US 6,050,116 AGranted

Method and apparatus for a locking device

AssigneeLoad Defender Incorporated

InventorClayton K. Cole

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Abstract

A method and apparatus is provided for securing trailer doors against tampering. In one exemplary embodiment, a locking device is mounted on the inside of a trailer door. The device includes a locking bolt which is selectively operated by a pneumatic valve in response to a signal selectively generated by an operator. In the example, the locking device is normally in a locked position and the locking bolt is effective to secure the trailer doors to the frame of the trailer. An operator selectively causes the generation of an "unlock" signal through the use of a wireless control device. The unlock signal, in turn, operates upon an electro-pneumatic valve device to effect an application of locally available high air pressure to a locking bolt actuator assembly. The air pressure is sufficiently high to effect the movement of a relatively heavy locking bolt out of a locking position, at which time the trailer doors may be opened for access to the trailer load. In the example, the application of the air pressure is for a predetermined time period after which the air pressure is removed and the locking bolt is returned to a locking position.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A locking device comprising:

fluid control means arranged to receive a supply of pressurized fluid, said fluid control means being responsive to an operating
signal for controlling an application of the pressurized fluid in accordance with said operating signal;
and
a locking apparatus coupled to said fluid control means, said locking apparatus being responsive to said application of said pressurized fluid for operating said locking device in accordance with said operating signal, said locking apparatus further including:
a locking bolt arranged to be selectively moved along a locking path between locked and unlocked positions;
an actuating device;
and
an actuating assembly coupled between said actuating device and said locking bolt, said actuating assembly being arranged to selectively cause an insertion of at least a portion of said actuating assembly into said locking path to prevent movement of said locking bolt from said locked to said unlocked positions, said actuating device being responsive to said pressurized fluid for effecting an application of an actuating force to said actuating assembly, said actuating assembly being responsive to said actuating force for effecting a removal of said portion of said actuating assembly from said locking path, said actuating assembly being further operable in response to said actuating force to effect a movement of said locking bolt from said locked to said unlocked position.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.