US 11,745,043 B2
Locking mechanism
David Robert Davies, North Chesterfield, VA (US); Hugh Anderson, Henrico, VA (US); and Randy Franks, Henrico, VA (US)
Assigned to SpeedClips USA, LLC, Henrico, VA (US)
Filed by SpeedClips USA, LLC, Henrico, VA (US)
Filed on Aug. 5, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/394,810.
Application 17/394,810 is a continuation of application No. 17/088,127, filed on Nov. 3, 2020, granted, now 11,117,013.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/989,433, filed on Mar. 13, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0361996 A1, Nov. 25, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A63B 21/072 (2006.01); F16B 2/16 (2006.01)
CPC A63B 21/0728 (2013.01) [F16B 2/16 (2013.01); Y10T 403/592 (2015.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A lock, comprising:
an inner hollow cylinder with at least two apertures, wherein said at least two apertures extend from an inside of the inner hollow cylinder to an outside of the inner hollow cylinder;
a first side member and a second side member which are moveable axially away from each other relative to an axial direction of the inner hollow cylinder, wherein each of the first side member and the second side member include portions on an outer periphery of the inner hollow cylinder;
first and second biasing members which bias the first side member and the second side member axially towards each other relative to the axial direction of the inner hollow cylinder, wherein the first biasing member is positioned between at least portions of the first side member and the inner hollow cylinder and the second biasing member is positioned between at least portions of the second side member and the inner hollow cylinder;
first and second inclines respectively positioned at inner surfaces of the first and second side members and are axially moveable with the first and second side members, wherein the first and second inclines each face towards the inner hollow cylinder, wherein the first incline is positioned in alignment with at least a first aperture of the at least two apertures of the inner hollow cylinder and the second incline is positioned in alignment with at least a second aperture of the at least two apertures in the inner hollow cylinder; and
at least a first ball sized to project partially through the at least a first aperture and at least a second ball sized to project partially through the at least a second aperture, wherein when the first side member and the second side member are moved axially away from each other the at least a first ball and the at least a second ball are retracted from projecting out through the at least a first aperture and the at least a second aperture, respectively, by movement along the first and second inclines, and when the first side member and the second side member are moved axially toward each other by the first and second biasing members the at least a first ball and the at least a second ball are moved by the first and second inclines to project outward through the at least a first aperture and the at least a second aperture, respectively.