US 4,833,442 AGranted

Wheel immobilizer-chock w/integral latch and alarm

OwnerRobert Von Heckinventor

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Abstract

An anti-theft security device, attachable to various types of parked vehicles, such as motorcars, motorcycles, light-aircraft, etc.; said device having a preferred wedge shaped profile as viewed installed from the wheel axial direction, and having clincher like appendage elements extending radially inwardly therefrom toward the wheel-axle on both opposed sides of the tire and rim-flange in a jaw like manner, thereby rendering the vehicle essentially immobile until said security device is simply detached by the vehicle-owner through means of a distensible-jaw element which is released by an integral latch/lock member; including an optional electronic audio-alarm provision whereby intimate contact between tire-tread and the armature/wedge-ramp acts to detain a switch-lever interconnected with the said lock, so that attempted forced removal of the wheel-immobilizer assembly activates an electronic audio-alarm circuit of substantially conventional design powered by enshrouded d.c.-battery current, which may be self-contained or remote-controlled via umbligal-cord plug-in arrangement; hence, an inexpensive portable anti-theft wheel-chock, having no installation-cost in the self-contained version.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A non-passive hand-portable mechanical immobilizer security-device for prevention of wheeled vehicle theft, by method of manual attachment upon an existing wheel/tire assembly so as to thereby impose an impediment to full rotation ability;

comprising:
a. an armature-body, configured as to include a surface portion made to rest substantially against a sector of the tire-tread, and an adjacent surface portion thereof normally able to interfere upon the ground, the combination being tantamount to a captively appended wheel-chock;
b. two laterally opposed jaw like arms, rigidly extending relative from said armature body so as to thereby radially engage substantially about the said wheel/tire cross-section in clinching retention thereto;
c. an integral key-latching or equivalent type of substantially standard internal locking mechanism for sucurely detaining a laterally sliding jaw member in clinched position against the wheel/tire assembly until instant release of the said clinching action is manually accomplished by the user via key unlocking action;
d. an adjustable sizing means, accomodating physical variations in wheel/tire cross-section dimensions;
e. an optional electronic/audio-alarm provision, whereby said surfaces may include `forced displacement` sensing means, becomming activated if the armature body is separated from secure attachment upon the wheel/tire assembly, and/or upon armature body surface displacement from effective ground contact.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.