US 4,907,111 AGranted

Locking device for floppy disk drives

OwnerJay S. Dermaninventor

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Abstract

A device for locking a floppy disk drive so that the drive can not be used to read the files stored on the diskettes. The preferred embodiment of the device is made of two assemblies, one of which includes a blank diskette which is inserted in the open empty disk drive. The second assembly, acting as a clamp, is placed over the protruding face of the first assembly in a manner so that the disk drive lever is enclosed by a cutout or notch in the clamp, and a lock screw in the clamp engages the first assembly. Alternately, no blank diskette is utilized with the first assembly. Instead, the first assembly includes a hard plastic tongue which is inserted in the open disk drive. Rotating the lock screw by a key placed in the clamp barrel lock, pulls the clamp until it is tightly seated against the disk drive face, preventing the disk drive from being opened and a diskette inserted.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A locking device for insertion in a disk drive of a Personal Computer (PC), such that when said device is locked in place, said disk drive is disabled;

said locking device comprising a diskholder assembly, a clamp cover assembly and a blank diskette;
said diskholder assembly including a means for attaching said diskette to said diskholder;
said diskholder assembly being attached to said diskette which is clamped by said disk drive and is acting as a support for said clamp cover assembly;
said clamp cover assembly comprising a rectangular shaped clamp cover made of a non-ferrous metal or a suitable hard plastic and a barrel lock, said barrel lock operating a locking screw that mates with a tapped screw holder in said diskholder assembly;
said clamp cover having bent surfaces that align with recessed surfaces of said diskholder assembly when said clamp cover assembly is moved into its locking position and when said locking screw is engaged in said tapped screw hole in said diskholder assembly in order to lock the device;
said clamp cover having an opening formed in one end and sized to lie across the lever of said disk drive, preventing the lever from being rotated and opening said disk drive when said clamp cover assembly is tightened in position by rotation of a key in said barrel lock.

3 more elements

A locking device for insertion in a floppy disk drive of a Personal Computer (PC), such that when said device is locked in place, said disk drive is disabled;

said locking device having components which act in mechanical cooperation with said disk drive and the front surface of said PC to close off access to said disk drive;
said locking device comprising a diskholder assembly and a clamp cover assembly;
said diskholder assembly including a means for attaching itself to said disk drive;
said clamp cover assembly comprising a rectangular shaped clamp cover made of a non-ferrous metal or a suitable hard plastic and a barrel lock, said barrel lock operating a locking screw that mates with a tapped screw hole in said diskholder assembly;
said clamp cover having bent surfaces that are aligned with the longitudinal surfaces of said diskholder assembly when said clamp cover assembly is moved into its locking position;
said clamp cover plate having bent projections at each of its ends for the purpose of bearing against the front surface of said PC;
said clamp cover assembly preventing access to said disk drive when said clamp cover assembly is tightened in position by rotation of a key in said barrel lock.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.