This invention disclosure generally relates to shipping containers, and more specifically, to a lock-protecting apparatus including two hasps capable of visually indicating whether a movable door of a shipping container has been moved from a closed position.
Intermodal cargo freight containers and semi-trailer containers (hereinafter collectively referred to as “containers) provide an economic mode for transporting large quantities of cargo or goods between distant locations. Such containers are stacked on ships, carried on railcars, and are typically moved to various geographically spaced locations. The United States freight transportation network commonly uses cargo or freight containers to move a staggering volume of goods each year. In just the last year, tens of millions of containers entered the United States through water and land ports. In just the last year, approximately 20 billion tons of goods, worth in excess of $10 trillion, were moved into and around the United States. This translates into several hundreds of pounds of freight moved daily for each and every U.S. resident.
A typical freight container includes a box-like enclosure having an open end for loading and unloading goods. A pair of swing-out doors, mounted in a rigid container frame, close the open end of the cargo container during transport. Each door is hingedly secured to the door frame along one vertical edge thereof. In many applications, an exterior of each door is provided with a bar lock assembly including a vertically elongated locking rod. Rotation of the locking rod allows cam structures of the locking rod to cooperate with other conventional instrumentalities on the door frame to secure the respective container door in a closed position.
Coupled with the immense volume of goods being shipped is the exposure to enormous risks. One of the most prevalent and so called “victimless” crimes involves cargo theft. Worldwide industry theft losses for cargo in 1995 were approximated at $470 billion. Between hijackings and internal fraud, the costs to business has reached epidemic proportions. As a consequence, insurance premiums and deductibles are rising at an alarming rate. While insurance payouts can replace such stolen goods, the loss of business from clients forced to buy replacement goods might never be replaced. Companies simply cannot continue to afford to pay the exorbitant price tag involved with having their cargos stolen, ranging from the actual value of the goods, to business downtime, to the loss of opportunities to market and sell seasonable goods, to the total loss of product sales. Even though enforcement agencies have begun forming task forces to deal with cargo theft problems, most of their responses have been reactive rather than proactive. Accordingly, law enforcement agencies and private industry have realized they must work together to find a solution to the problem of cargo theft.
Heretofore, a very basic procedure at inhibiting cargo theft involves locking the doors on the cargo containers. In one form, the locking rods on the doors of the cargo container are configured to permit a padlock or other suitable locking device to be arranged on the outside of the container to prevent rotation of the locking rod. Of course, if the locking rod cannot be rotated, opening of the doors is prevented.
After removing such cargo containers from the ships, they are often placed upon the ground in remote storage areas prior to being loaded on trucks or railcars. The remoteness of such cargo container storage presents a prime opportunity for cargo theft. Another prime opportunity for cargo theft is when a railcar carrying cargo containers is parked on a secluded siding or switching yard. Such areas are vulnerable to having conventional padlocks being cut with bolt cutters or a pry bar without drawing particular attention to such acts. Furthermore, if a theft of cargo does occur in either a storage area, secluded siding or switching yard, or even when the trucker driving the truck used to transport the container between locations it is not present, it is possible for such theft not to be discovered for an extended time period.
Thus, there is a need and continuing desire for a lock-protecting hasp apparatus which is simple, versatile, and embodies enhanced protection from the more common methods of forced attack while structured to accommodate a security seal for providing an easily viewed indication of whether a movable door of the shipping container has been moved from a closed position.
In view of the above, and in accordance with one aspect, there is provided a lock-protecting hasp apparatus for use on a container having a door movable between closed and open positions. The lock-protecting hasp apparatus includes a first hasp, mounted to an exterior surface of the door, and a second hasp. Each hasp has a mounting portion and a hasp portion connected to and extending away from the mounting portion of the respective hasp. The hasp portion of each hasp has a predetermined height.
With the door in the closed position, the hasp plate portions of the first and second hasps are arranged to project generally coextensive relative to each other. Each hasp portion defines two openings for accepting and accommodating a shackle of a lock. Each hasp further includes a shackle guard secured to and extending generally coextensive with the hasp portion of each hasp. Each shackle guard defines two openings which generally align with the two openings in the hasp portion of each hasp such that when the hasp portions of the first and second hasps are arranged in generally coextensive relation relative to each other, the shackle of the lock is permitted to pass therethrough so as to secure the hasps to each other and thereby maintain the door in the closed position.
The shackle guard projects beyond the predetermined height of the hasp portion of each hasp and defines a third opening, arranged in spaced vertical relation from a marginal edge of the hasp portion. The third opening in the shackle guard accommodates a security seal passing therethrough. The security seal provides an instant visual image whether the door has been moved from the closed position.
Preferably, the openings in the hasp portion of each hasp have a keyhole configuration providing for rotation of the shackle of the lock relative to the hasp. In one form, the openings in the hasp portion of each hasp and the openings in the shackle guard are substantially similar in configuration relative to each other.
The third opening defined by the shackle guard preferably has an elongated configuration. In one embodiment, a marginal edge of the third opening defined by the shackle guard has an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter keyhole configuration of the openings defined by either the hasp portion or the shackle guard. In one form, the container has a second door cooperable with the first door, with the second hasp being mounted to the second door.
According to another aspect, there is provided a lock-protecting hasp apparatus for maintaining first and second container doors in secured relationship relative to each other. Each container door is movable between closed and open positions. According to this aspect, the lock-protecting hasp apparatus includes a pair of complemental hasps including, respectively, a hasp portion having upper and lower marginal edges defining a predetermined height of the hasp portion and with each hasp portion defining first and second vertically elongated openings for receiving a padlock shackle having a pair of interconnected shackle legs. Each hasp further includes an elongated mounting portion secured to and extending away from the hasp portion for fixedly mounting the hasps to the doors in adjacent relation relative to each other and such that the hasp portions are arranged in proximate and confronting relation to each other when the doors are in their closed position whereby permitting the padlock shackle to pass through the openings in the hasp portions of the respective hasps so as to lock the doors together.
According to this aspect, each hasp further includes a shackle guard secured to and extending generally coextensive with the hasp portion of each hasp. Each shackle guard defines two vertically elongated openings which align with the two openings in the hasp portion of each hasp such that the padlock shackle is permitted to pass therethrough. The shackle guard of each hasp projects beyond the predetermined height of the hasp portion and defines a third opening. The third opening in the shackle guard is arranged in spaced vertical relation from a marginal edge of the hasp portion and accommodates a security seal passing therethrough and so as to allow the security seal to provide an instant visual image whether either container door has been moved from the closed position.
Preferably, the openings of each hasp portion have a keyhole configuration providing for rotation of the shackle of the lock relative to the hasp. In a preferred form, the elongated openings in the hasp portion of each hasp and the elongated openings in the shackle guard are substantially similar in configuration relative to each other.
The third opening defined by the shackle guard preferably has a vertically elongated configuration. In one form, a marginal edge of the third opening defined by the shackle guard has an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameters of the openings defined by either the hasp portion or the shackle guard.
According to another aspect of this invention disclosure, there is provided a lock-protecting hasp apparatus for maintaining first and second container doors in secured relationship relative to each other. Each door is movable from a closed position to an open position. According to this aspect, the lock-protecting hasp apparatus includes a pair of complemental hasps including, respectively, a longitudinally elongated portion with a mounting section defining a plurality of mounting bolt holes. The longitudinally elongated portion of each hasp has spaced first and second generally parallel marginal edges. The longitudinally elongated portion of each hasp also has an angled section connected to and angled slightly relative to the mounting section. Each hasp further has a hasp portion having generally the same predetermined height as and extends away from an end region of the angled section of the respective hasp. The hasp portions of the pair of hasps are arranged, when the doors are in the closed position, to project generally coextensive relative to each other.
According to this aspect, the hasp portion of each hasp defines two vertically elongated openings for accepting and accommodating a shackle of a lock. Each hasp further includes a shackle guard secured to and extending generally coextensive with the hasp portion of each hasp. Each shackle guard defines two vertically elongated openings which are aligned with the two openings in the hasp portion of each hasp such that when the hasp plate portions of the first and second hasps are arranged in generally coextensive relation relative to each other, the shackle of the lock is permitted to pass therethrough so as to secure the hasps to each other and thereby maintain-the door in the closed position.
According to this aspect, the shackle guard of each hasp projects beyond the predetermined height of the hasp portion and defines a third opening. The third opening in the shackle guard is arranged in spaced vertical relation from a marginal edge of the hasp portion and accommodates a security seal passing therethrough. The security seal provides an instant visual image whether either door has been moved from their closed position.
Preferably, each hasp portion has a keyhole configuration providing for rotation of the shackle of the lock relative to the hasp. In a preferred embodiment, the elongated and closed marginal openings in the hasp portion of each hasp and the elongated and closed marginal openings in the shackle guard are substantially similar in configuration relative to each other. The third opening defined by the shackle guard preferably has a vertically elongated configuration. In one form, the marginal edge of the third opening defined by the shackle guard has an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the keyhole configuration of the openings defined by either the hasp portion or the shackle guard.
According to yet another aspect, there is provided a lock-protecting hasp apparatus for maintaining first and second container doors in secured relationship relative to each other. Each door is movable from a closed position to an open position. Each door further has a bar lock assembly mounted thereon. The bar lock assembly includes a vertically extending rod cooperable with keepers to retain the respective door in the closed position. The rod is mounted to the door by mounting brackets with fasteners extending through a predetermined pattern of mounting holes in the mounting brackets.
According to this aspect, the lock-protecting hasp apparatus includes a pair of complemental hasps including, respectively, a longitudinally elongated portion with a mounting section defining a plurality of bolt holes arranged in the same predetermined pattern as those on the mounting brackets for the bar lock assembly. As such, the fasteners used to secure the bar lock assembly to the door can also be used to secure each hasp to the door. The longitudinally elongated portion of each hasp a predetermined height. Preferably, the longitudinally elongated portion of each hasp also has an angled section connected to and angled slightly relative to the mounting section.
According to this aspect, each hasp further has a hasp portion having generally the same predetermined height as and extending away from an end region of the angled section of the respective hasp. The hasp portions of the pair of hasps are arranged, when the doors are in the closed position, to project generally coextensive relative to each other. The hasp portion of each hasp defines two vertically elongated openings for accepting and accommodating a shackle of a lock.
With this aspect, each hasp further includes a shackle guard secured to and extending generally coextensive with the hasp portion of each hasp. Each shackle guard defines two openings which are aligned with the two openings in the hasp portion of each hasp such that when the hasp plate portions of the first and second hasps are arranged in generally coextensive relation relative to each other, the shackle of the lock is permitted to pass therethrough and secure the hasps to each other thereby maintaining the doors in their closed position.
The shackle guard of each hasp projects beyond the predetermined height of the hasp portion and defines a third opening. The third opening defined by the shackle guard is arranged in spaced vertical relation from a marginal edge of the hasp mounting portion to accommodate a security seal passing therethrough. The security seal yields an instant visual image whether either door has been moved from the closed position.
In one form, each hasp portion has a keyhole configuration providing for rotation of the shackle of the lock relative to the hasp. Preferably, the elongated and closed marginal openings in the hasp portion of each hasp and the elongated and closed marginal openings in the shackle guard are substantially similar in configuration relative to each other. The third opening defined by the shackle guard has a vertically elongated configuration. In a preferred form, the marginal edge of the third opening defined by the shackle guard has an inner diameter smaller than the keyhole configuration of the openings defined by either the hasp portion or the shackle guard.
While this invention disclosure is susceptible of embodiment in multiple forms, there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described a preferred embodiment, with the understanding the present disclosure sets forth an exemplification of the disclosure which is not intended to limit the disclosure to the specific embodiment illustrated and described.
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, in
As shown in
In the example illustrated in
Preferably, and to reduce costs, the bar lock assemblies 24, 34 associated with doors 20, 30, respectively, are substantially identical to each other and, thus, only bar lock assembly 24 will be described. Each bar lock assembly includes an elongated vertically disposed rod 25 mounted adjacent the vertical door edge disposed closet to the vertical door edge of the adjacent door. Toward the upper and lower ends thereof, rod 25 is provided with suitable locking cam structure 26 and 26′, respectively, which cooperate with keepers 27 and 27′, respectively, on frame 14 for maintaining the doors in their closed position. The locking rod 25 is rotated and the locking cams 26, 26′ are operated by a handle 28 secured along the length of rod 25. Handle 28 can be locked, for example by a padlock, to preclude rotation of the locking rod 25. It will be appreciated, however, this handle lock can be and frequently is readily broken by a prybar, lever or bolt cutters whereby unauthorized access the container can be and is easily obtained.
The locking rod 25 of each bar lock assembly 24, 34 is mounted for rotation about a fixed axis to the respective door 20, 30, respectively, by upper and lower mounting brackets 36 and 36′. Besides mounting each locking rod 25 for rotation about a fixed axis relative to the respective door, and as is known, the mounting brackets 36, 36′ are preferably designed to limit endwise displacement of the locking rod 25 relative to the respective door. The mounting brackets 36 and 36′ for each bar lock assembly are basically of a similar design to each other and, thus only bracket 36 will be discussed. As shown in
In accordance with the present invention disclosure, there is provided a lock-protecting hasp apparatus, generally indicated in
In the embodiment illustrated in
In the embodiment shown in
In a preferred form, an angled section 64R extends between the mounting section 54R of hasp 50R and is connected to the hasp portion 62R. More specifically, the angled section 64R of hasp 50R is connected to and angled slightly relative to the mounting section 54R of hasp 50R. In the illustrated embodiment, the hasp portion 62R extends away and generally normal to an end region of the angled section 64R of hasp 50R.
Turning now to
Hasp 50R is furthermore provided with a longitudinally elongated shackle guard 72R which is secured to and extends coextensive with the hasp portion 62R of hasp 50R. In one form, the elongated shackle guard 72R is formed from steel plate or other like material having a generally constant thickness ranging between about 0.153 inches and about 0.250 inches. Preferably, the elongated shackle guard 72R is secured as by welding or the like along the marginal edges of the hasp portion 62R of hasp 50R. Notably, and in the preferred embodiment shown in
Like hasp portion 62R, the shackle guard 72R defines two vertically elongated and, in the illustrated embodiment, vertically aligned, openings 74a and 74b for accommodating the legs 104 and 106 of shackle lock 100 (
The shackle guard 72R is preferably configured to vertically extend beyond the predetermined height PH′ of the hasp portion 62R of hasp 50R. In the illustrated embodiment, and for purposes described below, shackle guard 72R is configured to vertically extend beyond at least one of the marginal edges 68u and 68l of the hasp portion 62R of hasp 50R. Preferably, a lengthwise portion of shackle guard 72R is configured to vertically extend beyond the upper marginal edge 68u of the hasp′ portion 62R of hasp 50R.
As shown in
Returning to
Like hasp 50R, and as shown in
Preferably, an angled section 64L extends between the mounting section 54L of hasp 50L and is connected to the hasp portion 62L. More specifically, the angled section 64L of hasp 50L is connected to and angled slightly relative to the mounting section 54L. In the embodiment shown, the hasp portion 62L extends away and generally normal to an end region of the angled section 64L of hasp 50L.
Turning now to
Hasp 50L is furthermore provided with a longitudinally elongated shackle guard 72L which is secured to and extends coextensive with the hasp portion 62L of hasp 60L. In one form, the elongated shackle guard 72L is formed from steel plate or other like material having a generally constant thickness ranging between about 0.153 inches and about 0.250 inches. Preferably, the elongated shackle guard 72L is secured as by welding or the like along the marginal edges of the hasp portion 62L of hasp 60L. In the preferred embodiment shown in
As shown in
Notably, the shackle guard 72L is configured to vertically extend beyond the predetermined height of the hasp portion 62L of hasp 50L. In the illustrated embodiment, and for purposes described below, the guard 72L is configured to vertically extend beyond at least one of the upper and lower generally parallel marginal edges 68u ′ and 68l′ of the hasp portion 62L of hasp 50L. Preferably, a lengthwise portion of shackle guard 72L is configured to vertically extend beyond the upper marginal edge 68u ′ of the hasp portion 62L of hasp 50L.
As shown in
It is advantageous to limit the lateral spacing between the shackle guard 72R and 72L of hasps 50R and 50L, respectively, so as to inhibit a pry bar or cutting tool from being inserted between the guards 72R and 72L to sever or otherwise cut or lessen the operable effectiveness of lock 100 in limiting unauthorized access to the interior of container (
In the form shown in
In operation, one end of each leg 104/106 of the open shackle 102 is inserted through one the openings in the hasp portion 62L and shackle guard 72L of hasp 50L and through the openings in the shackle guard 72R and hasp portion 62R of hasp 50R until the legs 104/106 are arranged in secured relation with the lock body 110 (
While providing a detriment to access to the interior of the container 10, lock 100 can be manipulated and arranged such that it readily fails to provide an instant visual image of whether the doors 20, 30 of container 10 have been moved from the closed position after the lock 100 is secured and locked. Accordingly, security seal 120 is provided in combination with the hasps 50R and 50L to yield an instant visual image of whether the doors 20, 30 of container 10 have been moved from the closed position after the lock 100 is secured and locked.
The security seal 120 can be of any conventional design without detracting or departing from the spirit and scope of this invention disclosure. In the form illustrated by way of example in
As shown in
The security seal 120 furthermore adds to the inability to gain unauthorized access to the container 10 through the doors 20, 30. Of course, if and when the doors 20, 30 of container 10 are unauthoritatively moved from their closed position, the security seal 120 will break as through separation of the first and second members 122 and 128 relative to each other whereby yielding an instant visual image of whether the doors 20, 30 of container 10 have been moved from the closed position after the lock 100 is secured and locked. In this regard, the hasps 50R and 50L are preferably designed such that the security seal 120 is purposefully disposed to pass through the shackle guards 72R and 72L toward an upper side of the hasps 50R and 50L such that the security seal 120 is more readily viewable at merely a quick glance from a rear side of the container 10 whereby facilitating the ability to quickly and readily appreciate when the doors 20, 30 of container 10 have been unauthoritatively moved from their closed position.
From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous modifications and variations can be made and effected without departing or detracting from the true spirit and novel concept of this invention disclosure. Moreover, it will be appreciated, the present disclosure is intended to set forth an exemplification which is not intended to limit the disclosure to the specific embodiment illustrated. Rather, this disclosure is intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications and variations as fall within the spirit and scope of the claims.