Cable lock for securing garments against theft

A cable lock for securing a cable having a blocking shoulder adjacent one end, the cable lock comprising:

• an elongated housing:
• at least one slot in said housing of a size sufficient to slidably receive said cable, said slot having an enlarged portion therein of a size sufficient to permit the lengthwise passage of the blocking shoulder therethrough;
• a cover having spaced walls;
• cooperating means on the cover and housing for guiding relative movement of the housing and cover lengthwise of the housing selectively between a first relative position (a) permitting lengthwise passage of said blocking shoulder through said enlarged portion, and (b) a second relative position preventing the lengthwise passage of said blocking shoulder through said enlarged portion, there being no means biasing the cover toward either of said first and second positions;
• a tumbler having a rotatable shaft operatively associated therewith, the shaft being rotatable independent of the cover;
• and
• a latch having a first end attached to said rotatable shaft and a second free end, the free end engaging said housing for slidably moving said cover between said first and second positions
• said cooperating means including said spaced cover walls engaging said housing and being slidable guidingly lengthwise relative to the housing;
• and
• moving means on the latch and housing causing the latch to drive the cover from its first position into its second position as an incident of the latch moving from its first position into its second position.

The cable locking system comprising:

• a plurality of cables each having a first and a second end;
• a locking shoulder of a size larger than said cable proximate said second end;
• a housing;
• said housing having a plurality of angularly inclined slots having two spaced ends, said slots being of a width large enough to slidably receive said cables but smaller than said blocking shoulder, each of said slots further including an enlarged portion at one end of a size large enough to receive said blocking shoulder when inserted therein lengthwise of said cable, said slots being angularly inclined such that upon lengthwise insertion of said blocking shoulder into said enlarged portion said cable will be urged away from said enlarged portion and toward said opposed end by action of gravity;
• a cover;
• means for slidably engaging said cover to said housing, said cover being slidable between (a) a first position permitting lengthwise passage of said blocking shoulder through said enlarged portions and (b) a second position preventing the lengthwise passage of said blocking shoulder through said enlarged portion;
• and
• means for slidably moving said cover between said first and second position while simultaneously securing said cover in said second positon as said second position is assumed,
• said slidably engaging means comprising said cover and said housing having a to pan a bottom, the top of said cover having a securing tongue thereon, the top of said housing having a receiving flange thereon, said securing tongue slidably engaging said receiving flange, said cover having a securing hook thereon proximate the bottom of said cover, said housing having a receiving slit in its bottom, said securing hook slidably engaging said receiving slit.

A cable locking system comprising:

• a plurality of cables each having a first and a second end;
• a blocking shoulder of a size larger than said cable proximate said second end;
• a housing;
• said housing having a plurality of angularly inclined slots having two opposed ends, said slots being of a width large enough to slidably receive said cables but smaller than said blocking shoulder, each of said slots further including an enlarged portion at one end of a size large enough to insertable receive said blocking shoulder when inserted therein lengthwise to said cable, said slots being angularly inclined such that said upon lengthwise insertion of said blocking shoulder into said enlarge portion said cable will be urged away from said enlarged portion and toward said opposed end by action of gravity;
• a cover;
• means for slidably engaging said cover to said housing, said cover being slidable between (a) a first position permitting lengthwise passage of said blocking shoulder through said enlarged portions and (b) a second position preventing the lengthwise passage of said blocking shoulder through said enlarged portion, there being no means biasing the cover toward either of said first and second positions;
• a tumbler having a rotatable shaft operatively associated with the tumbler, the shaft being rotatable independent of the cover;
• a latch having a first end attached to said rotatable shaft and a second free end, the free end engaging said housing for slidably moving said cover between said first and second positions while simultaneously securing said cover in said second position as said second position is assumed;
• and
• means for mounting said housing to a fixture in a first orientation whereby said cover is urged toward said first position by force of gravity.