterior of said housing;
- cutaway means formed in said housing extending from said chamber;
- an inner member having a circular cross section and fitted into said chamber, said inner member having one end adjacent said second aperture and an other end opposite said one end;
- a portion of said fuel line lock assembly being adapted for extending through said first aperture;
- key aperture means formed in said one end of said inner member;
- lock means disposted partially within said inner member and selectively reciprocable therefrom into and out of said cutaway means in response to insertion of preselected key means into said first aperture and rotation of said preselected key means therein;
- a valve member fitted in said chamber adjacent said lock means, said valve member being rotatably driven by said key aperture means;
- first passageway means formed in said housing;
- second passageway means formed in said valve member and selectively engageable with said first passageway means in a preselected angular position of said valve member;
- and
- securing means adjacent said valve means and securing said valve body and said inner member within said chamber;
- third passageway means in said inner member and said housing and extending from said valve member to the ambient atmosphere in a preselected position of said inner member relative to said valve member, such that upon forced rotation of said inner member without rotation of said valve member, air is introduced into said fuel line.
11 more elements
A fuel line lock assembly for selectively shutting off the supply of fuel from a fuel tank to a internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle and for installation below a first aperture in a structure of said motor vehicle, said fuel line lock assembly comprising:
- a housing having a longitudinal axis;
- a chamber formed in said housing and extending along said longitudinal axis, said chamber having a circular cross section and having a small end;
- a second aperture in said housing extending axially from said small end of said chamber to the exterior of said housing;
- cutaway means formed in said housing extending from said chamber;
- an inner member having a circular cross section and fitted into said chamber, said inner member having one end adjacent said second aperture and an other end opposite said one end;
- a portion of said fuel line lock assembly being adapted for extending through said first aperture;
- key aperture means formed in said one end of said inner member;
- lock means disposted partially within said inner member and selectively reciprocable therefrom into and out of said cutaway means in response to insertion of preselected key means into said first aperture and rotation of said preselected key means therein;
- a valve member fitted in said chamber adjacent said lock means, said valve member being rotatably driven by said key aperture means;
- first passageway means formed in said housing;
- second passageway means formed in said valve member and selectively engageable with said first passageway means in a preselected angular position of said valve member;
- and
- securing means adjacent said valve means and securing said valve body and said inner member within said chamber;
- said fuel line lock assembly further comprising a weakened cross section on said housing disposed between said securing means and said chamber such that, upon exertion of a predeptermined force on said inner member through said first and second apertures, said housing breaks along said weakened cross section and prevents fuel from passing along said first and second passageway means.
11 more elements
A fuel line lock assembly for selectively shutting off the supply of fuel from a fuel tank to a motor vehicle along a fuel line to the internal combustion engine of said motor vehicle and for installation below a first aperture in the floor of said motor vehicle, said fuel line lock assembly comprising:
- a housing mounted below said floor and having a longitudinal axis and an abutment portion abutting the portion of said floor around said first aperture with said longitudinal axis disposed normal to said floor;
- a main passageway formed in said housing and extending along said longitudinal axis;
- a frusto-conical portion of said main passageway having a small upper end and a large lower end;
- an axially extending slot formed in said housing adjacent said frusto-conical portion;
- a frusto-conical inner member fitted into said frusto-conical portion of said chamber;
- key aperture means formed axially in said small end of said frusto-conical inner member;
- lock means disposed partially within said frusto-conical inner member and selectively reciprocable therefrom into and out of said slot in response to a preselected key means inserted through said first aperture into said key aperture means and rotated therein;
- a valve member fitted in said passageway adjacent said large end of said frusto-conical inner member, said valve member being rotatably driven by the end of said preselected key;
- a first transverse bore extending through said housing across said main passageway, a portion of said fuel line leading to said fuel tank being interconnected with one end of said first transverse bore and a portion of said fuel line leading to said internal combustion engine being interconnected with the other end of said first transverse bore;
- a second transverse bore extending through said valve member and selectively engageable with said first transverse bore in a first predetermined angular position of said valve member to permit flow of fuel from said fuel tank to said internal combustion engine;
- internal thread means formed in said housing adjacent the lower end of said main passageway;
- and
- cover means having an external thread means engageable with said internal thread means to secure said valve member and said frusto-conical inner member to said housing.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.