Rotative anti-theft bar lock for tractor trailers

A bar lock anti-theft device for trailers comprising:

• a) a housing for mounting on the external front side of a trailer;
• and
• b) a lock bar associated with said housing comprising;
• i) an upper arm having a first end rotatively connected to said housing and a second end;
• ii) a swing arm having a first end and a second terminus end;
• iii) a pivot joint pivotally coupling said second end of said upper arm to said first end of said swing arm;
• and
• iv) a locking mechanism incorporated with said housing for locking said lock bar in position;
• and
• c) wherein said lock bar is moved from the unblocking position to the blocking position by unlocking said lock mechanism and moving said lock bar from the horizontal state to the vertical position and said swing arm pivots to a substantially horizontal position when force is applied thereto thereby placing the terminus end thereof next to said king pin thereby forming an unbreachable gap thus effectively denying access of said king pin to the fifth wheel of a tractor.

A method of utilizing an anti-theft bar lock device to prevent the unauthorized removal of a dropped trailer by a tractor comprising the steps:

• a) providing an anti-theft bar lock device comprising a housing for mounting on the external front side of a trailer, a lock bar associated with said housing comprising an upper arm having a first end rotatively integral with said housing and a second end, a swing arm having a first end and a second terminus end, a pivot joint pivotally connected to said first end of said swing arm, a swivel joint connecting said pivot joint with said upper arm to compensate for angular swing arm movement when a tractor attempts to hook-up from an angle, said swivel joint comprising an external stationary collar with a slot disposed therein, an inner rotative shaft and a stop element projecting from said shaft through said slot in said collar thereby limiting angular swing arm movement when said stop abuts an end of said slot, and a locking mechanism incorporated with said housing for locking said lock bar in position;
• b) mounting said anti-theft locking device to said trailer wherein said pivot joint is situated below the bottom side of said trailer;
• c) using said lock mechanism to lock said lock bar in a substantially horizontal non-blocking position;
• d) backing up an authorized tractor to hook up the fifth wheel thereof with said kingpin and moving and dropping said trailer;
• e) removing said fifth wheel of said tractor from said king pin and moving said tractor therefrom;
• f) unlocking said lock mechanism and rotating said lock bar into a substantially vertical position;
• g) locking said lock bar with said lock mechanism;
• h) pivoting said swing arm to a substantially horizontal plane when a bias is applied thereto thus placing said terminus end thereof proximal to said king pin thereby blocking and preventing access to said king pin by the fifth wheel of a tractor;
• and
• i) reversing the procedure for authorized use of said trailer.

A rotative anti-theft bar lock for tractor trailers comprising:

• a) a housing mountable to the front wall of a trailer;
• b) a lock bar rotatively associated with said housing comprising an upper arm with a first end that rotates through the sidewall of said housing, a second end that terminates below the bottom edge of said trailer, a swing arm pivotally connected to said second end of said upper arm with a pivot joint having a pin that passes through corresponding apertures in said swing arm and a swivel joint, and said swivel joint to allow for limited rotation of said swing arm to compensate for angular swing arm movement when a tractor attempts to hookup from an angle, said swivel joint including a stationary collar with a slot disposed therein and a rotative inner shaft with a stop element projecting through said slot;
• and
• c) means for locking said lock bar in a selected position.

A bar lock anti-theft device for trailers comprising:

• a) a housing for mounting on the external front side of a trailer;
• b) a lock bar associated with said housing comprising;
• i) an upper arm having a first end rotatively connected to said housing and a second end;
• ii) a swing arm having a first end and a second terminus end;
• iii) a pivot joint pivotally coupling said second end of said upper arm to said first end of said swing arm;
• and
• iv) a locking mechanism incorporated with said housing for locking said lock bar in position;
• and
• c) a swivel joint to allow for limited rotation of said swing arm to compensate for angular swing arm movement when a tractor attempts to hookup from an angle, said swivel joint comprising:
• a) an external stationary collar;
• b) an inner rotative shaft;
• c) a slot disposed in said collar;
• and
• d) a stop element projecting from said shaft through said slot in said collar thereby limiting angular swing arm movement when said stop abuts an end of said slot.

A trailer lock assembly comprising:

• a housing mounted on a front wall of a trailer;
• an upper arm operatively connected to the housing;
• and
• a swing arm pivotally connected to the upper arm below the front wall of the trailer and capable of being pivoted to a position substantially perpendicular to the upper arm, the swing arm comprising a terminus end, wherein the terminus end of the swing arm is substantially adjacent to a king pin of the trailer when the swing arm is substantially perpendicular to the upper arm.

A method of operating a trailer lock assembly, the trailer lock assembly comprising a trailer lock, the trailer lock comprising a housing mounted on a front wall of a trailer, an upper arm operatively connected to the housing and pivotally connected to a swing arm, the swing arm having a terminus end, the method comprising:

• placing the upper arm in a downwardly depending position;
• and
• permitting the swing arm to pivot with respect to the upper arm so that a portion of the swing arm including the terminus end can be pivoted to a position beneath the trailer;
• wherein the terminus end of the swing arm is positioned substantially adjacent to a king pin of the trailer when the swing arm pivots with respect to the upper arm so that the portion of the swing arm including the terminus end is positioned beneath the trailer.

A trailer lock comprising:

• a housing mountable to a front wall of a trailer;
• an upper arm operatively connected to the housing, the upper arm having a first end and a second end, the upper arm defining a length between the first end and the second end;
• and
• a swing arm pivotally connected to the upper arm and capable of pivoting to a position substantially perpendicular to the length of the upper arm, the swing arm comprising a length extending a majority of a horizontal distance between a king pin of the trailer and the pivotal connection between the upper arm and the swing arm when the housing is mounted on the front wall of the trailer, the upper arm is in a vertical position, and the swing arm pivots to the position substantially perpendicular to the length of the upper arm.

A trailer lock assembly comprising:

• a housing mounted on a front wall of a trailer;
• an upper arm operatively connected to the housing;
• and
• a swing arm pivotally connected to the upper arm below the front wall of the trailer and capable of being pivoted to a position substantially perpendicular to the upper arm when the upper arm is in a vertical position such that the swing arm blocks a fifth wheel of a tractor from engaging a king pin of the trailer.

A trailer lock comprising:

• a housing for mounting on a wall of a trailer;
• an upper arm operatively connected to the housing;
• and
• a swing arm pivotally connected to the upper arm;
• wherein, when the housing is mounted on the wall of the trailer and the upper arm is in a vertical position, the swing arm is capable of pivoting to a substantially horizontal position underneath the trailer that prevents a tractor from engaging with a king pin of the trailer.

A method of preventing access to a king pin of a trailer having a front wall, the method comprising:

• mounting a housing to the front wall of the trailer, the housing being operably connected to an upper arm, the upper arm being pivotally connected to a swing arm via a pivot joint, the swing arm capable of pivoting to a position substantially perpendicular to the upper arm, the swing arm comprising a terminus end;
• and
• placing the upper arm and swing arm in a downwardly depending position with the pivot joint positioned below the front wall of the trailer adjacent a base portion of the trailer;
• wherein, when the swing arm is pivoted to the position substantially perpendicular to the upper arm, the terminus end of the swing arm is substantially adjacent to the king pin so as to prevent access to the king pin of the trailer.

A trailer lock comprising:

• a lock bar comprising an upper arm and a swing arm;
• means for mounting the lock bar to a front wall of a trailer;
• and
• means for pivotally connecting the upper arm and the swing arm to permit the swing arm to be pivoted underneath the trailer from a vertical position to a substantially horizontal position perpendicular to the upper arm while the lock bar is mounted to the front wall of the trailer and the upper arm is in a vertical position.